Editor’s note: The interview with Chef Juan featured in this article was done in Spanish and translated accordingly for this article, but kept in its original format.

Juan Raigosa Chavez is the living embodiment of the American dream that many can only hope for. During his 40 year culinary journey, he was able to become a legal citizen and has enjoyed the privileges of living and working in Los Angeles for four decades.

Chef Juan migrated here from Zacatecas, Mexico in 1985 and since then he has worked his way up to his current position as one of West Hollywood’s most beloved chefs in the LGBTQ+ bar scene. 

He started his journey as a dishwasher and through his hard work, dedication to achieving the American dream and meticulous work ethic, he was able to climb the ranks in the kitchen team hierarchy. 

“Primero empecé lavando platos en 1985 en Marix Tex Mex [Café]  en Hollywood. Y después me hice preparador, después me hice cocinero. Y luego me hicieron kitchen manager, primero de Marix y luego de Basix Café haciendo creatividad de menús, variedad de comida, y más,” nos dice Chef Juan.  “Me mandaron a las mejores escuelas culinarias de San Francisco pagados por la dueña de Basix.” 

“First, I started washing dishes in 1985 at Marix Tex Mex [Café] in Hollywood. Then, I was promoted to food prep, then kitchen cook. Finally, I became kitchen manager—first at Marix and then an Basix Café—creating menus and a variety of dishes,” said Chef Juan. “[The restaurant owners] sent me to the best culinary schools in San Francisco, all paid for by the owners.”

Chef Juan was living the American dream and had worked very hard to get to the position he was in when Covid-19 hit and many restaurants, including both Marix and Basix were forced to close. As of earlier this year, it seems like Marix Tex Mex Café is apparently set to re-open at the same location, while the location Basix was in, is still up for lease. 

WeHo times first reported that workers have been adding finishing touches to the exterior of the building, but the significant delay in re-opening is due to extensive water damage that happened while the location was closed.

“Mucha gente lloró, porque teníamos más de cuarenta personas a mi cargo allí,” recalls Chef Juan. 

“A lot of people cried because there were over forty people who worked under my leadership during that time,” said Chef Juan. 

He was laid-off for two years and then when he stopped receiving federal assistance, he uploaded his resume online and the previous owners of GymBar WeHo, immediately called him up to hire him as their chef. 

During his time at Marix and Basix, he says he gained a lot of valuable experience and gained a  deep respect for the rich and diverse community of Hollywood. 

Within three days of uploading his resume, he was hired. 

“No duraron ni tres días cuando ya estaba contratado por que, como te dire–me hice un poco famoso,” Chef Juan tells the Los Angeles Blade. “Muchos de la ‘community’ me reconocen.”

At that moment, a patron from the restaurant kindly interrupted the interview to say goodbye to Chef Juan and thank him for the food.  

“Si ves, siempre me saludan porque me conocen y saben quién soy,” nos dice Chef Juan. 

“See? People always say hello to me because they recognize me and know who I am,” Chef Juan tells us. 

He also tells us that many people who know that he started working at GymBar have asked him to recreate some of his famous dishes from when he worked at Marix and Basix. 

Chef Juan says his favorite part about working in a kitchen is his ability and freedom to create new dishes and elevate recipes that have always been staple dishes in his life and culture. 

Due to his heartwarming attitude, friendly face and incomparable work ethic, he is now a sought-after chef and iconic member of the Hollywood community. 

“Bastante gente me ha buscado desde que empecé aquí,” said Chef Juan. 

“Plenty of people have looked for me here since I started,” said Chef Juan. 

When asked how he wins over new customers, he said he likes to start off by asking customers what their favorite dishes are and then he builds on that until he’s able to find something that they are excited to try. 

He spoke passionately about how much he loves to win over new customers and continue to impress his loyal customers. He says that to avoid mistakes, he likes to personally train each person who works under him, saying this is how he ensures the quality of the food is consistently to his standards. 

“Es hacer las cosas con amor—porque cuando estás enojado no te va a salir bien—la comida te sale perfecta,” said Chef Juan. 

“It’s about doing everything with love so it comes out perfect, because when you’re angry, nothing will taste right,” said Chef Juan. 

It goes without saying that he is an icon and when we asked him how he felt about his entire career and legacy being built around the LGBTQ+ community of West Hollywood as a Latin American person, his answer was heartwarming. 

“I love my people of West Hollywood, my neighborhood and for me it’s all normal,” said Chef Juan in both English and Spanish. “For many people, I understand it’s scary, but I understand [them] and I love my people no matter what they do.” 

Chef Juan continues his legacy as he celebrates his 40th year, now working at WeHo’s GymBar, which is run by one of the Dodgers executive’s, along with his husband. As an avid Dodger fan, Chef Juan has also had the opportunity to participate in cooking demonstrations led by chefs at Dodger Stadium. GymBar WeHo is actually one of the only other locations in LA—other than Dodger Stadium that sells the authentic DodgerDog. 

Now that baseball season is underway, Chef Juan invites everyone in the nearby communities to join them for a game and a Dodger dog.

P3 Theatre Company, a long-standing staple in Long Beach’s theatre scene, has officially relocated to Los Angeles. While the company remains close to its Long Beach roots, this move signals a fresh chapter and opportunity to connect to a broader audience.

Jon Peterson, Executive Director and Founder of P3 Theatre Company, discusses the transition.

“After the pandemic lifted, the venue we were renting in Long Beach was no longer available to us,” explained Peterson. “After some time, we decided to look in the Greater Los Angeles area. There are so many great venues available, and there’s definitely a huge demand for the arts.”

P3 Theatre’s first major production in Los Angeles will be “Day After Day” (The Life and Music of Doris Day), a sentimental and nostalgic celebration of the legendary singer and actress. The choice to revive this show was intentional — it was P3’s last production before the Covid-19 shutdown.

“‘Day After Day ‘ was a very successful production,” said Peterson, noting that it earned Deborah Robin the Best Performer in a Musical title at the Orange County Theatre Guild Awards. “It’s such an endearing show with tons of recognizable music and the dynamic story of Doris Day.”

While dazzling performances are integral to P3’s mission, the company is equally committed to community outreach. Peterson emphasized that the move to the West Hollywood and Hollywood areas, offer opportunities to collaborate with other nonprofits and expand access to the arts for marginalized groups.

“There is a huge demand for the arts in this region,” said Peterson. “We look forward to bringing shows that audiences are excited to see, as well as introducing new works that will enhance their theatrical experience.”

One of P3’s signature initiatives is P3 Educates+, a program designed to provide performing arts workshops to underserved communities. Catering to all ages – which Peterson describes as 0-100+ – the workshops include improvisation, acting, and singing.

“It provides more than just an education of theatre,” Peterson explained. “[It provides] a level of entertainment that marginalized communities may not have an opportunity to experience otherwise.”

Supporting LGBTQ+ stories and artists is also a core priority for P3 Theatre Company. Peterson highlighted the company’s commitment to producing both new LGBTQ+ works and celebrated classics.

“Our stories need to be told and heard,” Peterson emphasized. “What better way to do so than through the arts?”

Among P3’s proudest achievements are the world premieres of two acclaimed works by playwright Jiggs Burgess. The Red Suitcase won the prestigious Del Shores Playwright Competition, while Wounded earned multiple awards at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2023. The latter’s success secured an off-Broadway run at Soho Playhouse in New York City, with performances continuing in 2024 and 2025.

P3 Theatre Company has ambitious long-term goals for its future in Los Angeles. Peterson hopes to build a strong audience and donor base while eventually securing a permanent performance space.

“P3 Theatre Company’s long term goal is to grow a solid audience and donor base in Los Angeles – and to find ‘the perfect theatre’ to hang our hat in.” Peterson said. “It is our plan to call Los Angeles our home and to continue to produce professional theatre in a community where theatre is thriving.”

For those eager to experience P3’s return to the stage, tickets for Day After Day (The Life and Music of Doris Day) are now available. As Peterson says with confidence, “We know the audiences will love it!”

For more information about P3, head to www.p3theatre.biz

‘The Cost of Fear’
By Meg Stone
c.2025, Beacon Press
$26.95/232 pages

The footsteps fell behind you, keeping pace.

They were loud as an airplane, a few decibels below the beat of your heart. Yes, someone was following you, and you shouldn’t have let it happen. You’re no dummy. You’re no wimp. Read the new book, “The Cost of Fear” by Meg Stone, and you’re no statistic. Ask around.

Query young women, older women, grandmothers, and teenagers. Ask gay men, lesbians, and trans individuals, and chances are that every one of them has a story of being scared of another person in a public place. Scared – or worse.

Says author Meg Stone, nearly half of the women in a recent survey reported having “experienced… unwanted sexual contact” of some sort. Almost a quarter of the men surveyed said the same. Nearly 30 percent of men in another survey admitted to having “perpetrated some form of sexual assault.”

We focus on these statistics, says Stone, but we advise ineffectual safety measures.

“Victim blame is rampant,” she says, and women and LGBTQ individuals are taught avoidance methods that may not work. If someone’s in the “early stages of their careers,” perpetrators may still hold all the cards through threats and career blackmail. Stone cites cases in which someone who was assaulted reported the crime, but police dropped the ball. Old tropes still exist and repeating or relying on them may be downright dangerous.

As a result of such ineffectiveness, fear keeps frightened individuals from normal activities, leaving the house, shopping, going out with friends for an evening.

So how can you stay safe?

Says Stone, learn how to fight back by using your whole body, not just your hands. Be willing to record what’s happening. Don’t abandon your activism, she says; in fact, join a group that helps give people tools to protect themselves. Learn the right way to stand up for someone who’s uncomfortable or endangered. Remember that you can’t be blamed for another person’s bad behavior, and it shouldn’t mean you can’t react.

If you pick up “The Cost of Fear,” hoping to learn ways to protect yourself, there are two things to keep in mind.

First, though most of this book is written for women, it doesn’t take much of a leap to see how its advice could translate to any other world. Author Stone, in fact, includes people of all ages, genders, and all races in her case studies and lessons, and she clearly explains a bit of what she teaches in her classes. That width is helpful, and welcome.

Secondly, she asks readers to do something potentially controversial: she requests changes in sentencing laws for certain former and rehabilitated abusers, particularly for offenders who were teens when sentenced. Stone lays out her reasoning and begs for understanding; still, some readers may be resistant and some may be triggered.

Keep that in mind, and “The Cost of Fear” is a great book for a young adult or anyone who needs to increase alertness, adopt careful practices, and stay safe. Take steps to have it soon.

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

Q Con, SoCal’s only LGBTQ+ comic convention, is set to return Saturday, May 3, bringing in dozens of LGBTQ+ speakers, vendors, artists and community voices to their lineup. 

“LGBTQIA+ people of all ages and backgrounds need to see themselves and their stories represented in the arts – to know they are okay, they are accepted and they are powerful. Q Con gives us the opportunity to do this – to raise queer voices in comic books and graphic novels, bring the community together and have a lot of fun at the same time,” said Ted Abenheim, president of Prism Comics.

Mark your calendars and start scheming up your queer cosplay outfits for a costume contest that celebrates the LGBTQ+ representation and visibility in one of the most queer-coded industries in media ahead of Pride month. 

Prism Comics, the nonprofit organization championing LGBTQ+ representation and diversity in comic books, graphic novels and pop media, announced their 4th annual Q Con, happening in West Hollywood’s Plummer Park. The convention will take place in West Hollywood from 11AM to 6PM at Fiesta Hall. 

The nonprofit established in 2003, is deemed the “LGBTQ+ Comics Central,” at San Diego Comic Con, WonderCon Anaheim, Los Angeles Comic Con and other conventions. Prism prides itself on providing a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community to unite over mutual passion, interest and love for comics, novels and more. This is the space where comic creators, readers, librarians, educators and families can come together and celebrate, discuss and enjoy the representation the community needs and deserves. 
Find free tickets and more information regarding guest speakers, panels and vendors here.

Q Con is also currently seeking LGBTQ+ comic creators and businesses who are interested in setting up a table at the event. If interested in tabling or volunteering, email Ted Abenheim, President of Prism Comics at  [email protected].

There are people in the entertainment biz, and then there are people in the entertainment biz, such as Craig Ramsay.

He has done just about everything: ballet, Broadway, reality TV, Pride events, fitness forums – he’s been there, done that and he’s far from slowing down any time soon.

A native Canadian, Ramsay earned a full scholarship to the esteemed Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Professional Division. After his studies, he packed up his dance shoes and headed to Broadway, appearing in an early production of Mamma Mia! as well as Fiddler on the Roof, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Cats, Hair, and many others.

He made his national TV debut with his husband, Brandon Liberati, as one of Bravo TV’s earliest featured gay couples on “Newlyweds.” Ramsay would go on to appear on “Thintervention,” “Shahs of Sunset,” and “Real Housewives,” and hosted his own fitness show, “He’s Fit, “on OutTV. Splitting his time between Southern California and Canada, life has come full circle as he is brought back to the world of ballet and a return to reality TV, by way of a beautiful friendship forged in his early days.

When Ramsay met Catherine Wreford while studying at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in 1996, it became an instant and long-lasting friendship. In addition to their friendship, their careers have now been linked as the two competed – and won – the “Amazing Race” in Canada. They also made a return to the Royal Winnipeg as Lord and Lady Capulet in a production of “Romeo and Juliet,” taking the stage where they met so many years before. Their reunion is about more than friendship, it is about perseverance and the courage to celebrate life to its fullest.

Ramsay and Wreford are bringing their story to the stage with “Behind the Curtain,” an intimate evening of music and storytelling, on Monday, Apr. 21, at Revolutionary Stage Company in Palm Springs.

In 2013, Wreford was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and given a limited time to live. Now, more than a decade later, she continues to defy the odds and though performing may sometimes offer unique challenges, she continues to take her bow.

We caught up with Ramsay in between performances of his second return to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet for its production of “Jekyll and Hyde” to chat about his career, the power of friendship and his upcoming cabaret.

You have done all kinds of reality TV. What inspired you to do the Amazing Race? It was totally different than what you had done before!

My best friend—and Amazing Race partner—Catherine is a medical miracle. She was given 2 to 5 years to live after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer … 12 years ago. She thrives on challenges that push her both physically and cognitively, and few things are more intense than The Amazing Race. When I suggested the idea to her, she didn’t hesitate for a second. She said: “We’re doing it—and we’re doing it together.”

It was also the first reality show that appealed to me in a completely different way. Unlike other formats I’ve been part of, “The Amazing Race” doesn’t rely on producers engineering drama or plot lines. You don’t know what’s coming next, and neither does anyone else. It felt like a rare opportunity to do reality TV that’s truly grounded in, well… actual reality. That unpredictability, combined with the chance to take on something extraordinary with Catherine, was the perfect kind of wild.

What did you learn most about yourself from getting through Amazing Race?

What I learned most about myself from “The Amazing Race” was that in moments of chaos, I can find calm, and in that calm, I find clarity. Despite being diagnosed with ADHD and told it would be a lifelong obstacle, I discovered my ability to hyper-focus was actually a superpower on the [The Amazing Race]. It helped me dial in, think fast and power through challenges with my teammate like a laser-focused tornado. Turns out, my brain was built for the pressure!

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You have returned to the stage in many ways, ballet and your duo-cabaret! What has it been like for your body and your mental psyche to get back into ballet? Life has come full circle!

Returning to ballet in my late 40s has been a full-circle moment—and a full-body wake-up call. I’ve got way more going on now personally and professionally than I did in my 20s or 30s, and while I’m proud that my body can still meet the demands of roles like Danvers Carew in “Jekyll & Hyde” with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, I’d be lying if I said it was easy. My brain takes longer to lock in choreography, but I’ve learned that if I lead with the storytelling, the steps follow. It’s a more actor-driven approach to dance—one I wish I used in my youth. As for revisiting my 20s-era dance numbers in our cabaret “Behind the Curtain?” Let’s just say I’m doing them … slightly out of breath and trying not to have a heart attack mid-sequin spin in front of a live audience.

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“Behind the Curtain,” what is it like hitting the stage without a role, totally vulnerable and intimate, just you and Catherine telling your own stories with songs? 

Hitting the stage without a role to hide behind—just me, Catherine, a mic, and our stories—has been the most vulnerable and freeing experience of my career. When we created “Behind the Curtain,” every moment we debated cutting for being too raw, too shocking, or too hilariously honest… we kept it in. We don’t hold back. Every Broadway chorus veteran has wild stories—we’re just bold (or foolish) enough to share ours. Playing characters is easy. Telling the truth about who we are? That’s the real performance. Most of what we reveal on stage has only ever been shared between the two of us. In this show, you get to know us more intimately than any reality show ever could. It’s terrifying but thrilling at the same time.  

What makes this performance different than anything you have done before?

Even though Catherine and I have played major roles on Broadway, this show feels like the biggest undertaking of our careers. It’s just the two of us, holding the stage for two full hours—no cast, no set pieces, no costumes to hide behind. Just our voices and our stories. Honestly, it feels like we’re at our own celebration of life… except we’re not dead—we’re just killing the audience with our stories.

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Why is it so important for you and Catherine to continue telling your stories with “Behind the Curtain?”

We actually talk about this in the show—because the truth is, with the uncertainty around how much time Catherine has left, “Behind the Curtain” is our way of getting it all out there. It’s the legacy she deserves. It’s raw, it’s pretty, it’s messy… it’s us. And that’s what makes life beautiful. We want this show to inspire people to live fully, love fiercely, and honor the friendships and chosen family that carry us through it all.

Catherine is such an inspiration in so many ways. How did your friendship evolve, and what can we all learn from her?

What people might not know is that our friendship started with me playing the role of the responsible older brother, trying to rein in Catherine’s fearless, defiant teenage fire. We entered the industry young and had to be everything for each other—mentors, lifelines, protectors. Our bond has evolved through so many chapters, that it feels like it’s had seven lives. Honestly, we don’t think we’d be alive without one another. And as wild as it sounds, we both believe our higher selves are holding hands, plotting these incredible, often chaotic moments that turn into stories we’re meant to share with the world. We’re connected in this life… and beyond.

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With so many different entertainment projects you’ve done, what direction do you head to next?

It wasn’t something we originally set out to do, but after the overwhelming feedback from “Behind the Curtain,” we feel the next step is Off-Broadway. That’s where the show is headed. At the same time, we’ve taken the inspiring stories we’ve lived—centered on friendship, kindness, and compassion—and created something new: the first-ever keynote presentation told through story, song, and dance. It’s called “Survival of the Friendliest,” and we’re partnering with the Speakers Bureau of Canada to bring it to audiences across the country.

What is your message to your fans?

Our show “Behind the Curtain,” is resonating with people in such different and personal ways, that it wouldn’t feel right to narrow it down to one message. At this point in our lives, careers, and friendship, the best thing we can do is share our stories honestly and let them land however people need them to. If we’re bringing “Behind the Curtain” to your city—or somewhere nearby—we’d love for you to come experience it. And if you’re part of an organization or business that hosts keynote events, reach out! We’d be honored to inspire, entertain, and connect with you.

Tickets can be purchased here.

It’s been a long time – maybe 25 years when “Will & Grace” debuted – since there’s been so much excitement about a new, queer sitcom premiering. “Mid-Century Modern,” which debuted on Hulu last week, is the creation of Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, the gay men who were also behind “Will & Grace.” 

Set in Palm Springs, Calif., following the death of the one of their closest friends, three gay men gather to mourn. Swept up in the emotions of the moment, Bunny (Nathan Lane) suggests that Atlanta-based flight attendant Jerry (Matt Bomer) and New York-based fashion editor Arthur (Nathan Lee Graham) move into the mid-century modern home he shares with his mother Sybil (the late Linda Lavin). Over the course of the first season’s 10 episodes, hilarity ensues. That is, except for the episode in which they address Sybil’s passing. The three male leads are all fabulous, and the ensemble cast, including Pamela Adlon as Bunny’s sister Mindy, and the stellar line-up of guest stars, such as Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Vanessa Bayer, Richard Kind, and Cheri Oteri, keep humor buzzing. Shortly before the premiere of “Mid-Century Modern,” Mutchnick made time for an interview with the Blade.

BLADE: I’d like to begin by saying it’s always a delight to speak to a fellow Emerson College alum. In ways would you say that Emerson impacted your professional and creative life?

MAX MUTCHNICK: I think Emerson was the first place that reflected back to me that my voice, my thoughts were good, and they were worth listening to. I developed a confidence at Emerson that did not exist in my body and soul. It was a collection of a lot of things that took place in Boston, but I mean we can just put it all under the Emerson umbrella.

BLADE: Before “Will & Grace,” you co-created the NBC sitcom “Boston Common,” which starred fellow Emerson alum Anthony Clark. Is it important for you to maintain those kinds of alumni relationships?

MUTCHNICK: Because Emersonians are such scrappy little monkeys and they end up being everywhere in the world, you can’t help but work with someone from Emerson at some point in your career. I’m certainly more inclined to engage with someone from Emerson once I learn that they went to my alma mater. For me, it has much more to do with history and loyalty. I don’t think of myself as one of those guys that says, “Loyalty means a lot to me. I’m someone that really leans into history.” It’s just what my life and career turned out to be. The longer I worked with people and the more often I worked with them, the safer that I felt, which means that I was more creative and that’s the name of the game. I’ve got to be as comfortable as possible so I can be as creative as possible. If that means that a person from Emerson is in the room, so be it. (Costume designer) Lori Eskowitz would be the Emerson version. And then (writer and actor) Dan Bucatinsky would be another version. When I’m around them for a long time, that’s when the best stuff comes.

BLADE: Relationships are important. On that subject, your new Hulu sitcom “Mid-Century Modern” is about the longstanding friendship among three friends, Bunny (Nathan Lane), Jerry (Matt Bomer), and Arthur (Nathan Lee Graham). Do you have a friendship like the one shared by these three men?

MUTCHNICK: I’m absolutely engaged in a real version of what we’re projecting on the show. I have that in my life. I cannot say that I’m Jerry in any way, but the one thing that we do have in common is that in my group, I’m the young one. But I think that that’s very common in these families that we create. There’s usually a young one. Our culture is built on learning from our elders. I didn’t have a father growing up, so maybe that made me that much more inclined to seek out older, wiser, funnier, meaner friends. I mean the reason why you’re looking at a mouthful of straight, white teeth is because one of those old bitches sat across from me about 25 years ago at a diner and said, “Girl, your teeth are a disaster, and you need to get that fixed immediately.” What did I know? I was just a kid from Chicago with two nickels in my pocket. But I found three nickels and I went and had new teeth put in my head. But that came from one of my dearest in the group.

BLADE: Do you think that calling “Mid-Century Modern” a gay “Golden Girls” is a fair description?

MUTCHNICK: No. I think the gay “Golden Girls” was really just used as a tool to pitch the show quickly. We have an expression in town, which is “give me the elevator pitch,” because nobody has an attention span. The fastest way you can tell someone what David (Kohan) and I wanted to write, was to say, “It’s gay Golden Girls.” When you say that to somebody, then they say, “OK, sit down now, tell me more.” We did that and then we started to dive into the show and realized pretty quickly that it’s not the gay “Golden Girls.” No disrespect to the “Golden Girls.” It’s a masterpiece.

BLADE: “Mid-Century Modern” is set in Palm Springs. I’m based in Fort Lauderdale, a few blocks south of Wilton Manors, and I was wondering if that gay enclave was ever in consideration for the setting, or was it always going to be in Palm Springs?

MUTCHNICK: You just asked a really incredible question! Because, during COVID, Matt Bomer and I used to walk, because we live close by. We had a little walking group of a few gay gentlemen. On one of those walks, Matt proposed a comedy set in Wilton Manors. He said it would be great to title the show “Wilton Manors.” I will tell you that in the building blocks of what got us to “Mid-Century Modern,” Wilton Manors, and that suggestion from Matt Bomer on our COVID walks, was part of it.

BLADE: Is Sybil, played by the late Linda Lavin, modeled after a mother you know?

MUTCHNICK: Rhea Kohan (mother of David and Jenji). When we met with Linda for the first time over Zoom, when she was abroad, David and I explained to her that this was all based on Rhea Kohan. In fact, some of the lines that she (Sybil) speaks in the pilot are the words that Jenji Kohan spoke about her mother in her eulogy at the funeral because it really summed up what the character was all about. Yes, it’s very much based on someone.

BLADE: The Donny Osmond jokes in the second episode of “Mid-Century Modern” reminded me of the Barry Manilow “fanilows” on “Will & Grace.” Do you know if Donny is aware that he’s featured in the show?

MUTCHNICK: I don’t. To tell you the truth, the “fanilow” episode was written when I was not on the show. I was on a forced hiatus, thanks to Jeff Zucker. That was a show that I was not part of. We don’t really work that way. The Donny Osmond thing came more from Matt’s character being a Mormon, and also one of the writers. It’s very important to mention that the writing room at “Mid-Century Modern,” is (made up of) wonderful and diverse and colorful incredible humans – one of them is an old, white, Irish guy named Don Roos who’s brilliant…

BLADE: …he’s Dan Bucatinsky’s husband.

MUTCHNICK: Right! Dan is also part of the writing room. But I believe it was Don who had a thing for Donny, and that’s where it comes from. I don’t know if Donny has any awareness. The only thing I care about when we turn in an episode like that is I just want to hear from legal that we’re approved.

BLADE: “Mid-Century Modern” also includes opportunities for the singers in the cast. Linda Lavin sang the Jerome Kern/Ira Gershwin tune “Long Ago (And Far Away)” and Nathan Lane and the guys sang “He Had It Coming” from “Chicago.” Was it important to give them the chance to exercise those muscles?

MUTCHNICK: I don’t think it was. I think it really is just the managers’ choice. David Kohan and I like that kind of stuff, so we write that kind of stuff. But by no means was there an edict to write that. We know what our cast is capable of, and we will absolutely exploit that if we’re lucky enough to have a second season. I have a funky relationship with the song “Long Ago (And Far Away).” It doesn’t float my boat, but everybody else loved it. We run a meritocracy, and the best idea will out. That’s how that song ended up being in the show. I far prefer the recording of Linda singing “I’ll Be Seeing You” over her montage in episode eight, “Here’s To You, Mrs. Schneiderman.” We were just lucky that Linda had recorded that. That recording was something that she had done and sent to somebody during COVID because she was held up in her apartment. That’s what motivated her to make that video and send it. That’s how we were able to use that audio.

BLADE: Being on a streaming service like Hulu allows for characters to say things they might not get away with on network TV, including a foreskin joke, as well as Sybil’s propensity for cursing.

MUTCHNICK: And the third line in the show is about him looking like a “reluctant bottom.” I don’t think that’s something you’re going to see on ABC anytime soon. David and I liked the opportunity to open up the language of this show because it might possibly open the door to bringing people…I’m going to mix metaphors…into the tent that have never been there before. A generation that writes off a sitcom because that language and that type of comedy isn’t the way that they sound. One of the gifts of doing this show on Hulu is that we get to write dialogue that sounds a little bit more like you and I sound. As always, we don’t want to do anything just to do it.

BLADE: It didn’t feel that way.

MUTCHNICK: It’s there when it’s right. [Laughs] I want to have a shirt made with Linda’s line, as her mother always used to say, “Time is a cunt.”

BLADE: “Mid-Century Modern” also utilizes a lot of Jewish humor. How important is it for you to include that at this time when there is a measurable rise in anti-Semitism?

MUTCHNICK: I think it’s important, but I don’t think it’s the reason why we did it. We tried very hard to not write from a place of teaching or preaching. We really are just writing about the stuff that makes us laugh. One of the things that makes something better and something that you can invest in is if it’s more specific. We’re creating a character whose name is Bunny Schneiderman and his mother’s name is Sybil and they made their money in a family-run business, it gets Jewy, and we’re not going to shy away from it. But we’re definitely not going to address what’s going on in the world. That doesn’t mean I don’t find it very upsetting, but I’m writing always from the point of view of entertaining the largest number of people that I can every week.

BLADE: “Mid-Century Modern” has a fantastic roster of guest stars including Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Vanessa Bayer, Billie Lourd, Cheri Oteri, Richard Kind, Rhea Perlman, and Judd Hirsch. Are there plans to continue that in future seasons?

MUTCHNICK: Yes. As I keep saying, if we’re so lucky that we get to continue, I don’t want to do “The Love Boat.” Those are fine comic actors, so I don’t think it feels like that. But if we get to keep going, what I want to do is broaden the world because that gives us more to write about. I want to start to introduce characters that are auxiliary to the individuals. I want to start to meet Arthur’s family, so we can return to people. I want to introduce other neighbors, and different types of gay men because we come in so many different flavors. I think that we should do that only because I’m sure it’s what your life is and it’s what my life is. I’ve got a lot of different types. So, yes, we will be doing more.

BLADE: Finally, Linda Lavin passed away in December 2024, and in a later episode, the subject of her character Sybil’s passing is handled sensitively, including the humorous parts.

MUTCHNICK: We knew we had a tall order. We suffered an incredible loss in the middle of making this comedy. One of the reasons why I think this show works is because we are surrounded by a lot of really talented people. Jim Burrows and Ryan Murphy, to name two. Ryan played a very big role in telling us that it was important that we address this, that we address it immediately. That we show the world and the show goes on. That wasn’t my instinct because I was so inside the grief of losing a friend, because she really was. It wasn’t like one of those showbizzy-type relationships. And this is who she was, by the way, to everybody at the show. It was the way that we decided to go. Let’s write this now. Let’s not put this at the end of the season. Let’s not satellite her in. Let’s not “Darren Stevens” the character, which is something we would never do. The other thing that Jim Burrows made very clear to us was the import of the comedy. You have to write something that starts exactly in the place that these shows start. A set comedy piece that takes place in the kitchen. Because for David and me, as writers, we said we just want to tell the truth. That’s what we want to do with this episode and that’s the way that this will probably go best for us. The way that we’ve dealt with grief in our lives is with humor. That is the way that we framed writing this episode. We wanted it to be a chapter from our lives, and how we experience this loss and how we recover and move on.

The name Alain Guiraudie might not be familiar to most Americans, but if you mention “Stranger by the Lake,” fans of great cinema (and especially great queer cinema) are sure to recognize it immediately as the title of the French filmmaker’s most successful work to date.

The 2013 thriller, which earned a place in that year’s “Un Certain Regard” section of the Cannes Film Festival and went on to become an international success, mesmerized audiences with its tense and erotically charged tale of dangerous attraction between two cruisers at a gay beach, one of whom may or may not be a murderer. Taut, mysterious, and transgressively explicit, its Hitchcockian blend of suspense, romance, and provocative psychological exploration made for a dark but irresistibly sexy thrill ride that was a hit with both critics and audiences alike.

In the decade since, he’s continued to create masterful films in Europe, becoming a favorite not only at Cannes but other prestigious international festivals. His movies, each in their own way, have continued to elaborate on similar themes about the intertwined impulses of desire, fear, and violence, and his most recent work – “Misericordia,” which began a national rollout in U.S. theaters last weekend – is no exception; in fact, it draws all the familiar threads together to create something that feels like an answer to the questions he’s been raising throughout his career. To reach it, however, he concocts a story of small town secrets and hidden connections so twisted that it leaves a whole array of other questions in its wake.

It centers on Jérémie (Félix Kysyl), an unemployed baker who returns to the woodsy rustic village where he spent his youth for the funeral of his former boss and mentor. Welcomed into the dead man’s home by his widow, Martine (Catherine Frot), the visitor decides to extend his stay as he revisits his old home town and his memories. His lingering presence, however, triggers jealousy and suspicion from her son – and his own former school chum – Vincent (Jean-Baptiste Durand), who fears he has ulterior motives, while his sudden interest in another old acquaintance, Walter (David Ayala), only seems to make matters worse. It doesn’t take long before circumstances erupt into a violent confrontation, enmeshing Jérémie in a convoluted web of danger and deception that somehow seems rooted in the unspoken feelings and hidden relationships of his past.

The hard thing in writing about a movie like “Misericordia” is that there’s really not much one can reveal without spoiling some of its mysteries. To discuss its plot in detail, or even address some of the deeper issues that drive it, is nearly impossible without giving away too much. That’s because it’s a movie that, like “Stranger by the Lake” and much of Guiraudie’s other work, hinges as much on what we don’t know as what we do. Indeed, in its earlier scenes, we are unsure even of the relationships between its characters. We have a sense that Jérémie is perhaps a returning prodigal son, that Vincent might be his brother, or a former lover, or both, and that’s just stating the most obvious ambiguities. Some of these cloudy details are made clear, while others are not, though several implied probabilities emerge with a little skill at reading between the lines; it hardly matters, really, because as the story proceeds, new shocks and surprises come our way which create new mysteries to replace the others – and it’s all on shaky ground to begin with, because despite his status as the film’s de facto protagonist, we are never really sure what Jérémie’s real intentions are, let alone whether they are good or bad.

That’s not sloppy writing, though – it’s carefully crafted design. By keeping so much of the movie’s “backstory” shrouded in loaded silence, Guiraudie – who also wrote the screenplay – reminds us that we can never truly know what is in someone else’s head (or our own, for that matter), underscoring the inevitable risk that comes with any relationship – especially when our passions overcome our better judgment. It’s the same grim theme that was at the dark heart of “Stranger,” given less macabre treatment, perhaps, but nevertheless there to make us ponder just how far we are willing to place ourselves in danger for the sake of getting what – or who – we desire.

As for who desires what in “Misericordia,” that’s often as much of a mystery as everything else in this seemingly sleepy little village. Throughout the film, the sparks that fly between its people often carry mixed signals. Sex and hostility seem locked in an uncertain dance, and it’s as hard for the audience to know which will take the lead as it is for the characters – and if the conflicting tone of the subtext isn’t enough to make one wonder just how sexually adventurous (and fluid) these randy villagers really are beneath their polite and provincial exteriors, the unexpected liaisons that occur along the way should leave no doubt.

Yet for all its murky morality and guilty secrets, and despite its ominous motif of evil lurking behind a wholesome small-town surface, Guiraudie’s pastoral film noir goes beyond all that to find a surprisingly humane layer rising above it all, for which the town’s seemingly omnipresent priest (Jacques Develay) emerges to assert in the film’s third act – though to reveal more about that (or about him) would be one of those spoilers we like to avoid.

There’s a clue to be found, however, in the film’s very title, which in Catholic tradition refers to the merciful compassion of God for the suffering of humanity, but can be literally translated simply as “mercy.” Though it spends much of its time illuminating the sordid details of private human behavior, and though the journey it takes is often quite harrowing, “Misericordia” has an open heart for all of its broken, stunted, and even toxic characters; Guiraudie treats them not as heroes or villains, but as flawed, confused, and entirely relatable human beings. In the end, we may not know all of their dirty secrets, we feel like we know them – and in knowing them can find a share of that all-forgiving mercy for even the worst of them.

It’s worth mentioning that it’s also a movie with a lot of humor, brimming with comically absurd character moments that somehow remind us of our own foibles even as we laugh at theirs. The cast, led by the opaquely sincere Kysyl and the delicately provocative Frot, forge a perfect ensemble to create the playful-yet-gripping tone of ambiguity – moral, sexual, and otherwise – that’s essential in making Guiraudie’s sly and ultimately wise observations about humanity come across.

And come across they do – but what makes “Misericordia” truly resonate is that they never overshadow its deliciously depraved story, nor dilute the finely orchestrated tension his film maintains to keep your heart pounding as you take it all in.

To tell the truth, we already want to watch it again.

Finding the representation in music we need and sometimes don’t even know we need in the LGBTQ+ community, can be a challenge. The music industry is filled with industry plants and artists who rank high on lists, but low on talent. The industry continues to work in favor of men and just as queer icon, Doechii said in her acceptance Billboard’s Woman of the Year speech this past weekend, “lack of inclusion and sexism are still issues in this industry, and that’s a problem.” 

It’s true – sexism is still a huge issue in the industry and the recent Executive Orders signed by the current administration are sure to erase any progress that has been made.

This is our moment to rise up and not let the light in us be lost in the darkness shading over our community, our rights, or the progress our trans-cestors have made. 

Light can be seen, but perreo can be felt. After hearing the latest onslaught of terrible news, I like to turn to my c*nty, queer, playlists and listen to the under-appreciated icons that are constantly shadow banned for their woke content and their lit music. 

Not all of these musicians idenfity as trans, but they make music for the trans, gender-defying, gender non-conforming and intersex baddies who just want to cry to some música regional mexicana sang from a wlw perspective, or dance all night in 9-inch heels – and everyone in between.

Villano Antillano 

Antillano is a perreo force to be reckoned with in the reggaeton world. Maybe you’ve heard Antillano featured on one of your current saved fav’s, as they have collaborated with many mainstream artists. Antillano has music collabs with Young Miko, Bizarrap, RaiNao and Ptazeta. Her latest single released on Valentine’s Day is “XXL.”

On her Spotify, her bio reads: “you know who tf it is! the girl that’s not cis! mujer transsexual puertorriqueña; avid lyricist, prolific rebulera. ur favorite rappers favorite rapper.”

Alexis Mvgler

Mvgler is the cvnty tío we all need in our lives to introduce us to the world of drag. Mvgler is a drag performer who was on the sixth season of La Más Draga, the Mexican version of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Since her time on the show Mvgler has racked up nearly 150,000 listeners on Spotify and her latest single was released earlier this month. 

Yahritza Y Su Esencia 

Yahritza gives the queer community something we’ve searched under every rock to find – valid Woman Loving Woman representation in música regional mexicana. Yahritza is the singer of this band that gets a lot of hate for being fronted by a young kid who is visually gender nonconforming and sings from the male perspective toward women. 

Love them or hate them, they’re out here doing something new and unique. The band is known for their unique sierreño urbano, a genre which is a mix between música regional mexicana and the urbano genre. Their song “Fragíl,” topped the charts in the U.S. and Mexíco. Disclaimer – the song was made in collaboration with Grupo Frontera, who since then have been cancelled by many in the Latinx community due to their support for Trump.  

Though Yahritza does not identify as trans, her gender nonconforming look, boundary-breaking attitude and amazing voice, are more than enough to get recognition on this list and in the industry dominated by cisgender, heterosexual, men. Deal with it. 

Brandon White

White only has 11,000 subscribers on Youtube and we’re here to change that. They are an under-appreciated musician born in Guadalajara, Jalísco and they make music for the children of the families that raised us on deeply-rooted misogyny. For those of us trying to outgrow all of that – listen to this Mexican baddie.

Paris Bang Bang 

If you haven’t heard of Paris Bang Bang, we’re here to save you from yourself and the same ten songs you play on repeat when you’re trying to hype yourself up. Sit down, class is in session. Throw on their song, “MAESTRA” to learn how to be as genre and gender-bending as her and Amelia Waldorf in this song.

It’s time to celebrate the vibrant and diverse LGBTQ+ community of Los Angeles! Nominations for the Best of LGBTQ LA Awards are open from March 31st to April 6th, giving you the chance to highlight your favorite local legends, hotspots, performers, and change-makers. Then, from April 14th to April 27th, cast your vote for the finalists and help decide who truly represents the best of LGBTQ LA.

Use the form below or click the link HERE to nominate!

There’s long been a desire for a gay version of “The Golden Girls.”

GenX (and younger) fans who have loved that show’s iconic quartet of aging female “frenemies” have been clamoring for it since the actual “Golden Girls” was still on the air – so by the time the creators of “Mid-Century Modern” came up with the idea for a show about three gay friends “of a certain age” (and one cantankerous mother) living together in Palm Springs, it was hardly an original idea. Yet even if they weren’t the first to fantasize about a show featuring the gay male equivalents of Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia, it hardly matters. They were the ones that actually made it happen.

That’s due in large part to who they are – or at least, what they’ve done before. The two men who hatched the plot (Max Mutchnick and David Kohan) were also responsible for “Will & Grace.” After they teamed up for a brainstorming session with queer TV powerhouse Ryan Murphy – who eagerly joined forces with them as the show’s executive producer – there was enough viability behind it to bring the long-gestated dream to fruition at last.

The “at last” came this week, when all 10 episodes of the show’s debut season dropped on Hulu, and it’s undeniable that there was not only a dream behind it, but also a considerable amount of talent – most obviously in its casting. Headlining (as “lingerie mogul” Bunny Schneiderman) is longtime stage/screen/TV star Nathan Lane, a multi-award winner who is a legend for his “Bird Cage” performance alone, with eternally hunky Matt Bomer adding a whole different flavor of star power as ditsy-but-sweet-hearted (and blithely promiscuous) flight attendant Jerry. The trio of friends is rounded out by former fashion columnist Arthur, played with imperious aplomb by Nathan Lee Graham, a lesser-known but equally well-rounded veteran performer whose resume includes roles in “Zoolander” and “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,” as well as a guest appearance on “Absolutely Fabulous.” Finally, sitcom royalty (and Tony-winner) Linda Lavin – who passed away in December, after filming had completed on the show’s inaugural season – is on hand to steal scenes as Sybil, Bunny’s pull-no-punches mother, who owns the house they all live in and makes sure to assert her matriarchal dominance at every opportunity.

In the pilot episode, titled “Bye, George,” Bunny, Jerry, and Arthur reunite to mourn the death of an old companion, with whom the trio of friends once formed a quartet. With each of them facing the uncertainty of a new life after changes in the old one have left them to cope on their own, Bunny decides to invite his two remaining buddies to move with him to Palm Springs, to live with his mother Sybil in a spectacular mid-century modern (hence the name) house that would probably make Frank Sinatra jealous. The arrangement, however, becomes precarious even before it officially begins, when Bunny connects with a much-younger hook-up and becomes smitten – forcing his two would-be roommates into a scheme to bring him back to his senses before he rescinds their invitation and offers it to his new “boyfriend” instead. It’s classic sitcom material, of course, with lots of crossed wires and jumped conclusions to fuel the wackiness – though in this case, at least, the show stops short of the zany hijinks one might expect from Lucy and Ethel (or even Rose or Blanche) before wrapping things up with a friendship-affirming bow. We can’t fault it for that; there’s a premise to be launched here, after all.

Besides, there’s plenty of other comfortable old-school sitcom fun to be had throughout: a sparring match between Arthur and Sybil, whose love-hate dynamic quickly sets the stage for an ongoing battle of sharp wits and sharper tongues; the air-headed naivete of Jerry, with Bomer both leaning into and undercutting the cliché of the pretty-but-dumb aging “twunk”; and Bunny’s sincere but impulsive starry-eyed sentimentality, which is frequently undercut by his “Dorothy-esque” natural instinct (and Lane’s natural talent) for bitchy queendom.

Yet while there are clear choices to mirror the iconic personality traits of the original “Golden Girls” crew in “Mid-Century Modern,” the new series seems less regimented in defining each of its characters quite so succinctly, opting instead for a sort of “blend” in which the familiar personas of the former show’s leading ladies are spread a little more evenly between the four of them together. The result is a show that is obviously a new variation on an established theme, but one in which echoes of the original can be detected in each of its disparate elements rather than confined within the plainly-delineated parameters from which they have been inherited. To put it more plainly, it’s a show that acknowledges and embraces the material which inspired it, but goes beyond mere imitation to carve a space of its own. Neither a remake nor a reboot, it’s more like an offspring, a separate entity unto itself despite the DNA it shares with its progenitor.

Which is, of course, the only way a show like this can have any real chance of success; to attempt a direct copy of the series that inspired it would spark inevitable (and well-deserved) criticisms of laziness, along with the myriad quibbles which would undoubtedly arise from displeased “Golden Girls” fans; yet to diverge too radically from the established format would eliminate the very reason for its existence. Its seasoned creators were savvy enough to know that a gimmick only goes so far, and they build a show that leaves room for growth beyond its origin as a nostalgic homage into a series with the potential to succeed in its own right. And with the first season helmed by director James Burrows (an 11-time Emmy-winner for his work on shows like “Taxi,” “Cheers” “Frasier” and “Will & Grace”), who brings the experienced hand necessary to create the kind of authentically “retro” piece of entertainment that this one aspires to be, the old-school vibe feels as fresh as it did when “The Golden Girls” debuted – almost 40 full years ago.

Whether that nostalgic pull is enough to make the show a hit is hard to predict. It has laugh-out-loud moments, and convincingly reasserts the importance of genuine friendship and chosen family that has always been a common element in such shows. At the same time, while “The Golden Girls” was unequivocally queer-friendly, it was not specifically queer-themed. Given today’s polarized sensibilities around queer content, the timing might be wrong to permit this decidedly queer evolution of its premise – which saucily pulls no punches when it comes to the details of queer sexuality as personified in its three very different but equally randy protagonists – to have the same universal appeal that made it a long-running mainstream hit.

Only time will tell. For now, you can watch the entire first season on Hulu, and make that call for yourself. For our part, we’re just happy to have another high-profile queer show to enjoy, because we all really need that right about now.