TheStandard_Vol8_Issue12.pdf

NOVEMBER 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 11 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

DECEMBER 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 12 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

2020 IN REVIEW

VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE OCTOBER 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 10 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

AUGUST 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 8 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

JULY 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 7 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

THE FUTURE

THE NEW NORMAL TRAVEL IN 2020

OF SPORTS

The Show Must Go On… THE STATUS OF LIVE THEATRE

GLOBAL PRIDE 2020 EXIST. PERSIST. RESIST.

MAY 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 5 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

IF A VIRUS COULD SING LOOKING FOR A COVID 19 DEFEAT THROUGH MUSIC

THE POWER OF MUSIC DEALING WITH A PANDEMIC

APRIL 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 4 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

MARCH 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 3 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

DELICIOUS TRENDS WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE?

AAP/FOOD SAMARITANS GRATEFUL CLIENTS TELL THEIR STORIES

• ELTON JOHN IN PALM SPRINGS...ALMOST

>>

• LGBT COMMUNITY & COVID-19

>>

DINING OUT FOR LIFE

EAT. DRINK. GIVE. END HIV

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH CRAIG A MEYER THE RISK FACTOR

SEPTEMBER 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 9 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 6 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

VIRTUAL VACATION | TSA CHANGES | SOCIAL JUSTICE

VIRTUAL SPORTS / SPORTS PARTICIPATION, HOME STYLE LGBT ATHLETES / COMING OUT IN 2020

8th Annual Holiday Gift Guide

AMAZON TRAIL

THE DANGER WE ARE IN

DESERT AIDS PROJECT

A PERFECT SIGHT MODERNISM WEEK 2020 FEBRUARY 2020 | VOLUME 8 ISSUE 2 | THESTANDARDPS.COM | @THESTANDARDPS

REMOVING ROADBLOCKS TO HUMAN POTENTIAL

STEVE CHASE HUMANITARIAN AWARDS INGÉNUE KRISTIN CHENOWETH HEADLINES

JANUARY 2020 | VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1 THESTANDARDPS.COM | @THESTANDARDPS

CONTENTS VOLUME 8, ISSUE 12 NOVEMBER 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 11 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

DECEMBER 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 12 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

2020 IN REVIEW

VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE OCTOBER 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 10 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

AUGUST 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 8 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

JULY 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 7 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

THE FUTURE

THE NEW NORMAL TRAVEL IN 2020

OF SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 9 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

The Show Must Go On… THE STATUS OF LIVE THEATRE

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 6 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

GLOBAL PRIDE 2020 EXIST. PERSIST. RESIST.

MAY 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 5 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

theStandardPS.com

IF A VIRUS COULD SING LOOKING FOR A COVID 19 DEFEAT THROUGH MUSIC

THE POWER OF MUSIC

VIRTUAL VACATION | TSA CHANGES | SOCIAL JUSTICE

VIRTUAL SPORTS / SPORTS PARTICIPATION, HOME STYLE LGBT ATHLETES / COMING OUT IN 2020

8th Annual Holiday Gift Guide

DEALING WITH A PANDEMIC

APRIL 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 4 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

MARCH 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 3 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

twitter.com/theStandardPS DELICIOUS TRENDS

AAP/FOOD SAMARITANS

WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE?

GRATEFUL CLIENTS TELL THEIR STORIES

• ELTON JOHN IN PALM SPRINGS...ALMOST

>>

• LGBT COMMUNITY & COVID-19

>>

THE RISK FACTOR

DINING OUT FOR LIFE

EAT. DRINK. GIVE. END HIV

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH CRAIG A MEYER

AMAZON TRAIL

THE DANGER WE ARE IN

DESERT AIDS PROJECT

A PERFECT SIGHT MODERNISM WEEK 2020 FEBRUARY 2020 | VOLUME 8 ISSUE 2 | THESTANDARDPS.COM | @THESTANDARDPS

REMOVING ROADBLOCKS TO HUMAN POTENTIAL

STEVE CHASE HUMANITARIAN AWARDS INGÉNUE KRISTIN CHENOWETH HEADLINES

JANUARY 2020 | VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1 THESTANDARDPS.COM | @THESTANDARDPS

facebook.com/theStandardPS instagram.com/theStandardPS

Volume 8 Issue 12 MUSIC

PAMELA MEANS AND THE REPARATIONS “LIVE AT NORTHFIRE” PAGE 47

COVER 2020 IN REVIEW / ONE HELL OF A YEAR COVER LGBTQ NEWS THAT MADE HEADLINES FEATURE GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN ICONIC GAY CLUBS THAT WON’T BE RETURNING Q&A A CALL FOR “UNITY” COLTON FORD’S MOST POWERFUL ALBUM YET PSP FOCUS MODERNISM WEEK MOVES TO APRIL WITH VIRTUAL PROGRAMS IN FEBRUARY FITNESS BEING HOPEFUL / LESSONS LEARNED DECEMBER 2020 3

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W E R EN T PA L M S P R IN GS L U X U RY To Book Directly: 760.209.4311

www.modmansions.com

COMMENTARY

The Standard Magazine 400 N Sunrise Way #263 Palm Springs CA 92262 760.831.4869 NINO EILETS Publisher LUCIANO MCNULTY Editor MAYA KALABIC Art Director PHOTOGRAPHER David A. Lee CONTRIBUTORS

We wish all of our readers, supporters and partners a safe and very happy holiday season. It’s been a very taxing year for us all and we are very grateful for your support; support of which allows us to continue to be a successful publication; particularly through these trying times. We could not have done it without you, a million thanks. Also a huge thanks to our incredibly awesome Art Director, our great team of writers, wonderful photographer and of course our advertisers. We look forward to providing you with great editorial, LGBTQ news, views and perspectives as well as fun and informative features as we move forward into 2021.

All the Best for an amazing Holiday & Very Happy, Safe, & Hopeful New Year Nino Eilets, Publisher

Troy Becker, Tom Tietjen, Ryan Turrin, Jack Bunting, Josh Furnell, Phil Bessimer, Martha Tang, Dann Foley, Lee Lynch, Bob Bogard, Jeff Dorta, Michele Karlsberg, Mona Elyafi, Jeff Hocker, Jill Langham & Terri Schlichenmeyer

www.thestandardps.com EDITORIAL CREDITS :

BrandPoint, Huffington Post, LGBTQ Nation, Project Publicity, MSN, Reuters & CNN The Standard Magazine is published monthly. Opinions expressed are not necessarily the opinions of the Standard or its staff, advertisers or readers with exception of editorials.

Publication of the name or photograph of any person, business or organization in articles or advertising in the Standard is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such person, business or organization. The Standard disclaims any responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Advertising rates are subject to change without notice. The Standard reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any advertisement for any reason including, but not limited to poor taste. It is the policy of The Standard that we only publish letters to the editor that are signed by the author and verifiable by phone number. We can reserve the right of anonymity upon request. The letters need to be original, in good taste and free of libel as well as edited for clarity and grammar. Letters are subject to editing by The Standard that also reserves the right to decline print. Please forward your letters to: info@thestandardps.com The views

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Email us to be considered on our commentary page at info@thestandardps.com

expressed is not necessarily those of The Standard. Copyright 2013. All rights reserved. No portion of the publication may be reproduced in any form without the expressed consent of the publisher.

COVER

THE STANDARD MAGAZINE 2020 REVISITED COMPILED BY JOSH FURNELL This Year in Review we would like to revisit some of the articles featured on the pages of The Standard Magazine, highlighting excerpts from particular articles from each month that we think deserve a second gander. You can read the complete article by simply clicking on the link after each excerpt. Have fun reminiscing.

JANUARY 2020 Slay Model Management Announces First Worldwide Transgender Model Search

By Len Evans Slay Model Management, the world’s first Transgender exclusive model agency, has announced it will host its first ever Model Search on February 15, 2020 at One Culver in Los Angeles. “We are looking for star quality,” says Cecilio Asuncion, the founder and director of Slay Model Management. “It takes more than beauty to be a top model. It takes determination, a healthy outlook, and a visceral understanding that she is a model first, and a Trans woman second.”

Asuncion is careful to clarify: “Slay is not about selling Transness. We are selling a young woman’s capability to represent a brand or a designer. Sure, it’s great to be booked during June for Pride month, but what we want is sustainability and opportunities year-round.” https://issuu.com/thestandardmagazine/docs/thestandard_vol8_issue1

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FEBRUARY 2020 Take Five – Five questions with Travis Smith & Chris Bale of Modern Bear

By Josh Furnell How has the Modernism Movement influenced you personally?

Chris: Growing up visiting my grandmother’s Midcentury home here in Palm Springs was formative, and influenced my eventual studying of architecture in College. The masters of the 20th century design really spoke to me. I didn’t finish Architecture school, but I eventually became a realtor and when I moved back to Palm Springs full time in 2011, I discovered the joys of being immersed in selling Midcentury homes.

Travis: I sort of live and breath it LOL. I got hooked on vintage before it was called “Mid Century Modern” in the early 80’s. A lot of people called it junk back then. But there was also a retro scene starting to happen in L.A. and the bigger cities. I was living in Phoenix, Arizona and like any good, young gay, was shopping the thrifts. It was there I discovered my passion for vintage 50’s and 60’s, both the clothing and the furniture! I soon became a “picker” for retro stores in L.A., and was driving stuff over in my 1967 Dodge Van and selling it to them. Yup, officially hooked. I’d eventually open my own vintage MCM store in Washington, D.C. called “Good Eye” which I owned for 10 years. http://e.issuu.com/embed.html?d=thestandard_vol8_issue2&u=thestandardmagazine

MARCH 2020 Delicious Trends

By Chef Andre Carthen Today’s food trends are more inline with a fashion jungle profile. What was hot yesterday, might kill you today. Not so long ago, everyone was pushing ORGANIC. What was supposingly better for you, could kill your bank account. Then came SUPERFOODS and KALE, the new end all, be all. Kale Cesar Salads, kale chips, kale lasagna, kale smoothies, and kale pesto are just a few kale concoctions that were the craze. Fast forward, it’s as if the culinary world was on a mad treasure hunt for finding the most under used, bland, non-discript vegetable we could be found…. Spotlight - ‘CAULIFLOWER’. What was once counted among the left-over sad veggies on the crudités platter, has now become the DIVA of the garden, with celebrities and chefs applauding its versitability and nutritious benefits. I recall surprising guest by substituting mashed garlic cauliflower for mashed garlic potatoes for many a Thanksgiving Dinner, now seem so passé with the introduction of cauliflower rice, cauliflower steaks and get this, cauliflower pizza crust wowing the tastebuds of unsuspecting dinner guest. Today’s trend less subtle, went right for the jugular; Plant-based Proteins! No sneaky introductions it went full-out commercial, the no-meat ‘Whooper’. If you haven’t tasted it yet , you certainly have seen the ads for it and the plant-based breakfast sandwiches. When we think about it, there really should be no surprise, our diets in resent years have been plant focus with gluten, peanuts and sugar being major concerns.

Enter ‘Flour Power’ with flavor profiles ranging from almond, spelt, buckwheat, oat and rice to soy, chickpea, cauliflower and potato. I will admit, the flour profiles can be fun if you enjoy baking and have a whim for trying new flavor combinations. http://e.issuu.com/embed.html?d=thestandard_vol8_issue3&u=thestandardmagazine

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COVER APRIL 2020 Hello World. How are you?

Did you test positive? Man, is this History Repeating itself?

By Jill Langham As of this moment, I haven’t been tested but I just spent the last 9 days in bed. I am finally up, showered and dressed, many firsts I might add, since I contracted whatever it was I had. Do I think I had COVID-19? I have no idea, but I did have the following symptoms: It started with the chills, then an achy body, followed by a short lasting fever of 100.6, then, ear aches; sinus congestion; sneezing; coughing; spitting up white to yellowish colored phlegm; no appetite; a 5-pound weight loss and listlessness, to name a few.

I was in my own world of isolation and quarantine.

When it first started, I was very naïve and had no understanding of the differences between a human-to-human virus and an animal-to-human virus. I know a lot more now, that’s for sure.

I’m embarrassed to admit that one of my clients told me about this “pandemic” in January, but I was too happy in my own little bubble that I did not heed his warnings. Shame on me! I let it pass right through my brain and even talked myself out of contacting my broker to get me out of the market. (Yep, and its not the first time either) Shame on me, again.

So being naïve, I wrote a long post on Facebook about how critical it was for us to re-think unsafe practices in general and especially in the gym, which are known to be ‘dirty or unclean’, by nature of what they are. https://issuu.com/thestandardmagazine/docs/thestandard_vol8_issue4

MAY 2020 MIT Scientists Translate Coronavirus Protein Structure Into Music “It tricks our ear in the same way the virus tricks our cells.”

MIT’s Markus Buehler specializes in developing AI models to design new proteins and is perhaps best known for using sonification to illuminate structural details that might otherwise prove elusive. Now his lab has applied that approach to model the vibrational properties of the spike protein responsible for the high contagion rate of the novel coronavirus (SARSCoV-2). What they learn could one day help scientists figure out how best to stop the virus in its tracks, leading to potential therapies and hopefully preventing future deadly outbreaks.

The hierarchical elements of music composition (pitch, range, dynamics, tempo) are analogous to the hierarchical elements of protein structure, according to Buehler. Much like how music has a limited number of notes and chords and uses different combinations to compose music, proteins have a limited number of building blocks (its 20 amino acids) that can combine in any number of ways to create novel protein structures with unique properties. Each amino acid has a particular sound signature, akin to a fingerprint.

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Any genre of music has patterns,” Buehler told Ars last year. “You’ll see universality in terms of sound, the tones, but you also see repetitive patterns, like motifs and movements in classical music. These kinds of patterns are also found in proteins.” https://e.issuu.com/embed.html?d=thestandard_vol8_issue5&u=thestandardmagazine

JUNE 2020 Pride Movement Stands up to COVID

By Steven Taylor Pride movement stands up to COVID with ambitious Global Pride event featuring music artists and world leaders.

When Los Angeles Pride announced on March 12th that they were postponing their planned events for June, it confirmed what many Pride organizers across the world were fearing – that the COVID19 pandemic was going to wreak havoc on the Pride movement in 2020.

By the end of March, barely two weeks after Los Angeles’ postponement, 190 more Prides had cancelled or postponed their in-person events including Toronto, Washington DC and Madrid. The impact was being felt the world over, including in Australia, South Africa, the Philippines and across the whole of Europe and North America. https://issuu.com/home/published/thestandard_vol8_issue6

JULY 2020 Travel and the New “Normal”

By Adam Martindale How we travel has definitely changed in the short term, this is fluid and being improved day by day and best practices are being shared by different companies. Many of the changes are for the best and will create a safer environment for everyone. I believe that some of these changes should have been in place already, some will be annoying to some and many of the changes will be accepted and the way we navigate the new “normal” in travel.

“Touchless” check-in as much as possible (preferably by the airline app on your phone) middle seats blocked off, masks mandatory, no alcohol service, no magazines but a sparkling clean plane which has been fogged before boarding. Flying will be a much cleaner and healthier because of these new protocols as well as the fact that most people do not realize that, on average, cabin air is completely refreshed 20 times per hour, compared with just 12 times per hour in an office building. On most aircraft, air is also circulated through hospital-grade HEPA filters, which remove 99.97 percent of bacteria, as well as the airborne particles that viruses use for transport. http://e.issuu.com/embed.html?d=thestandard_vol8_issue7&u=thestandardmagazine

DECEMBER 2020 9

You have to DO your best to BE the best.

Thank you, U.S. News & World Report, for noticing.

Even in a pandemic, our dedicated doctors, nurses, and staff continue to deliver the highest level of care. That did not go unnoticed by U.S. News & World Report, which ranked us the #1 hospital in the Inland Empire, and among the top 5% of hospitals in California. Eisenhower Medical Center also earned the greatest number of specialty recognitions of any Inland Empire hospital, for: • Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

• Heart Failure

• Aortic Valve Surgery

• Hip Replacement

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

• Knee Replacement

• Colon Cancer Surgery

• Orthopedics

• Lung Cancer Surgery

We’re grateful for all the members of our community who trust us with their care. Our greatest honor is serving you.

Learn more at EisenhowerHealth.org/USnews

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COVER AUGUST 2020 The Future of Sports

By John Stanford A month or more of staying inside your house with restrictions on your movements, and no live sporting action to follow on the TV or on the Internet. No scores to check, no adrenalin surge in anticipation of a much-awaited match, no spending hours post matches to discuss what went right or wrong in your friends group or listening to experts discussing the game.

No expression of joy or agony on social media. It’s been a world without any sports With the world going into lockdown to fight the spread of COVID 19, sports, too, came to a standstill. Not used to being indoors for long, deprived of their normal training facilities and change in training schedules—it has been a challenging time for sports persons, too.

Dealing with the long-term impact of coronavirus in midst of competitions involving several competitors is yet another challenge. Experts across sports disciplines believe it is bound to be different for each sport—from individual sports like golf or shooting to team games like basketball, soccer and football to contact sports like wrestling. http://e.issuu.com/embed.html?d=thestandard_vol8_issue8&u=thestandardmagazine

SEPTEMBER 2020 The Show Must Go on…Or Can It?

By Jim R. Delfino Theatre is about human connection … that once in a lifetime moment of exchange between actor and audience. Simply, that’s what makes the COVID-19 pandemic so very difficult, particularly for the industry, because it has deprived this exchange that inspires performances.

What will the post-pandemic stage look like?

No one knows when the theaters will reopen, when actors will be able to rehearse in safety or when audiences will feel confident that attending a show won’t kill them. It could be months away. It could be more than a year. One thing that’s certain is that theater & live performances will return.

LIVE MUSIC & THEATRE Live musical performances in indoor spaces have all been cancelled. Club, wedding, birthday, and numerous corporate events that have been cancelled or postponed till 2021 affect millions of musicians DANCE Most dance companies have cancelled their remainders of the 2019–2020 season, and several companies have cancelled the entire spring season. For example, The New York City Ballet announced the remaining performances in 2020 are canceled, including the annual George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker performances in December, the first time since the ballet premiered in 1954 https://e.issuu.com/embed.html?d=thestandard_vol8_issue9&u=thestandardmagazine

DECEMBER 2020 11

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COVER OCTOBER 2020 15th Anniversary of LGBT History Month The month of October we commemorate LGBT History Month, which celebrates the achievements of 31 lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender Icons.

LGBT History Is American History LGBT History Month sends an important message to our nation’s teachers, school boards, community leaders, and youth about the vital importance of recognizing and exploring the role of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in American history.

Background In 1994, Rodney Wilson, a Missouri high school teacher, believed a month should be dedicated to the celebration and teaching of gay and lesbian history, and gathered other teachers and community leaders. They selected October because public schools are in session and existing traditions, such as Coming Out Day (October 11), occur that month.

Gay and Lesbian History Month was endorsed by GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the National Education Association and other national organizations. In 2006 Equality Forum assumed responsibility for providing content, promotion and resources for LGBT History Month.

Celebrate Our Heritage The LGBT community is the only community worldwide that is not taught its history at home, in public schools or in religious institutions. LGBT History Month provides role models, builds community and makes the civil rights statement about our extraordinary national and international contributions. https://e.issuu.com/embed.html?d=thestandard_vol8_issue10&u=thestandardmagazine NOVEMBER 2020 Transcanwork.Org And The City Of West Hollywood Launch The First-Ever Anti-Transphobia Campaign

By Mona Elyafi As the founder of TransCanWork.org – a program promoting trans inclusivity in the workplace that both provides resources to transgender job seekers and trains the businesses that hire them – CEO Michaela Mendelsohn has leveraged her success and know-how as a seasoned entrepreneur to help the trans community succeed and thrive in today’s everevolving business world.

She also serves as the CEO of Pollo West Corp, one of the largest franchises for El Pollo Loco restaurants in the U.S. Western Region.

Her unwavering dedication to diversity and inclusion in the workplace awarded her the 2018 Face of Diversity Award at the National Restaurant Association Public Affairs Conference.

Beyond shaking things up in her industry, Mendelsohn, Drïan Juarez and the entire Trans Can Work team are changing the game too. There’s so much talk about diversity and inclusion, but Trans Can Work is actually doing something about it and challenging the status quo. e.issuu.com/embed.html?d=thestandard_vol8_issue11&u=thestandardmagazine

DECEMBER 2020 13

COVER

LGBTQ NEWS THAT MADE HEADLINES IN 2020 JANUARY UTAH BANS LGBTQ CONVERSION THERAPY FOR CHILDREN Utah has became the 19th U.S. state to ban conversion therapy aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity in lesbian, gay, transsexual, bisexual and queer children.

FEBRUARY SWISS VOTERS BACK ANTI-HOMOPHOBIA LAW A Swiss referendum on Sunday cleared the way for the country to close a loophole in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights by extending anti-racism laws to cover sexual orientation, a widely used projection showed.

NORTHERN IRELAND’S FIRST SAME-SEX MARRIAGE Northern Ireland’s first same-sex wedding took place after the government lifted a ban on gay marriage in the province, marking legalization of the practice throughout the United Kingdom.

MARCH CANADA SEEKS TO BAN LGBTQ CONVERSION THERAPY The Canadian federal government introduced new legislation on Monday to criminalize LGBTQ conversion therapy, as Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government moves to fulfill one of its 2019 election promises.

APRIL LESBIAN COUPLE’S CUSTODY CASE TAKES CHINA INTO UNCHARTED LEGAL WATERS A Chinese lesbian couple’s landmark court battle over the custody of their two children has stirred debate over LGBT rights and put a spotlight on a legal vacuum created by the absence of a same-sex marriage law.

MAY DEFYING PANDEMIC, GAY COUPLES HOLD FIRST MARRIAGES IN COSTA RICA Marco Castillo and his boyfriend, Rodrigo Campos, waited just a few hours to take advantage of a new law in Costa Rica that made the country the first in Central America to allow same-sex marriage.

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JUNE HARRY POTTER STAR SAYS ‘TRANSGENDER WOMEN ARE WOMEN’ AFTER J.K. ROWLING TWEETS Daniel Radcliffe, who played the young wizarding hero in the Harry Potter films, has said “transgender women are women” after an outcry over tweets by author J.K. Rowling criticizing the use of the phrase “people who menstruate”.

“FINALLY” SAY ACTIVISTS AS SWISS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BILL ADVANCES Switzerland’s lower house of parliament approved draft legislation on Thursday to let same-sex couples marry in a country that has lagged other parts of Western Europe in gay rights.

IN LANDMARK RULING, SUPREME COURT BARS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LGBT WORKERS The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a watershed victory for LGBT rights and a defeat for President Donald Trump’s administration by ruling that a longstanding federal law barring workplace discrimination protects gay and transgender employees.

SUPREME COURT LGBT RULING GIVES HOPE TO THOSE CHALLENGING MILITARY TRANSGENDER BAN Nic Talbott, a transgender man, was driving his truck in Chicago when his phone started buzzing in July 2017. With just over 50 words on Twitter, his dream to join the military seemed to have been destroyed.

LGBTQ AMERICANS ADJUST PRIDE CELEBRATIONS IN A TIME OF PANDEMIC Diana and Jillian Rosile of Denver this year would have marked their first Pride celebration as an out queer couple since Diana, a transgender woman, changed her legal name this month.

JULY PERU’S BIGGEST LGBTQ NIGHTCLUB REOPENS AS GROCERY STORE TO SURVIVE PANDEMIC As Peru begins to ease its strict coronavirus lockdown, the country’s biggest LGBTQ nightclub opened its doors on Tuesday, but there will be no nighttime revelers; its dance floor will instead be filled with shelves stocked with groceries.

BOLIVIA’S FIRST TRANSGENDER NEWS ANCHOR PUTS LGBTQ ISSUES FRONT AND CENTER Leonie Dorado, 26, is blazing a trail as the first transgender news anchor in Bolivia, a traditionally conservative South American nation currently in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic.

SURVEY FINDS 40% OF U.S. LGBTQ YOUTH CONSIDERED SUICIDE IN PAST YEAR Forty percent of young LGBTQ people in the United States say they have seriously considered suicide over the past 12 months, according to a survey released on Wednesday, while the figure climbs to more than 50% for transgender and non-binary youth surveyed.

DECEMBER 2020 15

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COVER AUGUST THOUSANDS PROTEST IN POLAND DEMANDING RELEASE OF LGBT ACTIVIST Several thousand people waving rainbow flags protested on Saturday in the center of Warsaw to demand the release of an LGBT activist accused of hanging rainbow banners over statues and damaging an anti-abortion campaigner’s van.

BLUECITY, OWNER OF CHINA’S BIGGEST GAY DATING APP, BUYS LESBIAN PLATFORM BlueCity , the owner of China’s biggest gay men dating app Blued, said on Wednesday it had bought a Chinese lesbian dating app LESDO, marking the first ever deal within the country’s LGBT market.

SEPTEMBER WHITE NATIONALISM UPSURGE IN U.S. ECHOES HISTORICAL PATTERN, SAY SCHOLARS The first Black woman is on a major party presidential ticket, Americans of all races are showing their support for the Black Lives Matter movement and at the same time white nationalists are ramping up recruiting efforts and public activism.

OCTOBER RIGHTS GROUP DENOUNCES CENTRAL AMERICA ANTI-LGBT VIOLENCE, RAPS U.S. FOR DENYING ASYLUM Human Rights Watch criticized Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala for failing to stop violence against LGBT people in a new report published on Wednesday, which also denounced the United States for denying these LGBT asylum seekers safe haven.

POPE SAYS CIVIL UNION LAWS SHOULD COVER SAME-SEX COUPLES Pope Francis has said that same-sex couples should be protected by civil union laws in the clearest language he has used on the rights of gay people, prompting praise from liberals and calls for urgent clarification from conservatives.

BIDEN, IN LGBTQ INTERVIEW, VOWS TO PASS EQUALITY ACT IN FIRST 100 DAYS Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has promised to put top priority on passing the LGBTQ rights legislation known as the Equality Act, hoping to sign what would be a landmark civil rights law within 100 days, should he win Tuesday’s election.

‘COMING OUT BRAVELY’- TAIWAN SAME-SEX COUPLES JOIN MILITARY WEDDING FOR FIRST TIME Two women became the first military officers to marry their samesex civilian partners at a mass military wedding in Taiwan on Friday, marking another landmark for LGBTQ+ rights in Asia.

NOVEMBER ITALY’S LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT APPROVES BILL PROTECTING LGBT+ COMMUNITY Italy’s lower house of parliament on Wednesday passed an antidiscrimination bill that makes violence against women and LGBT+ people a hate crime, with those found guilty of such attacks risking longer prison terms.

THAI LGBT AND ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTERS JOIN IN PRIDE PARADE More than 1,000 members of Thailand’s LGBT community and antigovernment protesters joined in a Pride Parade on Saturday to call for equal rights as well for the ousting of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and reforms to the monarchy.

EU LAUNCHES LGBT PROTECTION STRATEGY AS HOMOPHOBIA RISES IN EAST The European Union’s executive Commission launched its first strategy to protect the rights of LGBT people on Thursday, a challenge to right-wing governments in Poland and Hungary that have become increasingly homophobic in the past year.

DECEMBER ‘JUNO’ ACTOR ELLIOT PAGE COMES OUT AS TRANSGENDER The Oscar-nominated star of “Juno” and “The Umbrella Academy,” formerly known as Ellen Page, on Tuesday said he was a transgender person and had changed his first name to Elliot.

Visit www.Reuters.com for the rest of the story.

DECEMBER 2020 17

FEATURE

FOLK DUO FAULTLINES REFLECT ON THE TURBULENT YEAR THAT WAS

BY PHIL BESSIMER

Out artist John Flanagan and his best gal pal Ashley Morgan make up the folk-pop duo Faultlines. This month, they return to music with their third album, Bittersweet Revival. Featuring ten original tracks including their recently released political anthem “Rain” and their new love song, “Cry,” the album is equal parts optimism and outcry. They call out bigotry and close-mindedness in “A Long Way”; speak on the current health crisis in the USA in “Save Us;” and echo the spirit of twenty-first century activism in “Love is All We Own.” “Folk music has a long history of inspiring activism and encouraging fans to make small positive changes in their community,” says Ashley. “We feel it is our duty to use music to open minds.”

“But in an entertaining, not-too-preachy way,” John adds. “We shared a lot of laughs while making this album. Each session of the recording process was one half creative and the other half party.”

We spoke with the duo from their homes in Los Angeles.

Tell us about Cry. What inspired the song?

John: I wrote “Cry” with Jeston Cade in his downtown Nashville loft. He lived there, not alone, but with the tactile memories of a relationship since gone. While he came to me with most of the song completed, he had writer’s block and asked that I help him across the finish line.

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It seems different from the rest of the album. More Carrie Underwood than folk.

John: Living in Nashville for six years took its toll on me. I might be an LA resident now, but I still seem to have one foot in a cowboy boot and the other in a stiletto.

This is the one song that really shines the spotlight on Ashley. Why did you decide to not have John provide harmonies or background vocals on “Cry”?

Ashley: John played the demo for me one night and I instantly fell in love with it. The song didn’t seem to call for any background vocals so we decided to leave it raw.

John has a solo on the album, “Starting Rumors,” where I provide very minimal vocals.

When was the last time you had a good cry and what was it over?

Ashley: It’s 2020, doesn’t everyone cry at least every three days a week on this Coronacoaster? I had so much momentum and exciting opportunities in my career at the start of the year. As I watched my source of income dissipate with every cancelled gig, the fear of not knowing how long this would last certainly brought on the tears. A good cry is such a release of energy and its helped me to continue pressing forward.

Have you learned to not carry the weight of the world, as you sing about in “Atlas”?

Ashley: It’s a constant practice that I’m not always great at, but I’m lucky enough to have incredible friends who remind me.

How long did it take to produce the Bittersweet Revival album?

John: The album took over a year to produce, but it didn’t feel remotely laborious. Each session of the recording process had its bright spots.

The harmonies are incredible, especially in “Love is All We Own” and my personal favorite, “Heart of Steel.” What makes your voices work so well together?

Ashley: I can’t tell you how many times people come up to us

and ask if we’re siblings. I’ll admit sometimes I can’t even tell our own voices apart. There’s a moment at the end of “Save Us” where John sings this gorgeous line and the harmony drifts above my melody.

The first time we heard the playback, I thought his top harmony was my voice. I suppose our blend comes from years of singing together and a bit of pixie dust.

Do you have a favorite song on the album?

John: “Save Us” stands out to me. It’s the song from which we grabbed our album title. It addresses the continuing American healthcare crisis, and I like the call-and-response chorus.

What do you hope fans take away from “Bittersweet Revival”?

Ashley: I hope people feel a connection to the lyrics and music.

While Bittersweet Revival is full of political anthems mixed with songs about heartbreak, I hope people feel a sense of hope, a call to love, inclusion, and a spark to speak out against injustices.

Faultline’s Bittersweet Revival is available now on Apple Music, Spotify and all major digital platforms. Visit Faultlinesofficial.com Photo Credit: Cody Burdette

DECEMBER 2020 19

FEATURE

GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN

BY TROY BECKER

One of the sad facts of the pandemic is that many of our favorite gay bars and clubs are closing not just temporarily, but for good. Some of your favorite LGBTQ venues will not be back after COVID-19 lockdown measures have been eased. Gay bars and clubs already faced tough trading conditions before the pandemic.

However, if things were tough before, the pandemic has made things worse. Many hospitality businesses are simply not equipped to stay closed for months at a time or to operate at a reduced capacity.

Here are just a few of the venues that are unlikely to reopen.

THERAPY NEW YORK CITY Therapy in New York City announced on Facebook this week it’s unlikely to reopen. The large, Hell’s Kitchen venue, which launched in 2003, is famed for its drag shows, often featuring queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race. “It’s with tears in our eyes that we have to admit it is highly unlikely that Therapy will ever reopen. Every one of YOU

20 THESTANDARDPS.COM

who has ever worked here, performed here, partied here… We love you. And though we cannot be together today, always know you are Therapy’s family.”

THE STUD, SAN FRANCISCO In May, the owners of The Stud – San Francisco’s longest-operating LGBTQ bar – announced the business was vacating its long-term home.

The venue has a history dating back to 1966. In 2016, its ownership was taken over by an LGBTQ collective of scene performers and promoters who breathed new life into the business. However, even they couldn’t contend with quarantine, and The Stud is no more at 399 Ninth Street.

BLOW BUDDIES, SAN FRANCISCO One of the most infamous, gay sex clubs in the U.S., Blow Buddies opened in 1988. The 6,000 square-foot club opened in the midst of the AIDS epidemic. Last month, it posted the following

message to its website: “Sadly, Blow Buddies will not be reopening after the pandemic. We tried many ways to figure out a path to return and were unsuccessful … It was a good run…August 8, 1988 to March 15, 2020. We are sad to see this chapter close. The club was created in response to one virus and done in by another.”

BADLANDS, SAN FRANCISCO The Castro-located Badlands dance club posted a message to its Facebook page in late July stating it would not be reopening and would be replaced by a new business. The bar first opened in 1975.

PARLIAMENT HOUSE, ORLANDO The management of Parliament House – a 112-room hotel with several bars, dance floor and theatre – announced in October it would be closing on November, 2. “For over 45 years, The Parliament House has called Orange Blossom Trail our home,” it said. “We have to announce that our home at its current location will be closing Monday, November 2, 2020. We put up a good fight over the last 11 months to secure financing and renovate our existing property.

Unfortunately, that fight ended today with no deal.”

CLUB COBRA, LOS ANGELES This LGBTQ Latinx bar in North Hollywood was founded in 2007. In May, its owner, Julio Licón announced via Facebook it would

not reopen after the COVID pandemic after the building’s landlord decided to sell the property.

GOLD COAST BAR, WEST HOLLYWOOD Gold Coast has been operating as a gay bar for 39 years.

In September, one of its owners, Bryan Worl, took to Facebook to announce it would not be reopening after negotiations with the building’s landlord failed to save the business.

RAGE, WEST HOLLYWOOD Dance club Rage was a West Hollywood staple for 37 years.

Sadly, in early September, it was reported it would not be returning.

The management was unable to secure a new lease with its landlords when the current lease expires in November, so it won’t be back when clubs are allowed to reopen.

CC SLAUGHTERS, PORTLAND This bar in Portland, Oregon, has been running for 39 years and is one of the best-known LGBTQ venues in the northwest. On October 4, it posted a message to its official Facebook page saying, “It saddens us to inform the public that as of Sunday October 11th, 2020, CC Slaughters Portland will be closing. We’d like to take the opportunity to thank you ALL for 39 amazing years of drinks, dancing, drama, and fun!

DECEMBER 2020 21

FEATURE

DC EAGLE, WASHINGTON DC Launched in 1971, the DC Eagle was the oldest gay bar in Washington DC. Employees were informed of the decision not to reopen in May during an online Zoom meeting. Although it began life as a leather and denim cruise bar, in recent years, DC Eagle had become a more inclusive-space, easing its dress code and hosting regular drag shows and community fundraisers.

ZIEGFELDS-SECRETS, WASHINGTON DC Like DC Eagle, the future of Ziegfelds-Secrets – the biggest LGBTQ venue in DC – was already in doubt after it was sold to new owners in 2016, with a view to potential property redevelopment.

However, the pandemic was the final nail in the coffin. Management posted a message to social media in May stating, “Ziegfelds/ Secrets regrettably has been forced to close our doors. We all have been honored to bring you the best in entertainment for 40 years, regrettably the option to stay and even have a closing event has been taken from us during this crisis.”

Soch”) in 1983. It closed in March because of the pandemic. In late August, its board of directors said it would not be reopening, citing financial difficulties prompted by the ongoing pandemic.

BT2, AUSTIN North Austin gay bar ‘Bout Time 2 closed in March because of the pandemic and announced in May it was shuttering for good. Bout Time II opened in 2012, and was the second incarnation of the bar, with the first ‘Bout Time running from 1984-2012.

GRAND CENTRAL, BALTIMORE The much-loved LGBTQ venue opened in Baltimore in 1991 as Central Station. After it took over the neighboring Stagecoach it relaunched as Grand Central in 2003. However, in early September is posted an announcement on Instagram that it would not be returning due to “challenges created by the pandemic and our beverage-only driven business.”

LITTLE JIM’S, CHICAGO

ATTITUDES, ST.LOUIS With a history dating back to 1988, Attitudes was the longestrunning gay club in St Louis, Missouri. Its owners announced in August the venue was shuttering for good, via a message on Facebook.

THE ALBUQUERQUE SOCIAL CLUB, ALBUQUERQUE This long-running LGBTQ venue opened in the 1970s as The Heights, before becoming Albuquerque Social Club (or just “The

22 THESTANDARDPS.COM

Little Jim’s was the first gay bar to open in the Boystown district around 45 years ago. A homely, attitude-free establishment, it had a reputation as being like a gay ‘Cheers’ (the bar in the long-running comedy show) where all members of the LGBTQ community were welcome. It closed in early July. The premises may be converted into a new, additional clinic for the Howard Brown Health center.

Please let us know any venues we might have missed–and that will be missed at info@thestandardps.com

DECEMBER 2020 23

INDESIGN

THE YEAR IN REVIEW… OR, IS IT OVER YET!?

BY DANN FOLEY

Just considering the topic made me laugh to myself. What I really wanted to do was to publish an article that consisted of a completely blank page with five little words in the center…

Wake me when it’s over.

But then I started thinking, if I just looked below the surface of all the fear and anxiety this past year has caused, not mention the chaos that has been this administration, there actually are some silver linings. This forced introspection has reminded me of all the reasons I have to be grateful. And what is most interesting to me is how so many of my revelations are so simple.

We all give lip service at years end for our health. We say things like, “All I want is to be healthy, nothing else matters.” Easy words to say when there isn’t a pandemic sweeping the globe and concentrating itself right here in our country. I am a person who takes his general health very seriously. I eat right, I exercise 6 days a week, I listen to my body and try to be kind to myself. Still, Covid-19 has made us all hyper aware of our health. I suggest this is not necessarily a bad thing. The virus has forced us to slow down, be aware of how we feel, what we are doing and how we interact with those whom we come into contact.

Simply being more aware is a win in my 2020 year-end review. Being forced to take responsibility for my own actions and to consider how they might affect my family, friends, neighbors and colleagues makes us more aware of one another. We have become (most of us) more thoughtful. We consider our fellow man more than we did, even just one year ago. I for one am happy to have the time to consider those outside my personal bubble.

Our relationships have become more important. When Zoom calls are our only safe interaction, our time together seems more precious. The images on the screen feel like a lifeline. We recognize, like never before, the importance of the physical interaction that we have taken for granted with our loved ones. That can never be a bad thing.

24 THESTANDARDPS.COM

As your resident Design & Lifestyle guru I am also thrilled to see the renewed and intensifying interest we have in our homes and how we live. All of the time we are spending at home has not only given us a greater desire to upgrade but, we have gained a new perspective of what is important in our homes. It is no longer about the newest or most expensive. It is not about impressing our friends and neighbors with our purchases. It is about what makes us happy, what makes us the most comfortable and what brings the most meaning to our lives through the choices we make.

I have written repeatedly about finding meaning in the choices you make in your home. I encourage everyone to keep asking the same question, “Does this selection/choice/item bring me joy?� With our outside lives so limited at this point, there definitely seems to be a new imperative to live well but, on our own terms.

Our phones have been ringing off the hook at Foley & Stinnette Interior Design. Everyone wants work done‌today! We are fielding requests for everything from new paint, to new furniture, to new kitchens, bathrooms, media rooms, home offices, the list goes on and on. This new design perspective has given way to an urgency to transform our surroundings. This also, cannot be a bad thing.

It seems that the pandemic has opened our eyes to what is important. The people we love and the places we inhabit have

truly become the center of our universe. When considering the shift we have each had in the way we view our personal world and the world around us, it has been my experience that the vast majority of people, though scared and weary, have a new found respect for all we have and all we have been given.

Though this new found insight is, in my opinion a wonderful change, it is no way meant to forget or minimize the losses that so many families have suffered by losing loved ones this past year to the pandemic. Trying to find the silver lining cannot ease the pain of someone being taken in such a striking and awful way. What might be possible is to make a true resolve to live each day to its fullest. To realize that the trials and losses of this past year do not have to break us but, they can make us more resilient than we ever thought possible.

Good riddance 2020, the new year cannot come fast enough but, I am still grateful to be able to find bright spots among all the darkness.

A new year, a new administration, new found hope, a new promise.

All of these things stand in brilliant contrast to the year that has been.

Looking toward the future has never felt so good. Bring on 2021!

Live Well, Dann Designer Dann: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest www.FoleyStinnette.com

DECEMBER 2020 25

26 THESTANDARDPS.COM

BOOK REVIEW

ALWAYS OVERBOOKED

BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER In your mother’s book, you were known before you were born.

She noted every kick, every head-bump, every stretch you made as she carried you. She felt your burps, and when you rolled over. And though she’d never met you, she recognized you the minute you arrived because your mother knew you before you were born.

But as in the new book “Found in Transition” by Paria Hassouri, MD, a mother can’t know everything. She always wanted to be a mom.

Born in the U.S., raised in Iran, Paria Hassouri was a teen when she returned to the U.S., where her mother insisted that Hassouri and her sisters get an education. But schooling was secondary in Hassouri’s eyes. She’d wanted children since she was a child herself, and was particularly eager to have daughters, though she was not terribly disappointed that her first two babies were sons.

For much of her life, the second-born, Ava, had been a handful.

There were many conversations with teachers through the years, Hassouri recalls: teachers worried that Ava was depressed, had behavioral issues, or was suicidal. Ava was a smart kid with great creativity and she loved to try new things, but she didn’t tend to stick with them for more than a few months. Because of that, when, at the edge of adolescence, Ava finally told her parents that she was a girl, Hassouri thought it was another “phase.”

To her own later guilt, she refused to believe her child.

Though Hassouri was a pediatrician, her first identity was as the mother of three children, two boys and a girl, and now what?

She was confused, wounded, and greatly saddened. She and her husband had carefully named their offspring according to family tradition, and now one of them wanted a new name and new pronouns that sounded wrong to Hassouri’s ears. She mourned that her second-born would never become the man she’d envisioned. She cried and grieved. And yet, she writes, there really were just two options.

“I choose figuring it out,” she said. “I choose my child.”

Reading “Found in Transition” is tough – not for what it is but for what author Paria Hassouri says. It’s almost like sandpaper on a sunburn.

Foremost, there are a lot of hard truths inside this memoir, for which Hassouri states “I have to own them and be honest about them,” and that took courage – although confessions seem to be necessary here, for her and for readers. This book, in fact, would’ve been much different absent those harsh, sometimes incomprehensible feelings and thoughts; readers may’ve even sensed that it wasn’t quite complete. No, it would have been the lesser without its brutal

truths from this maternal point of view, because here’s the thing: though Ava is a constant presence in a memoir that truly wouldn’t exist without her, this is really not her story. It might make you angry, it might make you cry, but this tale belongs to her mother; indeed, “Found in Transition” is one-hundred-percent a mother’s book.

“Found in Transition: A Mother’s Evolution During Her Child’s Gender Change” by Paria Hassouri, MD c.2020, New World Library $25.95 / higher in Canada 215 pages

DECEMBER 2020 27

AMAZON TRAIL

RATS FLEEING A SINKING SHIP

BY LEE LYNCH

I’ve heard the idiom “like rats fleeing a sinking ship” often lately, and while the metaphor is apt for what’s going on in the United States, at our house it’s even more befitting.

Merriam Webster notes, “Almost all the early uses of the ‘sinking ship’ analogy were in reference to political scandals.” The phrase goes back four hundred years. Originally, the rodents, thought to sense impending calamity, were said to escape from buildings. In the late 17th century, the phrase changed to sinking ships.

However we choose to describe what’s happening in D.C., the exodus is welcome. As every type of haughty, sinister, conniving, autocratic rodent changes course, here at home we have been under assault by honest vermin: rats and moles. Shudder.

We get a bit of rain on the Oregon Coast. As a matter of fact, last night we had a drenching storm that tore yet more shingles from our roof, dismantled the neighbors’ shed, and generally made

28 THESTANDARDPS.COM

a mess outside. One can hardly blame critters for taking shelter.

But not in our house. The wretched beasts. ‘Tis the season for rats, but moles? They are gradually digging bulwarks around our home, or a moat—it’s hard to tell which. Someone said to leave them alone, they aerate the soil. That would be fine on a bit of acreage, but our house takes up most of our land. One of our kind community members is somewhat of an expert at mole dispersal. He does this only for friends and we are fortunate in our friends.

“Let’s hope it works,” he said when I thanked him. All the more so because we just put down a mini lawn for our unbelievably adorable rescue dog Betty. No moles allowed. Par for the course, little eightpound Betty doesn’t care for the grass potty patch. I suppose we could turn it into a, L-shaped putting green for my sweetheart.

Meanwhile, a demolition crew has been taking down the house two over from us. It stood empty for a while, including a few weeks

with no doors. The inhabitants tended toward the small, gnawing, whiskered mammal type. The ones with long hairless tails that they neither comb over nor color. The abhorred rats.

Once the backhoe sank its teeth into that forty- or fifty-year-old home, the rats abandoned ship. Several of them found refuge under our house. At first, we weren’t sure what was making those sounds, and we already had a contract with an exterminator, of whom we’ve become quite fond. As a matter of fact, the deceased owner of the demolished house always had him in for tea and conversation during his service calls.

I have a memory from way back in my university days. There was a crash pad a few blocks from my school, owned by a slumlord whose son was a fellow student. The school intellectuals spent long nights there, drinking, doping, and discussing the urgent matters college kids everywhere worry about. One of the uninvited residents was Ralph the Rat who, it was explained, spent his time brushing his teeth behind the walls. That was the sound we were hearing beneath our subflooring.

Manufactured homes, these days, can be as permanent as politicians in Washington. We own our bit of land so the house was installed with the intention of staying put and, because of its foundation, is considered real property. Our poured concrete slab sits a few feet below ground level. From there a contractor secured the house with

piers and anchoring equipment, creating a considerable crawl space.

The metal supports are sheathed in blocks of wood.

Rats like to brush their teeth—chew—on wood. From there, they might create openings into the insulation and, unstopped, gnaw through the plywood subflooring and, like Ralph, gain access to the inside of the walls. I once had a cat named Poppins, who, when I moved into a house, spent the entirety of his days chasing the rat that had gotten into the wall while the house lay vacant. Poor guy never made his capture—the rat was evicted in a less dramatic way.

It creeps me out even to write about these creatures that, with equally creepy insects, will likely inherit the earth once humans destroy it.

Finally, our exterminator was here so often over a period of about three weeks, he’d practically moved in with my sweetheart and me. It’s been three days now and no toothbrushing from the netherworld. Our pied piper will come back to remove any new little corpses, but we’re hopeful any live critters, rats or moles, will have fled. If only it were so easy and relatively quick in our capital.

A problem remains on the home front: we still don’t know how the rats got in. We urgently need to find that cursed crevice. But now that I think of it, we even more urgently need to block the rat route into the White House.

The

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Creating vibrant community by helping LGBTQ people along their way.

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Thriving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, living authentically in supportive, inclusive communities.

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The McDonald/Wright Building 1301 N. Palm Canyon Dr., 3rd Floor | Palm Springs, CA 92262 | 760-416-7790 | www.thecenterps.org

DECEMBER 2020 29

Q&A

COLTON FORD CALLS UNITY HIS “MOST POWERFUL” ALBUM YET

BY PHIL BESSIMER

PHOTO CREDIT KEVIN HOOVER

Colton Ford and Ron Schrader met in kindergarten and have been working on music together, on and off, for much of their lives.

Two years ago, they partnered with Spin Sista to create Woop Woop Productions, and this month, they present their music company’s first offering: Ford’s new EP, “Unity.” It is a high-octane album aimed at making listeners wanna sing, get up and move!

The EP’s first single is “Stronger”, a big, beautiful ballad that starts off acoustically with a simple guitar and vocal before whisking listeners on a powerfully sweeping musical journey. Along with the

30 THESTANDARDPS.COM

original version, Woop Woop Productions is releasing two remixes of the song. Spin Sista’s “Future Haus” mix is epic and anthemic while the “Haus of Love”, offers up a more chill vibe. We spoke with Colton Ford from his NYC home.

Reviewers are calling Unity your best album yet.

Colton Ford: Each of my albums has a special place in my heart, “Unity” being no exception. I do think this release is my most powerful though. Its narrative is very timely, and speaks to what we’re all experiencing today in this country and globally. Each of us

is figuring our way through this life, facing obstacles that are not only impacting us individually, but as a species. “Unity” acknowledges the challenges in front of us, but is also clearly hopeful. It’s a message of empowerment, not just for us individually, but also as we come together in unity.

Exactly who did you have in mind while recording the album?

Colton Ford: Us. You and me. Our world and the struggles and challenges we’re all seeing and facing. The human race is at a crossroads I believe, and we need to come together in order to figure it out for all of us. Freedom and acceptance for all! We are one species made up of all kinds of wonderful brothers and sisters, and we need to celebrate and honor that, Not deny it and kill it, but accept it and love it. Life is diverse.

How does the first single, “Stronger.” set the tone for the record?

Colton Ford: I wrote the lyric as a self-speak to stay positive and hang in there. Keeping that spirit and overcoming obstacles is essential to our survival! That can be challenging, as it’s easy to feel powerless and get discouraged in a world that’s seemingly spinning out of control. But we do have the power, individually and collectively, to stand up for ourselves and for one another. Our internal dialogue can help us to that end, or be the catalyst to our demise. We have to stay conscious of what we’re telling ourselves, as that influences everything we experience in this life.

What setbacks did you have to deal with when making the album?

Colton Ford: For this record, there have been no issues really.

Woop Woop Productions is solid, not only in the creative, but also with the principals that we operate by. We’ve had some collaborations outside of our threesome that didn’t work for one reason or another, which ultimately lead us to release “Unity,” with the debut single, “Stronger,” first. Whenever we have an addition to our collective, those guiding principals govern how things play out. When things take a turn in the wrong direction, we make the necessary adjustments to protect what the three of us have painstakingly created. We ain’t playin’!

What ultimately made you stronger? Was it time, looking at your problems from another point of view...?

Colton Ford: Figuring our way through challenges, hardships and difficult times is an integral part of life for most people on the planet. It’s through these experiences that we can learn and grow

DECEMBER 2020 31

Q&A the most along our journey. I’ve been in therapy for 30 years, and have been the beneficiary of my therapist’s amazing insight and guidance. It’s been and continues to be an amazing experience!

Staying in it and doing the work does make you stronger. It ain’t easy, but it’s so worth it!

Tell us about some of the other tracks on the album and their significance.

Colton Ford: “Modern World,” “Unity” and “Free” all collectively recognize the challenges and obstacles we face, as well as the intrinsic right we all have to be who we’re born to be, be respected, seen, heard and free. Freedom for all, and if that isn’t true for everyone, then we’re coming together in unity to demand change. Period! We’re better and stronger together.

What were some of the other names you considered for the album?

Colton Ford: We could have used any of the singles as the title.

32 THESTANDARDPS.COM

They all work, but I think the word “unity” jumped out for us. That’s what’s up! Uniting to make the world a better place for all.

What are you most hopeful about in a Biden/Harris administration?

Colton Ford: Everything! Finally, we’ll have smart, intelligent individuals at the helm who are concerned about the well being of the people in this country, and of our democracy. Strong leaders who possess empathy and a clear intention and commitment to making things better for everyone, not just for a small group of people who hold all the cards at everyone else’s expense. And to not hear from that treasonous, unstable, mentally ill orange menace anymore is going to be brilliant!

What are you most looking forward to now that the Unity album is out?

Colton Ford: Unity!! That was easy!

Follow Colton Ford on Facebook @ ColtonFordMusic

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No credits in 2nd year for autopay/paperless bill. $10/mo. bundle discount: Internet: Reqs new (min. $39.99/mo plus taxes and $10/mo. equip. fee) or existing svc. Excludes DSL. Equipment Non-Return fees apply. Wireless: Consumers only. Sold separately. Reqs new (min. $50/mo after discounts) or existing AT&T postpaid svc on elig. plan (excl. Lifeline) on a smartphone, phone or AT&T Wireless Internet device (excl. voice-only AT&T Wireless Internet). Both svcs: Eligible svc must be installed/activated w/in 30 days of TV activation and svc addresses must match to receive bill credit starting in 1-3 bill cycles. First time credit will include all credits earned since meeting offer requirements. Must maintain both qualifying svcs to continue credits. No credits in 2nd year for bundled services. Includes: CHOICE All Included TV Pkg, monthly service & equipment fees for one Genie HD DVR, and standard pro installation. Additional Fees & Taxes: Price excludes Regional Sports Fee of up to $9.99/mo. (which is extra & applies to CHOICE and/or MÁS ULTRA and higher Pkgs.), applicable use tax expense surcharge on retail value of installation, custom installation, equipment upgrades/add-ons (min. $99 one-time & $7/mo. monthly fees for each extra receiver/DIRECTV Ready TV/Device), and certain other add’l fees & charges. See att.com/directvfees for additional details. Different offers may apply for eligible multi-dwelling unit and telco customers. DIRECTV SVC TERMS: Subject to Equipment Lease & Customer Agreements. Must maintain a min. base TV pkg of $29.99/mo. Some offers may not be available through all channels and in select areas. Visit directv.com/legal or call for details. GENERAL WIRELESS: Subj. to Wireless Customer Agmt (att.com/wca). Credit approval req’d. Deposit/Down Payment: may apply. Additional monthly fees & taxes: Apply per line & include Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee (Up to $1.50), Administrative Fee ($1.99) & other fees which are not government-required surcharges as well as taxes. Additional one-time Fees may apply. See www.att.com/mobilityfees for more details. Usage, speed, coverage & other restr’s apply. International and domestic off-net data may be at 2G speeds. AT&T service is subject to AT&T network management policies, see att.com/broadbandinfo for details. 2020 NFL SUNDAY TICKET OFFER: Subject to change. Package consists of all live out-of-market NFL games (based on customer’s service address) broadcast on FOX and CBS. However, games broadcast by your local FOX or CBS affiliate. will not be available in NFL SUNDAY TICKET. Games available via remote viewing based on device location. Other conditions apply. 2020 NFL SUNDAY TICKET regular full-season retail price is $293.94. 2020 NFL SUNDAY TICKET MAX regular full-season retail price is $395.94. Customers activating CHOICE Package or above or MÁS ULTRA Package or above will be eligible to receive the 2020 season of NFL SUNDAY TICKET MAX at no additional cost. NFL SUNDAY TICKET subscription will not automatically renew. Only one game may be accessed remotely at any given time. Compatible device/operating system required for online/mobile access. Additional data charges may apply. Visit directv.com/nfl for a list of compatible devices/system requirements For full Mix Channel and interactive functionality, HD equipment model H/HR 21 or later is required. NFL, the NFL Shield design and the NFL SUNDAY TICKET name and logo are registered trademarks of the NFL and its affiliates. NFL team names and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. ©2020 AT&T Intellectual Property. All Rights Reserved. AT&T, Globe logo, DIRECTV, and all other DIRECTV marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

DECEMBER 2020 33

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FILM

THE FAMILY TREE JUST IN TIME FORCHRISTMAS Ariztical Entertainment is pleased to announce the December 8th release of The Family Tree, a LGBTQ Christmas story charged with themes that address many current issues such as homelessness, infertility, loneliness, and animal rights advocacy. Written and directed by Jorge Ameer, the film has won more than twenty-five awards on the festival circuit including best feature from the Marina del Rey Film Festival, and stars Keith Roenke, the lead from Ameer’s film D’Agostino.

In a film that Cult Critic calls “a masterful piece of art,” The Family Tree is a nostalgic holiday story based on an old Panamanian tradition. It follows Víctor Gardel, a lonely workaholic who has always loved the end of the year holiday celebrations. Since he was young, he would create explosive life size dolls made from newspaper and fireworks to celebrate. However, this holiday season will prove unforgettable as Victor’s latest creation comes to life to disrupt and enlighten him on the true meaning of love, friendship, and family.

The Family Tree is the latest film from provocative auteur Jorge Ameer, whose prior films through Ariztical include Medusa, D’Agostino, The Dark Side of Love, Sabor Tropical, and The House of Adam. The DVD collector’s item includes two exclusive documentaries, along with a short film Ameer created during the COVID pandemic called I Love You, Don’t Touch Me. In addition to releasing the film on DVD and traditional VOD platforms, Ariztical Entertainment plans to include it on their site Ariztical NOW, a subscription VOD platform that includes a strong library of LGBTQ titles. Ariztical is excited to provide this new outlet for independent and queer films as part of the company’s continuing commitment to serve under-represented audiences and to create new opportunities for LGBTQ filmmakers.

For more information about The Family Tree and Ariztical Entertainment, including preview screeners, interview requests, and press photos, please contact: pr@ariztical.com

DECEMBER 2020 35

DAPUPDATE

LEATHER WINDS UP AT REVIVALS BACK ALLEY AFTER-DARK

BY JACK BUNTING

People donate everything to Revivals, and we mean everything.

One of the most interesting collections from Revivals was scooped up in a matter of hours after it took almost a year to collect. This community raised $6,000 in the first hour as it shopped on a Sunday last month for all things leather at the Revivals After Dark Back Alley Event. More than 100 people had lined up wearing face coverings before doors opened.

Volunteers worked to make the event safe, so that everyone attending could focus on finding incredible deals on a variety of leather clothing, plus accessories, erotic art and literature. These items are donated to Revivals Stores throughout the year and put aside for this special occasion.

Hosting the event outdoors was the right thing to do for safety, and it also created an urban feel that was enhanced with upbeat music as people shopped.

“We did this to say thank you to the Leather Community also,” says Michael McCartney, Revivals area manager. “From day one they have been a major part of Revivals.” For some, it was an opportunity to experience a popular gay subculture that can be intimidating and costly as well.

“This event gives people who want to explore leather, kink, and fetish, but who don’t want to invest too much money up front,” says Charlie Harding, Mr. Palm Springs Leather 2020. “They get to dip their tow in the water.”

There is more to it than that, he says. “We’re providing a sexpositive environment that welcomes everyone to come together while we raise money for healthcare access and mental health awareness,” Charlie says.

VOLUNTEERS HOSTED AND MONITORED SAFETY Revivals volunteer Mark Musin is usually running the lamps department, but he and about 40 other volunteers pulled together and set up a browsing experience that put safety and spaciousness first.

“We used more tables than I thought we would, and we put more space in between them for social distancing,” he says.

Mark and the team placed all of the art for sale facing in one

36 THESTANDARDPS.COM

direction, a move to help guide the flow of people walking without getting too close.

“We did the same thing with books and accessories,” Mark says.

“We could not have anyone feeling as though they were crowded.”

Throughout the event Mark and the team used mobile devices to monitor crowd size and report in with each other. From inside the Palm Springs Revivals store and throughout the back alley, volunteers

were ensuring everything was orderly, although guests were already eager to comply with safety guidelines.

“Customers know we take safety seriously, and they are supportive,” Mark says.

And not just at the Leather Event.

“Every morning there is a line before the store opens, and it’s because Revivals customers know it is safe.” Mark says.

RAISING AWARENESS FOR MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY Taking a community approach for mental health advocacy, DAP co-sponsored this pop-up event to support work by Charlie Harding, Mr. Palm Springs Leather 2020, and his organization to bring more people into services they need.

“I try to help people understand and get past the stigma of mental illness,” he says.

While mental health challenges disproportionately affect LGBTQ+ people, the CDC says COVID is increasing them for everyone and overwhelming communities.

According to Charlie, when someone is struggling with a mental health challenge, everyone in their life needs to be united in providing support. He educates the leather community on the red flags that someone who is struggling may display, and how to offer help to that person.

“To help people feel better, you need your doctors, the support groups, the families and friends all to be supportive of each other,” Charlie says. “To improve quality of life.”

After years of raising awareness for more LGBTQ+ mental health access, Charlie believes it is finally translating into more available services locally, as advocates and health experts continue pointing to alarming statistics.

“The LGBTQ+ community has led the way in calling attention to it because of our higher suicide rates and societal negativity that is still in place around coming out,” he says. “But we are starting to see support groups and mental health services available, and it will increase the quality of life for everybody who struggles.”

Getting past stigma, towards understanding “You tell people you have diabetes and they’re ok, but you say you are bipolar, and

they immediately take pause,” Charlie says.

Stigma around mental illness can keep people from seeking services. But by openly sharing about his life with bipolar disorder, Charlie helps bring hope to others who are struggling. Describing the feelings can help people understand.

“It’s feeling like you rule the world,” he says. “And then, feeling like it’s about to end.”

He also describes how confusing it can be if friends and family don’t understand what mental health challenges look like.

“You’ll see someone who seems to be the life of the party,” he says, “And you cannot understand why they might have such mood swings and get so low.”

THE ALLEY HAS A VERY SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE TO DAP Decades ago in an office above, a group of off-duty medical professionals would meet AIDS patients at night to administer treatments in an era when HIV was still a mystery and conventional healthcare providers in the area were forbidden from treating people with AIDS. This was the beginning of Desert AIDS Project.

It seemed fitting that in the midst of another pandemic, volunteers were once again using the space for an unintended purpose--to promote the welfare of the community.

For more information about accessing psychotherapy services at DAP, please call (760) 992-0450.

THE STORY OF REVIVALS The very first Revivals store was opened in 1995, in a back corner of the Desert AIDS Project office on Vella Road. Since those earliest days, the funds raised through selling donated goods at Revivals has gone back to support client services at DAP Health (DAP), while also providing a great volunteer opportunity for those who wanted to support the organization with their time and retail talents. Today, all of the stores are largely volunteer-run, enabling Revivals to make a significant financial contribution to the annual budget of DAP, which has earned a national reputation as one of the most comprehensive HIV/AIDS service providers in the U.S.

DECEMBER 2020 37

PSP FOCUS

>> HOLIGAY! (CELEBRATE... IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT) The Cinema Diverse HOLIGAYS are here! Join us this month as we celebrate the HOLIGAYS! Cause... just like MADONNA said it will be all right. We’re almost through the wilderness. Let’s put 2020 to rest with a month full of good cheer and get ready to ring in a welcome New Year- Hallelujah!

Start your HOLIGAY off with legendary gay icon David Bowie and the origins of Ziggy Stardust in the new road trip rock film Stardust screening Dec 4 and 5th. Then fall in love all over again with two holiday comedy classics from local filmmaker Rob Williams with Shared Rooms on December 11, and Make The Yuletide Gay on Dec 18. On Christmas, Dec 25 help us raise funds for the Palm Springs Cultural Center and join us for our Fundly Feature: The Jinkx And Dela Holiday Special- based upon their holiday stage hit with special guest appearance and Q + A

by BenDeLaCreme- out of drag and unscripted! Lastly dress up in your HOLIGAY best with the annual screening of Among Friends presents Mame with the Rosalind Russell on Dec 26.

Our community partners are also decking our halls with their HOLIGAY best! On Dec 12 PS Mod Com presents HOLIDAY Jubilee with retro pop humorist Charles Phoenix, the Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus is screening Irving Berlin’s White Christmas hosted by Ethylina Canne, and on Christmas Eve you can attend an evening of celebration and worship with Bloom In The Desert Ministries and the United Church of Christ.

>> PALM SPRINGS GAY MEN’S CHORUS “CHRISTMAS IN PALM SPRINGS DRIVE-IN EDITION” The Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus (PSGMC) is proud to continue its 22nd season with “Christmas in Palm Springs Drive-In Edition,” Saturday, December 19. In a creative departure from the Chorus’ usual December performance, Ethylina Canne will be the Mistress of Ceremonies for a combination LIVE and VIRTUAL holiday spectacular featuring PSGMC’s new virtual chorus. Ann Hampton Callaway, one of the leading champions of the great American Songbook, will join the Chorus in a special musical tribute.

Ann has made her mark as a singer, pianist, composer, lyricist, arranger, actress, educator, TV host and producer. Voted recently

by Broadwayworld.com, as “Performer of the Year,” Ann is a born entertainer. Her unique singing style that blends jazz and traditional pop makes her a mainstay in concert halls, theaters and jazz clubs,

38 THESTANDARDPS.COM

recording studio, TV, and in film. She is best known for her Tony®nominated performance in the hit Broadway musical Swing! and for writing and singing the theme song to the hit TV series The Nanny.

Callaway is a Platinum Award winning writer whose songs are featured on seven of Barbra Streisand’s recent CD’s. Make your reservation now for this production, which is sure to be a sell out, call 760-219-2077.

Tickets for “Christmas in Palm Springs Drive-In Edition,” Saturday, December 19 are only $20.00 for the socially distanced and mandatory masked pre-show, auction and screening of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas or for $60.00, enjoy a VIP experience including: dinner, gift bag, pre-show, auction and film screening.

PSP FOCUS

Drive-In theatre parking and socially distanced seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Drive-in opens at 5:00p.m. and show begins at 6:00p.m. This event would not be possible without the incredible support of Palm Springs Cultural Center, Town Real Estate, Tanya’s Kitchen, The Bank 420 Dispensary and Lounge, Sarah & Leo Milmet, Channel Q 103.1 FM, KGAY 106.1 FM, IHUB Radio, Gay Desert Guide, The Center, Palm Springs Disposal Service, Korbel, Jägermeister and the PSGMC Board of Directors. Call 760-2192077 for details.

>> PALM SPRINGS GAY MEN’S CHORUS (PSGMC) LAUNCHES HOLIDAY GIFT & TOY DRIVE “Chorus Cares Kid’s Holiday Gift & Toy Drive” to benefit Martha’s Village & Kitchen. Drop off a new unwrapped Gift or Toy in original packaging or gift cards up to $25 value in person at the Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus booth at the Certified Farmers Market, Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 East Baristo Road, Palm

Springs. Saturdays December 5, 12 and 19 from 8:00am - 12 Noon.

For more information on a variety of ways to support or join the Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus, visit www.PSGMC.com. Press inquiries should be directed to Jeff Hocker at 760-409-1530 or jeffhocker1@gmail.com.

>> MODERNISM WEEK MOVES TO APRIL 2021 WITH ONLINE PLANS FOR FEBRUARY

BY BOB BOGARD Modernism Week is announcing a change to their 2021 event schedule. In order to provide their guests with the best experience possible, Modernism Week has decided to reschedule in-person events from February to April 8-18-2021. The April events will go on sale January 1, 2021 at 12 p.m. PST at modernismweek.com.

In its place in February, the Modernism Week Online Experience will include a curated line-up of more than 20 new video programs created specifically for Modernism Week, and encore presentations of past programs available for purchase and on-demand streaming February 1-28, 2021 at modernismweek.com. Also online in February, Modernism Week will offer an online auction February 1-14 that will feature one-of-a-kind architectural experiences and unique, limited specialty items not normally available to the public.

The date shift to April for in-person events in Palm Springs will provide more time for the state and county health status to improve, and for organizers to plan safe and enjoyable experiences under pandemic guidelines. “We are committed to the safety of our guests and we are monitoring daily health advisories,” said William Kopelk, Modernism Week Chairman. “We realize that it will not be possible to provide in-person events during our annual February dates, however, we are optimistic that we will be able to provide safer and more enjoyable in-person tours and programs in April as conditions improve. We want to do what is best for our guests, as well as for our staff and volunteers.”

The April in-person activities will feature more than 20 tours and events in the Palm Springs area, including two designer Featured Homes that will be open for timed, ticketed, socially distanced tours,

DECEMBER 2020 39

PSP FOCUS

and the Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale, which will be organized to allow for social distancing and timed entry. Other April events will include a variety of outdoor walking tours; tours of Sunnylands, Frank Sinatra’s former estate, and the Lautner Compound; narrated self-driving tours of Palm Springs architecture; self-guided modern landscape and outdoor neighborhood tours in Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells; fashion events; vintage car exhibitions; and tours of newly-constructed architecturally significant private homes in Desert Palisades.

Participants will be able to view the schedule and summaries of all April programs at modernismweek.com during the last week of December 2020. Tickets for April programs will go on sale January 1, 2021.

For more information about future Modernism Week events, visit modernismweek.com, read the blog at mwkly.com, and follow on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

WHAT WE DO: • Daily hot nutritious meal to over 135 people a day, 6 days a week.

• Sack lunches daily –over 1200 a week served.

• Phone and mail service.

• Morning coffee, rolls and fruit.

• Showers daily.

• Furniture for people in need.

• Clothing for job interviews and those who need them.

• Assistance with food stamps, MISP, id’s and more.

• Utility assistance.

• Rental assistance.

• Free notary service.

• Resume writing assistance.

40 THESTANDARDPS.COM

• One way tickets home.

• Saturday food distribution of healthy foods to working families, seniors, veterans, the disabled, families with children.

• Emergency food boxes.

• Some transportation to medical and social service appointments.

• Van transportation to hot lunch sites.

• Home deliveries to seniors who are homebound or frail.

• “Well Assist” program to downtown merchants and other business owners.

• Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations for all in need. Christmas presents for all the children.

• Well houses available for long-term group family living, and emergenies.

• A family-friendly environment where all can feel welcome, cared about, and respected.

CANCER HASN’T STOPPED. So neither have we.

Cancer treatments can compromise immune systems, making cancer patients like Victoria even more vulnerable to COVID-19.

We need your help to keep critical support and resources available during this crisis.

Please donate today at cancer.org

Victoria, Cancer survivor DECEMBER 2020 41

FITNESS

LESSONS LEARNED

BY JILL LANGHAM

Hello my Friends, it’s hard to believe that we are about to end the most unique and eventful year of our lives, more than likely separated from our loved ones. In the past, we’d have spent Thanksgiving or Christmas/Hanukkah with them, if not both. It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Covid Christmas!

and included even more loss. Something had been missing in my life but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I wasn’t sad, but I wasn’t happy either. So, 2020 was going to be my time to “Roar!”

I could feel the winds of change right here in my own backyard, Toto.

It is all so surreal, but by now somewhat familiar and expected.

Who could have imagined?

For me, 2020 was to be my time for clarity; a time for me to see what was on my horizon especially since the last few years found me going through the motions of my life in an inauthentic way. In 2018, I had lost 7 close friends in a 3-month period, which made me question my own existence and purpose. Sadly 2019 was no better

42 THESTANDARDPS.COM

And change they did. On February 29, 2020, I contracted COVID-19, the Corona virus, a “pandemic”, something that the world hadn’t seen in over 100 year. We were dumbfounded and lost. We were frightened for our lives and the lives of those we love.

We were panicking for very good reasons. In mere weeks, ten of thousands and soon hundreds of thousands of people globally were contracting this “killer” and thousands across the world were dying.

Cities and certain populations were fading right in front of our eyes. It was like the second coming of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. But, this time it was a pandemic and no one was exempt or immune.

President of the United States. The day before, in anticipation of his win, I shaved my head in celebration of the news! It was a fresh start for us all, and my shaved head showed my level of commitment.

Imagine you are rushing your partner, husband, wife, sister, brother, child or friend to the Emergency Room where you are told you cannot enter the hospital and never saw your Loved One again!

From that moment on, I have been so much happier, freer and lighter in my spirit. My chakras all appear to be open and I feel excited about the “New Future.” I am of course sad for all of us who lost loved ones and will miss my friend forever, but I, in fact believe in past and future lives and trust that those souls who left us had other places to be.

Sadly, they succumbed to the disease and died alone in isolation, surrounded by alien looking first responders and other hero’s, who were decked from head to toe in gowns, gloves and masks of all kinds.

Like in wartime past, parents lost not one, but two of their children to Covid. Some children lost both parents. We began living in fear. Would our closest friends or neighbors infect us? We were suspicious of everything and everybody. We were afraid that we were going to die and of those who believed it to be true, isolated themselves and lived in fear and some still are.

And as a result and much to our dismay, it brought to the surface some of our ugliest human traits. Greed and selfishness abounded and caused us to return to a time reminiscent of 1933 when Hitler’s 3rd Reich ruled and eventually destroyed tens of millions. It was a time none of us ever wanted to revisit. But here we were!

The numbers of those infected rose after every holiday and people all over and especially in the US were getting infected. A large percentage of our population had opposing feelings about the validity, let alone the existence of this virus and made it clear that they would not follow the rules. This started right at the top with the President of the United States. We had no “voice of reason”, to guide us. So, as a result, many self appointed experts were coming out the woodwork insisting that they knew best what we needed to do. Even our own beloved CDC showed us their true colors and we soon lost faith in them, believing they no longer had our best interests in mind.

In the meantime we had to deal with a Presidential Campaign, which was painful, expensive and horribly embarrassing. We were being laughed at by the rest of the world. It was as if they had just realized that like a Hollywood set, we Americans had very little behind us holding us up. Our leader was nothing more than a spoiled brat, who threw tantrums and shade on everything and everyone.

We were not united and many did not want to follow rules or be told what to do.

But, our prayers were answered if you were a Biden fan. On Nov 7th, 2020, it was announced that he would become the 46th

On a personal note, I have grown a lot as a result of COVID-19.

Here are just a few of the things I have learned: I. My health is my responsibility and not my insurance company; trainers; friends; or partners, but mine.

II. My allergies are way less bothersome when I wear a mask III. My community of friends means the world to me and without them; I am not a bright light IV. Asking for help will not make me less of a person but in fact makes me a better one V. Walking outside everyday connects me to my community and is a wonderful way to be in nature VI. I do not need a gym but rather appreciate that it is a luxury for my clients and me VII. I’m open to training people in their homes, something I swore I would never do VIII. I have plenty and I am very fortunate to have had parents who taught me how to save my money IX. Having a female BFF adds to my life and helps balance out all of my male energy X. Laughing out Loud (LOL) exists and is a great way to discharge energy XI. Having a title (self-appointed or donned) distracts me from just being Jill, so be careful what you wish for or aspire to, as there is always a price to pay XII. I really despise texting outside of shopping lists or to tell someone I am running late or that I have arrived XIII. I love and admire Madonna and may be her oldest “new” fan! (I know, hard to believe!)

How about you?

Love, Just Jill P.S. Merry Holidays and Happy New World!

DECEMBER 2020 43

This protects you.

So does this.

COVID’s not the only virus we’re trying to stop

44 THESTANDARDPS.COM

MUSIC

JUSTIN UTLEY BRINGS MUCH-NEEDED CHEER TO THE YEAR

BY JEFF DORTA

In “All is Bright,” the first holiday release from the OUTMusic Award winning singer/songwriter, Justin Utley sings how even during these dark and tumultuous times, there’s still a silver lining. “The pandemic has brought people closer together,” he says. “There’s nothing like spending time surrounded by the people who matter most, even if it’s over Zoom.” Written and produced by Utley and T. Harts, “All is Bright” is an optimistic, yet not overly sweet holiday song. Utley describes it as a little bit of Lumineers/Mumford & Sons mixed in with a lot-a-bit of Justin. “It’s a unique sound that I believe has the makings to become a new holiday favorite.” Justin Utley’s “All is Bright” is being distributed independently and is available on all digital platforms with all presale proceeds benefitting the Homeless Youth Resource Center of Utah.

“My favorite Christmas memory is from when I was 8 years old and my family finally got a piano,” Justin recalls. “It was an old Conover upright and it weighed a few tons. I grew up playing it, wrote my first songs on it when I was 12, moved it in and out of a number of apartments before I moved to New York City. My parents still have it at their house today. It’s a nostalgic piece, and means even more to me when I play it.”

Justin Utley was born and raised in Utah. His music career took off when he was selected to perform at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. His single, “Stand for Something,” won Best Country/ Folk Song of the Year at the 2010 OutMusic Awards. SiriusXM’s OutQ Radio later named Justin “Artist of the Year.”

After famously breaking ties with his Mormon roots, Justin became a sought-after talent, touring Pride Festivals alongside acts like Dan Reynolds, Icona Pop, Tegan & Sara, Margaret Cho and Billy Porter. He regularly provides insight on issues of faith and the LGBTQ community at colleges and universities throughout the USA and has appeared on CNN’s ‘Faces of Faith’ Sunday news segment, NPR, SiriusXM and MSNBC. He is a two-time recipient of the FBI’s “Inspiring Citizen of the Year” award.

“All is Bright is about bringing people together to celebrate something meaningful and special,” Justin continues. “I wanted to write a song for the holidays that didn’t have lyrical ties to a specific tradition since we all value different aspects of this time of year.”

Justin Utley plans to spend the holidays in Utah with his brother and his brother’s family. Like most of the world, they will not be able to enjoy time with other family members in-person, but they will be sure to gather together over Zoom.

Justin Utley’s “All is Bright” is available on all digital platforms, as is his latest album, Stars.

Visit Justin Utley’s website @ Justinutley.com. Follow him on Instagram @ justinutley and Facebook @ justinutleymusic.

DECEMBER 2020 45

MUSIC

PAMELA MEANS AND THE REPARATIONS LIVE AT NORTHFIRE

BY MICHELE KARLSBERG

As an artist known for mastering myriad projects with aplomb, this is the first release with a new acoustic trio. An in-studio performance, recorded live at Northfire Recording, in Amherst MA. “Live at Northfire� comprises six Pamela Means original songs; mainly, pointed political indictments of racism, gun violence and injustice plaguing our society. Forty-plus minutes of raw, primal,

46 THESTANDARDPS.COM

focused, finessed grooves, in between delicate moments of (queer) love song reprieve, will send a listener adrift on a soulful journey, soothing and searing, yet, still, speaking truth to power. Authentic lyrics, tender to raging vocals, and fleet fretwork, are finely fleshed out with infectious conga beats, thick bass lines, and lush, signature, harmonies from bassist, Cinamon Blair, and, percussionist, I-SHEA.

Pamela Means is a Boston-based Out(spoken), Biracial, independent artist whose “kamikaze guitar style” and punchy provocative songs have worn a hole in two of her acoustic guitars.

Armed with the razor wit of a stand-up comic, engaging presence, elegant poetry, and irresistible charm, Pamela Means’s “stark, defiant songs” (New York Times) set the status quo and the stage afire.

Pamela’s commitment to interrogating social ills was fostered by her unique childhood. “As the adopted daughter of a white mother and black father, I learned about dismantling systems of oppression from the inside out.” Pamela received her first guitar at the age of fourteen, just after her mother died of cancer, and it soon became Pamela’s primary vehicle for expression. It would also serve as a passport out of a life that consisted of poverty, foster homes, and the inner city life of hyper-segregated Milwaukee WI. Pamela Means relocated to Boston, busked in the city subways and famed Harvard Square, founded her own record label and began touring. Pamela has performed on three continents and across the country, gaining fans and rave reviews from Anchorage to Amsterdam, Sydney to Stockholm, San Francisco to Honolulu to New York, breaking album sales records at national festivals and sharing stages with Pete Seeger, Neil

Young, Shawn Colvin, Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Gil-Scott Heron, Adrian Belew, Violent Femmes, Holly Near and more. Means has also been the recipient of several nominations and music awards in multiple categories.

A timely release, Single Bullet Theory confronts the USA Patriot Act, racial profiling, and the Bush Administration, while advocating for the rights of marginalized identities. Through the song “O.D., Means fires off what is easily one of the best musical summations of our current political situation…” (Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco CA). Pamela also recorded a haunting version of the anti-lynching anthem, “Strange Fruit.” Single Bullet Theory showcases Pamela’s innovative, expressive guitar style, evidentiary of her conservatory studies of classical and jazz guitar. With her fleet fingered fretwork, fluid phrasing, “dizzying guitar riffs,” (Boston Globe) and “powerful songs” (Time Out NY), Pamela Means is “redefining acoustic] music.”

(Washington Blade, Washington DC) Pamela Means “exhibits a rare emotional fire in today’s folk world,” (Seven Days, Burlington VT) so much so that Ani DiFranco exclaimed, “you’ve got such a deep, deep groove, I can’t get out.

And, I wouldn’t want to.” www.pamelameans.com

DECEMBER 2020 47

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