a&e features
Best of LGBTQ LA
Your picks for the city’s best in people, dining, nightlife and more
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2020/01/Best_of_LGBTQ_LA_split_insert.jpg)
This third annual special issue of the Los Angeles Blade celebrates the best of the LGBTQ community. From DJs to activists, restaurants to doctors, these are your picks for the Best of LGBTQ LA.The process began in November with online nominations. We picked the top five vote getters in 40 categories. Then our readers voted in December and here we present the winners. About 2,000 nominations and 10,000 votes were cast.
The Blade staff congratulates each of this year’s winners and finalists.
Best LGBTQ Influencer
Winner: Gigi Gorgeous
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2020/01/Gigi_Gorgeous_insert.jpg)
Gigi Gorgeous
Nobody can make you do something you don’t want to do—but our winner has a knack for nudging her millions of fans and followers to be their best selves, be it by stepping up their look, or living their truths. Leading by example, self-professed “creator, personality, model/actor, lover of beauty, fashion, and a good party” Gigi Gorgeous made a public declaration of her identity as a transgender woman in 2013 and, last year, wed Nats Getty, the fashion designer and daughter of passionate philanthropist Ariadne Getty (who takes this year’s honor as Most Committed LGBTQ Activist). “You can have everything in the world, but if you aren’t happy within yourself,” Gorgeous once said, “it’s not worth it.”
@gigigorgeous
Runner-up: Ryan Mitchell (@theslaygawd)
Most Committed Activist LGBTQ Activist
Winner: Ariadne Getty
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2020/01/Ariadne_Getty_insert_c_Washington_Blade_by_Zach_Brien.jpg)
Ariadne Getty (Washington Blade photo by Zach Brien)
Last year’s winner for Best Straight Ally is an unyielding advocate for our community. The granddaughter and godchild of J. Paul Getty, she told the Blade, “I’ve never pretended that I made a penny in my life. I inherited this money and I’m a steward.” Her interpretation of that stewardship merges money and mouth. Not content to simply write a check—millions have been donated to organizations including the Los Angeles LGBT Center and GLAAD, via the Ariadne Getty Foundation—she works the phones and speaks at public events, in the service of securing and protecting LGBTQIA rights. “The time is now to stand by marginalized communities and promote a better world for all,” said the mother of two out children.
ariadnegettyfdn.org
Runner-up (Tie): Eddie Martinez and Queen Victoria
Best Ally
Winner (Tie): Dwyane Wade/Gabrielle Union and Kathy Griffin
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2020/01/Gabrielle_Union_and_Dwayne_Wade_and_Kathy_Griffin_split_insert.jpg)
Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade; Kathy Griffin
Married since 2014, now-retired NBA legend Wade and uncompromising actress Union solidified their status as awesomely affirming parents last year, when they celebrated their son’s gender expression via the social media posting of 12-year-old son Zion showing off fancy long fingernails. Union did the Twitter posting, and Wade shut down the sadly predictable backlash, tweeting, “As a parent my only goal is that my kids feel that I see them, love them and support them.” For those who feel adrift while navigating less-than-nurturing environments, that one-two punch of Pride-centric messages landed in the sweet spot where we all deserve to live.
dwyanewade.com
@itsgabrielleu
Kathy Griffin
Whether hosting the Str8UpGayPorn Awards (as she did, with her usual filthy fabulousness, on Jan. 12) or holding the severed head of Donald Trump, this Griffin has claws—and never fails to let them rip in the service of supporting LGBTQ people. Gays who find themselves zinged know enough to get the joke, and move on to the next laugh. She’s poised to pierce all comers, and that’s why we love her.
kathygriffin.net
Best DJ
Winner: DJ Morningstar
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2020/01/DJ_Morningstar_insert.jpg)
DJ Morningstar
“I’m extremely honored to earn people’s votes again,” says DJ Morningstar, of his second consecutive win in this category. “I’m having more fun and am happier DJ’ing today than I’ve ever been,” he notes, crediting the LGBTQ community “for not just literally saving my life, but for providing the source for that happiness. I feel very fortunate to be accepted within a community who are so diverse, proud, intelligent, fun, free, and are quite literally always righteous in any cause. Not to mention, by far the most vibrant crowd I’ve ever played to. I want to thank everyone for supporting and valuing me.”
Morningstar, whose “father created and opened up Rage, which is known as a leading force behind what has become known as WeHo nightlife,” says he thinks of West Hollywood as “an incredible place because it’s proudly gay, and I hope that it remains that way, and that the claws of corporate over-capitalizing gentrification don’t suck that majestic soul out.”
@MORNINGSTARdj
Runner-up: DJ Derek Monteiro (djderekmonteiro.com)
Best Drag Queen
Winner: Mayhem Miller
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2020/01/Mayhem_Miller_insert.jpg)
Mayhem Miller
Caps and exclamation points are well-earned prerogatives of Mayhem Miller, who writes, “WOW!!! It’s such an honor to win BEST DRAG QUEEN.”
The seasoned performer the world knows as a Season 10 contestant on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” surely got the vote out via the love from fans of her weekly events at The Abbey (“All That ’90s” 1990s-themed party on Tuesdays, “Brunch Service” drag brunch on Saturdays).
Calling LA a “city full of amazing drag entertainment,” Mayhem says she’s “just one of its many shining examples, for how fierce our drag really is out here. The scene is growing more and more, and I’m just happy to be part of it after all these years.” This young year is already looking bright for Mayhem, who told us she’s got gigs and projects in the realms of “film, TV, and music, coming very soon.”
692 N. Robertson Blvd.
Runner-Up: Melissa Befierce (@MelissaBefierce)
Best Bartender
Winner: Tyler Booth, Flaming Saddles
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2020/01/Tyler_Booth_insert.jpg)
Tyler Booth
Having spent a good portion of 2019 pouring on the charm while mixing cocktails and serving suds at WeHo’s let-the-good-times-roll western-themed watering hole, last year’s winner in this category wiped out the competition to emerge once again on top. We’ll drink to that.
8811 Santa Monica Blvd.
flamingsaddles.com
Runner-up: Anthony Saldana (Micky’s West Hollywood)
Best Public Official
Winner: Lindsey Horvath
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2020/01/Lindsey_Horvath_insert.jpg)
Lindsey Horvath
Mayor Pro Tempore Lindsey P. Horvath was elected to the West Hollywood City Council in 2015, and won reelection last year.
Previously, she served as a Council member from 2009-2011.
“To even be included in a category with the officials who are my fellow nominees is an honor in and of itself,” said Horvath, of her win, promising she “will fight tirelessly to protect, defend, and empower our LGBTQ+ family in West Hollywood, the greater Los Angeles region, and beyond.”
Helping to connect West Hollywood to the broader Metro rail system, creating new housing options, and a hope to see “changes in the current federal administration to acknowledge, uplift, and celebrate our LGBTQ+ community” are among her 2020 priorities.
Of her home turf, the WeHo resident says, “our values aren’t just words on a page—they are a way of life. That’s why it’s important to hold ourselves accountable in the ways we fall short, and to work together to make West Hollywood even better for generations to come. I appreciate that I have a unique opportunity to work with the members of my community to do just that.”
Runner-up: Congressman Adam Schiff (last year’s winner)
Best LGBT Businessperson
Winner: Chris Miller
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2020/01/Chris_Miller_insert.jpg)
Chris Miller
Articulate and altruistic Chris Miller wasn’t at a loss for words, when we reached out to him for comment on his win—but he did begin by distilling it to this dense nugget: “Be nice.” That, says the president of Flower Films and film/television branding conglomerate Barrymore Brands, “is honestly the core of everything we do, and how I personally operate and run Revolver [Video Bar].
Whenever anyone hears that I own Revolver, their first reaction is normally, “Everyone is so nice there!”—and that just makes me so happy.”
Life, Miller reflects, is hard, “and it’s so easy to get bogged down with the daily grind and politics, body image, shaming, and not feeling happy or taken care of. We’ve lost so many incredible friends and loved ones recently, and we can’t stop all of the daily challenges—but if we’re all just nice to each other, we can make a big difference!” Miller and crew have done just that, by participating in events with GLAAD, AIDSRide, and The Center.
Revolver is located at 8851 Santa Monica Blvd., revolverweho.com
Best Shopping Center
Winner: FIGat7th
Downtown LA’s premier entertainment, retail, and dining destination delights fashionistas, foodies, and fun- seekers alike.
The open-air shopping center’s 333,000 square feet of offerings include live music events, art exhibitions, and a first-class collection of unique eateries inside TASTE Food Hall.
Thursdays, 10 AM to 2PM, the farmer’s market is a rain-or-shine happening that sends you home ready to cook up a storm, with fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, honey, breads, olives, and more.
7th & Figueroa Sts.
figat7th.com
Editor’s Choice: The Original Farmer’s Market (6333 W. 3rd St.; farmersmarketla.com)
Best Queer-Friendly Night Out
Winner: Chico’s Angels
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2020/01/Chicos_Angels_insert.jpg)
Chico’s Angels
Once upon a time, 2003 to be precise, comedy collaborators Kurt Koehler and Oscar Quintero wrote a little show that grafted a gay sensibility onto the wildly popular, often awful ’70s TV show about three little girls plucked from the police academy by a mystery man who sent them on dangerous missions. Audiences on every point of the Kinsey scale have been flocking to the “Chico’s Angels” series ever since, and the dependability factor of its bawdiness makes them our winning destination for friends of Dorothy, and their friends. This Latin drag queen version of “Charlie’s Angels” casts Quintero as Kay Sedia, Danny Casillas as Frieda Laye, and Ray Garcia as Chita Parol. Infiltrating a beauty contest, protecting Charo from an assassin, and busting a Mexican baby black market ring are among the undercover crime-fighting endeavors that never fail to put them in close proximity to shirtless hunks.
chicosangels.com
Editor’s Choice: Tramp Stamp Granny’s (1638 N. Cahuenga Blvd.; trampstampgrannys.com)
Most LGBTQ-Friendly Workplace
Winner: The Los Angeles LGBT Center
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2020/01/LA_Center_insert.jpg)
LA Center
“For more than 50 years, the Los Angeles LGBT Center has been providing invaluable services to our community. Many of our employees choose to work at the Center precisely because they are empowered to grow professionally in an environment that respects and honors who they are,” said Center Director of Human Resources, Sharon Brown. “We believe this ability to be one’s authentic self—regardless of background or identity—creates a workplace that is full of compassion and respect for the LGBT community and all who enter our doors. We are enormously proud of our staff and grateful to be acknowledged in this way.”
McDonald/Wright Building, 1625 Schrader Blvd.
lalgbtcenter.org
Editor’s Choice: AIDS Healthcare Foundation (winner of this year’s Best Doctor/Medical Provider; 6255 Sunset Bldg.; aidshealth.org)
Best Non-Profit
Winner: Project Angel Food
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Project Angel Food
“A world where every sick person is fed, nourished, and loved” is the vision statement of this year’s winner, a repeat of their 2019 honor. They give that vision focus, via preparing and delivering 15,000 meals per week to people impacted by serious illness. “We believe no one fighting critical illness should go hungry,” they say, “which is why we personally deliver, with care and compassion, free medically tailored meals, handmade with healthy ingredients, to those in our community who are hungry and alone.” Stars align April 5, when Project Angel Food offers “an incredible opportunity” to see the 11-time Tony Award-winning Broadway Musical “Hamilton” at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, this year’s winner for Best Venue. Your purchase of prime Orchestra seats at $500 each (with $288 per ticket tax-deductible) goes to support this (literally) winning non-profit.
922 Vine St.
angelfood.org
Editor’s Choice: LA Pride, GMCLA (gmcla.org)
Best Pet Business or Vet
Winner: VCA-Miller-Robertson Animal Hospital
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2020/01/VCA_Miller-Robertson_Animal_Hospital_insert.jpg)
VCA Miller-Robertson Animal Hospital
Last year’s runner-up is this year’s top dog, which gives us pause (paws?) to ponder their pedigree: They’ve strutted down the victor’s catwalk before, when their Dr. Mark Nunez was awarded 2018’s Best in Show, so to speak. Nunez is still part of the VCA team—an anything-but-mangy menagerie of dedicated, friendly, professional colleagues who have “made it their mission to help pets live longer, healthier lives,” as their website notes. “To be true to this mission, the hospital team relies on several individuals, each equally important, in helping us deliver the highest quality care and client experience for both you and your pet.”
8807 Melrose Ave.
vcahospitals.com/miller-robertson
Editor’s Choice: Laurel Pet Hospital (7970 Santa Monica Blvd.; laurelpethospital.com)
Best Regional Pride
Winner: DTLA Proud
DTLA Proud’s mission to strengthen and empower the local LGBTQ and ally community in Downtown Los Angeles took a decisive turn in 2019, when Board of Directors President Oliver Alpuche spoke with the Blade, in advance of the annual community festival, held Aug. 23-25. “We need to be active 365 days a year,” said Alpuche, “so we set out to start building the infrastructure of how we become an organization that is represented year-round.” The answer came in the form of their construction-to-begin-this-year Community Center, which will offer an all-ages cafe featuring a transitional youth job training program, a queer library, co-working office spaces for LGBTQ+ non-profit start-ups, a conference room and theater, a community room and artist studios, a drop-in center, and services including career counseling, testing, senior support, and financial advisement.
Editor’s Choice: Palm Springs Pride (pspride.org)
Best House of Worship
Winner: InVision Church
Runner-up: Congregation Kol Ami
Offering a “spirit-led, inclusive, affirming, non-denominational gathering of Christ-followers seeking authentic identity in Jesus,” InVision gives the LGBTQ community its own down-home, rollicking place of worship. Our runner up-last year, InVision flip-flops with 2019’s winner, Congregation Kol Ami (2020’s Editor’s Choice), whose “commitment to progressive spirituality, diversity, inclusion, and social justice remains rooted in Jewish tradition and practice.”
Invisionchurch.com
kol-ami.org
Most LGBT-Friendly City
Winner: West Hollywood
As we noted last year, when singing the praises of WeHo’s win for Best Place to Live, “There’s just no place like it. The little town remains Los Angeles’ hottest destination for the entertainment industry with its boutique hotels, celebrity-owned restaurants, unparalleled nightlife and shopping, and world-renowned events. like the HBO Emmy Party, Sir Elton John’s Annual Oscar Party, and the West Hollywood Halloween Carnival.” What’s more, WeHo City Council member and Mayor Pro Tempore Lindsey P. Horvath took top honors this year, in our Best Public Official category. See her write-up for what Horvath has planned, in the quest for further glorifying an already fabulously friendly city.
Editor’s Choice: Palm Springs (vistpalmsprings.com)
Best LGBT Red Carpet Event
Winner: GLAAD Media Awards
The crimson carpet has always been a call to fabulousness—but with the possible exception of Cher on the year of her win for “Moonstruck” and Björk for that swan thing, who’s answered it better than the rainbow tribe? Here, in their natural habitat, they shine most brightly when they primp, preen, pose, and pontificate while awaiting entry to the GLAAD Media Awards. The GLAAD Media Awards are held in NYC on March 19, and in Los Angeles on April 16. Instagram better pre-order congratulatory fruit baskets now, in anticipation of the sudden spike in traffic.
Editor’s Choice: OutFest (outfest.org)
Best Real Estate Firm
Winner: The Collective, Realty
A co-winner of this category last year, Collective emerged this time around as the sole victor. As we wrote then, “Owner Anthony Vulin assures that all of his mortgage brokers and appraisers are vetted as LGBT friendly, so you can invite them into your home with confidence. The Collective Realty also advocates for LGBT home ownership and nondiscrimination, by lobbying statewide, and in D.C.”
8278 1/2 Santa Monica Blvd and 2146 Sunset Blvd.
thecollectiverealty.com
Editor’s Choice: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties (last year’s co-winner; bhhscalifornia.com)
Best Salon/Spa
Winner: Shorty’s Barber Shop
No close shaves here: Shorty’s won this category last year, and did it again by considerably more than a whisker. As we wrote in praise of their 2019 win, “When you walk out with some merch (the styling putty and soy paste are customer favorites), you can feel good about that, too. All of their products are ethically created, and never tested on animals. Besides the perfect cut, Shorty’s also puts a premium on giving back, by working with the likes of Concrete Hero, AIDS Project Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.”
755 N. Fairfax Ave.
@shortys_barbershop
Editor’s Choice: The Powder Room (thepowderroomla.com)
Best Car Dealership
Winner: Cadillac of Beverly Hills
Rightly hailed by a recent Los Angeles Blade article as “the Cadillac of Cadillac dealerships,” Cadillac of Beverly Hills is, we noted, a “sleek, sprawling, super-modern facility, located on the marquee corner of Robertson and Wilshire.” This is not, General Sales Manager Ronald Elkhoury told us, “your traditional auto dealership that you go into, and are attacked by salespeople with tacky techniques. And you feel that right away. There’s no pressure at all. It’s a place where you’re able to relax, and encouraged to just hang out.” Five distinct lounges, Netflix viewing, and Starbucks coffee back up that assertion—but it’s the high standards of the iconic American-made luxury brand that has the competition spinning its wheels.
8767 Wilshire Blvd.
cadillacbeverlyhills.com
Editor’s Choice: Tesla, Century City (10250 Santa Monica Blvd)
Best Drag Show
Winner: Legendary Bingo at Hamburger Mary’s
Editor’s Choice: Showgirls Mondays (Micky’s West Hollywood; mickys.com)
Best Dance Party
Winner: Club Papi
Club Papi Productions and Stefano Rosso put a smoking hot spin on the notion of TGIF, with this Friday night gathering of 1,000+ people well-prepared to party on two caliente dance floors flavored by 16 mouth-watering, drop-dead gorgeous muscle Papi and Latin twink go-go boys, presided over by the scandal-loving Ms. Lola. DJs Hardy and Ben lay down bossy beats and sweet rhythms in the main room and upstairs lounge (think Latin, Reggation, dance, and hip hop). The trouble starts at 9 PM, with the cover waived until midnight, and after hours dancing until 4 AM. Sex sells, and we’re buying (in crumpled single bills)!
8857 Santa Monica Blvd.
clubpapi.com/los-angeles
Editor’s Choice: Confessions (at The Abbey; theabbeyweho.com)
Best Restaurant
Winner: Tortilla Republic.
Delicious and decadent—just like you! After winning last year, victory is on the menu again for Tortilla Republic, whose West Hollywood location offers fresh and inventive takes on classic Mexican cuisine. Signature dishes include Pork Chop Al Pastor, Ancho Rubbed Salmon, and Carnitas with caramelized orange peel. The fan favorite Smoke ‘n Berries mezcal cocktail washes everything down exceedingly well, as will their margaritas, made with freshly squeezed juices shaken with premium tequila. Gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options mirror the spirit of inclusiveness fostered by the friendly staff.
616 N. Robertson Blvd.
tortillarepublic.com/location/west-hollywood-california
Editor’s Choice: Catch LA (https://catchrestaurants.com/catchla)
Best Cannabis Business
Winner: The Artist Tree
Like marriage equality and an Oscar win for Lady Gaga, the legal consumption of cannabis in California is a hard-won cause for celebration. Since opening in November 2019, this budding pot purveyor has been providing wide-eyed patrons not just with product, but something to stimulate the heightened mind. There are dozens of works of art on the walls, all by local artists who get every penny of profit from sales. “When we came up with this concept,” says Lauren Fontein, one of four Artist Tree founders, “we wanted it to be an experience, not just a destination. WeHo is a very special place, with a unique demographic that’s really focused on the arts. So we wanted to give artists a forum, and draw people in to see that.” Fontein, who says two consumption lounges will open in other locations by the end of this year (one for smoking, one for edibles), notes they want their Tree to grow, while staying true to its roots as “an extension of the community that really reflects its creativity and diversity.” Bonus points: Fellow co-founder Aviv Halimi is spearheading a recycling/compost initiative committed to a 25% landfill rate in 2020, and a 0% rate by 2022.
8625 Santa Monica Blvd.
theartisttree.com
Editor’s Choice: MedMen (735 S. Broadway; medmen.com)
Best Doctors/Medical Provider
Winner: AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Last year’s Editor’s Choice for Most LGBT-Friendly Workplace won the admiration of this year’s voters, for the consistently excellent work of doctors, physician’s assistants, nurse practitioners, med techs, benefits counselors, and support staff at 14 AHF Healthcare Centers and satellite clinics throughout Southern California. In its quest to rid the world of AIDS, this nonprofit organization provides cutting-edge medicine and advocacy in 43 countries. Locally, says AHF Senior Director of Communications Ged Kenslea, “Our ‘circle of care’ concept starts with free and accessible HIV testing. When called for, AHF then provides swift linkage to care and follow-up treatment. We try as best we can to keep the focus on the patient by serving as their partner in care, in order to make it easier for them to adhere to their medication and care regimens to help them achieve their best selves, health and wellness-wise.”
6255 Sunset Blvd
aidshealth.org
Editor’s Choice: Southern California Men’s Medical Group/Men’s Health Foundation (9201 W. Sunset Blvd.; menshealthfound.org)
Best Museum or Art Gallery
Winner: The J. Paul Getty Museum
In praise of its 2019 win in this category, we noted the Getty’s mission to collect, conserve, and exhibit works of outstanding quality, as well as its ongoing commitment to scholarly research, public education, and programming in the visual arts. Current exhibits include “Unseen: 35 Years of Collecting Photographs” (on view through March 8) and Käthe Kollwitz: Prints, Process, Politics” (on view through March 29). Their Feb. 19 talk, “Place is the Space: Recasting Black Presence and Power through Art,” is a free event requiring advance reservations. Six daily tours tell the story of The Getty Center’s Central Garden, designed and conceived by artist Robert Irwin.
1200 Getty Center Drive
getty.edu
Editor’s Choice: One Gallery (626 N. Robertson Blvd.)
Best Fitness or Workout Spot
Winner: 24 Hour Fitness
Like an insatiable man’s dating app that always seems to be on, many locations of this gym are open, as the name implies, 24/7. “We care about getting you the results you want,” they say, and do so by setting members up with a free custom workout plan from the moment you join, and providing daily guidance through a wide variety of fitness classes, personal and small group training programs, and their free custom workout app, 24GO. “Our goal is to guide you to success with personal fitness experiences that are not only challenging and motivating, but also fun and inviting,” they say, noting that applies equally to those “looking to get back on track, start fresh, or simply not sure where to start.”
LA gyms at 505 S. Flower St., 5045 W. Slauson Ave., 3699 Wilshire Blvd.
24hourfitness.com
Editor’s Choice: Barry’s Bootcamp (last year’s runner-up; 1106 N. La Cienega Blvd.)
Best LGBTQ-Owned Business
Winner: The Abbey
The world-famous West Hollywood bar and eatery made local history late last year, by announcing the launch of “Heavenly Bodies,” the first known transgender club event in Los Angeles history, to take place monthly, on Sundays, at The Chapel at The Abbey. Owner David Cooley’s commitment to community includes his annual Academy Awards viewing party, which has raised nearly $2 million for AIDS Project Los Angeles. He helped found Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing, hosts an annual “Christmas in September” event and toy drive for Children¹s Hospital Los Angeles, and is known for his politically charged stunts. (He banned bachelorette parties from The Abbey until marriage was legal in California, and created the Chick-for-Gay sandwich, which raised thousands of dollars for the American Foundation for Equal Rights.) Cooley supports dozens of LGBT and community groups annually, including OUTfest, the Los Angeles LGBT Center, The Trevor Project, and GLAAD.
Editor’s Choice: Block Party (5052 York Blvd; blockpartyhlp.com)
Best Hotel
Winner: Kimpton La Peer
Last year’s runner-up won a “suite” victory this year. Mere steps from the intersection of Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, Kimpton La Peer Hotel is its own destination, within a Design District that draws visitors from around the world. The design-centric hotel offers 105 luxury guestrooms and suites, a pool, a rooftop event space, and more than 8,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor dining and lounge spaces. Butler service and 24/7 in-room dining are available, loaner bikes are free, and dining options include an Italian eatery, an open-air bar, and made-to-order picnic baskets.
627 N. La Peer Dr.
lapeerhotel.com
Editor’s Choice: SLS Beverly Hills (465 S. La Cienega Blvd.; slshotels.com/beverlyhills)
Best Social Group
Winner: AIDS LifeCycle
Last year’s runner-up went the distance to claim the top spot this time around. Previously, we noted a truth that stands tall to this day: “For many people, the fundraising marketing that precedes the 545-mile San Francisco to Los Angeles bike ride is about much more than AIDS; it’s about family and community at its very best. Not only do you get to pedal forward in life, you get to ask people to pay it forward. AIDS Life Cycle represents our community at its very best.”
Editor’s Choice: Impulse Group LA (impulsegrp.org)
Best Performing Arts Venue
Winner: Hollywood Pantages Theatre
Having opened on Hollywood Boulevard, right down the block from Vine Street, in 1930, The Pantages has become one of the greatest landmarks of Hollywood, signifying both the glorious past and adventuresome future of the world’s entertainment capital. Primarily a movie house for several decades, Howard Hughes took possession 1949, changing its name to the RKO Pantages and setting up offices there (Hughes’ ghost is among several rumored to roam the environs). Pacific Theatres bought the place in 1967, leading to a refurbishment and reopening of the theatre sections closed down during the Hughes reign. In 1977, the Nederlander Organization came in as Pacific’s partner and re-opened it as a legitimate theatre, after a renovation to recapture its 1930s look and luxury. Upcoming must-sees at the 2,703-seat space include “Hamilton” (March 12-Sept, 20), “Mean Girls” (April 28-June 7) and “My Fair Lady” (June 2-July 5).
6233 Hollywood Blvd
hollywoodpantages.com
Editor’s Choice: Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (9390 N Santa Monica Blvd.; thewallis.org)
Best LGBTQ Tourist Activity
Winner: RuPaul’s DragCon LA
Tourists in T-shirts are frightful sights—but it’s easy to love the look of a visitor from Down Under, who emerges from the merch table wearing an autographed top with the likeness of a lady who’s got something extra going on, “down there.” Wide-eyed wonder from out-of-towners is what won RuPaul’s DragCon LA our top spot, for its debut year in the City of Angels. Sending comments from London where they were debuting RuPaul’s DragCon UK (Jan. 18/19), con creators and World of Wonder co-founders Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey said they were “thrilled” with their win. “The fierce performances, exclusive panels, one-of-a-kind merch, Kids Zone, and Drag Queen Story Hour make it a truly unforgettable event for drag fans of all ages,” the duo declared, adding, “The convention will sashay back to the Los Angeles Convention Center for the 10th-ever DragCon, May 1-3, 2020.” Capping their comments with a quote that show’s mama knows how to make coin, Barbato and Fenton noted, “Tickets are on sale now at RuPaulsDragCon.com!”
Editor’s Choice: Cirque Du Soleil (cirquedusoleil.com/usa/los-angeles/shows)
Best Neighborhood Bar
Rocco’s Tavern WeHo (
8900 Santa Monica Blvd.)
Opened in May of 2019 by Lance Bass in association with well-known local chain Rocco’s Tavern, this neighborhood bar in the heart of West Hollywood has quickly become a favorite hotspot for locals and visitors alike. With nightly events like Monday Karaoke and GTFO (Gay The F*ck Out) Fridays, décor that celebrates LGBTQ pride and history (courtesy of the One Archive), a full menu of delicious food and drinks, and a strong sense of community, it’s no wonder that Blade readers have chosen it as their favorite.
Editor’s Choice: Fubar
Best Chef
Cat Cora
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2020/01/Cat_Cora_insert.jpg)
Cat Cora
The first female winner of “Iron Chef America” and the first woman inducted into The American Academy of Chefs Culinary Hall of Fame, Cat has blazed her own trail through the culinary world since debuting on Food Network in 1999. With more than 18 restaurants across the U.S. and globally, and a dedication to health, wellness and sustainability, she’s a welcome addition to our SoCal community, where she lives with her wife Nicole and their six boys.
Runner Up: Susan Feniger, Border Grill
Best Radio
Channel Q
Calling themselves “an innovative media destination built for and by the LGBTQ community and our allies,” this welcome community resource brings a proudly queer voice into the daily lives of its listeners with diverse programming, from pounding DJ beats to stimulating talk shows like “Sidebar with John Duran,” delivered via the airwaves or online for maximum convenience and availability.
Editor’s Choice: WeHo TV, City of West Hollywood, Communications Dept.
Best Local Media Personality
Enrique Sapene
Q Agenda LATV
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Enrique Sapene
This actor, host, and reality TV star continues to be an audience favorite as the co-host of LATV’s flagship LGBTQ+ talkshow. Alongside Juliana Joel, Lianna Carrere, Victor Ramos, and other Latinx LGBTQ+ personalities and influencers, he provides us with a fresh, honest and funny conversation – and an LGBTQ perspective – about the news and culture of the day.
Runner-up: Mikalah Gordon, Channel Q
Best Sports Team
Los Angeles Lakers
It’s no surprise that the Lakers, who are one of America’s favorite basketball teams, period, would also score high with readers in their LA home. With their dedication to diversity, inclusion and unity in hosting an annual Pride night, they’ve earned their spot as Blade readers’ number one champions.
Editor’s Choice: Los Angeles Dodgers
Best Home Furnishings
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
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Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
At its signature store in the heart of Beverly Hills (and its other location in Glendale Galleria), this elegant brand presents the style and sophistication of its comfortable, eco-friendly American made line of furnishings, and offers a talented team of designers to help customers choose the ones “best suited to the way you live,” says general manager Rick Cordero. Add to this their longtime commitment to LGBTQ advocacy and inclusion, and there’s no wonder they win our readers’ hearts for the second year in a row.
Editor’s Choice: Ashley Furniture
Best Movie Theater
El Capitan Theatre
Just up the street from the Pantages is this reader favorite, a 1920s movie palace lovingly transformed into a showcase venue for everything Disney. Yes, there’s an ever-changing lineup of first-run must-sees and beloved classics to draw us there; throw in the added attraction of a pre-movie floor show and musical stylings from that enormous organ (a restored 1920s Wurlitzer, just to be clear), and you have an unbeatable movie destination for families, friends, or just a Disney fan who wants a deluxe experience all to themselves.
6838 Hollywood Blvd.
elcapitantheatre.com
The Pleasure Chest
This flagship store has been making WeHo a sexier place since 1980, and even though many other iconic adult boutiques have come and gone from the local landscape over the years, it’s still here with no intention of going anywhere. It’s superstore-sized inventory of erotic accessories would be enough to make it an essential part of our sex lives; add to that their PleasureEd program, with its free weekly workshops for anyone who wants to expand their sexual education, and it’s no wonder that this refreshingly sex-positive business makes the top of our readers’ list of favorites, once again.
7733 Santa Monica Blvd.
a&e features
Smart strategies for managing back-to-school costs
Be strategic and budget conscious when shopping
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As summer winds down and back-to-school season approaches, families are gearing up for the annual shopping spree that brings fresh notebooks and sharpened pencils. However, this excitement can be overshadowed by realities of our current economy, including rising costs and inflation, impacting budgets that make essential items more difficult to afford.
According to the National Retail Federation, families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $874.68 on clothing, shoes, school supplies and electronics, the second-highest amount in the survey’s history. For Los Angeles families, specifically, tighter budgets and cuts among school systems may equate to fewer school-supplied tools and further add to the back-to-school shopping list, putting a significant strain on family budgets.
Here are some tips to help families manage back-to-school costs effectively:
Create a budget and stick to it. Whether your child is headed to elementary or high school, having a plan and prioritizing the essential items is a crucial first step in the back-to-school process. Determine how much you have to spend and then categorize the items on your list. For instance, focus on the necessary academic supplies such as notebooks, pens, pencils and backpacks, then consider secondary items like clothes, shoes and technology. If there is excess money, you can add fun items like stickers, fancy colored pens, or the latest and greatest electronics. For high school students, look into the school’s laptop or technology program. Working with a financial adviser can help you create a comprehensive budget that covers not only back-to-school necessities but also supports effective financial planning throughout the year. They can provide insights on cost-cutting, how to make the most of your resources and identify areas where you can save, leading to a more efficient and stress-free shopping experience. It’s important to create strategies that last all year long, as there are always going to be surprises out of our control, including rising prices.
Include your children in the planning. It’s never too early to discuss finances with your children. Involving them in the budgeting process can be a valuable, educational experience, as it not only teaches them about financial planning but also helps them understand the value of money. This is also a great opportunity to discuss needs versus wants and encourage them to prioritize their needs and to understand the concept of trade-offs. For example, they might have to choose between getting a new backpack or lunchbox and reuse the one they already have from last year. These small decisions can add up and have a big impact on the overall family budget.
Take an inventory check. Before heading to the store, take stock of what you already have. Go through last year’s supplies to see what can be reused – any leftover pencils, folders, etc. Items like backpacks, binders and even clothing may still be in good condition. This simple step can significantly reduce the number of new items you need to purchase, saving money and reducing waste.
Shop strategically. Look for discounts and sales that can help stretch your budget further, such as:
Cast a broad net when you’re seeking discounts. Utilize websites, apps and browser extensions that offer coupons or cash back.
Take advantage of back-to-school sales. Plan your shopping around these dates to maximize your budget. Waiting until the last minute typically means you pay full price.
Look for generic or less expensive brands of supplies.
Buy school supplies in bulk with items used frequently like notebooks and pens.
Search for local community organizations and libraries for back-to-school supply drives.
Prepare for unexpected expenses. It’s crucial to plan for unexpected expenses that can arise throughout the school year. These might include costs for school trips, extracurricular activities or last-minute supplies, such as project materials or replacement items. Setting aside a small emergency fund dedicated to these unforeseen expenses can go a long way and teaches your children a valuable lesson in financial preparedness.
Thinking Beyond the School Year: Allocating Funds for Future Education
Saving money allows you to ultimately invest that money into your future objectives or long-term strategies. While the goal here is to manage costs of supplies that will last the duration of your student’s calendar school year, by employing strategies to save money on that shopping, you can allocate more funds toward long-term education savings plans, such as a 529 account. These savings can significantly impact your child’s future educational opportunities. Working with a financial adviser can help you create and manage these savings plans effectively.
Nikki Macdonald, CFP, is a financial adviser at Northwestern Mutual.
a&e features
Start the school year strong and prevent illness in children
Help your kids be their best — physically, mentally, and emotionally
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(StatePoint) — The excitement of a new school year unfolds each year when families flood the superstore aisles to buy classroom supplies, tape after-school schedules on the fridge and organize carpools with friends.
Common to each family is a desire for children to remain healthy, active, and ready to learn.
To prepare children and teens to be at their best – physically, mentally, socially and emotionally – the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends regular visits with the pediatrician, as well as immunizations that help keep all family members healthy. Recent outbreaks of measles, a highly contagious disease, have shown how quickly some infectious diseases can spread within a community.
“The best way to strengthen a child’s immune system and keep them healthy is by getting them vaccinated,” said pediatrician, Dr. David M. Higgins. “An illness like measles can keep children home and away from school and activities for days. Immunizations allow children to enjoy learning, playing and getting together with friends and family.”
As of June 13, 2024, a total of 151 U.S. measles cases were reported this year-to-date in 21 different states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These recent measles outbreaks have affected unvaccinated people. Choosing to not vaccinate your children not only leaves them susceptible to measles, but also exposes other children to this potentially serious disease. This includes infants who are too young to be vaccinated and those who are unable to be vaccinated due to other health conditions.
“Everyone in our community deserves to be healthy, and part of being healthy means getting immunized for all illnesses, including influenza and COVID-19 and, if eligible, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). It benefits all of us if every child in our community is vaccinated, because it means that all of us are more likely to be healthy,” says Dr. Higgins.
Families can also stop the spread of infection by encouraging hand washing with children throughout the day. Help or remind them to wash their hands:
• Before eating (including snacks)
• After a trip to the bathroom
• Whenever they come in from playing outdoors
• After touching an animal, like a family pet
• After sneezing or coughing if they cover their mouth
• When someone in the household is ill
The AAP calls for the immunization of all children and adolescents according to its policy, Recommended Immunization Schedules for Children and Adolescents Aged 18 Years or Younger, United States. More information can be found at healthychildren.org.
“Your pediatrician can answer any questions about recommended vaccines and when your child needs them,” Dr. Higgins said. “There is a schedule for their recommended timing because that is when research has shown they are most effective during a child’s development.”
a&e features
A Filipino pop icon, a mural and a deadnaming controversy
Public art piece shows Jake Zyrus before coming out as trans
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By JOSIE HUANG | LAist — Historic Filipinotown in Los Angeles is home to a celebrated mural about the Filipino American experience, one of the largest and oldest of its kind in the country. But the depiction of one figure is bringing the artwork fresh attention and leading to accusations of transphobia.
Featured on the colorful mural, along with labor leader Larry Itliong and musician APL.DE.AP of the Black Eyed Peas, is the Filipino pop singer Jake Zyrus before he came out as transgender.
A growing chorus of voices, including Zyrus himself, say the portrait should be changed.
The singer
Zyrus had been added to the mural during an 2011 update, fresh off of becoming the first solo Asian artist to have an album reach Billboard’s top 10. Acclaimed appearances on “Glee” and “The Oprah Winfrey Show” made him one of the most famous Filipinos in the U.S.
— Jake Zyrus (@jakezyrus) January 10, 2022
Then in 2017, Zyrus came out as a trans man to a mixed response from fans. In the seven years since, as he’s worked to reintroduce himself as a singer to audiences, his name and image on the HiFi mural have not been updated to the alarm of some community leaders.
“I feel that it’s very important to address deadnaming, to address transphobia,” said Eddy Gana, co-founder of the Filipino American arts organization Sunday Jump.
Earlier this month, Sunday Jump made a post about the mural on Instagram tied to Pride Month, sparking impassioned discussion. Gana, who is trans and non-binary, belongs to the camp that wants the mural updated as soon as possible by removing the singer’s portrait and mention of his former name and creating a new painting “to reflect Jake Zyrus today.”
With transgender rights under increasing attack across the country, Gana says there’s urgency to put a stop to deadnaming.
“It leads for us as trans folks to contemplate our very own existence, leads to depression and anxiety to be in a world where we feel like that we don’t belong — and we do belong,” Gana said.
What does Zyrus want? His management company has not responded to requests for comment.
But in a letter written by the singer and shared by Sunday Jump, Zyrus urged the mural’s designer and local leaders to replace the current portrait of him with one representing his “true self.”
Out Now! Glimpse of Us @sushitrash – @jakezyrus x @CheesyFbaby COVERhttps://t.co/QyNmVNRFox pic.twitter.com/bcwUJ6Qv8Z
— Jake Zyrus (@jakezyrus) September 10, 2022
“I would hate to see a process that’s initiated where the conversation is stacked, where it’s Eliseo versus a whole bunch of people who are shaking their fists and demanding we need change right now,” Virata said.
But addressing the deadnaming is not a new ask, according to community leaders who say they’ve been working on the issue for years with little traction until Sunday Jump’s social media post this month.
Now the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, the mural’s steward, and the office of Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, say they want to plan next steps with community organizations.
“It does take community to push this issue, to really light a fire under it and make it right,” said KimmyManiquis, executive director of the community group Search To Involve Pilipino Americans.
Maniquis said she cherishes the mural, which friends and family helped to paint in the ’90s as part of a community effort, because of the care that went into capturing “the cultural richness and resistance that comes with our history.” But when the deadnaming of Zyrus was brought to her attention about two years ago, she said it was imperative to find a fix.
The local Filipino American community now has a clear opportunity to show support for trans people, Maniquis said.
“When it’s convenient, we embrace LGBTQ identity and trans identity,” Maniquis said. “Then when it becomes really complicated politically, I don’t think we necessarily ally very well.”
How the community chooses to act could become a case study of sorts.
“We won’t be the last community dealing with deadnaming as part of murals, right?” Maniquis said. “What we do in this moment is actually really important.”
The artist
Eliseo Art Silva, the prolific and well-known artist behind the mural, said it’s important to know what Zyrus’ wishes are.
But he added: “It’s not up to me, you know, it’s not really up to me.”
Silva said he can’t retool the mural he started in 1995 until there are multiple community meetings, funding is secured and a design plan decided. He added he is also booked up with work, which includes restoring the right half of the 150-foot-long mural (Zyrus’ image is on the other half) and painting a fresco at a neighborhood Catholic church.
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/08/mural_in_Historic_Filipinotown_in_LA-featuring_Jake_Zyrus_insert_2_by_Josie_Huang_of_LAist.jpg)
While asserting his openness to change, Silva also revealed he had his parameters. Pre-colonial Philippine folklore inspired him to locate Zyrus next to Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao on the mural so they could represent the first man and woman. Repainting Zyrus throws off that concept, he said.
“I cannot just disrupt the narrative,” Silva said. “It’s going to compromise the integrity of the entire mural.”
Silva said he is open to replacing Zyrus with a notable Filipina and painting a new likeness of him elsewhere on the mural.
Another idea, Silva said, would be to keep the current image of Zyrus while adding a new portrait of him. But critics of this proposal say it’s transphobic for Silva to treat Zyrus as two different people and to still use his former name.
Silva said he was frustrated and saddened by the controversy, noting he’s shown support for the LGBTQ community with the inclusion of gay Filipino Americans such as the artist Alfonso Ossorio, as well as a babaylan, a shaman from the pre-colonial era who was typically a woman or trans.
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Silva said the mural is being unfairly attacked when there are so few like it that honor Filipino American culture and history.
“They should campaign for more murals, instead of trying to bring down this one mural we have in L.A., you know what I mean?” Silva said.
The community
Joe Virata is a retired college administrator who helped guide the creation of the mural nearly 30 years ago and, more recently, made a short film about the historic significance of the artwork.
He expects a community discussion over what to do with the Zyrus portrait will take months and inflame passions.
“I think that we’re going to run into some challenging conversations that include artists’ rights, community rights, historical context,” Virata said.
He wants a broader swath of the Filipino American community to weigh in on the controversy. From his perspective, the current portrait of Zyrus should be preserved as a “snapshot of a particular moment.”
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/08/Gintong_Kasaysayan_mural_insert_by_Josie_Huang_of_LAist.jpg)
“I would hate to see a process that’s initiated where the conversation is stacked, where it’s Eliseo versus a whole bunch of people who are shaking their fists and demanding we need change right now,” Virata said.
But addressing the deadnaming is not a new ask, according to community leaders who say they’ve been working on the issue for years with little traction until Sunday Jump’s social media post this month.
Now the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, the mural’s steward, and the office of Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, say they want to plan next steps with community organizations.
“It does take community to push this issue, to really light a fire under it and make it right,” said Kimmy Maniquis, executive director of the community group Search To Involve Pilipino Americans.
Maniquis said she cherishes the mural, which friends and family helped to paint in the ’90s as part of a community effort, because of the care that went into capturing “the cultural richness and resistance that comes with our history.” But when the deadnaming of Zyrus was brought to her attention about two years ago, she said it was imperative to find a fix.
The local Filipino American community now has a clear opportunity to show support for trans people, Maniquis said.
“When it’s convenient, we embrace LGBTQ identity and trans identity,” Maniquis said. “Then when it becomes really complicated politically, I don’t think we necessarily ally very well.”
How the community chooses to act could become a case study of sorts.
“We won’t be the last community dealing with deadnaming as part of murals, right?” Maniquis said. “What we do in this moment is actually really important.”
This article was first published by the LAist and is reposted here with permission.
a&e features
‘Betty la Fea’ returns after 25 years and she’s a queer ally, mother and feminist boss
Telenovela returns with new series
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By GISSELLE PALOMERA | CALÓ News — The most successful telenovela in history is back on our TV screens through Prime Video in 240 countries and territories worldwide. After a more-than-historically successful run “Yo Soy Betty, La Fea,” returns as “Betty La Fea, The Story Continues” for a 10-episode series premiering July 19.
The series starts off with la original, Beatriz Pérez Pinzón, better known as Betty o Betty La Fea (Ana María Orozco), narrating over the scene of a funeral where she says: “Finalmente me fuí de sus vidas.”
It’s not actually her own funeral, but a dramatic segue into her return 25 years later. Since the show, Fernando Gaitan, Colombian screenwriter and producer of the original series, has passed away. His legacy outlives him through the revamp of this series, produced now by Mauricio Cruz Fortunato.
Seconds into the eulogy, Betty knocks over the casket as it’s being lowered to the ground, to which queer presence, Hugo, or Huguito (Julian Arango), fulfilling the sassy gay man trope once again, responds with: “Con ustedes: Brutty La Fea,” introducing her as the same lovable bruta or Klutz we all grew to love over the first series.
Betty and Armando reunite after separating, while their daughter is off studying fashion in New York. The new sequel picks up where Ecomoda, a previous show spinoff, leaves off. In Ecomoda (2001-2002), Betty and Armando welcome daughter Camila into their lives and embark on the journey of balancing parenthood and success at their family’s company.
Once the funeral is over, Betty’s father, abuelito Hermes Pinzon Galarza (Jorge Herrera), picks her up along with Betty’s longtime friend, Nicolás Mora Cifuentes (Mario Duarte), welcoming him back on screen with the same dorky, lovable and slightly annoying friendship with Betty. Hermes makes a one-line comment suggesting that Betty should hurry so they have enough time to leave flowers on her mother’s grave. This is a shocking departure after news outlets reported last summer that Dona Julia was set to return to the series.
In this sequel, the underlying theme is that of a broken family in need of unity, after the loss of a family member, and Ecomoda, their family’s fashion corporation, going through a financial crisis. ‘Mila,’ or Camila, (Juanita Molina) comes in as one of five new characters as Armando and Betty’s daughter. Mila and Betty are somewhat estranged and the first episode shows a much closer relationship, with Mila referring to her dad as ‘Armandaddy.’
Following the family member’s death, a video is played regarding how assets will be divided in relation to Ecomoda. To everyone’s shock, Betty is appointed as the new president of Ecomoda, booting Armando out of the position after a short, two-year run as the fashion company president.
Speaking of assets, without the presence of the OG “cartel de feas,” now only consisting of Bertha Muñoz (Luces Velásquez) and Sandra Patiño (Marcela Posada), the show would be a lot more drama and a lot less comedy.
Sandra comes out as queer, adding more valid on-screen representation and stating that she finally felt safe to come out because of Betty’s allyship and encouragement to be true to herself.
Main character and problematica, Patricia Fernandez (Lorna Cepeda), also returns to the sequel, bringing the same attitude to our screens, but with a big update– she’s married to a rich viejito.
The first episode wraps up with a heartbroken Betty reading a letter her mamita wrote to her from her deathbed, giving her the courage to continue fighting the good fight she’s always fought to be independent and courageous.
The series does not miss and in fact continues to do justice to feminism as its central theme and embracing oneself in the face of corporate greed and family troubles.
The new series is faithful to the original series, using flashbacks to set the scene for many meaningful and painful memories between Betty and Armando.
Among other characters that returned to the new series are: Marcela (Natalia Ramirez), Freddy (Julio Cesar Herrera), and Saul (Alberto Leon Jaramillo).
The series is now available on Prime Video.
a&e features
Museum of Latin American Art hosts discussion of drag in BIPOC and AAPI spaces
Symposium dedicated toward building community
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By GISSELLE PALOMERA | CALÓ News — Drag performers came together at the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) to close out Pride Month, hosting a discussion on drag and how to create safe and inclusive spaces for the BIPOC and AAPI communities.
“I do what I do, so others can do it too,” said Foxie Adjuia, one of three panelists for the Symposium on Empowerment in Pride Spaces. “I’m in transpersonal disciplines, and I’m going to be utilizing drag as a way to impact my community in a positive way,” added Adjuia, a drag performer on The Boulet Brothers’ TV series, “Dragula.”
The symposium was dedicated toward building community, resilience and acceptance through an interactive drag performance with Adjuia, Robbie Osa and Mahalia Nakita.
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During the discussion, Adjuia, Osa and Nakita asked questions to respond themselves and ask input from the audience. On the question of how to utilize Pride as a form of liberation and keep it in alignment with the civil rights movement of the LGBTQ community, Adjuia said that Pride is about chosen family and about unchaining ourselves from the hegemony that a lot of queer and Black, Indigenous and People of Color get indoctrinated into.
“[Pride] is an act of liberation in and of itself and it’s an act of self-actualization,” Adjuia said.
Adjuia opened up about how it hasn’t always been easy to embrace Pride and overcome the adversity that comes with this identity. “What really got me through the darkness was my community and their act of Pride, connection with each other and uplifting energy.”
They performed their speech about community connection and added that they believe that Pride is not just about partying, but about embracing the struggle that started with the 1969 Stonewall Riots. This was a pivotal point in LGBTQ+ history.
Using the spirit of Pride to overcome adversity
“LGBTQ+ awareness is a challenge for a lot of students, especially if they don’t understand how to judge certain situations because they are special ed,” said Yuri Jimenez, special education teacher. “So I have to create conversations and lessons to create that space where everyone feels accepted.” Attendees of the event responded to the questions, drawing from their own experiences.
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/07/Foxie_Adjuia_and_Robbie_Osa_and_Mahalia_Nakita_insert_by_Gisselle_Palomera_of_CALO_News-400x600.jpg)
“[BIPOC Drag Queens] get that double combo of being racially profiled as Latino and gay,” said Osa, a drag performer and behavior analyst. “I found that drag is a platform to dismantle those stereotypes.”
Osa is an alumni of California State University, Long Beach, who now dedicates her time toward building inclusive and accepting spaces in education. She uses drag as a form of art that relays political and meaningful messages.
“Tolerance comes with strings attached, and acceptance means fully [embracing] who you are, your faults and loving you unconditionally,” said Osa.
Promoting equality and inclusion
“We are all part of different groups within the [BIPOC] community and each community needs a little bit of representation [in Pride spaces],” said Nakita.
“As a therapist, I’m always making sure that I am creating affirming spaces for whatever identities walk through my door, and making sure that I am educated and can provide them with resources and support,” said Jennifer Jiries, who is a queer therapist and social worker based in Long Beach. “We heal in community, so we need to have spaces that actually support healing and connection.”
a&e features
Coming-of-age story ‘El Paisa’ on PBS
Film continues successful run across L.A. film festivals
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/07/El_Paisa_promotional_poster_insert.jpg)
By GISSELLE PALOMERA | CALÓ News — “El Paisa” will be featured nationally as part of the 2024 PBS Short Film Festival starting Monday, July 15, shortly after winning the award for Best LGBTQ+ Short at Cannes International Film Festival. In its 13th year, the PBS Short Film Festival features 15 independent films chosen for their impact and reflection of American life, culture, lived experiences and family dynamics.
The film continues its successful run across Los Angeles film festivals, sweeping awards for Best Short Film, Best LGBTQ+ Short Film and several Jury Awards.
The film is a product of the Latino Public Broadcasting. The Digital Media Fund, designed to provide resources for independent Latin American filmmakers to create digital short form programs for online distribution in collaboration with an existing public television platform such as PBS.
The Digital Media Fund prioritizes submissions in the genres of science, biography, history, health, personal storytelling, art, cultural documentary and narratives. The fund allocates between $10,000 and $30,000 dollars for the projects, depending on the proposal. Submissions are now closed and will reopen next year.
“El Paisa,” is an East L.A.-set coming-of-age story featuring an unlikely duo that begins to deconstruct the traditional expectations and roles of gay men within Latin American culture.
Film director Daniel Eduvijes Carrera says the film is reminiscent of his own story as a queer son of immigrants who struggled to embrace his own identities as he grows up on the unforgiving streets of L.A. riddled with barrio gang violence.
Carrera says he felt completely isolated due to his queer identity growing up. In a director’s statement, he says there was some level of support from his Latin American identity within his own family of nine siblings, but when it came to embracing or even understanding his queer identity, he was completely at a loss.
It wasn’t until Carrera walked into his first gay vaquero bar on his 21st birthday and witnessed the embodiment of masculinity entwined with queer culture he only dreamed of as a kid that it made sense to him that his queer identity could in fact co-exist with his Latin American identity.
Carrera is now an accomplished voice in filmmaking, using his perspective and lived experiences to create stories that deconstruct the societal norms that marginalize queer people within Latin American cultures. He has gained notable fellowships, grants and prestigious recognition for his voice in the filmmaking and entertainment industry.
The film will be available to watch across all PBS platforms that include the PBS App, YouTube and PBS.org.
This story was produced by CALÓ News, a news organization covering Latino/a/x communities.
a&e features
GMCLA’s ‘Solid Gold’ Gala: Honoring LGBTQ+ Champions with Iconic Diva Tributes
“Solid Gold” show will feature tribute to the music of Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, and Whitney Houston
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The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles is honoring champions of the LGBTQ+ community and celebrating the music of three iconic divas at its annual gala fundraiser Sunday, June 30 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
Celebrating our history through the music we love
GMCLA’s “Solid Gold” show will feature the music of superstars Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, and Whitney Houston, performed by the chorus’s 150 members in front of a live band with dancers. The show will include a special three-song medley joined by stars from the Drag Race universe Priyanka and Latrice Royale.
Immediately after the show, the party will move to GMCLA’s annual Gala Fundraiser, where they’ll honor Senator Alex Padilla and his wife Angela Padilla with their Civic Voice Award, and the HBO series We’re Here with their Artistic Voice Award.
GMCLA will honor Senator Padilla for his decades of work in politics as an advocate for immigrants, community building, the climate crisis, and voting rights. They will honor Angela Padilla for her work on mental health issues through her organization FundaMental Change. GMCLA will recognize We’re Here for shining a light on the impact of anti-LGBTQ legislation on the community in the South.
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/06/20240618_Alex_Padilla_insert_1_c_Washington_Blade_by_Michael_Key-600x399.jpg)
Alex Padilla, U.S. Senator, California.
“We deeply honor Senator and Mrs. Padilla for joining us at the Gala,” says GMCLA executive director Lou Spisto. “Each of them has dedicated many years of their life’s work to make our region a more vibrant and inclusive place, and to make the lives of all who live here healthier and safer.”
Spisto says the “Solid Gold” show also honors artists who have made an incredible contribution to the community:
“We can hardly imagine music that doesn’t play a significant part in our lives. These great artists span many decades, the 60s, 70s, 80s, into the 90s and of course, Dionne Warwick continues to inspire us today,” he says.
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/06/GMCLA-Disney-7795-600x400.jpg)
Powerful choral tribute
For anyone who’s never seen the GMCLA perform, Spisto describes it as an overwhelmingly emotional experience.
“When 150 men sing together, they create a beautiful noise that’s really powerful, and it reaches across the footlights in a way that makes it hard not to feel a connection and an emotion,” he says. “When predominantly men sing love songs to and about men, simply singing those lyrics becomes very powerful, and you won’t experience that anywhere else.”
“We celebrate our community as much as we celebrate music,” he says.
The fundraising Gala supports all the work that the GMCLA does across the community. GMCLA works with the public school system to provide choral programs and empowerment programs in high schools through its Alive Music Program, which has reached more than 85,000 public school students over ten years. The Chorus also performs more than 30 free public shows across the community every year.
Spisto says these programs reflect the GMCLA’s commitment to building up the community.
“GMCLA has changed hearts and minds for 45 years now. GMCLA has participated in the movement to speak about who we are, sing about who we are, and fight for our rights,” he says.
“Things have become easier and we don’t live in the world of 1979, and it certainly differs from the world we faced when AIDS devastated our community. But we still face tough times, and we still need voices like this chorus to stand up for the Greater Community.”
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles: Solid Gold and Gala Fundraiser will take place at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium and Ballroom, 300 E Green St, Pasadena, CA, Sun June 30, 3pm. You can purchase tickets at https://www.gmcla.org/
GMCLA’s Ongoing Mission
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles: Solid Gold and Gala Fundraiser take place at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium and Ballroom, 300 E Green St, Pasadena, CA, Sun June 30, 3pm. Tickets at https://www.gmcla.org/
a&e features
‘Tiger’ burning bright: an interview with Mary Timony
Today’s female-driven music scene wouldn’t be the same without her
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/03/Mary_Timony_insert_1_by_Chris_Grady.jpg)
It’s hard to imagine what the current female-driven music scene would be like without Mary Timony. From Sleater-Kinney to Haim, from Angel Olsen to Mitski, the influence of Mary Timony is in every note being played, every word being sung. On her new solo album, “Untame The Tiger” (Merge), with its sly nod to Joni Mitchell, Timony has brought her many years of musical experience to the fore, resulting in what is easily her most accessible release. Beginning with the incredible six-plus minute opener “No Thirds” and continuing through the first single, “Dominoes,” and gorgeous numbers including “The Guest,” “The Dream,” and “Not The Only One,” Timony is assured to keep listeners purring along. Timony made time for an interview shortly before the album was released.
BLADE: Mary, I’d like to begin by talking to you about your musical lives in D.C. and Boston. I went to college in Boston in the early 1980s and was constantly amazed by the bands of the era such as Mission of Burma, Human Sexual Response, and ‘Til Tuesday. I moved to D.C. in the mid-1980s to go to grad school, and at the time, the music scene there was dominated by go-go music, and a smaller indie music featuring BETTY and the late Tommy Keene, among others. What do you remember about the music in D.C. as someone who grew up there?
MARY TIMONY: That’s interesting. We kind of did a switcheroo. I’m from D.C. and I moved to Boston. (In D.C.) I learned, as a teenager, about rock shows and rock music from being involved in the punk scene, the post-hardcore scene of kids here. Those are the shows I went to in high school. Basically, the Dischord (Records) bands and stuff. I saw every single Fugazi show from when they started in ’87. Before that, whatever was happening in 1985, hardcore shows by Swiz and Soulside and Kingface and I loved Ignition. Other than that, I would go see bluegrass out in Virginia and I loved go-go. I would go to see (go-go bands) Rare Essence and Trouble Funk. I was very into that stuff; that was really exciting. I think I liked go-go the most out of all of it, actually [laughs]. I would go to DC Space and 9:30 (Club), mostly for local (acts). I don’t think I ever saw BETTY, but I was a teenager then.
BLADE: Was the active music scene in Boston in the early 1990s part of the appeal for you when it came to relocating to Boston to attend Boston University?
TIMONY: The reason why I went there was because I wanted to go to a music program that was in a big university, in case I didn’t wanna study music the whole time, which is exactly what happened. I studied classical guitar for a year and then I didn’t really like the program much, so I transferred to study English. I found out about the (Boston) music scene from friends. We went to The Middle East (nightclub) and TT’s (T.T. The Bear’s nightclub). Then after college, I ended up living right down the street from The Middle East and I was there constantly.
BLADE: Good old Central Square! As a performer playing in bands including Autoclave, Helium, and Ex Hex, and as a solo artist with her own band, it’s not unreasonable to say that Mary, you are someone who plays well with others.
TIMONY: [Big laugh.]
BLADE: What makes you such a good team player?
TIMONY: I didn’t know I was [laughs]. I’ve gone back and forth between doing solo stuff and being in bands. Mostly, I’ve done projects where I’ve written a bunch of songs and I’m trying to…I haven’t done a ton of collaborative stuff really. Ex Hex was fun because it was more collaborative. Wild Flag, the same thing, totally 100% collaborative in every way. But Helium was really my thing, but I got some great people that totally influenced it. I’ve always been doing my own thing but tried to find really good people. Music really is about connection. It’s never as good if it’s only one person’s vision. Usually, if it’s good it’s good because of the connection between the musicians. Music is a social art form, I think.
BLADE: “Untame The Tiger” is the title of your new album. In 1999, Joni Mitchell titled her album “Taming The Tiger.” Are you, in any way, making a nod to Joni?
TIMONY: A little bit because I am a huge fan. I have been since I was 18. But, it sort of came to me because I have a song called that on the record and I’m sure that probably came from ripping off Joni Mitchell. Then I just thought that’s a cool name for a record. Then I thought, “Oh, shit!” [Laughs] It’s already been taken! Then I thought about it and then I forgot about it. Then I thought about it again and finally, I was like, “It’s OK. It’s a little bit different.” And I love her!
BLADE: I’m currently reading Ann Powers’ book “Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell,” which comes out in June.
TIMONY: Oh, I’m definitely going to have to read.
BLADE: Yes, please add that to your reading list. “Untame The Tiger” is your first new solo studio album in 15 years. Are there things you write and sing about on your solo records that might be out of place on an album you would record with another one of your musical outfits?
TIMONY: Yes. That’s why this ended up being a solo record. I guess it was because of the tuning of my guitar. They were more or less finished songs. I wanted the songs to sound kind of acoustic. I also wanted to play with a bunch of musicians who I really love. All those things just made it seem like a solo record. If I’m writing for a band, like Ex Hex, which is basically the other band that I do right now, they’re not finished. I bring them in (to the band members) with that band in mind.
BLADE: I love the lush instrumental section on “Thirds” and the psychedelic sounds of “Looking For The Sun” and “The Guest.” Were there things you were listening to while writing the songs for “Untame The Tiger” that were inspiring to you?
TIMONY: I was listening to a lot of music, a ton of stuff. I don’t ever try to purposely emulate anything very often, but I can’t help it. I’d rather be influenced by stuff without really thinking about it too consciously. I always have loved listening to The Left Banke’s instrumentation and The Moody Blues’ string parts. Most of the string parts come from trying to emulate The Moody Blues [laughs] or The Left Banke. I’m obsessed with The Left Banke.
BLADE: “Walk Away Renée,” right?
TIMONY: Yes. This guy, Michael Brown, was such a genius. He wrote so much stuff as a teenager. His dad was a string arranger. Anyway, I love those string parts. I was listening to this prog-rock band The Strawbs and this early (Ronnie) Dio band Elf. (The Flying) Burrito Brothers and The Byrds, too. I love Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span. Richard Thompson and I was really obsessed with Gerry Rafferty’s early solo record called “Can I Have My Money Back?” I love that record. I was listening to it a ton when I was arranging the songs.
BLADE: Why was the song “Dominoes” selected as the first single from “Untame The Tiger?”
TIMONY: I don’t know. I let other people tell me [laughs]. I really hate sequencing records and I hate choosing singles. I’m just too close to it. I can’t tell what people are going to like or not. A lot of times, the ones that I like are not the ones that other people like. I asked (the people at) the label and they suggested that. I think it’s more poppy sounding. Dave Fridmann mixed that one and “Don’t Disappear” and he’s a genius mixer. and these mixers are always very pleasing and accessible sounding. I think that has something to do with it, too.
BLADE: Earlier, we talked about your long history of playing music with others, which reminded me of your guest spot singing “All Dressed Up In Dreams,” written by gay singer/songwriter Stephin Merritt for his band The 6ths’ “Wasps’ Nest” album.
TIMONY: He’s such a genius!
BLADE: How did that come about?
TIMONY: When I moved to Boston, for a year I lived with Claudia (Gonson of Merritt’s band The Magnetic Fields), who is his drummer. I lived in a group house in Cambridge. I was friends with Claudia, and Stephin lived a few blocks away. She told me he was making this record with guest singers they wanted to go over and sing on it. I went over there one day and he taught me the song and I sang on it. I think he’s one of the best songwriters of the last 50 years or whatever.
BLADE: I completely agree. As someone who has collaborated with Stephin, are you aware of an LGBTQ+ following for your own music?
TIMONY: I don’t know. I think maybe a little bit. I’d love that. I love everybody who can connect with it, because all I’m trying to do is connect with people.
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/03/Mary_Timony_insert_2_by_Chris_Grady-600x372.jpg)
a&e features
We predict an #OscarsSoStraight evening at the Academy Awards
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2022/03/OSCARS-AMAS-e1709328943130.jpg)
HOLLYWOOD – The 96th Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, will take place on Sunday, March 10 at new early time 7 p.m. EST at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles. The ceremony will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast live on ABC.
Depending on whether you are an “Oppenheimer” lover or a hater, the Academy Awards this year will come off as either a blast, i.e. as in nuclear explosion, or a bomb, i.e. as in the atomic kind.
Spoiler alert: “Oppenheimer” is set up to create scorched earth against all its competitors.
If you are attending an Oscar party and filling out your predictions list, you will do very well if you mark “Oppenheimer” down the line. (But uncheck it in the Best Supporting Actress category. Love you Emily Blunt, but, no.)
Here is what an LGBTQ high visibility evening would look like: “Barbie” would win Best Picture because there was Kate McKinnon, and what self-respecting LGBTQ person does not appreciate pink? It would just edge out “Anatomy of a Fall” or “Maestro,” which feature bisexual main characters. “Anatomy of a Fall” would win Best Director for Justine Triet to make up for the Best Picture snub, however.
Best Actor would go to Colman Domingo for his portrayal of gay civil rights icon Bayard Rustin, just edging out Bradley Cooper as the bisexual Leonard Bernstein. Two-spirit Lily Gladstone would edge out Annette Bening as the iconic Diana Nyad (Lily might actually win this, though Emma Stone is coming on strong). Sterling K. Brown would win for gay Clifford Ellison in “American Fiction” and we would ogle runner-up Ryan Gosling as Ken because even though Ken is presumably straight, we gay boys know the truth.
Lesbian icon Jodie Foster would win playing a lesbian character in “Nyad.” “Nimona” would win Best Animated Feature. “The ABCs of Book Banning” would win Best Documentary Short Film. “Barbie,” “Maestro,” and “May December” would duke it out as front runners in the screenplay categories.
None of those are likely to happen, however, with the exception of Lily Gladstone, as mentioned. Oh, and Billie Eilish may win for best song. That won’t be a particularly LGBTQ moment, however, as Eilish does not like her sexual orientation being talked about, so she won’t mention it, and we won’t either.
Because the Oscars are preceded by so many other award shows and programs, many populated with Academy voters, there usually are strong indications as to who really will get what. This year, that message has been a strong sweep and one name emerges above all others. Cue explosion: “Oppenheimer.”
It is the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the brilliant physicist who led the Manhattan Project during World War II. Oppenheimer’s complex personality is challenged as he is recruited to head the Manhattan Project, the top-secret effort to build the atomic bomb. With five Golden Globe Awards, seven BAFTAs, eight Critics Choice Awards, the Directors Guild Award, The Producers Guild Award, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, its dominance coming into the Oscars is clear.
Out magazine observed, “It’s been a great year in cinema for LGBTQ+ actors, directors, writers, films, and characters.” It has been. Unless the Oscar awards show producers specifically call that fact out, it may go unnoticed, however, and LGBTQ representation may be minimal. The announced presenters so far do not scream queer, with the possible exception of our favorite mom-of-a-trans person, Jamie Lee Curtis.
This is the year when we enjoy the concept of “it was an honor just to be nominated” LGBTQ-wise. It may be the year that we just appreciate that we don’t win all horse races just because we are LGBTQ or the horses are queer.
The Academy loves to be unpredictable, however, so you never know. Rainbows and unicorns may emerge. I wouldn’t bet on it.
But, Academy, come on, surprise us.
My prediction is that in the morning after this year’s ceremony, we may be social media-ing #OscarsSoStraight, and Out magazine’s “hope that the 2024 Oscars could potentially be the most queer- and trans-inclusive ceremony ever” will have gone up in a cloud of atomic smoke.
Oh well. At least you should do well at your Oscar party.
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![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2022/05/Rob-HD-SHOT-400x600.jpg)
Rob Watson is the host of the popular Hollywood-based radio/podcast show RATED LGBT RADIO.
He is an established LGBTQ columnist and blogger having written for many top online publications including The Los Angeles Blade, The Washington Blade, Parents Magazine, the Huffington Post, LGBTQ Nation, Gay Star News, the New Civil Rights Movement, and more.
He served as Executive Editor for The Good Man Project, has appeared on MSNBC and been quoted in Business Week and Forbes Magazine.
He is CEO of Watson Writes, a marketing communications agency, and can be reached at [email protected]
a&e features
‘Blindspot’ reveals stories of NYC AIDS patients that haven’t been told
Former Blade reporter’s podcast focuses on POC, women, trans people
![](https://www.losangelesblade.com/content/files/2024/02/Kai_Wright_insert_by_Amy_Pearl.jpg)
“We said that people had The Monster, because they had that look,” activist Valerie Reyes-Jimenez, said, remembering how people in her New York neighborhood reacted when people first got AIDS.
They didn’t know what to call it.
“They had the sucked in checks,” Reyes-Jimenez, added, “They were really thin…a lot of folks were saying, oh, you know, they had…cancer.”
“We actually had set up a bereavement clinic where the kids would tell us what they wanted to have when they die,” Maxine Frere, a retired nurse who worked at Harlem Hospital for 40 years and was the head nurse of its pediatric AIDS unit said, “How did they wanna die?”
“Nobody wanted to come on,” said former New York Gov. David Paterson, who in 1987 was Harlem’s state senator.
At that time, Manhattan Cable Television gave legislators the chance to do one show a year. “So I decided to do my show on the AIDS crisis and how there didn’t seem to be any response from the leadership in the Black community,” Paterson added.
These unforgettable voices with their searing recollections are among the many provocative, transformative stories told on Season 3 of “Blindspot,” the critically acclaimed podcast.
“Blindspot: The Plague in the Shadows” is co-produced by the History Channel and WNYC Studios. The six-episode podcast series, which launched on Jan. 18 and airs weekly through Feb. 22, is hosted by WNYC’s Kai Wright with lead reporting by The Nation Magazine’s Lizzy Ratner.
The show is accompanied by a photography exhibit by Kia LaBeija. LaBeija is a New York City-based artist who was born HIV positive and lost her mother to the disease at 14. The exhibit, which features portraits of people whose stories are heard on “Blindspot,” runs at the Greene Space at WNYC through March 11.
If you think of AIDS, you’re likely to think of white cisgender gay men. (That’s been true for me, a cisgender lesbian, who lost loved ones to AIDS.)
From the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic, most media and cultural attention has been focused on white gay men – from playwright and activist Larry Kramer to the movie “Philadelphia.”
“Blindspot” revisits New York City, an epicenter of the early years of the HIV epidemic.
The podcast reveals stories of vulnerable people that haven’t been told. Of people of color, women, transgender people, children, drug-users, women in prison and the doctors, nurses and others who cared and advocated with and on their behalf.
“Blindspot,” through extensive reporting and immersive storytelling, makes people visible who were invisible during the AIDS epidemic. It makes us see people who have, largely, been left out of the history of AIDS.
Wright, 50, who is Black and gay, cares deeply about history. He is host and managing editor of “Notes from America with Kai Wright,” a show about the unfinished business of our history and its grip on our future.
Recently, Wright, who worked as a reporter at the Washington Blade from 1996 to 2001, talked with me in a Zoom interview. The conversation ranged over a number of topics from why Wright got into journalism, to how stigma and health care disparities still exist today for people of color, transgender people and poor people with AIDS to the impact he hopes “Blindspot” will have.
“I came to work at the Blade in 1996,” Wright said, “the year after I got out of college.”
He’d done two six-month stints at PBS and “Foreign Policy.” But Wright thinks of the Blade as his first proper journalism job.
From his youth, Wright has been committed to social justice and to understanding his community. Reporting, from early on, has been his connection with social justice. “I often say, journalism has been my contribution to social justice movements,” Wright said.
His first journalistic connection to the Black community came when he was 15. Then, Wright became an intern with the Black newspaper, the Indianapolis Recorder.
“That’s how I got the [journalism] bug,” Wright said.
Since then, Wright said, he’s worked almost exclusively with media that have a connection with the community.
Wright grew up in Indianapolis and went to college at Emory University in Atlanta. He didn’t intend to be a journalist, he wrote in an email to the Blade. At Emory, he studied international politics.
Wright’s life and work changed direction when he began working at the Blade. “I was a kid,” Wright said, “I’d just come out. I used journalism to find out what it meant to come out.”
Wright, when he came to Washington, D.C., was, as he recalled, just a kid. He didn’t know anyone in D.C. and there was a Black, queer community. This helped Wright to come out. “I couldn’t have told you that at the time,” he said, “but in retrospect I can see that I moved to D.C. to come out.”
Journalism was Wright’s way of finding his way through coming out.
“I didn’t know if the Blade was hiring,” Wright said, “I just walked in.”
He didn’t have a deep resume but he had a lot to say. The Blade hired him and immediately put him to work reporting on AIDS.
“It was a pivotal cultural and political moment – a pivotal moment for the community,” Wright said.
That year, when Wright began working with the Blade, life-saving treatments (early drug cocktails) were emerging for AIDS.
“There was no way that HIV and AIDS wouldn’t become a central part of my journalism,” Wright said, “I really wanted to report on it.”
With the emergence of treatments, white gay men with health insurance began to feel that they were turning the page and that AIDS was no longer a death sentence.
“But, as a reporter, I was meeting Black gay men who were going into emergency mode about the AIDS epidemic,” Wright said.
Black people, poor people, drug users and others without health insurance and access to treatment were still dying and transmitting AIDS. “‘This is getting more and more dire,’ the activists said,” Wright recalls.
They told Wright, “The rest of the community is starting to turn the page. We can’t turn the page.”
In D.C., Wright could see, through his reporting, the racial discrimination in the community at large in the AIDS epidemic, and in the queer community.
Two things are true simultaneously, Wright said, when asked if there is still stigma and discrimination around HIV and AIDS today.
“Science has made so much progress,” Wright said, “It’s no longer necessary for any of us to die from HIV.”
“I take a pill once a day to prevent me from catching HIV,” he added, “I can do that. I am a person with insurance…with a great deal of social and economic privilege.”
But many people in the United States don’t have health insurance, and exist outside of the health care system. The divergence in treatment and stigma that he saw as a young reporter in 1996 are still there today, Wright said.
“The divergence in class and race has grown even more profound,” he said, “among people of color, young people – transgender people.”
Wright hopes “Blindspot” will make people who lived through the epidemic and whose stories weren’t told, feel seen. And that “they will hear themselves and be reminded of the contributions they have made,” Wright said.
The queer press plays an important role in the LGBTQ community, Wright said. “We need a place to hash out our differences, share stories and ask questions that put our experience at the center of the conversation,” he emailed the Blade.
“There’s more space for us in media than when I started my career at the Blade,” Wright said, “but none of it is a replacement for journalism done by and for ourselves.”
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