As part of Los Angeles Blade’s mission to get to know our community, we continue to do a deep dive into personalities who represent the queer culture of entertainment, nightlife, activism and politics.

In this “Meet Your Local” column, we celebrate club culture.

For those of us who frequent the queer nightlife, we have come to know dancer Jake Mathews, SoCal’s go-to go-go boy. Jake’s dance card is full as you can find him at any of the popular nightclubs throughout the week, sometimes dancing in multiple locations in one day.

He’s keeping busy, raising money to continue his education. He has been instrumental in adding some positive energy to the nightlife space and his personality makes any patron feel welcomed and comfortable. His trademark dance moves reflect his extensive training in dancing with the pole, it is an art form unto itself.

We sat down with Jake in between his dance sets to get to know the person beyond the persona.

Hometown: Morgan City, Louisiana 

How did you get into go-go dancing?

I got into go-go dancing at 19 on the reboot of the show Queer as Folk. Since then, I haven’t turned back and have danced in numerous cities and bars!

What do you love most about dancing in the queer LA nightlife?

I love the community that I’ve found. When people make an effort to come support me it means a lot. 

What do you love most about life in LA?

The resources that are available for our community. 

What are some of the misconceptions people have about a go-go dancer in LA?

They often sexualize us and believe they have easy access to us. Some of us live a completely different life outside of dancing and put on a persona while on stage. 

You are also a pole artist. How does that differ from your go-go dancing?

Pole dancing feels more like an art, rather than entertaining a crowd on energy. 

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How does being queer add to your dance artistry?

I like to freely express myself while dancing and am not limited to any societal standards. 

How do you balance your personal life with the nightlife?

I don’t get much sleep. Go-Go dancing allows me to live my daytime life, which consists of being busy. I’m starting my master’s program this summer thanks to Go-Go dancing! 

What is your biggest pet peeve while go-go dancing?

I don’t like when people touch my private areas. As I previously said, the audience does not have that access or permission to do so. 

What are some of your favorite venues to dance at and why?

I love dancing at the Abbey because of the co-workers! It feels like I’m part of something greater than me – especially with Chappell’s “Pink Pony Club.”

What do you want most out of your career?

I want to inspire others to give it a try. 

Any advice to give a new Go-Go dancer?

Don’t worry too much about those negative thoughts in your head. In other words, if you’re thinking about how the crowd is perceiving you, find a way to redirect that thinking. People love you for you! You shouldn’t be like everyone else. 

Favorite hobbies when you aren’t dancing:

I like to read & write, travel and listen to live music. 

Is dating hard while being such a big part of the nightlife?

No. Nightlife is just another job! A partner should be able to accept the work one enjoys. Scheduling together time may be difficult, but this is common with many careers.

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What is your signature dance move?

It used to be shoulder stands until I damaged my ear. I usually just freestyle and hope for the best!

Favorite song to dance to:

I like to dance to EDM because I feel so free!! 

And your message to the queer community?

We need everyone in our community to come together and support each other in the daytime and the nighttime. This means coming out to nightlife, supporting queer artists, volunteering for our community, and acting as a safe space for each other.  

Follow Jake on IG: @jakemtws

Earlier this year, the organization expressed transphobic remarks on social media through the Queer Mercado Instagram account. The co-founder Diana Díaz, says she trusted the wrong person to run that account and represent the Queer Mercado and also says that the person who made the comment didn’t realize they were commenting through the brand’s account. 

Díaz says she believes that she is now making better decisions to benefit Queer Mercado and continue nurturing it, so it can continue growing. She is open to conversations regarding the event and how to make it a safer space for the communities involved. 

In an interview with Díaz, she said she was inspired to create this space because as a school counselor for K-12 public school education in Boyle Heights, she was the first person that parents would go to when their child would come out as queer. Her students trusted her as an ally to go to when they felt like they needed support as queer and trans children. 

“I worked at all the local school districts as a school counselor and I got to see how the family would react to their child coming out and it was very painful and very personal to me because I love these kids,” said Díaz. 

She said that she couldn’t understand why so many of those parents reacted the way they did, knowing that these children were perfectly healthy and only looking for safety and support during a difficult and confusing time. 

Although Díaz admits that she is not part of the LGBTQ+ community, she has strong ties to the community as an ally for children who have to not only deal with coming out and coming to terms with their identities, but who also have to deal with the extra burden of coming out within the Latinx community, which often reinforces misogyny, homophobia and transphobia. 

Under this particularly hostile administration, it is rare to find an ally like Díaz, who not only stands up for the most vulnerable members of the LGBTQ+ community, but who also tirelessly works to make spaces like Queer Mercado, where the families of those children can feel welcome to explore these identities and this community in a way that is inclusive of all ages. Díaz says she made this space for the Latinx families and parents of LGBTQ+ children in an effort to build stronger relationships. 

“I recruited artists and other volunteers to help me start the market,” said Díaz. “I didn’t see a problem with an ally doing it because there is no other free public space for queer families like [Queer Mercado].” 

She also notes that this is the only space designated for art and community, specifically catered to the Latinx community in a city with one of the largest demographics of queer and trans Latinx people. 

“I know not every grandma is going to be able to go to The Abbey, you know in West Hollywood, or Precinct. Some of us like to go to bed early.” 

Díaz was first the founder of Goddess Mercado and says that when she started it, one of her students asked her about creating a space for LGBTQ+ families and this is when she thought of creating the Queer Mercado. She saw the need for this space and realized she could be the person to bring the representation that was needed. 

Díaz comes from a family who made their living as vendors at swapmeets and other community spaces, so a space like this for her is deeply personal. 

ChiChi LaPinga, multi-hyphanated activist and community leader in queer and trans spaces,  was recently hired as Director of Outreach for the Queer Mercado. They are now in charge of facilitating ideas about how to better the Mercado and make the space as safe as possible for everyone who identifies as a member of the queer and trans communities. 

Earlier this year when the Queer Mercado was caught up in this issue, many community members, vendors and attendees who avidly supported the event, said they no longer wanted to support it, if Díaz didn’t step down. Díaz founded the event and continues to believe that she can do more to bridge the gap between hostile families and their queer and trans children, by continuing her efforts as founder. 

What she now says, is that she needs to take steps to gain community trust back by bringing in people who are willing and able to learn, grow, evolve and make the space better than ever. 

As part of that action plan, the Mercado released a survey to the community in February to gain a better understanding of community needs going forward. 

“I think that this [incident] is a perfect example of why there needs to be queer people in positions of leadership – so that people who aren’t part of the queer community like Diana, are guided through the process,” said ChiChi LaPinga. 

ChiChi LaPinga is a Mexican, trans and nonbinary community leader and activist in Los Angeles who has built a reputation throughout years, working and representing the queer, trans and Latinx communities. 

They say that people like Díaz should be putting people who are queer, who are part of the community, in these positions of influence and power and this incident proves why that is so important and crucial to a space like this. 

“It was a very unfortunate situation. It was an error made by ignorance and something that I personally do not condone, right me as a transgender, non binary person, as a decent basic, you know, as a decent human being,” said ChiChi La Pinga. “I am also not the expert on all things, and I rely on my community to educate me on those things, and that is what all allies should do.”

Starting in March, and going forward, ChiChi LaPinga said they have pushed for there to be more panel discussions incorporated into the events where they can discuss issues that affect the community from different perspectives. 

“One of the changes that I’ve always wanted to see at the Queer Mercado was to have panel discussions on stage, which is something that I introduced last month and am continuing this month,” said ChiChi LaPinga. 

In our candid conversation, ChiChi LaPinga opened up about their own identity and struggles with embracing their identities within a culture that is misogynistic, homophobic and transphobic. They say they understand the community response and push-back for change in leadership, because Queer Mercado should be run by people who are inclusive and accepting of all identities within the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

However, Díaz says she founded the mercado, which is why she hopes to continue leading it, but in a new way that incorporates new voices into conversations about how to move forward.

She saw a need for a space like this and made it happen for her students and their families. She says she hopes that the conversations can continue to help her make better decisions going forward.

Ultimately, ChiChi LaPinga advices the community to make the decision to return to Queer Mercado on their own and only if they feel ready to do so.

“If you do not feel safe in certain spaces, make the decision that is best for you, because I would do the same,” said ChiChi LaPinga.

The 13th annual Queerties hit off this year at the biggest venue yet, honoring the best in queer culture and media across the internet, podcasting, TV, film, sports, music and entertainment. 

Over 2.5 million votes were cast to nominate and award the best in LGBTQ+ entertainment. 

The awards ceremony hit off in Hollywood, bringing together the LGBTQ+ community from across LA and beyond. 

Honorees and nominees from David Archuleta to Marissa Bode and a plethora of Ru Paul’s Drag Race queens came together to make this year’s awards ceremony unforgettable. 

Glee star, Chris Colfer presented this year’s Groundbreaker award to Marissa Bode, who made history by playing Nessarose Thropp in the box-office hit, Wicked. 

Colfer gleefully presented the award to Bode, while expressing his own personal experience of having a sibling who uses a wheelchair. He sincerely thanked her for the valid representation she brought on screen as he presented her with the award.

Bode accepted the award for her historic representation as Elphaba’s sister on Wicked. She used her acceptance speech as an opportunity to thank the marginalized communities that she represents as a queer, brown, disabled person. 
The next award was presented to legendary drag king Murray Hill by queer actor Tim Bagley, who is the co-star in Somebody Somewhere, alongside Hill. 

The one and only and absolutely legendary Hill, accepted the Trailblazer Award for paving the way as a historic Drag King who has officially and finally, brought the much-needed drag king representation to mainstream audiences. Hill is a pioneer in entertainment and is hot off a West Coast mini tour spanning through LA, Las Vegas and Palm Springs. After 30 years, he continues to blaze the trails to showbiz for the next generation of queer and trans comedians, drag performers and entertainers. 

His acceptance speech proved why Hill has gained and maintained his reputation as a comedy king in a career that spans decades. He playfully jabbed at the young generation of queers, poked fun at the presenters and reminded us what it means to be a true icon in the queer and trans community. 

LA Blade was on the scene at the red carpet and had a chance to catch up with Hill amidst all his busy endeavors. 

“I personally think it’s my duty to get that weedwacker and forge a path, go through it and have the kids go right behind you,” said Hill on the red carpet. “That’s what it means to be a trailblazer in my opinion.” 

We asked Hill what advice he had for the next generations of queer and trans kids. 

“Fuck ‘em!,” said Hill. “And the other thing is, don’t let anybody – [politicians], administration, neighbors – take away your queer joy or tell you that you are not valuable. We gotta tell ourselves that we are worthy, we deserve equality, and everyone else can go fuck off.”

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 8 winner and most recently, a contestant on The Traitors, Bob the Drag Queen hosted the awards ceremony, holding the audience captive with her quick quips and Karla Sofía Gascón drags. Proving once again that she is a force to be reckoned with, Bob brought the host vibes we needed to get us through the next four years under the current administration. 

Actor and comedian John Early presented the Icon Award to his good friend and collaborator Cole Escola, who is best known for his undeniable impact on queer comedy and massive success on Oh, Mary!

Bentley Robles and Madison Rose closed out the night with an electrifying performance of their nominated track “Ultra High Def Lover,” turning the venue into a full-blown dance party. 

The Queerties will premiere worldwide on March 18, through WowPresentsPlus. 

For the full list of nominees, awards and winners, visit the Queerty site.

Uzoukwu is enjoying his time in the spotlight, holding his own alongside Laverne Cox and comedy great, George Wallace in Norman Lear’s last comedy. Clean Slate centers on Desiree (Cox), a proud trans woman who is finding her footing in life as she returns to her small hometown and tries to re-build a relationship with her father (Wallace) as his now-daughter.

The show is a comedy with many touching moments and comes at a time when trans representation is so needed. Uzoukwu shines as Desiree’s best friend Louis a closeted gay man who serves as the local church’s choir director. Together the two find their way.

Uzoukwu is also a 2021 Acting Fellow of the Hillman Grad Mentorship Program, led by Lena Waithe. He is also a writer and co-wrote two seasons of Issa Rae’s audio drama “Fruit,” and has been Reader-Endorsed on The Black List for his award-winning spec pilot “Kinfolk.”

We chatted with Uzoukwu about his family, career, self-discovery journey and joining the Norman Lear legacy.

He credits a strong family foundation for teaching him the tools for life as a proud son of immigrant parents.

“I was raised first generation by very proud Nigerian parents, who definitely had their sights set on me being a doctor or a pharmacist. Those are very stable jobs, especially in a country that doesn’t really give you a lot of breaks as an immigrant, even more. They just wanted something that was stable for me. My parents have shown me just what it takes to live in this country as an immigrant. The tenacity, the persistence, the strive to be better. They instilled all of those attributes in me.”

Despite Uzoukwu’s parents wanting him to work in a stable profession, they came to support his dream to become an actor. He ended up graduating cum laude from Temple University, with a Bachelors in Film and Theatre.

“They chose to support my dreams instead of admonishing me for them and it takes a very open and honest heart to say, ‘I want my child to be the best they can be in whatever they choose to do in this life, because it’s their life and not mine.’ That isn’t always easy for parents, but especially more so for immigrant parents, especially Nigerian parents, that’s just something that we did not grow up with. So beyond the tenacity and the perseverance, they also taught me unconditional love and support and those are attributes that I carry with me to this day. They were with me at the [Clean Slate] premier and it was just great to have my father and mom there by my side. It’s a dream come true.”

In typical Norman Lear style, Clean Slate pushes the envelope and makes current hot topics part of the norm. The show deals with trans and queer community narratives, deals with self-acceptance in the face of bigotry, faith v. religion struggles and questions what exactly a family looks like in today’s age. The show, which focuses on a Black family, is part of the current boom in queer storylines in minority-driven programming.

Uzoukwu explains the increase in representation:

“I just think we are more aware of what’s out there. We have so much more access to other people’s lives at our fingertips. Social media has been a very huge plus in that respect. In a way, it has normalized the idea of having queer people in our lives. We always have, we just weren’t allowed to really be public about it. But now it is normalized and hopefully even more so going forward. I think there is a little bit of a pushback. People talk about a pendulum swing right now, but I think that it forces us to be even more brave and adamant about staking our place in society. We have a right to be here. We all have a right to exist and pursue lives of love and freedom, our God-given rights. I think the more we press forward and continue to live our lives, the more that presence and existence will be seen in our media because we are what we see.”

Uzoukwu nailed his audition for Clean Slate. Reading the sides, he resonated at once with the character of Louis. He sent in his audition tape – which also required singing and two and a half weeks later – he did his screen test. Then BOOM, it was booked. As a queer actor, did Uzoukwu have any trepidation about taking this role for fear of being pigeon-holed?

“There’s always going to be fears about only being seen as one thing. I’m not going to lie, I did kind of have that fear. But I get that anytime I do a bigger project that kind of feels like something that could establish me as a performer in other people’s eyes. You watch a great performance of somebody and you’re like, wow, I could only see them as that. That is something that happens a lot. So there’s always that fear, but I don’t know if it’s something that I necessarily have to worry about. My team is very aware of my talent and what I can do, so my goal is to just go out and try to play as many parts as I can. I just want to keep looking forward and see what else is next, hopefully a season two. Fingers crossed!”

With Norman Lear’s recent passing, being part of the legacy that created All in the Family, One Day at a Time, Maude, The Jeffersons, and so many others, is an actor’s dream. Especially for someone as young as Uzoukwu.

“I definitely still have to pinch myself sometimes when I think about that aspect. I never really saw myself being a comedy actor when I first started out. I thought I was just so much better at drama. So for me to land my first big role in a comedy is kind of like, ‘Oh, you thought you knew what you were about? You thought you knew what you could do, but God had a different story for you.’ You just don’t know what the world, what life will bring. So to be a part of a comedy like this, but also one that is connected to that legacy is a huge deal.

I definitely don’t take it for granted. It means the world to me. When we talked about the show and sort of leading the charge on telling stories of other people and how we can all coexist, he was that person for generations. To be a part of his last comedy is truly a gift. You never could have had me predict that for my future.”

Uzoukwu hopes his personal journey serves as an example for other actors. His message to the community is also his message to himself.

“I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what kind of person I wanted to be in this industry, whether or not I was going to be comfortable enough to come out and be an out gay actor in Hollywood. I didn’t know if it was the smart choice or the right choice.

I realized that in order for me to really tell the stories the way they needed to be told, I had to commit to an identity for myself. I had to choose to be comfortable with myself. That’s something I hope future generations don’t have to sort of battle with or try to figure out for themselves that they can just be and that’s okay. It wasn’t always the case.  I am glad that I took this circuitous journey to choose myself. I hope that the community continues to choose themselves and that they don’t feel that they have to decide between safety and freedom, that we can have both. Because we deserve both.”

Clean Slate is now streaming on Prime.

Last weekend Los Angeles Blade was on the scene and one of the guest judges alongside Los Angeles personalities from the adult and nightlife world including Meatball, Dean Michaelz, Adam Keith, Mr. Sister Leather 2024, Colin MacDougall and Mr. Precinct Leather 2024 to crown the first ever Mr. BarBareians at Precinct DTLA.

The Mr. BarBareians is a nod to the male beauty pageant, just a bit edgier and dare we say, sexier? Four contestants competed against each other in a series of categories that included talent, walk, pose, looks and Q&A.

The pageant’s debut contestants consisted of popular nightlife dancers Judas King, Han Cross, Ace Newbury, and De Hanno. The evening was emceed by Leatherman Moshiel. Playing on the barbarian theme, Precinct’s staff and a number of the patrons were dressed accordingly, adding some skin and muscle to the evening.

The show was well-produced and the contestants certainly gave it their all. There was not a weak contestant among them and the scoring was very tight. As our bold emcee remarked, these contestants are more known for their bodies than for their prose, so a few faltered during the Q&A.

As a fun bonus, illustrator and performance artist Jonathan Kidder was on hand, doing his famous quick sketches. Miraculously, he is able to capture the essence of a person in a matter of a few strokes of the pen. He was able to do a portrait of the entire cast in 60 seconds.

Work by Illustrator JW Kidder

LA-based veteran nightlife photographer Dusti Cunningham was feeling the spirits as he roamed around and captured the evening in his signature style, catching the crowd and the cast in their finest and sexiest.

After a short tally of the scores, De Hanno was crowned Mr. BarBareians 2025.

His winning personality and consistent talent across the categories, together with his winning assets, set him apart from his fellow contestants. In the end, everyone was a winner because the cast clearly had a good time and supported each other during the show.

De Hanno named Mr. BarBareian 2025 / Photo by LA Blade

Precinct couldn’t have been a better venue to hold the event. Not only does it have ample space to accommodate the large crowd, but it has a great staff, stiff drinks, and stellar stage and lighting. We also love the sense of community here. Everyone is welcome under the club’s roof. Gay, straight, queer, trans, bears, twinks, leather lovers, and everything else under the sun. No one feels like an outcast or a stranger and it has become the ultimate safe space for the queer community in Los Angeles. This is how we should be congregating in fellowship, especially during these trying times. Precinct offers a great atmosphere for those who are looking to expand their experience past the Weho crowd (not that there is anything wrong with Weho, we are there all the time as well).

Mr. BarBareians and the BarBareians parties are produced by Hump Events, also responsible for Los Angeles’ Turbo for the dance crowd, Hump night celebrating the Middle Eastern community, and Steam for the cruisers. Like Precinct, they believe in representing the community and everyone is welcome.

Hats off to the first Mr. BarBareians, we will be waiting with our scorecard for next year!

Actor Dyllón Burnside made an impressionable splash by playing Ricky Evangelista in FX’s Pose. Not only was he able to infuse sincerity and pathos into his role, but he has used his platform to speak against toxic masculinity, advocate for LGBTQ safe spaces and inspire activism.

Recently, he has partnered with BET+ for the film Fighting To Be Me, playing perhaps his most ambitious role to date. Dyllón plays Dwen Curry in a new biopic where he plays a celebrity stylist known for working with big names like Missy Elliott, DMX, Mariah Carey and more.

Leading a double life in many ways, Dwen also spearheaded a multi-million dollar fraud ring that came to be known as The Gay Gangsters. The film is part true crime, part Hollywood glam and all LGBTQ+ storytelling. The film is about family, identity, survival and self-acceptance as Dwen transitions from a gay man, to a proud transgender woman.

The film comes at a crucial time, where the nation is experiencing cutbacks in DEI initiatives that are affecting both the Black and the queer community. Fighting To Be Me is the latest in BET+’s efforts to highlight stories from the queer community.

Representing both the Black and queer communities in this film, it was essential for Dyllón to portray Dwen in a way that was both truthful and sincere.

We chatted with Dyllón ahead of the film’s premiere about his experience.

“It’s unlike any other project that I’ve been a part of. I have my processes and the things that I do as an actor to prepare that are my baseline. It’s rooted in my background in the theater and the things that I learned from my teachers in drama school and the different directors that I’ve worked with.”

But this process, while those things definitely helped Dyllón, there was so much of that, that Dyllón couldn’t pull from. He says he had to really stretch himself to immerse himself in Dwen’s story and world.

“I had a lot of conversations with her. It required me to be more curious than I think I’ve ever been in a role. I’m a seeker in that way, and I think that’s what I really love about working as an actor is really that process of discovery and getting curious and finding connections and doing the research. I love that kind of stuff.”

Dyllón was not familiar with Dwen’s story at first. After reading the script, he was compelled to tell her story, but it was imperative that he received the blessing from Dwen herself.

“I needed to have a conversation with her to make sure that she wanted me to play her. I wanted to be clear that this person, this trans person wants me to play them and they feel like I am the right person to portray them in this story. We had a beautiful conversation and it was that talk, just getting to look her in her eyes and understand her heart that made me decide I want to be a part of this project.”

Fighting To Be Me comes at a time when the nation is divided. Dyllón’s involvement as both the star and as one of the film’s executive producers is a testament to his belief that now is the time for this story to be shared.

“When we look at the times that we’re living in, when trans people are being attacked daily by the current administration, it is really troubling. The dehumanization of trans folks has gotten out of hand. I think we need to all have the opportunity to sit with the fact that my lived reality is not the same as someone else’s reality, but that doesn’t make their lived reality any less human or any less important or any less true.”

“I think that one of the beautiful things about this story is that it’s unlike any other story that I’ve ever heard or told. Yes, there’s the trans element, but it’s a full life story. It’s important to talk about trans issues as a means of advocacy. I’m also really interested in talking about Dwen Curry as a human being. What are the circumstances that conspired to create the situations that forced Dwen Curry to make the decisions that Dwen Curry made? We’re talking about the socioeconomic climate of the eighties. We’re talking about the politics of the eighties. We’re talking about HIV and AIDS. We’re talking about the stigma around being queer. We’re talking about poverty. All of these issues conspire to create a situation where the wind has to make certain decisions in order to survive and thrive.”

According to Dyllón, the story directly relates to what is happening right now. He elaborates:

“So many of us find ourselves in that position right now where there are all of these different systems and institutions that seem to be closing in around us and putting us between a rock and a hard place. We have to figure out how to stay true to ourselves. How do we protect ourselves? How do we eat? How do we stay safe from the cops shooting us down in the streets or from some person who hates us because of the color of our skin, or our gender or sexual identity? All of these things create a situation for people that drives them to make really hard decisions. And I think I’m more critical of those systems than I am the individual who is forced to exist in those systems.”

BET+’s inclusion of queer stories is a milestone. Typically, minority programming was resistant to talking about queer people. As part of that representation with Pose and now with this film, Dyllón has his take on the growing trend of inclusion.

“I may not say that minorities don’t celebrate folks, but I will say that historically we’ve seen that the media companies across the board have not supported stories. I think folks see we’re able to recognize the cultural impact as well as the fiscal benefits of telling more inclusive and expansive stories about who we are, who we get to be. I hope that continues. I hope we continue to see that in spite of all of the efforts to roll back DEI, and that media companies will stand firm in their commitment and desire to tell stories, real authentic stories about real authentic people.”

Totally giving himself over to the portrayal of Dwen on her journey of self-discovery and acceptance, Dyllón has started to look at his own relationship with identity and being true to himself. It is the message he has for himself, it is the message he has to his fans.

“One of the things that I’m really striving for in my life is integration, this idea that I don’t have to be a separate human being with my family that I am with my friends, that I am at work on set, that I am on stage, performing my music, that I am in the recording studio, that I am when I give a speech somewhere as the advocate in a political space. I don’t have to compartmentalize myself in those ways and I get to bring all of myself to every space that I’m in, even if that means I’m overwhelmed,  or I’m tired, or I’m stressed, or I’m afraid.

The conversation that I’m having with myself in this moment, and by extension having with my audience, is this message around integration. And standing firmly 10 toes down in the truth of who I am and allowing that to be messy and allowing that to be uncertain and weird and to be unapologetic about the messiness and the weirdness and the lack of clarity.

Just show up as your full self wherever you find yourself and trust that your spirit will lead you and guide you in the way that you should go. Unplug from social media and get outside.”

Fighting to Be Me: The Dwen Curry Story is now available on BET+

‘And still, I rise.’ If you’ve been using this quote nonstop this week, you have also been obsessed with the instantly iconic third and final part of The Real Housewives of Potomac reunion. The final chapter in season 9 of RHOP really had it all.

No joke, I’ve watched it three times this week. In case you missed it, QVC queen Stacey Rusch got dragged by the women, the production and the man she allegedly paid to play her boyfriend on TV. This man not only said Rusch hired him to be her boyfriend on TV, but she also still owes him money for it. Rusch did not believe it until production brought out the raw footage and even then she kept it calm, cool and collected. Either way, she earned her spot in a second season. Meanwhile, between that bombshell and the ‘oh-so-staged’ Karen Huger video, the other ladies were reading and roasting the house down. Then they went in on Huger and everyone spilled the tea about her day drinking around the D.C area.

What a great finale! Also, Mia wasn’t there because she left in a huff last episode, which leads to the question: do we still need Mia Thornton for season 10? 

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Talk about a show to put you to sleep. Let’s jump over to our home franchise of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Why am I so bored this season? Even this lively episode of Sutton’s fashion show gave meh the whole time. The only thing worth mentioning from an hour-long episode is that Kyle Richards was hurt after photos surfaced of her estranged – and hot – hubby Mauricio Umansky, kissing another woman at the airport.

She had a whole meltdown about it as if she hasn’t been flaunting her late-in-life lesbian relationship all over TV, social media and the paparazzi. Richards, give it a rest and come out. Do your part to make this boring show somehow interesting. I do love that Garcelle Beauvais is determined to out her on TV, which seems fair after Richard’s involvement in the whole Denise-Brandi drama a few years back. 

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Speaking of Denise Richards, I gave her new spin-off Denise Richards & Her Wild Things a shot. It’s random and not really worth watching. Almost all the Housewives of Beverly Hills past and present make cameos throughout the season, which feels a tad desperate. She did somehow manage to bring up again how hung her hot husband is in the first episode, but is that enough to keep the gay audience? Doubtful.

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Now a reality show that totally delivered this week was the finale of The Traitors on Peacock. 

Spoilers ahead! 

In the final episode of the Emmy-winning competition, we saw traitor Danielle finally go home, sent packing by her Big Brother fr-enemy Britney. Now Britney is the only traitor left in the finale and the faithful must either banish her before it’s too late or lose all the prize money. Luckily, cutie Dylan Efron puts the pieces together and sways the rest of the castle to vote out Britney. Then the four remaining players decide to split the winning and the game is ended. The best gamers in the world competed and yet, Traitors was won by a royal, a bachelorette, a real housewife, and a nepo celeb. That’s TV gold, folks.

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It has been 8 years since Margaret Cho released her Grammy-nominated American Myth album. She’s back to the music scene with her new album, Lucky Gift, an 11-track collection of anthems and pop tunes, a tribute to Robin Williams, and a shout-out to non-binary and gender non-conforming people.

The album captures the whirlwind that is Margaret and all of the different facets of her talents that have made her a powerhouse in entertainment and a leader in activism. In Lucky Gift, she’s getting her point across while having fun and getting glam.

We caught up with the activist and artist to chat about her music, our political climate, and

Known for her comedy, acting and activism, she felt it was long overdue to get her music back out there too.

Cho shares some insight on her next moves:

“I make music often. It’s a part of my daily life, it’s a big part of my social life, and it’s just something that I just love to do for my own relaxation and fun. I had enough for an album and I wanted to finally put them out. I was just really proud of how it all sounded together,” shares Cho.

“It’s a power pop record. For me, the songs are really meaningful. They’re all in their own way love songs. I’m a big fan of my own music (laughs), I really like the way that I sound and it’s really special to do. People know me as a comedian, and I have also made music for a long time, but it’s sort of a side project, and so it was time to put more out again.”

Her album also includes a touching tribute to Robin Williams. The entertainment community is finally more comfortable talking about mental health more openly. When relating mental health to her own life, Margaret, in true Margaret form, quickly turned the conversation to reflect today’s political climate.

“I have to maintain a level of peace and quiet and sometimes maybe get away from the news, although that’s tough because I am obsessed. I want to know what is happening. I’m really worried for our community, especially the trans community.  I’m worried that this Administration is trying to separate T and the Q from the LGBTQIA, and it’s really frightening.”

As an elder, Cho says she has to also remember that we’ve been through this before and it’s actually been much worse. The LGBTQ+ community has been through a similar situation and at that point we were facing down a pandemic which was killing the community by the millions. Now, Cho says at least we don’t have to fight AIDS, as well as this onslaught of homophobia.

“We have fought for our rights, and we still have them, but we may not have them for long. So our mental health is very important to preserve now because we have to fight. The one thing to remember is they can’t do everything at once. They can’t take away trans rights, queer rights, gay rights, gay marriage, antidepressants (ha!) at the same time. So what we can do is just try to remain as calm as possible and fight as strongly as we can. But yeah, mental health is really vitally important right now.”

Cho’s long history of queer activism stands for itself. She does not shy away from current issues, she uses her platforms to incite, educate, and question. For Margaret, there is no time off from being an activist. She was born into it, so to speak, being raised in San Francisco in the 1970s, her parents the owners of a gay bookstore and their employees, followers of Harvey Milk.

“My activism is that I don’t have a choice. I’m going to be an activist no matter what. We’re doing this together, we’re going through this together. I will always be political. It’s just disheartening to see the ignorance of people and the lies that are being told that are believed.”

Lucky Gift comes at a perfect time when the queer community can come together over music. Cho looks at her album as a tool to empower an underdog community through the power of music.

“It’s the triumph of pop above all. We need to look to our pop divas above all. So now I’m more than ever, leaning on Madonna. Thank God for [Lady Gaga’s] “Abracadabra” because I think that things like that boost our community so much. When you can just get together and have a “brat summer,” that boosts our community so much in this togetherness, this explosion of excitement. I think Chappell Roan really ignited the pop capacity for healing. I love Lucky Gift because it is my stepping into a pop diva moment. Pop Divas should not be discounted for how important they are to our society and how much they lift us up.”

In addition to releasing her new album, Margaret will continue to hit the road this year with her Live and LIVID! Tour, celebrating over four decades of live stand-up shows. On this tour, she promises to rage about homophobia, sexism, racism, and the fight to stay alive. The five-time Grammy and Emmy-nominated performer is not holding back. According to her, the nation is not divided, just a little lost.

“We’re not divided. Everybody hates this. We all hate this. The fact is, the majority of the country does not want this. Unfortunately, a lot of people just didn’t vote because they just didn’t want to participate. That’s why we’re in the situation that we’re in. So to be on the road is a pleasure. And I rarely come against opposition. Every once in a while there’s something, but it’s something that we all handle. I think we all need a voice, a strong voice of reason to combat all of the hysteria.”

And her message to her fans?

“We’ll get through this. We’ll get through this with Pop Divas. “Abracadabra,” learn the choreography, you do it sitting down. At least we have pop music, I have my hat in the ring here. But at least we have each other and we’re going to be okay. It’s going to be a ride, it’s going to be intense, but we can do this. We’ve been through this before and we are going to be fine.”

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Lucky Gift is now available on all major streaming platforms

‘The Lamb: A Novel’
By Lucy Rose
c.2025, Harper
$27.99/329 pages

What’s for lunch?

You probably know at breakfast what you’re having a few hours later. Maybe breast of chicken in tomato sauce. Barbecued ribs, perhaps? Leg of lamb, beef tongue, pickled pigs’ feet, liver and onions, the possibilities are just menus away. Or maybe, as in the new book, “The Lamb” by Lucy Rose, you’ll settle for a rump roast and a few lady fingers.

Margot was just four years old when she noticed the mold on the shower walls, and wondered what it might taste like. She also found fingers in the shower drain from the last “stray,” the nails painted purple, and she wondered why they hadn’t been nibbled, too.

Cooked right, fingers and rumps were the best parts.

Later, once Margot started school, Mama depended on her to bring strays from the woods to their cottage, and Mama would give them wine and warm them up. She didn’t often leave the house unless it was to bury clothing and bones, but she sometimes welcomed a gardener who was allowed to leave. There was a difference, you see, between strays and others.

But Eden? Margot couldn’t quite figure her out.

She actually liked Eden, who seemed like a stray but obviously wasn’t. Eden was pretty; she never yelled at Margot, although she did take Margot’s sleeping spot near Mama. Eden made Mama happy; Margot could hear them in the bedroom sometimes, making noises like Mama did when the gardener visited. Eden was a very good cook. She made Mama softer, and she made promises for better times.

And yet, things never got better. Margot was not supposed to call attention to herself, but she wanted friends and a real life. If she was honest, she didn’t want to eat strays anymore, either, she was tired of the pressure to bring home dinner, and things began to unravel. Maybe Mama didn’t love Margot anymore. Maybe she loved Eden better or maybe Mama just ached from hunger.

Because you know what they say: two’s company, three’s a meal.

Not a book to read at lunch? No, probably not – although once you become immersed in “The Lamb,” it’ll be easy to swallow and hard to put down.

For sure, author Lucy Rose presents a somewhat coming-of-age chiller with a gender-twisty plot line here, and while it’s occasionally a bit slow and definitely cringey, it’s also really quite compelling. Rose actually makes readers feel good about a character who indulges in something so entirely, repulsively taboo, which is a very surprising – but oddly satisfying – aspect of this unique tale. Readers, in fact, will be drawn to the character Margo’s innocence-turned-eyes-wide-open and it could make you grow a little protective of her as she matures over the pages. That feeling plays well inside the story and it makes the will-they-won’t-they ending positively shivery.

Bottom line, if you have a taste for the macabre with a side order of sympathy, then “The Lamb” is your book and don’t miss it. Fans of horror stories, this is a novel you’ll eat right up.

The Blade may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via this post.

If any form of artistic expression can be called the “front line” in the seemingly eternal war between free speech and censorship, it’s pornography.

In the U.S., ever since a 1957 Supreme Court ruling (Roth v. U.S.) made the legal distinction between “pornography” (protected speech) and “obscenity” (not protected speech), the debate has continued to stymie judicial efforts to find a standard to define where that line is drawn in a way that doesn’t arguably encroach on First Amendment rights – but legality aside, it’s clearly a matter of personal interpretation. If something an artist creates features material that depicts sexual behavior in a way that offends us (or doesn’t, for that matter), no law is going to change our mind.

That’s OK, of course, everyone has a right to their own tastes, even when it comes to sex. But in an age when the conservative urge to censor has been weaponized against anything that runs counter to their repressive social agenda, it’s easy to see how labeling something as too “indecent” to be lawfully expressed can be used as a political tactic. History is full of authoritarian power structures for whom censorship was used to silence – or even eliminate – anyone who dares to oppose them. That’s why history is also full of radical artists who make it a point to push the boundaries of what is “acceptable” creative expression and what is not.

Indeed, some of these artists see such cultural boundaries as just another way for a ruling power to enforce social conformity on its citizens, and consider the breaking of them not just a shock tactic but a revolutionary act – and if you’re a fan of pioneering “queercore” filmmaker Bruce LaBruce, then you know that’s a description that fits him well.

LaBruce, a Canadian who rose to underground prominence as a writer and editor of queer punk zines in the ‘80s before establishing himself as a photographer and filmmaker in the “Queercore” movement, has never been deterred by cultural boundaries. His movies – from the grit of his gay trick-turning comedy “Hustler White,” through the slick pornographic horror of “LA Zombie,” to the taboo-skewering sophistication of his twin-cest romance “St. Narcisse” – have unapologetically featured explicit depictions of what some might call “deviant” sex. Other films, like the radical queer terrorist saga “The Raspberry Reich” and the radical feminist terrorist saga “The Misandrists,” have been more overtly political, offering savagely ludicrous observations about extremist ideologies and the volatile power dynamics of sex and gender that operate without regard for ideologies at all. Through all of his work, a cinematic milieu has emerged that exists somewhere between the surreal iconoclasm of queer Italian provocateur Pier Paolo Pasolini and the monstrous camp sensibility of John Waters, tied together with an eye for arresting pop art visuals and a flair for showmanship that makes it all feel like a really trashy – and therefore really good – exploitation film.

In his latest work, he brings all those elements together for a reworking of Pasolini’s 1968 “Teorema,” in which an otherworldly stranger enters the life of an upper class Milanese family and seduces them, one by one. In “The Visitor,” Pasolini’s Milan becomes LaBruce’s London, and the stranger becomes an impressively beautiful, sexually fluid alien refugee (burlesque performer Bishop Black) who arrives in a suitcase floating on the Thames. Insinuating himself into the home of a wealthy family with the help of the maid (Luca Federici), who passes him off as her nephew, he exerts an electrifying magnetism that quickly fascinates everyone who lives there. Honing in on their repressed appetites, he has clandestine sex with each in turn – Maid, Mother (Amy Kingsmill), Daughter (Ray Filar), Son (Kurtis Lincoln), and Father (Macklin Kowal) – before engaging in a incestuous pansexual orgy with them all. When the houseguest departs as abruptly as he arrived, the household is left with its bourgeois pretensions shattered and its carnal desires exposed, each of them forced to deal with the consequences for themselves.

Marked perhaps more directly than LaBruce’s other work with direct nods to his influences, the film is dedicated to Pasolini himself, in addition to numerous visual references throughout which further underscore the “meta-ness” of paying homage to the director in a remake of one of his own films; there are just as many call-backs to Waters, most visibly in some of the costume choices and the gender-queered depiction of some of its characters, but just as obviously through the movie’s “guerilla filmmaking” style and its gleefully transgressive shock tactics – particularly a dinner banquet sequence early on which leisurely rubs our noses in a few particularly dank taboos. There are also glimpses and echoes of Hitchcock, Kubrick, Lynch, and other less controversial (but no less challenging) filmmakers whose works have pushed many of the same boundaries from behind the veneer of mainstream respectability.

Despite all of these tributes, however, “The Visitor” is pure LaBruce. Celebratory in its depravity and unflinching in its fully pornographic (and unsimulated) depictions of sex, from the blissfully erotic to grotesquely bestial, it seems determined to fight stigma with saturation – or at least, to push the buttons of any prudes who happen to wander into the theater by mistake – while mocking the fears and judgments that feed the stigmas in the first place.

That doesn’t mean it’s all fluid-drenched sex and unfettered perversion; like Pasolini and his other idols, LaBruce is a deeply intellectual filmmaker, and there’s a deeper thread that runs throughout to deliver an always-relevant message which feels especially relevant right now: the treatment of “otherness” in a society governed by homogeny, conformity, and xenophobia. “The Visitor” even opens with a voiceover radio announcer lamenting the influx of “brutes” into the country, as suitcases bearing identical immigrants (all played by Black) appear across London, and it is by connecting to the hidden “other” in each of his conquests that our de facto protagonist draws them in.

LaBruce doesn’t just make these observations, however; he also offers a solution (of sorts) that matches his fervor for revolution – one in which the corruption of the ruling class serves as an equalizing force. In each of the Visitor’s extended sexual episodes with the various family members, the director busts out yet another signature move by flashing propaganda-style slogans – “Give Peace of Ass a Chance,” “Go Homo,” and “Join the New Sexual World Order” are just a few colorful examples – that are as heartfelt as they are hilarious. In LaBruce’s revolution, the path to freedom is laid one fuck at a time, and it’s somehow beautiful – despite the inevitable existential gloom that hovers over it all.

Obviously, “The Visitor” is not for all tastes. But if you’re a Blade reader, chances are your interest will be piqued – and if that’s the case, then welcome to the revolution. We need all the soldiers we can get.

“The Visitor” is now playing in New York and debuts in Los Angeles March 14, and will screen at roadshow engagements in cities across the U.S. Information on dates, cities, and venues (along with tickets) is available at thevisitor.film/.