N O V E M B E R 1 7 2 0 1 7 V O LU M E 0 1 I S S U E 1 8 A M E R I C A S LG B TQ N E W S S O U R C E LO S A N G E L E S B L A D E .

C O M

America the molested Losing a lover to AIDS WeHo grapples with rental regs

PAGE 07 PAGE 22 PAGE 28

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0 4 NO VEMB ER 1 7 , 2017
Trans lesbian Lisa Middleton elected to all-LGBT Palm Springs Council
History and hope
in a time of hate
By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com
Three weeks before the Nov. 7 elections,
former Republican President George
W. Bush delivered a speech lamenting
the casual cruelty that has degraded
discourse since Donald Trump became
president. Bigotry seems emboldened,
Bush said. There are some signs that the
intensity of support for democracy itself
has waned.
Anti-LGBT hate crime statistics back
him up, with data collected by law
enforcement underscoring the epidemic
of anti-transgender violence. On Nov. 13,
the FBI released its hate crime statistics for
2016 showing a ve percent increase from
2015, including a nine percent increase
of hate crime incidents based on gender
identity. On Nov. 16, Los Angeles County
released its hate crime report showing
31 reported anti-trans hate crimes a
72 percent increase from the previous
year. We reviewed the number of anti-
transgender hate crimes reported for
the past ten years and this was by far the
largest number, out LA County Human
Relations Commissioner Marshall Wong
told the Los Angeles Blade.
And yet, staring down the ugly face of hate,
eight trans candidates were elected across
the country on Nov. 7, a vote for civility.
Lisa Middletons election to the Palm
Springs City Council makes her the rst
out trans person elected to a non-judicial
oce in California Victoria Kolakowski
was elected the nations rst trans judge
in 2010. But it also marks a major shift
in political attitudes. Once the bastion of
conservative country club Republicans
such as Ronald Reagan, Gerald and
Betty Ford, Sonny and Mary BonoPalm
Springs is now Americas rst LGBT-run
city government.
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
LISA MIDDLETON
Middleton came out publicly as
transgender in 1995. She met Cheryl
OCallaghan in 2000 and 17 years later,
they are a married lesbian couple, with a
little bit of a twist in one of our histories.
They have two adult children.
Middleton also identies as a career
professional and community activist.
For 36 years, she worked with the
State Compensation Insurance Fund of
California and was Senior Vice President
of Internal Aairs when she retired.
Middleton comes from a family of
sharecroppers who left Oklahoma during
the Dust Bowl. She attended East Los
Angles College, graduated from UCLA and
received a Masters in Public Administration
from USC. In addition to government
service, she worked with the Organized
Neighborhoods of Palm Springs, serving
as chair from 2015-2017, and served
on city planning commission and task
forces concerned with homelessness and
government transparency.
I have been very proud to be out as a
transgender individual but I had a career,
PHOTO COURTESY OF MIDDLETON
Middleton tells the LA Blade. I was in
an executive position within the State of
California. So at the time I came out, I had
responsibility and involvement that went
beyond the fact that I was transgender.
But she also helped advance the trans
movement in California. In the mid-
1990s, out San Francisco Supervisor
Mark Leno proposed a trans-inclusive
healthcare policy for employees of the
City and County of San Francisco. At the
time, insurance policies nationwide had
standard exclusions barring transgender
healthcare. Because of her knowledge
of insurance systems, she helped the
person struggling most with the proposed
changethe citys actuary.
I was able to sit down with him and
talk him through transgender 101,
Middleton recalls. And then, in terms an
actuary could understand, I talked about
how to make projections as to what the
actual costs would be. I was convinced he
overestimated the projected costsbut
it wasnt an unreasonable estimate and
it wasnt an estimate that would cause
LO CA L N E W S
people to say we cant aord it.
So, she continues, a lot of the work
Ive been able to do as someone who
is transgender hasnt been the person
knocking down the barricades as an
activist leading the charge. But as someone
who proudly is transgender and is able
to communicate across the spectrum in
all kinds of environments and situations
from neighborhood meetings to planning
meetings to sitting down with an actuary
trying to gure out a nancial cost estimate.
Middleton is very cognizant of the
issues around trans employment. Until
individuals have economic security,
theyre not in a position to fully exercise
their other legal rights, she says, adding
she will do everything I can to help.
One of the things that our community
faces in employment is lot of appearance
discrimination, Middleton says. Women
have been judged for years based on
appearances before they are judged based
on their intelligence and their capacity to
do work. And some of that discrimination
falls more heavily on a transgender
population. Transgender women tend to
be taller, heavier than those that are not.
Transgender men tend to be slighter.
What can be done about that? One of
the things I have done is be very good at
what I do, Middleton says, emphasizing
very good over the phone. You can
break down barriers. Attitudes make a
big dierence. So I feel very proud that
as a transgender woman I have had the
opportunity to succeed in government
service and then to succeed in community
and neighborhood relationships and
programs and thats now aorded me the
opportunity to serve on city council.
Middleton says her job will be tending to
the citys needs. And none of those issues
are dened by gender or by sexuality.
Theyre dened by your capacity to reach
out, form consensus, and develop public
policy programs that will succeed.
But to the LGBT community, her very
presence combats hate.
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0 6 NO VEMB ER 1 7 , 2017
Transgender Job Fair: The future is uid
53 companies meet job
seekers at 9th annual event
By MICHAEL JORTNER
I got laid o a job, did my transition
and now Im re-entering the workforce as
myself, said Tawni Soa Acosta, one of the
professionals who pushed her resume at
the ninth annual transgender job fair within
the West Hollywood Park auditorium.
A middle-aged project manager
who transitioned in early 2016, Acosta
continued, If I stayed as the dude that I
was previouslyIm certain I would have
gotten a job much quicker.
Such challenges can be the reality of a trans
professionals job search in modern day Los
Angeles. According to the LA LGBT Centers
press release, the nonprot responsible
for the job fair, transgender people face an
unemployment rate three times higher than
the average rate in the United States.
Drian Juarez, a trans woman herself, is
program manager for the Transgender
Economic Empowerment Project with the
LA LGBT Center. What were doing here
today, she said, is changing the dynamics
of the workplace. And she has a message
for companies that want to recruit talent: If
you are an employer who wants to capture
the best and brightest out of college, then
you better have all of this in place.
What is all of this? For Juarez its having
gender-neutral bathrooms, using gender-
neutral language in the workplace and
policies where they can transition on the job.
Juarez said young professionals now
graduating college are generation Z-ers
who are predominantly uid now. And
uid means not subscribing to traditionally
prescribed, and perhaps restrictive to quite
a number of folks, gender roles.
While a number of younger millennials
in their twenties and early thirties milled
about, talking with prospective employers
such as HBO, CBS, Warner Bros, Hulu,
Paramount, the City of Los Angles and the
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
Job-seekers JAMIE MASLIN of Simi Valley and
THAMBURAJ DANIEL from Thousand Oaks met
with recruiting companies at the Los Angeles
LGBT Centers 9th Annual Transgender Job Fair.
PHOTO BY MICHAEL JORTNER
LA Police Department, quite a number of
jobseekers in attendance were middle-
aged, like Acosta.
My experience with most of the
employers was mostly pretty positive,
Acosta said. An established project
manager interested in the info, tech
and entertainment spaces, she brought
resumes, business cardsthe whole
thing to make a good impression.
I talked to 21st Century Fox, HBO and
CBSand 21st Century Fox seemed to be
interested, she reported with satisfaction.
Juarez said exhibitor space was lled
to capacity, reaching 53 presenting
companies and organizations.
Why did these exhibitors make the eort?
Ocer Joseph Orlanes with the LAPD
was in full uniform. Pointing to the patch
on his right shoulder sleeve, he said, If
you see an ocer with two stripes and a
star, were community liaisons.
The LAPD was at the fair because Were
here to keep and build that bridge with the
community, whether its the LGBT community
[or] the transgender community.
Orlanes added that at the LAPD
table, We have all the [departments]
recruitment info [and] knowledge of the
hiring process. He stressed that the
police department wants to hire good
people with good hearts. No matter what
community theyre from.
Everyone is adorable, said Palmira
Muniz, a twenty-something human
resources assistant at CBS Television
City who identies as just a bisexual.
Everyone is just excited to be here,
referring to the scores of jobseekers who
took the risk of approaching her about
potential job opportunities.
Yet she also paid attention to how those
job hunters may feel. Unfortunately the
corporate world, the business world is not
kind to trans folks and queer folks, she
continued. I did notice a lot of folks tend
to be a little bit [like] hurt deer when they
come up to our table, like they feel, Yeah
Im gonna give you my resume but you
might not ever call me.
Juarez understands that. Im in my 40s,
she said. For me, nding a job was scary.
I didnt know how or what, or if I could
transition. Or if theyre gonna hire me.
Such fears are the reason for the
transgender job fair, according to Juarez.
This was about changing that, so trans
people dont have to be afraid about going
out and getting the job they want. Here
they know that employers are going to be
familiar with language, are going to treat
them with respect.
Melissa Thadani, a corporate recruiter,
and Nick Harkins, a store manager, are
with TOMS, the socially conscious fashion
retail company based in Playa del Rey.
Referencing the value of meeting with
job-seekers at the fair, Thadani said, Its
a dierent way to connect with someone.
You get to have that face to face interaction
as opposed to looking at skills on a piece
of paper or a computer screen.
Saying that she had seen a lot of people
LO CA L N E W S
from marketing, IT, all kinds of backgrounds,
she added, with a lot of our positionsa lot
of its around culture, personality, t. And
here you get to see that.
Harkins, who manages TOMS agship
store on Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice, is
proud of his employers commitment to
workplace diversity. Just the people that
work for our company, and our fellow
team members, span every spectrum and
gamut of type of person, he said.
Hulu seems to have made signicant
investments in not just welcoming all
types of employees but in ensuring theyre
happy once hired.
Two recruiters in their early twenties,
Alex Ehrlich, a woman, and Ben Dennis,
talked about the number of clubs Hulu
has encouraged within its workplace.
Ive been there two-and-a-half years,
said Dennis. Im part of Hulu Pride, which
is just one of the many groups that we
have. In addition to the LGBTQ group
there is Hulu Black, focused on the black
lives matter movement. And a womens
empowerment group that formed in the
wake of the womens marches after Trumps
inauguration called Hula, a feminization of
the companys mother brand.
Overall diversity at Hulu, continued
Dennis, is something that has always
been a focus. And its something Ive
denitely made a point to participate in.
Ehrlich thinks the clubs we have there
are very important. Yet such employee
groups are not limited to socio-political
concerns. Groups geared toward biking,
cycling, basketball and soccer enthusiasts
exist as well. And pop stars. Beyonce.
Thats my favorite one, Ehrlich added.
Do job fairs such as these, and the
companies attending them, point toward
the future of the American workplace? Is it
a brave new world?
For Juarez, The job fair is about helping
employers connect to the best talent. And
if that is their goal, they need to, pardon
the expression, man up. The future is
uid. Get used to it.
LO C A L N E W S
America the molested
Sexual harassment
restorm sweeps
the country
By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com
It started with a joke at a small comedy
club in Philadelphia on Oct. 16, 2014, a
night that will live in infamy. Hannibal
Buress ri on his disgust for moralizer
Bill Cosby was part of his act. I can talk
down to you because I had a successful
sitcom, Buress said, mimicking Americas
once beloved TV dad. Yeah, but you raped
women, Bill Cosby. So, brings you down a
couple notches. The joke went viral and
scores of women accusers started coming
out of the shadows.
A match was lit. Hollywoods casting
couch was set on re, inspiring more
and more womenand menfrom all
walks of life to come forward to tell their
#MeToo stories. And the stories havent
stopped, pounding away at the pillars of
established male privilege, exposing the
normalcy of economic leverage and
alleged moral corruption among good
men like Bill Cosby, George Takei and
Alabama Judge Roy Moore.
And suddenly, the pillars toppled. Fox
News media kingpin Roger Ailes and Foxs
$100 million TV host Bill OReilly were
knocked down by irrepressible former
Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson. And since
the New York Times and the New Yorker
exposed numerous victims, massive
payouts and secret cover-ups for serial
sexual harasser Hollywood mogul Harvey
Weinstein, the entertainment industry has
been quaking in its high noon boots.
Weinsteins accusers gave birth to
the #MeToo movement, shattering the
walls of silence protecting closeted gay
harassers, as well. Actor Anthony Rapps
allegation to Buzzfeed that House of
Cards star Kevin Spacey sexually harassed
him when Rapp was only 14 ripped o
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
The #MeToo campaign helped spread the word and became a worldwide movement against
predatory sexual misconduct.
decades of veneers, prompting numerous
victims to come forward. Reaction was
swift: Netix red him from the TV hit
and director Ridley Scott decided to cut
Spacey out of his thriller All the Money
in the World scheduled for release
Dec.22 and reshoot with replacement
Christopher Plummer. I think its very sad
what happened to him, clueless Plummer
told Vanity Fair. Kevin is such a talented
and a terrically gifted actor, and its so
sad. Its such a shame.
A decades-old accusation by former
model Scott R. Brunton that gay Star Trek
icon George Takei groped him drew a swift
denial on Twitter. Takei even blamed the
viral accusation on Russian bots because
hes criticized Russian President Vladimir
Putins anti-LGBT policies.
But an audiotape emerged of Takei
joking with radio host Howard Stern about
how he would grab men to persuade
them to have sex. It sounded to fans
like Bruntons story. Takei walked that
back quickly, saying he was playing the
character of a naughty gay grandpa
which he now regrets, saying the joke was
distasteful.
I want to be clear: I have never forced
myself upon someone during a date.
Sometimes my dates were the initiators,
and sometimes I was, Takei wrote on
Facebook. It was always by mutual
consent. I see now that that it has come
across poorly in the awkward sketch, and I
apologize for playing along with Howards
insinuation. Non-consensual acts are
anathema to me and my personal code of
conduct, and I would never do something
against anyones will, period.
Politics has also been rocked by the
harassment eruptions, enabling women
to break their silence at the California
State Capitol. State Sen. Pro Tem Kevin
de Leon hired outside investigators to
look into the allegations against Sen. Tony
Mendoza. This follows a We Said Enough
letter signed by hundreds of professional
women who say Sacramento has a culture
of sexual harassment.
Women in the U.S. Capitol arent taking
it anymore, either, with past and present
lawmakersincluding Californians Mary
Bono, Hilda Solis, Linda Sanchez and
Jackie Speierspeaking out about the
secret creep list of colleagues with
inappropriate behavior. A lot of it has to
do with being in a place where people who
have power try to exert it to get what they
want, one Senate staer said told CNN.
After a Nov. 14 House Administration
Committee hearing on sexual harassment,
N O V E MBE R 1 7 , 2 0 1 7 0 7
Speaker Paul Ryan announced a policy to
require anti-sexual harassment and anti-
discrimination training for all members
and sta. No mention of LGBT inclusion.
The showdown over Alabama Christian
fundamentalist Judge Roy Moore, a
Senate candidate and darling of the anti-
LGBT Religious Right, is drawing attention
to LGBT issues, however. At a news
conference last week, Moore said, The
transgenders dont have rights, referring
to Trumps trans military ban.
But a detailed Nov. 9 Washington Post
story on Moore is testing Republicans.
Leigh Corfman, 14 years old in 1979,
alleges that Moore, then a 32-year-
old assistant district attorney, sexually
molested her. Roy Moore is a pedophile,
Steve Schmidt said on MSNBC.
So far, ve women have accused Moore of
sexual misconduct, including Beverly Young
Nelson, who on Nov. 13 said Moore tried to
force her to have oral sex when she was 16.
Attorney General Je Sessions told a
House hearing that he had no reason to
doubt these young women. No one asked
the former Alabama senator if he knew
that Gadsden Mall banned Moore because
he repeatedly badgered teenage girls,
according to the New Yorker. Speaker Ryan
has asked him to step aside; Sen. Je Flake
says hell vote to expel Moore if he wins the
Dec. 12 election. And now, even big backer
Steve Bannon is re-thinking his support.
The ugly moral irony is that they all
continue to support President Donald
Trump, who has at least 14 accusers.
Last month, ThinkProgress founder Judd
Legum posted their names on Twitter,
including: 8. Kristin Anderson. Said Trump
reached under her skirt and grabbed her
vagina through her underwear in the early
1990s. Thats similar to the grab em by
the pussy behavior Trump confessed to
Access Hollywoods Billy Bush. And when
youre a star, they let you do it. You can do
anything, Trump said on tape.
Perhaps Trump meant it as a joke. But
no ones laughing now.
0 8 NO VEMB ER 1 7 , 2017
Becerra petitions to join federal trans military ban lawsuit
California AG seeks to
represent California
at Nov. 20 hearing
By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com
California Attorney General Xavier
Becerra, a longtime LGBT ally, led a petition
in federal court Wednesday asking that
California be allowed to intervene as a party
plainti in the federal lawsuit challenging
President Trumps ban on transgender
individuals serving in the military.
The lawsuit,Stockman v. Trump,was led
Sept. 5 by Equality California and seven
individual plaintis in the U.S. District
Court for the Central District of California.
They are being represented by the National
Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), GLBTQ
Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD),
and Latham & Watkins LLP, the law rm
from which EQCA executive director Rick
Zbur retired as its rst openly gay partner
before joining equality California.
A hearing in Stockman v. Trump, which
seeks to defendthe rights of transgender
individuals seeking to join, or currently
serving openly in, the U.S. military, is
scheduled for Nov. 20.
We must honor the service and
sacrice of all members of our military
by ghting for them when their rights are
attacked,Becerra said in a press release.
California will not allow President
Trumps illegal, discriminatory and un-
American actions to harm our people or our
military. Marginalizing transgender service
members or any transgender American who
wishes to serve our country faithfully and
courageously will not occur on our watch.
California has a long history of top
politicians standing up for LGBT rights,
including Gov. Jerry Brown appointing the
rst two openly gay judges in the nation,
Steven Lachs in 1979 and Rand Schrader in
1980. As both Attorney General and later
as governor, Brown refused to defend
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
anti-gay marriage Prop 8 in court, as did
Attorney General Kamala Harris. Becerra
also has a long history of reaching out to
the LGBT community since at least 1990
when he ran for the State Assembly.
California has the most active duty and
reserve military than any other state more
than 130,000 active duty military personnel
and more than 56,000 members of the
National Guard and Reserves. According
to an NCLR press release:
Attorney General Becerras motion to
intervene is based on several arguments,
including that implementing Trumps
transgender military ban would:
-Impede the California National Guards
ability to recruit and retain members
that would protect the States natural
resources in times of need,
-Force California to violate anti-
discrimination laws and discriminate
against its own residents in stang the
California National Guard, and
-Threaten the States ability to safeguard
public institutions of higher learning from
discrimination in ROTC programs.
The National Guard has been deployed
more than 40,000 times since September
11, 2001, and there are currently 18,000
service members in the California National
Guard. The Governor of California is the
Commander-in-Chief of the California
National Guard and relies on it in times
of state emergencies, such as the recent
massive wildres across wine country. In
2014, The Williams Institute estimated that
6,700 transgender Americans were serving
in the National Guard across the 50 states
and found that transgender Americans
were twice as likely to be serving or have
served in our nations military.
In addition to requesting intervention as a
co-plainti in Stockman v Trump, Becerra has
joined friend-of-the-court briefs in this case
and in lawsuits in Maryland and in the District
of Columbia. In the latter case, a judge in
the DC District Court issued a preliminary
injunction against the ban, pending a nal
outcome in that case,Doe v. Trump.
Having the support of Californias Attorney
General is invaluable in our ght against this
administrations reckless and dangerous
actions, said Equality California Executive
Director Rick Zbur. This ban is having untold,
negative impacts on our transgender service
members and those who have taken steps to
LO CA L N E W S
California Attorney General XAVIER BECERRA
join the military, and having this support from
Californias chief law enforcement ocial
shows us that our state will ght alongside us
for justice and equality.
The State of California recognizes that
Trumps discriminatory ban harms not
only transgender service members and
our military, but also those who rely on our
National Guard for emergency assistance.
This point is particularly critical
in California, which has been facing
unprecedented wildre devastation. We
need to embrace every qualied person
who is willing to serve, not turn people
away simply for being transgender,
said Shannon Minter, legal director at
NCLR, which is based in San Francisco.
For the Attorney General to take this
step sends a powerful message about the
gravity of the harm caused by this ban,
said Jennifer Levi, GLADs Transgender
Rights Project Director. We should be
embracing the contributions of dedicated,
courageous Americans who are serving
and want to serve. Blocking qualied
transgender Americans from serving
makes our military weaker and our nation
less safe and less fair.
 WE WILL BE CLOSED

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1 0 NO VEMB ER 1 7 , 2017
LGBTs on TV: Why more is less
Crunching GLAADs
numbers on representation
By DAWN ENNIS
GLAADs latest Where We Are on TV
report celebrates the inclusion of more
LGBT characters on American television in
2017 than ever before.
The emergence of these new LGBT
characters and their stories, wrote GLAAD
president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, is
reective of the real world.
Or is it?
Of the 901 regular charactersexpected
to appear on broadcast scripted primetime
programming this season, a summary
of the annual report states, 58 (6.4%)
were identied as gay, lesbian, bisexual,
transgender, and/or queer. This is the
highest percentage GLAAD has found in
the history of this report. There were an
additional 28 recurring LGBTQ characters.
According to the organizations director
of entertainment research and analysis,
Margaret Townsend: This is 86 total
LGBTQ regular and recurring characters
on primetime scripted broadcast TV, up
from the previous years 71.
Those encouraging numbers were
obtained utilizing research and data provided
by the Hollywood studios themselves,
according to a GLAAD spokesperson.
But behind this rosy outlook and
Hooray for Hollywood optimism is some
outdated and questionable data on the
real world of LGBTs in 2017 America.
In her introduction to the report, Ellis
cited GLAADs Accelerating Acceptance
2017 survey, conducted roughly one year
ago. She said it found that20 percent of
Americans aged 18-34 (a key demographic
for networks) identify as LGBTQ.
But that didnt sound right to Bob Witeck,
president of Witeck Communications, and
a market research consultant who has
collaborated with the Harris Poll for nearly
20 years to do LGBT-specic research.
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
GLAAD President SARAH KATE ELLIS calls TVs LGBTQ characters reective of the real world.
Witeck reviewed the Harris & Associates
2016 survey and told the Los Angeles
Blade that GLAADs 20 percent gure is
likely overstated and possibly the result
of the online surveys unique design,
outside the familiar conventions of
more traditional polling. After consulting
with contacts within Harris, Witeck
said. GLAAD sought a more complex
scale, and broader denition of sexual
orientation and gender identity to arrive
at the percentage of LGBTQA.
The GLAAD spokesperson called Witecks
last statement inaccurate. GLAAD and
Harris Poll together sought an inclusive
scale, he said, but GLAAD did not seek a
more complex scale solo.
Why does this matter? Because GLAADs
president is promoting results based on
a year-old survey, calculated by Harris,
derived from the answers of only about
100 of more than 2,000 respondents.
Those answers were used to determine
that two out of every 10 Americans ages
18 to 34 are LGBTa conclusion that
raises more than a few eyebrows.
These are not conventional
demographics, said Witeck. I mean, if
PHOTO BY COLLISION CONF; COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
we were social scientists we might choose
to frame these responses dierently,
especially to understand notions
ofrepresentativeness.
According to the Harris
samplingmethodology for online samples,
one hundred is the lowest number typically
used for projecting an outcome.Stronger
estimates of representativeness may
befound in larger sample sizes of 400 or
500, said Witeck. Or repeated queries
with the same questions over time.
That, Witeck said, is why the pollsters
used a scientic technique known as
weighting a method described by
the American Association for Public
Opinion Research, by which a researcher
adjusts the poll data in an attempt to
ensure that the sample more accurately
reects the characteristics of the
population from which it was drawn,
before solid conclusions can be made.
In this case, the raw number of 18- to
34-year-olds sampled was merely 100, and
the weighted number in the survey conducted
online amounted to just 66 people.
And a reminder: this survey was
conducted November 2nd through
LO CA L N E W S
November 4th, 2016 before Donald
Trump won the presidential election.
Thats very key, said Witeck. Timing
always matters.
Since Election Day 2016, there have
been signicant societal changes, with
more and more women, people of color
and LGBT Americans resisting, marching,
and running for oce. More people,
especially those 18 to 34, have come out.
None are reected in the Accelerated
Acceptance 2017 survey.
So why would Ellis cite outdated and
minimally representative data?
The survey was published in January,
which is why its titled Accelerating
Acceptance 2017, said the spokesperson.
What Sarah Kate is referring to in her
quote is the increase in anti-LGBTQ hate
crimes, anti-LGBTQ legislation, rollbacks
from the federal government, etc, that our
culture has been seeing lately.
He explained how they reached their
conclusions: The data and methodology
were generated by experts at Harris Poll,
one of the worlds most credible authorities
on public polling. GLAAD did not conduct
additional analysis of the data. Original
questions were a collaboration between
GLAAD and Harris Poll, with Harris Poll vetting
questions for statistical accuracy, he said.
The LGTBQ gure reects what happens
when additional answer options are
added to the list of sexual orientations and
gender identities in a survey. LGBTQ here
not only includes strictly binary terms (like
gay or straight), but the broad spectrum
of sexual orientation experiences (like
pansexual or asexual) as well as gender
expression separate from gender identity
(like genderqueer or agender), he said.
GLAAD is currently conducting a new
survey to see if the 2016 presidential
election will impact results.
Meanwhile, sexual harassment allegations
leveled against TV stars and producers have
signicantly impacted the entertainment
industryand who knows how many LGBT
characters will survive the repercussions.
 TAKE THE LEAD

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1 2 NO VEMB ER 1 7 , 2017
High marks for Calif. companies on HRCs Corporate Index
But enforcement
may be an issue
By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com
As the nations largest LGBT rights
lobbying organization, the Human Rights
Campaign often comes under criticism
from the LGBT community for its strategic
political decisions. But there is no doubt that
the nations corporate decision-makers take
HRCs Corporate Equality Index seriously
as they seek the best and brightest
employees and a loyal customer base.
Last week, HRC released
its 2018 Corporate Equality Index (CEI)
showing that 120 companies in
California are among a record number
of the nations major companies and
law firms advancing vital policies and
practices to protect LGBTQ workers
around the world.
This year, a record-breaking 609
businesses earned the CEIs top score of
100, up from 517 last year - a single-
LA County: Gay/Bi men at high risk for Hep A
Outbreak now
surging outside of
homeless population
By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com
Los Angeles County health ocials have
been watching with alarm as an outbreak
of highly contagious hepatitis A has spread
from San Diego to LA, leaving 20 people
dead and more than 600 ill, primarily
among the homeless. Last month, Gov. Jerry
Brown declared a state of emergency to
allow the state to buy vaccines directly from
manufacturers to ght the nations second
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
year increase of 18 percent. This record
sets a new high water mark for corporate
leadership over the 15-year history of the
CEI, according to an HRC press release. In
total, 947 companies and law rms were
ocially rated in the new CEI, up from 887
in last years. The report also unocially
rated 137 Fortune 500 companies, which
have yet to respond to an invitation to
participate in the CEI survey assessing
their LGBTQ policies and practices.
largest outbreak in more than two decades.
This could be a huge public health
crisis, L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn
said at the Nov. 7 Board of Supervisors
meeting, with the homeless, drug users,
rst responders and gay and bisexual men
most at risk for the hepatitis A virus that
causes liver disease. As of Nov. 10, there
were 29 cases in L.A. County.
Gay and bisexual men annually make up
10 percent of all new U.S. cases, according
to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. There were 13 gay or bisexual
men infected in San Diego County this year.
The sheer number of cases is whats
alarming, Dr. Adam Cohen, director of advocacy
and policy research for the AIDS Healthcare
In California, the average ranking for the
120 companies and law rms is 91 with 81
earning 100 points, 15 earning 90 points
and above, and 10 earning 80 points and
above. The report spells out its criteria and
breaks down the ranking accordingly for a
number of dierent categories.
HRC considered external factors at work
regarding two complaints against Walmart
brought by the Transgender Legal Defense
and Education Fund before the Equal
Foundation, told the Los Angeles Times.
Dr. Prabhu Gounder, a medical
epidemiologist with L.A. Countys public
health department, noted that some of
the infected gay men had traveled to other
areas with recent large gay outbreaks,
including Colorado, New York, Chile and
several countries in Europe. What we
were concerned about is that were at the
beginning of a similar trend in L.A, and we
wanted to get ahead of that, Gounder said.
The hepatitis A virus is most commonly
spread through contaminated food it
has even infected people whove eaten
contaminated frozen berries. But it can also
be spread from person to person through
sexual contact or through even a microscopic
LO CA L N E W S
Hundreds of top American companies are
driving progress toward equality in the
workplace, saidHRC President CHAD GRIFFIN.
BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC). As a result, HRC suspended its
rating of the corporate giant, pending
remedial action.
At a time when the rights of LGBTQ
people are under attack by the Trump-
Pence administration and state legislatures
across the country, hundreds of top
American companies are driving progress
toward equality in the workplace,
saidHRC President Chad Grin.
amount of contact with feces on unwashed
hands or hands washed without soap.
Symptoms are: fever, fatigue, nausea,
loss of appetite, jaundice (yellowing of
eyes or skin), stomach pain, vomiting, and
dark urine, pale stool, and diarrhea.
Free vaccines are available at county
health clinics, including the Hollywood/
Wilshire Public Health Center on
Melrose Avenue. Visit your doctors
oce, a pharmacy, or call 2-1-1 to nd a
local clinic or doctor. Also make sure to
conrm your pharmacy oers hepatitis A
vaccinations and if it is free, covered by
insurance or what it costs.
For more information, go to the Public
Health website.
 In adults with HIV on ART who have diarrhea not caused by an infection
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What is Mytesi?
Mytesi is a prescription medicine that helps relieve symptoms of diarrhea not caused by
an infection (noninfectious) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART).
Important Safety Information
Mytesi is not approved to treat infectious diarrhea (diarrhea caused by bacteria, a virus,
or a parasite). Before starting you on Mytesi, your healthcare provider will first be sure that you
do not have infectious diarrhea. Otherwise, there is a risk you would not receive the right medicine
and your infection could get worse. In clinical studies, the most common side effects that occurred
more often than with placebo were upper respiratory tract (sinus, nose, and throat) infection
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This is only a summary. See complete Prescribing Information at
Mytesi.com or by calling 1-844-722-8256. This does not take the place
of talking with your doctor about your medical condition or treatment.
What Is Mytesi?
Mytesi is a prescription medicine used to improve symptoms of
noninfectious diarrhea (diarrhea not caused by a bacterial, viral, or
parasitic infection) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on ART.
Do Not Take Mytesi if you have diarrhea caused by an infection. Before
you start Mytesi, your doctor and you should make sure your diarrhea is
not caused by an infection (such as bacteria, virus, or parasite).
Possible Side Effects of Mytesi Include:
Upper respiratory tract infection (sinus, nose, and throat infection)
Bronchitis (swelling in the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs)
Cough
Flatulence (gas)
Increased bilirubin (a waste product when red blood cells break down)
For a full list of side effects, please talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor if
you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.
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call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Should I Take Mytesi If I Am:
Pregnant or Planning to Become Pregnant?
Studies in animals show that Mytesi could harm an unborn baby or
affect the ability to become pregnant
There are no studies in pregnant women taking Mytesi
This drug should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed
A Nursing Mother?
It is not known whether Mytesi is passed through human breast milk
If you are nursing, you should tell your doctor before starting Mytesi
Your doctor will help you to decide whether to stop nursing or to stop
taking Mytesi
Under 18 or Over 65 Years of Age?
Mytesi has not been studied in children under 18 years of age
Mytesi studies did not include many people over the age of 65. So it is
not clear if this age group will respond differently. Talk to your doctor to
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What Should I Know About Taking Mytesi
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If you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicine, herbal
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Copyright Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Mytesi comes from the Croton lechleri tree harvested
in South America.
14 N OV E M B E R 17, 201 7 NEWS

Danica Roem wins!

On Nov. 7, trans Virginia state candidate DANICA ROEM makes history by soundly defeating
Republican bathroom bill incumbent Bob Marshall, becoming rst trans state legislator.

BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

From state legislatures to city

councils to school boards, we
continue to grow our inuence and
political power in ways unimaginable
even a decade ago,
said Victory Fund President & CEO Aisha C. Moodie-Mills.

It was a tactical decision to take a

step in the direction of getting what
we ultimately wanted,
former HRC President Joe Solmonese tells the Washington Blade about the Nov. 7, 2007
vote on the controversial gay-only version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act
that rocked the LGBT movement.

[T]ake Joseph and Mary.

Mary was a teenager and Joseph
was an adult carpenter. They
became parents of Jesus,
Alabama State Auditor Jim Ziegler dismissing the allegation that extremely
anti-LGBT Senate candidate Roy Moore molested a 14-year-old girl when he
was a 32-year-old district attorney.
1 6 NO VEMB ER 1 7 , 2017 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM NATIONAL NEWS

AIDS advocates demand Kenneth Coles amfAR resignation

Kenneth Coles AIDS Awareness campaigns

mixed business with advocacy.

IMAGE COURTESY OF KENNETHCOLE.COM

Controversial Harvey people with HIV/AIDS, frontline clinicians,
Weinstein deal at issue researchers, activists and our closest allies
to be fully accountable to the community
and totally focused on achieving its mission.
By KAREN OCAMB At issue is Coles complicity with Weinstein,
kocamb@losangelesblade.com a longtime amfAR supporter, who allegedly
used the AIDS organization to make money
Money cant buy you love! The old back on an outside deal. According to the
Beatles lyric underpins the latest criticism New York Times, the Hungton Post and
of designer Kenneth Cole after news NBC News, in 2015, Weinstein donated
reports revealed that as board chair for the two items to be auctioned at amfARs
American Foundation for AIDS Research, annual Cannes Film Festival benet, which
Cole made a controversial arrangement he chaired. In exchange, he wanted some
with Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein of the money raised by those sales to go
to split the proceeds from two amfAR to the American Repertory Theater (ART)
auction items, without approval from without full disclosure.
the board. More than 60 prominent AIDS Weinstein had invested in a staging of
activists and supporters have called for Finding Neverland at ART before it hit
Coles resignation. Broadway, with the understanding that
We, as people living with HIV, ART would pay him back with money he
advocates, allies, funders and policy and got a third party to donate to the theater.
service professionals, urge Kenneth Cole, NBC News reports: After the auction, Cole
and remaining board members who directed that $600,000 to be wired to ART
supported this inappropriate transaction, at the request of Weinsteins oce, over
to resign from amfARs Board of Trustees, the concerns of amfARs chief executive
reads the Nov. 13 letter, spearheaded by and without board approval, according to
HIV positive POZ magazine founder Sean emails reviewed by NBC News.
Strub, who was recently elected mayor of Upon discovery of the deal, amfAR
Milford, Pennsylvania. launched internal investigations. Cole told
Kenneth Coles long tenure with amfAR NBC News that he subsequently urged
includes many meaningful achievements board members to sign nondisclosure
and raising signicant resources for HIV agreements about Weinsteinwho had
research, says the letter, posted at POZ. oered a contribution of $1 million if all
com. But it is time for amfAR which board members signed.
grew out of a grassroots community of Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have
issued subpoenas to amfAR for records and
emails related to the auction, and ART said
it was aware of and cooperating with the
investigation as well, NBC News reports.
The amfAR board hired an outside rm
that reviewed the arrangement and found
it lawful, according to the New York Times.
No one at amfAR would comment for
the LA Blade.
But for many AIDS activists, its a
bridge too far. Kenneths complicity
in Weinsteins unethical fundraising
transactions, along with the resulting
cover-up using forced non-disclosure
agreements and Weinsteins selected law
rm, risk doing real damage to amfARs
vitally important work in AIDS research
and policy issues, longtime AIDS activist
and former amfAR board member Peter
Staley said in a statement to NBC News.
Cole, in his statement to NBC News,
said the activists letter is based on a false
narrative and distortion of facts.
I have proudly served on the board of
amfAR for 30 yrs and as its chair for 13 of
them. We have had an impact in many of
the most important breakthroughs in the
ght against HIV and AIDS having raised
hundreds of millions of dollars for this
lifesaving work, he said. I have no intention
of abandoning that mission because of a
transaction that was determined to be legal
and ethical and was engaged in because it
served amfARs mission.
Any suggestion that I somehow
made this deal as a favor to Weinstein is
ridiculous and patently false, he added.
This is not the rst clash with Cole by AIDS
activists. In December 2013, for instance,
Strub took issue with a documentary on
HBO nanced by Cole called The Battle
of Amfar. The lms promotional material
emphasizes a melodramatic mistruth
about the founding of the organization,
Strub wrote on his website, seanstrub.com.
But what really angered Strub was an
interview Cole did with Chelsea Handler.
This (his rst involvement with AIDS)
was like 25 years ago and people werent
talking about AIDS then because stigma
was so devastating (and arguably stigma
has killed more people than the virus
itself has), andthe gay community wasnt
speaking up, they were afraid to, he said.
Ive got news for Ken Cole. Twenty-ve
years ago, it was almost solely members of
the gay community who were speaking up
about AIDS. In fact, in 1987, the executive
directors of almost all the national
lesbian and gay organizations protested
government inaction in an act of civil
disobedience and got arrested in front of
the White House, Strub wrote.
There is one point of agreement,
however, amfARs mission. amfAR
researchers have been working on
promising clinical trials for both a cure and
vaccine for HIVthe subject of amfARs
HIV Cure Summit in San Francisco on Nov.
28, in time for World AIDS Day.
LO C A L N E W S W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM N O V E MBE R 1 7 , 2 0 1 7 1 7

MAKE IT A GRINDER.
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LO C A L NEW S W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM O CO T BE R 0 6 , 2 0 1 7 3 1
1 8 NO VEMB ER 1 7 , 2017
Wins for trans candidates seen as nationwide clarion call
But experts have
diering views on
nature of the impact
By CHRIS JOHNSON
The historic wins by transgender
candidates in last weeks elections
are being widely interpreted to have
nationwide implications, although LGBT
political observers have dierent takes on
what those conclusions are.
The most high-prole win on Nov. 7
was transgender journalist Danica Roems
victory in Virginia over Del. Bob Marshall,
who has a decades-long history of anti-
LGBT views and this year introduced a
bill that would have banned transgender
people from using public restrooms
consistent with their gender identity. Shell
be the rst openly transgender person
elected and seated to a state legislator in
the history of the United States.
Other highlights include Andrea
Jenkins, a poet and activist, and Phillipe
Cunningham, a former special education
teacher, winning seats on the Minneapolis
City Council. Both are the rst openly
transgender people of color to win
election in the United States and the rst
out transgender candidates elected to a
city council in a major U.S. city.
Meanwhile, Tyler Titus won election to
the Erie School Board in Pennsylvania, Lisa
Middleton won election to the Palm Springs
City Council andStephe Koontz won a spot
on the Doraville City Council in Georgia.
Logan Casey, whos transgender and a
research associate at the Harvard Opinion
Research Program, said the wins are important
on their own for transgender visibility.
With so few transgender people in
oce, everyone is important, Casey
said. And so, theres one level on which
these wins are really important just for
trans people and the LGBTQ community
generally, saying that we can win elections.
We can be out, and be proud and be
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
From left, Virginia Delegate-elect DANICA ROEM (D-Prince William); Erie School Board Member-elect
TYLER TITUS; Minneapolis City Council Member-elect ANDREA JENKINS; and Palm Springs City
Council Member-elect LISA MIDDLETON.
ROEM AND JENKINS PHOTOS COURTESY OF RESPECTIVE CAMPAIGNS; TITUS AND MIDDLETON PHOTOS COURTESY FACEBOOK
ourselves and be successful.
But combined with other wins for
diversity, such as the election of a Sikh
mayor in New Jersey, Casey said the
transgender victories demonstrate
identity politics might not be a losing ticket
as critics have claimed.
Weve heard a lot of conversation in
the last year in particular about the idea
that too much focus on identity politics
loses elections for Democrats in general,
Casey said. I think that this is a really
strong signal that this is probably not the
case. Weve seen lots of dierent types of
candidates not just trans candidates,
but other ones running all across the
country being successful yesterday
and speaking openly about the various
aspects of their identities, and winning
their elections.
But with many anti-trans lawmakers in
state legislatures introducing legislation
that inhibit transgender peoples access to
the restroom, do the wins particularly
Roems over Marshall in Virginia send a
message those policies will lead to defeat
at the ballot?
Sean Meloy, political director for the
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, said he thinks
the transgender wins should serve as a
wake-up call to lawmakers planning anti-
trans policies.
People from the White House down
to school boards have been pushing anti-
trans legislation, and I think that theyre
going to take a moment to pause and think
that the author of anti-trans legislation
was just beaten by a transgender woman,
and I think thats going to give them
pause, Meloy said.
Casey, however, cautioned a lot of
things were in play in the election for the
13th district seat in Virginia and the result
on election night might not be about
NATIONAL NEWS
bathroom bills.
I am inclined to say Danica didnt win
because she was trans and Marshall had
introduced these bathroom bills, Casey
said. I think Danica won because she was
able to connect with constituents on local
issues like transportation and things that
are really important to her district, and she
had a really solid ground game and was
successful in fundraising. She beat Marshall
because she got back to the basics and was
able to connect with her voters.
Nonetheless, Casey said the defeat of
Marshall at the hands of Roem may give
caution to lawmakers about how much
of an issue to make about trans issues in
particular during a campaign.
It may not change their voting behavior,
or even what bills they introduce, because
thats a very dierent type of legislative
behavior, but in terms of how they actually
go about campaigning come next year, it
might provide some caution to folks who
are on the ticket, Casey said.
The wins could be a precursor for
transgender victories to come. Among
the winners could be Dana Beyer, whos
running for the seat in the Maryland
State Senate being vacated by Sen. Rich
Madaleno (D-Montgomery) in his bid to
become governor.
Beyer, whose attempt to challenge
Madaleno for the seat proved unsuccessful,
said the lessons from the transgender
wins are many, but include knowing to run
during a Democratic wave year.
Weve created enough acceptance
over the past 15 years in both America, in
general, and within the Democratic party,
in particular, that being trans (or any of
the other smaller minorities, such as Sikh)
is no longer a liability, but may actually be
an asset, Beyer said.
The Democratic wins in Virginia and New
Jersey were widely viewed as a stinging
rebuke to President Trump and LGBT
rights supporters are hopeful the trans
victories carry the same message to the
White House over his anti-LGBT actions.
2 0 NO VEMB ER 1 7 , 2017
AIDS at 37
remains a scourge
Still a major killer, with 1
million dying last year
MICHAEL WEINSTEIN is president of AIDS
Healthcare Foundation.
AIDS is about to turn 37it approaches
middle age. Still a major killermore than
one million people died of AIDS last year.
But tamed in comparison to its youth: 1.8
million new infections this year, down from
three million 10 years ago. Nevertheless,
since more people are becoming newly
infected than are dying, the epidemic is
still growing.
In commemoration of its 30th
anniversary, AIDS Healthcare Foundation
produced a lm, Keeping the Promise. travel long distances, wait for a long time
Watching archival footage reminds us of
just how far we have come in the battle
against AIDS and how horrifying those
early years were. So, when we celebrate
World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, there is a lot to
be thankful for. A disease having its own
holiday may seem odd, yet it is more
important than ever that we remember
everyone we have lost as well as the
people who need our help today: the 20
million people who remain untreated
for HIV, as well as preventing another
generation from becoming infected with
this still deadly disease.
As a child of a lower middle-class
family, I remember how my father would
always talk about living through The Great
Depression. As a kid who wanted a toy or
a treat of some kind, I really didnt want
WWW .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
to hear about the struggles of my fathers
childhood. Likewise, talking to millennials
about the ravages of AIDS in the 80s and
90s may leave them cold or even sound
like a scold. So, forgive me for saying that
AIDS remains one of the dening issues
of our time and reminding you that those
who do not learn from history are doomed
to repeat it.
A cure or a vaccine for HIV is not yet
on the horizon. Despite tens of billions of
dollars and decades of work, there is no
tangible progress toward a magic bullet
that will stop all new infections and rid
HIV from the bodies of those who have it.
The best news is that people who receive
treatment and whose virus is under control
are rendered non-infectious to others.
Treatments for HIV have never been
better. One pill, once-a-day is now
the norm, with lower side eects and
toxicities; however, HIV treatment still
means taking medication every day for a
lifetime. But these lifesaving treatments
are still beyond the reach of most people
living with HIV in the world. People living
in poor countries in many instances must
this battle have come from our community.
and cannot access the best drugs. At this
moment of maximum hope, AIDS is no
longer front-page news and donors are
cutting back on their funding.
Prevention of HIV hasnt changed much
from the beginning. Yes, there is Truvada
for PrEP. But adherence is spotty and the
people taking it are not the ones most at
riskyouth and men of color. And once
again, it is a pill taken every day and there
are side eects. Whether we like them or
not, condoms remain the best defense
against HIV.
Sometimes we forget that HIV is an
STD. It is transmitted the same way
that chlamydia or gonorrhea is spread,
through the exchange of bodily uids
during sex. The spread of HIV took o
in the 80s because we did not heed the
VIEWPOINT
warnings about using condoms and
reducing the number of sexual partners
we had. Today the number of STD cases is
exploding. Apps are the digital bathhouses
of our time: a closed network of people in
a limited geography facilitate the rapid
spread of infections. Yet little is being
done about STDs at the government or
community level. The more STD infections
go up, the less funding is available to test
and treat them. Community organizations
run irresponsible campaigns that urge
people to fuck without fear.
We are headed over the falls in a barrel.
Gonorrhea is becoming resistant to all the
current medications to treat it. Syphilis,
which was on the verge of elimination
in this country, is roaring back. The
condom culture that we worked so hard
to establish is being destroyed. Just as
we did in the 80s, the only way that we
can reverse this devastating trend is on
a grassroots community basis, which will
take courageous leadership.
The LGBTQ community has played a
crucial historic role in the war against AIDS.
So many of the most important heroes in
All material in the Los Angeles Blade is protected by federal copyright
We understand the devastation of AIDS and
also the empowerment that comes from
taking action in our own defense. We have
many lessons to share with others around
the world. Perhaps our most important role
is to not allow the world to forget AIDS and
to require everyone from our governments,
churches, educational institutions,
community organizations and society as a
whole to keep the promise to not give up
the ght against HIV until we have won.
AHF will continue to keep its promise. We
are currently treating more than 820,000
patients in 15 states and 39 countries.
We will break the one million mark in 50
countries in the foreseeable future. We
will continue to partner with anyone,
anywhere who shares our commitment to
ending AIDS - the scourge of our time.
VOLUME 01 ISSUE 18
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V I E W PO I NT
What does it mean to be all-gender affirming?
The new director of PFLAG
National isnt afraid to ask
Dr. JAIME M. GRANT is executive director of
PFLAG National.
Ive only been in the executive director
chair at PFLAG National for 10 weeks
and the revolutionary moment we are
in around gender, gender identity, and
gender expression could not be more
evident. PFLAG chapters all over the
nationindeed all over the world
are experiencing a signicant inux of
parents with very young transgender and
gender-expansive children. Much like the
parents of lesbian, gay and bi kids in the
70s, many of these parents step into their
local PFLAG chapter meeting with a mix of
bewilderment, deep worry, and relief.
Today, the parents of youth who
identify as a gender dierent from the
one checked o on a birth certicate face
a mountain of barriers to raising healthy
kids. Even in families that wholeheartedly
embrace their childs authentic gender,
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
prevailing wisdom among many
therapists, caregivers, teachers, coaches,
clergy and mentors may be dangerously
misinformed and destructive to their
childs growth and well-being.
PFLAGs approach as we welcome more
and more of these parents to the family
is to create spaces that maximally serve
them and their families. This includes
researching and developing lists of local,
regional, and national resources that
are all-gender arming, staying current
and creating additional anity support
group meetings to the chapter schedule
for parents who are desperate for safer
spaces among parents navigating the
same dicult waters.
What exactly does it mean to be all-
gender arming? In 2007, I was a principal
researcher for the rst National Transgender
Discrimination Survey (NTDS). Our ndings
were published in the groundbreaking
book Injustice at Every Turn, in 2011. At the
time, 840 of our 6,500 respondents did not
identify as male or female, and wrote in 500
distinct identiers for their genders. Some
of my favorites were Gender Pirate. Gender
Mosaic. Hybrid. NoGender. Genderfabulist.
Many had no desire for hormones or
medical procedures. Others found gender-
conrming medical procedures essential to
their gender journey.
Gender-expansive respondents in the
NTDS were largely younger than people in
the full sample. They demonstrated both
resistance and whimsy in their write-ins,
N O V E MBE R 1 7 , 2 0 1 7 2 1
refusing to t into a gender box created by have barely been able to dene trans-
people and systems with a very rigid gender arming policies and practices that
agenda. While I see many negative posts work for our binary-embracing kids. But
about gender-expansive kids as being the good news is, we have done it. We
nothing more than special snowakes know what a healthy trans childhood
or privileged, helicopter-parented kids, and adolescence looks like thanks to
the reality is that genderqueer kids in grassroots work by thousands of trans
the study were more often kids of color, activists, parents and families of trans
living in poverty, and bi-identied than youth, and trans-arming allies. We
respondents who identied as male or have strong community-based research,
female. Far from being overindulged they best practices, and good legislation. And
were often suering under some of the despite the many who arent informed
worst oppression our society dishes out. or arming, we do have great all-gender
The other thing that many of us dont arming therapists, caregivers, teachers,
recall is that those noisy 70s feminists coaches, clergy and mentors. But we still
beside whom we were marching in those have many mountains to climb.
early PFLAG-founding pride protests were We must climb them simultaneously. In
among the rst scholars to note that gender the 2017 US Transgender Survey published
categories were a ction, made up to punish by NCTEjust ten years following the original
anyone who challenged gender norms, study8,000 of its 25,000 trans participants
especially lesbian, gay, bi and transgender identied as non-binary or gender expansive.
people. Gender rigidity has always been I havent looked at this data closely, but I
the foundation of homo- and bi-phobias, am certain that these 8,000 respondents
deeming sissy boys and mannish dykes as provided us with many more than the 500
the most deviant and dangerous of queers. genders that were named in 2007.
Schools, churches, sports teams, youth This should be a source of joy for all of
leadership, and support programs are us because, unlike the childhoods LGBTQ
largely unprepared for our gender-expansive people in my generation survived, this
kids. We know this because it has been a generation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans
very steep climb making these institutions and gender-expansive kids are claiming and
supportive of trans kids who do t into the naming themselves at much younger ages.
binary. Creating all-gender arming spaces Together, well carve innovative pathways
means we must create policies and practices through the many institutions that encumber
that serve kids of all gendersthose in the and thwart our youth. Lets all get ready. Our
binary, and those beyond. kids deserve nothing less than an all-out, all-
I know, I know. It seems like a lot. We gender celebration.
2 2 NO VEMB ER 1 7 , 2017 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM VIEWPOINT

Losing a lover to AIDS before or after.

My years with Rob are The dierences between Rob and me
how I measure time now were considerable. Rob was very well
read and graduated magna cum laude
from Harvard. I barely made it through
high school. Rob was compulsive about
neatness and order. I would leave my
clothes in a pile where I removed them. I
had been living on my own since I was 17
and had developed street smarts that Rob
never did.
In fact, he never stopped being naive.
But instead of allowing these dierences
GARY BARTON was an actor and former senior to become a wedge, we learned from each
vice president of production at Walt Disney Co. other because of them.
In 1992, along with his partner Rob Hershman
and Congresswoman Maxine Waters, he won Three years before he died, Rob told
the Leadership Award from AIDS ACTION in me he needed to pursue a spiritual path
Washington.
to deal with what he knew was in store
for him. He decided, having been born a
Jew, that he would study the Torah. Up
That last month, I could look only in his until then, he had no particular religious
eyes, for that is where he was. His face connection with Judaism, but like many
was covered with raw open sores. His gray Jews, he had a strong cultural bond.
translucent skin was stretched tautly from In typical fashion, he excelled in his
bone to bone. He had become a body with studies and for this, in that last month,
which I had no history. the rabbis with whom he was studying,
When I got scared, I held him in my arms honored him in a ceremony naming him
and stared into his eyes. They were clear a maggid. Maggid in Hebrew means: a
and beautiful and familiar. That is where teacher or storyteller.
we connected now. It is an honor that is rarely bestowed
That last month I remember as to a layperson and Rob was indeed
snapshots of black and gray. Even the honored. He had won many awards
blood Rob bled, in my memory, lacks color. including two Emmys and a Peabody
Time is distorted and that month seems award for journalism but this was the
much longer than a month is. I can still feel acknowledgement of which he was most
myself pushing away certain memories. proud. At that ceremony, our family and
It has been years since Rob died and friends listened as Rob spoke of how
the black ashes stay a little longer now, generations ago a persons character
and very slowly, like a photograph coming seemed to be so important, and that today
up in a darkroom tray, I begin to see the no one talks about character. Rob had
memory develop and x. When I met Rob, character. He was the most decent person
he was beginning to lose weight. I watched I have ever known.
him chart his unexplained fevers daily. That last month, we had another
A friend commented that he thought ceremony at our home. For a long
I was courageous to get involved with time Rob had wanted some formal
someone who was beginning to get sick. acknowledgement of our love. Id had no
Courage had nothing to do with it. I knew interest in emulating a tradition that had
after spending a few weeks with Rob, that never welcomed me. But one night, that
this was the man I would allow myself last month, I looked at Robs body in the
to love and with more diculty, allow to bed and decided I wanted to marry him.
love me. I committed to make the journey He was so riddled with pain that there was
of my life with him, not knowing where it a moan coming from him that seemed
would lead. It was quite simply, the wisest disconnected, as if his body was screaming
decision I ever made.
My years with Rob are how I measure
time now. Everything else comes either C O N T I N U E S O N PAG E 23
V I E W PO I NT W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM N O V E MBE R 1 7 , 2 0 1 7 2 3

As World AIDS Day nears, remembering a lover lost

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 2 2

but not his soul. He once described

the pain as a beehive in his brain with
thousands of killer bees swarming and
stinging him from within.
I wanted to give him this gift. And so, before
our closest friends, family, our dogs and our
doctors, we stood on our deck and celebrated
our love for each other. Not a commitment
ceremony really, for the commitment had
been made many years before. Rob was frail
and had trouble standing that Sunday, and
yet his face radiated enormous power and
strength. His eyes were present and lled
with tears of joy.
He died exactly one month to the day
with the gold band on his bony nger that
matched the one on mine. He was 41.
That last month seems nonlinear. The
events are jumbled up. Extraordinary
moments of profound joy mix with
unbearably painful ones. I didnt only lose
Rob that last month. I also said goodbye
to Paul Monette, my beloved friend and
fellow warrior, who died with his icy,
yellow hand sandwiched between mine.
For many seasons past, Paul and I
talked almost daily, sharing our anger and
comparing our t-cells. For 10 years we ran
neck and neck, only in this race the winner
comes in last. There was no room for
BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
anything or anyone that was not directly
connected to Robs care. Even mourning
Pauls death had to wait. that song is really hot and mean the room at Highgrove, which evidently had frightened Rob because he so hated
As our world became narrower, Robs same thing. I assumed that Rob was talking hundreds of Faberge eggs just sitting on the feeling of being disconnected to the
world of learning, teaching, and touching to Dani continuing one of his lessons. tables with no security. I thought it was very life at which he was clutching and
people seemed to expand. I often think of When he got o the phone I said, how is odd that Rob did not pick one up and put it marveling. His inability to study and
him sitting at the dining room table with Dani? He said ,oh, that was not Dani, it in his pocket but Rob was much too ethical meditate made the spiritual pain of being
our Guatemalan housekeeper Dani. Her was Prince Charles. I sadly thought Robs to do that. I viewed it more like taking on the drug as bad as the physical pain of
husband had forbid her to go to school to previous dementia had returned and as an ashtray from a hotel. What I thought not. It frightened me because it dulled the
improve her English. Rob oered to teach upsetting that was to me, I just let it go. was cool (and hot) was that Rob did not bright life force that shone in his eyes.
her, which he did until a week before he The next day Rob mentioned how nice it dierentiate how he spoke whether it was Rob began losing his vision that last
died, his patience vying with his pain. was for Prince Charles to call. With further to a housekeeper or to British royalty. That month before he died. He could not see
One of the things I so admired in Rob inquiry I discovered that Rob actually had was just part of who Rob was. The fact out but I could see in.
was his total lack of classism. I came been talking to the Prince. Rob had done that Rob never made a big deal about his That last month I took a photo of Rob in
home one day and overheard Rob on the a story about architecture when producing friendship with Prince Charles from before the desert. I look at it often. He is standing
telephone explaining to the person on news for CBS. He had interviewed Prince he and I met, was just one more example next to an also decrepit cactus, both
the other end how in American English it Charles at Highgrove House, his country of his genuine modesty and humbleness. looking up at the sky. Rob is beaming with
was common for certain words to have estate. They had kept up a correspondence That last month, Rob was diagnosed with unlimited joy and the desert bright, washed
an opposite denition such as cool and and a friendship and when Charles had a fungal infection that was literally eating out light seems to be originating from
hot, and yet in certain circumstances, they called Rob at CBS, he was informed of Robs through his sinuses to the bones surrounding within him rather than from the sun. Most
mean the same thing. condition and called him to wish him well. his brain. His physical pain was extraordinary of the time when I look at the picture, my
People could say that something was I remember Rob used to laugh when he and only slightly helped by morphine. tears blur my vision, but not my memory of
very cool as in that song is very cool or told the story about being left alone in a Morphine frightened both of us. It his eyes. Still, that is where he is.
 A KNOCKOUT! CASTS A BEAUTIFULLY EROTIC, SENSUAL SPELL.
-Chris Nashawaty, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

RAVISHING FILMMAKING AND PIERCING WISDOM.

-Justin Chang, LOS ANGELES TIMES

TIMOTHE CHALAMET AND ARMIE HAMMER SHOWCASE SOME OF

THE RICHEST CHEMISTRY IVE EVER WITNESSED IN A MOVIE. ITS SUBLIME.
-Matthew Jacobs, HUFFINGTON POST

!
( H I G H E S T R AT I N G )
SOME OF THE MOST EMOTIONAL
TRIUMPHANT AND HEARTBREAKING. MOMENTS IN FILM HISTORY.
-Tyler Coates, ESQUIRE
-Joshua Rothkopf, TIME OUT NEW YORK

A FILM BY LUCA GUADAGNINO

WWW.SONYCLASSICS.COM

OPENS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24

WEST LOS ANGELES HOLLYWOOD

at W. Pico & Westwood (310) 470-0492 at Sunset & Vine (323) 464-4226
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LOS ANGELES BLADE
FRI 11/17 FULL PAGE (10" x 10")
N O V E M B E R 1 7 2 0 1 7 V O L U M E 0 1 I S S U E 1 8 A meri c a s L G B T Q N e w s S our c e L O S A N G E L E S B L A D E . C O M 2 5

Previewing West Hollywoods AIDS Monument

STORIES will peer into the heart of an epidemic and the foundation of a community

By REBEKAH SAGER

The AIDS Monument will occupy West Hollywood Parks pool and auditorium area and the hearts and minds of WeHoans.

RENDERINGS BY URBAN ARTS PROJECT AND THE FOUNDATION FOR THE AIDS MONUMENT

In just a scant couple of years, West
Hollywood will finally have an AIDS monument.
Titled STORIES: The AIDS Monument,
it is meant to embody the bittersweet
history of a city originally created to
protect the LGBTQ community, and one
also profoundly impacted by the viral
epidemic that brought it to its knees.
Foundation for The AIDS Monument
executive director, Michael Ferrera says
the monuments mission is more than just
remembering the people who died, but
also a representation of a movement that
received its civil rights.
STORIES was designed by Australian
artist Daniel Tobin, of Urban Arts Project.
Tobin is well-versed in insinuating art
into a community with a message and a
ContinueS ON page 38
2 6 NO VEMB ER 1 7 , 2017
queery
ERIC & COR EY MAISON
By SUSAN HORNIK
You might have read the People
magazine article earlier this year that
proled Eric Maison and his daughter,
Corey. Formerly mother and son, the
two were watching a documentary about
a transgender girl, when they had a
moment of realization: they wanted to
be transgender. The Los Angeles Blade
spoke exclusively to them for this feature.
Originally from Las Vegas, Erica
was a stay-at-home mom of ve kids,
currently living in Detroit and exploring
Los Angeles for all the right reasons.
Both she and her son had felt
uncomfortable in their bodies, but they
didnt quite know how to articulate what
they were experiencing.
Eric Maison, 39, began transitioning to
become male in 2015, after his daughter
Corey, 14, began hormone treatment to
become female. Corey kept the name she
was born with but was assigned male sex
when he was. She has identied as female
since she was 2 years old
Maisons medical transition began in
2016.The two are now much happier,
working on a book deal and a possible
reality series.
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
How long have you been out and who
was the hardest person to tell?
Eric: I have been out since 2015, the
hardest person to tell was my husband.
Corey: I have been out for almost 5 years,
the hardest people to tell were my friends
honestly.
Whos your LGBT hero?
Eric: Corey is by far my LGBT hero.
Corey: Jazz Jennings is my hero, without
her sharing her story publicly I dont know
where I would be today.
Whats Los Angeles best nightspot,
past or present?
Corey: Santa Monica Pier is my fave, not
sure its actually a nightspot though.
Describe your dream wedding.
Corey: I would have a beautiful,
glamorous white wedding dress with a
ridiculously long train, and we would have
the ceremony on the beach barefoot.
What non-LGBT issue are you most
passionate about?
Eric: The homelessness and poverty
problem in America.
Corey: Bullying
What historical outcome would you
change?
BOTH: Trump being elected president.
Whats been the most memorable pop
culture moment of your lifetime?
Eric: The death of Michael Jackson
Corey: So many things...
2 0 G A Y Q U E ST I O N S F O R: E R I C & C O R E Y M A I S O N
On what do you insist?
BOTH: Equal human rights for all
What was your last Facebook post or
Tweet?
Corey: Last Facebook post was a
Delaware Today story about an unlikely
advocate for trans rights.
Eric: My last Facebook post said this: Life
is so precious. Be GRATEFUL every second
of every day for EVERYTHING you have. It
can all be gone in an instant.
If your life were a book, what would
the title be?
Eric: You Really Wouldnt Believe If It I
Told You Anyway
Corey: How I Made It Through
If science discovered a way to change
sexual orientation, what would you
do?
Both: Nothing
What do you believe in beyond the
physical world?
Eric: I believe in a higher power, I call it
the Universe. I believe that we are all
energy that is connected, and the higher
power is inside all of us.
Corey: I believe we are all God.
Whats your advice for LGBT movement
leaders?
Eric: Keep advocating and educating until
we all have equal rights. I also want to
thank every LGBT leader for their eorts
and hard work in this ght.
Corey: Please keep letting LGBT kids know
they have someone, and are never alone.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC MAISON
What would you walk across hot coals
for?
Eric: My family.
Corey: My family
What LGBT stereotype annoys you
most?
Eric: People not realizing that sexual
orientation and gender identity are 2
completely dierent things.
Corey: That trans women arent real
women.
Whats your favorite LGBT movie?
Eric: Denitely Love, Simon but it wont
be released until 2018, so The Danish
Girl
Corey: Not a movie, but the show Glee is
my fav
Whats the most overrated social
custom?
Both: EVERYTHING being gendered. Also
organized religion.
What trophy or prize do you most
covet?
Both: None
What do you wish youd known at 18?
Eric: What being Trans was so I might
have been able to transition earlier in life.
Corey: Lucky me, no?
Why Los Angeles?
Corey: Because its accepting, progressive,
and you can be yourself without
judgment.
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2 8 NO VEMB ER 1 7 , 2017
WeHo grapples with short-term rental regulations
BUT IN THE GIG-ECONOMY, HOME-SHARING IS A LIFESAVER FOR SOME LGBT PEOPLE
Ridiculous, Brad Keistler, a 75-year-old
gay man who owns a multiunit property near
the Pacic Design Center in West Hollywood,
said. He was referring to a proposed 90-day
cap on the number of room nights allowed
for hosted short-term rentals (STRs) now
before the WeHo City Council.
As you may be aware, how the home-
sharing economy is aecting communities
across the nation is a huge political football
right now. The City of LA is considering a
revision to its policies and cities from Palm
Springs to Pasadena to San Jose have all
drafted dierent laws.
Keistler said homesharing is good for so
many reasons. He enjoys meeting people
from all over the world, saying, I live alone and
like the company. For him, a 90-day restriction
on hosted STRs would be too restrictive, the
same phrasing Airbnbs Connie Llanos used
on a separate call with me.
Yet despite references to the proposed
90-day cap, in truth, its not the only option.
WeHos limit could become 180 days or
even remain at the current complete ban
on any STRs under 31 days, whether hosted
or not. Hosted means the property owner
(in some cases tenant) remains on the
property. Currently the city has no plans to
revise the ban on non-hosted STRs.
If Keistler had his way, there wouldnt
be a ban. He sees no need for it. It should
be said that he is a super host on Airbnb
with a 98% approval rating.
But super, or not, hes not alone.
Loren Lewis, a former model, lives in a
condo her son owns on Kings Road south of
Santa Monica Boulevard. Up until WeHos
2015 ban on STRs, and her homeowners
association also prohibiting them, she
rented out her second bedroom often.
While she said I love, love, love doing it
and that shes met wonderful people, she
also added: I need the money. Prior to the
ban, Lewis, a divorcee receiving no alimony,
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
By MICHAEL JORTNER
Airbnb rooms and apartments for short-term rent is the subject of much discussion in LA County.
West Hollywood City Council will chime in on the debate in December.
earned up to $2,500 per month renting out
her second bedroom, three times what she
received from Social Security.
Describing the proposed 90-day cap as
very limiting, Lewis prefers no cap at all
for hosted STRs. A limit, she said, makes it
hard to survive.
According to Airbnb, 25% of hosts
use STR income to avoid eviction or
foreclosure and 50% use STR income
as supplementation, to pay everyday
expenses, such as those for rent, a
mortgage, food and transportation. Hosts
in WeHo, they say, also earn $9,000 in
supplemental income every year.
WeHo, no stranger to the challenges
presented the gig and sharing economy, is an
aging city of mostly LGBT residents a majority
are 50+ and many Seniors are forced to nd
creative ways to supplement their income.
Juan Morales is 68 years old and HIV
positive. My income producing years were
robbed from me because of the AIDS crisis. I
have no savings and will have to work to the
end of my life, he said. But I earn almost half
my rent by hosting out of towners in my little
spare bedroom through Airbnb. If the city
restricts that Im forced out, Morales, a renter
PHOTO COURTESY OF AIRBNB
who also drives for Uber and Lyft, told the Los
Angeles Blade. Im not some rich landlord
warehousing entire buildings full of luxury
apartments for rent on Airbnb, he added.
WeHos City Council seems to be
listening to hosts concerns, those outlining
the monetary necessity of STRs, as well as
those admitting they just rent out a room
for personal satisfaction.
Still, opponents raise many objections.
They point to noise, like loud music and
partying, trac congestion and losing the
peace of mind of simply knowing ones
neighbors. As for non-hosted rentals, the
biggest issue is the reduction of available
long-term rental units driving up rents.
Keistler said hes had no complaints
from neighbors, so doesnt really get
the concerns about safety or strangers
renting from him. Tourists just come here
to sleep. They are out all the time.
He added that Airbnb is self-regulating.
Hosts and renters post reviews online after
a transaction and stressed how that can
go both ways. In his view, this mechanism
generally ensures a high-quality customer
because the community decides.
As for trac concerns, Lewis said
O U T & A BO U T
most of her guests use Uber so they
have no car. And regarding safety, she
is cautious about whom she rents to.
There are verication processes in place
hinting at Airbnbs online process but
acknowledged concerns are legitimate if
nobody is on the property.
The dierence between hosted and
non-hosted may be the line in the sand.
Three random WeHo residents who
are not part of the home-sharing economy
with any online service were asked for
their perspective.
Rafael Bunuel, who owns a home on
Rangely Ave. in the WeHo West area, says
hosted STRs are OK because he trusts his
neighbors. Not so with non-hosted. Who
do I call if theres too much noisethe
renters or the police?
And Michael Rosenblatt, who rents one
half of a duplex in the same area echoed
that concern about non-hosted, saying,
Who is going to rent it? For hosted, hes
ne with it because he knows his neighbor
on the other side of his wall would address
any problems from renters.
For all I know they may already be doing
it, a middle-aged co-owner of a four-unit
property just north of Pavilions in WeHo
said. Preferring to remain anonymous, he
was referring to whether his neighbors rent
out their homes or spare rooms for STRs.
For him, there is no correlation with
issues like noise or safety. Based upon his
experience living in various areas of LA,
such concerns may be more of a problem
with long-term renters.
Its not about renting short term, he said,
its about the people. In his view, people
coming to WeHo for STRs are generally
professionals in need of corporate housing,
or tourists with high incomes, two demos
he is not worried about.
CONTINUES AT LOSANGELESBLADE.COM
THEATER
Queer love transitions in Rotterdam
The Dutch city of Rotterdam which
provides both name and setting for the
excellent Jon Brittain play now running at
the Skylight Theatre Company is not a
place where people stay. Ships come in and
ships go out, but none remains for long.
Contrary to this observation, the two
characters at the center of this Olivier-
winning comedy have been there for
seven years.
Alice and Fiona, a pair of expatriate
English women, are lovers who have
put o returning to Britain so that Alice
can avoid coming out to her parents.
Now, nally, on New Years Eve, Alice has
composed an email revealing to them her
long-kept secret; but just as shes about to
send it, Fiona decides to make a coming-
out of her own. She announces that she
has always identied as a man, and that
she wants to start living as one.
You might expect such a revelation
to come as the culmination to a lengthy
exploration of gender and identity but in
Rotterdam, its just the beginning.
Fionas moment of truth provides a
jumping o point for Brittains script, which
proceeds to navigate its characters through
a tangle of obstacles and repercussions.
To begin with, there are the practical
considerations of transitioning physical
presentation, decisions about surgery,
picking a new name (the choice is Adrian).
Overwhelming as these may be, they are
relatively straightforward matters; less
so is the eect it has on Alice who, after
spending a lifetime working up the courage
to embrace her identity as a lesbian is
suddenly faced with the fact that the woman
she loves is no longer a woman.
Weve often seen stories about the
eects of gender transition in pairings
between straights, but here we get
the perspective of a same-sex couple.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the core issue is
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
BUT CAN IT SURVIVE?
By JOHN PAUL KING
AUDREY CAIN and MIRANDA WYNN co-star in Rotterdam, a play by Jon Brittain.
not much dierent when your sexual
identity is dened by the gender to which
you are attracted, what happens when the
person you love changes theirs?
As Brittains play makes clear, its a
complex question made even more
dicult to answer when it is woven into
a web of relationships with siblings, ex-
lovers, parents, and that sexy young thing
from the oce.
In Skylights crisp, entertaining
production of this deceptively funny
Olivier-winner, director Michael A.
Shepperd and his superb young cast
display a shrewd understanding of the
emotional whirlwind that underpins its
provocative sit-com premise. As they
amuse us with sparkling banter and
comedic complications, they chart the
treacherous territory of personal gender
politics with a disarming lightness of touch
presenting a balanced examination of
this multifaceted situation even as they
PHOTO BY ED KRIEGER; COURTESY OF SKYLIGHT THEATRE
invite us to laugh at it.
Much of the shows weight rests on the
shoulders of Ashley Romans and Miranda
Wayne as Fiona and Alice, respectively
and both give star performances. Romans
strikes an impressive balance between
condence and vulnerability, never leaving
us in doubt of her characters innate
masculinity or generosity of spirit as
she transforms. In portraying the conict
between unconditional support for her
partner and concern for her own needs,
Wayne may have the bigger challenge; she
succeeds brilliantly, creating an eminently
likeable character and illuminating her
dilemma with humanity. Together, they
make an endearing, believable, and heart-
rending couple.
The other half of this four-person cast
are every bit as stellar. As Josh, Ryan
Brophy performs the potentially thankless
task of representing the straight/white/
cis-gender/male ally viewpoint with easy-
N O V E MBE R 1 7 , 2 0 1 7 2 9
going, self-deprecatory charm; and Audrey
Cain is sly and utterly delicious as Lelani,
Alices free-spirited co-worker, bringing
layers of unexpected depth to a role which
for a less skillful actress might have
played merely as a goofy caricature.
At the helm, Shepperd steers his
actors through the physical space as
deftly as he does through the emotional.
Cleverly-choreographed scene changes,
accompanied by brash and blaring Euro
hip-hop, move the action from place to
place across a boldly stylized cityscape
representing the plays eponymous locale.
A neon-avored mlange of modernist,
art deco, and brutalist inuences designed
by Je McLaughlin, this visually stunning
set serves to make the city itself a place
of transition, through which people only
pass on their way to someplace else -- an
omnipresent metaphor for change.
That, of course, is what Rotterdam is
really all about.
Though it addresses the subject through
the lens of trans and lesbian experience,
Brittains brilliant play is truly universal in
its scope. When it opens, Fiona and Alice
are deeply bonded and sure of each other;
in a single moment, everything changes.
The ground upon which their relationship
has been built has shifted, and it is by no
means certain that either of them will be
able to make the adaptations necessary
for it to survive.
Anyone who has been in a long-term
relationship straight, gay, trans, or otherwise
will certainly recognize that situation.
To put it metaphorically, weve all been
to Rotterdam.
Rotterdam by Jon Brittain opens at 8:30
p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11 and plays at 8:30 p.m.
on Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. on Sundays;
and 8 p.m. on Mondays through Dec. 11, 2017.
Skylight Theatre.1816 1/2 N. Vermont Ave, LA,
90027. Tickets are $15 - $41. Reservations: 213-
761-7061 or or 866-811-4111. Online at http://
SkylightTix.com
3 0 NO VEMB ER 1 7 , 2017 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM F I LM

Call Me By Your Name, a romance for the ages

A GAY LOVE STORY TOLD WITHOUT JUDGMENT OR APOLOGY

By DAVID EHRENSTEIN and JOHN PAUL KING

Left to right: ARMIE HAMMER as Oliver and TIMOTHE CHALAMET as Elio

PHOTO BY SAYOMBHU MUKDEEPROM; COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

The most shocking thing about Call Me
By Your Name is that it isnt as shocking
as you might think.
If youve been following the news even
in passing over the last few months then
you know that intergenerational gay
relationships have sprung up as a kind
of cultural third rail, but director Luca
Guadagnino, armed with a screenplay
adapted by James Ivory from Andre Acimans
bestselling novel, shows no prurient interest
in exploring this topic. Call Me By Your
Name which details the summer ing professors son Elio (Timothee Chalamet)
between a 24-year-old man and the 17-year-
old son of his employer unfolds as a sweet-
spirited romantic idyll, blithely unconcerned
with societal disdain, and therefore at a
considerable (and comfortable) remove
from the current brouhaha.
Set in northern Italy in 1983, the lm
takes place in the home (and surrounding
bucolic environs) of Professor Perlman
(Michael Stuhlbarg) who specializes in the
study Greco-Roman culture. Every summer,
the professor hosts a learned acolyte to
assist with his work; this year its a youthful,
vigorous and very handsome scholar named
Oliver (Armie Hammer). This new arrival in
the household catches the interest of the
Guadagnino and his actors emphasize
and the feeling is mutual. Though each feigns
indierence, as the summer progresses
their attraction becomes impossible to
ignore, until it blossoms into a full-blown
albeit secretive romance.
Again, it cant be emphasized strongly
enough how un-sensational this all is.
There is none of the heavy breathing of
Brokeback Mountain nor even the guilt-
haunted caressing (and accompanying
social angst) of Ivorys gay classic, Maurice.
Indeed, when the sex nally happens (no
spoiler there anyone walking into this
lm is sure to be expecting it), although
undeniably erotic, it is handled with a
kind of staid observational academicism.
has survived several misres largely on the
tenderness and feeling, capturing the
magic of rst-time dalliance in a way that
makes it seem, if not wholly innocent, at
least entirely wholesome.
Of course, although the sex is a crucial
element, its not all there is to Call Me By
Your Name. More than a romance, the
lm is really a coming of age story a key
aspect that benets greatly from Chalamets
remarkable performance. He commits
completely to revealing all the complex,
contradictory impulses that accompany
his rite of passage; its an unforgettable
portrait of a boys journey to manhood,
accomplished with rare insight and honesty.
As for Hammer an actor whose career
strength of his impossibly good looks he
oers a less showy, but equally eective
CONTINUES ON PAGE 35
F I LM W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM N O V E MBE R 1 7 , 2 0 1 7 3 1

Out in the Country

GODS OWN DEPICTS RURAL BRIT SNAPSHOT OF GAY LIFE

By BRIAN T. CARNEY

When Gods Own Country, the excellent

new movie by the openly gay English
lmmaker Francis Lee, opens, Johnny Saxby
(the outstanding Josh OConnor) spends his
nights drinking and picking up strange men
at the local pub and spends his mornings
puking his guts out.
Its all too easy to understand why. He
spends his days working on the desolate
family farm in the harsh hills of Yorkshire.
His father Martin (Ian Hurt) has limited
mobility after a stroke, but still has the time
and energy to belittle his son and boss him
around. His grandmother Deirdre (the stony
Gemma Jones, whose face is as weathered
as the cruel countryside) isnt much warmer.
Things start to change when Gheorghe
Ionescu (Alex Secareanu) enters the scene.
Hes a migrant worker from Romania that
JOSH OCONNOR (left) and ALEC SECAREANU in Gods Own Country
the family has reluctantly hired to help
PHOTO COURTESY OF DALE FILMS LTD./BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE
them out for a few months during lambing
season. When Johnny and Gheorghe go to
the high pastures to tend the ock, they faced by Johnny and Gheorghe have more Even though Gods Own Country is oer richly textured performances. As
begin to develop feelings for each other. to do with Johnnys fear of intimacy than Lees rst feature-length lm, his directoral Johnnys gru family, Jones and Hart avoid
Their rst sexual encounter, like with societal disapproval. In fact, his old work is masterful. The pacing is steady caricature and deliver inty but well-
Johnnys other pickups, is brief and brutal, schoolmate Robyn (a delightfully quirky and assured and the momentum never rounded characters.
little more than a wrestling match with Patsy Ferran) acknowledges his sexuality falters. Each shot is beautifully composed, Lee is equally adept at working with the
orgasms at the end. But their feelings when she oers to introduce him to a gay but never draws attention to itself. animals who play such an important role in
begin to change and deepen as they work friend from college. With an able assist from director of the lm. While the baby lamb that Gheorghu
together and develop a deep mutual Johnnys problem is that he has shut photography Joshua James Richard, saves is adorable and brings some much-
respect for each other. Gheorghe awakens down emotionally, a reasonable response Lee achieves a minor miracle. As spring needed levity to the proceedings, its
a tender passion in Johnny and the two to the harsh conditions of his life. When returns to the moors, and as Johnnys heart presence is balanced by the sickly calf that
men begin to plan a life together. Gheorghe nally breaks through Johnnys begins to thaw, color and life return to the Martin forces Johnny to shoot and the dead
The storyline and landscape may bring reserve and coaxes a smile out of him, the unforgiving landscape. There can be great lamb that Gheorghu skins.
to mind Ang Lees Brokeback Mountain, screen lights up. beauty in the countryside where Lee was Gods Own Country is a bracing and
but while the two lms may share some As both writer and director, Frances Lee born, and his love of the land infuses every beautiful lm. It is forthright and sensitive in
cinematic DNA, Gods Own Country is a very creates complex characters and situations frame. The work is still hard and lthy, but its depiction of gay sexuality and refreshing
dierent movie. In Brokeback Mountain, with impressive eciency. Given the life on the moors has its rewards. in its focus on the fear of intimacy rather
Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar can only dream taciturn nature of the characters, the Lee also draws great performances than homophobia (whether external or
of a life together. Facing poverty, internalized dialogue is sparse, but every word pays from his talented cast. He made OConnor internalized). Lee writes and directs with
homophobia and extreme social prejudice, o. Sometimes the thick accents can he and Secareanu train on the farm where condence and grace and creates a rich
they both marry women and can only be hard to understand, but the intention is the movie was lmed, and their hard work portrait of the Yorkshire moors and the
together during shing trips. always clear. The script is richly nuanced makes scenes of delivering lambs and tough people who live there. Its a must-see
In Gods Own Country, set in a very and deeply moving, leavened with rare but tending the land look entirely believable. lm and deserves to be a contender during
dierent time and place, the challenges joyous moments of love and laughter. The two have an easy chemistry and awards season.
3 2 NO VEMB ER 1 7 , 2017 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM F I LM

Justice League a strong action lm with heart

SUPPORTING CAST SHINES IN LONG-AWAITED SUPERHERO ADVENTURE

By BRIAN T. CARNEY

he admits, his only superpower is that

The Flash, Batman and Wonder Woman team up in Justice League.
Justice League is great fun.
Directed by Zack Snyder (with an
uncredited assist from Joss Whedon)
from a screenplay by Chris Torres (with
a credited assist from Joss Whedon), the
lm pleasantly and eectively blends fast-
paced action sequences, frequent doses of
comedy, and enough engaging drama to
cover the exposition needed to launch the
next several movies in the DC Universe.
The plot kicks o when Bruce Wayne/
Batman (Ben Aeck), still feeling guilty
about the death of Superman (Henry Cavill),
battles a mysterious winged creature that
seems to feed on fear. At the same time,
after handily thwarting a terrorist attack,
Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot)
receives a warning of imminent danger
from her fellow Amazons.
The pair meet up and decide to bring
together an eclectic band of powerful
mists to ght Steppenwolf (voiced by
Ciarn Hinds), a nasty intergalactic villain
who wants to conquer the world. His
storyline, quite frankly, is rather confusing
and not very interesting, but that really
doesnt matter. Snyder and Torres (and
Whedon) wisely focus their energy on the
emergence of the Justice League and the
emotional journeys of the characters.
As seen in last years Batman v Superman:
Dawn of Justice, the other members of
the League are Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra
Miller), Victor Stone/Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and
Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa).
The acting, for the most part, is strong
and interesting. Gal Gadot is a cinematic
treasure. She looks great in the action
PHOTO COURTESY OF WARNER BROS.
sequences; shes erce and vulnerable
with plenty of charm, a warm sense of
humor and a deep concern for her fellow
superheroes and for all of humanity.
Miller, who recently came out as
bisexual, brings a nice blend of comedy
and social anxiety to the role, growing in
condence as he explores his powers.
Fisher is fascinating as an anguished young
man whose human parts are being slowly
replaced by machinery. Despite the poorly
designed costume and an underwritten
role, Momoa is ne as Aquaman, ready to
take his place in the cinematic kingdom.
The only real weak spot is Ben Aeck
who seems tired. Batman is the lynchpin
of the plot, but both the character and
his performance seem underdeveloped.
He has only his guilt and his gadgets; as
hes rich. Maybe its time for Batman to
recharge while he appears as a supporting
character, or maybe its time for a reboot.
The supporting cast is amazing
seasoned veterans who provide serious
support to the main cast and who bring
a depth of pathos, gravity, humor and
wisdom to the story. Theres Diane Lane as
the grieving Martha Kent and Amy Adams
as Lois Lane, Jeremy Irons as Alfred, Joe
Morton as Dr. Stone, Billy Crudup as Henry
Allen, Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta and
J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon.
Without them, the movie would be much
less interesting.
The movie generally looks lovely, with
beautiful establishing shots dening each
new location. Theres plenty of light so you
can see the actors faces and follow the
action clearly. The ght scenes are well
choreographed with a clear narrative ow
and ne ashes of humor. Snyder and his
crew (and Whedon) enjoy playing with the
timing of the action sequences; the other
characters slow down when viewed by the
Flash. Some of the special eects fall at
(the streaks of light that follow The Flash
need some rethinking), but for the most
part, things work well.
Fans will want to watch the lm for a
second time on streaming or DVD to make
sure they catch all of the inside jokes,
Easter eggs and evolving origin stories, but
everyone should see the lm in theaters
rst to enjoy the spectacle. The lm should
please both fans and neophytes.
Justice League is a strong action lm
with a warm heart and a pleasant sense
of humor. The characters bravely face
Steppenwolf, but even more importantly,
they face down their own fears and foibles
and help their comrades do the same. And
that, after all, is what being a superhero is
really all about.
T E L E V I SI O N
Holland Taylor is the magic in Stephen Kings Mr. Mercedes
There are many who believe that
like ne wine, we get better with time.
Nowhere is that more evident than with
Holland Taylor, who is the very denition
of living with grace.
The veteran lesbian actress will turn
75 next month and is thriving: in a
successful relationship with American
Horror Storys Sarah Paulson, guest
starring on the popular ABC comedy,
Speechless, and is one of the ensemble
cast members in Audience Networks
Mr. Mercedes, the TV adaptation of
Stephen Kings novel.
Quite a few people asking who
plays my mother in tomorrow nights
Thanksgiving episode of Speechless, it
is the GLORIOUS Holland Taylor and she
is bloody funny! Minnie Driver quipped.
Driver described Taylors excellent
character as a super snooty scary
mummy.
Taylor is used to playing brash
characters; in Mr. Mercedes, Taylor
plays an outspoken next-door neighbor;
a woman who prides herself on all things
aesthetically-pleasing, be it her rose garden
or her naked body, Ida tells it like it is.
It gave me a little trepidation, but Id
worked with David E. Kelley before, and
he has a tremendous intellectual grasp
in doing what he does, so I knew he had a
larger purpose, she told Cosmopolitan.
com. And now that Ive been in it, I
actually cant imagine seeing a story with
so many twisted and perverse events ...
without there being at least one person
whos sane, stable, and caring about that
main character.
Taylor is not a fan of the horror genre.
Im terried of the genre and Im not
overwhelmingly drawn to it any more
than I am to going on a death-defying
roller coaster. I read Mr. Mercedes, and
if the show goes on, which I hope it will,
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
AND IN LOVE ANEW AT 75
By SUSAN HORNIK
SARAH PAULSON and HOLLAND TAYLOR are a pair.
Ill read the next ones in the series. A lot
of people have commented to me that
its ridiculous to be so fearful and its not
PHOTO COURTESY OF FACEBOOK
that Im fearful, really I just dont like
to volunteer to be thrown o a cli with
anxiety. But I have to say his characters
N O V E MBE R 1 7 , 2 0 1 7 3 3
are so engaging. The minute you start
reading a Stephen King book, you are
going to nish it.
The New Yorker has called Holland
Taylor the rst vaudeville Gentile we ever
saw. Her New York stage performances
include Bess in Breakfast with Les and
Bess, the original productions of Butley,
opposite Alan Bates, and A.R. Gurneys
The Cocktail Hour.
In Los Angeles, Taylor has performed
in Kindertransport, and played opposite
Christopher Lloyd in Yasmina Rezas The
Unexpected Man at the Geen.
On television, Holland has been
nominated for the Emmy seven times,
winning Best Supporting Actress in a
Drama for the sexually popular Judge
Roberta Kittleson on The Practice.
On the red carpet at Emmy Awards,
Paulson gave a sweet shout-out to her
girlfriend on E! Hi, Holland, she said
on camera. If youre watching, Holland
Taylor, I love you.
And Holland is equally in adoration
of Paulson. During an episode of Radio
Andys Sandyland broadcast with host
Sandra Bernhard, Taylor said: I must
say it has to be part of what has to be
the most wonderful thing in my life, is
the whole embrace of this wonderful
relationship which makes everything
else make sense.
Im the luckiest person in the world.
I cant talk about my life today and not
mention this wonderful love.
Taylor has worked extensively in lm
and television, appearing in Romancing
the Stone, Jewel of the Nile, To Die
For, Next Stop Wonderland, One Fine
Day, George of the Jungle, The Truman
Show, Happy Accidents, Spy Kids (2 &
3), Keeping the Faith, Legally Blonde,
and Baby Mama, with Tina Fey and Amy
Poehler.
3 4 NO VEMB ER 1 7 , 2017 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM BO O KS

Major Margaret Witt hopes her ght is still paving the way
HER CASE REVOLUTIONIZED THE FIGHT TO ALLOW GAYS AND LESB IANS TO SERVE OPENLY

By REBEKAH SAGER

When Major Margaret Witt won her
landmark case against Dont Ask, Dont
Tell, in 2010, she never expected that
seven years later it would be used to help
transgender military men and women
ght against a U.S. president declaring
them unt to serve.
A decorated ight nurse and 20-year
veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Witt, who lived
in Spokane, Wash., until 2014, was the force
behind the lawsuit that pushed Congress
and the Obama White House to repeal the
militarys Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy.
Dont Ask, Dont Tell was created
because of the governments belief that
allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly
threatened unit discipline and cohesion.
But on appeal, the Ninth Circuit Court of
Appeals said Witt was entitled to a trial
and ruled the Air Force had to prove that
dismissing her was specically necessary to
further a signicant government interest.
That standard of proof would be called
the Witt standard and paved the way for
Congress to repeal the policy, allowing
gays and lesbians to serve openly in the
military for the rst time.
When I got to go to the signing of the
repeal, Senator Lieberman came up to
me and said, It was your story that made
the dierence. Having a face to the story
tipped it over the edge for the Senate
vote. That meant so much to me, Witt
told the L.A. Blade.
Fast-forward to this year -- Witt says that
when she read President Trumps tweets
about a ban on transgender military folks,
she was enraged.
I felt the ght all over again, Witt says.
These folks have been serving openly
since 2016 under a policy that clears
them to serve. I was appalled. Our service
members are focused on the mission,
particularly now, and for a tweet to come
out and humiliate those who are living their
MAJOR MARGARET WITT
truth openly and have pride in their service
the tweet is the distraction, she says. favor of the National Center for Lesbian
Peter Renn, senior attorney at Lambda
Legal, told the LA Blade via email, that the
Ninth Circuits holding in Witt shows that
courts will closely scrutinize government
action that violates constitutional rights,
even when it occurs in the military context.
The court recognized that the exclusion
of a service member from the military
based on her sexual orientation crossed
the line, because it infringed on her
liberty to go about her life like everyone
else. The same thing is happening here
-- transgender people are not only being
judged based on a characteristic unrelated
to their ability to serve our country,
but based on considerations that the
Constitution protects against government
intrusion and meddling, Renn says.
Last month, US District Court Judge
Colleen Kollar-Kotelly put a hold on
President Trumps tweet-ordered ban
PHOTO BY MYCHAL RICHARDSON; COURTESY OF THE ACLU
on transgender military service, ruling in
Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates
& Defenders (GLAD), who led Doe v.
Trump on August 9 seeking an immediate
injunction on behalf of ve transgender
service members.
The epic story of Witts Air Force career
as a closeted lesbian, and her subsequent
dismissal at the time when she was outed,
are the subject of a memoir she co-wrote
with Spokane journalist Tim Connor. It was
released in October.
Witts book, TELL: Love, Deance, and
the Military Trial at the Tipping Point
for Gay Rights, covers the court case
that followed the day in 2004, when she
was summarily discharged based on
an allegation from an ex-lover by the
womans husband, that Witt calls a sort of
revenge outing.
At the time Witt was in a committed
relationship with another women and living
together several miles from any military
base. The ACLU of Washington sued,
claiming that the Dont Ask, Dont Tell
policy and its application to Witt, violated
her rights of liberty and equal protection.
I knew right then and there I wanted to
ght for my right to serve. Being gay in the
military, its the moment you dread. It was
shock and disbelief. At the time, we were
going to war, and I thought, Ive spent over
half of my life training for this and youre
not going to bench me now. The military
trained me well, Witt says.
Today, Witt works as a physical therapy
supervisor at the Portland Veterans
Administration.
Although the book, now in its second
printing, is sold as a memoir, Witt says
really its a legal thriller and love story. Its
about the strength of love and the power
to do things you never thought you had
the strength to do, she adds.
Witt has been with her wife for 14 years.
The two married in 2012. She says in
addition to ling her case against Dont
Ask, Dont Tell, marrying was the other
best decision she ever made.
Although Tell was released at a time
when equal rights for service members have
once again been called into question, Witt
says she has faith in military leaders and
the Pentagon to do the right thing when it
comes to transgender people serving.
I have faith that common sense will
prevail My heart goes out to everyone in
the military to have a Commander in Chief
as we do, particularly for transgender folks.
You face obstacles anywhere you
go, especially as a woman and as a gay
woman, but what I continue to love about
the military is the people I served with. I
loved the mission and the challenge, I was
there to help people in need, and with
those willing to make the ultimate sacrice
for our country, Witt says.
F I LM W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM N O V E MBE R 1 7 , 2 0 1 7 3 5

The triumph of Call Me By Your Name

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30

performance as Oliver. Introduced as

an enigma, approachable yet aloof and
seemingly as arrogant as he is polite, he
slowly allows the layers to peel back as
he lets Elio into his carefully guarded
emotional inner sanctum, subtly revealing
that this heady summer ing is perhaps
even more of a joyful release for him
than it is for his youthful lover. Together,
these two have an electrifying chemistry
obviously an essential component of what
makes this lm work.
There is also ne work from the
supporting ensemble. Special mention
goes to Esther Garrel, for a radiant and
heartbreaking turn as a young girl caught
up in a misguided dalliance with the
confused and hormone-driven Elio; but
perhaps most memorable is Stuhlbarg,
whose generous and eminently likeable
performance as Elios father culminates in
a candid and moving speech that serves as
an unexpected emotional touchstone.
Director Guadagnino knows his actors
are key, but he doesnt ignore the ample
opportunity aorded by the picturesque
Italian villa and surrounding landscape
in which his lm is set. Beautifully
photographed by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, Left to right: ARMIE HAMMER as Oliver and TIMOTHE CHALAMET as Elio

the sun-soaked countryside, bursting with PHOTO BY SAYOMBHU MUKDEEPROM; COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

natural metaphor, denes the atmosphere

for this story of summer love appropriately
enough for a lm penned (brilliantly) by
Ivory, whose pastoral romances of the 80s
are evoked in every frame.
Guadagnino additionally feeds the
mood with the circumstances of his
premise; this is, after all, a story about
academics, and the director exploits the
cultural and artistic inuences with which
they surround themselves from the
contained eroticism of Greek sculpture, to
the measured sensuality of classical piano
music, he uses the intellectualism of his
characters world to fuel the slow build
toward Oliver and Elios union.
He also revels in the visual language of
cinema. Much in Call Me By Your Name is
communicated without words; its biggest
revelations are conveyed through a glance,
a touch, even a lingering shot of an apricot
tree. His most overt lmic nod comes with
the closing scene, in which he lets his camera
rest on Elios face a shot as devastating as
the famous close-up of Harriet Andersson in
Ingmar Bergmans Summer with Monica,
released 64 years ago.
Guadagnino isnt exactly the gay Bergman,
at least not yet. Still, what hes created here
is some distance from Luchino Viscontis
lm of Thomas Manns Death in Venice,
where a beautiful youth overwhelms a dying
artist with feelings hed never known.
In the context of the present moment, of
course, where intergenerational gay desire
has become the stu of scandal, neither
Mann nor Visconti can serve as a reference
point. In a post-Kevin Spacey world, it is
inevitable that Call Me By Your Name will
generate controversy but from a larger
perspective, thats beside the point.
Call Me By Your Name is a sophisticated
exploration of a situation long overdue for
such expression. Wistfully nostalgic, short
on explicit conict, and leisurely paced, it
will likely have much more appeal for an
older generation of audiences who will
also be far more apt to pick up on the
subtle meditation of the psychology of
the closet that exists as an undercurrent
within the action. That doesnt mean,
however, that it is not relevant in our
contemporary world.
As a gay love story, told without
judgment and without apology, its
something that would have seemed
unthinkable not so very long ago and
that feels like progress.
3 6 NO VEMB ER 1 7 , 2017 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM G O SSI P

Takei is latest celeb to face accusations

HOLLYWOOD ELITE FALLING LIKE DOMINOES AS ALLEGED VICTIMS EMERGE

By BILLY MASTERS

It seems to me that Kevin Spacey

coming out as gay amid allegations of
pedophilia is like Jerey Dahmer admitting
that hes not a vegetarian! Billy Masters
Weeks ago, I said it was just the beginning
of the sexual assault parade. And it still
hasnt hit its zenith. It started with Harvey
Weinstein, but I never heard this gem. Did
you know he made a woman watch him
masturbate into a potted plant? That cant
be good for the plant. Its like American
Pie meets Little Shop of Horrors!
Last year, Spacey allegedly assaulted an
18-year-old male busboy at a Nantucket
restaurant. According to the lads mom,
Spacey bought him drink after drink.
Once the young man was drunk, Kevin
GEORGE TAKEI denies allegations he sexually assaulted a model in 1981.
is accused of putting his hands down his
pants and fondling his genitals. When PHOTO BY DEBBY WONG; COURTESY OF BIGSTOCK

Kevin went to the bathroom, a woman in

the restaurant reportedly asked the teen if
he was OK and told him to run. The alleged
victim just led a police report. For his
part, Spacey has laid low and checked into
The Meadows, a rehab center in Arizona
that comes at a price tag of $36,000 a
month.Hell have good company - Im told
Harvey Weinstein is also in residence.
Picture it, 1981. Former model Scott
Brunton was 23 years old, working as a
waiter, and somehow he had exchanged
phone numbers with George Takei.When
Brunton broke up with a boyfriend, he
called Takei, who oered to take him out
to dinner and a show, according to an
interview Brunton gave to the Hollywood
Reporter. After the show, they went to
Takeis condo for a drink. Brunton says
that after two drinks, he felt dizzy and
must have passed out, implying some
Cosby-esque machinations. When Scott
came to, he found his pants around his
ankles and Takei allegedly trying to get his
underwear o. He said, I dont want to do
this, Takei backed o, and Brunton left.
Needless to say, Takei is shocked and
bewildered at the claims.He actually goes
one step further. I have wracked my brain
to ask if I remember Mr. Brunton, and I
cannot say I do. OUCH! Right now it is a he
said / he said situation, over alleged events
nearly 40 years ago. But those that know me
understand that non-consensual acts are so
antithetical to my values and my practices,
the very idea that someone would accuse
me of this is quite personally painful. But
theres more. Scott planned to confront
Takei at a book signing in 1994 13 years
after the alleged incident. At the last minute,
he chickened out - but he did get a book with
this inscription: To Scott - The enterprising
man who boldly goes - to the stars. Fondly,
George Takei. Now, call me crazy, but I dont
know many victims of sexual assault who
wait in a line to see their attacker at a book
signing and ask for an autograph!
Lets move onto one of our favorite
subjects - divas! One of my favorite events
of the year is Divas Simply Singing, the that vapid, oblivious way - more models
major fundraiser for Sheryl Lee Ralphs
DIVA Foundation. This year, it will take
place on Dec. 9 at the Taglyan Cultural
Complex in Los Angeles. For this, the
27th annual fundraiser, the Vision Award
will go to our very own Todrick Hall, and
the headliner will be my Play Mama, Miss
Jenifer Lewis, who will be signing copies
of her new autobiography The Mother of
Black Hollywood, which comes out this
week (more on that in a future column).
Get your tickets at DivaTickets.com.
Last week was an exciting one for
Tom Dale. He walked in his rst fashion
show. That excitement was tempered
when he was widely criticized for accepting
the invitation of Dolce & Gabbana, a
fashion team whose anti-gay views are
notorious. The fashion show took place
at Harrods in London. And not just in a
department store, but in the food hall.So,
basically, he made his modeling debut in
the Pick n Save! And there was Tom and
husband Dustin Lance Black, beaming in
than role models. But if youre interested,
you can see Tom changing in the dressing
room and walking on BillyMasters.com.
This leads perfectly into our Ask Billy
question from Gary in Miami: You wrote
about Shawn Mendes a couple of weeks
ago. And now Tom Daley says he wants to
have sex with him. So is he gay or not?
I want to have sex with lots of people,
but that doesnt make them gay (or
interested). Tom not only said that
Mendes is his celebrity crush, he also said
that DLB could lm them in the act - how
magnanimous.
When you could bump into Daley
modeling in the condiments aisle,
its denitely time to end yet another
column. For all this and more, check
out www.BillyMasters.com, the site
thats into ipping and opping. If you
have a question, send it along to Billy@
BillyMasters.com and I promise to get
back to you before Harvey gets a job
tending the garden at The Meadows. 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.
NOV 17
Stop Killing Us Transgender Day of
Remembrance, FRI Nov. 17 @ 6:00 PM at
Los Angeles City College (855 N Vermont
Ave). Panel and candle light vigil with name
reading ceremony honoring trans lives
lost to the epidemic of hate and violence
and what we can do to put an end to it.
Panelists include Chandi Moore (I Am Cait,
Childrens Hospital), Aiza-Angelina Alamilla
(FCC), Maria Roman (APAIT), Queen Mother
Karina Samala (TAB), Elias Lawliet (UCLA) .
NOV 18
TransGiving Dinner 17, SAT Nov. 18
@ 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Adam Project
(514 Pacic Coast Highway, Long Beach).
TransGiving was created to provide the
Trans community a safe and positive
space to celebrate the Thanksgiving
holiday. Contact Chanel Chela Demuir on
social @motherchela.
Transgender Wellness & Wellbeing
Conference, SAT. Nov. 18 @ 9 a.m. to 6
p.m. at LAC + USC Medical Center (1200 N.
State Street). The City of West Hollywood
will co-sponsor the 2017, conference and
series of workshops that include such
topics as physical wellbeing, emotional
wellness, prosperity wellbeing and creative
wellness. The conference and lunch is free
to attend, but registration is required. For
more information and to register, please
contact Bonnie Smith at (323) 848-637.
NOV 20
City of West Hollywoods Transgender
Day of Remembrance, MON Nov. 20 @
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Center for Early
Education (563 N. Alfred Street). The event
will include speakers from the community,
City representatives, and transgender
performers. The names of murdered
transgender people will be read aloud and
a march will immediately follow. Flags will
be own at West Hollywood City Hall at
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
WORLD AIDS DAY: In 1982, Michael Callen (center) and Richard Berkowitz, two gay men with AIDS
living in New York, wrote How to Have Sex in an Epidemic: One Approach. Callen and Berkowitz are
among the earliest warriors in the battle against HIV. See Nov. 28.
half-sta in remembrance.
Long Beach Transgender Day of
Remembrance, MON Nov. 20 @ 4:30 PM
at Harvey Milk Promenade Park (195 E 3rd
St, Long Beach). Join The LGBTQ Center
of Long Beach, Human Rights Campaign,
and Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez, for the
annual Transgender Day of Remembrance
and stand in solidarity and honor the
resiliency of our trans community
members. This years event will feature
a reading of names of those lost over
the last year as well as a candlelight vigil.
Several community members will present.
Orange County Trans Day of
Remembrance, Nov. 20 @ 4:00 PM to
6:00 PM at Sasscer Park (N. Ross and W.
4th Street). Join Orange Countys LGBT
Center at Plaza Calle Cuatro in Downtown
Santa Ana and remember our fallen
brothers and sisters who were taken from
us too soon. The march starts at 4 p.m. at
Sasscer Park at N. Ross and W. 4th streets
in Downtown Santa Ana and ends at CO4
with speakers and a vigil. For more info
email Sefe Zamora, sefe.zamora-cesena@
lgbtcenteroc.org
NOV 21
Thanksgiving Dinner for LGBT Seniors,
THU. Nov 21 @ 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at
Rockwell Table and Stage (1714 Vermont
PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL INSTITUTES FOR HEALTH
Avenue). If you are a Senior LGBT person
and are a client of the Los Angeles LGBT
Center, then this is a feast of gratitude.
Enjoy all the best staples Thanksgiving has
to oer and enjoy your old friendsand
make new ones! RSVP by email: seniors@
lalgbtcenter.org or call 323-860-5830.
NOV 27
AIDS Quilt Display, MON Nov. 27
through FRI Dec. 1 @ 8 AM - 5 PM daily
at West Hollywood City Hall (8300 Santa
Monica Blvd). The AIDS Memorial Quilt,
conceived by the late Gilbert Baker for
the Names Project, is one of the most
moving tributes to the scores of gay men
and others who died of AIDS. In its nal
display in Washington DC it covered nearly
the entire National Mall. This is a rare
display of some of the earliest panels of
the quilt.
NOV 28
AIDS Literature from Lambda Literary
Book Club, TUE Nov. 28 @ 7 PM at West
Hollywood Library Community Room
(625 N. San Vicente Blvd.). A discussion
of Hold Tight Gently: Michael Callen,
Essex Hemphill, and the Battleeld of
AIDS. The book is a profound exploration
of the intersection of race, sexuality,
class, identity, and the politics of AIDS
N O V E MBE R 1 7 , 2 0 1 7 3 7
activism beyond ACT UP, capturing both
a generation struggling to cope with the
deadly disease and the extraordinary
refusal of two men to give in to despair.
Facilitated by Steven Reigns. For more
information: lambdaliterary.org
NOV. 30
Feminine Energy: Dening the
Woman You Are, THU Nov. 30 @ 7:00
PM to 9:00 PM @ The Village at Ed Gould
Plaza (1125 N. McCadden Place). This
fun and empowering discussion-based
workshop will allow you to explore your
femininity and unleash your unique form
of self-expression. No topic is o-limits
(respectfully, of course), so this is an
amazing opportunity to ask questions and
gain a fresh perspective to help you be the
best you possible.
DEC 1
Desert AIDS Projects 4th Annual
Everyday Heroes Award, FRI Dec. 1 @
5:30 PM to 9:30 PM at Camelot Theatre
(2399 East Baristo Road, Theatre One,
Palm Springs). Desert AIDS Project honors
local everyday heroes to mark World AIDS
Day. The annual event, now in its fourth
year, features an outdoor reception, award
presentations, live entertainment and the
after-party. Tickets are $40 to $150 and
are available by calling 760-992-0445.
AIDS Candlelight Vigil, FRI Dec. 1 @
6:00 PM @ starting point NW corner of
Crescent Heights & Santa Monica Blvd and
end Council Chambers, West Hollywood
Library (625 N. San Vicente Blvd.).
Remember the hundreds of thousands
of people who died of AIDS. Never forget
their names or the dark and dangerous
period of time we fought our way out of.
Paul Starke Warrior Awards, FRI Dec.
1 @ 7:00 PM @ Council Chambers, West
Hollywood Library (625 N. San Vicente
Blvd.). Awards Presentation to individuals
providing HIV and/or substance-abuse
services. Special Guest Speaker Laurie
McBride, lifelong LGBTQ activist and
former California Assistant Secretary of
State. View the Being Alive Musical Globe
Display made by members to represent
their HIV journey to wellness.
3 8 NO VEMB ER 1 7 , 2017 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

An early look at WeHos AIDS monument

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25
mission to create social change in some
way, Ferrera told the Los Angeles Blade.
His design has been adopted, and
now were in the middle of a formal
design which includes getting community
feedback and engagement. We dont want
to build a monument that doesnt resonate
with the community, Ferrera added.
According to the Foundation for The
AIDS Monument website, STORIES will
memorialize the devastation of AIDS on
the nation and will honor the courage
of activists, caregivers and community
leaders. Visitors to the site can upload
memorials, including written stories,
videos and images of lost loved ones.
The piece is intended to tell the world
that you cant let another disease get
out of control because you dont like the
people whore getting it, Ferrera says.
Over the next year and half the design
process will be worked on in conjunction
with the city. In 2018, UAP will begin
to fabricate the elements to install the
monument in West Hollywood Park. It will
sit where right now the auditorium and
pool are. Those will be raised, a platform
will be built, and the piece should be in
place by the end of 2019.
West Hollywood and Foundation for The
AIDS Monument also hired a company
called Wondros. Wondros focuses on
story collecting and was brought into
the process to identify the important
stakeholders the movers and shakers
in the HIV/AIDS world and people in the
community who are providing HIV/AIDS
services today.
Wondros goes through a process called
ecology mapping, in which they use
the stakeholders to learn who the other
opinion leaders are, and who might want
to express ideas about the project. Then
they bring themes out of what they learn,
and record them for the artist, so he can
change or adjust the design accordingly.
Ferrera says a couple of ideas have
already emerged from the ecology mapping
that hadnt been thought of prior.
Were thinking of adding sound-
scaping, so that when viewers walk into
the monument theyll hear voices or
music to help enhance the experience; or
possibly choosing quotes from notable
West Hollywood citizens who died of
AIDS, Ferrera says.
Ferrera says his desire is that the
monument represents the entire region
of Los Angeles, and includes a diversity of
stories and demographics.
I want the young generation not to get HIV
unnecessarily, because we know how to stop
the spread as long as theyre in treatment,
they have the information, and they
understand that every right they have today
was earned by those people who fought for
the rights and for people with AIDS.
Many of the most prominent AIDS
services arent necessarily located in
WeHo. The Los Angeles LGBT Center, the
largest LGBT organizations in the world
oering treatment and doing research is
centered in Hollywood. The Black AIDS
Institute is located in Westlake, and theres
another AIDS memorial in Los Angeles
called The Wall Las Memorias, located in
East Los Angeles.
Los Angeles has an estimated
population of 3.9 million people. Since
the epidemic began 31 years ago, about
31,000 individuals have been diagnosed
withAIDS, 13,000 of them still are living.
In 2016, 36.7 million people were
living with HIV worldwide, and 1.8 million
people became newly infected with HIV
160,000 are under the age of 15. About
4,932 people will become infected with
HIV each dayroughly 205 every hour.
I came to WeHo to come out when I
was 25 years old. The city embraced me
and gave me everything I needed to work
on becoming a healthy gay man. I met the
guy who I ended up marrying, and we were
married for 23 years. Within a month after
saying our vows, he found out he was HIV
positive. We thought he was going to die.
This monument represents the
people who embraced people like me
and gave us the opportunity to feel good
about ourselves and to feel positive.
This horrible and traumatic experience
came upon us, and WeHo was a warm
and accepting family with unconditional
love. The monument is a tribute to that,
Ferrera says.
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