Thisfunktional

Time to THRIVE
The time for equality for the
LGBTQ community is now
Issue 04 April 01, 2014
Photo courtesy of Jef Bottari/AP Images for Human Rights Campaign
ISSN 2334-346X
Jesus Figueroa
Thisfunktional
Editor-in-Chief of
FLOWER- Anima Cuore Studios Artist Laura
Dickensons 2012 Challenge work sketch giving a fower
a nice face. (Drawing courtesy of Anima Cuore)
PAGE
01
The concept of equality
always foats around
in my head as I see the
LGBTQ comunity fght
for the basic human right
of happiness.
The image chosen was
not because of its softness
but rather because of it
being a peaceful image.
These basic human
rights come from a sense
of understanding and
acceptance. To accept
someone there must be
tolerance. To tolerate we
must accept.
As humans we may not
always understand but
there should always keep
able to keep an open mind.
Move through life not
prohibiting what others
do but accepting that
each person does things
differently.
This issue is all about
anti-bullying, anti-slut
shaming and the rights of
all not only the LGBTQ
community because we
are all human.
Editor-in-Chief
Jesus Figueroa
Assistant Layout Designer
Lindsey Maeda
Writers
Eli Kay
Columnist
Mike Te Movie Guy Pierce
Photo-journalist
Ashley Weinfeld
Staf
Page 3 - Finding Hope
Page 7 - Artis Appreciation: Rafa Esparza
Page 9 -Te Illusion of Equality
Page 11 - Time to THRIVE has arrived
Page 15 - Concert Corner
Page 17 - Mikes Movie Mayhem
Page 19 - Tisfunktional Reviews
Table of Contents
Written by Eli Kay
Written by Jesus Figueroa
Written by Eli Kay
Written by Jesus Figueroa
Written by Ashley Weinfeld
Written by Mike Te Movie Guy Pierce
Photographs by Jesus Figueroa
PAGE
02
Page 5 - 2D^3 project
Written by Jesus Figueroa
PAGE
03
Looking through a sea of comments
and news reports about the economic
recession and how that has taken a toll
in the social and business environment
in Europe. I struggle to fnd encouraging
articles.
It seems that the idea in todays
community is every man for himself,
and we all tend to think that way. But
fortunately I found some people that
dont.
Global Hope Network International
is an organization dedicated to visiting
hidden villages where some of the
worlds poorest people live and where
assistance never reaches.
Their mission is to transform those
places by providing health care, coach
them to develop the area with their
resources and bring targeted Disaster
Relief in places hit by war or natural
disasters.
They bring people closer and ry to
provide a better future with their efforts.
I was invited to volunteer with the
organizations newest division in
Greece.
Global Hope in collaboration with
AMG International use mobile medical
centres to drive to isolated villages
where old Muslim communities live.
Communities like The Pomaklar, a
Greek/Muslim community at the north
of Greece, that was isolated during the
war and left away from civilization ae
able to receive help.
The women were forced to cultivate
the land in order to eat, while their
husbands found work in Albania,
Bulgaria or Germany, leaving the
women to care for the children.
The Saturday I volunteered, we left at
5am in order to meet with the group.
The group included a leader, me and a
dentist, all volunteers.
The leader was driving the mobile
medical centre and was in charge of
the relationship with the people in the
villages.
I would help the dentist sterilize her
equipment and keep a list of the people
who visited for dental check.
It was raining heavily all morning but
the people still lined up outside the van.
The people wanted to meet us and
talk to us. It is wonderful to see how
simple life makes people nicer and more
compassionate.
After the experience, I was very
happy I saw the another side to Europe.
A selfess and compassionate one.
I wish the whole world was like that.
Global Hope Network International:
www.globalhopenetwork.org
Donation page:
http://globalhopenetwork.org/donate/american-donations
Eli Kay
Writer
Finding hope:
PAGE
04
Global Hope Network International:
www.globalhopenetwork.org
Donation page:
http://globalhopenetwork.org/donate/american-donations
GOOD SPIRIT- Volunteer Eli Kay, right, assists with dental
work inside a mobile medical van at a small village in Greece in
need of assistance.
Helping communities,
revitalized spirit
PAGE
05
2D^3
From 2D shapes to 3D shapes in glass 2d^3
sets to be an incredible project. Alex Leach
caugh my attention after searching for hours for
a kickstarter project for my column Kicking
into Kickstarter on thisfunktional.com.
The project closed down after the Kickstarter
hack but is set to reopen later on in April.
Leach said that the inspiration for this endevour
came from early childhood memories.
When I was growing up we just had huge
buckets of loose Legos that had been passed
down and collected for years, Leach said.
The project goal will be diffcult to meet but
the hard work and dedication to make these are
worth contributing. The insentives are great.
A 3 picture design usually takes about
8-10 hours and works out about 50% of
the time. I did a 4 image design one
time that took well over 100 hours,
Leach said.
The project has already attracted
the attention of a few and with some
help can be made available to more
people to collect. There are premade
designs and custom designs will be made
avaible once funding is completed.
Yes, I have already had some great ideas
requested by a few people and love to
commission work, Leach said.
Keep track of the project on kickstrarter once
it goes live and follow thisfunktional.com
and animaecuorestudios.com for more
on the project in the weks to come.
Kicking into
Kickstarter
Cl i ck her e t o vi ew vi deo i nt er vi ews wi t h t he cast and cr ew
a liIe - changing experience, noI jusI a Irip!
-- ---,z I- I-z.e/ /, /,- I- Ie /(//cz/ /z,,
www.rediatravel.com
www.facebook.comlrediatravel
PAGE
07
Jesus Figueroa
Writer
The work of Rafa Esparza takes
contemporary fne art and performance out
of the confnement of museums and out into
the world.
Esparza brings art to communities which
are not always priviledged to visiting
museums with his live performances
ranging from parks to under brifges.
As a gay man inspired by both his life pre
and post coming out, Esparza derives art
from many inspirational places, especially
the people who surround his life.
The education he has received, going from
East Los Angeles College to the University
of California Los Angeles, gained him not
only an education in art but in Chicano
studies.
Esparzas latest showcase at the Vincent
Price Art Museum in Monterey Park,
California is his frst solo museum exhibit
which has been accompanied by several live
performances outside the museum walls.
Art is just something that I have always
done, Esparza said. Choosing for art to be
a seminal part of who I am happened here,
at ELAC, when I started taking classes (art
Classes.
Esparzas gallery showing at the VPAM
Hoy Space runs through April 25.
For more information visit
vincentpriceartmuseum.org.
THE ART- Rafa Esparza
painted by Shizu Saldamando.
THE MAN- Rafa Esparza
shows support for fellow
artist Shizu Saldamando.
Photo by Jesus Figueroa
Photo by Jesus Figueroa
Artist and performer
Rafa Esparza
Artist and performer
Rafa Esparza
a liIe - changing experience, noI jusI a Irip!
-- ---,z I- I-z.e/ /, /,- I- Ie /(//cz/ /z,,
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www.facebook.comlrediatravel
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Photo by Jesus Figueroa
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PAGE
09
The Illusion of Equality
In order to understand the meaning
of how deep and horrible racism and
sexism is, we have to analyze the basis
of it.
The defnition of racism is the belief
that characteristics, abilities and, in
extend, opportunities, can be given
to people only through the basis of
their race (or sex, as far as sexism is
concerned).
For the sake of the argument, I am
going to call all forms of prejudice,
racism.
The darkest form of racism is the
belief that one group, whether that is
race, sex, religion or political group, is
superior to all the others.
It may have appeared through fear
and developed as a weapon against
anything that has taking us out of our
comfort zone, but it has not subsided. In
fact, is has increased.
Women began their revolution frst
with acquiring the rights to vote, wear
what they want and have a general
sexual freedom.
Homosexuals, bisexuals, transvestites
and transgender have established a
somewhat similar revolution with
earning rights of marriage for example.
But are we really living in an era of
great Equality? Has equality really been
achieved or is it just an illusion?
What concerns me the most is that
every time I ask someone a question
aboutracism, I get the same lolly pop
answers, Of course we believe in
equality, I am not racist, I love black
people, I would love to have a gay
friend and so on.
The new racism is not being racist
and to be honest, I consider this a far
worse case of discrimination than the
origins of racism itself.
In Europe, people believe they have
progressed.
Coming from a Christian background
I hear about acceptance all the time.
But God forbid one of MY children
to be gay.
Of course they wont say it to my
face. As nobody will say that I cannot
chop wood or drive a lorry, because Im
a woman.
Nowadays in Europe, we are all happy
and accepting to everyones faces, we
label our coffee shops Gay friendly and
we hang out with people with different
sexual preferences because that will
make us cool.
We will smile politely if one of them
fnds their way into our church and we
will be very careful to be politically
correct.
But that doesnt solve the problem.
Let them be homophobic behind
closed doors, comedian Eddie Izzard
said.
We are not hurting anyone as long
as we are proper and nice when we are
outside and happen to encounter one of
them.
But that doesnt solve a problem at
all.
Masking the problem brings no
solutions.
Im not saying that there is not a
signifcant improvement from the people
who were sentenced to life in prison
or even died proclaiming their sexual
preference and insisting it was a part of
them, and not a demonic disfguration
like many Christians believe.
But it is still far from being eliminated.
One of the major factors that
could serve as a means to decrease
homophobia is knowledge.
It might sound clich, but after a visit
at a seminar in the Protestant church,
I realised that most of the religious
groups are simply uneducated about the
subject.
The seminar I am referring to, had a
very interesting title, Myths and Truths
about homosexuality in teenage life.
The psychologist who spoke about
the issue had no idea what she was
talking about.
She argued that masturbation and
being dressed in pink as a reason for
young boys to become attracted to the
same sex.
The solution I would suggest is to
gather all the academic work about
humanitarian studies, physiology,
sociology, sexual education and other
similar subjects and present a seminar
or a course to be taught in schools,
businesses and any other establishment.
I would like to point out the diversity
in those beliefs of the Christian
community in Europe.
Many people think that because we
are Christians we are racist, extremists
and sometimes violent but we have
to remember that there is diversity
everywhere.
I have a deep belief in God and I never
once thought of Him as not acceptant or
judgemental.
We are all different.
You never fnd any person identical
to another. We have different values,
preferences, ideas, we think differently,
we love differently and we live how we
as we please.
TOLERANCE
PAGE
11
The LGBTQ community fghts
for equality throughout the nation
by battling for the right for same-
sex marriages.
The Human Rights Organization
premiered the frst Time to
THRIVE conference in :Las
Vegas, Nevada this past February.
Already the conference has
gotten attention with Ellen Page
taking the stage to come out as a
lesbian.
The indie movie star thanked the
audience for being the inspiration
for the strength to be true to herself
and speak up.
In Pages speech she said that
she had never lied about being a
lesbian but she had never openly
admitted to it.
The turnout in support of the
LGBTQ community and the
purpose behind the event gave her
the courage she needed to take the
stage and speak those words she
had not been able to say.
I am here today because I am
gay, Page said, and because
maybe I can make a difference.
To help others have an easier and
more hopeful time. Regardless for
me, I feel a personal obligation
and social responsibility.
The courage to stand on stage
and come out to thousands shows
the respect she has for the LGBTQ
community.
It takes courage for anyone
to come out as LGBTQ, Time
to THRIVE conference chair
The t i me i s now:
MOVING FORWARD- Youth Panel and HMI staff
pose for a photo op.
Photo courtesy of Human Rights Campaign
Jesus Figueroa
Writer
PAGE
12
Vincent Vinnie Pompei said,
Normally, that means coming
out to your friends, family and
colleagues. Rarely does that mean
telling your truth to the entire
world. The bravery that Ellen Page
displayed in deciding to come out
t a live audience of youth-serving
professionals, youths themselves
and the entire world as social
media so easily allows was pure
heroism.
The Time to THRIVE
conference kicked off that is
meant to be an annual conference
to promte safety, inclusion and
well being for the LGBTQ youth.
The HRO looks to help LGBTQ
youth with the growing struggles
faced in day-to-day life. Issues
such as family rejection, bullying
and safety weigh heavily on
LGBTQ youth.
Time to THRIVE brings
together the LGBTQ youth with
youth-serving professionals to
better educate and serve those in
need.
Some of the profesionals include
K-12 educators, mental health
providers, pediatritions, religious
leaders, recreational athletic
coaches and youth development
staff.
What may seem like regular life
events can be some of the most
frightening times for LGBTQ
youth.
Very few schools are providing
professional development on
working with LGBTQ youth,
Pompei said, The lack of cultural
Ti me t o THRI VE
PAGE
13
HELLO- Ellen Page, left, and Human Rights Campaign
President Chad Griffn wave to the attendees of Time to
THRIVE.
Photo courtesy of Jef Bottari/AP Images for
Human Rights Campaign
WELCOME- Vincent Pompei and Chelsey Clinton at
Human Rights Campaigns Time to Thrive Conference, on
Sunday, February, 16, 2014 in Las Vegas.
SETTING THE SCENE- Vinnie Pompei, left, Ellen Kahn, Chelsea Clinton and Chad Griffn strike a pose together
at a Human Rights Campaign event.
competency around this youth population among
youth-serving professions unfortunately correlates to
the unfortunate disparities around the overall well-
being of LGBTQ youth.
The LGBTQ youth has been more prone to
homelessness, substance abuse and lower future
aspirations due to the continued high stress levels due
to lack of understanding.
The allies who make a difference do not all identify
as LGBTQ but rather support the equality of all as
human beings with the same rights as anyone else.
The attendees at Time to THRIVE were by far an
audience of straight allies who are passionate about,
overall, well of youth, Pompei said, Although there
were LGBTQ identifed attendees, everyone benefts
from learning about the current state of LGBTQ youth
and what research, tools and emerging best practices
are available to help promote safety, inclusion and
well-being for LGBTQ youth in their communities.
The activities and events that Time to THRIVE
provides are a great start but for a safer more tolerant
world that accepts everyone regardless of race, sex or
sexual orientation more talks need to happen.
The LGBTQ community needs a strong support
from everyone.
Due to Pages bravery the talks have started and
have begun to become a more accapted topic of
discussion among families.
The powerful life changing speech has and will
continue to save countless lives, Pompei said, I
have heard from many people how the video, which
has now been seen more than four million times on
YouTube, sparked conversations around dinner tables,
The bravery that Ellen
Page displayed in deciding to
come out to a live audience of
youth-serving professionals,
youths themselves and the
entire world as social media
so easily allows was pure
heroism.
Vincent Vinnie Pompei
Time to Thrive conference chair
Photo courtesy of Jef Bottari/AP Images for
Human Rights Campaign
SETTING THE SCENE- Vinnie Pompei, left, Ellen Kahn, Chelsea Clinton and Chad Griffn strike a pose together
at a Human Rights Campaign event.
Photo courtesy of Human Rights Campaign
PAGE
14
LETs TALK- Judy Shepard, left, and Ellen
Kahn at the Time to THRIVE podium.
Photo courtesy of Human Rights Campaign
classrooms and business offces around the world.
The time is now to get not only the conversation
started but to make a difference.
Share stories, be heard and fght for equality
regardless if the oppression is happening to a group
you belong to because ultimately humanity is the
group everyone belongs to.
Be a positive change in the world.
When we are able to share our personal stories it
helps to open up the hearts and minds of everyday
people to understand that who we are is not something
to fear, to fght or to dislike, Pompei said, In fact,
telling our stories helps encourage people to speak
up when they witness injustice around various social
issues that affect a fellow huma being.
For resources visit:
hrc.org/resources
For HRC foundation projects and programs visit:
hrc.org/foundation
PAGE
15
Concert Corner
STAR POWER- Ashley Weinfend and Bryan
Star at the Fall BryanStars Tour in 2013.
THE STAR-
Jeffree Star from the Warped Tour 2012
ROCK-ON- Ashley Weif-
eld, left, and drummer Sandra
Alva from Modern Day Escape
the tour with Picture me Bro-
ken in 2012.
Ashley Weinfeld
Photo-journalist
M
o
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l
:

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M
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A

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e
:
1
5
Check out:
Http://Instagram.com/novamistt
Http://novamistblr.tumblr.com
Http://gifoom.com/novamist
Http://scenekids.com/novamist
Visit the new redesigned website:
theVRO.com
STAR POWER- Ashley Weinfend and Bryan
Star at the Fall BryanStars Tour in 2013.
PAGE
17
'MOVIE GIRL OF THE MONTH'
Michele Aerin (29)
Because I am a lawyer, I would be Elle Woods from
Legally Blonde. I love how she proved that women
can be both beautiful and smart, even when the
odds are stacked against them.
twitter.com/MicheleAerin
instagram.com/TXLawyerChick
ATTENTION FEMALE
MOVIE FANS! Want to be
my MOVIE GIRL OF THE
MONTH? Just answer the
questions below and send 12
or more photos of yourself
to mikethemovieguy@gmail.
com.
Name:
Age:
City:
Whats your favorite action
movie?
Whats your favorite comedy?
Whats your favorite drama?
Whats your favorite horror?
Whats your favorite sci-f &
fantasy?
Whats your favorite chick
fick?
What was the last movie you
saw?
What movie are you looking
forward to seeing?
If you could be a character in
ANY movie, who would it be?
and why?
Whats the perfect movie
snack?
What the one movie everyone
should have in their DVD
collection?
What movie should have
NEVER been made?
Whats your Twitter?
Whats your Facebook?
Whats your Instagram?
Whats your Website?
Please send 12 or more photos
they can be any type.
Just CUT & PASTE the
questions and answers
and send everything to
mikethemovieguy@gmail.
com.
Mike's Movie Mayhem
PAGE
18
Mike's Movie Mayhem
"Cesar Chavez" film interviews
"Sabotage" film interview
Diego Luna
Cesar Chavez
director Diego Luna
chats about his
inspiration to make
a historical Chicano
flm.
America Ferrera
Cesar Chavez lead actress
America Ferrera chats about
what she learned while
portraying Helen Chavez.
David Ayer
Sabotae director David Ayer chats about wanting to give this
flm a crude and raw realistic feel.
Check out mor e vi deos on yout ube. com/ user / i wat chmi ke
Thisfunktional
Reviews
Jesus Figueroa
Writer
PAGE
19
Cesar Chavez shows a true-to-
life struggle magnifcently well
The flm Cesar Chavez directed by Diego
Luna depicts an honest hard-working man with
no super powers, but who changed the world.
Cesar, played by Michael Pea, leads the
farmworkers in California against the farm
owners who exploit them.
Pea is magnifcent as Cesar. He embodies a
character who is strong and non-violent. The
eloquence of the way he speaks gives a true feel
of being a well educated individual.
Beside Cesar his wife Helen Chavez, played
by America Ferrera, challenges the role a woman
played in society during that period of time.
Ferrera is emotionally strong and brings a
dignity which Helen needed to have to stand with
Cesar and support him through the movement he
fought so hard to create.
The Chavez family and struggle that causes
Cesar to alienate his family to try and provide a
better future.
Boogdanovich Senior, played by John
Malkovich, comes off as a strong opposition to
Cesar. Bogdanovich matches intelligence with
Cesar as much as possible.
Malkovich is charismatic and confdent with
a slight caniving nature which makes him both
likable and sneaky.
The story stays grounded and does a good job
of keeping Cesar as a human character which any
person can relate to not only Chicanos.
Cesar Chavez is a must see flm. It opened in
theaters last Friday and is rated PG-13.
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