If you are in need of resources, services, or just a distraction from the onslaught of devastating news, we’ve compiled a list of upcoming events and organizers who are helping heal the community.

The past week has been a challenging time for many people affected by the wildfires that ravaged through Los Angeles. Many community members, leaders and organizers lost their homes and were permanently displaced. Some long-standing businesses are being forced to close due to financial burden and many in our community face a long road to recovery. In the midst of tragedy, grief and loss, thousands of people in Los Angeles are coming together to provide resources and assistance to those affected by the wildfires – particularly those of the QTBIPOC communities. 

Most recently, the County of Los Angeles issued a warning to take action and prepare homes and loved ones for another round of extreme wind and fire weather starting Monday afternoon. 

“LA County asks the public to prepare for the dangerous Santa Ana winds and extreme fire weather,” reads one statement. Another statement by LA County also points out peak wind speeds in the coasts and valleys of 50 to 70 mph and 60 to 100 mph in the mountains and foothills. 

How to prepare

• Sign up for emergency alerts at Ready LA County.
• Check evacuation zone statuses and make a plan to evacuate if ordered to do so at Genasys Protect.
• Pack essentials in a go bag including medications, and vital documents such as passports, birth certificates, marriage licenses, and any other government issued documents.
• Prepare for possible Public Safety Power Shutoffs that can last anywhere from several hours to several days.
• Report any signs of smoke or fire by calling 911.
  

Community impact

Since this is a particularly and historically difficult time for thousands of people, many have come forward to offer not only their emotional and financial support, but also their services and time.

LGBTQ+ community members are coming together to provide services like acupuncture, wellness coaching, therapy and other holistic healing methods at events happening this month and next. Many of these events are also donating 100% of their proceeds toward California Fire Relief Funds and directly to community members who have been affected or displaced.

Many working class and older Black and Latin American families have lost their multi-generational homes to the fires. Queer, women-owned and BIPOC businesses like June Bug and Cafe De Leche laid on the direct path of the fires that burned through parts of Altadena and Pasadena, leaving behind rubble and devastating scenes of the aftermath.

Thousands of homes and businesses were lost to the fires and the displacement, grief and loss will have a long-lasting impact on our communities – many of whom already struggled to thrive in the margins. 

Below are some events we found that will either directly contribute to healing in community, or who will be donating proceeds to relief funds and GoFundMe’s.

Upcoming QTBIPOC events donating proceeds

Stud Country will be hosting an event at Club Bahia on Jan. 20, where they will make matched donations for dance lessons at 8:30 pm and 10 pm, in financial support of those affected by the LA fires. Stud Country is an event organizing brand aimed at preserving and celebrating the legacy of queer dance spaces and honoring the rich history of LGBTQ+ cowboy culture. They host regular events and dance lessons across San Francisco, New York City and Los Angeles. 

Bar Flores LA will be hosting their weekly event, The World Is Our Oyster this Thursday, Jan. 23 at 7 pm, geared at uniting the queer community through drag, dancing, DJ sets, tarot readings and eating oysters. On their Instagram post, they stated that a percentage of the proceeds will be donated to the California fire relief efforts. 

BabyGay, a nonprofit aimed at building inclusive community spaces, issued a statement through their newsletter saying that they had to evacuate from their home during the peak of the fires, unsure if they would ever be able to return. 

“In times of crisis like this, our strength lies in our unity and ability to support one another,” said the statement. 

BabyGay LA is hosting a LA Queer Events Coalition at Center Silverlake on Jan. 25 from 1pm to 3 pm. The event will be moderated by Carla Ibarra from the LA Civil Rights Department and host ChiChi La Pinga, who will guide the community through an afternoon focused on support and immediate assistance. They will also be offering support from on-site therapists by the Open Space Therapy Collective, grounding yoga led by With Love Projects, direct access to essential resources and services and more.

Trans Dudes of LA, Yes Ma’am Club, Whxremones LA and The Gay Agenda LA are co-hosting a benefit fund called Back On Our Feet, at Sassafras Salon on Jan. 25 from 7 pm to 1am. On their Instagram, they posted that ‘100% of the sales will be donated to the organizations supporting victims of the current fires in Los Angeles.’The suggested donation is $5 for tickets that can be purchased through Eventbrite. According to their post, the night will feature drag, DJs and dancing. 

Butchona will be bringing back their event to Little Joy Cocktails in Echo Park on Jan. 26 from 4 pm to 9 pm, featuring the OG DJ’s that brought this event to the queer Latin American community of LA, playing corridos, quebraditas, banda and more. They will also be featuring special guest DJ Todo Trankiloski, who’s part of the Chulita Vinyl Club – a DJ group who plays vinyl sets and recently celebrated 10 years of building their brand and QTBIPOC support system. Though the event is always free, they will be accepting donations for 2 families directly impacted by the Eaton Canyon fire, as well as CHIRLA, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, supporting the immigrant communities of LA.

Mariposx Healing will lead a Somatic Soothing Zoom event in collaboration with Liberatory Wellness Network and Pat.Radical.Therapist, for people affected by the L.A fires on Jan. 28 at 6pm. 

“This session is for people affected by the Los Angeles fires. Azul of Mariposx Healing will hold space for expression of emotions through somatic practices, movement, chanting and drum medicine,” reads the IG post. 

Perverse4Verse will host their next event on Jan. 30 at the Heavy Manners Library, with a $10 suggested donation and all proceeds going toward a fire relief fund for the community. The theme of the event is collective healing, as they will be featuring community organizers and poets who will be gathering to celebrate leather love and collective care through poetry, togetherness and education. This event is hosted by Karla Lamb, a well-known community organizer in queer literary spaces. 

Butch Monthly LA is hosting a donation-based event on Jan. 31, from 6 pm to 8 pm at the Rediscover Center Mid City. They will be hosting a Zine-making night in collaboration with Rebuild, to fundraise for LA Fire relief which will be ‘open to butches and those who love them,’ according to their IG post. 

Lesbian Goth Night postponed their monthly event set for Saturday Jan. 11, in light of the fires and devastation felt by many community members and their loved ones. They will now be holding the event on Feb. 7 at 9:30 pm to celebrate Valentine’s Day, honoring the tickets from January’s cancelled event and opening up sales to welcome more people. 

“We understand that the weeks have been heavy, as we are too still processing the devastation surrounding the fires,” reads an Instagram post by Lesbian Goth Night. “We were very much looking forward to our January event and seeing all the new and familiar faces\, but throwing the event during that time didn’t feel right on many levels. 

‘When the Band Played On’
By Michael G. Lee
c.2025, Chicago Review Press
$30/282 pages

You spent most of your early career playing second fiddle.

But now you’ve got the baton, and a story to tell that people aren’t going to want to hear, though it’s essential that they face the music. They must know what’s happening. As in the new book “When the Band Played On” by Michael G. Lee, this time, it’s personal.

Born in 1951 in small-town Iowa, Randy Shilts was his alcoholic, abusive mother’s third of six sons. Frustrated, drunk, she reportedly beat Shilts almost daily when he was young; she also called him a “sissy,” which “seemed to follow Randy everywhere.”

Perhaps because of the abuse, Shilts had to “teach himself social graces,” developing “adultlike impassiveness” and “biting sarcasm,” traits that featured strongly as he matured and became a writer. He was exploring his sexuality then, learning “the subtleties of sexual communication,” while sleeping with women before fully coming out as gay to friends.

Nearing his 21st birthday, Shilts moved to Oregon to attend college and to “allow myself love.” There, he became somewhat of an activist before leaving San Francisco to fully pursue journalism, focusing on stories of gay life that were “mostly unknown to anyone outside of gay culture.”

He would bounce between Oregon and California several times, though he never lost sight of his writing career and, through it, his activism. In both states, Shilts reported on gay life, until he was well known to national readers and gay influencers. After San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk was assassinated, he was tapped to write Milk’s biography.

By 1982, Shilts was in love, had a book under his belt, a radio gig, and a regular byline in a national publication reporting “on the GRID beat,” an acronym later changed to AIDS. He was even under contract to write a second book.

But Shilts was careless. Just once, careless.

“In hindsight,” says Lee, “… it was likely the night when Randy crossed the line, becoming more a part of the pandemic than just another worried bystander.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, there are two distinct audiences for “When the Band Played On.” One type of reader will remember the AIDS crisis and the seminal book about it. The other is too young to remember it, but needs to know Randy Shilts’s place in its history.

The journey may be different, but the result is the same: author Michael G. Lee tells a complicated, still-controversial story of Shilts and the book that made America pay attention, and it’s edgy for modern eyes. Lee clearly shows why Shilts had fans and haters, why Shilts was who he was, and Lee keeps some mystery in the tale. Shilts had the knowledge to keep himself safe but he apparently didn’t, and readers are left to wonder why. There’s uncomfortable tension in that, and a lot of hypothetical thinking to be had.

For scholars of gay history, this is an essential book to read. Also, for anyone too young to remember AIDS as it was, “When the Band Played On” hits the right note.

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‘Hello Stranger: Musings on Modern Intimacies’
Published by Catapult
Available Jan. 14; hardcover $27

Two strangers lock eyes across a bar. Or maybe they reach for the same book on a shelf in a bookstore. Or maybe they’re a model and artist, exchanging nervous smiles as the artist tries to capture a piece of the model’s soul on canvas or film. 

In a Hollywood film, we’d be led to believe that these moments are laden with momentous importance – a flicker of sexual charge and desire, a chemical reaction that leads inexorably to life-altering romance and happily ever after.

But in his new book of essays “Hello Stranger: Musings on Modern Intimacies,” queer Colombian film and culture critic Manuel Betancourt unpacks the notion that flirting needs to be anything more, suggesting that flirtation can be a worthwhile endeavor in itself.

“One of the things that if you read any kind of love story or watch any kind of rom-com, you’re constantly encouraged to think that flirtation is sort of like preamble to something else,” Betancourt tells me over cookies outside of Levain bakery in Larchmont.

“Actually, flirtation doesn’t need to do that. You can flirt just for the act of flirting, and that can be fun, and that can be great. What is it that you find instead in that moment of possibility, at that moment when anything can happen? Just what happens when you’re trying to be the best person you could be? It’s almost more exciting when you know, there’s nothing else on the horizon.”

But “Hello Stranger”isn’t a how-to guide to flirting. It’s more like a cross between cultural criticism and memoir. 

Over a series of essays that alternate between examinations of flirting scenes in movies, books, and art, and anecdotes from his own personal life, Betancourt traces the ways that we use flirting to create different kinds of intimacies. 

“This is not a how-to, because I don’t think gay men need help with that,” Betancourt says. “But I also know that I’m a gay man in Los Angeles whereas I know there are young folks in Ohio that may not think of it this way because they’ve been conditioned, and actually we now have such a breadth of gay literature and a culture that’s continually teaching us we need to find the one.”

The book is a deeply personal one for Betancourt, who recently got divorced from his husband and joined a polyamorous relationship as he began writing it.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about different intimacies with strangers, with friends, with lovers, things that fell outside of what we understand as traditional. And so it felt like an easy way to turn all of these things that I was dealing with on a personal level into a more cohesive and coherent project,” he says. 

“I wanted to think through where the joy in flirtation lies. Like, why are we so drawn to it? Why was I so drawn to it? Why do I enjoy it so much? And of course, being the kind of literary academic that I was, I was willing to find other people must have thought about this, other people must have depicted it on screen and books,” he says. “Other people can teach me about this.”

The book starts with examinations of the fleeting, flirtatious intimacies seen in films like “Closer” and “Before Sunrise,” before diving into more complicated (and queer) relationships in the books “The Sexual Outlaw” and “A Little Life” and the portraiture of photographer Peter Hujar, using them as springboards to examine Betancourt’s own relationships to cruising, dating, nudity, and relationships both monogamous and otherwise. 

“I wanted to begin with those straight, very common, understandable ways of thinking about these things, and then the book slowly gets clearer and we end in polyamory and conceptual monogamy, and these very different ways of thinking. 

“What else I wanted to do for those gay readers that are maybe looking to find something here, is show that none of this is new. I think a lot of us try to think, like, ‘This is modern and polyamory is so 2024,’ but what I wanted to do is give a cultural history of that.” 

Though it’s not an instruction manual, Betancourt says he did improve his own flirtation skills while researching the book, as evidenced in a spicy anecdote he recounts in the book about cruising a man in a hotel bar, where he was actually working on writing “Hello Stranger.”

“You just have to pay attention, open yourself up, which is also what Hollinghurst, writes in ‘The Swimming-Pool Library.’ His protagonist is able to like cruise and hook up anywhere he wants to in London, because he’s always looking, like literally looking. He’s constantly out seeing the world as if it’s a cruising playground and that is all apparently you need to do.

“If you’re crossing paths and you see someone who you’re attracted to and you lock eyes, that is the moment to make something happen and it’s about being open to the possibility and then also letting the other person know that you are.”

Nurturing that openness was difficult at first for Betancourt, due to his upbringing in Bogota, Colombia.

“For me it was a very different cultural thing because of the kind of culture of violence, the culture of unsafety in Colombia. You’re sort of encouraged to not really trust anyone,” he says. “It takes almost locking that away because you can’t approach any of those situations with fear.” 

“This is about, like, teaching myself because I’m not great at it either. So, it’s about reminding myself, oh yeah, be open and more attentive.”

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If there’s anything Hollywood loves – during “Awards Season” at least – it’s a good old-fashioned epic.

From “Gone With the Wind” to “Ben-Hur” to “The Godfather” and beyond, the film industry has always favored “big” movies when it comes to doling out its annual accolades, in part because awards equate to more public interest (and therefore more revenue) for films that might not otherwise grab enough attention to earn back their massive budgets. Yet, profit motive aside, such movies exude the kind of monumental grandeur that has come to be seen as the pinnacle of filmmaking craft, a perfect blend of art and entertainment that represents Hollywood at its finest and most iconic. It only makes sense that the people whose life is devoted to making movies would want to celebrate something that lives up to that ideal, especially when it also seems to reflect the cultural climate of its time.

That’s good news for “The Brutalist,” which has been buzzed – for months now – as the front-runner for all the Best Picture awards and seems to have proven its inevitability with its win of the Best Motion Picture Drama prize at this week’s Golden Globes. It meets all the requirements for an epic prestige picture: a sweeping plot, containing a nebula of currently relevant thematic ideas, but with an iconic historical period as its backdrop; monumental settings, spectacular locations, and impeccably designed costumes; an acclaimed actor giving a tour-de-force performance at the head of a proverbial “cast of thousands” and a runtime long enough to necessitate an intermission. Add the fact that it comes with an array of already-bestowed prizes from some of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, not to mention high placement on most of the year’s prominent “10 best” lists, and its predicted victory charge through the rest of the awards gauntlet looks likely to be a sure bet.

That assessment might seem glib, even cynical, but it’s no reflection on the movie. On the contrary, “The Brutalist” stands out above the rest of the crop not because of the hype, but because of its cinematic excellence, and that is precisely what has made it such an attractive awards candidate.

Spanning several decades across the mid-20th century, it’s the saga of László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a Hungarian Jewish refugee – once a young rising star on the European architecture scene – who seeks a new life in America after being liberated from a Nazi concentration camp. Reuniting with his already-Americanized cousin (Alessandro Nivola), who now owns a furniture business in New York, he offers his Bauhaus-educated expertise in exchange for a place to stay, leading to a fortuitous connection with a wealthy industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce) who becomes enamored with his work. The resulting commission not only allows him to design and begin construction on a spectacular new masterpiece, but to facilitate the emigration of his beloved wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones) – from whom he had been separated during the war – and his orphaned niece Zsófia (Raffey Cassidy).

Things are never easy for an immigrant, however, and unanticipated setbacks on an ambitious project for his mercurial new patron – possibly connected to a “functional” heroin habit that has grown increasingly difficult to balance with his professional life – soon lead to one reversal of fortune after another. It will take years before László is finally given the chance to complete his dream project, but even then the volatile affections of Van Buren threaten to thwart his ambitions before they can reach fruition.

It’s difficult to offer a synopsis that effectively sums up the powers of this film’s singular combination of pseudo-historical gravitas (the “pseudo” in this case means “fictionalized,” not “untruthful”) and coldly aloof observational commentary about the truth behind the so-called “American Dream”; director Brady Corbet unfolds his boldly countercultural narrative, in which the wealth and power of a privileged class that holds sway over the destiny of immigrants and outsiders is allegorically portrayed through the relationship between a visionary artist and the oligarch who ultimately wants nothing more than to exploit him. It’s an unmistakably political perspective that shines through that lens, and one that feels eerily apt in a time when even the greatest expressions of our humanity are granted value only so far as they serve the interests – and feed the egos – of the ruling power elite, and marginalized outsiders are “tolerated” only as long as they are useful.

In the intricately woven screenplay by Corbet and writing partner Mona Fastvold, these ideas run throughout the story of László’s American experience like the streaks of color in a slab of fine marble, turning “The Brutalist” into an anti-fascist parable through the personal stories of its characters. The portrait it paints of American classism, racism, anti-Semitism and sexism – all perhaps most boldly personified by Van Buren’s arrogantly boorish son (Joe Alwyn) – is not an attractive one; and though it grants us historical distance to make its observations, it is impossible not to see both the ominous connections that can be made to our current era and the true character of an American history in which “greatness” only existed for those with the money to buy it. The result is an eloquent piece of filmmaking that manages to “speak truth to power” through the details of its narrative without lofty speeches (mostly) or other contrivances to highlight its arguments – though admittedly, the broad strokes with which it crafts some of its more unpleasant characters occasionally feel like not-so-subtle Hollywood-style manipulation.

Ultimately, of course, what gives Corbet’s movie its real power is its size. Like the architectural style embraced by its title character, “The Brutalist” is monumental, a construction of high ceilings and ornate furnishings that is somehow streamlined into a minimalist, functional whole. Superbly shot by cinematographer Lol Crawley in a nostalgic VistaVision screen ratio that demands viewing on the big screen, it boasts a bold visual aesthetic rarely attempted by modern films, further suiting the scale of the statement it makes.

Finally, though, it’s Brody’s outstanding performance that drives the film, a master class in understated emotional expression that reveals a complex landscape of pain and passion through nuance rather than bombast. Jones is also superb as his wife, every bit his intellectual equal and exuding strength despite being wheelchair bound, and Pearce delivers a career-highlight turn as Van Buren, capturing both his confident charisma and terrifying rage while still giving glimpses of the hidden passions that lurk below them – though to say more about that might constitute a spoiler.

There’s no denying that “The Brutalist” is a superb movie, and one that feels as capable of standing the test of time as one of its protagonist’s structures. Make no mistake, though, it’s no crowd-pleaser; non-cinema buffs may be daunted by its combination of extreme length and leisurely pace, and while it has its moments of uplift, it can also be grim and melancholy. For those with the stamina for it, however, it’s a movie that enfolds you completely, and holds your interest for each of its 200 minutes.

One thing you can count on with “Emilia Perez” star Karla Sofia Gascón is she is going to speak her mind. Such was the case last night at the Golden Globes when the fantastic Spanish-language musical, which is directed by Jacques Audiard, won for Best Picture.

Speaking about her orange dress, Gascón said, “I chose these colors tonight — the Buddhist colors — because I have a message for you. The light always wins over darkness. You can put us in jail, you can beat us up, but you can never take away our soul or our resistance or our identity. I want to say to you, raise your voice and say that I won, I am who I am, not who you want [me to be].”

“Emilia Pérez” was the most-nominated film of the evening and was honored with four Golden Globe awards for Best Film – Musical or Comedy, Supporting Female Actor (Zoe Saldaña), Original Song, and Film not in the English Language.

Jodie Foster, who won a Golden Globe for  HBO‘s “True Detective: Night Country,” was equally free spirited in her comments onstage and to journalists backstage in the pressroom.

“The great thing about being this age and being in this time, is having a community of all these people… our ‘True Detective’ team, we love you so much. We’re really here for only one reason, and that is the wonderful, beautiful Issa Lopez, our showrunner, writer, director, I’m so grateful to you and your talents and your friendship,” Foster said.

When asked what excited her more, film or television projects, she said: “Honestly, I think the most exciting narrative filmmaking right now is being done on streaming. That’s where I really go to see performances and to see characters build over time,” she said.

“Although I have to say the features this year are amazing, for me as a feature person, it’s great to see that both can coexist, and there are different ways of telling stories.”

Foster also won an Emmy for the show last year and calls this a “golden age” for older women in Hollywood, who are increasingly being honored for their performances after spending decades being ignored.

“I think something happens, there’s like an organism that gets released in your bloodstream — I’m not a doctor, so don’t follow me on that one — but it just feels like there’s a hormone that happens where suddenly you go, ‘Oh, I don’t really care about all the stupid things anymore, and I’m not going to compete with myself.’”

She continued: “I’m excited about what’s left of my life and who I become, and the wisdom that I can bring to the table. So for me, this is the most contented moment of my career, and I never would have known that. I just never would have known that. But something happened the day I turned 60, and it all just came to pass.”

Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer” star, Jessica Gunning received the award for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role On Television. 

Delighted to win for her first nomination, she said, “I realized this moment has been a kind of soundtrack for my life for this last year. I cannot believe any of this has happened to me … this has changed my life in ways that I can’t even explain.”

Secret Spot DTLA received the Queer to Stay preservation grant for LGBTQ+ businesses, owner and founder Cameron Ljungkull announced on an Instagram post last month.

The QUEER TO STAY grant initiative is a collaboration between the Human Rights Campaign, SHOWTIME and Paramount+ to provide funding for LGBTQ-serving businesses and business owners, in order to help keep their doors open and continue serving their local communities.

The initiative began in June 2020 to address the growing need to support and preserve LGBTQ+ spaces across the U.S. during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. During its first year, grants were awarded to ten LGBTQ+ businesses and most recently, Secret Spot DTLA is one of thirty LGBTQ+ businesses to receive the grant.

Secret Spot DTLA is a 24/7 collaborative workspace for musicians, photographers, filmmakers, and creative professionals. The studio offers in-house professionals to consult with, as well as access to recording and photography tools and more. The grant money will go toward expanding the studio’s Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous and People of Color’s open mic contests to include more prizes and partnerships within the music industry of Los Angeles.  

Ljungkull was living in Minneapolis as a recording engineer when he realized the artists he really wanted to work with were being priced out of studios. Traditional recording spaces require a studio professional to be present with any artist using the space, but Ljungkull found there was a lot of time where studio resources were not being utilized at all, and the people who used the tools were often self-sufficient without the need for assistance from an engineer. Being Black and Queer, Ljungkull also had trouble with the lack of diversity in Minneapolis, and felt that it was hard to be expressive in studio spaces with people that weren’t very receptive to him. 

 ”How do you pair people who want access to something with something that needs to be used?,” Ljungkull reflected. 

He started hosting QTBIPOC open mic contests in 2013 to make space for people to perform and compete for prizes like recording sessions and photoshoots. In 2021, Ljungkull opened Secret Spot DTLA in its current location off of Los Angeles St. 

Last year, the studio hosted a larger contest in Minneapolis, where the first prize winner won an all-expenses paid day trip to Los Angeles to record music, shoot photo and video, perform and get professional promotions for 3 days. With the QUEER TO STAY grant, Ljunkull hopes to expand the contest to more cities and offer prizes to more winners. 

 ”I found that queer spaces [and] music blended super well together. It’s just a place where we can express ourselves. It’s not super comfortable to get vulnerable with people who are judging you,” Ljungkull said. “ Having a space that was just for us, providing exclusively queer people with cameras and lighting and rehearsal space and all the tools they need to create is, is our mission.” 

Anyone is welcome to become a patron of, or collaborate with Secret Spot DTLA. The space is viewable on their instagram page. Find out more about how to access the space and its resources on their website. 

‘Cher: The Memoir Part One’
By Cher
c.2024, Dey St.
$36/413 pages

Mother knows best.

At least that’s what she’d like you to think because she said it a hundred times while you were growing up, until you actually believed. One day, though, if you were lucky, you learned that Mother didn’t always know best, but she did her best – like in the new book “Cher: The Memoir Part One” by Cher, when Mom helped make a star.

Though she doesn’t remember it, little Cheryl Sarkisian spent a few weeks in a Catholic Charities orphanage when she was tiny, because her father had disappeared and her mother couldn’t afford to take care of her. “Cheryl,” by the way, was the name on her birth certificate, although her mother meant to name her “Cherilyn.”

That first time wasn’t the last time little Cher was left with someone other than her mother, Jackie Jean, a beautiful, talented struggling singer-actress who’d been born into poverty and stayed there much of her life. When money was tight, she temporarily dropped her daughter off with friends or family, or the little family moved from house to house and state to state. Along the way, relocating in and out of California gave Cher opportunities to act, sing, and to learn the art of performance, which is what she loved best.

In the meantime, Jackie Jean married and married again, five or six husbands in all; she changed her name to Georgia, worked in the movies and on TV, and she gave Cher a little sister, moved the family again, landed odd jobs, and did what it took to keep the lights on.

As Cher grew up in the shadow of her glamorous mother, she gained a bit of glam herself, becoming sassy and independent, and prone to separation anxiety, which she blamed on her abandonment as a small child. In her mother’s shadow, she’d always been surrounded by movie and TV stars and, taking acting classes, she met even more.

And then she met Salvatore “Sonny” Bono, who was a friend before he was a lover. So, here’s the very, very happy surprise: “Cher: The Memoir Part One” is a downright fun book to read.

If you’ve ever seen author Cher in interviews or on late night TV, what you saw is what you get here: bald-faced truth, sarcastic humor, sass, and no pity-partying. She tells a good story, ending this book with her nascent movie career, and she leaves readers hanging in anticipation of the stories she’ll tell in her next book.

The other happy surprise is that this memoir isn’t just about her. Cher spends a good amount of the first half writing about her mother and her grandmother, both complicated women who fought to keep their heads and those of their offspring above water. Readers looking between the lines will be enthralled.

Surely, “Cher: The Memoir Part One” is a fan’s delight, but it’s also a great memoir for anyone who particularly loves the genre and doesn’t mind a bit of profanity. If that’s you, then you got this, babe.

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Nestled in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, Park City is a gem for outdoor enthusiasts, history buffs, and those seeking a world-class dining and relaxation experience. Originally a silver mining town, it has evolved into one of the most popular destinations in the United States, offering not just world-class ski resorts and summer outdoor activities, but also a rich blend of culture, fine dining, and leisure. Whether you are planning a winter getaway, visiting the renowned Sundance Film Festival, or just a weekend escape, Park City offers something for everyone. Among the many things that make it a premier destination are events like the Park City Wine Fest.

Park City Wine Fest is a premier event that draws wine lovers from across the country. Held annually, this multi-day festival is a celebration of fine wines from around the globe, paired with the breathtaking backdrop of the mountains. The event is perfect for both wine connoisseurs and casual drinkers alike, offering something for every palate.

The Wine Fest is not just about tasting a wide variety of wines; it also showcases local cuisine, with restaurants and chefs from Park City presenting gourmet dishes that complement the wines. Wine education is another key aspect of the event, with seminars led by sommeliers, winemakers, and wine experts who share their knowledge on everything from pairing wine with food to understanding different wine regions.

The festival is a true highlight in Park City’s event calendar, combining the beauty of the location with a sophisticated, yet relaxed vibe. Attendees can explore a variety of experiences, including scenic mountain hikes paired with wine tastings, grand tastings at the base of Park City Mountain Resort, and intimate, wine-paired dinners, like the one I attended at the beautiful Waldorf Astoria. The Rustic Reds dinner was a wonderfully sophisticated wine-paired feast led by Wine Academy of Utah’s Jim Santangelo. The five-course meal began with a delicious amuse-bouche followed by beef tartare, endive salad, filet mignon and chocolate cake, each paired perfectly with a glass of wine hand selected by Santangelo.

For those who appreciate fine dining, Park City is home to a variety of outstanding restaurants, with Edge Steakhouse being one of the best. Located in the Westgate Park City Resort & Spa, Edge Steakhouse blends traditional steakhouse fare with an innovative approach to cooking. Known for its exceptional service, high-quality cuts of meat, and fresh seafood, this restaurant offers a dining experience that is both luxurious and satisfying.

What sets Edge Steakhouse apart is its attention to detail. The restaurant’s menu features a variety of cuts, from Wagyu beef to dry-aged steaks, all expertly prepared to perfection. Additionally, Edge offers an extensive wine list, making it easy to find the perfect pairing for your meal. The combination of excellent food, a sophisticated atmosphere, and top-notch service has earned Edge Steakhouse numerous awards and recognitions, making it a must-visit for any foodie in Park City.

No visit to Park City would be complete without a stop at High West Distillery, the first legally licensed distillery in Utah since Prohibition. High West offers a unique experience, blending the old-world charm of the American West with modern-day distilling techniques. Located in the heart of downtown Park City, High West is known for its award-winning whiskeys, but it’s also a fantastic place to grab a bite to eat.

High West’s rustic atmosphere is part of its charm, and the distillery offers a range of whiskey varieties, from smooth bourbons to bold ryes, all made using time-honored methods. In addition to tastings, visitors can take tours of the distillery to learn about the history of whiskey-making in Utah and the art of distillation. I had the chance to attend an elegant Woodland Masquerade at the distillery in Wanship, a quick 20-minute drive from Park City. The event contained entertainment, delicious food and of course whiskey.

Park City isn’t just about great food and drinks – it’s also a haven for those looking to relax and recharge. One of the standout lodging options in Park City is LIFT Park City, a modern mountain resort located in the heart of Canyons Village. LIFT offers luxury accommodations with a contemporary design, providing guests with all the comforts of home while being just steps away from world-class skiing, hiking, and biking trails.

LIFT Park City is designed with both relaxation and adventure in mind. The resort features spacious residences with fully equipped kitchens, private balconies, and stunning views of the mountains. Guests can enjoy the outdoor pool, fitness center, and other amenities that make it easy to unwind after a day of exploring.

Speaking of relaxing, after a day of outdoor activities, there’s no better way to unwind than with a visit to Serenity Spa. Located within the Westgate Park City Resort & Spa, Serenity Spa offers a wide range of treatments designed to soothe both body and mind. From massages and facials to body wraps and aromatherapy, the spa’s expert therapists provide personalized treatments that leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

The spa’s tranquil atmosphere is the perfect antidote to the stresses of everyday life. With its serene decor, calming scents, and peaceful music, Serenity Spa creates a truly relaxing environment where guests can escape from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Whether you’re indulging in a full day of pampering or just popping in for a quick treatment, Serenity Spa offers a luxurious retreat that will leave you feeling revitalized.

For those seeking a cozy and casual dining experience, Cafe Terigo is a local favorite. This family-owned restaurant is known for its delicious Italian-inspired dishes, made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Located on Main Street in downtown Park City, Cafe Terigo has a charming, rustic atmosphere that makes it a perfect spot for a leisurely lunch or dinner.

The menu at Cafe Terigo features a variety of Italian and Mediterranean dishes, from wood-fired pizzas to house-made pastas. The restaurant is also known for its creative salads, seafood dishes, and delectable desserts. Whether you’re in the mood for a light bite or a hearty meal, Cafe Terigo’s menu offers something for everyone.

Park City is home to not one, but two gay ski weeks. The first, Elevation Utah takes place Feb. 19-23, 2025, and features Après-ski events, dance parties and casual meet-ups that draw attendees from around the country. Queer Ski will take place from March 18-25 and is a known to be more of a localized event drawing LGBTQ individuals from the region.

As my time in Park City came to an end, I couldn’t help but reflect on the town’s unique charm and diversity of experiences. From the adrenaline of skiing down powdery slopes to the peacefulness of a sunset hike, Park City captures the essence of adventure and tranquility in equal measure. The warmth of its local community, combined with its breathtaking natural beauty, makes this mountain town a place you’ll want to return to again and again.

Our final evening consisted of the Rarities & Reserves tasting at Red Pine Lodge. We had the chance to sample a wonderful selection of small-batch and boutique wines from around the country in the most wonderful setting, high atop a mountain. It was the perfect way to end a perfect trip discovering Park City. Whether you’re a ski enthusiast or a nature lover, Park City should be on your list of places to explore.

Enjoy the Journey!

If all you know about “Emilia Pérez” going into it is that it began life as the libretto for an opera, it might better prepare you than any mere description of its plot.

That’s because veteran French writer/director Jacques Audiard’s latest work (which premiered at Cannes in 2024 to a lengthy standing ovation and is now streaming on Netflix) is a larger-than-life affair fueled by yearning, passion, irony and fate. Its twists and turns might seem like outlandish melodrama but for its focus on the nuanced inner lives of its characters; that it accomplishes this focus through music – like opera – feels almost a mere coincidence of form, because the tale it unfolds would be as operatic as  “Tosca” even if there were not a single note of music on the soundtrack.

There is plenty of music, though. In fact, though it’s a movie for which the overused description “genre-defying” could easily have been invented, “Emilia Pérez” can safely be called a musical; it’s driven through songs by French avant garde vocalist Camille and a score by composer Clément Duco, performed onscreen by its cast and accompanied by visually stunning choreographed sequences by Damien Jalet throughout the story – and it’s quite a story.

Using a gifted but struggling lawyer – Rita (Zoe Saldaña) – as an entry point for the audience, Audiard takes us with her into the dark underworld of a Mexican drug empire when she is summoned to meet with a powerful cartel kingpin named “Manitas” (Karla Sofía Gascón), who is seeking a gender reassignment surgery and is both willing and able to pay her a life-changing sum of money to arrange it. It’s an offer she can’t refuse (yes, literally), and she succeeds in securing a doctor (Mark Inavir) who – after being convinced of the patient’s sincerity – agrees to do the job; she also handles the awkward business of convincing her employer’s wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) and their children of “his” death and moving them to Switzerland to protect them from former rivals who might target them.

That saga, which might easily be enough to fuel an entire film by itself, is only the first chapter of an epic journey which then jumps forward several years to find Rita surprised by the reappearance of Manitas – now comfortably living as the Emilia of the title – and her new desire to reunite with her children. She decides to help, beginning a genuine friendship with the former drug lord which eventually blossoms into a redemptive campaign to help the families of missing loved ones lost to cartel violence – even as the emotional baggage of a carefully-hidden past (and the ghosts of a former identity still struggling for dominance) begin to reassert themselves within the authentic new life Emilia has tried to build, threatening to drag both women down in a final, desperate power play that could cost them both their lives.

Almost literary in the grand scale of its ambition, “Emilia Pérez” packs so much into its narrative that it feels much longer than its two-and-a-quarter hour runtime – but not because it drags. On the contrary, its plot advances quickly, thanks in part to the powerful blend of musical and cinematic storytelling; it’s the richness and density of its emotional terrain, marked by both the dramatic landscapes of our primal urges and the delicate beauty of our noblest aspirations, that makes it seem epic, a sense of containing so much that it requires more space in our mind, perhaps, than it does time to convey it all. Audiard deftly uses broad strokes to heighten our experience, blending them with a feather-light touch that allows the subtleties of its “colors” to emerge with equal clarity, and draws on a mastery of the medium gained both from growing up as the son of a filmmaker and a nearly four-decade career behind the camera in his own right. The result is a near-kaleidoscopic modern-day fable – steeped in the dappled beauty of Paul Guilhaume’s cinematography – that remains firmly tethered to humanity, even as the story moves toward a denouement that feels almost mythic in stature.

While Audiard is undeniably the unifying force which allows “Emilia Pérez” to achieve its heights, it’s also a film whose success or failure hinges on its key performers – with the title role, in all its contradictory grandeur, standing out as the essential lynch pin. Gascón fills Emilia’s shoes magnificently, not only proving what is possible when a trans actor is allowed to bring the full authenticity of their lived experience to a trans character, but revealing a breathtaking talent that transcends the shallow irrelevance of gender distinctions when it comes to valuing an artist’s gifts. Already making history by earning Gascón the first Golden Globe nomination for a Best Leading Actress award, it’s a performance that feels like a landmark from her first appearance – as the pre-transition Manitas, a gold grille on his teeth and a coiled menace in his gruff-but-intelligent voice – and only enthralls us more as she takes the character through her epic journey.

Though she is the movie’s natural anchor, she’s joined by a trio of female co-stars that match her every step of the way. Saldaña, given top billing as the film’s biggest “name,” earns that distinction with an intelligent, vulnerable performance that showcases her own skills yet never threatens to overshadow Gascón’s, and Gomez steps confidently into her role while still projecting a nervous fragility that keeps the character from losing our empathy. Rounding out the ensemble is Adriana Paz, as a woman who opens up Emilia to the unexpected possibility of love in her life. Together, these four performers were awarded Best Actress Prize as an ensemble at Cannes, where the film also won the festival’s prestigious Grand Jury Prize.

Since that auspicious debut, “Emilia Pérez” has gathered numerous other accolades, becoming a staple on critics’ “Best of the Year” lists and looking more like an Academy Award hopeful every day – especially in light of its 10 nominations at the Golden Globes. Inevitably, that places its “transness” (both that of its story and of its leading lady) squarely into the public spotlight, since it will doubtless be a point of discussion come Oscar time.

As to that, it might be argued that Audiard’s film does not provide the most relatable trans representation by making its lead character a cartel boss, or that its story doesn’t really address issues of everyday trans experience – though we would counter that point by observing that one of the goals of queer inclusion in films is for queer characters to appear within stories that are not necessarily in themselves about being queer. In any case, there’s no denying that Gascón’s star turn is a breathtaking high point in trans visibility on the big screen, and mostly for its dedication to revealing Emilia’s layered humanity – something informed by her transness, to be sure, but not defined by it.

In any case, whether you come to “Emilia Pérez” for its transness or you don’t, it’s a refreshingly unorthodox piece of filmmaking that will leave you dazzled, and that matters more than all the awards in the world.

It’s time again for the Blade’s annual round-up of our favorite films of the year – and as always, we’re keeping our focus queer. We’ve loved movies like “Anora” and “The Brutalist,” and we appreciate the queer talent in inclusive titles like “Sing Sing,” “Emilia Perez,” and “Wicked,” but we’re limiting our choices to films that speak more directly to queer experience – which means most of the titles on our list are smaller movies that might have slipped under your radar.

Fortunately, we’re here to fill you in on the ones you missed.

#10 Cora Bora. Landing at No. 10on the list is a comedy-of-awkwardness, this time focused on a bisexual musician (Meg Stalter) whose faltering bid for success in Los Angeles prompts her to return to her native Portland and attempt to reconcile with the longtime girlfriend she left behind. Stalter infuses the clueless self-absorption of her character with a subtext that wins our hearts before we even know the backstory which illuminates it, and the overall tone of compassion that director Hannah Pearl Utt drives home a healing sense of “meeting people where they are” that makes us think twice about judging even the most insufferable among us.

#9 Big Boys. Equal parts bittersweet coming-of-age story and uncomfortable-yet-endearing comedy, this festival-circuit fave from filmmaker Corey Sherman strikes gold with an eminently relatable narrative about the awkwardness of burgeoning sexuality and a winning performance from young star Isaac Krasner, as a plus-size young teen who develops a crush on his female cousin’s hunky-and-bearish new boyfriend (David Johnson III) during a camping trip. Funny, poignant, and yes, heartwarming, it’s a much-needed look at the difficulties of navigating the transition to adulthood while also struggling with issues of body-positivity and sexual identity.

#8 National Anthem. Though it garnered little attention during its brief theatrical release, this indie debut feature from Luke Gilford deserves due attention for its remarkably jubilant story of a young day laborer (Charlie Plummer) who takes on a job at a ranch run by queer rodeo performers, including Sky (Eve Lindley), a captivating trans girl who stirs feelings he’s kept hidden at home. An open-hearted coming-of-age story, with an optimistic attitude toward acceptance, love, and finding one’s “people,” it’s a welcome must-see in a time marked by conflict and divisive thinking.

#7 Love Lies Bleeding. A throwback to ‘90s lesbian neo-noir, this stylized thriller from director Rose Glass stars Kristen Stewart as the estranged daughter of a small-town crime boss (Ed Harris) whose romance with an aspiring female bodybuilder puts them both in her ruthless daddy’s crosshairs. Pulpy, violent, and unapologetically amoral, it’s both an exercise in neon-tinged period style and a loopy-but-suspenseful thrill ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat even through its most absurd moments.

#6 The People’s Joker. Trans filmmaker Vera Drew wrote, directed, and stars in this off-the-beaten-path triumph that amusingly asserts itself as a parody in no way associated with any “official” comic book franchise – even though it takes place in an alternate, dystopian America where Batman is the president, comedy is regulated by the government, and a trans comedian named “Joker” is attempting to disrupt the system by organizing a band of outsider comics into an illegal comedy troupe. Ingeniously creative with its low-budget resources, it inverts all the revered comic book tropes and spoofs them through a radical trans/feminist lens — which may explain why it never played at your local multiplex — in a way that manages to be as hilarious as it is militant. 

#5 Problemista. If there’s any queer creative talent that’s exerted a unique mark on the contemporary cultural landscape, it’s that of Julio Torres; this oddly conceived riff on the “buddy comedy” – his feature filmmaking debut – is a quintessential example of its fey magic. Centered on a young Salvadoran immigrant (Torres) with dreams of becoming a toy designer and his unlikely alliance with an art-world outcast trying to manage the estate of her cryogenically frozen husband (Tilda Swinton), it’s a “Devil Wears Prada” style coming-of-age tale about mentorship that simultaneously skewers the lunacies of modern American society and encourages us to look beyond each others’ surfaces to discover who we really are – a delicate balancing act which Torres pulls off perfectly, with invaluable help from a deliciously over-the-top performance by co-star Swinton.

#4 Femme. This sexy revenge fantasy from the UK, helmed by first-time feature directors Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, centers on a London drag queen (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) who undertakes a dangerous plot to “out” his attacker in a gay bashing incident (George MacKay) after encountering him in a gay sauna – only to find himself becoming entangled in a secretive relationship with him. With a title that hints at the pressures of “passing” in a homophobic world, and a convincing pair of performances to sell its premise, it’s an unexpectedly powerful (and transgressively romantic) thriller about the conflict between empathy and hate.

#3 Housekeeping for Beginners. Our third spot goes to this rich ensemble piece from the Republic of North Macedonia and rising filmmaker Goran Stolevski, which explores and celebrates the true meaning of “family” through the saga of a lesbian who agrees to adopt her terminally ill partner’s teen children, and then has to make good on the promise with the help of a household full of disparate outsiders she has collected around her. It transcends genre, blending social commentary with slice-of-life intimacy for a multi-faceted tale of queer resilience, and scores extra points for examining prejudicial attitudes around the “other-ized” Romani community in Central Europe.

#2 I Saw the TV Glow. Nonbinary writer/director Jane Schoenbrun takes an even more surrealistic approach with this unsettling horror tale in which a sensitive teen boy bonds with an older lesbian classmate over a bizarre late-night TV series – “The Pink Opaque,” about a pair of psychic twins who fight monsters together from opposite sides of the world, which goes on to have an unexpected impact on their lives. It’s difficult to explain the plot, really, but that scarcely matters; in the eerie, dream-like world it inhabits, memory, perception, and reality are interchangeable enough that it somehow all makes sense – and a metaphoric subtext emerges to build an obvious allegory about the mind-altering influence of pop media, the erasure of Queer history, and the crippling impact of cultural transphobia. The ending will haunt you forever.

#1 Queer. Topping our list is Luca Guadagnino’s lush big screen adaptation of William S. Burroughs’s semi-autobiographical novella, in which Daniel Craig is flawless as an American expatriate falling hard for a much younger man in the hedonistic haze of 1950s Mexico City. Raw and impressionistic, with frequent flourishes of surrealism and an overall tone of melancholy, it’s hardly a crowd-pleaser. But its fearless intensity and unwavering authenticity are palpable enough to burn – and we’re not just talking about the much-publicized sex scenes between Craig and co-star Drew Starkey, who also turns in an excellent performance. It’s a film of sheer cinematic beauty, a hallucinatory journey that touches human experience at its most intimate and essential level, with a career-defining star turn to anchor it.