J U LY 14 2017 VOLUME 01 ISSUE 09 A M E R I C A S LGBTQ NEWS SOURCE LOSANGELESBLADE.

COM

10
MUST-SEE
LGBT
FILMS
As Outfest wraps, we pick our faves
PAGE 21

Chavela Vargas (1919-2012)

The Olympics are coming! HRCs $26 million expansion A gay orgy scandal at the Vatican

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LO C A L N E W S
California sees 11 percent rise in hate crimes
A sign of the Trump times?
By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com
Remember that moment eons ago last
June 14 when a lone gunman opened re on
Republican lawmakers practicing baseball,
nearly killing House Majority Whip Steve
Scalise? The two African-American Special
Agents prevented a potential massacre,
with Agent Crystal Griner, a married
lesbian, being credited with ring the fatal
shot that took down the gunman. For a
moment, the country seemed unied as
Republican and Democratic leaders came
together over fear of gratuitous violence,
promising restored civility.
In normal times, something of that promise
might have stuck. But these are far from
normal times and the uncorking of incivility,
unconscionable bullying and violence that
erupted out of Donald Trumps campaign last
year now reeks in the Oval Oce. And Trump
supporters love the stench of his crude
attempts at machismo, not just slamming
MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika
Brzezinski on Twitter but claiming she was
bleeding badly from a face-lift. Asked about
this new attack on a prominent female
critic, Trump spokesperson Sarah Huckabee
Sanders said: The president in no way, form
or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged
violence. If anything, quite the contrary. And
he was simply pushing back and defending
himself.
Fact-checkers wasted no time in
disproving Sanders assertion. Politifact,
for instance noted this: In February 2016,
during his campaign for president, Trump
told a crowd in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, So I got
a little notice. We have wonderful security
guys. It said, Mr. Trump, there may be
somebody with tomatoes in the audience.
So if you see somebody getting ready to
throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them,
would you? Seriously. Just knock the hell .
I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees. I
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
As President Trump has tracked in violent imagery such as this meme depicting him beating up
CNN, are his followers responding with real-world violence?
promise. I promise. As a review of the video
shows, Trump is not smiling or chuckling as
if this was intended as a joke
Trump disputed Sanders himself a few
days later, re-tweeting a doctored video
showing Trump in 2007 body slamming
and punching WrestleMania CEO Vince
McMahon, whose face is replaced with the
CNN logo. CNN subsequently identied
the creator of the video, who apologized
but received death threats from his white
nationalist Reddit pro-Trump group.
Trump wont apologize since he thinks
hes never wrong. As he explained to
Jimmy Fallon: I fully think apologizings a
great thing, but you have to be wrong. . . .
I will absolutely apologize sometime in the
distant future if Im ever wrong.
To be fair, while Trump and white
nationalist Trump-whisperer Steve Bannon
promoted the destruction of civility as we
know it, they and the Republican Party
are not the only purveyors of violence.
California Assembly Speaker Anthony
Rendon has been receiving death threats
for shelving a single-payer healthcare
bill, at least for this year. Leaders of the
California Nurses Association have been
VIDEO CAPTURE VIA YOUTUBE
roundly criticized for circulating an image
of a California bear with a knife stuck in its
back and Rendons name on the handle.
The LA Daily News reports that one tweet
said someone should check out Rendons
schedule for baseball practice, alluding
to the recent shooting of House Majority
Whip Steve Scalise while the Republican
team was practicing for the annual
congressional baseball game.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate,
former LA mayor and former union
organizer Antonio Villaraigosa may have
had his version of a Sister Souljah
moment with his criticism.
The organizations and leaders raising
the temperature of this discussion to
the boiling point should also pause and
reect on their own responsibility to dial
down the rhetoric and return to a civil
debate, Villaraigosa said in a statement.
The supporters of single payer are not
responsible for these death threats. But
we are all responsible for elevating the
level of our civic discourse and speaking
out at once against violence and threats.
Is Trump teaching us that the way
to get what you want is to bully them on
J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7 0 5
social media and trash them in public?
asked Melissa Michelson, a political science
professor at Athertons Menlo College. Its
not working for Trump, so Im not sure why
the nurses thought it would work for them.
But the message of hate has trickled
down, as evidence by the latest hate crime
statistics. On Monday, July 3, the California
Department of Justice released its annual
report on hate crimes showing an 11.2
percent spikethe second year in a row
for double-digit increases.
In 2015, hate crimes jumped to 10.4
percent, compared to 2014, with hate
crimes against minorities targeted
by TrumpMuslims and Latinos (ie,
undocumented immigrants)accounting
for the largest increase. Hate crimes
against Muslims jumped from 18 in 2014
to 40 in 2015; crimes against Latinos went
from 60 in 2014 to 81 in 2015.
There were 931 total events (a crime
report) and 1,190 total oenses (criminal
acts). The report says: Hate crime events
involving a racial bias increased 21.3
percent from 428 in 2015 to 519 in 2016.
Anti-white bias events went from 34 in
2015 to 56 in 2016. Anti-black or African
American bias events went from 231 in
2015 to 251 in 2016, an increase of 8.7
percent. Anti-multiple races bias events
went from 17 in 2015 to 34 in 2016. Hate
crime events involving a sexual orientation
bias increased 10.1 percent from 188 in
2015 to 207 in 2016. Anti-gay (male) bias
events increased from 108 in 2015 to 152
in 2016, an increase of 40.7 percent.
There were also 248 oenses based on
sexual orientation, 20.8 percent of the total,
with gay men having the highest number at
180 oenses and 15.1 percent of the total.
Additionally, there were 25 anti-
transgender events and 25 oenses
with 2.7 percent and 2.1 percent of the
total number of hate crimes respectively,
though the report does not specic if the
victims were trans women or men.
CONTINUES AT LOSANGELESBLADE.COM
0 6 J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM LO CA L N E W S

Trump data collection effort bad news for LGBT voters

Fears of suppression,
hacking as states resist
federal demands
By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla
was among the rst secretaries of state
in the country to refuse to comply with
the Trump administrations demand to
turn over voter data to the Presidential
Advisory Commission on Election Integrity.
The commission, headed by Vice
President Mike Pence and Kansas Sec.
of State Kris Kobach, was created by
President Trump after he narrowly won
the Electoral College but lost the popular
vote to Hillary Clinton because, he claims,
between 3 million and 5 million votes
were cast illegallyan assertion for which
Trump provided no evidence and that has
been repeatedly discredited.
In a June 28 letter sent to the nations
secretaries of state, Kobach asked for voter
roll data, including, if publicly available under
the laws of your state, the full rst and last
names of all registrants, middle names or
initials if available, addresses, dates of birth,
political party (if recorded in your state),
last four digits of social security number if
available, voter history (elections voted in)
from 2006 onward, active/inactive status,
cancelled status, information regarding any
felony convictions, information regarding
voter registration in another state,
information regarding military status, and
overseas citizen information.
So far, 45 states and the District of
Columbia say they are unwilling or unable
to provide all the information requested
by the Voter Fraud Commission.
But even the release of publicly available
information could be disastrous and
terrifying for LGBT voters. Would name-
change requests by transgender voters
be considered voter fraud by biased,
over-eager commission staers? Would
California Secretary of State ALEX PADILLA was among the rst to refuse to comply with the Trump
administrations demand to turn over voter data.
uncorrected dishonorable discharges
under the gay military ban and Dont Ask,
Dont Tell result in an LGBT voter being
deemed unworthy to vote and be scrubbed
from the rolls? Anti-gay sodomy laws were
overturned in Texas and 14 other states
under Lawrence v. Texas in 2003, but
some states still have anti-sodomy laws on
the books. Additionally, now-archaic anti-
gay laws were often handled by biased
prosecutors as felonious sex oenses that
landed the accused on the sex oender
registry, a lifelong stain.
In many states, a person convicted of a
felony is prohibited from voting.
Even California has some cleaning
up to do: being HIV positive and having
unprotected sex without telling your partner
your status is still a felony in California,
despite taking medications and having
an undetectable viral load. And there are
still gay men on the sex oender registry
convicted of felonies when homosexuality
was a crime. Two bills to correct these issues
by out state Sen. Scott Wiener and Equality
California passed the Senate and are making
LOS ANGELES BLADE PHOTO BY KAREN OCAMB
their way through the Assembly.
One of the reasons cited by Padilla as
part of his principled stance against the
commissions request is the susceptibility
of the massive data collection to hackers,
not just Russian or Chinese but scam
artists and blackmailers, the fear of which
could result in suppression of LGBT voters
from registering and turning out to vote.
In response to a recent Trump tweet
complaining about states balkingWhat are
they trying to hide?Padilla was forceful.
Im not trying to hide Im trying
to protect, Padilla, the co-chair of the
national secretaries of state elections
committee, which is meeting in
Indianapolis on Thursday, told POLITICO
on Wednesday. Im trying to protect
peoples privacy and their personal
information, and the integrity of the
election, he said, calling the request a
hackers dream come true.
One of the main points of why were
safe now is because the elections are
very decentralized. Right now, there is no
nationalized centralized voter registration
database, Padilla told Politico. The
administrations request makes clear
that what it is proposing is not a secure
site and their plan was to make all the
information publicly available.
So at a minimum, its a gift to anyone
who wants to wreak havoc on the elections,
Padilla said. If you want to do Vladimir
Putin a favor, put it all in one location.
In addition to his Just Say No posture
toward the Trump administrations
voter suppression eorts, Padilla has
been touting his plans to enhance voter
participation, especially approaching
the incredibly important 2018 mid-term
elections. But, the Los Angeles Blade asked
Padilla at a recent Stonewall Democratic
Club meeting in West Hollywood, how
could any voter trust the voting process
these days, with both left and right
claiming the system is rigged?
Im hopeful and optimistic, Padilla told
the Blade. If you recall, it was as early as
last year, August, when Donald Trump
started stoking the fears of the potential
for the election to be rigged. And we
didnt know who he was referring tohe
probably had inside information.
But we had record turnout in California,
record voter registration and record
turnout so that attempt didnt work,
Padilla said. But as time goes on, as he
continues and others continue to allege
that theres voter fraud, massive voter
fraud, millions of illegal votes, my big
concern is two fold: that it gets into people
minds that maybe it wont matter so why
should I turn out the next time. Thats
voter suppression 101. Number two
that in future elections, theyre creating
an environment for elections for both
Congress and the president where they
can roll back the clock on voters rights, as
I see itchange the law, change policies,
change how we conduct elections that has
the net eects of making it more dicult
for people who are eligible to register
and to vote. And that, frankly, is just un-
American, un-democratic.
LO C A L N E W S
Summer Olympics Returning to Los Angeles
But will it be 2024 or 2028?
By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com
In an unusual move, the International
Olympic Committee on July 11 unanimously
awarded both Los Angeles and Paris their
bids to host the Summer Games. But each
city will have to wait until September to see
which city will go rst in 2024 and which will
have to wait until 2028.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
appeared onstage at the IOC
headquarters in Switzerland moments
after the unanimous vote with Paris Mayor
Anne Hidalgo to oer members their
appreciation. They joined hands with IOC
President Thomas Bach in a moment of
triumphant celebration.
This is a proud day for Los Angeles and
for Olympic and Paralympic Movements
in America, Garcetti said in a statement.
Were thrilled with the IOCs decision
today, which is a major step forward in
making LAs Olympic dream a reality.
Today, Garcetti continued, two of the
worlds greatest cities, with outstanding but
dierent proposals, stand ready to serve
and advance the Olympic and Paralympic
movements and their values. We look
forward to working with the IOC and Paris
in the weeks ahead to turn this golden
opportunity into a golden future together.
Garcetti, who was inaugurated for his
second term on July 1, told reporters that the
LA City Council had already voted for 2024,
and that council President Herb Wesson
was excited by the announcement.
But Hidalgo, Garcettis friend and ally on
such political issues as climate change and
the refugee crisis, also wants 2024 badly.
Having lost previous bids, hosting in 2024
would mark exactly 100 years since Paris
last hosted the Summer Games in 1924.
The U.S. has also lost after lobbying heavily
for New York in 2012 and Chicago in 2016.
The Olympics in Southern California in
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
(From left) Los Angeles Mayor ERIC GARCETTI, IOC President THOMAS BACH and Paris Mayor ANNE
HIDALGO raise hands Tuesday in Lausanne, Switzerland, after the IOC voted the cities can work out
a deal to host the 2024 and 2028 Olympics.
either 2024 or 2028 would be the rst in
America since Atlanta in 1996.
The next stage is the negotiation
process, which could be treacherous, if not
for the esteem in which the two mayors
hold each other. There is a fear that if a
three-way consensus between Garcetti,
Hidalgo and Bach can be achieved, the
IOC would decide to vote on just one
city, leaving the question of whether the
losing city would even apply for 2028
and cause a cascade of falling dominos of
cities that would also turn their backs on
the Olympics. The nal selection is to be
made Sept. 13 in Lima, Peru.
We look forward to working together,
maybe not in competition but collaboration
with Paris, Garcetti said, having already
given a slight indication that going second
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
would be acceptable. Its widely believed
that as compensation for going second,
that city can ask for more concessions,
including more IOC revenues. Garcetti
has already planned for LA to use existing
venues for the Olympic Summer Games,
thereby avoiding costly, showy overruns.
Meanwhile, the Summer Games became
a point of mutual interest, as President
Trump ew to Paris to attend Bastille Day
celebrations as a guest of French President
Emmanuel Macron. The charismatic
Frenchman was a star at the recent G20
meeting, which Trump attended as an
isolationist leader. When Trump heard
that Macron held a news conference after
meeting with IOC members in a closed-
door session to push his cause, Trump
couldnt resist tweeting: Working hard
J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7 0 7
to get the Olympics for the United States
(L.A.). Stay tuned! The tweet was criticized
by some for ignoring Garcettis key role in
winning the games for LA.
The Olympics have a special resonance
for the LGBT community. In 1984, when the
Olympics were last held in Los Angeles a
young track and eld star named Carl Lewis
caught the worlds attention. He won gold in
the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump and
400-meter relay, starting a gold-winning
Olympic streak until 1996, prompting many
to call him the greatest track and eld
athlete in Olympic history. But persistent
rumors that Lewis was gayrumors he
denieddogged him throughout his
career, damaging his marketability.
Another 1984 Olympic star in LA was Greg
Louganis, who swept the diving events that
year and in 1988, earning ve individual
medals, including four gold medals. But
Louganis carried a secret with him in
1988he was gay and HIV positive, which
he told his coach. The image of him cracking
his head during a dive was replayed over
and over, a moment of exemplary bravery.
But when he came out in 1995, many were
aghast that he hadnt been stopped, as if
he might have infected others by sharing
the same pool. After his book Breaking
the Surface was turned into a made-for-
TV movie starring Mario Lopez, a petition
was started to get his picture on the cover
of a Wheaties cereal box, a tribute aorded
sports legends like Bruce Jenner. Finally,
three decades after being the Olympic
golden boy, Wheaties put Louganis on the
box, an instant collectors item.
Todays Olympic heroes can be open
without the same apparent recriminations.
Diver Tom Daley, for instance, may be as
well known among young people on social
media for his PDA-postings with husband
Dustin Lance Black as for his athletic ability.
And then theres Olympian Tom
Bosworth, 27, who set a new world record
in the one-mile race walk at the London
Anniversary Games on Sunday, July 9 and
tweeted his rapturous face in victory.
0 8 J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7
California Democrats struggling to close a gnawing divide
Internal politics at a time
when unity is required
By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com
It was a wincingly painful but
enlightening moment July 5 when MSNBCs
Katy Tur asked Virginias Democratic Gov.
Terry McAulie: Who is the leader of the
Democratic Party right now?
McAulie took a beat. There are many
leaders of the Democratic Party. I would
default and say
Tur interrupted. Give me a name,
governor. Give me a name.
Im not going to give youIll say the
governors who are leading their states,
creating jobs, building infrastructure,
building an education system that works,
McAulie said, eventually conceding I
dont think there is one person today.
Nor are there many Democratic
governors16, compared to 33 Republican
governors and one independent, as of 2016.
Republicans also control the White
House and both chambers of Congress.
So while there is a cacophony of
Democratic voices outraged over the
Trump familys anti-democratic and possibly
criminal antics and the GOPs almost blind
obedience, there is no national Democratic
leader with a plan to take back the Congress
during the 2018 mid-term elections which
would ordinarily be a referendum on
President Trumps record so far.
And while non-Democrat Bernie
Sanders name is still evoked with passion,
his progressive Democratic supporters
seem more intent on the ideological idea of
him, the revolution, than the practicality
of achieving his proposals. Rep. Keith
Ellison, Deputy Democratic Party Chair
who often served as a Sanders stand-in
during the 2016 primary against Hillary
Clinton, wasnt as warmly welcomed at
the DNCs #ResistanceSummer event at
USC on July 8 as expected. A handful of
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
California Democratic Party Chair ERIC BAUMAN and JESSE MELGAR, deputy to California Sec. of
State Alex Padilla
LOS ANGELES BLADE PHOTO BY KAREN OCAMB
protesters threatened retaliation against 22, Sanders was touring the country with
any Democrat not backing Californias MoveOn.org to save the Aordable Care Act.
stalled single-payer healthcare bill 100 As a result of pressure from the
percent, including a recall campaign against California Nurses Association, SB 562
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, who and the issue of single payer healthcare
stalled SB 562 in the Rules Committee. has dominated the political discussion in
As someone who has long been California, overwhelming immigration,
a supporter of single payer, I am police reform and even climate change,
encouraged by the conversation begun which is having its own diculties.
by Senate Bill 562, he said in a statement And despite the fact that seven
June 23. However, SB 562 was sent to possibly nine seats held by California
the Assembly woefully incomplete. Even Republicans may be vulnerable in the
senators who voted for SB 562 noted 2018 mid-term elections, the ght for
there are potentially fatal aws in the Democratic Party Chair is still not over.
bill, including the fact it does not address The partys Compliance Review
many serious issues, such as nancing, Commission is nalizing its review of a
delivery of care, cost controls, or the formal challenge led on Thursday, June 8,
realities of needed action by the Trump by Kimberly Ellis questioning the victory of
Administration and voters to make SB 562 gay Vice Chair of the California Democratic
a genuine piece of legislation. Party (CDP), who was elected Chair by
Since SB 562 was introduced in the rst a narrow margin. Ellis, who supported
year of a two-year session, Rendon urged Hillary Clinton during the 2016 Democratic
state senators to x the bill and send it back. primary, has become the lightening-rod
But thats not what activists heardthey leader of the Bernicrats against Bauman.
are furious and pledge primary challenges Her campaign continues to call for an
and disruptions over the suspension. They independent audit of the Chair election.
apparently do not care that even Bernie The CDP, however, follows its own by-laws
Sanders has suspended his advocacy, regarding all challenges.
given the U.S. Senates eorts to repeal The Compliance Review Commission
and replace Obamacare with a bill that received more than 250 submissions
makes drastic cuts to Medicaid. As of June before the cut o period on July 10. The
LO CA L N E W S
CRC announced that any additional
responses are due no later than 5 PM on
Monday, July 17, 2017 to crc@cadem.org.
Responses are limited to voters whose
ballots have been questioned by new
testimony, should be limited to the specic
circumstances of his or her vote and are
optional. As always, the CRC requests that
written submissions be succinct.
After this last stage of review, the CRC
will hold a public meeting on Saturday, July
22 at 9 a.m. at the California Democratic
Party headquarters in Sacramento. The
meeting is open, but space is limited to
the candidates and their representatives
so the CDP is guring out how to allow
remote monitoring.
Meanwhile, Bauman continues to serve
as the duly elected chair of the California
Democratic Party. Ellis may still refuse to
concede.
In an interview with the Los Angeles
Blade after a recent Stonewall Democratic
Club meeting, Bauman almost fumed
when asked why there shouldnt be an
independent audit.
Because its not what the bylaws permit,
he says. The bylaws specify what the
appeals process is and you know whata
loser doesnt get to change the rules. And
thats what they want to do. She did not
win the election and she doesnt want to
go through the process. She wants us to
suddenly do something totally dierent.
I was elected chair under the rules.
There is no certication. When the vote
was counted and it was recountedboth
times in front of witnesses from all three
candidatesrecounted on the spot as a
validationand when that was done I
won the election, he says. When you run
an organization thats run by rules, you
follow the rules. She claims she wants to
be the vibrant head of the Democratic
Partybut she doesnt want to follow the
rules of the Democratic Party.
The question is: will this clash over
Democratic rules and identity continue
until 2018?
LO C A L N E W S
#ResistMarch founder quits Christopher Street West board
A successful march behind
him, Pendleton pivots
By TROY MASTERS
tmasters@losangelesblade.com
When Brian Pendleton, a local
entrepreneur and philanthropist, posted
to his social media accounts a community
call to transform the annual LA Pride
Parade into a protest march, he was
shocked by the response.
Within a few days, his post racked up
more than 30,000 likes.
Pendletons post also tapped into
lingering concerns about the management
of Christopher Street West (the organizing
committee of LA Pride and Festival) under
the leadership of Christopher Classen and
what many saw as his eorts to transform
the previous years event (LA Pride 2016)
into a more mainstream music festival.
Those eorts outraged many within
the local community who told the West
Hollywood City Council that Christopher
Street West was abandoning LGBT history
and dishonoring the founders legacy.
In 2016, CSW allegedly lost upwards
of $300,000, according to local media
sources, and depleted Christopher Street
West of surplus funds it had banked from
previous years.
But the parade and festival plans
for 2017 were challenged by much
more than the nancial losses from the
previous year. Construction in the West
Hollywood Park, in which the festival is
traditionally held, meant that organizers
were restricted to less than one-third the
space that is traditionally available for
the event. The result was a conundrum,
forcing Christopher Street West to reduce
the size of the event and to still determine
a way to make it protable. The eort to
plan the footprint of the event was the
focus of several City Council meetings and
several proposals from Je Consolletti, the
Festival producer and director.
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
organizing a committee that grew to
65 people, mapping out a march route
(Hollywood and Highland to Santa Monica
Boulevard and Robertson) and arranging
the necessary permits and safety provisions
with both the City of Los Angeles and the
City of West Hollywood. He helped CSW
obtain a commitment from West Hollywood
to double the amount of services the city
would donate to what became an expanded,
open march. He ultimately raised more than
$200,000 in cash.
Though the #ResistMarch was deemed
BRIAN PENDLETON addresses tens of
a success, attracting upwards of 100,000
thousands at the rally in West Hollywood after marchers, recriminations have set in.
#ResistMarch on June 11.
A source, who spoke on condition of
PHOTO BY JON VISCOTT anonymity, said, CSW did nothing to
support Brian but they have tried to
Pendletons idea for #ResistMarch, claim credit. The source says no nancial
perhaps because it had gone viral, was accounting was given to Pendleton, though
attractive enough to CSW that he was he requested it in part to gauge registration
asked to join the groups board of directors. and status of the funds he solicited.
When he did it solved a host of issues, In a widely distributed and general
including another serious public relations post-event statement about the nancial
problem that threatened the organization results, CSW said the two-day festival
after several high-prole board members was a success that drew approximately
left. Those board members resigned in 60,000 attendees, 10,000 more than the
protest, largely because they did not feel year before. The statement attributes
there had been any lessons learned from the festival attendance increase to price
the previous years concerns, including a reductions for entry fees, better weather
commitment to transparency. and no attendance impacting news events
Upon joining CSWs board, Pendleton like the Pulse shooting. It does not allude
was given the go-ahead to organize to the boost in attendance on Sunday that
#ResistMarch, but was oered no budget may have resulted from the large crowds
from CSW. Additionally, no other board from #ResistMarch that dispersed at the
members were assigned or volunteered to festival entrance.
help in the task of organizing the massive But the statement does contain some
undertaking. CSW had eectively turned veiled barbs at #ResistMarch. CSW says
the parade over to Pendleton but without foregoing the Parade in favor of a protest
oering support. march negatively impacted Christopher
But Pendleton, who made his fortune Street Wests nances since it precluded
building CauseForce, a worldwide, large- revenues from corporate sponsors and
event fundraising producer for non-prot anity group fees. #ResistMarch was an
organizations, had the experience and the unsponsored peoples march. CSW also
funding network needed to pull it o. says the costs associated with a much
Within a week of LA Prides adoption larger parade route, manpower and
of #ResistMarch, Pendleton, operating infrastructure costs required to create
under CSWs 501(c)3 non-prot status, and manage two stages and marketing
began raising funds from private donors, required for an event that was falsely
J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7 0 9
reported to be cancelled put an additional
strain on the organizations nances.
The funding of #ResistMarch, however,
was completely dependent on Pendleton.
It strains credulity that CSW could
imply #ResistMarch infrastructure costs
impacted the organization in any way. It
was sink or swim for Brian and that was
clear. He facilitated organization and
implementation of the march, relieving
CSW of all direct costs a parade would
have incurred otherwise. He raised money
for it and he funded the gap...he was given
no assistance. CSW simply cannot point to
the expenses of #ResistMarch since those
were entirely covered by Pendleton, says
a former CSW board member who also
spoke on condition of anonymity.
A common refrain among #ResistMarch
committee members who were contacted
for this story was that they did not want
the memory of the march to be tarnished
by acrimonious politics.
My memory of this eort was of so
many wonderful, diverse people who
came together, busted our butts and
made it happen, said one.
One marcher, Kit Winter, a Los Angeles
attorney, said #ResistMarch lifted the
cloud of constant post-election anxiety and
being with other people who were willing
to show up and be heard reassured me.
Pendleton recently resigned from the
board of Christopher Street West and says
he has moved on.
#ResistMarch was one of the most
empowering things Ive ever done and I have
nothing but great love for the team of people
who worked so hard to make it happen
and endless admiration for the people who
showed up and marched, he said.
He is now attending the Harvard
Kennedy Schools Senior Executives in
State and Local Government program and
is considering a run for public oce.
It remains unclear if the West Hollywood
City Council will ask CSW for a breakdown
and explanation of the discrepancy in
nancial expenses.
1 0 J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7
San Diego Pride will not be Resisting
Activists urge organizers
to reconsider some
corporate sponsors
By THOM SENZEE
During his recent visit to San Diego, LGBTQ
rights leader Cleve Jones, a close condant
and protg of the late Harvey Milk, said that
queer people have a unique opportunity to
resist the regressive perils of Trumpism.
I think Harvey would want to celebrate
the amazing achievements we have
accomplished in the last four decades,
said Jones, who was in town receiving a
lifetime achievement award at the annual
Harvey Milk Breakfast here.
But I think Harvey would caution us
to be vigilant. We cannot take things for
granted, he stressed.
Yet according to some activists, major
multinational companies and Wall Street
banks, not least among them Wal-Mart,
Anheuser-Busch, and Wells Fargo Bank,
take annual Pride celebrations for granted
by trying to have it both ways, often
sponsoring our opponents to a greater
degree than they support our champions.
Its a situation that has San Diego equality
activist Will Rodriguez Kennedy worried.
Were probably going to give (San
Diego Pride) our endorsement, Rodriguez
Kennedy, president of San Diego
Democrats for Equality, told the Los
Angeles Blade. But before that happens,
we want to know that San Diego Pride
understands this years dierentthat
the progress LGBTQ people made under
Obama is now being threatened.
Rodriguez Kennedys group is one of the
largest LGBTQ Democratic clubs in the nation.
Were not asking them to cancel the Pride
parade, he said. But we are asking them to
act with more integrity and selectiveness
to avoid taking funds from, and promoting
companies...that hurt our community by
supporting politicians like Donald J. Trump.
In June of this year, as #ResistMarch was
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
Wells Fargo is one of several large corporate sponsors of San Diego Pride that activists say also fund
LGBT community opponents.
underway in cities nationwide, including
one unrelated to Pride in San Diego
that attracted 5,000 people, Rodriguez
Kennedys organization initially withheld
endorsement of a San Diego Pride as usual.
Look, [San Diego Pride] did have
a (protest) march in June, Rodriguez
Kennedy said. Thats goodthats really
good - but what a lot of us in the progressive
movement want to resist taking corporate
funding. What L.A. and other cities did in
June was to show that you can.
Rodriguez Kennedy insists hes not against
all Pride aliations with corporate America.
It just cant be the only thing youre
about, he said. But you have to be vigilant
and make sure youre not giving your
endorsement to companies that support
politicians who consistently vote against
our equality. Its hypocrisy. They support
equality on the one hand, then fund our
enemies with the other hand.
National Equality March for Unity
and Pride co-chair, San Diego City
Commissioner Nicole Murray Ramirez
says vigilance is indeed needed.
But he isnt convinced that the national
queer resistance movement is harmed by
San Diego Prides corporate aliations this
yearor that doing so is an endorsement
PHOTO BY TRISTAN LOOPER
for business-as-usual mood in 2018.
I agree that the commercialism has
become too great when were still ghting
for our equality, Ramirez told the Los
Angeles Blade. We need to be vigilant,
and all parades should be prepared to
be marches in 2018. But this year, in San
Diego, were just going to have a parade.
As national co-chair of the Equality
March in Washington, D.C., Nicole
Murray Ramirez received reports about
the degrees to which cities across the
nation converted their Pride parades
to resistance marches. Aside from Los
Angeles, there wasnt much resistance,
according to him. That assertion runs
contrary to other reports.
I understand that San Diego is the last
major parade of the year, Murray Ramirez
said. Im not too concerned that it will be
a parade and not a march. But like I said,
we have to be vigilant for next year. If
anything happens, we should be ready to
march nationwide.
Inasmuch as San Diego organizers may
be inclined to look to Los Angeles to shape
their Pride parade, theres a wealth of
experience to consider.
The leadership of Christopher Street
West were against the idea at rst, said
LO CA L N E W S
Los Angeles #ResistMarch organizer, Brian
Pendleton. They had their hearts set on a
business-as-usual parade.These guys are
music festival producers and were worried
that a march would impact them nancially.
A veteran event producer himself,
Pendleton understood the concerns of
CSWs board, which organizes L.A Pride. But
understanding isnt the same as agreeing.
...[A]fter seeing the overwhelming support
from the Southern California community,
they waived a bunch of rules, and invited
me to join the board, he said.
It could be argued that L.A.s march was
as much a response to years of growing
dissatisfaction and a widening perception that
Christopher Street West had itself become
over-commercialized, as it was a reaction to
the potential perils of far-right forces taking
over all three branches of government.
Last year, a Los Angeles Times headline
screamed that very sentiment with cutting
clarity: LA Pride has sold out and become
gay Coachella, critics say.
But San Diegos reputation as a more
modest, milder-mannered metropolis than
Los Angeles appears to be holding fast as
thousands of visitors arrive for this weekends
Pride events. Despite rumblings that self-
proclaimed #Resistance protesters might
show up to shadow the parade, San Diego
Pride appears poised to call its tiny version
of last months march in solidarity with L.A.s
#ResistMarch good enough for 2017.
I dont think theyre going to cancel the
parade and call for a march, Rodriguez
Kennedy said. And thats ne. But if
theyre going to be part of the movement,
San Diego Prides board needs to be
diligent about where their corporate funds
are coming from and not sell us out.
Brian Pendleton recognizes there may
be dierences between Los Angeles and
San Diego.
While wed love to see a sister march
in San Diego to keep #ResistMarch
momentum going, we support whatever
they do, he said. Every city has its own
politics.Every city has its own economics.
LO C A L N E W S
HRC launches major $26 million expansion
New campaign seeks to
resist the politics of hate
By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com
History will mark the summer of 2017 as
the beginning of the decline of American
prestige and power in the world, after
President Donald Trumps apparent
political canoodling with Russian President
Vladimir Putin, the former KGB agent who
interfered with U.S. elections.
The Human Rights Campaign worked
hard to elect Hillary Clinton, expecting her
to usher in the nal stage of full equality
for LGBT citizens in America. Instead,
under Trump, there has been a steady
erosion and rolling back of rights with
the potential for even marriage equality
being undermined should Supreme Court
Justice Anthony Kennedy retire while the
Senate is still in Republican hands.
And that turned 2017 into the Year of
#Resistance.
In June, HRC participated in a slew
of #Resistance marches, including the
#ResistMarch in Los Angeles, with HRC
President Chad Grin telling crowds
about HRCs war room to ght back. Donald Trump when we organize and
Now, that #Resistance energy must be
harnessed for the critical 2018 mid-term
elections and beyond.
On July 11, HRC announced an
historic investment of $26 million in
HRC Rising, a new grassroots campaign
to resist the politics of hate, ght anti-
LGBTQ legislation, and fuel pro-equality
candidates and initiatives.
Its not enough to resist the hateful
policies and attacks coming from the
Trump-Pence regime weve got to
accelerate the pace of progress toward full
equality and secure protections for LGBTQ
people in states and communities across
the country, said HRC President Chad
Grin. Thats why were going on oense
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
HRC President CHAD GRIFFIN (center) at the LA #ResistMarch with former Prop 8 plaintis PAUL
KATAMI and JEFF ZARRILLO.
with the largest grassroots expansion in
HRCs 37-year history.
Our grassroots army of over 3 million
has proven that, even in the face of
unprecedented challenges, we can make
incredible progress and defeat the hateful
politicians whove been emboldened by
mobilize. The power and determination
of the 10 million LGBTQ voters and our
allies across America will only continue to
grow stronger in the face of discriminatory
attacks on our rights and freedoms.
Though the Trump administration has
rendered the LGBT community virtually
invisible on the national stage, LGBT
voters were ve percent of the electorate
in 2012 - a signicant percentage to tip
any election. Additionally, according to exit
polls in 2016, LGBT voters were the only
demographic constituency to increase
support for Clinton over former President
Barack Obama in 2012, with a record-
breaking 78 percent of the vote.
This is a critical reminder as Democrats
LOS ANGELES BLADE PHOTO BY KAREN OCAMB
struggle over how to win elections. In a
July 6 op-ed in the New York Times, for
instance, longtime strategist Mark Penn
advised the party to forego identity politics
and run to the moderate middle.
Central to the Democrats diminishment
has been their loss of support among
working-class voters, who feel abandoned
by the partys shift away from moderate
positions on trade and immigration,
from backing police and tough anti-
crime measures, from trying to restore
manufacturing jobs, Penn and Andrew
Stein wrote. They saw the party being
mired too often in political correctness,
transgender bathroom issues and policies
oering more help to undocumented
immigrants than to the heartland.
But LGBT people live in the heartland,
toooften at the mercy of legal
discrimination based on religious liberty
bias and at risk for poverty and low wages
as a result of having no job protectionsa
point consistently left out of political
discussions about the economy and jobs.
J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7 1 1
According to a 2015 report by the Center
for American Progress, LGBT women are
among the most at risk of poverty in America.
Due to discriminatory laws, Americas
5.1 million LGBT women face lower pay,
frequent harassment, compromised access
to health care, and heightened violence.
Anti-LGBT laws, together with inequitable
and outdated policies, mean that LGBT
womens economic security is compromised
by reduced incomes and added costs
ranging from health care to housing.
LGBT women of color, older LGBT
women, and LGBT women raising children
are particularly vulnerable. Additionally,
transgender women are nearly four times
more likely to have annual incomes of $10,000
or less compared to the general population.
Though HRC Rising is a nationwide
initiative, special attention will be paid to the
battleground states of Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Nevada
where HRC has a signicant presence.
HRC is recruiting at least 20 additional
full-time sta to work with more than
two-dozen initiative-focused existing sta
and HRCs 32 volunteer-led, local steering
committees to expand partnerships with
state and local organizations and coalition
partnerssuch as the NAACP and Planned
Parenthood to protect and advance
equality and build infrastructure for future
legislative and electoral battles.
HRC Rising is modeled, in part, on HRCs
Project One America program, which in
2014 turned LGBT attention to the long-
neglected South, launching permanent
campaigns in Mississippi, Alabama and
Arkansas, resulting in several cities and
towns passing comprehensive, trans-
inclusive non-discrimination protections.
The eort, inspired by Grins personal
experience as a lonely gay boy growing
up in Hope, Ark., has helped HRC turn the
corner from the perceived national bully
to a collaborative partner.
CONTINUES AT LOSANGELESBLADE.COM
1 2 J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
State Dept.: Chechnya killings troubling
A State Department spokesperson on Tuesday expressed concern
over reports that authorities in Chechnya killed more than two-dozen
people who were arrested without charge earlier this year.
Novaya Gazeta, an independent Russian newspaper, on Sunday
published the names of 27 men who it said authorities shot to death
in the Chechen capital of Grozny on Jan. 26.
The Washington Blade has not been able to conrm reports that
some of the men who were reportedly killed were gay. The Russian
LGBT Network, a Moscow-based advocacy group, on Tuesday said
as far as we [are] concerned, the list of names that appeared in that
publication (Novaya Gazeta) does not include homosexual people.
We are aware of troubling reports that security forces in the
Republic of Chechnya summarily executed more than two dozen
people in January, the State Department spokesperson told the
Blade in a statement. We urge the Russian government to conduct
an independent and credible investigation into the allegations.
The Moscow Times on Monday reported Dmitry Peskov, a Secretary of State REX TILLERSON
spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters said he has not discussed the anti-
gay crackdown in Chechnya with
the Kremlin has taken note of [the reports.] anyone from the Kremlin.
We have similarly taken note of the denials of this information
BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
by Chechen law enforcement bodies, said Peskov, according to the
Moscow Times.
Chechnya is a predominantly Muslim, semi-autonomous Russian republic in the North Caucuses.
Novaya Gazeta in April reported Chechen authorities have arrested more than 100 men because of
their sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation since the beginning of the year. A number
of these men have reportedly died after their arrest, while others have been beaten and tortured and
sent to secret prisons.
Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, who is a close Putin ally, and the Kremlin have sought to downplay
or even dismiss these reports.
The Russian LGBT Network which is providing assistance to gay Chechens who have ed their
homeland has expressed skepticism over the Russian governments claims it has begun to investigate
the crackdown.
The Russian LGBT Network on Tuesday said persecutions of LGBT people (have) started again.
BuzzFeed last week reported Chechen authorities have once again begun to detain gay men.
We know that both the victims and their relatives have experienced threats, said the Russian LGBT
Network in its press release. The authorities are threatening to press criminal charges against them
based on false accusations.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor
Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are among those who have condemned the
ongoing crackdown against gay men in Chechnya. President Trump who met with Putin last Friday
during the G20 summit in the German city of Hamburg has yet to publicly comment on it.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last month told Rhode Island Congressman David Cicilline during a
House Foreign Aairs Committee hearing that he has not discussed the crackdown with Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov or anyone else from the Kremlin. The State Department spokesperson on
Tuesday did not immediately respond to the Blades question about whether Tillerson raised Chechnya
with Russian ocials during the G20 summit.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
NATIONAL NEWS
Anti-trans measure fails in Washington
A citizen-initiated measure in Washington State seeking to bar
transgender people from using public school restrooms consistent
with their gender identity has failed to qualify for the 2017 ballot.
Washington Wont Discriminate, the coalition group opposing
the measure, announced in a statement Friday the campaign
behind the anti-trans initiative cancelled its appointment Friday
to submit 259,622 valid signatures to the Washington Secretary
of State. That was the deadline for submitting names to place a
measure before Washington State voters in 2017.
Had the measure, Initiative Measure No. 1552, been placed
on the ballot and approved by voters, it would have barred
transgender people from using public restrooms and locker
rooms in schools consistent with their gender identity.
Such a measure would eectively institute a carve-out
in Washington States non-discrimination law and defy
interpretations of federal law against sex discrimination to
apply to transgender people.
Seth Kirby, a transgender man and chair of Washington Wont
Discriminate, the No on I-1552 campaign, said the measure
would have enabled discrimination in the name of public safety.
We all care about safety and privacy, but people understand
that repealing protections from discrimination for transgender
people wont make anyone safer, Kirby said. Its already a felony
to assault or harass someone in public facilities, and no one should
have to prove their gender to self-appointed bathroom cops.
Erich Ebel, a spokesperson for the Washington Secretary of
State, conrmed no signatures for I-1552 were submitted by the
July 7 deadline and therefore the measure wont appear on the
2017 ballot.
According to Washington Wont Discriminate, the campaign
ran a Decline to Sign Campaign, raised nearly $300,000
and recruited more than 100,000 activists and volunteers in
anticipation of I-1552 coming before voters.
Its the second year in a row the measure has failed to qualify.
The anti-trans campaign behind the initiative also failed to
gather enough signatures to put it before a vote in 2016.
Marty Rouse, national eld director for the Human
Rights Campaign, said the failure of the anti-trans measure
demonstrates support for LGBT rights across the country.
Anti-equality activists spent hundreds of thousands of
dollars attempting to pass a shameful ballot measure aimed
at discriminating against LGBTQ people, but thanks to the fair-
minded people of Washington State, they have failed, Rouse
said. For months, our opponents attempted to garner enough
signatures to put the fundamental civil rights of transgender
people on the ballot. Their failure is a victory for equality
and validation of Washingtons non-discrimination laws that
ensure fair and equal treatment for LGBTQ people in housing,
employment, and public accommodations.
CHRIS JOHNSON
NATIONAL NEWS W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
Hartzler seeks to bar
trans health care in military
On the heels of her tirade in committee over allowing transgender people
to serve in the U.S. military, Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) has proposed an
amendment that would bar the Defense Department from providing transition-
related care for troops.
The amendment was among the many submitted to the House Rules
Committee by the Friday deadline in anticipation of a oor vote on major defense
policy legislation for scal year 2018. The committee is set to meet this week to
review and accept amendments ahead of the vote on the $697 billion bill.
Hartzlers amendment would add a section to U.S. code for the militarys health
care system barring funds for treatment other than mental health treatment
related to gender transition. That would mean transition care like hormone
therapy and gender reassignment would be o limits to transgender troops.
A similar amendment proposed by anti-LGBT Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is on the
list of proposed amendments for the defense authorization bill, but the House Rules
Committee website designates the proposal as withdrawn. Presumably, the lawmakers
believed it was too similar to the Hartzler amendment to warrant consideration.
It remains to be seen whether the House Rules Committee, which is heavily
stacked 11-4 in favor of Republicans, will approve Hartzlers amendment for
consideration. If the amendment is accepted, it would be the rst time the U.S.
House oor has considered an amendment against transgender rights.
Hartzler proposed the amendment after railing last week during the House
Armed Services Committee markup of the defense authorization bill against
transgender militaryservice, calling it ill-conceived.
The Missouri Republican proposed then withdrew without a vote an
amendment barring transgender people from serving in the armed forces, but
threatened to reintroduce it if the Pentagon didnt reverse the Obama-era policy
change in favor of openly transgender service.
Shortly afterward, the Pentagon announced it would delay a plan to allow
openly transgender people to enlist in the armed forces by July 1 for another six
months, although the policy barring the military from kicking them out remains
in place. Hartzler introduced her amendment despite the rollback, although it
seems less ambitious than her threat during committee.
During the committee markup, Hartzler cited a dubious gure that paying
for gender reassignment surgery for U.S. troops would cost $1.35 billion over
the next 10 years with only 30 percent of individuals electing to transition. That
gure is signicantly higher than the RAND Corp.s estimate that those surgeries
consumebetween$2.4 million and$8.4 million annually out of the Pentagons
multi-billion dollar budget.
Its unclear where Hartzler came up with her gure. Hartlzer told USA Today
she believes the RAND Corp. study was awed and reportedly said her sta
came up with itsown gureusing research from other sources.
CHRIS JOHNSON
J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7 1 3
Metro has removed ads for a new book by MILO YIANNOPOULOS.
BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
D.C. Metro removes ads for Milo Yiannopoulos book
Metro has removed an undisclosed number of billboard-size ads for a new book written
by gay alt-right rebrand and writer Milo Yiannopoulos that began to appear last week in
subway stations throughout the Metro system.
The ad violates Metros advertising guidelines, Metro spokesperson Richard Jordan
told the Washington Blade in a brief statement. We have removed the ads.
Jordan referred to a policy adopted by Metro in 2015 that calls for prohibiting
advertisements intended to inuence members of the public regarding an issue on which
there are varying opinions as well as ads that are intended to inuence public policy.
The Yiannopoulos ads included a large photo of Yiannopoulos and the name of his
book, Dangerous, along with the words, The Most Hated Man On The Internet.
Jordan didnt provide a specic explanation of how Yiannopoulos or his book violates
the Metro ad policy, but a number of Metro riders reportedly complained to Metro that
Yiannopoulos controversial views, which are elaborated in his book, were oensive to them.
Yiannopouloss self-described politically incorrect views on race relations, feminism,
immigration, Islam, and transgender rights, among other things, have enraged many
political activists.
In February, the alt-right publication Breitbart dismissed him from his role as an editor
after a video surfaced in which he appeared to be condoning sex between adults and
minors. His remarks on the widely circulated video also prompted Simon & Schuster
publishing house to rescind his book contract for Dangerous. Yiannopoulos has since
self-published the book through Amazon.
He issued an apology over his remarks in the video on sex with minors, saying he used
a poor choice of words and never intended to imply he favors repealing age of consent
laws banning sex between adults and minors.
In an email to Washingtonian magazine, Yiannopoulos denounced Metros decision to
pull his book ads, saying the ads did not discuss anything overtly political.
We believe that the removal of our billboards constitutes unconstitutional viewpoint
discrimination by a government regulator in violation of the First Amendment and are
preparing our response now, he said.
LOU CHIBBARO JR.
1 4 J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
Church of England bans conversion therapy
The Church of Englands General Synod last week approved
a motion that urges the British government to ban so-called
conversion therapy.
The motion which members of the churchs national assembly
approved during their meeting in the English city of York
describes conversion therapy as unethical, potentially harmful and
not supported by evidence. It also says the controversial practice
has no place in the modern world. PETER TATCHELL protests against
Conversion therapy is harmful, dangerous and just doesnt the Church of England in 2016.
He welcomed the denominations
work, said Jayne Ozanne, a lay representative from the Diocese of announcement that it supports
a ban on so-called conversion
Oxford who introduced the motion. People may be able to alter therapy.
their behavior but they can never alter their innate desire.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TATCHELL
Liverpool Bishop Paul Bayes said during a debate on the motion
that LGBTI+ orientation and identity is not a crime.
LGBTI+ orientation and identity is not a sickness, he said, according to a press release the Church of
England released on the vote. LGBTI+ orientation and identity is not a sin.
We must distinguish between an ascetic and a therapeutic approach, added Bayes. In the church we
are certainly called to help one another to conform their lives to Jesus Christ and to live lives of holiness,
but we do not need to engage people in healing therapy if they are not sick.
British LGBT and intersex rights advocates with whom the Washington Blade spoke on Monday
welcomed the motion.
We strongly support the ban on (conversion therapy) and urge the British government act immediately
as in our view this practice constitutes child abuse, said Lukasz Konieczka, director of services of the
London-based Mosaic LGBT Youth Center. We also hope that Church of England will lead the World
Congregation and member states of the Commonwealth toward a more accepting and loving future,
safer for LGBT+ communities.
Peter Tatchell, a prominent British LGBT and human rights advocate, noted to the Blade that some
members of the Church of England used to be staunch of advocates of conversion therapy. He also said
the church might be pushing this issue to project a pro-LGBT image in order to counter the masses
of negative criticism it has received because of its opposition to marriage rights for same-sex couples.
Tatchell nevertheless welcomed the conversion therapy motion.
It is a surprising and encouraging development that the Church of England has called for an end to
conversion therapy, he told the Blade.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists is among the groups that signed the motion. The Oce of the
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and the U.N. Committee Against Torture are among the
international bodies that also oppose the controversial practice.
D.C. is among the U.S. jurisdictions that have banned conversion therapy to minors. The U.S. Supreme
Court in May refused to hear a lawsuit against a California law that bans conversion therapy to minors.
More than 35,000 people signed a petition earlier this year that urged the British government to ban
conversion therapy.
Prime Minister Theresa Mays government said in response to the petition that it does not believe that
being lesbian, gay or bisexual is an illness to be treated. Media reports indicate the British Parliament
will not consider the proposed conversion therapy ban because the petition did not receive the 100,000
signatures that are necessary to prompt a debate.
So far, the Conservative government has given no indication that it intends to ban conversion therapy,
Tatchell noted to the Blade.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
I N T E RN A T I O N A L N E W S
Trump meets with Putin at G20 summit
It remains unclear whether President Trump last week raised
the ongoing crackdown against gay men in Chechnya with Russian
President Vladimir Putin during their meeting at the G20 Summit.
The Associated Press reported Secretary of State Rex Tillerson,
who attended the meeting in the German city of Hamburg that
lasted more than two hours, told reporters Trump raised the
Kremlins eorts to interfere with the 2016 presidential election.
Tillerson said Putin denied his government sought to inuence
the outcome of the election. The U.S. and Russia after the
meeting announced a ceasere in southwestern Syria would
take eect on Sunday at noon local time (5 a.m. EST on Sunday).
Tillerson did not mention Chechnya when he spoke with
reporters after the meeting.
The two leaders exchanged views on the current nature of
the U.S.-Russia relationship and the future of the U.S.-Russia
relationship, he said.
Michael Anton, a spokesperson for the National Security
Council, told the Washington Blade on Monday he was not told
that Chechnya came up.
Chechnya is a semi-autonomous Russian republic in the North
Caucuses.
Novaya Gazeta, an independent Russian newspaper, in April
reported Chechen authorities have arrested more than 100
men because of their sexual orientation or perceived sexual
orientation since the beginning of the year. At least three of
these men have reportedly died after their arrest, while others
have been beaten and tortured and sent to secret prisons.
Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, who is a close Putin
ally, and the Kremlin have downplayed or even dismissed these
reports. The Russian LGBT Network a Moscow-based advocacy
group that is providing assistance to gay Chechens who have
ed has expressed skepticism over the Russian governments
claims that it has begun to investigate the crackdown.
Trump has yet to publicly comment on the crackdown, which
has sparked outrage around the world.
Tillerson told U.S. Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) last month
during a House Foreign Aairs Committee hearing that he has
not discussed it with Russian ocials. Human Rights Campaign
President Chad Grin on Wednesday urged Trump to raise
Chechnya with Putin during their meeting.
I urge you to stand with the victims by calling on President
Putin to take immediate action to bring the violence to an end
and the perpetrators of these horrendous crimes to justice,
wrote Grin in his open letter.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS & CHRIS JOHNSON
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1 6 J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7
In this time of division,
look to our young people
New generation of LGBTQ
pioneers will lead the way
By JORGE VALENCIA
Across the nation, there have been
controversies surrounding Pride
celebrations and other LGBTQ+ events.
A vital, albeit sometimes acrimonious,
conversation is taking place about
whether the LGBTQ+ movement is
fully representative of the communitys
diversity, whether about gender, race,
class or other intersectional identities.
To those who wonder whether our
community can transcend these divisions
and truly embrace our great diversity, I
say: look to our young people.
Meet Kevin Contreras. Raised in Los
Angeles in a traditional Mexican family, Kevin
became well-acquainted with discrimination
at a young age. Throughout his adolescence,
he was often bullied for being the only
openly queer student among his peers.
Despite this unsupportive community,
Kevin has worked to combat the eects of
discrimination, serving as president of both
his school and its Gay Student Alliance.
Kevin suers from an eye disorder that
will eventually cause blindness. This has
motivated him to go to college to become
a researcher, and eventually a doctor so he
can help thousands of people in need. Kevin
is currently pursuing a pre-med degree at
Pitzer College, and he is committed to a
career working on behalf of LGBTQ+ causes.
Meet Oliver Stabbe, who is deaf and
transgender. When he realized he was
transgender at age 15, Oliver struggled
not only with overcoming stigma about
his gender identity but also to receive
equitable resources from the hearing-
dominant world. Since then, Oliver has
committed himself to helping other
LGBTQ+ people access the resources they
need, regardless of their physical abilities
or mental health, including promoting
WWW .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
accessible options for an LGBTQ+ suicide
hotline where he answers calls. Oliver
is currently studying American Sign
Language and psychology at the University
of Rochester.
Kevin and Oliver are just two of the 2017
class of scholars selected by the Point
Foundation, where I have the privilege to
serve as executive director and CEO. Since
we rst started awarding scholarships
in 2002, Point has assisted 400 LGBTQ+
students, helping them on their way
to becoming the future leaders of the
LGBTQ+ community and society.
Like Kevin and Oliver, each of our
scholars has encountered unique
struggles with adversity and persevered to
achieve their own triumphs. They all have
personal experience with how an LGBTQ+
identity intersects with and impacts their
other identities. Together, Point Scholars
embody the incredible diversity of the
LGBTQ+ community.
Look to Donna Scadi, who overcame
homelessness and poverty to pursue a
law degree and advocate for the black,
Latinx, and LGBTQ+ communities; or
Adil Mansoor, who was born in Pakistan
and today is a successful theater artist
in Pittsburgh, often producing plays that
feature LGBTQ+ issues. Soon, Donna and
Adil will join more than 300 Point alumni
who have gone on to become doctors,
scientists, elected ocials, award-winning
directors, entrepreneurs, and rising stars
in their chosen professions.
With so many of our scholars coming
from historically underprivileged and
under-resourced backgrounds, it is
imperative that we provide them with
more than nancial support. Point pairs
each scholar with a mentor who provides
them with career and professional
development advice. Our scholars attend
leadership training programs and are
required to develop and complete an
annual community service project. Thanks
to generous funders, we are able to
VIEWPOINT
provide stipends to scholars who pursue
internships with organizations serving the
LGBTQ+ and marginalized communities.
At Point Foundation, we are dedicated
to those in our community that historically
have not had access to higher education,
whether due to race, immigration status,
health issues, or any number of other
intersectional reasons. For these students,
community colleges are a bridge from
their entry into higher education to a four-
year degree. This year, Point welcomes
25 LGBTQ+ students to our Community
College Scholarship Program, funded by
Wells Fargo. Many of these students are
the rst in their families to go to college.
Nearly half identify as transgender,
gender-nonconforming or intersex, and
most identify themselves as an ethnic or
racial group that has traditionally been
underrepresented in higher education.
Because the problem of inequality that
aicts American society also exists within
our community, Point is helping to level
the playing eld for LGBTQ+ students. We
are proud to play a vital role in making
higher education more accessible, and in
helping our scholarship recipients develop
the skills and the social capital needed to
achieve their personal, professional, and
community leadership goals.
As is abundantly clear to anyone who
has attended a recent Pride event, the
LGBTQ+ community is far from a monolith.
Our dierences and divisions may be
great, but everyone at Point embraces that
rich diversity as one of our communitys
greatest strengths. Point Foundation is
committed to nding the next generation
of societys leaders and making sure that
those future leaders truly represent the
entire LGBTQ+ community. Look with us
at our young people, and share our pride.
JORGE VALENCIA is executive director of the
Point Foundation.
VOLUME 01 ISSUE 09
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V I E W PO I NT
What I lost when my best friend Garbanzo went missing
Dogs teach us the
lessons we need most
By BRENDA ARCHIGA
I had already gone dark on the news.
Protections for transgender students to
use bathrooms that corresponded with
their gender identity had been rescinded.
Our country had been withdrawn from
the Paris Climate Accord. A healthcare
bill that would simultaneously defund
Planned Parenthood and deny millions of
Americans access to quality medical care
was being secretly crafted in the senate.
The Minnesota police ocer who fatally
shot African-American, Philando Castile
in a routine trac stop was acquitted.
A 19-year old high school student and
Ecuadorian immigrant was taken into
custody by ICE hours before his prom. In
every headline and news teaser there was
an unmistakable absence of compassion
and humanity.
Even Anderson Cooper, who I could
always rely on for perspective and wit was
losing his cool with political commentators
he invited on his show. I knew then it was
time to get myself o the news grid.
Unfortunately, adjusting the settings on
all of my devices couldnt protect me from
receiving the worst news imaginable.
Garbanzo, my 12 year old English
Bulldog Godson had gone missing from his
home in the hills that overlook the Sunset
Strip. I immediately jumped in my car and
rushed to his home to assist his DogDad
and DogMom in their neighborhood
search for him.
At every turn of my routine commute
to Garbanzos home from my apartment
west of the 405 freeway, I expected a
text beep alerting me that he found been
safe. By the time I reached the iconic 9200
Sunset Building, the last milestone before
turning up the hill to his home, I was
nauseated and I could feel the blood of
panic coursing through my veins.
Garbanzo came into my life ve years
ago when I was hired by his family to care
for him and his Bulldog siblings. It didnt
take long for me to fall madly in love with
his soulful eyes and his gentle nature. A
spry seven years old when we met, I quickly
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
GARBANZO, mascot of West Hollywoods The London Hotel, who welcomed guests for years until
his retirement recently, is missing.
discovered that Garbanzo preferred the
cafes, shops and restaurants of our citys
trendiest streets to the trails, oceans and
parks that make Los Angeles unique.
My face always hurt from smiling as
he sat up tall and alert, craning his neck
to take in the view outside the back
passenger window of my Prius.
It all made perfect sense since as a young
man, Garbanzo had been the mascot of
The London Hotel where he earned $25 an
hour as an appearance fee at the hotels
evening events. This role had made him a
local Los Angeles celebrity and he reveled
in the attention of an excited stranger who
knew his name.
At 12 , Garbanzo had grown sedentary.
Even with the help of the pet cannabis he
had been taking for about a month, he
could still only comfortably walk a quarter
of a block. It seemed impossible that
he could have gone far and yet he was
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LONDON HOTEL
nowhere to be found.
I suppressed my hysteria as I wandered
his hilltop street calling his name into
the night. The view of the sparkling city
which from his house which had once
seemed so magical, suddenly seemed like
a nightmare -- a mysterious constellation
to which Garbanzo had been inexplicably
transported.
This wasnt just any dog. This was my
best friend whose eyes brightened when
he saw me, smiled at me when we snuggled
up in bed and lulled me into sleep with his
snoring when the grief from my own dog
dying left me sleepless for days.
The next morning, Garbanzos family
and I channeled our fear into a tactical
search and rescue operation. We made
yers, neon posters and created ads
online. Given the state of our country
and the world, it was dicult to believe
that anybody in a big city, especially one
J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7 1 7
as competitive as Los Angeles, would care
about our missing dog.
It turns out my fellow Angelenos did.
It started with the Kinkos Fed-Ex
employee who let me slip into the store to
print hundreds of yers as he was literally
closing the door of for the night. Early
the following day, when I was a sweaty,
emotional and rambling mess posting
yers and stopping people on the street,
they stopped to listen. Whether they were
walking their dogs, on their way to get a
coee or hurriedly on their way to work,
they gave me a minute.
In some cases, people averted their eyes
when they saw me peddling my yers, but
it only took a quick glance of Garbanzos
face on the yer to bring out their higher
self and they stopped to hear me out.
Some took pictures of my yer and posted
it to their social media accounts. Others
shared inspirational stories of recovering
their own lost dogs.
One surreal night canvassing a
neighborhood with a well intentioned
but overwhelming volunteer, a Millenial
on her way out for the night gave me a
much needed comforting hug. Another
lonely day when the sun was blasting and
I thought I might lose my mind, a Gen-Xer
like myself, who had taken my cell phone
number the day before, sent me a simple
text reminding me, People are good.
Despite my fatigue and despair, the
world around me transformed. It is
suddenly full of kindness, compassion
and understanding. There is no division
or cynicism. Online and in real life, I am
surrounded by the positive thoughts,
prayers and love of people from all over
the city, the country and the world.
Garbanzo is still missing and every day
is a vigil. Many people have asked me
how his family and I are managing to get
through each day. This question makes
me smile because like the angelic dogs we
love so much, we have learned to live life
in the present. When the agony becomes
too much we make the decision to choose
hope, accept kindness and nd joy in the
simplest of things.
BRENDA ARCHIGA is a native of Los Angeles,
currently nishing her memoir, My Dog Years,
about adventures and misadventures with the
dogs of Los Angeles.
2 0 J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM LO CA L N E W S

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MUSIC OF BOOK BY DIRECTED BY

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JULY 19 - AUGUST 6
a powerful emotional experience !
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CONNECT WITH US:

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J U L Y 1 4 2 0 1 7 V O L U M E 0 1 I S S U E 0 9 A me r i c a s L G B T N e w s S ou r c e L O S A N G E L E S B L A D E . C O M 2 1

Nakhane Tour gives a magnificent performance in John Trengoves feature debut, The Wound.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN TRENGOVE

Must-see movies from Outfest

Overwhelmed by all the choices? Fear not, we have 10 picks not to miss

By JOHN PAUL KING

As Los Angeles Outfest 2017 comes to a
close, we cant help but be grateful for the
opportunity to see so many amazing movies
by, for, and about the LGBTQ community.
Its impossible to say which were the
best of the featured films, of course, so
weve put together a list of 10 standouts
that represent the spirit of queer cinema
at its finest. We can only list 10. Many,
many other films deserve to be on this list.
If you missed the festival screenings
of these titles or any of the rest of the
fabulous movies of Outfest dont despair.
Watch for them to receive wider release
later on, both in theaters and through
your favorite streaming service.
Here are our 10 must-see picks, in
alphabetical order:
After Louie (dir: Vincent Gagliostro)
Alan Cumming headlines this drama about
a fling between a former AIDS activist and
a millennial. Addressing the frustration of
LGBTQ elders who still carry the weight
of their struggles, it also gives voice to the
younger generation as it seeks to reconcile
the past and future of the gay community.
Beach Rats (dir: Eliza Hittman) A
closeted Brooklyn teen chats online with
older men even as he tries to hide his sexuality
from his parents, his new girlfriend, and his
pack of hoodlum friends. Featuring a star-
making performance by Harrison Davidson,
this Sundance hit has earned comparisons to
Moonlight for its exploration of repression
on the social fringes.
Chavela (dir: Catherine Gund,
Daresha Kyi) A documentary profile of
Mexican singer Chavela Vargas, whose
powerful music and unapologetic persona
made her an unexpected lesbian icon
within a culture of deeply traditional
attitudes toward gender norms. A filmic
love letter to a queer giant, it features rare
interviews and unforgettably breathtaking
performance footage.
The Death and Life of Marsha
P. Johnson (dir: David France) This
documentary about the transgender
woman of color who became a heroine
at Stonewall takes a journalistic approach
as it attempts to unravel the mysteries
surrounding her 1992 death. Also
highlighting the dangers that trans women
still face today, its essential viewing for
anyone who cares about LGBTQ history.
Girl Unbound: The War to Be Her (dir:
Erin Heidenreich) Another documentary,
this one looks at Maria Toorpakai Wazir,
an androgynous Muslim Pakistani squash
champion who faces immense (and often
life-threatening) pressure from the hard-line
fundamentalist culture that surrounds her.
Alternately harrowing and inspiring, its a
timely record of determination and bravery
in the face of social and religious oppression.
Gods Own Country (dir: Francis
ContinueS ON page 30
2 2 J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7
By TROY MASTERS
tmasters@losangelesblade.com
Outfest executive director Christopher
Racster has certainly been a busy man
in the past few years, steering the Los
Angeles lm festival to a coveted festival
position on par with the LA Film Festival or
the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
Thats a serious achievement for a niche
lm festival that can be attributed to
Racsters rmly held belief that LGBTQ+ is
a community of communities, as he likes
to say. As a result, the festival displays an
extraordinary diversity.
His devotion to Outfest is, in a sense,
part of his pay it forward approach to
life. He was given a chance and is working
hard to share the experience.
Racster, whose lms Aprils Shower,
Say Uncle, Save Me, and Spork and things continue to grow and change.
screened in years past at Outfest Los
Angeles has seen rsthand the multiple
levels of inuence this organization can
have and that motivates me tremendously,
Racster told the Los Angeles Blade.
As a rst-time lmmaker at 30 years
old, I found a script and a director I was
excited to work with and we made our
rst lm, April Showers. Outfest really I dont dream about a wedding but I love
championed it. My predecessor, Kirsten
Schaer and David Courier, who was a
festival programmer, pulled it out of the
pile and put it in the Ford Amphitheater,
screened it before 1,200 people and we
wound up with a worldwide distribution
deal. This festival is fundamental to my
career as a lmmaker and I probably
would never have had the opportunity
to make a second lm if Outfest had not
been such an incredible champion of my
rst, he said.
Racster and Outfest have become
a critical force in a city that is almost
universally dedicated to showbiz,
lmmaking in particular.
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
queery
CHRISTOPHER RACSTER
How long have you been out and who
was the hardest person to tell?
I have been out since I was 21. And I think
the hardest person to tell was my mom,
even though she was brilliantly accepting.
Whos your LGBT hero? What was your last Facebook post or
Thats a really tough question, because
it changes. I mean it really changes. It
changes as we confront new challenges
Whats Los Angeles best nightspot,
past or present?
Being curled up in my own bed. And I
dont mean that sexually. Nothing makes
me happier than getting to bed early.
Describe your dream wedding.
do?
being able to be legally married. I just
dont feel I need the trappings of a big,
formal ceremony. That does not validate
my relationship.
What non-LGBT issue are you most
passionate about?
Mental health.
What historical outcome would you
change?
The election of Donald Trump.
Whats been the most memorable pop
culture moment of your lifetime?
Probably some geeky sci- thing, like the
2 0 G A Y Q U E ST I O N S F O R: C HR I S TO P HE R R A C S TE R
rst Star Wars movie. Mines denitely a
movie.
On what do you insist?
Honesty.
Tweet?
A post about Outfests continued
dedication to and support of women
lmmakers and female-identied Maurice. Hands down and no question.
lmmakers and their stories.
If your life were a book, what would
the title be?
He Went To Bed Early
If science discovered a way to change
sexual orientation, what would you
covet?
I would campaign against it.
What do you believe in beyond the
physical world?
I believe there are things beyond the
physical world that we have not yet
evolved an understanding of and I am OK
with that.
Whats your advice for LGBT movement
leaders?
Seek unity. LGBT is a community of
communities and I believe our leaders
have to put unity at the forefront and be
allies to one another.
PHOTO COURTESY OF OUTFEST LOS ANGELES
What would you walk across hot coals
for?
That perfect cup of coee!
What LGBT stereotype annoys you
most?
The trans sex worker. And that the sissy
exists. No shaming.
Whats your favorite LGBT movie?
And the re-mastering is brilliant.
Whats the most overrated social
custom?
Social media has become socially
required. Posting is overrated.
What trophy or prize do you most
Interesting. I dont covet any of them.
I dont look back because the creative
process is the prize and thats what
makes me happiest.
What do you wish youd known at 18?
That my coming out process would be
easy. It was. I was blessed. It wasnt easy
for me but, unlike lots of people, I didnt
pay the price I had expected.
Why Los Angeles?
I wanted to get out of Ohio, a great place
to come from if you are in the blue areas
and even though Columbus is a great
place to be gay. But I love LA.
 A UGU ST 2 6 & 2 7
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M I ST RE S S E S OF CE RE M ON I E S
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2 4 J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM O U T & A BO U T

Finding humor in troubled Trump times

RENOWNED COMEDIAN DANA GOLDBERG IS LOOKING FORWARD TO 2018 ELECTIONS

By REBEKAH SAGER

L.A.-based comedian Dana Goldberg

is savvy at getting audiences to donate
to political causes she believes in. Luring
them in with laughter, and lightening their
wallets in the process; she does them both
for a good cause.
From around the time she started her
career in early 2000, performing at an event
for the AIDS Foundation in Albuquerque,
N.M., to her work with the Human Rights
Campaign, to hosting this years Resist
March in Los Angeles, with guest speakers
such as Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters and
America Ferrera, Goldberg has been a
dedicated political activist who also makes
people laugh.
I feel like I have a voice and gift of
comedy and there are huge organizations
that support me, so advocacy work is a
way of giving back to them for supporting
me. Its a reciprocal relationship where Comedian DANA GOLDBERG has helped to raise money for such organizations as the Trevor Project and HRC.
we both benet, Goldberg told the Los PHOTO BY JEN ROSENSTEIN

Angeles Blade.
I get to make them laugh, and in turn,
they often give money to organizations
that move equality forward, support
womens rights and HIV education, and
then I feel that Im not just getting on
stage and making people laugh, but doing
something good in the world. It feeds me
through the process, she said.
Before Goldberg was a professional
comedian, she says she got a degree in
physical education.
Im a lesbian. Its the law. I was also a
bartender at Applebees for 11 years. It
gave me a lot of chops. Its funny now,
but when it was happening, I thought Oh,
God, Im a lifer, she says giggling.
Born and raised in a Jewish family in
Albuquerque, Goldberg is one of three
children, two of whom are gay.
During the Human Rights
Campaigns National Dinner in 2009, in
Washington D.C., Goldberg was invited to
speak after President Obama and before
Lady Gaga.
My mother was like, So, Obama
opened for you. Um, I wouldnt go that
far. But if you want to say that I opened
for Lady Gaga, thats ne, Goldberg told
the Advocate.
As most comedians living under todays
White House, theres a feeling of a before
Trump and after Trump. Goldberg says
if you if you can get through fear and
anger theres a plethora of humor.
She explains that every comedian has
their go-to a, b, and c-material.
You come out with your B-material so
you can grab them. Then you give them
the C-stu, which is kind of meh. Then by and help the rest of the community and
the end, you kill them with the A-material.
I feel like with the evolution of politics,
weve had the [Bob] Dole who didnt know
how to spell, the George Bushs who
would maybe misuse grammar, and then
suddenly, our B-material, we got Sarah
Palin and Rick Santorum. Now, all of a
sudden, weve got this administration. 24, LPAC: The Lesbian Political Action
Theres a moment you have to gure committee, Human Rights Campaign
out whether youre leading with your (HRC), and this month shell be emceeing
humanity, for me it would be my Jewish, the 30th Anniversary Gala for LEAGUE at
lesbian, white female, or am I leading with AT&T in Los Angeles.
comedy? Sometimes I have to get past Laser focused, Goldberg says shes
the craziness and the absolute fear, and looking toward the 2018 elections, and
acknowledge whats happening to these hoping one of the houses will ip. She
marginalized communities, and deal with touts the work of what she calls HRCs
that as a human, and then try to nd humor 2018 initiatives of going door-to-door
in it and keep sane. If you stay in this place and working boots on the ground.
of fear, the woe is me and dark cloud of It shows that when people come together,
this administration, no one is going to get they focus on a cohesive goal of knowing
through this. As comedians we have to what to do. Even in our own community
deal with it personally, shift it out of fear theres some fragmentation. People have
dierent goals. The trans community still
world heal, cause thats our job, she says. seems so foreign to some parts of the LGB
Goldberg has performed and helped community. We have to come together and
to raise money for such organizations as try to get some politicians to help us move
the Trevor Project, the leading national forward. Not necessarily only Democrats, its
organization providing crisis and suicide just rare to nd a Republican politician whos
intervention prevention services for going to come out and support our equal
LGBTQ youth between ages 13 and rights, she says.
THEATER W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7 2 5

Our Great Tchaikovsky makes the legend gay again

HERSHEY FELDER WONT LET ALTERNATIVE FACTS CHANGE THE TRUTH

By JOHN PAUL KING

For the past 20 years, Hershey Felder
has worked hard to carve a theatrical
niche for himself.
Felder has racked up over 4,500
performances with his self-created solo
works, in which he has explored the lives
of such musical greats as Beethoven, Liszt,
Chopin, Gershwin, and Leonard Bernstein.
His unique productions showcase his
talents as both actor and pianist, as he
brings his subjects stories and their music
to life onstage; his work has been seen from
Manhattans Broadway to Londons West End,
and pretty much everywhere in between,
and he was named in Time magazines 2016
list of Top 10 Plays and Musicals.
This month, Felder returns to the
stage of the Wallis Annenberg Center
for the Performing Arts, with Our Great
Tchaikovsky, a new show about the great
Russian composer whose works included the
ballets Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and
the beloved holiday staple, The Nutcraker.
As always, hes dedicated to celebrating
the legacy of a musical genius, but this
time theres a little more on his agenda.
Tchaikovsky, you see, was gay.
This is hardly earth-shaking news; its a
well-known biographical fact about this 19th
century musical titan or at least, its well
known outside of his motherland. The Russian
government has repeatedly disputed its
beloved native sons homosexuality, despite
what has been described as mountains
of evidence gleaned from not only the
accounts of his numerous contemporaries
but even his own writings.
As recently as 2013, Russian Minister of
Culture Vladimir Medinsky claimed that
there was no evidence Tchaikovsky was
gay, after a government-funded biopic
of the composer underwent multiple
script revisions aimed at removing any
inference of homosexuality reputedly in
order to avoid a violation of the countrys
draconian gay propaganda law. The lm
HERSHEY FELDER
project was eventually de-funded over the
controversy and apparently scrapped.
Around the same time, Hershey
Felder received a letter from the Russian
government inviting him to come and
perform as Tchaikovsky and although
he embraced the subject matter, the
invitation has, to date, gone unanswered.
Explaining why he took up the challenge
of this piece besides the fact that
Tchaikovsky was responsible for some of
his favorite music Felder says this:
It wound up posing the question of
whether or not I could do it and tell the
whole story. Tchaikovsky back in his
day faced terrible fear, due to the anti-
homosexual laws. This makes it political,
as well, which is something my previous
pieces didnt usually venture into because
they were more about the musicians and
their time. Of course there are political
aspects to all musicians, but with this one
it was blatant and something you couldnt from those who have seen it thus far it
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE WALLIS ANNENBERG CENTER
ignore. And of course I decided to do this
story before all this current craziness with
Russia came to pass, and now that it has it
makes it even more interesting, strangely
As for whether or not he intends to
eventually take the Russian government up
on their oer to come and perform his show
there, he says it poses a serious problem.
I cannot tell this story in Russia at
this point because any public display of
homosexual behavior and that doesnt
even mean kissing or touching or hugging,
but any story, any public advertisement
of a homosexual lifestyle is banned. So
how do I tell this story there? If theres no
truth theres no art, and if Russia is going
to try and erase the fact that Tchaikovsky
was homosexual, even if its just a political
statement, its outrageous. That is the
essence of the play.
Here in the U.S., at least, the show has
garnered a largely positive response
7:30 p.m., $25-$55
received glowing reviews and box oce
success both at its premiere in San Diego
and its subsequent run in Laguna Beach.
However, there have been a few dissenters.
From the thousands of people that have
seen it, Ive gotten three pieces of hate mail
which is a very low number. One of them
asked, Why does it have to be political? I just
came to enjoy the music! You have people
who cant deal with things. Its his story, and
its only his story. It has no political bent to
it, its just the way the world has gone its
turned political. To think wed be dealing
with this in 2017, its crazy.
Does that mean theres a message for
our own time in the story of this troubled
composers life?
I dont do messages, nor do I take
political stances. What I am doing here is
telling Tchaikovskys true story in his time,
which relates to his story in our time and
ultimately it becomes about propaganda
and telling the truth, which is the most
important thing of all. And while in our
own country we are seeing more anti-gay
rhetoric starting to happen, which is very
scary, on a more global level what we
are also seeing is a complete annihilation
of truth and thats REALLY scary. Were
living in a post-fact world where people
create whatever facts they want, and those
become the facts. Its one thing to have
opinions, its one thing to have policies, but
its another thing to obliterate the facts
and thats what this story is really about.
Rewriting history is really terrifying.
With Our Great Tchaikovsky, Hershey
Felder plans to stand up not just for a
musical genius, but for the truth itself.
HERSHEY FELDERS THE GREAT AMERICAN
SONGBOOK SING-ALONG
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing
Arts
Bram Goldsmith Theater
9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, Calif.
Monday, July 31
2 6 J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM THEATER

The physics of attraction at the Taper

HEISENBERG AN EXPRESSION OF UNCERTAINTY IN DIVISIVE TIMES

By CHRISTOPHER CAPPIELLO

DENIS ARNDT and MARY-LOUISE PARKER in Heisenberg.

PHOTO BY CRAIG SCHWARTZ; COURTESY OF MARK TAPER FORUM

In a sign of the times for the economics
of producing theater, LAs two biggest
nonprot stages are currently featuring
short, quirky, two-character romances
with Broadway pedigrees.
As Nick Paynes Constellations nishes a
successful run at the Geen (with Big Loves
Ginnifer Goodwin and Downton Abbeys
Allen Leech), CTG brings the Manhattan
Theatre Club production of British
playwright Simon Stephens thoughtful
if slender Heisenberg to the Taper,
complete with the original New York cast
of Mary-Louise Parker and Tony nominee
Denis Arndt. If director Mark Brokaws
remount doesnt live up to the Big Apple
hype, the production has its rewards, and
your enjoyment will largely depend on the
degree to which you adore (or can abide)
Parkers vocal and emotional eccentricities.
Named for the German physicist whose
Uncertainty Principle is alluded to obliquely in
the dialogue, Heisenberg is a contemporary
take on the mismatched couple, with Parkers
kooky 40-something, single American mom
Georgie Burns surprising Arndts sturdy and
ascetic septuagenarian Irish butcher Alex
Priest with a kiss on the back of the neck
in a random encounter at a London train
station. After Georgie assaults Alex with a
barrage of self-involved (and, it turns out,
largely fabricated) information about herself,
the quiet butcher simply asks, Why are you
talking to me? It is one of the many moments
in which dialogue mirrors the audiences
thoughts, and one of many delivered with
brilliant dexterity by Arndt.
Were never certain how selsh Georgies
intentions are in pursuing a man 33 years
her senior, especially when we learn about
her estranged grown son and her desire
to track him down in New Jersey. But the
ensuing May-to-December romance is
explored with cleverness and more than a
few touching moments. A post-coital scene
is particularly real and unsentimental, while
also being genuinely funny.
Arndt spent 15 seasons with the Oregon
Shakespeare Festival, and his training
and experience serve him well as the
thoughtful Irish butcher. Watch how he
turns a laundry list of musical tastes into
a comedic master class. Or how he reveals
so much about Alexs inner life as he ips
himself into bed with surprising agility and
joy. Parker, on the other hand, appears
to be a hostage to her own quirkiness,
delivering lines with such extended,
swooping vowels and the absence of
helpful consonants that it is often dicult
to understand her. We accept that Georgie
is, by her own admission, exhausting
but captivating, but the former often
overwhelms the latter.
Stephens script includes some
lovely nuggets of observation about
life, relationships, and the ultimate
unknowability of our partners. As in New
York, Brokaw stages the proceedings in a
bare-bones, nakedly theatrical setting, with
the action taking place on designer Mark
Wendlands long, thin runway with two lone
chairs and tables. Audience members are
seated on both sides of the stage. While
meant to create intimacy, this actually
makes the characters interactions feel
farther away, as they are limited to a narrow
plane of playing space. If youre considering
tickets, splurge for the closer seats.
Fans of MLP will enjoy this chance to see her
do her oddball thing, but for other theatergoers
it is Arndts quiet, nuanced, precise and deeply
felt performance that will linger.
No uncertainty there.
HEISENBERG
Mark Taper Forum
135 N. Grand Ave., L.A.
Through Aug. 6
centertheatregroup.org
F I LM W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7 2 7

A road movie with a gay French twist

RESTLESS LOVER GOES AWOL IN FOUR DAYS IN FRANCE

By DAVID EHRENSTEIN

Four Days in France is French writer/director Jrme Reybauds feature debut.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF REYBAUD

Has the Road Movie become French
and gay?
Its a question worth asking in light of
Four Days in France, an exceptionally
adroit example of the genre by Jrme
Reybaud, a talented young writer-director
who may be in line to be the next Andr
Tchin, noted as the most important
post-New Wave French lm director.
Four Days in France, however, pays
homage not only to Tchins work, but
also the work of several lm masters.
This beautifully made, subtly mysterious
lm recalls Oliver Ducastel and Jacques
Martineaus The Adventures of Felix
(2000), Christophe Honores Man at Bath
(2010) set in a somewhat darker key,
and for its use of the irrepressibly sleazy
Jean-Christophe Bouvet in Jean-Claude
Guiguets Les Passagers (1999). All of
these noteworthy works deal with gay life
as something very much in motion both
in terms of character and plot, but most
strikingly for the way an on the road
scenario produces most amenable mise
en scenes featuring automobiles (and in
the case of Guiguet a tramcar).
Four Days begins in a teasingly
mysteriously way, with handsome young
Pierre (Pascal Cervo) arising one morning
and leaving his lover Paul (Arthur Igual)
before the latter has even awoken.
Something has happened between them,
but we have no way of learning what it might
be as Pierre has commenced a road trip with
no xed goal or destination in mind.
Besides minimal luggage, Pierre has
only his Grindr app the better to nd
suitable sexual encounters. Its through
these same apps that Paul nds a means
of tracking his erstwhile lover.
Is there anything more Gay Modern?
Probably not.
But the picaresque adventures that
unfold for Pierre are very traditionally
French. Along the way he meets many
interesting people, including a thief
(Florence Giorgetti) who argues with him
over which items in his carrying case she
will allow him to keep. Theres also a Wise
Older Woman (Lilliane Montevecchi doing
a turn much like Patachous in Felix),
some amenable younger ones (Natalie
Richard and Fabienne Babe lling the
Mahnolos that Chiari Mastroianni whore
in Man at Bath).
As for sex, Pierres most memorable
encounter is at a hotel where he strikes up a
chat with a handsome fellow guest (Emilien
Tessier) who longs to ride in Pierres Alfa
Romeo. Pierre gets to kiss him but when
they return to the hotel instead of climbing
into bed together they go their separate
rooms and hump their adjoining walls.
Much French countryside is covered
(beautifully shot by Sabine Lancelin) and
tender feelings are stirred as we reach a
nale in which Pierre and Paul are reunited
and words of forgiveness are exchanged.
That it has taken 142 minutes to
reunite the pair may seem taxing to
impatient moviegoers but for those who
warm to Reybauds cinematic rhythm will
nd Four Days in France to be one of the
best gay lms in years. Even if you cant
stand Grindr.
2 8 J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7
Billy Masters was not invited to the Vatican orgy
Its about damn time somebody did. Im like,
Shit or get o the pot! - Kelly Clarksons response
after she helped facilitate a gay proposal at
one of her concerts, and one of the guys said
theyve been dating for four years.
Is there anything lovelier
Provincetown on the Fourth of July? Amid the
hustle and bustle of the usual tourists come
the hordes of whores young gay men
(young=20s and 30s) with single-digit body
fat. Lovely to look at, to be sure, but they do
have a way of killing ones appetite...to say
nothing of ones will to live! Regardless, a
good time was had by all. As they say, it only
takes one person. In this particular case, it
took three foreign lads without their papers
and my threatening to call INS. But, a happy
endings a happy ending!
You all know ESPN The Magazine, right?
Well, you probably dont, but you probably
heard of their Body Issue the one
with all the nude athletes. There was lots
of chatter about the sizzling hot pics of
Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman. But
our own Gus Kenworthy is also in the mag.
He took a series of nudes over the course
of six hours on a ski slope. One might
expect major shrinkage, but thats not the
case - as youll see on BillyMasters.com.
I know people look at us gay men and
think, Gosh, they have it all. If only I were
gay! As we know, it takes more than just
wistful thinking. It takes hard work
sucking, fucking, learning Barbra Streisand
lyrics, it never ends. And yet, some people
think they can take the express route.
Andrew Gareld is currently in the London
National Theatre production of Angels in
America. In a post-performance talkback,
Gareld said, As far as I know, I am not
a gay man. Maybe Ill have an awakening
later in my life, which Im sure will be
wonderful and Ill get to explore that part
of the garden, but right now Im secluded
to my area, which is wonderful as well. I
adore it, but a big concern was what right
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
AND HE IS NOT IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH ANDREW GARFIELD, EITHER
By BILLY MASTERS
than
OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND is none too pleased.
do I have to play this wonderful gay role?
It was about doing honor, doing justice
and knowing my herstory. OK, somewhat
awkward, but I get it. He added, My only
time o during rehearsals - every Sunday
I would have eight friends over and we
would just watch Ru [RuPauls Drag
Race]. This is my life outside of this play.
I am a gay man right now, just without the
physical act - thats all.
It sounds like hes saying that because
he watches RuPaul, hes a gay man - well,
a gay man not having sex with other
men. While Im sure he didnt mean to
stereotype, not all gay men are watching
RuPaul. And watching Ru doesnt make
you gay. But sex with other men - you
know, thats a big thing. Well, in my case
its a very big thing. The point is, Andrew,
you are not a gay man. Youre just playing
one on stage. And that really should be
enough. If youd like to see a gay man in
Angels in America, you might check out
Garelds co-stars - Russell Tovey and
Nathan Lane. Now THOSE are gay men!
While most gay men enjoyed watching
Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon battle
it out in Feud, many questioned the
veracity of several scenes. Dramatic
license is often employed in these types
aide to the Pope. But it wasnt just a party.
of shows, but does anyone really believe
Joan Crawford danced around wearing
the Trog mask? Someone who certainly
should know what did and didnt happen
is Olivia de Havilland. And, apparently,
she is none too pleased with how she was
portrayed and the words Ryan Murphy
had her saying. Therefore, on the eve
of her 101st birthday, she led a lawsuit
against Murphy and FX Networks, and
it makes for some illuminating reading.
Throughout her life - whether the subject
be professional or personal - Livvy
always took the high road. But the quasi-
documentary style of Feud gives one the
impression that what is being portrayed is
fact and that she actually made remarks
about her colleagues that she considers
uncharacteristic and disparaging. While
she is a public person and, therefore, fair
game to a certain extent, itll be interesting
to see how this plays out.
You know summer is here when we hear
about another Vatican sex scandal. Last
year, cardinals and priests were holding
wet underwear contests in baptismal
fonts. This year, theyre at it again. The
Vatican police got a call about an out-of-
control party going on in the apartment
of the secretary to Cardinal Francesco
G O SSI P
Coccopalmerio - who just happens to be an
Reports say that the police broke up what
is being called an orgy lled with men
engaged in sexual activity and doing illegal
drugs! Sure sounds like an orgy to me.
And yet, its not this weeks only orgy.
You may have heard about an orgy held
in the locker room of the Brazilian soccer
team. It all happened in Passo Fundo,
Brazil, after a match played by the Sport
Clube Gaucho. Apparently one player was
on his knees servicing two other players
while another guy was lming them.
Call me old-fashioned, but I wouldnt call
that an orgy. It just sounds like a typical
weekend. Anyhoo, once the video went
public, the teams president dismissed
all four players. Why? Because the tryst
happened on club property. While an
edited version of the video is making the
rounds, the original footage can be found
on BillyMasters.com.
Could it be that a star of stage and screen
(well, small screen) has also been lmed in
a compromising position? These things
happen when you and your boyfriend
pick up random guys online for a three-
way. In the clip, our newsworthy lad is
purportedly lling one side of the hook-
up while his boyfriend is lling the other
- without ever letting the cell phone fall
from his hands. Now, THATS multitasking!
I should add, it sure looks like the stars
beau in the middle. But it really is hard
to tell. But there is a brief glimpse of the
stars face, and theres no mistaking that
hair, that hard body, or that johnson!
When were nding videos of lost boys,
its time to end yet another column. For
more dish, follow the yellow brick road to
www.BillyMasters.com - the site that never
met an orgy it didnt like! As usual, you can
send your questions to Billy@BillyMasters.
com. Until next time, remember, one
mans lth is another mans bible.
CA L E N DA R
E-mail calendar items to
tmasters@losangelesblade.com
two weeks prior to your event. Space is
limited so priority is given to LGBT-specic
events or those with LGBT participants.
Recurring events must be
re-submitted each time.
JUL 14
Grith Park Free Shakespeare
Festival, Measure for Measure, Thu
Jun 29 @ 7 PM - 10:30 PM. (Grith Park,
4730 Crystal Springs Dr). Freewheeling,
inclusive and a bit anarchic, the festival
includes mainstage performances, pre-
show family events including workshops
and a slate of extraordinary opening acts.
Bring a blanket and a picnic to enjoy great
theater in a great city. All free, all summer
long. The Grith Park Free Shakespeare
Festival continues with The Two Gentlemen
of Verona from Jul 29 - Sep 03.
San Diego Pride: Block Party, Parade,
& Music Festival, Jul 14 - Jul 16 @
various events at various times. (Hillcrest
neighborhood, San Diego). San Diego Pride
returns for a three-day rainbow lled love-
fest this July 14th, 15th, and 16th! Tens
of thousands of people line the streets
of San Diegos Hillcrest neighborhood
to commemorate our LGBT heritage,
celebrate our progress, give freedom to
expression and to support our community!
Parade will be held on Sun Jul 16.
Vicious Circle, Marsee Auditorium,
Torrance, Jul. 14 @ 8 PM. (16007 Crenshaw
Boulevard). Valerie Cabag is the artistic
director and founder of Vicious Circle, an
all-male dance company based in Orange
County. The performance will include
a compilation of works that have been
presented at festivals and concerts over the
last two years. Many of the themes within
the pieces surround the idea of guardian
angels and forces that protect people daily.
The Untold Tales Of Armistead
Maupin, Outfest Los Angeles, Fri Jul
14 @ 08 PM. (The Theatre at Ace Hotel,
929 South Broadway). The director of To
Be Takei returns with a look at another
larger-than-life gay icon, the author
behind Tales of the City, which captured
the radical cultural shift of queer life in
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
Self Portrait with Red Braces (detail), 2003, David
Hockney. Watercolor on paper, 24 x 18 1/18
in. Courtesy of a private collection. David
Hockney.
PHOTO BY RICHARD SCHMIDT
San Francisco in the 70s and 80s with an
honesty and humor that reverberated
with fans worldwide. Maupin journeys
from Southern aristocrat and closeted
conservative (serving in Vietnam and
working for Jesse Helms) to beloved
chronicler of the LGBTQ movement in this
boisterously entertaining portrait.
JUL 15
Happy Birthday, Mr. Hockney - The
Getty Center, Sat Jul 15 @ 10 AM - 05 PM.
(1200 Getty Center Drive). David Hockney
is considered one of the most important
British artists of the twentieth century. His
work demonstrates an enduring curiosity
about technique and a distinctive, playful
style. To celebrate his eightieth birthday,
this focused two-part exhibition includes
self-portraits made over the past sixty-ve
years and key photographs from the 1980s
that investigate time and perspective.
After Louie, Outfest Los Angeles LGBT
Film Festival, Sat. Jul 15 @ 8 PM. (The
Theatre at Ace Hotel, 929 South Broadway).
Sam (Alan Cumming) is an artist and
activist from ACT UP who lived through
the early years of HIV/AIDS, struggling
with survivors guilt. Hes bewildered by
the younger generation of gay men, until
he meets the seductive Braeden (Zachary
Booth, Keep the Lights On) at a bar late
one night. Their pants quickly come down
and, eventually, so does Sams guard. An
intergenerational relationship blossoms
between them, reawakening Sams artistic
soul and reviving his wilted heart.
JUL 16
Annual Red Dress Party, Gold Coast,
Sun Jul 16 @ 3 PM (8228 Santa Monica
Boulevard). You cannot miss the Annual
Red Dress Party at The Gold Coast! Known
for the hairiest men in Drag, many who
youll see for the rst time this way, it is
a hilarious way to let your hair down! Fire
trucks (and remen) have been known to
stop by and pay their respects! We suggest
you get there around 3:00 PM, when the
tent in the parking lot goes up.
Closing Night Gala, Outfest Los
Angeles LGBT Film Festival, Sun Jul 16 @
07 PM - 12 AM. (The Theatre at Ace Hotel,
929 South Broadway). The 2017 Outfest
los Angeles wraps up its 35th edition with
an all-star line-up at not just one but two
of the hottest venues in DTLA . The night
kicks-o at the Theatre at ACE Hotel by
acknowledging the 2017 Outfest Los
Angeles Audience Award and Grand Juror
Award winners. Afterwards, Freak Show
will entertain and delight you. Its a couple
short blocks uptown to the last party of
the festival at the renowned Cliftons.
JUL 18
Palm Springss Mens Heart Circle for
Desert AIDS Project, Tue Jul 18 @ 3:30 PM
- 05 PM (Desert AIDS Project Meditation
Room, 1695 N Sunrise Way, Palm Springs).
Would you like to join a circle of caring
men-who-love-men (gay, bi, trans &
straight), where you can condentially
share feelings & emotions in a safe &
supportive space?
JUL 19
Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Chamber
of Commerce July 2017 Networking
Luncheon, Wed Jul 19 @ 11:30 PM. (Ocean
Prime, Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills). LAGLCC
invites you to network and advertise at
our Business Connection Luncheons.
Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. with the
J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7 2 9
luncheon and program starting promptly
at 12 Noon. Each attendee is allowed 60
seconds to tout their business.
JUL 20
Big Fat Dick at FuBar, Thu July 20 @
09:00 PM - 02:00 AM. (7994 Santa Monica
Boulevard). BFDwe love you even when
youre not naked. L.A.s longest running
weekly boy party! B.F.D. is A party for
drunk homos with big fat dicks and those
who love them
JUL 22
Outspoken Sessions LGBTQIA Open
Mic Night: TransHaven LA, Sat Jul 22
@ 05:30 PM - 09:00 PM (APAIT, 1730 W
Olympic Blvd # 300). Join OUTspoken
Sessions for a Origins themed open mic
to benet TransHavenLA. We ask for a $5
cover to provide aid to our fundraiser, but
no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Food (with vegan options!) and beverages
will be available as we begin the night with a
Zine making workshop at 5:30 PM. Meet our
featured artists who will be creating art and
performing various activities. Open mic slots
will be on a rst come, rst serve basis and
are available to folks of all skill levels.
JUL 23
Faultline: Legendary Beer Bust
(est.1994), Sun Jul 23 @ 03:00 - 08:00 PM
(Faultline, 4216 Melrose Ave). Sexy GoGo
men, dancing for your dollars and, well,
your boners. Bud Bust from 3 - 8 PM. No
Cover but ID required.
JUL 24
Quick Dates For College-Educated &
Professional Queer Women, Mon Jul 24 @
06:30 PM - 09:00 PM (Tortilla Republic, 616
N. Robertson). Quick Dates: practice the art
of dating in the age of apps. Enjoy organized
queer womens speed dating with college-
educated and professional women & the
women who love them in the private dining
area of Tortilla Republic in West Hollywood.
Lady Luck takes the stress out of speed
dating to ensure a fun, friendly experience.
Meet single queer/lesbian women on
mini dates and make new connections for
romance and friendship.
3 0 J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 7
Top 10 picks
from Outfest
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21
Lee) In this auspicious directorial debut,
a young sheep farmer and a Romanian
migrant worker nd unlikely romance in
the idyllic English countryside. Deservedly
an audience favorite, this beautifully
photographed and tenderly acted love
story serves as a springboard into a plea for
compassion and unity in a troubled world.
I Dream in Another Language (dir:
Ernesto Contreras) A linguist travels to a
remote Mexican jungle in order to study
a disappearing language, only to nd
that its two last surviving speakers are an
estranged male couple who refuse to talk to
each other. This thought-provoking crowd-
pleaser reminds us of how communication
brings us (and keeps us) together.
Tom of Finland (dir: Dome Karukoski)
It may come with a lot expectations,
but that doesnt mean this biopic doesnt
live up to them. Artist Touko Laaksonen,
whose erotic drawings dened the hyper-
masculine image of leather and fetish
fantasy for generations of gay men, is
given loving treatment in this celebration
of a queer pioneer.
The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin
(dir: Jennifer M. Kroot) A celebration of one
of LGBTQ cultures most important literary
voices, this documentary follows the Tales
of the City author from his life as a closeted
conservative through his emergence as a
chronicler of queer life during the era of
social and sexual liberation. An entertaining
prole of a larger-than-life subject.
The Wound (dir: John Trengove)
South African Singer Nakhane Tour
plays a young man struggling with his
sexuality as he prepares for his tribes
traditional rite of passage into manhood
in this uninching lm about the conict
between culture and individual identity. A
tough but moving tale about breaking free
from restrictive concepts of masculinity.
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM A RT S & E N T E RT A I N ME N T
Last chance for Outfest 2017
WHAT NOT TO MISS DURING FINAL FAB WEEKEND
By DAN ALLEN
Its already been one of the hottest Outfests on record both literally as temps soared outside, and guratively as one of
the LGBTQ lm festivals most exciting, diverse and star-studded lineups ever sizzled onto area screens. If youve missed the
action so far, not to worry Outfest still has plenty of great things in store for the nal weekend of its 35th anniversary edition.
FREAK SHOW (July 16, 7pm, Theatre at the Ace Hotel)
This years closing night lm stars Alex Lawther as the unapologetically amboyant Billy Bloom, who shakes things up at his
Florida military academy by running for homecoming queen. Bette Midler and Laverne Cox costar in this adaptation of a James
St. James story.
STRONG ISLAND (July 14, 7:30pm, DGA Theater 2)
Trans lmmaker Yance Ford explores the murder of his own brother 25 years ago in this documentary that won the Special
Jury Award for Storytelling at Sundance.
EASTSIDERS: SEASON 3 (July 15, 2:20pm, REDCAT)
In this world premiere of the smash web series third season, Cal and Thom (Kit Williamson and Van Hansis) head back to
the West Coast after having both moved to New York at the end of season 2. Constance Wu, Colby Keller, Stephen Guarino and
Willam costar.
SIGNATURE MOVE (July 14, 7pm, DGA 1)
Part of Outfests annual All-Girl Friday at the DGA, Pakistani-American Zaynab cares for her soap-opera-obsessed mother,
who wants to nd her a husband but Zaynab instead falls for Mexican-American Alma.
PLATINUM SHOWCASE (July 15, 7:15pm, REDCAT)
A longtime arty Outfest favorite, the Platinum Showcase presents bold, daring, and often very risqu shorts. Followed
immediately by the ve-hour queer performance extravaganza Platinum Alchemy at DTLAs Lethal Amounts Gallery.
GIRLS SHORTS (July 14, 9:30pm, DGA 1 -and- July 15, 12pm, REDCAT)
This years collection of seven female-focused shorts includes the latest from the iconic Guinevere Turner, Post-Apocalyptic
Potluck.
AFTER LOUIE (July 15, 8pm, Theatre at the Ace Hotel)
Alan Cumming stars as a weary survivor of the worst years of the AIDS crisis whose artistic passion is reignited when he falls
for a younger man (Zachary Booth from KEEP THE LIGHTS ON). Wilson Cruz, Joey Arias and Justin Bond costar.
TRANS SUMMIT (July 15, 12pm, DGA 2)
A panel of noted trans activists, storytellers and advocates discusses transgender media representation.
DISCREET (July 14, 9:30pm, REDCAT)
Sex-positive director Travis Mathews (INTERIOR. LEATHER BAR. and I WANT YOUR LOVE) presents the story of a gay drifter/
lmmaker who returns home to the margins of homophobic small-town America to face his own dark and mysterious past.
KEVYN AUCOIN: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST IN ME (July 14, 7pm, REDCAT)
Following its world premiere at Outfest last Friday, an encore screening of this fantastic biographical documentary, including
video footage Aucoin himself shot while making up the likes of Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Janet
Jackson, Liza Minnelli and Cher.
CHASING AMY (July 15, 7pm, DGA 2)
LGBTQ audiences were divided over the lms lesbian-falls-for-straight-guy storyline when it rst came out, but how about
20 years later? Director Kevin Smith discusses the movie with one of its costars, Guinevere Turner, after this special screening.
THE UNTOLD TALES OF ARMISTEAD MAUPIN (July 14, 8pm, Theatre at the Ace Hotel)
Jennifer M. Kroot (TO BE TAKEI) proles author Armistead Maupin, tracing his journey from Southern aristocrat to closeted
conservative to gay cultural chronicler in works like Tales of the City.
TRANSPARENT: SEASON 4 (July 15, 5pm, DGA 1)
A sneak peek of two episodes from the new season of the hit Amazon series, followed by a panel discussion with special
guests.
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