METROSOURCE - JUN/JUL 2023

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY® and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side e ects, including:

 Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months, and may give you HBV medicine.

ABOUT BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS.

Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains:

 dofetilide

 rifampin

 any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY

Tell your healthcare provider if you:

 Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

 Have any other health problems.

 Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.

 Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:

 Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-thecounter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

 BIKTARVY and other medicines may a ect each other. Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side e ects, including:

 Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.

 Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that may have been hidden in your body. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.

 Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.

 Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.

 Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.

 The most common side e ects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).

These are not all the possible side e ects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY. You are encouraged to report negative side e ects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY

Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

GET MORE INFORMATION

 This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

 Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5.

 If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, and KEEP BEING YOU are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. © 2023 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. US-BVYC-0250 04/23

#1 PRESCRIBED HIV TREATMENT*

No matter where life takes you,

ELIAS SWITCHED TO BIKTARVY

Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

BIKTARVY® is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

Person featured takes BIKTARVY and is compensated by Gilead.

Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the previous page and at BIKTARVY.com.

WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER

THIS PRIDE SEASON WE ALL NEED TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND STICK TOGETHER - FORCEFULLY AND UNITED! WE CAN’T BE SPLINTERED, AS MANY WOULD LIKE. The haters are in the minority, and they know that. However, we should learn from experience that a very vocal minority can sway the sentiments of the majority. Now is time for all of us to rally under the giant rainbow umbrella and stand with our trans and non-binary family. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us, and these attacks can’t be tolerated.

This issue focuses on celebrating inclusion. Not just the Pride events and parties, but everyday pride in our community and the tremendous progress we have made over the years to gain equality and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ society in mainstream America. Our representation in the media, on legislative fronts, and in public opinion, has continued to increase in recent years thanks to a full-court press by courageous individuals and our active advocacy groups.

In 1999, a Gallup opinion poll revealed that “marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized by the law as valid”was supported by just 27% of Americans. Fast-forward to 2022, and the same Gallup poll revealed that support for same-sex marriages was up to 71%. That type of progress is something to celebrate.

Public acceptance of LGBTQ+ rights is one measurement, but the other is legislative parity. In 2015, we collectively cheered at the outcome of the Supreme Court decision on Obergefell vs. Hodges, which ultimately resulted in the full legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States. However, recent Supreme Court discussions have called into question the finality of precedent. Under our current system of government, rulings can be overturned. This should serve as a wake-up call to our community. We should remain vigilant to protect our rights and

stand our ground. This means working with our elected legislators – both on the federal and state level – to codify LGBTQ+ rights by putting protective anti-discriminatory laws on the books.

Some major brands have dipped their toe in the water called “community support” but have caved to pressure from the vocal minority.“Support” is a 24/7, 365 day a year commitment. As individuals we need to give it to each other. Corporations need to live it.

Across our country we are fortunate enough to have caring, dedicated, and selfless volunteers who dedicate their time and talents to running our local LGBTQ+ centers. Most of these groups have an Advocacy Team focused on making a legislative impact, in addition to offering programs and services to our community. I encourage all of you to reach out and get involved at a local level. Collectively, we are an unstoppable force in the fight against bigotry and the struggle to bring about meaningful and long-lasting change for future generations. Here are some suggestions for involvement:

• Write, call, or email your federal and state representatives.

• Visit your local LGBTQ center – talk, meet, inquire – just add your voice to the discussion.

• Gain knowledge on LGBTQ topics. Read and research laws, terms, history - anything that adds to your base of knowledge.

• Educate your friends and family on LGBTQ issues and motivate them to get involved too.

During this Pride season, I encourage celebration and participation in the many exuberant events planned. Let’s party! But I also ask you to reflect on our predecessors who collectively helped us achieve this level of equality, and what each of us can do today to continue the progress and make life better for our LGBTQ+ successors.

With pride,

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Bent Share Entertainment, LLC

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COVER: Adam Lambert

Photography by: Joseph Sinclair

CURATED BY MICHAEL WESTMAN

THESCOPE

BILLY RECCE “COME OUT”

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY OR APPLE MUSIC

LISTEN

THE BILLBOARD-CHARTING AND TWO-TIME MAC AWARD-WINNING SONGWRITER BEHIND THE MUSICALS A MUSICAL ABOUT STAR WARS AND THE BROADWAY-BOUND LITTLE BLACK BOOK RELEASED HIS EFFERVESCENT NEW SINGLE “COME OUT,” A BRIGHT AND UPBEAT POP CONFECTION WITH A SLIGHTLY SATIRICAL BUT GOOD-NATURED TAKE ON THE CLASSIC BREAKUP SONG. Billy explains, “I wrote this in the style of coked-out, ‘80s pop/ rock anthems like ‘Holding Out for a Hero,’ ‘Gloria’ or ‘Mickey’ - some of my favorite hits. I wanted to put together a song that begins at a 10 and goes all the way to 99. At its heart, ‘Come Out’ celebrates both queer longing, and queer joy, but it is first and foremost a true bop. I can’t wait for folks to dance along with it this summer!”

“This song was written for a concert of my songs,”Billy continues.“It was my first big show back since the pandemic, and I wanted to write something that could double as both an opening number – a re-introduction to my body of work after a period of quarantine – but also as a breakup song. I love writing songs with lyrics that start with a slew of possibilities for their journey, and then deceptively head towards an unexpected ending. That’s all a part of the gay, chaotic fun.”

Regarding the candy colored “Come Out” music video, Billy comments, “We wanted the video to be just as fun and over the top as the track. Our director, Amanda Whitley, had the fantastic idea of staging a 1980s gay wedding. That felt like the perfect setting for a song all about being nostalgic for old times with someone. Our fantasy includes a drag queen officiant, hundreds of pounds of tulle, and a whole bunch of surprises. Special shoutout to the girl in the neck brace - it’s not an ‘80s fever dream without one.”

The single “Come Out” features Lloyd Kikoler on guitar and bass, Josh Roberts on drums, Erika Friedman on woodwinds, and Dustin Beardsley on trumpet. Joining forces again after their performances on the Billboard-charting Little Black Book concept album are background vocalists Lauren Robinson, Sarah Kleist, and Amanda Lopez. “Nobody slays like these three voices do when they’re put together,” says Recce.

Billy’s expansive body of work includes the musicals Dimes (NY Theatre Barn, Fordham), additional songs for NEWSical The Musical (Theatre Row), The

Bestest Office Christmas Party Ever (NY Theatre Barn), and its accompanying EP featuring Mary Testa, Duo/ Trio (The Motor Company), and The Charlatans (Fordham). His work has been performed at Cadogan Hall, 54 Below, The New Amsterdam, Broadway in Bryant Park, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Signature Theatre, Ars Nova, The York Theatre, and beyond. His work with Theater for Young Audiences was recently singled out in The New York Times. Recently, he has been creating short form musical content on TikTok, amassing over two million views in his first month.

THE LEXI LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS’ FIRST CANNABIS-INCLUSIVE PROPERTY

WWW.THELEXILASVEGAS.COM

GET READY FOR A REVOLUTIONARY NEW STAY IN LAS VEGAS AS THE LEXI HOTEL OPENS ITS DOORS TO GUESTS ON FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 2023. This one-ofa-kind boutique hotel promises to be a gamechanger in the city’s hospitality scene. Boasting just 64 newly designed rooms and suites, The Lexi will become the go-to destination for savvy travelers headed to Las Vegas who demand exceptional service, cutting-edge amenities, and a fun, sophisticated atmosphere. Additionally, as the first new hotel to open in Las Vegas this year, and the only cannabis-inclusive property in town, The Lexi offers an intimate and unforgettable experience that stands out from the sprawling casinos and resorts in Las Vegas. Bookings for the re-imagined hotel are available now at: www.thelexilasvegas.com.

“Las Vegas is a city unlike any other, and we’re thrilled to be part of it,” says Alex Rizk, CEO of Elevations Hotels and Resorts. “With

CRYSTAL HEAD VODKA

WWW.CRYSTALHEADVODKA.COM

ART IS EMPOWERMENT, INSPIRING SOCIAL CHANGE AND FOSTERING COMMUNITY. It is an influential tool empowering LGBTQ+ creators with a means of positive visibility and proud, authentic self-representation. Crystal Head Vodka is bringing the creative spirit to life with a limited edition Pride bottle, made with a one-of-akind decoration process unique to the brand. It shines proudly and brightly to celebrate diversity and equality, and to inspire freedom of expression and creative thought. Crystal Head Vodka is committed to supporting LGBTQ+ communities with continuous global efforts throughout the year and uses their platform as a tool to educate and support partnerships with LGBTQ+ communities around the world.

This limited-edition bottle is avail able in select markets for a short time and in limited quantities.

The Lexi, instead of merely refreshing the hotel, we took a bold step to introduce an entirely new brand with innovative features, eagerly anticipating the realization of our vision in Las Vegas. Every aspect of the property, ranging from the rooms to the pool, bar, lounge, and lobby, has undergone a

comprehensive evolution. Our team is committed to providing world-class hospitality to all guests, while also making history as the first cannabisfriendly hotel in Las Vegas. We are thrilled to invite everyone back to experience the remarkable transformation firsthand in the coming weeks.”

SCREENAGE:

HOW TV SHAPED OUR REALITY FROM TAMMY FAYE TO RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE

BY FENTON BAILEY STORE.WORLDOFWONDER.COM

A RIOTOUS TALE OF POP CULTURE GLAMOUR, SEX, HEARTBREAK, AND TRIUMPH BEHIND THE SCENES OF HISTORY-MAKING TELEVISION AND FILMS; SCREENAGE IS WRITTEN

BY FENTON BAILEY AND FEATURES A FOREWORD

When he moved to New York in 1982, Bailey saw the world go Pop. Together with filmmaking partner Randy Barbato, their production company World of Wonder would pioneer the genre of Reality TV and chronicle the emerging Screen Age through their extraordinary programs and outrageous subjects - from Bible Belt televangelists and conspiracy theories to dazzling drag queens. Working with icons such as Britney Spears, Tammy Faye Bakker and RuPaul, the production company’s shows tell a wider story of how television has fundamentally shifted our reality.

BY GRAHAM NORTON.

Packed with industry-insider accounts and amazing celebrity stories, these are the riotous tales behind the shows that would make ScreenAgers of us all.

NEVER

HAVE I EVER SEASON 4

NEVER HAVE I EVER IS A COMING-OF-AGE COMEDY ABOUT THE COMPLICATED LIFE OF A MODERN-DAY FIRSTGENERATION INDIAN AMERICAN TEENAGE GIRL. The series stars Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi, an overachieving high school student who has a short fuse that gets her into difficult situations. Co-created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher. The series was partly inspired by Kaling’s own life growing up, and has made incredible strides for diverse, authentic South Asian representation on television.

Mindy Kaling spoke to Entertainment Tonight about the show being capped off with four seasons, divulging those four seasons was always her vision for the series.“Four seasons for a high school show felt like it made sense,”said Mindy.“They can’t be in high school forever. We’ve seen those shows. Like, you’ve been in high school for 12 years. What is going on here? Also, the actors get older, and it starts looking insane that a 34-year-old is playing a 15-year-old.”

CHICAGO FIRE, AS PART OF TELEVISION’S CHICAGO FRANCHISE AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY TV GREAT DICK WOLF, HAS BECOME A STAPLE OF NBC’S COLLECTION OF FAN-FAVORITE SHOWS

Now gearing up for its 12th season, it centers around the personal and professional lives of firefighters in the Chicago area. Having earned the role of firefighter Darren Ritter, Daniel Kyri is now enjoying his fifth year with the show, though the role was originally intended to only be around for two or three episodes. He is an out and proud actor who plays an openly gay firefighter in a typically hyper-masculine environment. Viewers of Dick Wolf shows are fervent, to say the least, and they have embraced Daniel and his character, quickly making him a fan favorite.

As art imitates life, Daniel is a staunch Chicago native, with his background giving him a unique perspective into the show and his identity as a Black, gay man in the South Side.

I had a lot of opportunities to learn things pretty quickly. Your boy is streetwise - I know how to get around. I know what’s what. And I think that that’s actually helped to shape me into the capable adult that I am.

Now that being said, I grew up really close to family. My G-MA stayed right across the way from me and we would go over there when my mom had to work and have sleepovers. She would be watching Svengoolie and odd, local Chicago things, stuff like that. I loved having that time with family, being so close, and also knowing that I could play on my block and there’d be a cousin or an uncle. Family was always really around and that was one of my favorite parts of growing up there. I felt taken care of.

His relationship with performing started when his mother enrolled him in the After School Matters program when he was 15. There, he would not only fall in love with his future profession and hone his skills as an actor, but he would find his identity in a safe space, even when masculinity from men in the South Side was expected.

I’m a little bit older than some of the younger queers coming out and there are conversations and dialogue and discourse that exist now, not unilaterally across the board, of course, but just the celebration of people being who they are. There is more conversation around that. Around the time I was 15, I wasn’t just discovering

DANIEL KYRI:

IS HEATING UP CHICAGO FIRE

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

the arts, you know what I’m saying? I found out some things about myself that didn’t necessarily jibe with the way that I was brought up. Interestingly enough, the arts actually served as a bit of a bridge between me and my family growing up. They believed in me, in that regard, and it was something that I was passionate about and was good at. So, they encouraged it.

My journey with who I am has been a hard-fought arrival. When I was younger, it was more so a label that was put on me that I felt like I had to buck or I felt that I needed to present in a way that was not queer or gay or effeminate. Where I grew up, when I grew up, it was a lot of people bothering me and using “gay” as synonymous with something bad or not good. Of course, this isn’t a unique experience whatsoever, but it took me longer to fully understand and recognize the parts of me that were just kind of inherently me and very real because I spent so much time denying those parts.

Even though I encountered some [gay] stuff when I was 15, I spent years trying to convince myself otherwise. You have that wild pendulum of just swinging back and forth and back and forth, and that part of you doesn’t get enough light so it starts to fester or wilt in the dark. One of the series that I created when I was figuring out how to be an artist is called The T and it’s really about that time of experiencing elements of not taking care of myself in the best way that I could in regards to my queerness or my practices or in relationships with people. It was a long and twisty road to get me happy and healthy in my queerness and open and dare I say, proud.

Daniel cut his teeth in a variety of roles, becoming a fixture in the Chicago theatre world. From Moby Dick, Macbeth, Objects in the Mirror, to playing the title role in Hamlet, he learned the foundation of how to be an actor, learning the craft from a theatre environment that he believes has elements that are unique to Chicago.

The really fantastic thing about Chicago is that if there’s any kind of ego at all, in the very least, the art comes first. And I have learned the most valuable lessons about how to take care of your instrument, your body, yourself, in order to show up and meet the demands of the work. When I did Moby Dick at Lookingglass Theatre,

I had never done such physical theater before. It was out of the frying pan into the fire, and you just go and you learn. The amount of support that I had around me in that process was pretty amazing. Just the way everybody rallied around, I do feel like that can be an experience sometimes that is a little bit unique to Chicago theater because there is a sense of community, for better or for worse, that exists here.

His acting style is fluid and a paradox to being a member of the LGBTQ community. Without a sense of fluidity, or being able to evolve or exist outside of methods or labels, you can never grow.

Even with his experience in classical theatre to evocative newer pieces, he doesn’t subscribe to just one school of acting.

I’m a little Frankenstein and I kind of feel like the actors I have encountered, ones I love watching the most, are usually those who just borrow and steal and then turn it into something that is uniquely them and that they are uniquely suited to. One of the biggest things that we tend to overlook when we’re talking about technique in the craft is essence, right? The things that make you uniquely you are some of the most important aspects of building a character, building a role, stepping into

THIS PAGE: PHOTO BY STEPPENWOLF THEATRE

a world, and fully inhabiting it. You have to bring parts of yourself to it. The really fun part for me is finding the variances and nuances that exist from person to person and how they handle different situations. In terms of whether it’s Stanislavsky or Meisner or whatever it is, really and truly, I think whatever just helps you get there is the best method.

Daniel was deep into his critically acclaimed performance in Hamlet when the audition for Chicago Fire came about. Little did Daniel know what this audition would do for his screen career, and how close he came to not even going in. Life circumstances were casting a shadow.

I was looking around at my life and I said, I’m broke. I was thinking, I need to just go work in somebody’s restaurant and make some money. So, I was not going to do the audition. My agents were like, you should do it. They were saying, why don’t you just look at it and see if you like it? I looked at the material for the role, and it was Ritter and it was awesome. It landed on me in a way where I was like, okay, let me just play around with it. And then I played around with it and I really loved him.

I went into the audition and it was all blonde hair, blue eyes everywhere. I said, okay, this role is not for me. Sometimes that’s just how it works. Sometimes there’s a specific look or whatever, it is what it is. That’s the industry. I didn’t think I was going to get it but I went in and I just did it. I went before the director of that first episode, Reza Tabrizi (who’s an executive producer on our show now), and he was like, YOU. And I was like, wait, what? I was really grateful that my reps said to go and do this audition because here I am five seasons later. How crazy is that? It feels amazing. It feels really, really good because I’m at home in the role and there are so many parts of Ritter that speak to parts of me and vice versa. It’s a really fantastic job to have.

His first day on set is a Hollywood story in itself. He had literally just rolled into bed from his Hamlet performance when it was time to roll back out of bed for a 4:45am call time. It was the first day back on set for the cast who had all built their family during the previous seasons. Daniel was a lone sheep getting ready for his debut moment. This wasn’t stage work anymore - no lengthy rehearsals, no improv if the lines went wrong, no fixing it for the next show.

THE ARTS ACTUALLY SERVED AS A BIT OF A BRIDGE BETWEEN ME AND MY FAMILY GROWING UP.”

PAGE: PHOTO BY STEPPENWOLF THEATRE • CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER

I was in the van on the way to the set, saying to myself ‘make sure I know my lines, make sure I know my lines.’ It was a very nerve-wracking day. There were four cameras in my face, they’re pumping smoke through a stairwell, it’s like 90 or almost 100 degrees outside, and it’s hotter in the stairwell. There’s these lights and it was my first time on a big set, so I just had to get locked in and narrow down my world so that my zone of focus became really tight. I got through the day. But it was fantastic. It was like something out of a dream for me.

Not only was this Daniel’s first major television role for a major franchise on a major network, but it was also taking that leap and exposing himself to the nation. His sexuality and his private life were up for grabs as the fans wanted to know all about him, especially as his character came out on the show during Daniel’s sophomore season.

There’s no going back. I felt that even though I wanted to be out there and be received for my work, I was also pretty private about certain things in my life and protective over that part of me. But as I began working on that scene, I made it to the other side of fear - excitement. I realized what a wonderful story I was getting to tell and to step into wholly. I am a queer Black man who gets the opportunity to play a queer Black man on this show that has such a massive impact. Then it just became about wanting to do it justice.

From the stage to the screen, after five seasons how has he changed the most as an actor?

The biggest thing is confidence, that’s been the biggest change for me. This is the first television show that I’ve done and so there is always something new to learn. Even now, I’m still learning a lot, but I think when you’re first stepping into it, it can be a little daunting. Now I live for those moments where I learn something new on our set and I look around and there’s the crew, the DP, and the gaffers and the grips, and everyone who has something to teach if you’re willing to open up your eyes and learn a little bit. That’s one of my favorite parts of my job now, is that I just get to be curious. I have confidence in that curiosity. It’s not about getting it right because I think that can take you out of yourself. It’s about being

present and being receptive and being open. That curiosity leads to openness and openness for me leads to confidence in my role.

And how has the show changed him as a person?

I have a better sense of my own selfworth and it largely exists outside of my work now, which is such a refreshing thing to have and to say. I’m surrounded by so many affirming and positive people day in and day out. This really is one of the best

jobs because of the people. To be honest it has really poured back into me what I give out. I have grown a lot and I’ve learned a lot about myself - how to take care of me. And that also it’s okay to put yourself first sometimes.

Even years after his character’s coming out, Daniel’s personal sexuality is still bandied about by the media with headlines still feeling the need to highlight him being gay. Does it bother him that his sexuality is still the lead-in?

Its level of importance can sometimes be a bit inflated. But there is a purpose, depending on where a person is in their own journey around understanding queerness and stepping outside of themselves enough to actually investigate with curiosity. Then I think a headline like that might do its job and grab attention. Do I think it’s necessary all the time? Absolutely not. By the same token as an out Black man, I’m so chill with that. I find such joy in my identity now that I didn’t grow up with. It feels just good to see a headline like, here’s this man and he’s doing the thing. It’s good to see. It’s good to be a part of it, and I’m happy it’s about me.

Looking to the future, he has a lot on his vision board. A hidden talent, he has a powerful, soulful, and intoxicating singing voice. He can be heard on the Don’t Be Afraid of Love EP and has plans for a debut album, with five songs already completed. If you haven’t heard him sing yet, GO STREAM THAT EP. He also has his eyes on more work behind the camera, knowing that effecting change in Hollywood representation needs to happen both in front of and behind the camera.

And his message to his fans this Pride season?

Y’all are real ones. Thanks for holding your boy down, because you do. Go live, go explore, and as always, be as curious as you can be about the world around you. ■

You can follow Daniel on IG: @DanielKyri

I AM A QUEER BLACK MAN WHO GETS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY A QUEER BLACK MAN ON THIS SHOW THAT HAS SUCH A MASSIVE IMPACT.”

WHAT I’M DOING HAS A PURPOSE GREATER THAN MYSELF.”

ADAM LAMBERT BELTING OUT SOME HIGH DRAMA

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

IT HAS BEEN ALMOST 15 YEARS SINCE ADAM LAMBERT BECAME A HOUSEHOLD NAME DURING HIS SEASON OF AMERICAN IDOL Instantly setting himself apart with his distinct sound and look, his career has catapulted to the nth degree, becoming a musical icon and challenging the limits of how far an openly gay artist can go. He doesn’t just sing the hell out of a song, he tells a story with his soaring vibrato, emotive breaks, and ability to make any song distinctly his own. Rock, pop, musical theatre, he can sing it all. His fame has crossed generations from interpreting the spirit of Freddie Mercury to serenading Cher with her own song to releasing new and evocative music. Though his sexuality has been discussed, especially during his debut season of Idol, it has never defined nor limited him. He is unapologetically Adam Lambert.

Born in Indianapolis, his family moved to Southern California shortly after he was born. Not being born into a showbiz family, it was the music videos of Madonna and Michael Jackson that would inspire not just his love affair with music, but also with fashion and dance. Those artists gave him the impulse to entertain. Before becoming a pop superstar, he would find his foundation and identity in musical theatre, performing with the Metropolitan Educational Theatre network from the age of nine.

I think I found a lot of confidence in a children’s theatre group that I was a part of. It was not a part of my school growing up, I went on the weekends. I really took to it. It was a great environment for me to develop my artistry and love for entertaining. Within that company, I became more and more confident. However, in school, I was more reserved because there weren’t as many kids with my shared interests. Especially in middle school, we were all going through so many changes, so I felt very much like the odd one out. I knew I was different and that caused me to withdraw. But in high school, I really blossomed as I got involved in more school art programs and found myself surrounded by like-minded people. It gave me the chance to really explore performing arts as a passion of mine.

He would perform in the regular staples of musical theatre, including Hello! Dolly, Music Man, Grease, and Camelot at established theaters in Southern California, before being cast in a European tour of Hair, a production of a musical version of The Ten Commandments with Val Kilmer, to ultimately touring with Wicked. Does he miss the musical theatre world? What show would bring him back to the stage?

I do miss it. It was such a huge part of my life for so long. It really shaped me as a performer and creator. If I were to bring a show back it would have to be something you would consider a rock-pop musical. Rock-pop musicals are what resonate with me most. There are so many I love which makes it hard to choose. If I were to bring any show to the stage it would have to be something new!

And while taking the spotlight on stage growing up, his sexuality would take a moment to come into focus.

It was the late 90s so the mainstream queer representation was in a much different place. There were hardly any artists to look to in the music industry as an inspiration. On TV we had that one guy from the Real World, My So-Called Life, and Will & Grace. Those were my exposures to queer characters and representation. Particularly Will & Grace, being a comedy, created a sense of comfort around the topic for me. My whole family and I watched it together and it made me realize my parents wouldn’t be that shocked when I came out. I waited until I was 18 to come out. I felt like I wasn’t surrounded by any out people, so it was scary for me to

consider taking that next step. I wanted to wait until I was done with high school before I explored what coming out would look like. I started by coming out to a few close friends, and then my family a few months later. My mom actually asked me privately, it was a sweet moment, she just asked me point blank and I said yes. It was such a relief because I didn’t know how to quite get there so my mom took the lead which was really lovely for me.

A foreshadowing of Lambert’s future fame, his first auditions for Idol would include “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Believe.” Though Simon Cowell would voice his concerns about Lambert’s theatricality, he ended up giving Lambert a standing ovation after his performance of“Mad World,”the only one he ever gave during his ten-year stint as a judge. It was during his rise on Idol that Lambert would first understand what lay ahead of him.

Midway through my Idol experience, I realized this is really happening. The momentum is building and a change in my career is underway. The year prior to Idol I really felt ready to take some risks and go for it. Before that, I had always seen this as an unattainable fantasy, but by the time I auditioned for Idol, I really felt like I was ready to go for it all.

He would ultimately become runner-up for the 8th season of Idol, even though he would become one of a very small group of Idol personalities that reached A-list status.Yes, Idol gave him his big break, but his brand and talent were all his. His star would rise above the reality TV show and his music would go on to sell millions upon millions of copies.

I would probably attribute some of my success to my professional experience prior to Idol. Working as a performer before the show gave me a good work ethic and an understanding of how the business works. It taught me a certain level of professionalism. It taught me that when the lights go on, you have to deliver. The philosophy has really helped me stay on track. Also, I think that being a queer artist is such an exciting opportunity, to prove the point that there is room for everyone in music. And when I meet young people that perhaps saw me on TV while they were coming to terms with their own identities, that’s proof that what I’m doing has a purpose greater than myself.

Many claims have been made that it was Adam’s sexuality that kept him from winning the title. During his season, pictures of Adam kissing another boy made the media rounds, and Fox cut off media access to Lambert soon after. Shows

I KNEW IN MY GUT THAT I WAS OKAY TO BE LOUD, PROUD, AND UNAPOLOGETIC.”

like The O’Reilly Factor were propagating disgust at the photos, claiming it would have a negative effect on Idol. LOL, where is O’Reilly now? Currently, more and more LGBTQ artists come out every year to applause thanks to open artists like Lambert who had to deal with the negativity of an earlier era of entertainment media. Did Adam get tired of his sexuality being the focus, or does he think it helped progress gay representation in mainstream music?

It’s interesting because it’s a case-by-case thing. It definitely became the main thing I was asked about in interviews for a while, but I found that there were certain journalists who were thoughtful and felt interesting to talk with because they were not new to the subject. Queer and queer-allied journalists who knew what they were talking about always felt more comfortable. Where it got a bit strange was when super-mainstream journalists asked ignorant questions, that’s when it got annoying.

When I first got off Idol, I realized quickly that I was in a position where I could either make a change and help the cause or I could be selfish and just sort of worry about my own career. But I felt right away that it was important to represent the community. I knew I was in a position that not many had access to, so being the only out mainstream pop artist at the time, I knew it was bigger than me. I knew that just by me being my authentic self and not being afraid to show that, it would create ripples and I could help people feel it was okay to be authentic with who they are. I knew in my gut that I was okay to be loud, proud, and unapologetic.

This last season, Lambert returned to Idol to mentor the top twelve on a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-themed night. Just to think how far he has come from his first moments on the show is mind-boggling.

It’s always really lovely to return to the show. It launched my recording career and put me on a massive public stage. I owe a lot to the show and getting to go back and give back is a real full-circle experience. I love being able to help people reach their full potential. Over the years I’ve learned some tricks of the trade and it’s lovely to be able to pass that on.

As a mentor, what is the main thing he would want to impart to a singer new to the industry?

Your team is essential. The people you surround yourself with who are helping you reach your goals are something that you

cannot take for granted. It can make or break your career. You have to be sure that you have the right collaborators on board with you.

Adam has gone on to sing alongside the who’s who of entertainment, a list his name now belongs on. What has he learned most from some of these icons?

I’ve learned to trust myself more. Working with people you respect and admire adds to your confidence and is proof that your instincts are on the right track.

With his distinctive voice, his celebration of his sexuality, and his unwillingness to comply with norms, it was only fitting and equally as thrilling for him to join Queen, resurrecting the spirit and talent of Freddie Mercury, yet still in line with his signature Lambert style. Adam and Queen have toured the globe to sold-out audiences with fans clamoring for more - a match made in music heaven. What did Adam learn from his first few rehearsals with the group?

With Queen, I learned quickly that their attention to detail is incredible. They really put a lot of thought into every decision and there is always a clear intention. Coming from the theatre world it’s all about detail and storytelling so I love working with them because there are always great discussions surrounding every decision. Putting a show together with Queen always has a clear intention and we all work seamlessly together to reach our goal.

This year, Lambert released his fifth studio album, High Drama, a collection of covers that include Culture Club’s “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,”Pink’s“My Attic,”Sia’s“Chandelier,”and even Noel Coward’s “Mad About the Boy.” It was hard to listen to the album the first time around because the temptation to skip to the next track to see how he could possibly reinterpret some of these legacy songs was just as tempting as listening to the current track on repeat to savor each note.

I feel like just recreating the original is pointless. If I’m going to cover a song, I need to put my own spin on it or else there’s no need to go for it in the first place. I really love taking songs and giving them a new energy that fits where I’m currently coming from artistically.

His personal favorite from High Drama?

I don’t have a favorite! I loved making each song for different reasons. My favorite part of the process was weaving them all together with a sense of high drama!

With his extensive library of music, both

I LOVE BEING ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.”

original and covered, what song best details where he is at today?

“Superpower” is a nice mantra that was one of the songs from my last album, Velvet. I wrote it as an empowering song for taking back your own power. Making sure that you are in your truth.

As an LGBTQ activist, his philanthropy has been endless. He has given his voice, funds, time, and platform to a myriad of organizations, big and small, and launched his own non-profit advocacy group The Feel Something Foundation (taking the name from the first single from his Velvet album), assisting charities that are moving the needle for communities of all ages and backgrounds, focusing on impacting the LGBTQ+ community in areas of education and arts, homelessness, suicide prevention, and mental health. He puts his money where his mouth is, he is not just attending events and grabbing awards left and right. He is a superhero for our community, using his voice to save the world. And he looks damn good doing it.

His message to our community this Pride?

Obviously, there is a lot of division in our country right now and the Queer community is being used politically, in not always a positive way. I know it’s because we are shining brighter and bigger than ever. We are a cultural movement and those who oppose us are terrified. It’s proof that we can overcome any obstacle that we are faced with. We have done it so many times before and we will continue to face this together. I know this darkness we are combatting right now is something we will persevere together, as we always have. We will continue to do our part to protect our community while living our authentic lives. Also, just have a damn good time this summer! Haha! ■

For everything Adam, visit AdamLambert.net

SIP THE LIGHT

FANTASTIC

VISIT SONOMA COUNTY’S WINERIES WHO EMBRACE

THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY

BOOZY BONUS EQUALITY WINE FEST IN PALM SPRINGS

BY KEVIN PERRY

CALIFORNIA IS THE CAPITAL OF PROGRESS. EVEN BEFORE THE TIME OF THE GOLD RUSH, OUR STATE HAS BEEN SYNONYMOUS WITH DISCOVERY AND INNOVATION. AGRICULTURAL LANDS CLASH BRILLIANTLY WITH THE PACIFIC SHORE TO FORM A CUTTING EDGE OF PIONEER INGENUITY. AND THE GAYS ARE ALSO NO STRANGERS TO PROGRESS. Harvey Milk transformed a humble campaign for city commissioner into a global invitation for queer folks to live and love openly in San Francisco.

So, what happens when you combine the tastes of Northern California with the tastemakers who define LGBTQ+ aesthetics? The perfect pairing, naturally.

The most vibrant varietals on the planet flourish in Sonoma County, and LGBTQ+ connected wineries are harvesting the most robust flavors for your sipping pleasure. Imagine scouring the globe for the ideal grapes, cultivating acres of vines for years, formulating a delicate balance of fermentation and aging, and arriving at the optimal square foot of real estate in the wine-loving world….

Well, there’s no need to imagine it. We’re taking you on a whirlwind trip to the hip sips of Sonoma, so pack your Prada and join us!

TOUR OF BEAUTY

Let’s start with a superlative, shall we? Sonoma Plaza’s Corner 103 (corner103.com) earned its distinction as the best tasting room in America, according to none other than USA Today. But rather than striking an exclusionary note, this welcoming winery empowers its guests to dictate their own experience. Founder Lloyd Davis fondly refers to his visitors as “wine experts” and argues that only you can determine what pleases your palate. What an apt metaphor for gay life!

Particularly pleasing is the NV Sparkline Rose. Corner 103 has a history of producing Gold Medal winning Sparkling Wine, and their current release will not disappoint. It was crafted from Pinot Noir (70%), Chardonnay (25%) and Pinot Meunier (5%). This beautiful salmon-colored wine is refreshing and opens with inviting aromas of strawberry and peach. Flavors of freshly picked strawberry and raspberry dance upon the palate, with a satisfying full finish. It received a Silver Medal in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. So, corner the market on satisfaction with a stop at Corner 103.

Blending a hearty Hungarian robustness with the laid-back vibes of California, En Garde Winery (engardewinery.com) is your passport to transcendence. Known for their luxe tasting room in Kenwood, California, En Garde is sharing their award-winning Cabs and Pinots with the grateful travelers along Route 12. One standout selection is the 2021 Pinot Noir “Passion de la Reine” Russian River Valley Reserve, which received 95 points from Steve Heimoff. The velvety texture of this Pinot Noir is a true Reserve. This lush offering has a spicy finish and is delicious now and for years to come. Also not to be missed, is the winner of San Francisco Magazine’s Award for Best Red Dessert Wine in 2021, En Garde’s Grand Vin de Dessert Port. A port style Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Zinfandel. This port is silky and seductive.

As you venture west into the swirling depths of Sonoma County, you will encounter a charmingly rustic rural berg called Sebastopol. Once there, be sure to trot over to Iron Horse Vineyards (ironhorsevineyards.com) home to libations as bubbly as you are. This gay-friendly enclave is renowned for its sparkling wines, like

Sonoma County’s GAY WINE WEEKEND

Friday, July 14 - Sunday, July 16

Enjoy three days of LGBTQ+ celebration in Sonoma Wine Country.

Gay Wine Weekend takes place this year in the Russian River Valley & Healdsburg wine region of Sonoma County, with all-new venues, wineries, restaurants, and more! Participants can partake in winemaker dinners, winery tours, Twighlight T-Dance, drag brunch and even a pool party. Join in a weekend of wine and celebration.

Tickets available at www.outinthevineyard.com

the 2018 Wedding Cuvée. Receiving 94 points from Wine Spectator, the Wedding Cuvée is perfect for any wedding (gay or straight), this fruity mélange drizzles through your senses like spun gold, beckoning you to indulge further. The Iron Horse 2019 Rainbow Cuvée toasts to diversity. And you may even see a rainbow as Iron Horse Estate is a prime location for rainbow sightings when the sun meets the fog.

The yummy brick road unfurls further to the humble hamlet of Graton, where you will find Marimar Estate Vineyards & Winery (marimarestate.com). The playful hills give birth to the perfect conditions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes to flourish with one of the richest, smoothest products in Sonoma County. Marimar has the perfect summertime wines for a warm summer evening spent with good friends and scrumptious snacks! Unwind after a day of activities in the sunshine with the 2021 Albariño - this aromatic white variety comes from northwest Spain and has engaging aromas of honeysuckle and gardenia, crisp and zesty on the palate with a note of sunshine from California; and a classic Russian River Valley Pinot Noir in the 2018 La Masía Pinot Noir from Green Valley which is the coolest region of

the Russian River. The firm tannins, balance, and elegance of this pinot pairs perfectly with any dish.

Due north, you’re due for a splash of expertise minus the pretention that often accompanies true mastery. Winemaker Theresa Heredia is a verified vino visionary, and she brings a breadth of knowledge as vast as the Healdsburg hills to her work at Gary Farrell Winery (garyfarrellwinery.com).

Her 2019 Bacigalupi Chardonnay is a triumph of refinement and complexity balancing notes of raw honey with lighter flourishes of chamomile and citrus. “I strongly believe in the Russian River Valley’s capacity to consistently produce world class wines,” declares Heredia, a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.“The key is cool breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean blanket.”

Gary Farrell Winery

Marimar Estate Vineyards

Going through Guerneville, the mecca of gay in the Russian River, you’ll find Equality Vines (equalityvines.com). No Pride period would be complete without a healthy splash of social consciousness, and Equality Vines is fiercely committed to the causes that pulse through our collective hearts and souls. The co-founders of Equality are Matt Grove and Jim Obergefell. If that second name ring-a-ding-dings a bell, that’s because Obergefell was the plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that ultimately made samesex marriage legal in America, but that was just an appetizer.

Now, Obergefell and Grove are serving up justice, one sip at a time. Proceeds from the sales of their wines go to such organizations as Lambda Legal, Equal Rights Advocates and the LGBTQ Connection. The Love Wins Sparkling Rosé celebrates the landmark Supreme Court Marriage Equality Decision, with its crisp, light notes of strawberries, and dry finish. But our fave label? That has got to be Rosé the Riveter, a light, lemony, luscious vintage dedicated to empowering women and counteracting racism. So, sip your worries away knowing that you’re making a difference.

Inclusion is the quilt that stitches together these triumphant tasting rooms. Just down the road from Guerneville, we arrive at a small township called Duncans Mills. It is an unincorporated village with unbelievable treasures. Guests flock to Sophie’s Cellars (sophiescellars.com) a wine bar that raises the bar. Set against a pastoral outcropping, patrons gather to gaze and graze; the

views offer rural serenity while the noshes ignite one’s cosmopolitan sophistication.

Run by local wine expert Alice Hunter, Sophie’s curates vintages from throughout Sonoma County. Their menu features everything from the fragrant acidity of the 2019 Halleck Dry Gewurztraminer to the raspberry-and-cherry note 2016 Cazadero Cabernet. This cellar gets you in on the ground floor of gourmet tasting with down home hospitality.

Continuing to our northernmost point in Geyserville is Rancho Maria Wines (ranchomaria.com) tasting room, where it’s“Rosé all Day” and we’ll drink to that! Co-founded by Sebastian Juarez, in the Fall of 2011, Rancho Maria Wines is a family owned and operated vineyard located in the heart of the Dry Creek Valley, known for their old vine Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. Their 2019 Full Monte is a wine packed with dark fruit and tannin comprised of 47% Zinfandel, 38% Grenache, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Down the 101 to Healdsburg we go, with a stop on the picturesque Healdsburg Square and Roadhouse Winery (roadhousewinery.com) showcasing a selection of small batch wines with huge flavors. Created in 2010, Roadhouse Winery is heralded for their Pinot Noirs, and considers the full spectrum of how wine interacts with our gastronomic and olfactory systems. For example, the 2016 Platinum Label dances on your nose in an eternal waltz between its cherry earthiness and lavender caress. Their tasting room on the square pampers you with one-on-one attention and customizable wine experiences.You can even

And if you happen to be visiting Southern California this season – we have news that will perk up your taste buds like a quirky Cabernet. Some of these amazing vintners from Sonoma County are coming to Palm Springs for EQUALITY WINE FEST. This first-of-its-kind event, is featuring some of the best LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and Women produced wines in the state of California and beyond. Visit equalitywinefest. com for all the details and to purchase tickets for this festival highlighting diversity on July 1st in Palm Springs at the Margaritaville Resort Grand Ballroom. equalitywinefest.com

You can keep your proverbial glass full of Sonoma knowhow when you join the ranks of the LGBT Wine Society. A Sonoma Wine Map, events, resources, and camaraderie are just a click (or clink) away when you celebrate the finer things our extended gay family has to offer. LGBTwinesociety.com

Rancho Maria Wines

browse the curated collection of vinyl records for sale while you sip. Roadhouse is gloriously gay-owned, and founder Eric Hall is capital-P Proud to feature his handmade offerings to the SoCal community.

Feeling peckish? Just two blocks from Roadhouse sits Healsdburg’s hottest new eatery, Lo & Behold Bar + Kitchen. In their first year, owners Tara, Laura and Sean have received numerous accolades for their modern take on mouth-watering comfort food, cheerful hospitality, hand crafted cocktails and inviting canopy-covered garden patio. Insider-tip: try their kicky “almost famous” chicken tenders served with homemade ranch dressing and Mason’s pickles or their crispy egg rolls with black mushroom, hot mustard and truffle sauce. You’ll see what all the buzz is about.

If you are traveling to Sonoma via San Francisco, and want to celebrate with some festive fermentations right in ‘The City’, be sure to hit up

the new Eco Terreno Tasting Room (ecoterreno. com) on Columbus Avenue, serving up their Pride Rosé which embodies the spirit of the season with its bright and airy mouth feel and refreshing finish. Mark Lyon, the former winemaker at Sebastiani, where he was revered as the catalyst to elevating their reputation for world-renowned wines and vineyard sites, is the founder of Eco Terreno and brings nearly four decades of vintner prowess to each glass that sprouts from his fertile imagination. Lyon has perfected the art of biodynamic farming. He embraces the natural rhythms of the Russian River and, in turn, the landscape hugs him back. It is a love story that only an LGBTQ+ winemaker could craft. Another favorite, the 2018 Sansara Sauvignon Blanc, is a brilliant, light, greenish-gold in your glass – silky smooth with flavors of pear and melon – presents a delightful aperitif or pairing with some Somona County goat cheese. ■

If you’re visiting Sonoma and have a spirit of adventure, try one of these unique lodging experiences:

• AutoCamp Russian River - Stay in your own Airstream trailer or fully outfitted tent. Glamping at its finest. autocamp.com

• Duncan House - Why rent a room when you can have an entire 1880’s luxury 4-bedroom farmhouse with jacuzzi? Bring the gang. DuncanHouse1880.com

• The Woods Cottages & Cabins - Walking distance to all the Guerneville hot spots. Newly renovated rooms and is now clothing optional. russianriverhotel.com

• The Astro Motel - A cool mid-century experience in downtown Santa Rosa. www.theastro.com

Sophies Cellars

BYRON LANE INVITES US TO A BIG GAY WEDDING

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

BYRON LANE’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH WORDS IS FAR FROM LANGUISHING. Winning two regional Emmy Awards for his time as a TV journalist, he went on to write for and appear on the stage and screen. Remember the odd but highly successful stage piece Tilda Swinton Answers an Ad on Craigslist? That was from his mind. Three years ago, he made the leap into novel writing with A Star is Bored, a fictional homage to his time working for Carrie Fisher, a master of words herself. The book barely hit the shelves as it was scooped up by critics and readers alike. It was a smashing success. It made the top book lists for People, Town & Country, Harper’s Bazaar, Parade Magazine, New York Times Review, USA Today, and the NY Post, with the list going on and on - not to mention that social media frenzy it stirred with celebs from the LGBTQ world and beyond touting his book. We had the honor of chatting with him as his debut novel was released. That’s when we fell in love with the man behind the keyboard. Unassuming and soft-spoken, he is a force of optimistic and infectious energy. He is what his books promote – sincere love and affection. He somehow turns the conversation around, asking how you are and what you are going through to the point you don’t know if the conversation will result in laughs or tears with it most times having a bit of both.

This summer, he’s back with his sophomore novel, Big Gay Wedding: A Novel. It has been said in the literary world that a follow-up book is a bigger test for a writer than the first. There are deadlines, there are economic pressures set by the first book, and there are expectations set by readers and critics. Can a successful debut novelist recapture lighting in a bottle? List after list

IF PRIDE EVER MEANT ANYTHING, IT MUST MEAN EVERYTHING NOW.”

of media outlets and critics have touted Big Gay Wedding as one of the most anticipated and best reads of 2023. Having read an advance copy, I can enthusiastically say this is what you loved about A Star Is Bored and even more. With more pathos than his first book, he weaves emotion, humor, and gayness into a masterfully told story that is both charming and important. Basically put, the book deals with the homecoming of the hero Barnett to a small Louisiana farm town to announce to his mother that he is getting married … to a man. Though his mother knew he was gay, it was never such a definite issue and she certainly has her reservations. As the story unfolds, Barnett’s fiancé and family invade the farm and it is decided the wedding will take place on the farm. Hilarity ensues as mother and town must adjust to all the gayness being thrust upon them. Was Lane nervous in writing this follow-up? How did he choose this story?

The process of writing anything for me always has been scary from the plays and the web series stuff, the first book, and then the second book. I was lucky that I had an editor who was very encouraging. My partner, Steven Rowley, and I had just gotten married and we had a very small gay wedding. I remember talking to my editor, James Melia, about what should the next book be. We tossed around some ideas and he pointed out, you know, you just had a little gay wedding and do you have any ideas for a book about maybe a BIG gay wedding? And I thought, all right, well, what would that look like in the world and what would that look like in my world of this guy from Louisiana? I’m a Southern guy, conservative background, religious background, so what would’ve happened if I would’ve brought the big gay marriage to the South? That’s where the idea came from.

On a more serious note, the book does deal with homophobia, hate crimes, forgiveness towards those who rally against our community, and the real definition of unconditional love. With so much political and social hate directed towards our community, did he think titling the book Big Gay Wedding would be limiting its offthe-shelf appeal?

I think it is not just wise, but important. I hope people think that it’s brave in some way. And now is the time to be brave. Now is the time to refuse to be eradicated from public life and public space. If Pride ever meant anything, it must mean EVERYTHING now; now really is the time for

Pride. I’m going to be 45 soon and, for me, Pride has always been evolving. It really started for me way back in 2008 with gay marriage stuff and Prop 8 [CA amendment to ban same-sex marriage] very early on. Now, at this age, I look around and I see the horrible things that are happening with our trans brothers and sisters and our non-binary friends. It really is time to be proud to show our pride and to be loud. And if having a title, Big Gay Wedding with a couple of guys holding hands on the cover in a bookstore can be any kind of flag for that, I’m here for it.

Big Gay Wedding has the substance and sincerity of Byron’s first novel, but, being told in the third person rather than first, the characters have evolved. Lane has this talent of connecting with a character so the reader knows in an instant who this person is, how they feel, and how they think.

We go into the minds of all (these) characters. I hope it shows some growth on my part in an ability to round out these stories

- a mother who is desperate to connect with her son and who has to experience her own sort of coming out as being supportive of a gay son; the gay son who has to wrangle his maybe impatience and frustration with a mom who’s moving a little bit too slow and coming to acceptance; and a grandfather who in the book is named Paw-Paw (in real life, I did have a Paw-Paw and Maw-Maw) who lives in a nursing home and forced to watch Glee and has had his own evolution on what gay life means and that it’s acceptable and loving and who cares? You’ve got all these rich characters and I’m grateful that I’m able to explore each one so in-depth.

Being gay has helped me with characters because, growing up, I’ve had to protect myself constantly. And so sometimes I feel like I’m a little bit of a scared puppy or something where you have to just be on alert and know like, okay, these are some bad vibes, this person doesn’t have my best interest in heart. Even growing up with

I HOPE IN MY WRITING AND IN MY WORK, I’M ABLE TO BRING THOSE LITTLE MOMENTS OF LEVITY, THOSE GREAT LESSONS ABOUT THE JOY OF THIS EXISTENCE.”

strict parents, I didn’t want to step on dad’s toes. And I think a lot of gay people can relate to that. Is my teacher making fun of me, or is she being supportive? Riding the bus to school the guys in the back would shoot spitballs at me and I remember so vividly looking at the driver, I could see him in the rearview mirror, he had dark sunglasses on. I never knew if he was really looking back and wondering why doesn’t he help me? Why doesn’t he protect me? So, I think some of what I can bring to writing is a little bit of that hypersensitivity and an ability to kind of craft these people because I’ve met these people.

In addition to LGBTQ themes, the book deals a lot with getting older and death. Not to give anything away, but there are a few instances where the finality of life and where we go from here come into play. Lane’s dealing with the subject matter is delicate yet still heart-wrenching.

I think all the time about the duality of comedy and drama and then sometimes

I’m snapped into the space where I think, wait a minute, is it really just one thing? Is it really just one experience that we’re all having? And when I worked for Carrie Fisher, she always talked about taking your broken heart and making art. She always talked about finding the humor in a bad situation because then what’s the point of the situation? No one wants to live in a world where everything is just bad. I do notice that if I can slow down for a second, if I can open my eyes a little bit wider, if I can see a bigger picture, often terrible things do have these moments of humor, and it can bring levity, it can bring inspiration. They can be moments of growth and healing. So, to me, it really is just so important to acknowledge that they are so connected, drama and comedy.

Having to work through drama is something Byron knows all too well. He is a two-time cancer survivor. His loss of hair, his chemo, and the return of cancer were all shared on his social media. He

wasn’t shying away from life. In addition, he lost Carrie Fisher who had gone from boss to friend. Then, he had to deal with the loss of his beloved canine companion, Tilda. How has loss affected Byron’s daily life?

I had cancer in 2015, and they said, well, testicular cancer is easy to treat, no big deal, just relax. And I was like, all right. Then it came back in 2020, and I had to have chemo. Suddenly I’m like, well, wait a minute. Can it come back again? And they’re saying, oh, the odds are so low. And I’m thinking, you know what? I’ve heard that before. You do think about mortality.

I’m sitting there getting chemo and I’m looking around me at these mostly elderly people who are getting these infusions and crying out in pain. You can’t help but think, wow, we’re all kind of fragile here. There’s a part of it that makes you think, I need to live in the moment. I need to embrace the present. This is really important. And then here’s where it gets a little bit crazy. Once I started thinking like that, suddenly the present seemed really beautiful, even while I was getting chemo. One thing I remember so vividly is this old lady getting her chemo. She would pass the time by knitting, always knitting, and we were always freezing cold. They kept the room cold, the medicines were cold, and everyone was freezing all the time. So, she was knitting and one day she came up to me and asked, “Hey, do you like color?” And I thought, oh God, is this going to be some kind of gay thing that’s about to happen? I replied, “Yeah, sure, I think so.” She continued, “You like rainbows?” And I was like, “Oh, yeah.” She stated, “I knitted this for you.” And she pulls out of her bag a rainbow knitted cap and gave that to me and talked to me about her daughter and her life and all these wonderful things. It was just such a beautiful moment.

Thinking about death and sometimes getting lost in that sadness made me focus on the present. Once you start focusing on the present, I started realizing, oh my God, there are so many beautiful moments here too. That was a great gift. I hope in my writing and in my work, I’m able to bring those little moments of levity, those great lessons about the joy of this existence, to the page.

Byron’s characters in Big Gay Wedding each go through their own evolution with unconditional love. Unconditional love has been a journey for Byron in real life. He has found his soul mate with

his husband, acclaimed writer Stephen Rowley. The two live in Palm Springs, sharing the squabbles of married life and unmade beds but also sharing the successes that have come their way. As gay men, not everyone finds their mate, and not everyone experiences that unconditional love from their family.

It really breaks my heart and it reminds me of growing up. My dad was really strict and I always wanted to please him. I sometimes think of that hypothetical where you go back and tell your younger self something, I would go back and tell my younger self, hey, you will never make him happy. This thing they call unconditional love, you will never get from him. So just put that on the back burner and live your life. Do your best, and be a good person. When I think about what that would’ve given younger Byron, I think it would’ve given him a little bit more freedom. Sometimes that’s just part of it. There are people who just aren’t going to love, and it sucks and it’s awful. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel here. We can look at the cliches - it gets better. That’s true. It WILL get better. Love yourself.

Big Gay Wedding is available everywhere, just in time for Pride season. The audiobook version is voiced by actor Noah Galvin, who also narrated Bryon’s first book. As for Bryon’s future … will there be a book three? Of course. While working on screen adaptations of his work, there will always be a book in the future.

And his message to the LGBTQ community this Pride?

Smile, baby! Take that smile and bring it to the streets. Let’s do it. This is the time to be proud. This is the time to really let it show. I have my whole life struggled with this idea of pride, but it really clicked for me when someone said that pride is very simply the opposite of shame. And that makes so much sense to me. We should not be ashamed of any part of our life, and we should not be ashamed of any part of our community. And when I look at these parades, and I think of it through that lens, I’m so proud. I’m so proud of the beautiful people, I’m so proud of the beautiful communities. I’m so proud of the different types of people, the different types of lifestyles. Put on that smile and get out there and let’s all do it together. ■

You can follow Byron on IG: @ByronLaneDotCom

ARI SHAPIRO

SHARING

THE STORIES

AND EXPERIENCES THAT SHAPED HIS LIFE

BY STEVE GOTTFRIED

HAVING GROWN UP LISTENING TO NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO AS A KID, IT MIGHT SEEM PRE-ORDAINED THAT ARI SHAPIRO WOULD SOMEDAY BECOME THE UBIQUITOUS VOICE OF NPR’S FLAGSHIP NEWS PROGRAM ALL THINGS CONSIDERED But things are rarely as simple as they might appear on the surface. Ari Shapiro was somewhat of a unicorn growing up Jewish in Fargo, North Dakota in the 1980s. By the time his family relocated to Portland, Shapiro would come to terms with another layer of his identity as a gay teenager. Shapiro has since racked up an impressive resume that includes a twenty-year career at NPR as well as an enviable side-hustle performing with the world renowned, genre-spanning band Pink Martini. Shapiro’s circuitous path to becoming the ultimate multi-hyphenate phenomenon that he is today is unpacked and dissected in his new book The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening. The book, which has earned rave reviews and became an instant New York Times bestseller upon publication, is an engrossing and enlightening read, chock full of amusing anecdotes and life lessons, big and small which touch the heart and soul.

There is something very unusual about the relationship that I as a journalist have with people who I meet in the course of my work, because I might only interact with somebody for 15 minutes or an hour ever in their entire lives and we might never see each other again. And yet, those 15 minutes, or that hour together, can create a profound connection that is no less real, for being fleeting. And so, when I talk with somebody who may be experiencing the worst day of their lives, whether it’s

a natural disaster, or a war, or a mass shooting, the act of them telling their story, and me, really listening, and allowing them to share their experience with me, is a form of communion that I do not take lightly. The phrase, The Best Strangers in the World, comes from a work of art that a friend of mine created, having nothing to do with my occupation. But I think it’s a very apt phrase, to describe the sort of beautiful and unusual privilege that I have to connect with people all over the world

in such a wide variety of circumstances.

In the introductory chapter, you share the story of how you came out to your parents while you were still in high school, before you’d even kissed a boy. Tell me about how you had the courage and the presence of mind to do that so fearlessly at such a young age.

I remember thinking to myself, I’m going to have to do this sooner or later. And the sooner I do it, the sooner I can get on with my life, the sooner it will become a non-issue.

And it’s never going to be easy. It’s never going to be painless. So I might as well just take the plunge. And as I say in the book, this was before I had even kissed a boy. It’s not that I was living a double life. It was that I didn’t want to live a double life. I wanted to figure out what this piece of me meant integrated into all of the other pieces of me. And I thought the only way to do that was by being honest and starting that process of discovery in a transparent way.

The year was 1988 – which means Shapiro was likely around 10 years old. Monette was discussing his latest book Borrowed Time: an AIDS memoir which was considered a groundbreaking and profoundly personal firsthand account of the AIDS epidemic.

I remember hearing the interview and the respect that Terry Gross gave him as a gay man. And thinking that it was the first time I had heard a gay person listened to and spoken to as somebody worthy of their time and attention. Until then, the only stories I had seen and heard about gay people were either stereotypes and caricatures, or as villains or people dying of AIDS. So, I remember that moment, thinking oh,

being gay can mean something more than just the stereotypes that I had seen in pop culture.

One of your early assignments at NPR was responding to listener mail. And then, when you became a bona fide journalist in your own right, you got your own mail. And you share some of those letters, some of which were not complimentary. One called you a“faggy, pushy, annoying smart-ass” and another told you to “Butch up.”

I love hate mail. I think when somebody takes the time to write in and say something, even if it’s something hostile and rude, it means they were listening. It means they were paying attention. And if they didn’t like what they heard, I’m happy to get a letter in the mail that informs me of their views on the program I’m making. And so I love hate mail. I collect it and, as I describe in the book, display it for people who stop by my office to see.

One of my favorite chapters “You Can’t See Schvitz on the Radio” deals with your propensity to sweat profusely. It’s something you address very candidly in the book with a measure of humor. Amidst your impressive achievements, it’s reassuring to see that you have human foibles like the rest of us.

I wanted that to be kind of a break from some of the heavier things in the book. I think it’s important for people who are successful to talk about the moments that they have struggled and failed, and experienced setbacks, because it’s easy for people to look at successful individuals and assume that success is the opposite of failure, when in fact, failure is a step on the path to success. And every successful person I know has failed in myriad ways. And if we don’t talk about that, then people experiencing failure will feel like they’re doing something wrong, when in fact, you’re doing something, right. Because if you’re not failing, you’re not challenging yourself.

Shapiro describes another incident in the book in which a seeming failure turned into a fortuitous experience that would go on to pay unexpected dividends. Shapiro was approached about developing a one-man cabaret at an event space in Georgetown. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Shapiro attacked it with characteristic gusto, crafting an ambitious piece that drew on his experience as a foreign correspondent, learning lyrics to songs in six different languages. Much to his surprise, the first performance went so well that he decided to try to replicate it at Joe’s Pub, one of New York’s most venerated performance venues. Booking a gig at Joe’s Pub gives one immediate street cred, so the stakes were substantively higher. When his performance fell short, it shook his confidence. As he writes in his book:“I beat myself up, trying to fight the growing suspicion that I was just a pretentious dilettante and a poseur.” But he still had one more show to do and Alan Cumming – yes, that Alan Cumming -- was coming with his husband to see his show. Ari and Alan had crossed paths before at various functions and had struck up a camaraderie. Ari dreaded the thought of bombing in front of his celebrity pal, but then inspiration struck. He asked Alan if he would join him on stage for a Scottish number that was part of his act. Luckily Alan was game and this time, the show was salvaged.

The thing that I said earlier about failure applies to this as well, because when I did my solo show at Joe’s Pub, I thought that it went terribly. But Alan Cumming sang a song with me as part of that show. And years later, he and I created a show together, which we are still performing all over the country. We just finished a sold-out two-week run at the Café Carlyle in New York. That would never have happened if it weren’t for the moment at Joe’s Pub that I thought went terribly. It underscores the point about failure being a step on the path

to success rather than the opposite of success.

You’ve played some prestigious venues as a member of Pink Martini including Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. Café Carlyle has its own aura of prestige. What was it like performing there?

It felt like such a privilege to be in that room on that stage, where so many legends have performed over the years from Elaine Stritch to Eartha Kitt. There’s a moment in the show where Alan sings a song and I step back. And my temptation was to lean against the wall. And then I realized that the wall is painted with a beautiful mural that has been there for decades and is an important work of art. And so to be able to bring our show to that space was an experience I will never forget.

Shapiro credits his friendship with Cumming for providing the impetus to write the book.

One of the things that Alan taught me is to keep challenging yourself and keep doing things that are scary and risky and that you might fail at. For me, writing a book was one of those things. I have a lot of experience telling stories on the radio. But those are stories about other people. Writing a memoir is very different because first of all, you’re writing for the eye, not for the ear. Second of all, I’m at the center of the story, as opposed to the people I’m talking about on All Things Considered. So that was scary, and it was a risk.

In the chapter titled“The Whole World Falls In” you talk about your annual pilgrimage to a commune in a remote area off the grid in Nashville where you spend a week with a diverse crosssection of LGBTQ+ folk who identify as “radical faeries.” The movement has been described as a countercultural movement seeking to redefine queer consciousness. As a card-carrying faerie, having attended these gatherings since 2008, you say in your book how the experience has affected the way you move through the world, including the way you practice journalism.

You know, the thing that I love about the Faeries is the way that it allows intergenerational connection, which I think is so hard to find in queer spaces. Most places that LGBTQ people gather these days, is very segmented along generational lines. And I think the Radical Faerie movement is one of the few places that allows LGBTQ people to learn from their elders, and particularly in moments of adversity like this one. The fact that queer people who may never have fought these battles before, can talk to people who lived through the AIDS crisis, or lived through the

Stonewall riots, or dealt with other forms of hostility that have so defined LGBTQ life is really important. I think one of the things that has defined queer existence in the United States and around the world, is finding a way to not only survive in the face of hardship and adversity, but to thrive and experience joy in the face of that hostility. And so the Faerie movement, I think, is key in that it allows us to learn from those who came before us and not have to reinvent the wheel every time it feels like we are facing a significant hurdle that may seem insurmountable.

In light of what’s going on in the United States with DeSantis and the “Don’t Say Gay” law and the book banning, what is the best strategy to mount a resistance?

My role is not to strategize how to mount a resistance. Somebody once asked me, how I can use my experience and identity. My answer was, I don’t see my role as trying to influence, I see my role as trying to illuminate. My goal is to help people better understand each other and the world that we live in. And so, I think about empathy, I think about how

to view the world through the eyes of others. And I think about how to better bridge the divides that are separating us. And that’s not to dismiss the importance of those who strategize and campaign and influence, but that’s not me.

In the book, you describe how you and your brother were kind of junior ambassadors for Judaism where you grew up in North Dakota because there were so few Jewish people. In terms of your Judaism, how would you characterize your Jewish identity and how does it overlap with your gay identity?

I think being a member of any marginalized group allows you to see the scaffolding of society a bit more clearly, because fish are not necessarily aware of the water that they swim in. And if you aren’t certain whether you belong in that water or not, it’s a bit easier to perceive it. And so, I’m Jewish, but I’m not observant. I celebrate the holidays. My husband and I have a Passover Seder every year, but I think one of the most important things that Judaism taught me was a culture of questioning and not taking things for granted and always asking why. And that’s something that applies to my work as a journalist every day. ■

BY EMILIO MADRID • COLOMBIA PHOTO BY RYAN KELLMAN/NPR

JOEY SOLOWAY

TELLING OUR STORIES

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

JUST SHORT OF A DECADE AGO, AMAZON DEBUTED TRANSPARENT, A DRAMEDY FOCUSED ON THE COMING OUT OF A TRANS MATRIARCH AND THE AFFECT IT HAD ON A CONTEMPORARY JEWISH FAMILY, EACH DISCOVERING THEIR OWN IDENTITY IN THIS FASTPACED AND EVER-CHANGING WORLD. This unlikely hit became the first show produced by Amazon Studios to win a major award and the first show produced by a streaming media service to win a Golden Globe for Best Series. The show was created by Emmy-winning TV impresario Joey Soloway, based upon their own parent’s coming out as transgender. The evocative writing, the stellar cast, and the critical acclaim challenged Hollywood as to the limits of LGBTQ programming and if the nation was ready for such controversial topics. The show enjoyed four seasons and a full-scale musical and feature-length finale. Now, four years later, the show returns in reincarnated form as A Transparent Musical, a new stage piece, making its debut at Los Angeles’ Mark Taper Forum just in time for Pride and American Jewish Heritage Months. As our nation’s trans community faces political persecution, the arts once again comes forward to fight back.

Joey Soloway returns to the world of Transparent as the show’s book co-writer. Even after the TV

show’s finale, Transparent continues to be a discussion piece as more and more LGBTQ programming gets mainstream Hollywood treatment. Did Joey have any idea that the show would have such critical and audience success?

I don’t know if I expected the level of success we had with the show, but it did feel like it was going to be important somehow. The pilot was released on Amazon and within days critics were getting into what it meant. There is no better process where people can see a pilot like that.

It was all so unlikely. This tiny personal story that all of the networks passed on, and that Amazon, because of their process at the time, was allowed to be almost an indie pilot. The TV industry has totally transformed since then, of course, and we are now at the end of the bubble that was created when Netflix and Amazon entered the awards arena.

A Transparent Musical features the same beloved characters from the TV show, but in an original story that audiences unfamiliar with the show can get into. Why resurrect these characters in musical form?

Well, it’s more like these characters keep singing to us. Faith (Soloway) has always been writing this music and this is the music of our family and a lifetime of dreaming about musical classics like Jesus Christ Superstar, Fiddler, and Hair.

There’s something so emotional in telling human stories through song. We’re finding that this musical production is taking us deeper and deeper into universal human experiences, with family, with finding one’s truth, with learning how to love each other better. The music expresses feelings in a visceral way. People just seem to be able to drop so deeply into feeling when they’re in that sacred space of the theater, and they are listening to people and instruments, singing and alive.

We all have authentic selves and even though there may be obstacles to finding and expressing ourselves, when we do, we can become free. Naming our own reality, whether or not it is corroborated by society - is an actual privilege. People walking into this theater and bringing in binary versions of reality will be challenged to find a logic. The relationship - the love and the tension - between transness and Judaism is the deep background of this show. On top of those complicated ideas are songs you can’t stop singing in your head. And this familiar family, these feelings, are still alive.

This show will mark the first time a story written by transgender and nonbinary artists takes the stage at the Mark Taper Forum, a theater space devoted to premiering and showcasing provocative and socially relevant work since 1967. After its LA debut, Joey’s eyes are on Broadway and beyond.

I hope and believe that audiences everywhere will relate to the subject matter and love the songs. We need to tell trans stories wherever there are trans people - and that’s everywhere!

A Transparent Musical remains a family affair with Joey’s sister Faith, who wrote for the TV version and returns to the franchise as the musical’s composer and lyricist.

Faith and I have worked together our entire lives. We used to put on plays in our neighborhood when we were kids. We are and always have been each other’s best audience. This is the culmination - or just the very beginning - of Faith’s journey as an artist and I cannot believe I get to witness it!

As a prolific screenwriter, Joey’s medium has now adapted to include playwriting. In addition to creating a whole new medium, they co-wrote this piece with playwright and television writer MJ Kaufman, an award-winning artist whose work has literally played the globe, progressing the representation of trans characters on the stage.

It’s been interesting working with a playwright after my experience in television. I’ve learned so much from MJ! It’s a completely other kind of art form and moves at a totally different pace than film or TV. Faith and I have been creating theater and musicals together for decades but it was always very DIY, doing our own tech, I think often back in the day I was in the sound booth. This amazing machine that is the theater process involves so many distinguished technicians, artists, musicians, and collaborators that most of the time as I witness it, I am in utter awe.

Joey hopes that this musical is the first of many. Personally, they relate most to Ari, the musical’s main character and the family’s youngest sibling who is on their journey to true nonbinary identity. Soloway identifies as non-binary and gender nonconforming, changing their name to Joey in 2020.

The musical continues the TV’s version exploration of the intersection of Jewish and queer history, and how the two co-exist in modern times, in an age where hate crimes continue to plague both groups.

Isn’t it always Jewish people and Queer people who are the first victims of fascism? These are some terrifying times and that’s why it’s so important for us to tell our stories. It’s easier to dehumanize us when you don’t know us. Let’s come together and love each other, protect each other, learn from each other. It really applies to all people.

Joey is a trailblazer in challenging the norms of minority characters in entertainment. With a hand in shows like Dirty Sexy Money, Grey’s Anatomy, and United States of Tara, it was another show that made TV history that would curate Joey’s voice: Six Feet Under.

The hardest jobs were the ones where I wasn’t heard, but as I gained experience, I found my voice and learned how to use it. I learned so much from Alan Ball when he hired me to write on Six Feet Under. So much of how he ran that show and his respect for the writers and actors has influenced me in my work. When Alan trusted me, it taught me to trust myself and my story-telling instincts.

Six Feet Under changed. When Alan Ball hired me, he said he knew I could write Claire. He was very insightful in that way, looking at the writers themselves as a way to channel the characters on the show. I felt so much about Brenda and Ruth and all of the women on that show. I remember that Kate Robin - who is also a playwright - and I both felt that we were some of the first people getting to write these really raw, human women.

With Joey being a part of the advancement of our community’s narrative in entertainment, and seeing our current boom in representation, where do they see the future of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming entertainers?

I hope that all of us continue to have more opportunities to tell our stories, and that we keep opening up what’s possible when you challenge the rigidity of the binary.

And their message to the trans community this Pride?

I love you! You’re beautiful and amazing and seen.

A Transparent Musical will run through June 25th, with performances all throughout the week. ■

Tickets and show info are available at Centertheatregroup.org

THERE’S SOMETHING SO EMOTIONAL IN TELLING HUMAN STORIES THROUGH SONG.”

DAMIAN TERRIQUEZ LIVING A GLAMOROUS LIFE

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

PAGES 42,44,4547: PHOTOS BY TOMMY FLANNAGAN

WE LOVE THE RETURN OF A DIVA, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT’S KIM CATTRALL. After pleasing the gays with Sex in the City and the reboot of Queer as Folk, she returns to the screen in Netflix’ Glamorous, just in time for Pride season. The show celebrates queerness and our community, centering on the life of Marco, a gender nonconforming queer youth on their journey to figure life out. Making a splash as Marco’s friend Dizmal, a drag queen who performs at the nightclub where the show is centered, is one of the top non-binary Latinx actors to watch out for this year, Damian Terriquez. Damian joins Drag Race luminaries Monet X Change and Priyanka, holding their own and often stealing the spotlight. New to the screen, this Hollywood newcomer has already had featured roles in Netflix’s That 90’s Show, HBO Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls, and OWN’s All Rise, sharing their journey of embracing their true, non-binary self while redefining makeup and beauty standards for all. Not only are they having their moment on-screen, but they also taking over red carpets with their signature looks. WERK! This world traveler and multi-lingual activist has led a colorful life, belying their young age. Damian’s life already needs an on-screen treatment.

Born in San Diego and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, Damian’s love affair with entertainment would blossom while they watched movies in the office where their mom had to work.

I would pick up a movie on my walk from elementary school to my mom’s office at Hollywood Video and we would return it at the end of the day before we went home. There were so many movies I watched in the back of that office. I loved the escapism of the early 2000’s superhero/fantasy/action- adventure movies. Van Helsing, Underworld, Elektra, and the original X-Men trilogy were all the pinnacle of what movies were for me at the time. Although I never thought I would someday get to be on the lots where those movies were made, let alone in front of the camera as an actor.

Damian is proud of their Latin heritage. Growing up in a Mexican culture tends to be laden with hypermasculine norms thrust on the males of a family. Damian’s experience was unique and allowed them to explore who they were.

It wasn’t as machismo as it might have been had I been in a different pocket of my own family. By that, I mean that I was raised in a HUGE matriarchal family. My grandmother was the eldest of 13 siblings and as her grandson, I was afforded a certain amount of grace. Again, I was raised by a single mother and the majority of my family consists of women, so I have always been around feminine energy and sensibilities. Also, with a family as large

as mine (my grandma being one of 13 and my mom being one of 9), there’s a certain strength in numbers where no one is ever the first to do anything so things hardly ever come as a shock. That being said, there are always two sides and some of my family that still lives in rural Mexico is not the most open-minded. But it’s been really great to see everyone come together and rally behind me and what I’m trying to accomplish with my career.

Damian’s identity would evolve over time, owing their self-expression to … shoes?

I always knew I liked guys. I remember so vividly having a crush on this boy named Michael in my pre-school and I was never really ashamed or bothered by it. I was incredibly lucky to be raised by the mom that I have and I think the only reason it took until I was 13 to “come out” is because I didn’t know I had to. The gender expression aspect of my identity now didn’t come until much later. I studied fashion and marketing in university and just found women’s clothing and design so much more interesting than that of the male counterpart. It was a slow exploration of what felt like me and what didn’t. It’s difficult to decide who you are in one fell swoop and even more so to stick with one definition of what you see yourself as for a lifetime. So again, I think it comes down to luck. I’m lucky that I have a partner and family who allow me to explore who I am and who I want to be. It also helps that I’m an EU size 39 [US size 7] in shoes so it was an easy transition to shopping in the women’s section.

It was a gradual exploration, and while we got there in the end, it all began with footwear. I started exploring with some low-heeled boots, almost like tango shoes. That then developed into growing my nails out little by little. And then I was wearing more interesting tops (from the women’s section) and before I knew it my closet was 90% clothing from the women’s section but it was just because that’s what I liked. It really all stemmed from wanting to wear what I wanted and not caring what other people had to say about it.

Damian comes from a younger generation where non-binary is an established term. The identity means something different for everyone, for them it means being free.

Sometimes the people who name things really hit the nail on the head. (To me) it means that someone doesn’t have to strictly be one thing or another. That how you choose to express yourself doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive. And that we all live in a world of gray rather than black and white.

Damian’s transition from middle school to high school would be difficult. In a little over a year, they lost their dad to a massive heart attack (he was only 35). The family moved to Temecula, CA - far from the friends they had known since preschool. If that wasn’t enough, they were diagnosed with cancer at age 15, a misdiagnosis that would take weeks to resolve. Overcoming life’s obstacles, Damian would find their footing in the performing world. Damian

was offered a place on the varsity cheer team after the coach noticed Damian’s skills in gymnastics. They would go on to theatre and dance, winning multiple competitive dancing awards, and being ranked in the top 10 dancers in North America. Wanting a jump on life, they completed high school in three years. In college, they would get their marketing degree with an emphasis in fashion, turning their senior year thesis into an actual businessEpicone, a gender-neutral clothing company. Not bad for a kid.

Part of Damian’s charm is their knowledge and understanding of other cultures. They volunteered to teach English in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. In addition to English, they can speak Spanish, French, and Italian.

WE ALL LIVE IN A WORLD OF GRAY RATHER THAN BLACK AND WHITE.”

I think people could learn a lot when they allow themselves to go outside their bubble. It’s why I decided to learn French when I could just as easily have gotten an easy ‘A’ in Spanish. It’s why I chose to study abroad in London as opposed to Paris, because by that point I had friends in France and England was sort of the scarier option. I do empathize with Americans because it’s so expensive to go outside of the country. But the beautiful thing is that we live in a multicultural place where you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a trip to Europe to learn about people who are different from you.

Dance and performing continued to play a part in Damian’s life and while studying abroad in London, they would audition for the Lion King and decide to focus full throttle on their entertainment career, going on to dance in music videos for Halsey, Tiesto, and Dillon Francis.

Did they ever think that identifying as nonbinary would limit their career?

Absolutely. But it isn’t up to me if I get a role. Other people have to decide that I’m what they’re looking for. And I don’t know how long that’s going to take so I am not going to waste my own time. Before I started out, I was comfortable with the idea that it might take a long time to gain momentum. Luckily, I underestimated people and didn’t let that deter me from counting myself out entirely.

Their new show, Glamorous promises to delight as well as keep the queer conversation going, even in the face of our current political oppression.

It’s the most exciting thing! The show does so much in terms of queer, BIPOC, and

intersectional representation, while at the same time not relying on that as a gimmick. This is a show about people who live in one of the most diverse cities in the world and the cast represents that. At the same time the LGBTQIA+ representation is just that, representation. These are people who have career goals and want to fall in love and make friends. It’s a show about a diverse group of people trying to make it in a cutthroat industry in a global city - which I can relate to. I want people to know that queer stories are still worth telling after the coming out part. I am grateful that those projects exist but I feel like we are at the next phase of the LGBTQIA+ storytelling.

Are Netflix audiences ready for a show like Glamorous?

I think so. If you look at the success of Heartstopper on the platform then it should be an easy comparison. But looking at the success of Sex Lives of College Girls on HBOMax and the lack of early adulthood shows out there right now, I think Glamorous would fit really well in the current landscape while also filling a void in the marketplace for young adults who are starting their first jobs or leaving home for the first time. That sweet spot of not being in high school or college anymore but also not feeling like a fully grown adult yet even though you’re out on your own.

In true Hollywood drama, their audition for Glamorous was, well, less than glamorous.

It was … interesting. Because of the pandemic, I was cast from self-tapes which I emailed in. But I got the initial audition while on a ship in the middle of the Irish Sea while on my way to Cobh. I taped the audition facing my room on a television while recording myself on my mom’s phone and acting “opposite” a friend on speaker phone acting as my reader. Oh, and I was in a bathrobe.

Everything that could have gone wrong trying to get the tapes sent over did. I ended up having to iMessage the videos to my fiancé so that he could WeTransfer the files to my agent so that she could email me if they were good to go so I could text him to submit them. But after it was all said and done, because of the time difference and daisy chain of communication, the tapes ended up being sent to the wrong studio and I was locked out of submitting for a while. It took a second but we convinced

casting to accept them. Then we ended up submitting the same tape twice! Eventually they asked for the rest. A week later when I was back state-side the callback went much smoother and a week later they said I got the part. And I was off to Toronto!

Another scene for Damian’s life story as a series.

With shows like Glamourous showcasing lives that don’t fit the norm, and with the current political attack on the trans and non-gender conforming community, what do they want the world to know the most about the non-binary community?

I would love for people to understand that while we are a community, we are also individuals. Gender expression is a very personal thing and the circumstances surrounding one non-binary person do not automatically apply to the next. I know people think that might require a lot of effort but it just boils down to looking across at the person in front of you and seeing them; getting to know them, just as you would anyone else.

Despite a rocky high school start, Damian’s star has been on a journey of success. Despite the success, they never stray far from their beginnings.

Every little win is a mountain top. So many things have to go right for anything positive to happen in this industry that anytime I get a good news email, I’m elated. So far, my biggest personal victory has been to have navigated my career as authentically as I have. I’m surrounded by people who I genuinely enjoy, I work with charities that mean a lot to me, and I’m a part of shows that I can really stand behind.

And their message to the community this Pride?

This Pride, more than ever, the community needs to be vocal and remember what Pride stands for. Different aspects of the community are being targeted and I think that those with a platform have a responsibility to represent those who don’t. In terms of legislation, both proposed and passed, I think people who are lucky enough to be at a Pride celebration should remember and fight for those who are unable to share in the spoils of living in a liberal or progressive part of the world. ■

Watch Damian as Dizmal on Netflix’s Glamorous this Pride season Follow Damian on IG: @DamianTerriquez

WE ARE AT THE NEXT PHASE OF THE LGBTQIA+ STORYTELLING.”

Tequila has gone through quite a metamorphosis over the past 15-20 years. Many credit Patrón with starting the wave of high-end tequila in the United States and making this south-of-the-border elixir the toast of the town from Hollywood to the Hamptons. Consider the A-listers who have created or endorsed a tequila, or mezcal, in recent years: George Clooney, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Michael Jordan, Nick Jonas and even Kendall Jenner have jumped on the bandwagon and created the current tequila buzz.

Back in my college days, there were only a few options, and they weren’t pretty. You had tequila as a shot with salt and lime and sucked it down, often after losing a bet. Or killed the tequila ‘bite’ with a syrupy sweet and sour margarita mix, ice cubes and a blender. Every now and again, I’ll run into someone, who at the mere mention of tequila, displays a negative visceral reaction from days past. Ahh, I think … they haven’t explored the many types, brands, and quality of the tequila spirits available today. Not to mention the recent arrival of its close cousin - mezcal spirits. If you’re ready to reintroduce yourself to a new breed, read on.

Let’s start with a few basics.

SUMMERTIME SPIRIT: TEQUILA! BEYOND THE MARGARITA

BY JIM DELYEA

What’s the difference between tequila and this new ‘mezcal’ that pops up on bar menus?

Well to start - a tequila is a mezcal, but a mezcal is not a tequila. (Got that straight?) Both are spirits made from the agave plant of which there are about 30 species that can be distilled to make mezcal. But only one of these plant species, the Blue Weber agave, is used to make tequila. So, you might experience a wider variety of flavors with mezcals with multiple agave species to play with, while tequila producers primarily use aging and agave cooking processes to create different tastes.

Most tequilas come from the Mexican state of Jalisco, but it can also come from Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit, or Tamaulipas. And if it doesn’t it can’t be called tequila. Mexican regulations around mezcal are grayer and more controversial. Some producers have gotten around this by calling products “agave spirits” or similar. But one thing that is consistent with these spirits, no matter the name, is the types.

What are the major types of tequila?

While there are some newer categories and subsets, it’s important to know the three major categories as you stroll the aisles of your favorite warehouse liquor store. The wall of tequila options can be daunting. Keep in mind, each type has its place - depending on how you’re going to enjoy it. Let’s break it down.

Blanco

Also known as silver, is tequila in a pure form. It’s clear in color and bottled right after distilling. The sharp agave-forward taste shines through. You’ll often taste vanilla, pepper, and mineral notes. It’s the one to use for classic margaritas and palomas.

Reposado

This type of tequila experiences a bit of aging in oak barrels from a few months to a year before it’s ready for bottling. You’ll notice a golden color as well as a different flavor profile. The strong agave flavor is tempered with a balance of fruit, floral and spice notes. This one is the star of drinks like a tequila old fashioned, Mexican mule, or even margaritas or palomas if you like a smokier flavor.

Añejo

This one is known as the sipping tequila. It’s aged in oak barrels from one to three years. You’ll notice a deep golden hue. It can take on the smooth and silky notes of caramel, butterscotch, custard. Feel free to sip this one neat. Some use it as a whiskey substitute in cocktails.

Now that we have the basics, let’s talk about some summertime tequila cocktail recipes beyond the margarita.

BEING FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, WITH ITS MANY CULTURAL, CULINARY, AND SIPPABLE INFLUENCES FROM SUNNY MEXICO, I TEND TO ASSOCIATE ICY TEQUILA DRINKS WITH THE WARM SUMMER SEASON. Hey, what’s better than sitting by the pool with friends, soaking up the sun, listening to relaxing grooves, and keeping cool with a refreshing tequila cocktail?

EL DIABLO

(MADE WITH DON JULIO BLANCO TEQUILA) Herbal and peppery with rich and fruity Crème de Cassis. One of the world’s first famous tequila cocktails with a Don Julio twist.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Don Julio Blanco Tequila

• 0.75 oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

• 0.5 oz Creme de Cassis

• Top with Ginger Beer

Preparation

1. Add all ingredients except the ginger beer into a shaker.

2. Add ice and shake for about 10 seconds.

3. Strain over a highball glass filled with ice.

4. Add the ginger beer and any garnish.

5. Enjoy!

PALOMA

(MADE WITH PATRÓN RESPOSADO TEQUILA) Patrón Reposado perfects this classic cocktail alongside refreshing grapefruit juice and sparkling water.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Patrón Reposado Tequila

• 3 oz Fresh grapefruit juice

• .5 oz Agave syrup (1:1)

• .5 oz Fresh-squeezed lime juice

• 1 oz Sparkling water

• + Sugar and salt for rimming

• + Grapefruit wedge for garnish

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients except sparkling water in a shaker tin and shake with ice to chill.

2. Strain onto fresh ice in a sugar and salt rimmed Collins glass.

3. Top with sparkling water and garnish with a grapefruit wedge.

4. Enjoy!

MANHATTAN

(MADE WITH HORNITOS AÑEJO TEQUILA)

A twist on the classic whiskey drink.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Hornitos Añejo Tequila

• .5 oz Sweet Vermouth

• 1 tsp Maraschino Cherry juice

• + Maraschino Cherry for garnish

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients over ice.

2. Stir.

3. Strain into cocktail glass.

4. Garnish your tequila Manhattan with a Maraschino Cherry.

5. Serve up, no ice.

6. Enjoy!

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