Connect with us

Arts & Entertainment

Summer film and TV preview

The LGBTQ productions that will take you to the ‘Heights’

Published

on

Summer is coming, once again, and this time it feels like a pretty big deal. For the first time in more than a year, we can look forward (fingers crossed) to a return to semi-normalcy, and it’s reasonable to make plans for enjoying at least some of our time outside the socially distanced safety of our living rooms.

That said, the waning of COVID also means that the television and film industry has an embarrassment of accumulated riches ready to offer us – and even if we have binge-watched our way through the past 14 months, we say, “Bring it on!”

There’s so much queer-flavored entertainment on deck in the coming few weeks that it can be a bewildering task to keep track of it all. Fortunately, the Blade is here to help, with our list of the movies and shows that seem likely to represent the cream of the crop.

First, the television:

PRIDE (May 14, FX)

Summer LGBTQ film
A scene from ‘PRIDE.’ (Screen capture via YouTube)

This six-part documentary series from VICE studios may have already started, but it’s a great kick off to Pride Season – and thanks to “FX on Hulu,” it’s easy to catch up at your leisure. Chronicling the struggle for LGBTQ+ civil rights in America from the 1950s through the 2000s, seven renowned LGBTQ+ directors explore stories of queer experience, from the FBI surveillance of homosexuals during the 1950s “Lavender Scare” to the “Culture Wars” of the 1990s and beyond, exploring the queer legacy of the Civil Rights movement and the battle over marriage equality. Offering profiles of familiar heroes like Bayard Rustin and Christine Jorgensen, as well as of lesser-known figures like Madeleine Tress and Nelson Sullivan, the show charts the evolution of LGBTQ+ rights and identities through interviews and archival footage to provide a valuable perspective on queer history, just in time for Pride month.

SPECIAL (May 20, Netflix)

Max Jenkins and Ryan O’Connell in ‘Special.’ (Photo courtesy Netflix)

Freshly dropped is the second and final season of this surprise hit series from Ryan O’Connell, a semi-autobiographical comedy about a writer with cerebral palsy (played by O’Connell himself) trying to navigate life in the Los Angeles “scene” as a gay man with a disability. The abbreviated (only four episodes) final arc follows Ryan as he tries to “get his shit together” after the disastrous events of season one – including a fight with his mother Karen (Jessica Hecht) that has left them estranged ever since – that have left him with a nasty case of writer’s block. New relationships are also on the horizon for both Ryan and BFF Kim (Punam Patel), and the journey toward self-discovery and self-actualization takes center stage as this disarmingly charming and refreshingly unsentimental comedy – currently the only show on television to feature a disabled LGBTQ person as its main character – comes to a close. Max Jenkins, Charlie Barnett, Ana Ortiz, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lauren Weedman, and Leslie Jordan are among those joining the show for season two, alongside returning cast members Marla Mindelle, Gina Hughes, and Patrick Fabian.

MASTER OF NONE (May 23, Netflix)

Naomi Ackie and Lena Waithe in ‘Master of None.’ (Photo courtesy Netflix)

Returning for a much-anticipated season 3 is this acclaimed series, co-created by Aziz Ansari and Emmy-winner Alan Yang. Always strongly “queer-adjacent” thanks largely to the involvement of Lena Waithe, who played the lesbian character of Denise throughout the first two seasons and became the first Black woman to win a writing Emmy for the episode “Thanksgiving,” based partly on her own experience coming out to her mother. In its third installment, the show takes a radical departure from following Ansari’s lead character (struggling actor Dev Shah) and instead focuses all of its five-episode run on the relationship between Denise and partner Alicia (played by BAFTA-winner Naomi Ackie).

Directed by Ansari, who also co-wrote with Waithe, this new season touts itself as “a modern love story that intimately illustrates the ups and downs of marriage, struggles with fertility, and personal growth both together and apart.” Judging from its past excellence, this new installment is likely to be one of the summer’s best bets.

BALLERINA BOYS (June 4, PBS)

“American Masters” presents a portrait of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (“The Trocks”), an all-male ballet company that has captivated audiences for over 45 years with their signature style – classical ballet en pointe and in drag, delivered with a blend of rigorous technique and satire that challenges the rigid gender norms of the art form – while also delivering a message of equality, inclusion and social justice. This profile from director Chana Gazit follows the legendary troupe as they tour the Carolinas, and culminates with their 2019 performance at the Stonewall 50th anniversary concert in NYC. The hour-long doc broadcasts on June 4 (check your local listings), but it will also be available via the PBS video app in honor of Pride Month.

LOVE, VICTOR (June 11, Hulu)

George Sear and Michael Cimino in ‘Love, Victor.’ (Photo courtesy of Hulu)

The popular teen dramedy, inspired by the hit LGBTQ teen romance “Love, Simon,” returns for season two as the newly out Victor (Michael Cimino) enters his junior year at Creekwood High. As his story continues, Victor faces challenges such as a family struggling with his revelation, his heartbroken ex-girlfriend Mia (Rachel Hilson), and the difficulties of being an openly gay star athlete – all while navigating the excitement of his relationship with new boyfriend Benji (George Sear). Odds are good that this continuation will deliver more of the same blend of heart, humor, and diversity that helped the first season become one of last summer’s must-see highlights. Anthony Turpel, Bebe Wood, Mason Gooding, Isabella Ferreira, Mateo Fernandez, James Martinez, and Ana Ortiz also star.

REUNION ROAD TRIP: QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY (June 17, E! Entertainment)

As part of the network’s special event series, “Reunion Road Trip,” the original “Fab Five” – Thom Filicia, Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Carson Kressley and Jai Rodriguez – reassemble in Los Angeles to do a makeover for Jai on his 40th birthday. As the group works their magic, they think back to their most heartfelt, meaningful makeovers and the impact on the LGBTQ community then and now, delivering a satisfying (and long overdue) trip down memory lane for fans of one of the most important and influential queer shows in television history. Airs at 9pm PT/ET.

Now for the movies:

PINK – ALL I KNOW SO FAR (May 21, Amazon Prime)
Amazon Studios launches its summer with this intimate documentary about award-winning performer and musician Pink as she embarks on her record-breaking 2019 “Beautiful Trauma” world tour and welcomes audiences to join her chosen family while trying to balance being a mom, a wife, a boss, and a performer. Directed by Michael Gracey (“The Greatest Showman”), this look into the private and public sides of a trailblazing artist – who is also a fierce and vocal advocate for the LGBTQ community, where she has long been a fan favorite – mixes footage from the road with behind-the-scenes interviews and personal material, giving audiences a glimpse behind the curtain of “the circus that she calls life.”

THE SOUND OF IDENTITY (June 1, VOD)

Lucia Lucas in ‘The Sound of Identity.’ (Screen capture via YouTube)

This award-winning documentary from director James Kicklighter profiles international opera star Lucia Lucas as she becomes the first known transgender woman in opera history to perform a principal role. Capturing Lucas on the cusp of international stardom as she prepares for her historic performance at the Tulsa Opera, it showcases the collaborative process between Lucas and her mentor (renowned composer Tobias Picker), as they bring Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” to life – with Lucas, a world-renowned baritone, taking the spotlight and all the pressures that come with it. Along the way, Lucas provides fresh insights into her transition, the professional risk she is taking, and what it means for those who follow. A must-see exploration of the role played by identity in our personal and professional lives, as well as a portrait of an artist at the height of her career.

JULIA SCOTTI: FUNNY THAT WAY (June 1, VOD)

Another documentary profile of a pioneering trans artist, this Susan Sandler-directed film takes audiences on an entertaining but emotional roller coaster as it follows the comeback of Julia Scotti – formerly Rick Scotti, who appeared on bills with Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock – after her transition during “a time when the words gender dysphoria and gender reassignment surgery were rarely heard.” Shot over a period of five years, this inspirational doc tracks Julia’s triumphant comeback, the rough life on the road, and the complex process of reuniting with her children, as her comedy becomes a shared language of identity, healing, and joy.

SUBLET (June 11, VOD)

John Benjamin Hickey in ‘Sublet.’ (Screen capture via YouTube)

Fans of steamy international LGBTQ cinema can look forward to this film from Israeli director Eytan Fox, whose haunting gay military romance “Yossi & Jagger” broke ground in expanding support for LGBTQ movies in Israel when it was released in 2002. In his latest offering, 50-something American writer Michael (John Benjamin Hickey) travels to Tel Aviv on assignment, where he sublets an apartment from local student – and sexual free spirit – Tomer (Niv Nissim). The young man quickly becomes his tour guide, and as the two spend time together, they soon find themselves exploring more than just the city – despite the clash of generational attitudes between them. Slated to debut at the cancelled-due-to-COVID 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, it’s getting the release it deserves, as a reminder that Pride stretches across all borders.

RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT (June 18, in Theaters)

Directed by Mariem Pérez Riera, this documentary profiles its EGOT-winning subject with a look at her 70+ year career, following the beloved performer from her poverty-stricken youth in Puerto Rico, through her time as an all-purpose “ethnic stock player” in Hollywood (even after the triumph of becoming the first Latina actress to win an Oscar for her role in “West Side Story”), and her eventual rise to the iconic status she enjoys today. It also chronicles not only Hollywood’s not-so-hidden history of racism, sexism, and abuse, but Moreno’s personal struggles – including a toxic relationship with Marlon Brando and her own bout with serious depression – before her talent and resilience allowed her to triumph over adversity, break barriers, and forge a path for new generations of artists to come. The film features extensive interviews with Moreno, as well as George Chakiris, Héctor Elizondo, Gloria Estefan, Tom Fontana, Morgan Freeman, Mitzi Gaynor, Whoopi Goldberg, Norman Lear, Eva Longoria, Justina Machado, Terrence McNally, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Karen Olivo.

IN THE HEIGHTS (June 18, HBO Max and in Theaters)

Anthony Ramos and Melissa Barrera in ‘In the Heights.’ (Photo courtesy Warner Brothers Pictures)

Make no mistake, the long-awaited film adaptation of the 2005 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel “Hamilton” Miranda and Quiara Alegria Hughes is sure to be the big-ticket movie of the summer. With charismatic bodega-owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) at its center, this sweeping musical portrait of Manhattan’s Washington Heights – a neighborhood mostly populated by immigrant people of color and their families – showcases a remarkable and diverse cast that also includes Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Stephanie Beatriz, Gregory Diaz IV, Dascha Polanco, Jimmy Smits, Marc Anthony, and Olga Merediz reprising her Broadway role.

The show was a Tony-winning smash onstage for its infectious celebration of community, as well as its uplifting message of following your dreams in the face of adversity. On film, as helmed by “Crazy Rich Asians” director Jon M. Chu, it’s a return to triumphant form for the Hollywood musical, executed with breathtaking cinematic vision and a healthy dose of “magical realism” that does nothing to undercut its streetwise swagger – and it’s probably something you should plan to see on the big screen.

After so many months of isolation, you deserve a special treat.

Advertisement
FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM
SIGN UP FOR E-BLAST

Arts & Entertainment

Trans Day of Visibility: Let us put you on 5 Latinx musicians you should be listening to right now

Celebrate TDOV by listening to these genre and gender-bending musicians!

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Arts & Entertainment

2025 Best of LGBTQ LA Readers’ Choice Award Nominations

Published

on

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!

Continue Reading

Television

No, ‘Mid-Century Modern’ is not a ‘Golden Girls’ remake

And that’s a good thing

Published

on

The cast of ‘Mid-Century Modern.’ (Photo courtesy of Hulu)

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.

Continue Reading

Arts & Entertainment

Win your tickets to Margaret Cho at The Grammy Museum for one rare night!

Cho makes a rare, intimate, appearance you and your lesbian roommate won’t want to miss!

Published

on

Margaret Cho Lucky Gift promo pic

You’re invited to a rare night of music with comedian Margaret Cho.  After an eight year hiatus from playing music, yes, you heard that correctly – playing music – this five-time Grammy nominee released her “Lucky Gift” album in February.    

On Tuesday April 1, following an in-depth Q&A with music journalist Lyndsey Parker,  Cho and her band will perform selected songs from “Lucky Gift.” The band will also be discussing the new album and her creative process – followed by the special performance. This event will be happening at The Grammy Museum.

We have partnered with The Grammy Museum to give away pairs of tickets to our lucky winners. Win your tickets by entering here!

The ticket giveaway will close Friday, March 28 at 4P.M. PT.

Check out our exclusive chat with Cho about her return to music, activism and Pop Diva saviors!

I am thrilled to share this album which has been many years in the making. There’s tributes to Robin Williams, lost love, found love and anthems to non-binary and gender non-conforming folks. I collaborated with Garrison Starr and Roger Rocha in different cities at different times but it all feels like it comes from the same place and the same heart.”

MArgaret Cho, about her new music

Continue Reading

Arts & Entertainment

Billboard’s Women in Music ticket giveaway announcement

Enter to win, visit our Instagram page and like, comment and share the post

Published

on

Billboard will be hosting the Women in Music event this Saturday, March 29 at the Youtube Theatre, featuring Doechii as the Woman of the Year and Laverne Cox as host.

Becky G will be among the award presenters during this event, alongside many other exciting performers and presenters.

Los Angeles Blade partnered with Billboard to announce a ticket giveaway for a lucky winner to win a pair (2) tickets to the event.

To enter to win, visit our Instagram page and like, comment and share the post about the ticket giveaway. Make sure to tell us in the comments why you deserve to win and who you look forward to seeing live!

The ticket giveaway will close tomorrow, Tuesday, March 25 at 4P.M. PT.

For more information on the event, visit the Women in Music page.

Continue Reading

a&e features

Over a dozen renowned queer poets, authors to come together for literary event

Precinct DTLA will host free event celebrating poetry

Published

on

Brian Sonia-Wallace literary leader

During a time when members of politics seem hell-bent on keeping queer voices silenced, Los Angles continues to be home to a thriving, queer community of poets. On March 28th at 5 pm, 19 renowned LGBTQ+ poets and authors from across the country will be tongue tied at Precinct in Downtown Los Angeles for a free poetry event titled ‘Tongue Tied.’

This group of writers will be reading their queerest work while shibari bondage artist Jupiter will create rope ties on the poets while they perform. The night asks: what does it mean to create under restraint?

The mastermind behind Poetry Unbound is Brian Sonia-Wallace, a leading figure in the literary world with published work and who also served as the 4th Poet Laureate of West Hollywood. He is also a performance artist who has written poetry for strangers in the most unconventional of ways. We talked with Sonia-Wallace about his career, the literary community in L.A and what to expect from the event.

What was your first exposure to poetry, and what attracted you to get into that literary genre?

I was a fantasy nerd growing up and loved the songs and spells in Tolkien, CS Lewis, Ursula Le Guin, and Susan Cooper. The idea that you could invent a world with words — and new languages to inhabit that world — blew my little gay mind. Wizards always need a magic word.

This has, I think, affected my view of poetry in the world. I have, well, an academic interest in poetry’s history and structure, but I’m more curious about how pure language can short-circuit our ability to feel. People use poetry — at weddings, at funerals, on anniversaries. I think the goal of all artists is to say the ‘unsayable’ and in that little piece of magic make it suddenly sayable by anyone. Poetry feels to me like the most pure way to do this.

How does your queerness add to your poetry?

I think queer people are natural poets — we’re masters of the ‘unsayable.’ We’ve all had long conversations with ourselves before deciding whether or not to let anyone in. 

As a type of performance art meets poetry, you have literally written poetry for strangers on the street. What is your mission with this type of writing?

Capitalism, baby! Honestly, this is how I accidentally started my business (we do lots of everything from weddings to corporate events to museums now with poets at typewriters). 

But getting a little deeper, let me share this passage from my book:

“It seems to me that most people just need their stories to be heard. And that need is the right word. That we lose something when our stories are not heard. That something not only in us, but in the world, dies.

With every poem I write, I remember that the value of a story doesn’t depend on how many likes or retweets it gets, or how many people it reaches.

Sometimes, just one person hearing a story — is enough.”

-The Poetry of Strangers

Does any particular stranger you wrote for stick out in your memory?

So we did an event this week for Sketchers (thanks for the shoes, Sketchers!) where I got to write for various shoe executives from around the country. Almost all the women wanted poems about their kids, toddlers or young adults, on whom these mothers had spent so many thankless hours. About half of them cried, hearing their stories reflected back – having them witnessed. How often is that love and labor seen and acknowledged?

Likewise, one young man spent 15 minutes just pouring out his gratitude for his mom. She was his biggest cheerleader growing up, and when he packed up to move for this job a quilt she made him was the first thing he packed and unpacked. Who else can a man gush to about his mom?

Finally, an older man, from the South, white-haired, almost-military-bearing. Traditional, you understand. Who knows how he voted? I didn’t ask. He wanted a poem for his mom. The first thing he told me was that she was an alcoholic, but had been sober 30+ years, ever since his daughter was born and he’d given her an ultimatum: booze or the grandkid. The grandkid won. And now grandma was dying of cancer, he felt guilty his wife was taking care of her back home. His mom could always laugh at herself, he told me. He remembered when he was six her running down the sidelines with him all the way to a touchdown in a peewee football game. 

After I read him his poem, he hugged me so hard the event photographer practically jumped on top of us and started snapping photos, eager to capture the emotion.

It’s become cliche to talk about the crisis of masculinity in the US. What these experiences show me is that there’s a vulnerability and even an eagerness to engage with it, but we’re not always helping people find the tools. Therapy is one. But so’s poetry. So’s bowling. You know. Being with people. Seeing and being seen.

You also served as the fourth West Hollywood City Poet Laureate for a number of years. What was your biggest accomplishment or best memory from serving in that position? 

The Laureateship taught me so much and really helped me feel like I could and should speak about and with our community. I think I’m most proud of helping re-start the APLA Health Writers’ Group for older adults living with HIV, which has existed since 1989 but was defunct until we relaunched it on Zoom during the COVID lockdowns. That, or the poetry walk on Santa Monica Blvd on the median strip west of The Abbey, check it out!

One of my goals is always to bring poetry to unlikely places, and where better to start in WeHo than the gay bars on the Santa Monica Blvd strip? We started an open mic at Micky’s and now are at The Wild (check out our UnBound series, March 19 is the next one!) — it’s been a joy running an event that focuses on people’s voices and stories in places that are often purely physical, and creating a platform for hundreds of artists in our community.

Tongue Tied — what is the correlation between poetry and shibari?

When Jupiter first tied me up I knew I had to get him for a poetry show. The work he does with shibari, the exploration of discomfort and trust, felt weirdly similar to what I do, emotionally, at the typewriter. It’s about a moment of intentionality and slowing down that has the potential to be transformational.

That said, I’m also a theater person and get bored at poetry readings. I need visuals! Cue: watching poets get tied up. I love the juxtaposition, the reminder that these minds are also bodies, and the challenge to the poets to not just come do their usual schtick but to have a genuine, first-time moment with their work and with all of us.

You have quite an impressive group of poets for this event, how did you gather them all together?

Gosh, some great people said yes, didn’t they? These queens have Pulitzers and professorships. I’ve attended the AWP Conference for three years now, and built relationships through that time — but I’ve also just been a fan and asked! There’s nothing like when your idol says they’ll do your show.

What do you want the audience to walk away with the most from experiencing Tongue Tied?

I hope they leave tongue-tied! Ok, ok, I couldn’t resist. I hope folks will go away having seen something they’ve never seen before and will never see again, that they find their new favorite artist, befriend their idol, and, if they’ve never written a poem before, promptly go and do so.

Tongue Tied, Precinct DTLA

Tell us about the thriving queer poetry community in Los Angeles.

LA is one of those cities where I’m constantly finding out about new events and pockets I’d never heard of. The Nonfiction Show at Nico’s Wines in Glendale? So cool! Empty Trash (formerly at The Ruby Fruit)? How do they get these writers?! Act 3 Open Mic in DTLA (@act3openmic)? So many queer rappers practicing their craft. 

And that’s not counting the bookstores. I don’t know if you’ve been following the news, but reading is gay now. Always has been.

What are the biggest challenges facing a queer poet in today’s social and political climate?

It’s a sign of my middling success in the literary world that none of my books has been banned yet, and I’ve been known to talk about trans witches and pups getting fisted, so go figure. But we know about book banning.

I think the thing we’ll be seeing coming up is a shift in our language. Queer folks have always developed their own language to pass undetected (think Polari) and now as we’re seeing the widespread destruction of funding and even mention of anything BTQ+ and even LG, I’m thinking with some smart people about how to shore up support at the local level and lie convincingly, in a way that lets only friend in, at the national level.

It’s bleak, but we’ve always found each other. Always will.

What else can we look forward to from your group this year? 

Pride Poets will be at the WeHo/LGBT Center’s Pride Arts Festival, and partnering with Beverly Hills to help with their 4th ever Pride celebration — and look out for some poetics at World Pride in DC as well! I have a commission out there premiering that week at a certain highly reputable institution with a new cheeto-haired chairman, if I don’t blow it by being too gay first.

What is your message to the queer community?

Be gay, do crime.

Always gotta lead with that. But really: find your people, trust your people are out there, and don’t be afraid of anyone, especially yourself.

Event Details:

Location: Precinct, 357 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Date & Time: Friday March 28, 5-7 pm

Free Admission

The featured poets include Pulitzer Prize winners, Poets Laureate, professors, activists, and published authors: Paul Tran, Chen Chen, Lloyd Schwartz, Kai Coggin, Shangyang Fang, Benjamin Garcia, Sam Sax, Randall Mann, Armen Davoudian, Gustavo Hernandez, Hieu Minh Nguyen, Yazmin Monet Watkins, Dorothy Randall Grey, Elizabeth Burch-Hudson, KÁNYIN Olorunnisola, Yosimar Reyes, Frankie Tan, and Pastiche Queen.

Continue Reading

Movies

Stellar cast makes for campy fun in ‘The Parenting’

New horror comedy a clever, saucy piece of entertainment

Published

on

The cast of 'The Parenting.' (Image courtesy of Max/New Line Productions)

If you’ve ever headed off for a dream getaway that turned out to be an AirBnB nightmare instead, you might be in the target audience for “The Parenting” – and if you also happen to be in a queer relationship and have had the experience of “meeting the parents,” then it was essentially made just for you.

Now streaming on Max, where it premiered on March 13, and helmed by veteran TV (“Looking,” “Minx”) and film (“The Skeleton Twins,” “Alex Strangelove”) director Craig Johnson from a screenplay by former “SNL” writer Kurt Sublette, it’s a very gay horror comedy in which a young couple goes through both of those excruciatingly relatable experiences at once. And for those who might be a bit squeamish about the horror elements, we can assure you without spoilers that the emphasis is definitely on the comedy side of this equation.

Set in upstate New York, it centers on a young gay couple – Josh (Brandon Flynn) and Rohan (Nik Dodani) – who are happily and obviously in love, and they are proud doggie daddies to prove it. In fact, they are so much in love that Rohan has booked a countryside house specifically to propose marriage, with the pretext of assembling both sets of their parents so that each of them can meet the other’s family for the very first time. They arrive at their rustic rental just in time for an encounter with their quirky-but-amusing host (Parker Posey), whose hints that the house may have a troubling history leave them snickering. 

When their respective families arrive, things go predictably awry. Rohan’s adopted parents (Edie Falco, Brian Cox) are successful, sophisticated, and aloof; Josh’s folks (Lisa Kudrow, Dean Norris) are down-to-earth, unpretentious, and gregarious; to make things even more awkward, the couple’s BFF gal pal Sara (Vivian Bang) shows up uninvited, worried that Rohan’s secret engagement plan will go spectacularly wrong under the unpredictable circumstances. Those hiccups, and worse, begin to fray Josh and Rohan’s relationship at the edges, revealing previously unseen sides of each other that make them doubt their fitness as a couple  – but they’re nothing compared to what happens when they discover that they’re also sharing the house with a 400-year-old paranormal entity, who has big plans of its own for the weekend after being trapped there alone for decades. To survive – and to save their marriage before it even happens – they must unite with each other and the rest of their feuding guests to defeat it, before it uses them to escape and wreak its evil will upon the world.

Drawing from a long tradition of “haunted house” tropes, “The Parenting” takes to heart its heritage in this campiest-of-all horror settings, from the gathering of antagonistic strangers that come together to confront its occult secrets to the macabre absurdity of its humor, much of which is achieved by juxtaposing the arcane with the banal as it filters its supernatural clichés through the familiar trappings of everyday modern life; secret spells can be found in WiFi passwords instead of ancient scrolls, the noisy disturbances of a poltergeist can be mistaken for unusually loud sex in the next room, and the shocking obscenities spewed from the mouth of a malevolent spectre can seem as mundane as the homophobic chatter of your Boomer uncle at the last family gathering.

At the same time, it’s a movie that treats its “hook” – the unpredictable clash of personalities that threatens to mar any first-time meeting with the family or friends of a new partner, so common an experience as to warrant a separate sub-genre of movies in itself – as something more than just an excuse to bring this particular group of characters together. The interpersonal politics and still-developing dynamics between each of the three couples centered by the plot are arguably more significant to the film’s purpose than the goofy details of its backstory, and it is only by navigating those treacherous waters that either of their objectives (combining families and conquering evil) can be met; even Sara, who represents the chosen family already shared by the movie’s two would-be grooms, has her place in the negotiations, underlining the perhaps-already-obvious parallels that can be drawn from a story about bridging our differences and rising above our egos to work together for the good of all.

Of course, most horror movies (including the comedic ones) operate with a similar reliance on subtext, serving to give them at least the suggestion of allegorical intent around some real-world issue or experience – but one of the key takeaways from “The Parenting” is how much more satisfyingly such narrative formulas can play when the movie in question assembles a cast of Grade-A actors to bring them to life, and this one – which brings together veteran scene-stealers Falco, Kudrow, Cox, Norris, and resurgent “it” girl Posey, adding another kooky characterization to a resume full of them – plays that as its winning card. They’re helped by Sublett’s just-intelligent-enough script, of course, which benefits from a refusal to take itself too seriously and delivers plenty of juicy opportunities for each of its actors to strut their stuff, including the hilarious Bang; but it’s their high-octane skills that bring it to life with just the right mix of farcical caricature and redeeming humanity. Heading the pack as the movie’s main couple, the exceptional talent and chemistry of Dodani and Flynn help them hold their own among the seasoned ensemble, and make it easy for us to be invested enough in their couplehood to root for them all the way through.

As for the horror, though Johnson’s movie plays mostly for laughs, it does give its otherworldly baddie a certain degree of dignity, even though his menace is mostly cartoonish. Indeed, at times the film is almost reminiscent of an edgier version of “Scooby-Doo”, which is part of its goofy charm, but its scarier moments have enough bite to leave reasonable doubt about the possibility of a happy ending. Even so, “The Parenting” likes its shocks to be ridiculous – it’s closer to “Beetlejuice” than to “The Shining” in tone – and anyone looking for a truly terrifying horror film won’t find it here.

What they will find is a brisk, clever, saucy, and yes, campy piece of entertainment that will keep you smiling almost all the way through its hour-and-a-half runtime, with the much-appreciated bonus of an endearing queer romance – and a refreshingly atypical one, at that – at its heart. And if watching it in our current political climate evokes yet another allegory in the mix, about the resurgence of an ancient hate during a gay couple’s bid for acceptance from their families, well maybe that’s where the horror comes in.

Continue Reading

Events

City of WeHo to host Rainbow Key Awards

Celebration will honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the LGBTQ+ community

Published

on

Rainbow Key Awards

The City of West Hollywood and its LGBTQ+ Commission will host the annual Rainbow Key Awards to recognize nominees who have made outstanding contributions to the LGBTQ+ community. 

This year’s Rainbow Key Awards Ceremony will be free and held in-person on Sunday, April 6, at 6PM at the city’s Council Chambers and Public Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard.

This year’s awards will honor the awardees who were selected by the LGBTQ+ Commission listed below.

  • Dapper Dyke Vivian Escalante is a leader in lesbian activism who established Dykes on Bikes in West Hollywood and Long Beach. In a time of limited representation, her work toward the visibility and empowerment of the lesbian community stood out above others.
  • Rebecca Gitlin Ph.D served as the first LGBTQ+ Services Specialist at the LA County Department of Mental Health’s Anti-Racism, Inclusion, Solidarity and Empowerment Division. She now serves as a clinical supervisor at the LACDMH Hollywood Mental Health Cooperative. Gitlin has been instrumental in ensuring that both identity and gender-affirming are included in all of the services provided by LACDMH.
  • LZ Love is a legendary African American transfeminine singer who has entertained for decades with her blues, gospel, and dance music. She started her career at age 16 and served as a background vocalist for the great disco diva Sylvester. She has performed at Pride events across the nation and has performed at the City of West Hollywood’s annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.
  • Brian Sonia-Wallace founded Pride Poets, the band of LGBTQ+ typewriter poets who have collectively written thousands of free custom poems at West Hollywood Pride events and beyond since 2019, giving the community a chance to have their stories of love, loss, and celebration honored through poetry. He served as West Hollywood’s 4th Poet Laureate from 2020-2023, creating space for hundreds of LGBTQ+ writers to express themselves and build community through the APLA Writers’ Workshop, The Mic @ Micky’s, and the West Hollywood Slam Team.
  • Jackie Beat is a drag superstar who has been entertaining audiences across the U.S. and Europe for over three decades. Beat is known for her razor-sharp comedy and hysterical song parodies. Apart from her live tours, Beat has also worked in the film and television industry and has often used her talents to raise money for HIV and AIDS charities and other organizations supporting the LGBTQ+ community.The awards ceremony will be immediately followed by a reception and afterparty on the Respite Deck at the West Hollywood Park Aquatic and Recreation Center, adjacent to West Hollywood Library.

Additional information for this free event, including registration details, is available at the city’s website or by RSVP at Eventbrite. For those unable to attend, the event will also be live-streamed and recorded on the city’s WeHoTV channel on YouTube.

Continue Reading

Bars & Parties

Meet Your Local: Go-Go dancer Jake Mathews

Dancing is an art

Published

on

Photo Courtesy of Jak

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

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

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

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

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

Hometown: Morgan City, Louisiana 

How did you get into go-go dancing?

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

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

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

What do you love most about life in LA?

The resources that are available for our community. 

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

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

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

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

How does being queer add to your dance artistry?

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

How do you balance your personal life with the nightlife?

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

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

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

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

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

What do you want most out of your career?

I want to inspire others to give it a try. 

Any advice to give a new Go-Go dancer?

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

Favorite hobbies when you aren’t dancing:

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

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

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

What is your signature dance move?

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

Favorite song to dance to:

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

And your message to the queer community?

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

Follow Jake on IG: @jakemtws

Continue Reading

Social Media Platforms

Queer Mercado taking steps to right their wrongs

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

Published

on

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continue Reading

Popular