Events
The Advocate Turns 50! Remembering Editor-in-Chief Richard Rouilard
A groundbreaking magazine
The Advocateās Lucas Grindley and Paul Colichman with Nancy Cohen at a 50th anniversary party on June 15, 2017. (Photo by Karen Ocamb)
The Los Angeles Advocate started in the late 1960s, as the anti-Vietnam War movement swelled and the liberation movements overwhelmed the long civil rights movement. The newsletter,Ā produced and distributed by the Gay Liberation-inspired political activist group Personal Right in Defense and Education (PRIDE)Ā informed the local gay community about news and events happening during that heady time.Ā ItĀ was, after all, Ā created in response to the LAPD raid of the Black Cat Tavern in Silver Lake on January 1, 1967 and the community needed to know when and where the next anti-LAPD demonstrations would occur. In September 1967, the newsletter became a newspaper. By 1974, The Advocate printed 40,000 copies an issue.
The Advocate has undergone tremendous changes since then, which Here Media owner Paul Colichman, editor-in-chief Lucas Grindley, Neal Broverman, Diane Anderson-MinshallĀ Ā and the whole team have recognized in anĀ <ahref=”https://www.advocate.com/advocate50″>amazing tribute to the 50 year old LGBT institutionĀ they now run and protect.
I have written intermittently for The Advocate over the years, starting in 1990. My editor was Mark Thompson, for whomĀ The Advocate stood as a āhopeful beacon, holistic in its concern for a people previously broken, adamant in its conviction that the pieces stay mended together. āThe Advocate was for many of us the first exposure weād had to the idea that what we are is not bad,ā says one longtime reader, speaking for many. āIt was alight in the dark by which we could navigate,āā as IĀ wrote in my tribute to himĀ last year.
I was introduced to Mark in 1990 at The Advocate offices in Hollywood by editor-in-chief Richard Rouilard. We felt a responsibility to discern what stories were real, what was spin, and how to report on a controversy with both color and an ethical obligation to the larger context. It wasnāt always easy, but he took the struggle to heart, apologizing profusely when another, more senior editor changed the headline of my story on a confrontation faced by a woman author to make it more snarky: āShe took a licking and kept on ticking.ā
Before he left, Mark edited the exquisiteĀ Long Road to Freedom: The Advocate History Of The Gay And Lesbian MovementĀ in 1994.Ā In it is a short essay by Rouilard on the importance of 1990, the year he took over as editor-in-chief of The Advocate.
The AdvocateĀ changed dramatically in 1990. Aggressive investigative reporting was initiated by the editorial staff,ā Rouilard wrote. āCover stories attacked corporate giants like AT&T and Bank of America for employment discrimination, unveiled AIDS-phobia and homophobia in Hollywood, on Madison Avenue, and on Seventh Avenue, and explored the gay revolution on American college campuses. The staff also instituted the annual Sissy Awards for Americaās worst homophobes. The winner that year was cover boy Jesse helms, whose lips were smeared with a very unflattering shade of red lipstick. Advocate news reports and feature stories were picked up by mainstream media around the world. The Advocate, like the gay nation it reflected, entered the gay nineties with a roar.ā
In his Introduction, Thompson noted how Rouilard amplified that roar. āAbove all else, the colorful editor-in-chief plunged The Advocate back into the community, a place from which it had been estranged for some time. Under his leadership, the magazine achieved a new standard of excellence for gay journalism, a quality not seen since (Robert I.) McQueenās early days as editor.ā
Rouilard,ā Thompson wrote, āhad a genius for making the world take notice.ā Thatās something of an understatement.
Bob Sipchen wrote this in the Los Angeles timesĀ on June 28, 1990:Ā āREQUIRED READING: * Webster’s Dictionary has two definitions for the word “sissy.” One is “effeminate.” The other is “cowardly.” In itsĀ July 3Ā issue, The Advocate, subtitled “The National Gay Newsmagazine,” adopts the second meaning and attaches it to its “First Annual Sissy Awards,” dedicated to “some of America’s biggest homophobes.” The issue, he wrote, āis worth picking up if only to see the cover shot of Sissy Award winner Jesse Helms, wearing editorially applied magenta lipstick.ā
Richard Rouilard loved being editor-in-chief of The Advocate. Ideas shot out of him like fireworks on Independence Dayāideas to make the magazine better, of higher-quality, and more important with a cutting edge to get more leverage in the mainstream media, and by extension, influence the nationās premier influencers.
Like Thompsonāand most of the other reporters, editors and staff I met when I freelanced there, Richard was furious about anti-LGBT discrimination. He insightfully saw the gay activism stirring around the country and not only seized on being the first to tell the storyābut virtually advocated for ACT UP and Queer Nation and the zines popping up with a stunning array of self-expression. And he didnāt stay cordoned off in his Hollywood office or in his well-appointed West Hollywood condo with his beloved partner BobĀ Cohen. When California Gov. Pete Wilson vetoed the gay rights bill AB 101, Richard was on the streets protesting, putting his body on the line, stopping traffic. I know. I was there. I have pictures.
Richard took the gay rights movement very seriouslyāand personally. Having been abandoned as a baby, he was later rejected by his adoptive parents when he became too effeminate. He turned that into being too fabulous, adopting his French motherās maiden name and transforming himself into a Ā gossipy American Anna Wintour with a law degree and biting sense of humor.
He co-founded the National Gay Rights Advocates, the first gay public interest law firm, in 1979, hiring Democratic honcho Jean OāLeary as executive director. Ā Two years later, he created aĀ society column called “Bunny Mars” for several local newspapers and magazines, though best known in the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. Over his career, he worked as an editor or reporter or consultant for scores of magazines and newspapers and helped co-foundĀ the Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.
Richardās Rolodex could fill a closet. But he relied on friends like LA Gay & Lesbian Community Services Center executive director Torie Osborn and entertainment manager/producer Barry Krost for help, tips and balance. He was a mentor and a mensch, a diva, a dragon and a diplomat. And he really, really cared about gay people.
My first cover story for Richard was Aug. 26, 1990. He wanted a story on fundraiserābut not just the āusual suspects,ā the big dollar donors who were in many ways carrying the movement as more and more people died of AIDS. He wanted stories about fundraisers in their own communities, no matter what the ābig bucksā dollar size. He wanted to give them props, in his own fashion.
I was in the office one day when he came bounding over, incredibly excited to share some news with me: the next issue would say āThe Advocate: The National Gay andĀ LesbianĀ Newsmagazine.ā It was the Oct. 29, 1990 cover featuring two white presumably gay men giving a half hello/half-Nazi salute under the headline: āGay Right-Wingers: Traitors to the Cause?ā The top banner headline read: āThe Man Who Outed John Travolta Apologizes.ā I donāt know if anyone noticed the change.
My next cover story proved problematic. I had been assigned over the summer to find and interview students on college campuses who were acting up, fighting back, resisting, disrupting and being downright rude about it. They were loosely known as Queer Nation. The problem wasāno one was on campus during the summer. And then, when I came in for a story conference and Richard excitedly showed me the cover artāI blanched. I had the fists, I had the middle finger. But I didnāt have the equivalent of a studentās hand holding dynamite. āFind it,ā he told me. The cover was done. I had to fit the story to the cover. That was not the way I had done journalism before. Luckily, I fund students in an uproar over a cancelation of a Robert Mapplethorpe exhibit at a museum in Cincinnati, Ohio that resulted in the Contemporary Arts Center and its director being put on trial for obscenity. Ā TheĀ jury acquitted in early October,Ā but I had my stick of dynamite in the fight for the First Amendment and to protect the arts.
He made news by publishing Michelangelo Signorileās outing of Pete Williams who served as Pentagon spokesperson while there was a ban on gays serving openly in the military. Williams is now the Supreme Court correspondent for NBC News.
“Outing is a very nasty business,” RichardĀ told the LA Times in 1992.Ā “But homophobic homosexuals are a nastier business. I don’t think homosexuality is a privacy issue.”
Richard Rouilard died of AIDS on Wednesday, May 8, 1996. He had resigned from The Advocate in 1992 after getting into fights with the publishers over his enthusiastic spending of their money.
“I think he was most proud of turning The Advocate around and being on the vanguard of bringing gay rights into the mainstream,” LA Times reporter and close friend Mary McNamaraĀ told the San Francisco Chronicle. “He was able to approach very serious subjects with intense attention but also with a great sense of humor and empathy.”
Richardās last Editorās Note for The Advocate was in the August 13, 1992 issue with the cover story: āEating Our Own.ā It is as important today as then. Hereās what he said, asĀ re-printed in theĀ San Francisco Examiner.
āIn a speech at a recent journalists’ conference, author Randy “And the Band Played On” Shilts referred to just about anyone who disagrees with him as a “lavender fascist.”Ā Later he told The New York Times that the lavender fascists were nothing more than third graders whining, “Do what I want you to do, or I’ll tell on you.”
Knowing beforehand that Shilts was going to make this unusual speech, I had to respond.Ā Someone had to defend lavender fascists, whatever they are.
As a joke, I had a dozen T- shirts made up that read LAVENDER FASCIST on the front, The Advocate on the back.Ā The New York Times then reported that those at the conference who were in favor of all-out outing — that is, the now- defunct OutWeek’s position, certainly not The Advocate’s — were wearing “earrings and sassy T-shirts.”Ā The anti-outers were allegedly suited.
I am no more a “lavender fascist,” and all-out outer, than Shilts is a “homocon,” a conservative homo opposed to outing under any circumstances whatsoever.Ā This kind of reductionist thinking about the gay, lesbian and bi community is best left to the straight press, which needs to pigeonhole us because they don’t take the time to find out about the depths of diversity in this hodgepodge we call the gay community.Ā We shouldn’t take them seriously.
But when we start seeing each other as enemies — reducing our complicated lives to black and white, left and right — we are in serious trouble.Ā Our greatest task now is to try to understand, to tolerate, to trust each other a little.
We must.Ā We have precious little in common.Ā We are Republicans, Democrats, rich, poor, black, white, brown, yellow, men and women — just for starters.Ā Our community, our few institutions are under attack from a well-financed, highly organized Right.Ā And if a Washington Times report is accurate, the anti-gay right has the blessings of President Bush.
The backlash against us is raging unchecked across America in small towns and cities.Ā The recent destruction of the offices of Campaign for a Hate-Free Oregon has Urvashi Vaid, the head of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, worried, deeply worried.Ā Vaid knows that the anti-gay juggernaut is being fueled by this election year’s great American grandstanding issue — family values.
We have become the Willie Hortons of ’92.Ā Obviously, we can’t afford to be “eating our own” this year. But what is eating our own?Ā Is any criticism, any disagreement, an example of eating our own?Ā Shilts, referring to those with whom he disagrees as lavender fascists, and I with my sarcastic T-shirts are nothing more than two old, bitchy queens going at each other.
Marvin Liebman, a co-founder of the American conservative movement, an out gay man and an old friend of mine, called me an “idiot” in the New York Post for outing an acting chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, Anne-Imelda Radice, a friend of his.Ā Well, ditto for Marvin, and he’s older than Randy and I put together.
Eating our own and political disagreements are two very different animals.Ā But past disagreements that are left unattended can, on occasion and frighteningly quickly, turn into the frenzied phenomenon we recognize as eating our own.Ā Two of our most prominent organizations, National Gay Rights Advocates (NGRA) and the Fund for Human Dignity, were eaten alive recently by vast differences of opinion.Ā The parties at odds refused to deal with each other.Ā The disputes became public.Ā Fund-raising abilities collapsed.Ā The organizations folded.
I was the board chair of NGRA during this period.Ā I could not get the two sides to deal with each other as anything but enemies.Ā The animosities were overwhelming.Ā There were voracious beasts on the sidelines — oppression, sickness, internalized homophobia, anti and pro-establishment agenda-ism anti-authority forces and God knows what else; I don’t.Ā Ā Two years later, I still can’t say which one of the beasts was more prominent.
The beast is at the doorstep again.Ā This year’s gay pride parade and festival in Los Angeles was marred by a public dispute between Queer Nation and event organizers Christopher Street West.Ā QN claimed that the entrance fees at the festival and CSW’s attitude towards minorities and drag queens were not conducive to creating a fully diversified ambience.Ā CSW protested.
In an essay in the event program, activist Torie Osborn suggested that QN was involved in eating our own.Ā No.Ā Not quite.Ā Not yet.Ā Nonetheless, Osborn’s call for unity must be heeded because this fracas could easily become a cannibalistic frenzy if it continues.
The differences of opinion here — angry ads were placed in the local gay press by QN — are too dramatic.Ā The drama, a natural result of our diversity, is the signal that discussion is imperative.Ā But how to get these two sides to sit down with each other is the problem.
Where is the meeting ground when some multiculti-queers suggest that one of our finest leaders, Vaid, should be tried for treason?Ā What happens when Tom Stoddard has committed Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund to a fund-raiser in New York at a performance of “Miss Saigon,” a show being boycotted by Asian-American groups?Ā Should Stoddard have canceled the benefit, thereby threatening Lambda’s fund-raising base for the year?Ā Is Stoddard the enemy?
On the other hand, just how long must women and minorities wait for recognition of their needs, acknowledgement of their absolute right to participate in decisions that intimately affect their lives, decisions that are sometimes made by white-male-run organizations?
There are no easy answers.Ā Seemingly, there are no answers.Ā I think I’ll give that bitch Randy Shilts a call.ā
Events
Queer Latin Dance LA celebrates decade of inclusive lessons
How this small dance class turned into a decade-long organization
Queer Latin Dance L.A. hosted their Holiday Social on Saturday, celebrating their 10-year anniversary. Beginner and experienced dancers were welcomed to the night-long party that went from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. The evening featured music by D.J. K Bunny and special performances.
Arlene Santos, one of the cofounders of Queer Latin Dance L.A., said the group started when a friend who had visited Santosā own studio invited her to teach at a meetup in North Hollywood. Through word of mouth, about 80 people showed up to the first meetup of what they called a āsame-sex dance class.ā Chairs and tables had to be shuffled around to make space for dancing in the small, smoky dive bar.
Santos told CALĆ News that people had driven to North Hollywood all the way from Diamond Bar and Orange County. When she suggested salsa studios closer to those travelers, they told her they didnāt feel welcome in other dance spaces. One of the reasons was that gender was more strictly enforced; attending men didnāt want to dance with other men and women werenāt welcome to try and lead. Same-sex dancing couples received uncomfortable stares from others and teachers used unnecessarily gendered language to refer to class members.
āThat’s something that I was guilty of 20 years ago when I was teaching,ā Santos said. āIād say, āokay, take the ladies and rotate.ā And now it’s something I would never even dream of saying because it doesn’t even make sense to me anymore. It’s not about ladies and gentlemen, [dancing] is about leaders and followers.ā
The queer-specific dance scene has grown over the past 10 years, according to Santos, who said Queer Latin Dance L.A. cross-promotes with other groups and sends students with different schedules to places that are a better fit. The company has grown in their own ways as well. Now, a few former students have become instructors who lead the groupās very own competitive dance team.
Santos said sheās hopeful about the years to come.
āI just want the scene to keep growing and for these spaces to be around so that anyone can come and dance and feel like they’re in a safe space,ā she said.
Saturday night featured a salsa class at 8 p.m., bachata lesson at 8:40 p.m., and dance performances at 10 p.m. more information can be found on their site
Arts & Entertainment
GMCLA to perform concert filled with holiday magic and sugar
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles heads to the Saban Theatre on 14th and 15th December
When it comes to all-sing-and-dance musical productions, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles never fails to pull out all the stops. The festive shows make the Top Twenty LA Holiday Events List annually and 2024 looks to be no exception.
The SugarPlum Fairies Holiday Concert is set to feature āsome of the most magical music ever written, filled with sugar plums, rich chocolate, and pure fantasy.ā
Audiences can expect the 200-strong chorus to perform 25 songs ranging from iconic Christmas classics to a modern twist on the festive ballet. The Nutcrackerās Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’s Pure Imagination are among the musical repertoire, while Dolly Partonās Hard Candy Christmas and Siaās Candy Cane Lane represent the new holiday cohort.
“You’re going to hear some Christina Aguilera, you’re going to hear some old school [songs] from the 60s about candy, and you’re also going to hear some traditional music,” said choreographer, Ray Leeper. “Wonka is really hot right now, so you’re going to hear some of the the old Wonka and from the new movie.”
This yearās Christmas show promises to be a particularly special one, with the group celebrating its 45th anniversary of service and community.
āEverything we do is because of the incredible support we get from our singing members, who have been giving their time, energy, commitment, and activism for over 45 years,ā GMCLA Executive Director, Lou Spisto explained.
The chorus continues to garner acclaim for artistic excellence while remaining deeply rooted in its service. For those who donāt know, GMCLA was founded in 1979 in the midst of the countryās gay rights movement.
Members spread a message of love and acceptance, with programs like SugarPlum focusing just as much on social justice as they do show tunes.
āThe Gay Menās Chorus of Los Angeles is well known for great music, great artistry, and great concerts that we do in these major venues around townābut itās far more than that,ā Spisto added.āEach year, we do around 43 events in high schools, community centers, and hospitals to be with our communities and support themā¦ those who look like us and those who donāt. Iām so proud to say weāve grown these projects over the last six years.ā
Its award-winning school program Alive Music Project has served over 90,000 young people since its inception. AMP also offers an opportunity to enrich each schoolās music education program, with Choral students invited to perform with GMCLA at the presentations.
Their Arts for Healing & Justice program provides introductory music classes for incarcerated youth in Los Angeles Countyās juvenile correctional system. They join an interdisciplinary collaboration of outstanding organizations, providing exceptional arts programming to build resiliency and wellness, eliminate recidivism, and transform the juvenile justice system.
Concerts such as SugarPlum are helping to raise funds for this vital work on an annual basis. When the chorus isnāt working on ticketed events like their Christmas concert, their yearly free events help to expand community access even further. Past venues include the Hollywood Bowl, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
As for the immediate future, GMCLAās hope is triumphing over hate. The result of this yearās presidential election is likely to affect Californiaās LGBTQ+ community in some way, but Spisto is only seeing upsides, not downsides.
One such upside? Using SugarPlum as the perfect opportunity to celebrate Los Angelesā vibrant queer community for the loud and proud individuals they are.
āItās an interesting time in our world today. GMCLA has been speaking loudly, singing loudly, and standing up for this community and others for decades, and weāre going to continue to do that,ā said Spisto.
SugarPlum Fairies will be at the Saban Theatre, Beverly Hills on December 14 at 8pm and December 15 at 3:30pm. Buy tickets now at https://www.gmcla.org/sugarplumfairies. Prices range from $45-$125. If you want to support the Chorusā ongoing educational work, you can make a donation at GMCLA.org/holidaygiving. Eligible donations of $120 or moreāor new monthly donations of $10 or moreāwill receive an official GMCLA Holiday Sweatshirt as a thank-you gift. Donations must be made by December 31st to be eligible.
Arts & Entertainment
Comedian Adam Sank knows heās just as damaged as his ‘Bad Dates’
In his āone-man show about many menā Adam Sank comes to terms with a lifetime spent searching for āthe oneā
At 54 and single, comedian Adam Sank is as much a veteran of the gay dating scene and of the stage, so when he was challenged to put together his new show, he did what came natural: he mined his lifetime of hookups and dates gone wrong, for an hour of laughs.
Now heās bringing that award-winning show, Bad Dates: A One-Man Show About Many Men, to Southern California for a pair of dates in Los Angeles and San Diego Dec 6-7.
āThe show opens with me saying, āI’m 53 years old and single,ā and fortunately, I haven’t had to change the script in the last year and a half that I’ve been performing this,ā Sank said with a wry smile over a Zoom call from his New York apartment.
If that sounds like a hint of bitterness about the single life coming through, Sank is quick to dismiss it.
āI think there’s this notion in our culture, it’s sort of ingrained in us that if you’re not married, if you don’t find your person, you’re somehow lesser. You’re somehow leading a less full life,ā Sank said. āIt’s taken me a long time to be able to say I truly believe that’s bullshit.ā
āFinding your person does not equal happiness and being single does not equal sadness,ā he continued.
Sank has been rising through the comedy trenches for twenty years. He says he got a late start in stand-up at age 32, after getting burned out working as a television news producer. Over the years, heās competed on Last Comic Standing and appeared as a commentator on shows like I Love the 2000s and Best Week Ever.
Bad Dates marks something of a departure, with a stronger focus on long-form narrative as Sank goes deeper into what a life spent single means. And itās a departure thatās won him many plaudits from critics such as two Broadway World Cabaret Awards for the showās original run at the Stonewall Inn in New York last summer.
āThereās a cost to spending your entire adult life searching for the one, the perfect love story, when we expend so much energy and time and resources into that one thing we neglect everything else,ā he said.
But Bad Dates at least proves thereās one benefit to trudging through the dating trenches across decades: the stories. And boy, does Sank have stories. Twinks, injuries, being invited to orgies, not being invited to orgiesāSankās dating life has proven a goldmine of hilarious material.
āWe like hearing about any misfortune because we identify with so much of it and it makes us feel less alone. You know, I think a lot of people out thereāespecially people who are not necessarily young and singleārelate to this show because they’re like, āOh my God, I’m not the only one who has been through these situations,āā he said.
Which isnāt to say Sank doesnāt have those romantic notions. Heās just maybe become a bit more realistic about the pursuit of partnership.
āWhen I was younger, I don’t think I was ready. I think I had so much work I needed to do on myself, and I had this very false idea about what a relationship should look like and what it would do for me. I basically bought into the whole rom-com idea that you would meet your person and you would live happily ever after. And that’s just not true for anyone. Even if you have the world’s greatest relationship, you have to constantly be doing work on yourself and on your relationship to keep it going,ā he said.
If Sank reveals any regret, itās that he didnāt figure all that out sooner.
āI really need a guy in my age range who’s single and they’re almost always really damagedāwhich is why they’re still single at my age,ā he said. āI’m sure I’m just as damaged as they are, but the point is, it’s a lot harder.ā
Adam Sankās solo show Bad Dates goes on at The Broadwater Main Stage, 1078 Lillian Way, Los Angeles, on Friday, December 6 at 9pm, and at the Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Boulevard #101, San Diego, on Saturday, December 7 at 7:30pm. Tickets here.
Events
Botitas World: the business brand aimed at building community
CafƩcito and Comunidad, the event to gather in QTBIPOC community
Zizi Bandera and Ty Curiel, came together to form what is now Botitasāa small business brand and organizing space for Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous and People of Color to celebrate and embrace identity, ethnicity and community.Ā
The co-founders of Saturdayās Botitas event CafĆ©cito and Comunidad, say they had to close the RSVPās because they reached capacity and were afraid of having issues with the Parks and Recreation Department that issues parking permits and sets a limit for the number of people allowed to gather at Elysian Park in Los Angeles.
āItās our first event here and itās an amazing turnout,ā said Bandera. āTikTok blew us up.ā
Bandera referenced the TikTok video they posted announcing the event and says that they woke up the next morning to see that they had well over a hundred RSVPās for the event that they expected would only have a couple dozen people.
āWe had someone who is part of our community call up the councilmember for this district and was able to talk to whoever is in charge of Parks and Rec to OK more capacity,ā said Bandera. ā[Eunisses Hernandez, Councilmember CD-1] also got us the tables and permits.ā
Bandera stresses that the amount of people who reserved a spot for the event comes to show the need for space like Botitas.
āI thought it was going to be maybe fifteen, twenty people,ā said Bandera.
The space is held intentionally for the BIPOC community within the broader LGBTQ+ community, with the intention of centering BIPOC voices that can otherwise be erased, marginalized, sidelined or silenced in broader community conversations.
āOur focus is to have these community spaces and to serve our trans Latine community in Los Angeles and beyond,ā continued Bandera. āWe thought about making this project a nonprofit, but we wanted to really have full agency and control over, in terms of the needs of our community.ā
Bandera says that going the nonprofit route has its own challenges and obstacles because of different stakeholders. They stress the importance of their community being the stakeholders in this business journey.
Though the day was a bit gloomy with some light rain, many people gathered to mingle, chat and yap, along with some coffee at Elysian Park in Los Angeles this past Saturday (Photo Credit Gisselle Palomera).
āIāve been working in community organizing, mobilizing around LGBTQ and immigrant issues for almost fifteen years now and Iāve always wanted to create something that was for us, led by usāqueer, trans, Latine and intergenerational.ā
Bandera says that they were inspired to create this space for QTBIPOC because of a report released earlier this year pointing to a loneliness epidemic that disproportionately affects LGBTQ+ people over their heterosexual peers.
The report states that āā¦LGBTQ+ youth exhibit higher rates of loneliness, social isolation, and depressive symptoms than their heterosexual peers. Moreover, LGBTQ+ youth grappling with loneliness are less likely to reach out for help regarding their mental health concerns.ā
The other co-founder of Botitas has different reasons to have started this business journey.
āBotitas is one day today and another thing tomorrow,ā Curiel said. āOur idea came from wanting to create a brandāsomething that you can wear when youāre out and about in the city. A brand that is backed by people who resonate with you as Latine folks, queer, trans and thatās what we are.ā
Curiel also states that the current state of politics also plays a major role in his idea to create Botitas. āWe want to [create these spaces], especially in this time and age where thereās a rhetoric of people spreading hate.ā
This event is in a public space, encouraging people who show up, to gather in a space that supports sobriety. The offerings included cafƩcito, pastries and games.
Earlier this year during pride month, Curiel says he and Bandera were looking at historic news articles and photographs of LGBTQ+ life in Los Angeles during the 1950s and 60s, from an exhibit at the Central Library in DTLA, and thatās when it hit them both that none of the people in the photos looked like them. They did not feel represented.
This moment urged them to reconsider what it means to them to feel represented, heard and seenāthus bringing about the idea for Botitas.
Follow @Botitas.World on Instagram and TikTok to get more information on upcoming events.
Events
LA events to attend in honor of Trans Day of Remembrance
If youāre looking to pay your respects or be in community with others, here are a few events to attend
Content Warning: Mentions of hate, gender-based violence.
Trans Day of Remembrance is coming up this Nov. 20, preceded by the Trans Week of Awareness from Nov. 13 to 19.
This year has been full of grief for the transgender community across the country. In 2024 alone, the Human Rights Campaign has kept track of 27 transgender and gender-expansive people across the United States who died of violent causes, such as gun or intimate partner violence. According to the Los Angeles District Attorneyās Office Hate Crime Report on data from 2022, 44 anti-trans hate crimes were the highest number ever recorded in the county, surpassing 42 in 2019. The county crimes had a large rate of violence as well at 91 percent. TDOR seeks to honor the lives of people lost to this type of circumstance.
For those unfamiliar with the history, Trans Day of Remembrance started in 1998 with Gwendolyn Ann Smith. According to Vogue Magazine, the trans writer and activist heard of Black trans woman Rita Hesterās murder in Boston in an online forum, and found the case was greatly similar to that of another Black trans woman who had been killed in Boston in 1995, Chanel Pickett. Realizing a need for documentation, Smith created the Remembering Our Dead web project to track instances of violence against the trans community.
In 1999, trans community members in both San Francisco and Boston used the web project as source material to coordinate candlelight vigils, creating the November holiday.
āI am no stranger to the need to fight for our rights, and the right to simply exist is first and foremost,ā Smith said. āWith so many seeking to erase transgender people ā sometimes in the most brutal ways possible ā it is vitally important that those we lose are remembered, and that we continue to fight for justice.ā
If youāre looking to pay your respects or be in community with others, here are a few events to attend. Allies welcome.
November 15, 6 p.m.:Ā The Trans Advisory Board in West Hollywood is hosting a small reception and ceremony at the WeHo City Council Chambers. For more details, visitĀ weho.org/lgbtq
November 20, 3 to 6 p.m.:Ā Cal State L.A., is hosting a resource fair with music, vendors, and more to celebrate and commemorate the trans community. Find more informationĀ on their event page.Ā
November 20, 4 p.m.: L.A. Civil Rights Department, Trans Advisory Council and the office of Councilwoman Traci Park are hosting a gathering at City Hall. Guests are invited to join an evening of reflection and community. Register for free through this form.
November 20, 5 to 7 p.m.: The queer and trans connect team at Latino Equality Alliance is hosting a special event inviting community members to bring photos for their TDOR altar and enjoy light refreshments. Find more details and register for the event for free through their online form.
Arts & Entertainment
Infinity Festival Kicks Off Today: A Celebration of Creativity, Innovation and AI
The founders are a gay couple who met in the tech industry
Infinity Festival brings together art, innovative technology and creative thinking, to the intersection of the Hollywood entertainment industry. This year, the event is taking place at The Avalon Hollywood, Nov 6 through Nov 9.
The event founders, Mark Lieber and Adam Newman, created this space to bring together Hollywoodās creative visionaries, with Silicon Valleyās cutting-edge technology.
Mark and Adam are not only business partners, but life partners too.
āWe met at a party in the Paramount lot and that was 28 years ago,ā said Adam. āWe worked separately for many, many years and when our careers started to change a bit, we came together to develop projects in television through a company that we formed.ā
The two decided to marry in 2014, soon after it became legal to do so in California after Prop 8 was successfully ruled unconstitutional and same-sex couples were allowed to marry.
āWe live together, so work is 24/7 and we often get into situations where I have to ask Mark not to talk about work after one oāclock in the morning because I need to go to sleep,ā said Adam.
The two set out on a mission to unite their complementary strengths and creative visions, to bring together this innovative festival that spotlights the foremost cutting-edge technologies in the entertainment industry.
This yearās festival will feature prominent voices from the technology, gaming and entertainment industries. The festival will also feature Julienās Auction, presenting over 200 collectibles from Star Trek on exhibition throughout the festival and then culminating in a live auction on Saturday at 10AM.
The festivalās purpose is to display and discuss the future of technology and its intersection with the gaming and entertainment industries using Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.
The festival features keynote speeches, collaborative demonstrations with partners like Sony, HP, Verizon and Intel.
The panels will feature discussions on the evolution of animation, cross-media development, virtual effects, gaming production and many other topics.
āWeāre not there to talk about how scary AI is, but to talk about how itās going to be a wonderful tool to push the entertainment business into a broader scope of technology,ā said Adam in an interview with Los Angeles Blade.
Mark addressed the concerns that many people have regarding AI taking jobs in the entertainment industry, specifically Hollywood.
The major points of discussion and demonstration at Infinity Festival include: Generative AI, Utility AI, Procedural AI, Mini Labs- Scripted & Unscripted, Machine Learning, Ethics, Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision (AR, Spatial Computing), Deep Learning and Expert Systems.
Earlier this year, Gov. Newsom singed AB 896, the Generative Artificial Intelligence Accountability Act, into law.
āWe are talking to people who are using it in a way that wonāt eliminate creative jobs, but maximize efficiency,ā said Adam.
There is a lot of fear and anxiety surrounding job loss to AI, but Adam reassures festival attendees that learning about how to work in tandem with AI, will be beneficial to productivity and that this is a good thing for many of these industries and their many job functions.
āI look forward to seeing everybody, I mean really, itās just a great group of people and bring these two groups of tech and production together,ā said Mark.
(Photo Courtesy of Mark and Adam) Adam (L) and Mark (R), have been married for over 10 years and together they dedicate their careers toward making Infinity Festival a success for the entertainment, gaming and tech industries.
Mark and Adam created the festival in 2018, but they have been married for 10 years. They got married shortly after it became legal in California in 2013.
They both came from a background in entertainment, Mark has experience in executive roles and Adam had experience in Hollywood production. They came together, married and in 2017, when both of their careers were taking a different path, they decided to start Infinity Festival.
Since then, they have worked together to bring forth the best and latest technology to their events and bridge the gap between industries that will continue to incorporate AI into their systems.
The Monolith Awards this year will happen on Friday, Nov 8 at 7:30PM at The Aster. There are various categories for the Monolith Awards; Gaming Tech: Audio-Driven Narrative, Excellence in User Experience, Visionary Innovation, Live Engagement, Jurors Choice: New Media Fine Art, Audience Award for Best of Fest Popular Vote, Next Gen: Student + Teacher, and the Nexus Award: Excellence in Applied Technology.
Events
Beverly Hills Pet Festival returns with doggy adoptions, family activities
Even the dogs know 90210 is the zip code that offers the best treats.
Beverly Hills is known for high-end shopping, $500 haircuts, pampering at every turn and a few famous and infamous celebrity homes. But this Sunday it’s going to the dogs ā at least for one day.
Beverly Hills will host its annual Doggy Daze 90210 festival next Sunday at Roxbury Park, transforming the grassy expanse known as “Wiggly Field” into a hub for pet adoptions, entertainment and family activities.
The free event, running from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 3, aims to connect homeless pets with potential owners while celebrating the bond between humans and animals.
“This is more than just a pet festival ā it’s about building community and helping animals in need,” said Dana Besen, spokesperson for the City of Beverly Hills, which organizes the event.
Five rescue organizations, including The Amanda Foundation and Wags and Walks, will bring adoptable pets to the festival. A highlight of the day will be a pet parade featuring costumed animals, followed by a talent contest.
30 vendors will line the park, offering everything from luxury pet spa services to gourmet pet food. Even Shake Shack is getting in on the action, selling special “pup cups” for four-legged attendees.
For children, the festival will feature an arts and crafts zone, face painting, and library story time sessions. Food trucks will be onsite throughout the day.
The event has attracted notable local support, with Beverly Hills residents Lili and Jon Bosse serving as gold sponsors. Owen Care and Foo Dee Doo Press have also signed on as sponsors.
To manage the expected crowds, organizers have arranged free parking at Beverly Hills High School, with pet-friendly shuttles running to and from the park from 10:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Last year’s event drew hundreds of attendees and resulted in so many pet adoptions, according to city officials, that the event is now one of the most popular the city hosts. They expect an even larger turnout this year.
The festival comes as animal shelters across Los Angeles County report high numbers of pets needing homes, making events like Doggy Daze increasingly important for connecting animals with potential adopters.
Roxbury Park is located at 471 S. Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills. More information about the event can be found at beverlyhills.org/csevents.
Arts & Entertainment
This Bunny is not for everybunnyĀ
Lady Bunny Warns āDonāt Bring the Kidsā to her LA Show
Drag legend Lady Bunny is back in Los Angeles in “Don’t Bring the Kids,” her laugh-out-loud comedy show that has been selling out venues nationwide. Known for her towering wigs, sharp wit, and fearless attitude, Bunny’s latest revue delivers everything fans love about herāand more. On Saturday, October 19, at 6 p.m., “Don’t Bring the Kids” lands at The Vault in the Beverly Center, promising an early evening of pure, unfiltered entertainment that’s definitely not for the faint of heart.
So, what can fans expect from Lady Bunny this time around? True to form, āDonāt Bring the Kidsā is packed with jaw-dropping moments, from parodies of pop icons like Adele and Cardi B to an original dance tune called āIs It Ozempic, Orā¦ā, based on Bunnyās distorted views of the popular weight-loss drug. āThe show is a mix of musical styles,ā Bunny explains. It even includes a dishy number about some of your favorite queens from RuPaulās Drag Race. āI tease Trixie Mattel for stealing my look, call out Willam for being a whore, and do a remake of āBig Dick Energyā about Yvie Oddly. Letās just say the rumors are true,ā she says.
āDrag Race has given me plenty of material,ā she reflects. āI love poking fun at the queens, and I always update my act with topical humor.ā
āDonāt Bring the Kidsā isnāt merely about drag celebrity gossip. Bunny tackles serious issues, like defending drag queen story hours in the face of conservative backlash. āAs I say in the show, āLook at my wig. I can barely groom myself!āā Bunny quips.
Thereās also a parody of the viral spat between Marjorie Taylor Greene and Representative Jasmine Crockett, and Bunny takes the opportunity to unveil her brand-new bitch track, āPussy This Goodā, out now on all platforms.
The performance pushes boundaries, and Bunny admits thatās exactly the point. āI came up in the late-night NYC club scene where we were encouraged to be as wild and dirty as possible. My humor isnāt for everyone, and itās certainly not for kids ā hence the title.ā
āDonāt Bring the Kidsā is both a warning and a promise. Bunny makes it clear that her comedy is strictly for mature audiences, with jokes and performances that might be too much even for some adults. āIāve always felt itās important to be upfront,ā she continues. āI love dark, raunchy humor, and thatās what my audience comes for. Every show so far has gotten a standing ovation, and weāve sold out in Philly, DC, and San Francisco.ā
For Bunny, bringing her show to LA, particularly at The Vault, is an exciting opportunity. āIāve worked with Voss Events (the showās producer) for years, and they found this fantastic space. I DJed there this past New Yearās Eve, and itās perfect ā great stage, excellent sound. Iām excited to be back in LA, a city that always knows how to appreciate a little twisted drag humor.ā
Of course, no Lady Bunny interview would be complete without a few words about her longtime friendship with Troy Masters, publisher of LA Blade. āTroy and I go way back,ā Bunny recalls. āOne of my first magazine covers was for Outweek, a publication he ran back in the ā80s. I was still thin then and working my own blonde hair! Heās been such a supporter, even hiring me to work as a phone monitor for his boyfriendās sex line. Iād pop onto the leather line in a queeny voice, calling myself āHumphrey Davenport, dominant top.ā The leather guys hated it, but I thought it was hilarious.ā
Lady Bunny presents āDonāt Bring the Kidsā at The Vault in the Beverly Center on Saturday, October 19th at 6pm. For ticketās visit VossEvents.com.
AIDS and HIV
40th anniversary AIDS Walk happening this weekend in West Hollywood
AIDS Project Los Angeles Health will gather in West Hollywood Park to kick off 40th anniversary celebration
APLA Health will celebrate its 40th anniversary this Sunday at West Hollywood Park, by kicking off the worldās first and oldest AIDS walk with a special appearance by Salina Estitties, live entertainment, and speeches.
APLA Health, which was formerly known as AIDS Project Los Angeles, serves the underserved LGBTQ+ communities of Los Angeles by providing them with resources.
āWe are steadfast in our efforts to end the HIV epidemic in our lifetime. Through the use of tools like PrEP and PEP, the science of āundetectable equals intransmissible,ā and our working to ensure broad access to LGTBQ+ empowering healthcare, we can make a real step forward in the fight to end this disease,ā said APLA Healthās chief executive officer, Craig E. Thompson.
For 40 years, APLA Health has spearheaded programs, facilitated healthcare check-ups and provided other essential services to nearly 20,000 members of the LGBTQ+ community annually in Los Angeles, regardless of their ability to pay.
APLA Health provides LGBTQ+ primary care, dental care, behavioral healthcare, HIV specialty care, and other support services for housing and nutritional needs.
The AIDS Walk will begin at 10AM and registrations are open for teams and solo walkers. More information can be found on the APLA Healthās website.Ā Ā
Arts & Entertainment
LGBTQ+Ć Literary Festival kicks off this week in Los Angeles
The festival will bring together authors, readers, academics and activists to discuss their experiences and share perspectives about the LGBTQ+ community.
The first LGBTQ+Ć Literary Festival in Spanish ā the first of its kind ā will kick-off six days of panels, short film screenings, book signings, performances and a photo exhibit starting today, at different locations across Los Angeles.Ā
The LGBTQ+Ć Literary Festival will bring together Spanish-speaking and Latin American writers who explore and celebrate a variety of themes in their work, including sexual diversity and perspectives on identity.Ā
āFeminist culture and LGBTQ+ culture have been the movements that have most transformed modern societies in recent decades, and therefore deserve special attention,ā said LuisgĆ© MartĆn, director of Instituto Cervantes of Los Ćngeles. āThere was no stable forum that brought together creators from across the Spanish-speaking world, which is why we have organized this literary festival. It aims to serve as a framework for reflection and a meeting point for LGBTQ+ writers.ā
The festival will bring together authors, readers, academics and activists, to discuss their experiences and share perspectives about the LGBTQ+ community and its academic intersections.Ā
The first stop for the literary festival is at the Instituto Cervantes of Los Ćngeles, from 7 PM to 9 PM on Tuesday, to screen short films that are part of FanCineQueer.Ā
The festival will feature authors like Myriam Gurba Serrano, Alejandro CĆ³rdova āTaylorā, Felipe J. Garcia, Boris Izaguirre, Nando LĆ³pez, MarĆa MĆnguez Arias, Felipe Restrepo Pombo, Claudia Salazar JimĆ©nez, Pablo Simonetti, and Gabriela Wiener.
There will also be a photo exhibit and featured photographers such as Gonza Gallego and Liliana Hueso.
The festival will take place at multiple venues including the Instituto Cervantes of Los Ćngeles, The Student Union at Los Angeles City College and Circus of Books.
For more information on the event visit the Instagram page for Instituto Cervantes of Los Ćngeles.
Procrastinatorās gift guide
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The dedicated life and tragic death of gay publisher Troy Masters
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