METROSOURCE LA - OCT/NOV 2022

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 effects 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.

CHAD

AUTUMN A SEASON TO INDULGE

FALL IS HERE. MANY OF YOU MAY FEEL A BIT LIKE ME – WE LOVE THOSE HOT SUMMER MONTHS BUT EMBRACE THE CHANGE

OF SEASONS FROM HEAT TO “SWEATER WEATHER.” Who’s a fan of brisk sunrise walks, pumpkin spice lattes, and fall food and wine festivals? Who else loves exploring new art exhibits, entertainment venues, and restaurants with the locals after the summer tourism crowd has thinned? I knew I wasn’t alone!

The harvest is a time for indulgence: festivals, dinner parties, Halloween celebrations and the granddaddy of all indulgent holidays: Thanksgiv ing! I just can’t wait to hear those sweet harvest offerings: May I top off your Pinot? More butternut squash gratin? Yes, please!

While leaves may be falling from the trees, new entertainment options are blossoming. The new fall TV season began in September, Hol lywood releases horror flicks in October, and the Oscar film contenders are often released in November. Find out about the new Netflix docu mentary The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone, a short film about an Australian transgender teen, as she helps change laws, affirms her gender, and finds her voice in this month’s Scope section. You’ll also find some hot new sounds, reads and must-attends as well.

Some of Metrosource’s exclusive content this month includes: New Emmy winner, Jef frey Marx who has gone from stage acting and directing, to stand-up, podcasting, improv, being a reality TV contestant, and now, a casting director for some of the most popular shows on television; Carmine Sabatella, the hotter than hot personality on HGTV’s Inside Out, who tries to convince homeowners looking to revamp their space to put their money towards inside renovations in a friendly war with his co-host, landscape designer Mike Pyle, who is looking to optimize their client’s budget on the outside; out country music star Ty Herndon who tells us

about his new music, coming out, and his per sonal wellness journey; entertainment industry veteran Guy Branum, Billy Eichner’s co-star and executive producer of Bros, the long-awaited gay rom-com; and so much more.

It is also important to keep in mind the many reasons behind the blessings we’re enjoying this season. One of which is the freedoms we are allowed as the people who make up this great nation. Our democracy, a work in progress as we form our more perfect union, relies on each of us to vote for government leaders and legislators. Without everyone’s voice in the upcoming elec tion process, We the People..., rings a bit empty.

Our exclusive interview with Jim Obergefell (Obergefell v Hodges landmark civil rights case plaintiff) is a helpful reminder that on Tuesday, November 8th we have the opportunity and responsibility to elect the candidates we feel will protect the freedoms we currently enjoy and create new opportunities for our LGBTQ+ com munity. Be informed on the candidates, ballot measures, amendments, and the like by reading voter guides and sample ballots from non-par tisan sources. And it you haven’t registered to vote; you may want to visit www.vote.gov for registration information for your state.

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I wish each of you a healthy, happy, and indulgent fall season. I hope you’ll enjoy this issue of Metrosource and will find laughs, insights, fresh ideas, and inspiration from our LGBTQ+ community in its pages.

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@MetrosourceMagazine

“The

we can prevent the loss

democracy

everyone votes.”

MICHAEL WESTMAN

THESCOPE

LISTEN

BOYCHIK

COMPOSER, ACTOR, AND VOCALIST BOYCHIK, THE MUSICAL MONIKER OF BEN LEVI ROSS, SHARES THEIR POIGNANT SELF-TITLED DEBUT

ALBUM OUT NOW. Alongside the release comes a subversive, anthemic single, “Soft” where Boychik channels their quiet rage to capture the multi-dimensional power that lies within queerness. Celebrate the release with merch and much more available now at itsboychik.com.

The highly anticipated arrival of Boychik, the self-titled, ten track body of work, is years in the making. It’s one that carefully chronicles the deepest parts of the multi-disciplinary artist Boychik, and the multi-dimensional person, Ben. It nec essarily brings Boychik’s queer voice and lived experiences to the forefront, bearing their heart on their sleeve, but not without bandages and bruises. “There’s a lot about the release of this record that scares me. I’ve sat on this music for many years. For a long time, writing music was a very private solitary act. But I found collaborators that created an environment for me to open up this music safely.”They continue,“Being able to expand this sound into what it is along side Jake Luppen, Nathan Stocker and Brad Oberhofer was one of the greatest joys of my life.” With such an intimate collection of music being made public, Boychik hopes the time capsule released today is handled with care.

“Soft” is a declaration of the power that queer people hold, one that Boychik wishes to scream. “I have a sea of rage inside me that I can access, and I believe it’s actually where I hold much of my power as a queer person.” The empowering track sheds light on the multi-faceted queer experience, one that cannot be simply labeled or neatly pack aged for consumption. Boychik explains, “’Soft’ is a subversion anthem. I want to sub vert the expectation that queers don’t hold power. The most powerful people I know are queer. Sissies adorning themselves with their effeminate armor every day when they leave the house. I wanted to sing for all the powerful, jagged, loud and angry queers that came before me.”

Though a tough exterior often forms naturally around queer people as a layer of pro tection, Boychik admits that on the inside, they are delicate. “Although throughout the song I repeat the hook “I’m not soft,” it becomes clear that underneath this powerful exclamation lies an incredibly soft person. I contain multitudes!

“I cry big fat tears; they built iron over the years.”

I am hard in my softness. There are dimensions to my personhood and my queerness. You cannot reduce us to a one-dimensional entity for your television program. We are layered, flawed, soft, jagged, and faggy.”

The track encourages queer people to find their own strength and resist the commonly played out trope that queer people are weak, as they’ve run into consistently throughout their acting career. “In my career as an actor, I noticed a through-line in many of the audi tions I was getting. That through-line was that the roles were almost always written as either a queer person who was weak and/or bullied, or a straight cis person, but they were always a nerd or an outcast. I found it interesting that those two archetypes went hand in hand. That

the only world in which I could play a straight, cis person was if they were weak, or soft. Was it because of my voice? My body? Could I only be believable as a straight, cis person if they lacked power? And the scarcity of strong, self-asser tive queer roles in general was quite troubling.” Here, Boychik firmly redefines this narrative, highlighting the strength and dimensions of queer people.

After a year of studying theater at the Carn egie Mellon School of Drama, Ross exited to join a national tour of Dear Evan Hansen, where they took the titular role from 2018-2019. The LA Times wrote Ross was “sensational,” and “has a radiant strength and fills the theater with its luminosity.” The Washington Post wrote of Ross’“rewardingly supple” voice. In 2020, they went on to star in the Kennedy Center’s pro duction of “Next to Normal” and by 2021, they made their film debut in Netflix’s Tick..Tick.. Boom!. Now, in 2022, Boychik’s artistry expands further into uncharted territory–filled with con fidence, boldness and vulnerability.

Step into Boychik’s world at itsboychik.com.

ANDRÉ SARAIVA: GRAFFITI LIFE

THE FIRST AND MUCH-ANTICIPATED BOOK BY VISUAL ARTIST, CLUB CREATOR, AND NIGHTLIFE IMPRESARIO ANDRÉ SARAIVA presents his wide range of works, from street art and contemporary art to graphic design, photography, and his influences on fashion and nightlife.

Street-cool visual artist-cum-nightlife guru, André Saraiva, whose life dovetails into graffiti subculture, chic jet-setting, and the fashion world, presents an autobio graphical visual diary of sorts, a revealing window into the worlds he inhabits. This visual journey is an inter active and striking object itself, with a either a vibrant pink cloth- or blue cloth-cover, Saraiva’s distinctive handwriting in foil, and seven pop-ups he designed.

Chances are that while you’ve been strolling through the streets of Paris, London, New York, or Los Angeles, you may have caught a glimpse of Saraiva’s signature graffiti of Mr. A on a random street wall. Or you may have seen him in the Banksy film, Exit Through the Gift Shop; spied him in the front rows of the Paris Fashion Week shows; or seen him at one of his chic nightclubs. Graffiti Life is a never-before-seen look at the artist’s spheres through which he effortlessly moves street culture, contemporary art, graphic design, pho tography, fashion, and nightlife. It follows Saraiva’s art/ life trajectory and includes his Instagram-worthy tags on the streets of Paris; countless silk-screened posters; paintings and sculpture; creative collaborations with Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Colette, and more.

READ

WATCH

THE DREAM LIFE OF GEORGIE STONE (NETFLIX)

SPANNING NINETEEN YEARS, THE DREAMLIFE OF GEORGIE STONE TAKES US INTO THE WORLD OF GEORGIE, AN AUSTRALIAN TRANSGENDER TEEN, AS SHE HELPS CHANGE LAWS, AFFIRMS HER GENDER, AND FINDS HER VOICE. Made in collaboration with Georgie herself, this is the story of a childhood under siege and a loving family who stood strong behind their daughter, offering an undeniable case for the agency of transgender children and teenagers to make their own decisions about their gender identity. As Georgie emerges into adulthood, she can finally imagine, hope and dream of her future self.

Georgie tells us, “For me, the title has a double meaning. The story we are telling has me sifting through my memories, looking back at my past as I drift off to sleep. But the title also refers to me reclaiming agency over my life. Getting to a point where I can stop living for other people, and finally live my own life.” Directed by Maya Newell. Visit www.netflix.com/thedreamlifeofgeorgiestone.

Photo from Andre Saraiva: Graffiti Life (Published by Rizzoli)

SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET BROADWAY’S LUNT-FONTANNE

10036)

TONY AND GRAMMY-NOMINATED MULTI-PLATINUM RECORDING ARTIST

JOSH GROBAN AND TONY AWARD WINNER ANNALEIGH ASHFORD WILL

BOTH RETURN TO BROADWAY THIS SPRING IN SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET, directed by Thomas Kail. Featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Hugh Wheeler, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street will begin performances on February 26, 2023, and open on March 26, 2023.

Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s landmark musical tells the tale of a resourceful pie shop owner and a vengeful barber out for blood. After he’s sent away by a corrupt judge, Sweeney returns to London years later seeking his long-lost family, and forms an unlikely partnership with Mrs. Lovett, who serves up pies under neath his former shop. Together, they wreak havoc on Fleet Street and serve up the hottest – and most unsettling – pies in London.

For the first time since 1980, Broadway audiences will experi ence Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award®–winning score as it was performed in the original production—with Jonathan Tunick’s orig inal 26-player orchestration on an epic scale. Tony Award–winning director Thomas Kail (Hamilton) helms the return of this musical thriller starring Tony and Grammy® nominee Josh Groban (Nata sha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812) as Sweeney Todd, and Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford (Sunday in the Park with George, Kinky Boots) as Mrs. Lovett.

The original Broadway production of Sweeney Todd was the winner of eight 1980 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score, and Best Direction for Hal Prince. Its London premiere won the 1980 Olivier Award for Best Musical. Tickets are on sale at www.ticketmaster.com.

CALLING ALL GOURMET FOOD LOVERS! THIS WORLD-CLASS EVENT HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE GREATEST GOURMET TRADITIONS AND CUISINES IN PUERTO VALLARTA AND RIVIERA NAYARIT, GIVING FOODIES AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAMPLE DISHES FROM VISITING INTERNATIONAL CHEFS AND HONE THEIR CULINARY SKILLS BY TAKING PART IN WORKSHOPS AND COOKING CLASSES. With over 60 chefs participating, visitors will not want to miss the showcase of great gastronomy in Mexico. For guests who can’t decide where to eat from the 30 participating restaurants, the Gourmet Safari is an exclusive experience that offers a gourmet four-course progressive tasting tour of restaurants in the downtown area of Puerto Vallarta, one of the most requested and entertaining gourmet experiences of the Festival, from sunset to midnight. Dinner, champagne, select wines and transportation included. Also part of the celebration is the Vinoma Wine Fest, presenting 30 Mexican wineries and other countries, eight local restaurants, personalized tastings, thematic experiences and a great atmosphere with shows to liven up the party. Visit https://festivalgourmet.com.mx for all the events and information.

Annaleigh Ashford and Josh Groban. Photo by Franz Szony

JEFFREY MARX

HAVE HIT A STRIDE IN FINDING BEAUTY

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

JEFFREY MARX IS A JACK OF ALL TRADES WHEN IT COMES TO ENTERTAINMENT. He has gone from stage acting and directing to stand-up, podcasting, improv, being a reality TV contestant, and now, a casting director for some of the most popular shows on television. Not without a few bumps along the way, his passion for the industry has also taken him from couch surfer to Emmy winner. Very strong in his opinions, he can chat you up about any of the hottest politi cal or social issues but will probably end up dishing on the latest episode of this reality TV show or that. How could he know that his early obsession with reality TV would lead to being an Emmy-winning member of that same industry?

Facing societal issues is just what Jef frey does, it’s his second nature. Raised in ultra-conservative Orange County, Califor nia, he found his safe space in the theater department at Orange Coast College and a local theatre company where he was able to perform and direct pieces from controversial writers. In a climate where money and exclu sivity rule, he was telling his story, unaffected by what people might think of him. Truth was extremely important to him, especially regarding his sexuality.

My position on it was that I would never lie about who I was - and no one asked. My mom sweetly made sure to tell me through the years that whoever I wanted to be was OK with her. In my first semester of college, I took a speech class with a wonderful teacher who made us write about a secret. I wrote about being bisexual. When we had our one-on-one meetings, she was like, just make sure this is a truthful essay and I was like ok, “I’m gay.” I folded so fast. I started painting my fingernails the next day.

Part of that truth that he has always shared is his acceptance of his body and challenging the norms, even within the gay community, that did not regard “fat” people as welcome.

MTV’s The Real World debuted my freshman year in high school. I thought, “What a cool way to make new friends!” and “Oh, there are other gay people out there?” Not every teenager realized that in 1992. My love for the genre was easily set in stone and I became a scholar of social dynamics and what makes people tick. Getting bullied at lunchtime for being fat and effeminate honed my skills. If I could turn the tables with my words and make the audience laugh at the bullies, then the power was mine and they’d leave me alone. Be a spectacle and flip it in your favor. Maybe it was my flair for drama or my youthful obsession with playground alliances, but reality TV seemed to be in my blood.

Jeffrey’s first professional brush with reality TV came when he was cast on The

Glass House, ABC’s short-lived take on Big Brother. In true Marx form, his appearance turned into a statement of gay inclusion, reli gion vs. sexuality, and body positivity. What did he learn most about reality TV from his time on the show?

That when you leave it up to Ameri can voters, the most deserving doesn’t win. My story arch on the show was one of two players whose truth and authenticity were inspiringly stunning, but neither of us won. The straight, white, reasonably attractive, conserva tive male easily wins by doing nothing but show up. I actually thought the gay guy could finally win. I didn’t. This was before our insane politics of today and I always wonder what a show like Glass House would be like now, keep ing in mind all the societal issues that face us currently.

I never felt a struggle with my selfconfidence as it related to my size. I truly have no idea why. I do wish I let my confidence carry into my sexual life earlier than it did when I moved to NYC at age 25. For a long time, I thought only fat people have sex with fat people, but as I grew into a fully realized gay human, I realized that you never know who is going to be attracted to you. And the confidence you swing around is a big part of what gets their attention. People with selflove glow a little brighter and others are drawn to that feeling because they want it too. Be OK with the fact that you aren’t going to be everyone’s type, know what’s hot about yourself, and they’ll find you.

Jeffrey has become an important part of the bear community, from his work on screen as well as behind. He has hosted events, attended a million of them, and has brought along a shy bear or two (or a hundred).

JEFFREY

My first summer playing with the bears was a little intense. I was in my mid-20s and was immediately thrown into a polyamorous explosion where everyone slept with everyone’s boyfriends and people you thought were your friends didn’t care about bound aries. I made some lifelong friends (and enemies) in the community but ultimately I took a step back from being super involved.

When I moved to Los Angeles in my mid-30s, I quickly adapted to the chill, Californian ways. More guys, less pretentiousness, and a booming chubby chaser scene. I think for the most part today, yes, we are a diverseminded group of progressive queer folks. Way more so than the scene twenty years ago.

When Jeffrey came into conflict with another cast member on The Glass House, haters would easily attack Marx on his weight. Nothing new to him, that was the

easy joke. But his presence on television proved that bigger people have a right to be on television, and they are damn good at it. Now, as a casting director, he sees what networks are looking for and what they are discussing behind the scenes when it comes to terms of casting heavier-set people. Is body positivity really getting better, even in the LGBTQ entertainment circle?

It has in the way that people with different body types are visible and proud. Their unique attractiveness is elevated and that opens minds to seeing what can be hot about different people. My Grindr bio now says “Ever been curious about having sex with a fat guy? Hit me up. I’m great.” Way bigger response now than I ever would have imagined, especially in this post-vaccination era where the gays be wildin’! There will always be room for improvement, but I do think we have hit a stride in finding beauty in non-traditional ways. As

a casting producer, I know myself and my colleagues always keep this in mind when building shows.

He has become an activist – for both queer and plus-size individuals – using any platform he can to candidly address these issues and call people on their BS. Nothing new for Jeffrey. His presence during the protests on Wall Street became a visual phenomenon on its own.

I was poor, unemployed, and mad at our government. The Occupy Wall Street move ment really changed the way people talk about how money influences power in our government. We the people get screwed on a regular basis and if we all could take a breath and join forces, we could make the real changes that need to be made. Like the health care system for starters!

His entertainment career would shift from acting and comedy to casting for reality TV, and ultimately his Emmy win. He was a quick study and was soon working on TV’s top shows, learn ing about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the genre firsthand.

Hollywood Game Night and America’s Got Talent were my first gigs. Testing games with Jane Lynch and Sean Hayes was a warm welcome to the world of TV. Be kind, be genuine, be funny and people love you. My experience on AGT was the opposite - colleagues throwing you under the bus, lies, manipulation, artistic theft, and being pitted against each other by our superiors. It was an equally important lesson that not everyone is your friend and showing pas sion, drive and a good work ethic is actually threatening to mediocre professionals. The casting industry isn’t unionized, so work place protections and regulated practices don’t exist. Yet.

His knack for casting took him farther and far ther away from his stage and TV time, did he have any regret in putting that part of his talent on the back burner?

In retrospect, absolutely not. Acting and comedy were a blast and if I had the time and financial resources to keep it as the focus, I’d have kept at it. And kudos to those that do! Especially without the aid of others. Being an artist is a struggle and I admire all of us who keep at it, despite the uncertainty of it all. Many of us start as performers and become great at other entertainment-related fields - producing, marketing, design, and publicity. It’s all valuable. Casting fulfilled a creative element, and I could pay rent, so

that’s the path I followed.

Even with his successes in the casting world, projects exist individually so when a gig is done, it’s done. This meant no promises of a steady paycheck, no calendar of when the next job was coming, which also meant having to move in with his family at certain points, and even couch surfing. Even with other obstacles such as a car accident, family issues, and other situations outside of his control, he was unfettered. This was his life. What kept him going through these tougher times?

Hope. We live in a world where hope can be difficult to hold on to and I’ve always had a core center of hope and truth. Sometimes hope gets lost, but if you draw on your strength, you can find it again. Being on a creative path, there will be highs and lows. It’s a marathon and if you believe in your skills, then you have to strap in for the long game.

As the boom in LGBTQ representation in the media continued, it was only a matter of time before Jeff’s queerness would come full circle and he would finally be able to work on a show that was part of this truth. He would come to work on HBO’s hit show, We’re Here, featuring Drag Race alum Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka, and Shangela traveling to small, conservative towns across the nation to celebrate queer and ally culture through drag shows and intimate explorations into small town life.

I had just finished working on MTV’s The Real World when a new production company reached out to me to help cast a pilot. They described it only as “a queer travel show.” Once hired, they explained the entire concept. Season one was built by me and the showrun ner. It was the most creative power I’ve ever had on a project, like everything I had worked on in my life equipped me to put that show together. After going on the shoot in Gettysburg and working with Bob, Shangela and Eureka, it was clear we had something special. It’s knockout documentary filmmaking and that’s because everyone who works on that show is operating at the top of their craft. It was the first time I ever felt a fully supportive TV family.

Marx would have the opportunity to bring the show “home,” in a manner of speaking.

My entire family moved to Temecula,

California, about 12 years ago. The con servative vibes there always made me feel out of place and like I needed to mute my identity. So, when we started looking at California towns, I knew the western wineries of Temecula would serve as a picture-perfect backdrop to explore a conservative pocket in a liberal state. All of the stories in that episode entwined so well together and inspired the local LGBTQ community to start being more visible. Now, just a year and a half after filming, Temecula has drag brunches (even if conserva tive city council members led protests against them) and their Temecula Valley Pride is bigger and better than ever. It makes me feel good that my tiny push in the right direction has blossomed into tons of queer presence in that town - a place where I was told to shut up at a restaurant for talking to my sister about a guy I was dating. Where I once was shy about holding hands in public, I now feel emboldened. It is fascinatingly satisfying to see change like that in real-time.

Does Jeffrey think LGBTQ representation in media is here to stay?

Simply existing as a queer person is inherently political. Unscripted television reflects the state of society as we travel through the years, so we will always be visible. I don’t think it’s forced at all; I think it’s necessary and those at the top know it. Also, follow the money. Queer dollars count and

we’ve had fantastic wins in TV shows made just for us and about us. Billy Porter recently said on The View, “The reason the pushback that we’re getting from Florida ... is because the change has already happened. That’s what I’m starting to talk about.” Look how many seasons of Drag Race exist on a global level. Who cares what the vocal minority has to say about queer culture? We’re not only here to stay, but we’re also here to steer entertainment.

This last Emmy nomination season, Jef frey was at his office desk (aka his dining room) looking for any possible nominations for the latest season of We’re Here. His pleas ant surprise, his name was up in lights - not for We’re Here, but for another passion project show of his, Love on the Spectrum. The show follows people on the autism spectrum as they navigate the world of dating and rela tionships, something Jeffrey and his mom, Candy, had some closeness to. She was his first call.

Many lifetimes ago, I worked as a paraeducator in the special educa tion field. My mom worked from age 18 to retirement with people with disabilities and it was a natural skill she had passed down to me. The secret to working as a job coach and teacher for people on the spectrum was to just talk to them honestly and listen with care. Don’t treat them any differently than anyone else and you would build a solid rapport in the classroom. If We’re Here was the culmination of years of being

PEOPLE WITH SELF-LOVE GLOW A LITTLE BRIGHTER.”

an out gay man who was a reality TV encyclopedia, Love on the Spectrum U.S. was the culmination of all the training and advice my mom had instilled in me about a community that was very near and dear to our hearts.

Casting the show would be a unique experience for Jeffrey, everything he had learned during his time as a counselor was now his biggest resource. Life had come full circle yet again.

My interview process for Love on the Spectrum U.S. was all through zoommultiple producers working separately on different components. Days would go by during quarantine and the only people I talked to were those I was interviewing for the show. We don’t get people automatically applying for a show like Love on the Spectrum, so outreach, researching, building trust, and pitching the show to the autism community were of top importance to gain momentum. It can be difficult to prove you’re a legit producer over the phone and the internet, so having an open and honest social media presence and an authentic passion for the project in my voice really helped. Connecting in an authentic way with other humans on zoom can be exhausting during an endless pandemic, but the instinctual

honesty of people on the spectrum was refreshing. Truth is a cornerstone in my life and the people I was interviewing sensed and appreciated that. I leaned into my past abilities to build fast rela tionships in a language and style I had learned from my mom so many years ago. Every person I interviewed had charming insights and opened their hearts and we always left the conversation on a hopeful note. A much-needed energy boost during trying times.

I’ve been asked many times “What’s the best thing about working with people on the spectrum?” For me, it’s that they can effortlessly demonstrate unconditional love. Their truthful and direct communication should be admired for its simplicity. I wish every neurotypical person could drop our social masks and egos to dig deep and connect our hearts. The world would be a better place.

Jeffrey has never been dazzled by star power or affected by the grandiosity of Hol lywood. If you’ve followed Jeffrey’s career, it was endearing to see Jeffrey prepare for the Emmys by looking for his tux and changing his Facebook name to “Emmy Nominated.” He has earned his place at the table, through years of literal blood, sweat, and tears. Oh, and he took his mom. Oh, and he won.

I’m still in shock, honestly. It’s never been something that I focused on or expected, but now that it’s here it feels very good. Like, I’ve accomplished something that really solidifies me as a master at the craft. I’m allowing this win to represent all the work I’ve put so much effort in through the last decade. Every show, every experience, is part of me and I will be holding them all in my heart.

With an Emmy award in hand, he is ready as ever to use his platform to once again speak up for activism, this time for his cast ing peers.

We have to unionize. So many sections of entertainment have unions and unscripted casting is truly a wild west shark tank extravaganza. In order to regulate pay and put workplace protec tions into place, we have to collectively join forces as professionals. The writer’s union in scripted TV is willing to help us shape our area of entertainment, but we must get organized to do it. Some production companies and small casting companies have good-hearted, missionbased professionals at the helm - and some simply do not. I’ve met some of the best, brightest people in the world through casting and some of the most empty-souled, viciously ego-centric, shady maniacs on earth. The only way it changes is to band together in the name of good.

Still working from home, he is engaged with another show for another major net work that he can’t talk about. It’s clear he’s good at his job, it’s clear he is a modern-day trailblazer, and it’s clear he hasn’t forgotten his comedy.

If I can’t get back into real offices soon, I may just stumble around with my Emmy begging, “I graduated TV Land, can I have a steady job now?” I’d hate to leave a freelance career that I’m so well suited for, but I’d trade it in for stability as long as it still felt like I was helping change lives for the better in some way.

■ You can follow Jeffrey on

RODRIGUEZ

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

THIS LAST SUMMER, SEASON 3 OF NETFLIX’S TEEN COMEDY NEVER HAVE I EVER PREMIERED. Created by Mindy Kaling, the show has quickly become a fan favorite with youth and beyond. The show centers around an Indian American teen (Devi) and her family and friends as she wades through the intricacies of puberty, high school pressures, and love, while also balancing her family’s culture with her US identity. With a special focus on racial diversity and sexual explo ration, the show’s success reflects what audiences want to see – a collage of true American diversity with a helping of dramedy, hold the pomp and circumstance. The show is a perfect reboot of the coming-of-age stories of the 80s with the present-day actuality of diversity in the 2020s.

Standout actor Lee Rodriguez portrays Fabiola, Devi’s best friend, who is enjoy ing her own character arc as we’ve seen her character blossom from robot obsessed nerd to a compassionate and strong girl bat tling her own struggles with coming out, all the while crushing on a fellow student. The media was immediately swept up by Lee’s character story, creating an interesting flurry of questions and assumptions. And while she celebrates her queer sexuality, she is not defined by it.

I get the question a lot, “Are you really gay?” For a while it made me question, do I not look like I’m a queer person? What about me doesn’t read gay? That’s something I just had to be okay with. I’m always going to get the question. I know who I am. I know what I like. I guess it just comes along with the job - especially depending on the kind of story you’re telling. There are so many things I focus on rather than my sexuality. It’s an important part of me and a part that I freely share, but I just have so many interests.

Once her queerness became a focal point, headlines started to include mention of her sexuality. With her take on being labeled, does she think the constant mention of an actor’s sexuality helps or hinders the progres sion of LGBTQ representation?

I think it’s somewhere in the middle. It helps because, through Fabiola, so many queer, young people have been inspired to come out because of her story. I do think it is important and we should continue to talk about it and have these storylines. But it goes beyond coming out and there’s more to a person than their coming out story. That’s just life, everything goes beyond just one piece of you.

I feel like I do create space to be able to talk about other things. In a way, I am similar to Fabiola in the sense that she’s not really hip with pop culture and queer culture. I always like to talk about that as well - there’s no one way to be queer. You can really do whatever you want. You can talk about it as much or as little as you want.

Photo courtesy of Netflix

Lee publicly came out on National Coming Out Day two years ago. While it was news to Hollywood, it wasn’t to her immediate family. Even with progression in LGBTQ represen tation, certain cultures, such as Lee’s heritage of both Mexican American and African American, can be more resistant to the news.

It wasn’t like I discovered my sexuality when I publicly came out. It was way before then. My family knew about it way before then as well. But to come out pub licly, I knew that all of my family would see, and they would have questions. I think my family members who do agree and support me are people that I constantly stay in touch with and care about and value. And the ones who don’t, I don’t really talk to them.

Lee’s view of Hollywood is unique. While enjoying a lead role in a major network show, she is also representing not only queer actors, but Latinx and Black minority groups as well. Is racial diversity in Hollywood really getting better from her standpoint?

I think it is starting to become more of a part of the conversation. I feel like it’s being talked about a lot more, which is cool. Even audition-wise, I’ve been start ing to notice that I’m going out more for Afro-Latina roles, which I think is awesome that it’s a category now. So, yeah, I think there’s some progress.

Celebrating other minority groups, Never Have I Ever fea tures a lead female protagonist, her female friends, her cousin who is fighting the norms of arranged Indian marriages, and a single mom struggling to keep some sanity in the household –all created by Mindy Kaling, one of the most powerful female voices in comedy today.

This show highlights women supporting women. I mean, there are so many storylines like Devi and Aneesa fighting over a boy. Usually, this would result in two women hating each other. But not here. They were still able to be friends and support each other, which I think

THERE’S MORE TO A PERSON THAN THEIR COMING OUT STORY”

is cool. It’s important to show healthy female friendships and just supporting each other and calling each other out when you’re wrong. This show does a great portrayal of female friendships.

A relative newbie to TV, Lee started per forming on stage when she was in 8th grade at her performing arts junior and senior high school. She listed herself with a talent agency and shortly thereafter appeared in her first TV show Class of Lies, then Grown-ish, to her cur rent role in Never Have I Ever. During the three seasons as Fabiola, Lee has evolved.

Being a part of the show has allowed me to grow professionally as an actor as well as build friendships and connect with a lot of people through Fabiola’s storyline, which has been so awesome and so inspiring.

Lee’s character is at times nervous but always kind, caring, and intelligent. She is skilled in robotics and science, just not in the gay dating scene. Often presented as a tomboy of sorts, she still isn’t pigeonholed into an assumptive gay stereotype. How is Lee most unlike her character, how is she most like her?

I mean, our style is probably the main thing. It’s so funny because I get the comment all the time, “Oh, you look nothing like Fabiola. You act nothing like Fabiola in real life!” And I’m just like, still me y’all, still the same person. But I totally get it, style-wise, completely different. We’re also not like each other through robotics. I don’t know anything about robotics. I’m not good at it. But we’re both queer, we’re both a good friend, and can be awkward at times.

The writers have done such a great job at telling Fabiola’s story. I find myself relating to the character or realizing, “Oh, wow, I didn’t know I felt this way.” It’s really cool to have those moments of realization and bring them to the character and find out other people think, “Oh yeah, I kind of feel this way as well.” The writers are just really on it and brilliant.

Another aspect of Lee’s life that holds her passion is her music. As a young child, she reveled in the world of music and will soon put out her first EP.

I love writing music because it’s more of me and my own thoughts and I

control the narrative. I hear an instrument, like someone playing guitar, or myself playing the guitar, then I create a melody and then lyrics. That’s usually how my process goes. It’s fun and creatively fulfilling.

Her inspiration for music would come from the unlikeliest of places.

This is going to be so funny, but I started to really love music was when I was nine or 10 and I would watch Hannah Montana. She lived the best of both worlds. And for some reason, that just really inspired me to want to do music. Hannah Montana was my musi cal awakening, I guess you could say.

Looking forward, Lee is equally interested

in pursuing horror and drama, as well as con tinuing in comedy. She wants her passion for acting to fill many different spaces and genres. If her short time on-screen has been any indication, the sky’s the limit. The show has become a fan favorite, Lee has become a fan favorite. Her social media continues to climb as she spreads messages of equality and activism for LGBTQ causes, the hungry, and climate awareness. Her message to her fans?

Thank you for supporting me and believing in me and seeing me grow. I hope that I’m doing some sort of good and spreading a good message.

■

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS I FOCUS ON RATHER THAN MY SEXUALITY.”

HERNDON

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

RYAN

IN 2014, TY HERNDON CAME OUT TO THE WORLD IN HIS PEOPLE MAGAZINE EXCLUSIVE, BECOMING THE FIRST MAJOR MALE COUNTRY ARTIST TO COME OUT AS GAY. In our current boom of celebrities coming out as LGBTQ, it is easy to forget just how terrifying it was and what a career killer it was for someone to come out, especially someone in the country music scene. Ty’s fans, who had helped him become a chart-topper since his solo debut in 1995, supported him and have followed him on his journey. Ty became a trailblazer for singers, especially country music singers, to come out in a safer space. Now, eight years later, Ty has come out again. Herndon, under the media’s eye, is sharing about his recent drug relapse and his diag nosis as bipolar. In a very real brush with death, he got back on track and is telling his story through the media, his music, and his new podcast, SOUNDBOARD, discussing mental health topics with celebrity guests. Starting the podcast was a major part of his healing. His voice now, is stronger than ever.

Through healing and trauma work, I discovered that recovery and mental health wellness is really the Magic Kingdom and I’m tall enough for all the rides. I’m prospering and am now able to get down to the bottom of my mental health - just finding out that at 59 years old I’m manic bipolar. It just never crossed my mind. Trauma in your mental health situation can be like tar and feathers - layers and layers of tar. It takes a lot of work to break that up, but there is freedom on the other side. I wanted to do SOUNDBOARD and talk to other artists who have been on journeys, maybe not exactly like mine, but just their own personal journeys of wellness and what they do to turn up the positive voices and keep those negative voices at bay.

Working through mental health has only in the last few years become a subject that has been brought into the spotlight. Whether it be cultural, generational, or even considered good manners, no one talked about their mental health. In today’s age of social media sharing, people have become more comfortable sharing their stories and seeking out help. Celebrities have been more open about their own struggles with depression, addiction, and bipolar disorder. Before, Ty’s headlines were talk of his sexuality, now there is an emphasis on his mental health and sobriety. Is that constant focus triggering for him?

I spent so many years not talking about it, that it’s a pleasure to open up. So quite honestly, I have a lot of pride. I want to change the whole face of the discussion – so it’s not that if you have some mental things going on, you’re broken, if you’re in treatment or been to treatment, or if you’re sober, you’re damaged.

Refusing to be seen as broken with his recent bipolar diagnosis, he did the work, and he knows what each day must look like incorporating his mental health with his sobriety and his career. He is making it a positive.

Anytime we get a diagnosis of something that is making our life bad, that’s a success story. You have to find your own mental health journey with it. Nobody’s story is the same and there are so many resources to help figure out how a medication is going to work, and how to find a balance. Especially for people in recovery, you must find a really good balance that works for you and will work in the long run. I was fortunate to have some great teachers and counselors that helped me with that.

Stripped of false confidence enabled by drugs or alcohol, Ty has returned with his first all-new material album since 2016. Perhaps his most intimate album to date, JACOB is a detail of his personal struggles and triumphs as he explores his past and how overcoming crystal meth, sexual trauma, mental illness, and hitting rock bottom has brought him back to salvation. Without addiction, his creative process has certainly changed. The theme for the album would come from Ty’s restart at recovery.

I always say that you just have to tear that town down because it’s not serving you. I can function better. I’m a better songwriter. I’m a better everything. And certainly, a better businessman. Get real with yourself. That’s the number one thing. I think being balanced you’ll learn new habits, because, for me, I was surprised after doing all this trauma work that it was very little about drugs and alcohol.

We spent close to a year on this music. When I went into treatment this time after my relapse, I pretty much had said, “I’ve got a legacy of music I’m kind of done, I’m gonna do something else.” On the third day, sitting down with my spiritual advisor, Clint at J. Flowers Institute, he asked, “Hey man, I know you’re spiritual. You’re a God guy, right?” I replied, “Yeah, yeah, pretty much.” He said, “You know the story about Jacob in Israel? That’s totally you, man. You’ve been

WELLNESS IS REALLY THE MAGIC KINGDOM AND I’M TALL ENOUGH FOR ALL THE RIDES.”

crippled. You got some scars. Now it’s time to go out and be a leader in your tribe.” And with those few words, it hit me like the old Pentecostal belt, my next record is going to be called Jacob and it is going to be about my scars, my failures, and my successes. The very thing that I’ve run from my whole life is sitting center stage and I never thought that would be possible, but through wellness it was. It’s the greatest music of my life. The fans are loving the new music and it’s the most authentic thing I’ve ever done.

A chilling track from JACOB is “God or the Gun” which candidly talks about his brush with his suicide. Ty credits his survival to his guardian angel and a phone call with a friend, with a fistful of Ambien. Though he started singing in church choirs as a young boy, his relationship with God is fluid and exists outside of a building.

I don’t do religion anymore. I think it’s silly. When I counsel with kids today, I’m like, look, God’s a cool guy. What he, they, them, whatever your higher power, your spirituality is in you, you will find it in this life, I promise you that. God should be mad at us for what we’ve done with religion because the love and all the wonderful stuff has been replaced by some bad teachings. I sit on the tail gate in my truck and talk to God. I call it God, it’s a good energy. I also walk barefoot through the grass every morning and feel the Earth’s energy and what kind of goodness it has for me to help me through the day. I think one of the worst things is that in the LGBTQ community, kids think they’re broken and worthless, and they think that something happened that made them bad. That had nothing to do with God and it had everything to do with some broken families. So, one thing I love about us in the gay community, we can build our own families and I love spreading that gospel.

Looking back at his career, his highs and lows, his multiple chart-topping singles and albums, it is his coming out is still very fresh in his mind.

I spent a year just putting my mental health together, and Chely Wright is the only person I talked to.

She’s in country music and she was really the first and so brave. She’s been my friend for years and helped make it better for me, and I lift her up for that. I hear people say, oh man, why do you have to come out? I’m like, well, it’s like air to me, it’s the truth. You have to know the truth. I have to be authentic. And I’ve never been afforded that quality. I came out and that was a piece of the pie for me.

There were too many secrets. There were too many relationships that had to stay hidden and that alone is trauma. I could not live in a career anymore where my blood and bones did not feel welcome in my own body.

I think a lot of people feel that way when they feel the need to come out because they’re living a lie. You finally get to a place where you’re brave enough to say, okay, I look around me, I’ve got plenty of friends that are not going to leave me. If I lose a family member then I’m gonna lose ‘em, maybe they’ll come back. Am I gonna lose my job? So, there’s a lot that goes into it that people don’t realize. To me, it’s a celebration and it’s also a huge risk, but I think in anything that you do, if you’re gonna take a risk, then educate yourself in what the risk is and make a decision.

The visibility of the LGBTQ community in country music is because of the cour age of Ty and of other musicians like Chely Wright. The change may be slow, but it is happening.

I am seeing artists like Lily Rose, who just had her second number one, and I heard on WSM Radio that they’re talking about her wedding coming up. They were talking about how she’s marrying her longtime girlfriend. It was one of the five times in my life I had to pull my truck over. I just cried. It was a happy cry, but I’m like, would you listen to that? I got to live to see the day when they talked about a gay wedding on country radio.

Even with these advancements, situa tions still happen. The media grabbed hold of transphobic tweets made by country music singer Jason Aldean’s wife which resulted in the couple’s long-time PR com pany dropping them. Social media split

between support of her transphobic comments as well as those applauding the PR firm.

I think it’s definitely our job to say something. I think if an injustice towards some precious thing is happening, then you have a responsibility, especially if you have a platform. But I think there’s a way to say it. I think there’s a kind ness. Be educated in your words, think about something before you speak. Don’t speak out of heat or anger, just come from the facts and you know, we’ll let Maren Morris do the rest. [Laughs]

Ty’s premier podcast episode features LeAnn Rimes sharing her best practices for mental fit ness. The debut season continues with a who’s who of the music industry in a way that you’ve never heard them before. Totally candid, totally open, and totally focused on mental health.

I want people on that really have a story. Crystal Lewis got to talk about some very difficult things, and she did it so beautifully because she’d never had the chance to talk about them before. I always tell people to go listen to the podcast to get the whole story. It’s the first time I’ve been able to talk about my story with my words, to own my shit, and to set the record straight. We all need that, especially if you’re living your life under a microscope.

On a lighter note, Ty is heading back into the dating scene. With clarity and a new voice, romance looks a bit different. How is it going?

Very poorly. My sponsor is actually making me go on a safe date - just go to a movie with somebody. One thing I learned about getting healthy, is to be okay with just me. I’ve been in a relationship since I was 18 years old, in and out, because I had to have that. I don’t have to have it anymore, but it’d be nice. So, it will look different this time. If it’s moving towards me, I’m just gonna let it. Always in the Herndon household, it shows up when it walks in. Hey, if you’re out there and you like country music and you got all your teeth, hit me up.

I GOT TO LIVE TO SEE THE DAY WHEN THEY TALKED ABOUT A GAY WEDDING ON COUNTRY RADIO.”

INDULGE IN GROOMING THIS AUTUMN

BY JEFFREY JAMES KEYES

CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY THIS YEAR WHEN THE DASHING SKINCARE GURU CHRIS SALGARDO RELEASED THE NEWS HE LAUNCHED ATWATER, A NEW PREMIUM SKINCARE BRAND. To say that we couldn’t order the full line fast enough would be an understatement. Salgardo is the former President of Kiehl’s Since 1851 and author of the extraordinary book Manmade: The Essential Skincare and Grooming Reference for Every Man, which was the first grooming and skincare guide created with a 21stcentury man in mind. Checking out the new ATWATER line reminded us that fall is the best season to clear the cobwebs out of your medi cine cabinet. We recommend going through your bathroom shelves carefully and tossing anything that might be outdated or old. In addi tion to ATWATER there are several new and interesting products that have come out recently that we recommend checking out including products by Borghese, Eighth Day, Exuviance, and more. The season is changing, so out with the old and in with the new!

ATWATER www.atwaterskin.com

The ATWATER name pays homage to Mr. Salgardo’s father’s, Atwater, CA. The brand was inspired by Chris Salgardo’s love of great grooming, adventure, sport, bright and healthy skin. About the launch, Salgardo states, “As a consumer myself and after work ing in the beauty industry for over 30 years, I was on a mission to launch a brand that offered high-quality products that would simplify a man’s daily regimen, something he would stick to for life.” The ATWATER line features a series of collections centered around skin-type and regimen. “It’s not about reversing the clock, but looking your best as you move through life,” notes Salgardo. The line includes Skin Armor, Heavy Armor, Oil Regulator, Smooth Target, and Clean Impact: Facial Moisturizer ($35), Eye Moisturizer ($29), Face Scrub ($25), Lip Moisturizer ($12), Facial Cleansing Bar ($18), Shaving Cream ($18) and Body Cleansing Scrub Bar ($17). Standout products from the line include the Skin Armor Face Scrub, which was developed with all skin types in mind. Ingredients include jojoba beads, salicylic acid, and chlorophyllin copper complex to waken dull, tired skin while exfoliating and preventing clogged pores. The Smooth Target Shaving Cream, also built for all skin types both conditions the face for pre-shave while providing a close, comfortable shave that prevents razor burn. Rose gallica flower extract works with macadamia nut oil and chamomile flower extract to allow you to do the good deed of shaving without leaving your face a mess. The products are high quality to offer you healthier skin without breaking the bank. Stock up on ATWATER, currently available exclusively at Nordstrom and the brand’s website, www.atwaterskin.com.

Chris Salgardo

BORGHESE

www.borghese.com

Need a little eye lift? Borghese’s Occhi Ristorativo Eye Crème ($58) is an effective, weightless, cream-gel formula that both comforts and nourishes the eye area. Borghese Roma is known to deliver self-care and exceptional treatments wrapped in indulgent experiences, driven by modern-day science. The brand has a legacy rooted in Italian beauty, inspired by the powerful reju venating properties of Tuscany’s mineral-rich thermal springs. We first heard about Borghese with their Fango Active Mud Mask that came out in the ‘80s. The Advanced Fango Active Purifying Mud Mask ($50), helps to clarify, pu rify, and purge pores. Their Occhi Ristorativo Eye Crème ($58) is great to use both in the morning and at night. Minimize those fine lines and wrinkles in the most delicate parts of your face and bask in the new radiance of your skin. Need a moisturizer? Borghese’s Equilibrio Daily Moisturizer ($50) will hydrate using witch hazel and white birch with a hint of rosemary to curb inflammation. Leaves the skin with a velvety matte finish.

EIGHTH DAY

www.eighthdayskin.com

Dr. Antony Nakhla is the mastermind behind Eight Day, his formulations include a host of carefully selected ingredients vital to skin health. Through Eight Day, Dr. Nakhla sets out to speak the language of the skin by establish ing a direct line of communication with skin cells in order to send signals. In a blog post on the Eighth Day website, he notes, “Skin cells communicate with each other in a specific code, their own language.”Their latest product, The Resurfacing Tonic ($125), was formulated in a clinical setting. It features a proprietary blend of high potency, exfoliative ingredients featuring lactic and glycolic acid, professionally balanced at clinical strength levels. Use the Resurfacing Tonic to welcome the fall season by resurfacing the skin’s outer layer, remove those cells damaged by the harsh late summer sun, and balance your pH level to promote healthy, glowing skin. Is this tonic a chemical peel in a bottle? See for yourself. If you want the full Eighth Day immersion, go for The Regenerative Collection ($660), which includes The Regenerative Serum, The Reparative Moisturizer, and The Eye Renewal Cream. People might begin to wonder if you’ve begun to age in reverse.

EMINENCE ORGANIC SKINCARE

www.eminenceorganics.com

Eminence Organic Skincare has been around since 1958 and we’ve always loved their green practices and use of high quality natural, organic products like their award-winning Mangosteen Daily Resurfacing Cleanser ($48), Clear Skin Probiotic Masque ($62), and Stone Crop Serum ($55). We were over the moon to hear about their brand new Kombucha Microbiome Col lection, formulated with kombucha, gentle botanicals, and pre, pro, and postbiotics. The Kombucha Microbiome Foaming Cleanser ($46) is a liquid to foam cleanser with kombucha, ginger, white tea, and jasmine that gently removes impurities without over-stripping the skin. The Kombucha Microbi ome Balancing Essence ($46) restores the skin’s balance while enhancing lu minosity. Kombucha Microbiome Luminosity Serum ($110) is a gentle serum that tones and boosts. Looking for that special “glow” look? Look no further. Lastly, the new Kombucha Microbiome Leave-On Masque ($70) is a rich, slow-absorbing masque that brings comfort and serenity to dull, dry skin. Let the hydration last all day long with Eminence.

EXUVIANCE

www.exuviance.com

We found out about Exuviance during this year’s Pride season as their Deep Clean AHA Cleanser ($12) kept us refreshed and nourished after the parade. This foam ing cleansing gel is designed to do the heavy lifting with a deep clean while re moving makeup, surface oils, and impurities. The AHA/PHA formula with glycolic acid and gluconolactone targets a clarified skin texture and natural feeling pH balance. It deeply cleans and removes impurities and makes your skin feel smooth and rejuvenated. The brand Exuviance has a goal to elevate the daily skin routine into a self-care ritual to help address age-related concerns like fine lines, wrinkles, post-acne marks, skin sagging, and dark spots from sun damage. A few of their newest products include Gentle Daily Exfoliating Pads ($45) and their Clarifying & Renewing Serum ($53.50).

HEALTH

FIELDTRIP

www.fieldtripskin.com

Want to go on a field trip around the world without leaving your home? The new gender fluid, clean brand Fieldtrip launched this past year, and we couldn’t be more excited. Produced by the makers of Jack Black skincare, Fieldtrip aims to bring consumers in a deeply sensorial skincare experience from head to toe. Their products are clean, cruelty-free, vegan, and formulated with a minimalist ingre dient list. The first phase of their products included Fresh Start Purifying Face Cleanser ($13) Into the Blue Stress Less Moisturizer ($18), Trail Blazer Anywhere Shave Lotion ($13), C The World Brightening Serum ($21), Eyeland Retreat Cool ing Eye Gel ($15), Wanderlust Hydrating Facial Spray ($16), and the Overnight Trip Hydrating Lip Mask ($13). Of the new line our favorites included the Lip Hydrating Mask and the Eye Gel. Fieldtrip Overnight Trip Hydrating Lip Mask features moringa butter, cupuacu butter, and castor seed oil. Moringa butter is extracted from the moringa tree, native to the Himalayan foothills, and known as the miracle tree because all parts of the tree have been used in folk remedies for centuries. Though the packaging says, “Overnight Trip,” we’ve been starting and ending the day with this little lip treat since we first tried it this summer. Fieldtrip Eyeland Retreat Cooling Eye Gel is a lightweight eye treatment that feels extra special because of its cooling metal tip. In the product, red maple bark works in harmony with ash bark niacinamide, shea butter, and hyaluronic acid to relieve puffy eyes and reduce the appearance of dark circles. We know what we’re packing for our next field trip.

RAW SUGAR

www.rawsugarliving.com

The lifestyle brand Raw Sugar Living was founded in 2014, in sunny Southern California. Co-founders Ronnie Shugar and Donda Mullis are committed to providing the highest quality earth-friendly hair and personal care products at a price that is accessible to all. Part of what makes them earth-friendly is their commitment to using plant-derived ingredients that are free of parabens, sulfates, & phthalates. Their men’s collection includes Men’s 2-in-1 Shampoo & Condi tioner ($11.99) featuring a blend of tea tree, coconut, & aloe; Men’s Body Wash ($9.99) comes in various varieties, including Eucalyptus + Cedar Leaf, Charcoal + Bamboo, Citrus + Blue Agave, and Black Coconut + Sea Salt. Their body bar soaps ($5.99) come as a duo, because who wants just one? Two soaps that are worth checking out are the Black Coconut + Sea Salt and Eucalyptus + Cedar Leaf. These lush, lathering bar soaps moisturize as they clean. One side has gentle nubs to help massage the skin. Something we love about Raw Sugar is their“Sugar Notes,” personal messages from Ronnie and Donda on every product. “Fall in love with taking care of yourself. Mind, body, and soul.”

SKINMEDICA®

www.skinmedica.com

SkinMedica® was founded by pioneers in the science of skin rejuvenation in 1999 with a vision to help slow the aging process. We fell in love with their Essential Defense Everyday Clear SPF 47 ($40) earlier this summer and it quickly became a go-to for beach and pool days. Their full Everyday Essentials System ($495) is the perfect introduction to this line, good for all skin types. This professional-grade, comprehensive collection of daily must-haves includes TNS® Advanced+ Serum, HA⁵® Rejuvenating Hydrator, Retinol Complex 0.25, and the Essential Defense Mineral Shield™ Broad Spectrum SPF 35 Sunscreen. Each product should hold prominent court in your medicine cabinet, but the Retinol Complex 0.25, which should be applied in the evening after cleansing and toning, is truly a standout. This product, which normally retails at $64 is excellent for renewing the skin and diminishing the appearance of fine lines. Apply to the entire face and be sure to use a daily sun protection with SPF 30 or higher when using this product. The HA⁵® Rejuvenating Hydrator ($184) is a high-end hydrator that provides imme diate soothing including softening fine lines and wrinkles while retaining mois ture. This hydrator features a special mix of five types of HA and Polysaccharides from French Polynesia to smooth the skin. The Neck Correct Cream for Neck and Décolleté ($135), not included in the Everyday Essentials System, but a good find, is a powerful serum designed to prevent and address the visible signs of neck aging. Key ingredients, like green microalgae extract, shiitake mushroom extract, lemon balm extract, paracress extract, and knotgrass extract help support dermal thickness, skin elasticity, while preventing free radical damage and reducing the appearance of the platysmal bands.

URBAN SKIN RX www.urbanskinrx.com

Urban Skin Rx, a collection of clinical skincare products for diverse skin tones, was first created by Rachel Roff in 2010. Their mission is “To recognize, represent and advocate for accessible clinical skincare for diverse skin tones with the greater goal to create a world in which we can all feel beautiful, confident and empowered by the skin we’re in.” In 2018 the brand launched in Target stores, and they’ve since emerged in a variety of stores all over the world. Their Men Collection which just launched this past September and includes a four-step regimen of Exfoliating Face Wash + Scrub ($11.99), Dark Spot + Oil Control Pore Refining Pads ($12.99), Ra zor Bump + Dark Spot Treatment ($12.99) and Even Tone Soothing Moisturizer ($11.99). This collection aims to deliver affordable products that cleanse, hydrate, soothe irritated skin. They additionally clarify clogged pores and fade discoloration razor bumps and ingrown hairs.

WHISH

www.whishbody.com

Whish is well aware that “many men skip over skin care - an essential part of maintaining (your) appearance and revitalizing skin.” They recently leaned into the men’s grooming market with their men’s skincare, emphasizing the best parts of skin care in the most basic forms. Wish Men has three different scents: Golf Club, Yacht Club, and Fight Club. Wish Men Aftershave Gel ($28) is an alcoholfree formula that helps to reduce the appearance of irritation without leaving skin with a tight, dry feeling. We especially like this gel because of its non-comedogenic complex that ensures pores don’t get clogged (who needs ingrown hair?)

Any health, wellness, medical or cosmetic claims contained in this feature should be verified with the product provider and your health care professional.

CARMINE SABATELLA BRINGING FLAIR TO HGTV’S INSIDE OUT

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

Carmine Sabatella & Mike Pyle

As his name, stature, and mannerisms suggest, he is deeply Italian, raised in a traditional family household best known for its prowess in the world of restaurants. His wonder years were spent among kitchens and tables and directly after graduating from university, he opened his first restaurant. From there, he went on to build and design his own cocktail bar and lounge in Pasadena, California. Soon after, he pivoted careers, a choice that would ultimately bring him to television.

I have always practiced interior design and had a passion for it, but it was more of a “side job.” I got to a point when the restaurant business sucked the life out of me. I was working 60-plus hours a week and I was miserable. The business changed and had become much more litigious, workers comp got out of control and quite frankly I never saw my daughter and I hated that, so it was time to change.

Word of mouth spread, and with a network of contacts cultivated from his time in the restaurant biz, he became an in-demand interior designer who could quickly reimagine a space from the ground up. He established his design company, C S Domains, and The Sabatella Group, which handles the real estate side of things. It’s hard to keep up with Carmine in what ever he decides to do because he’s going to do it and he’s going to do it better. In his first year of being a licensed realtor, he was in the top 1 percent of 57,000 agents nationwide for sales volume at his first agency. He remains top-ranked in sales while continuing his interior design and filming a hit show. Did we mention he also has time to be a father and a husband and also work out - a lot? As much as fans point out his great work on Inside Out, they are also quick to point out his muscles and carefully tailored pants. How does he have time for it all?

Well, it’s not easy. I try to take time out of every day for myself and for my family. You must set boundaries and stick to them. I have grown up in fitness since I was 15 years old. I taught for Equinox for over 20 years and fitness is part of my DNA. It is what balances me and will always be a top priority.

Carmine’s charming personality, powerful Rolo dex, and popular social media would lead him to network TV.

It’s a very serendipitous story. The production company reached out to my co-host, Mike Pyke, about the show. Mike has a great presence on social media and that’s how they found him. They asked him if he had anyone in mind to do the “inside?” It happened that Mike’s business partner at the time, Kim, was with him and said, “Hey I follow my friend Carmine from high school on social media and I think you would really like his work.” And the rest is history!

What are some of the top design mistakes people make when doing a remodel (or interior design fads people should avoid)?

First, making every design decision on the front end of the project. Meaning people often feel pressured into choosing every design idea and finishing on the front end of the project based on a set of plans or rough framing. A project is an evolution and with evolution, there is change and progress. Some items I recommend waiting on until later in the project are decisions on lighting, tile, and window treatments. Second, please stay away from anything on trend, unless it’s something easy to switch out like a faucet or wallpaper.

What are the easiest ways to improve your living space for the holidays?

There are a few ways you can improve your living space during the holidays. One is to not overcrowd your space. My rule of thumb is that for every decoration you put out try and take something away. If you put a statue of a Christmas tree on your mantle, take away a framed picture. Another idea is to blend the old with the new. This is the time to bring out family heir looms, vintage China, and family quilts. When you bring in tradition it warms the space.

Where should you spend your money first in renovating your home?

This is a loaded question. This completely depends on your lifestyle and needs. But, if you ask me, I would say the kitchen - 100%!

Carmine

Carmine and Mike do have great energy and the show has become a network favor ite. Audiences come for the design and stay for the personalities and storylines. This designing duo isn’t just catering to a home’s physical needs, they are filling it with the energy and essence of their clients – they listen and celebrate the difference a wellstyled home can make for everyone. They say home is where the heart is, and Carmine and Mike are part of that heart.

I think people appreciate me being me. What you see is what you get. I’m no different off camera than I am on. I think authenticity is important.

Being authentic has been a major theme in Carmine’s life. It was only somewhat recently that Carmine discovered who he truly is.

I had some traumas happen to me when I was much younger and when I began to deal with that trauma as an adult, it brought up the subject of my sexuality. Through many years of intense therapy, and exploration I realized that I was, in fact, gay and

I immediately came out to everyone I know, including my ex-wife. I didn’t come out until I was about 30. Although my family is traditional Italian Catholic, they are very progres sive and accepting. My aunt runs the church, and she was at my wedding having the best time.

Carmine’s husband Ryan is also a real estate agent who has previous experience in the fitness and modeling industries. A perfect match. And with Inside Out, home design on television has found its perfect match. What has Carmine learned the most from doing the show?

This business is fast-paced, and it requires a lot of hours and dedication. AND we really do the work! I have realized that I do like working in front of the camera. I never thought I would feel that way.

And what has been a winning moment from his two seasons?

I have to say that it was Ashely and Brad Bell in Season 2. They were just the kindest, most lovely family and

they were so desperately in need of the renovation for the better of the entire family and they were just full of grati tude. It was very heartwarming.

As trends come and go, Carmine has his finger on the pulse of the future of inte rior design.

I think interior design has gone through a recent renaissance. Today it incorporates the old with the new. The eclectic mix of new and traditional is timeless. I think we are really going to see leaps and bounds in natural integration with home construction to be greener and energy efficient.

And what’s next for Carmine?

I am about to renovate a ranch-style home in San Marino, CA. It had been a rental for over 30 years and is so ugly. The uglier the better!

■

THINK PEOPLE

ME BEING ME. WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET.

NO DIFFERENT OFF CAMERA

I AM ON.

THINK

IS IMPORTANT.”

FLIPPING THE SCRIPT CONOR RYAN FRONTS NATIONAL TOUR OF MOULIN ROUGE WHILE UNABASHEDLY LIVING HIS TRUTH OFFSTAGE

BY STEVE GOTTFRIED

THERE’S A WHOLE NEW GENERATION OF UP-AND-COMING PERFORMERS WHO AREN’T AFRAID TO LIVE THEIR TRUTH AS OPENLY QUEER AND THEY’RE CRUSHING IT. While the calculation once revolved around conceal ment as a necessary strategy, owning one’s sexuality and making no apologies is reaping benefits that go beyond advancing one’s career. Of course, it helps to have the goods and a formidable talent to back it up, which the subject of this feature certainly does. Proudly riding this wave of increased visibility is rising star Conor Ryan who gives a breakout performance as Christian in the National Tour of Moulin Rouge, a role which otherwise could have become a paint-by-numbers exercise. Conor sat down for a Zoom chat with Metrosource for his first national print interview to share what it’s like playing his dream role, the formative influences along his journey that brought him to this place and why you might want to hang out at the stage door after one of his shows.

As a super fan of the movie (he’s seen it over 100 times), it must have seemed like fate when Conor learned it was being adapted into a live staged musical. Conor shared some of the drama behind the scenes leading up to his being cast for the tour.

I had a handful of audi tions. Then I had work sessions with the director and the music supervisor, both fantastic guys who I really hit it off with. And then I was supposed to have a final audition on the stage of the Broadway

theatre, the Al Hirshfeld Theatre. Which is an old school theatre scenario. They don’t do that much anymore - kind of a Golden Age thing. They said they just needed to pair me with a Satine [his romantic leading lady] or two. Commonly referred to as a chemistry read. That was scheduled for March 29th 2020. And then the pandemic hit, so it never happened. I was holed up in my apartment in New York for months and months waiting. I eventually ended up leaving New

York and going on a crosscountry road trip – having a whole pandemic soulsearching experience. It wasn’t until April of 2021 that I got a call from my agent that I got the part. After a year of unemployment, bouncing around from a friend’s house to my mom’s house, it was such a relief to see a light at the end of the tunnel. And to be here now, it’s just a total dream come true.

Conor talked about embrac ing his sexual orientation while fronting a national tour, which

he partly attributes to the pandemic and the social justice marches following the murder of George Floyd.

I feel like just in the last few years something has shifted either in the zeit geist or in myself, but I just don’t want to live a life where I can’t be open about who I am and expressing the fullness of who I am. And I’m grateful to be an actor at a time when it feels like that’s okay now.

Conor acknowledges that this evolution didn’t happen overnight.

I’ll admit that in my early years in New York, I was moving around profes sional spaces, be it opening night galas or certainly auditions in a closeted manner. People still feel so much fear, especially in our industry. I have friends who are professionally still in the closet. It’s one of those things where it’s a case-by-case situation. I have always been submitted for predominantly straight roles. In the intense desire to have success in my career, I wanted to make sure that I never did anything to get in the way of that. But ironically, looking back, I feel that sense of imposter syndrome or discomfort in my spirit probably ended up closing more doors than my gayness ever would have.

Conor understands the societal pressure to conform and fit neatly into our preconceived notions of what a leading man is. And so, it was a huge relief that his experience on Moulin Rouge signaled an atmosphere of acceptance.

There was no discussion of my sexual ity in the auditions. And it was something that I have a lot of anxiety around. When are they going to find out I’m gay? Will they still want me? I bring that into every job, especially if it’s a job where I’m playing a straight character, which is more often than not. I must admit, almost immediately in the rehearsals for this [Moulin Rouge], I just felt an unspoken permission to be myself. This has been one of the most rewarding and transformative experiences for me because I have a feeling I won’t bring as much of that fear into future rooms after this experience. I’m so grateful for it. They all know [I’m gay] and they couldn’t care less. The producers and everyone. Moulin Rouge is probably the biggest responsibility I’ve had as a leading man and ironically, I am hungrier than ever to express the reality, the authenticity of my spirit.

I WAS THAT LITTLE BOY WHO WANTED TO BE SNOW WHITE FOR HALLOWEEN.”

Conor (now 30 years old) reflected on his auspicious beginning, landing his first Broadway show at the tender age of 22 just a week after graduating college. He had been up for two roles, one as a member of the ensemble of Cinderella on Broadway, a situation most college graduates would kill for. But a week into his first rehearsal, he got a call that a principal role at the Public Theatre he’d been vying for had suddenly become available. His agents advised him that a leading role at the Public was worth leaving a Broadway show as a member of the ensemble. Even though he was well within his contractual rights and gave ample notice, the move did not go over well with cast and crew.

By the end of my first week on Broadway, I put in my notice, and everyone was really upset with me. Cast, crew, everyone. It sucked to upset so many powerful people, so soon. But, I had other dreams, other priorities as an artist. So, there’s a reason why I think that was my only Broadway show and that everything else I’ve done has been new work and off-Broadway stuff, regional tryouts of new Broadway shows, readings and workshops. It’s all

stuff that doesn’t necessarily pay very well but is incredibly fulfilling artisti cally. You really have a presence as a collaborator in those rooms because you’re reading lines and the next day the lines are different. And they’re writ ing songs for you or they’re changing notes to fit your voice.

What makes an actor interesting is often the interior life that they bring to a role. With this in mind, we delved into Conor’s upbringing which had a pivotal impact on the actor he would become. Such as the fact that his father died when he was only five months old. It’s worth noting that a slew of prominent actors lost a parent early in life, including Barbra Streisand, Madonna, and Julia Roberts to name a few. While it’s something Conor was prone to downplay as being too young to have really felt the loss, a therapist got him to understand that a loss at such an early age is every bit as impactful, perhaps more so.

My therapist helped me to under stand that no, no, you were there, and you experienced that. And just because you couldn’t verbally communicate doesn’t mean that you didn’t receive all of those vibrations and the energy

and the pain of that moment. An infant is incredibly vibrationally porous, particularly still very connected to the mother. I have come to a deeper understanding of how formative that was on my spirit and my personality.

Conor acknowledged that some of this seeps into his onstage persona.

What you see on stage is very rep resentative of my authentic self. There can be a wide-eyed, maybe even doeeyed innocent openness to me, and vulnerability that I love and is a beautiful quality, but in certain scenarios can get me into trouble. With any pat tern in your life, it’s really useful to understand the source of it.

I was effeminate as a little kid. The sort of straight-passing thing didn’t come for me until I hit puberty and started to present myself in a more “acceptable” package. Luckily, my mom is really expressive and incredibly magnetic, and colorful in her spirit. I was that little boy who wanted to be Snow White for Halloween and my mom was like, okay, let me go get my makeup. I didn’t feel any gender oppression at home.

We talked a bit about what draws an actor to certain roles and how much is chance and how much an actor is in control of the choices that come their way.

The only aspect of it that I feel somewhat in control of is that with material that I’m really really drawn to, I come alive in a way that I don’t for shows that I’m not as drawn to. I think that the stuff that you’re drawn to is kind of drawn to you too.

One such role which challenged Conor and allowed him to cut his teeth included a musical version of the harrowing biopic Into the Wild (not to be confused with Sondheim’s Into the Woods). The movie, released in 2007, starred Emile Hirsch in a haunting true-life story of a young man just out of college who decides to renounce all worldly possessions and live in the wild. The transformative journey takes a tragic turn when the main character eats a plant which turns out to be poisonous and dies an agonizing death before our eyes. While it sounds horribly depressing, the movie was incredibly powerful and con veyed the redemptive power of living one’s truth no matter the consequences.

It was an incredible role. I never left the stage. I was able to wring out my soul in that way that I get to do in the second act of Moulin Rouge, which for me is actually incredibly cathartic. I was so invested in it. By the end of the show every night, I would be completely drenched in sweat. It was an amazing experience.

Another role which proved challeng ing in an entirely different way was another stage adaptation musical of the movie Benny and Joon in which Conor played the role of another eccentric misfit (played in the movie by Johnny Depp) though this character was decidedly more whimsical.

I got to do all these cool things which I had never done before. I had to learn how to roller skate and juggle and do hat tricks. I think I did like 20 impressions from old-time movies, and I had to puppeteer in one scene.

What about your dating life? Are you seeing someone?

No, I’m very much single. I was looking forward to dating a little bit, but with COVID and now Monkeypox, it’s unfortunately a pretty scary time. And the show is of course everybody’s

top priority so some of the social sacrifices can be fairly extreme. I thought now that I was on tour, in this big lead, I was going to be feeling so amazing about myself, and so secure, and so confident. And ironically, for a lot of reasons, it actually has not been a good time for dating because the show is so exhausting in so many different ways that I feel actually very raw right now, very vulnerable. And my heart is actu ally a little more sensitive than normal.

Despite finding the touring experi ence “really demanding and fairly lonely,” Conor has found ways to signal that offstage Conor is not the straight leading man he plays onstage.

Sometimes I feel like I need to do something on my physical person to signify that I am interested in some thing other than beautiful young women. I might come out of the stage door in a skirt or some jewelry or a crop top. That usually does the trick. You have to advertise a little bit.

How much of an impact has it had to see people like Harry Styles and Billy Porter breaking down those fashion gender barriers?

Thank God for the folks out there pushing the boundaries. When I see images of Billy and Harry out there living their lives, it’s empowering. I just recently got into this. Well, I used to wear my mom’s clothes when I was little, so maybe I’m getting BACK into it. It just feels so breezy and fun. Plus, I like that it kind of advertises my queerness, signifying to others a more accurate idea of who I am and what I’m looking for.

With annual fundraiser showcases like Broadway Backwards, Broadway stars get a chance to perform songs traditionally asso ciated and reserved for another gender, often resulting in viral moments like Gavin Creel

and Aaron Tveit’s gender flipped perfor mance of the Rent duet “Take Me as I Am.” Traditional gender norms are being upended with the Tony winning revival of Company with a female lead. Even regional theatres are taking more risks such as a gay version of The Fantastiks with two male leads. With all this in mind, I asked Conor if there are certain female roles he’d be interested in playing.

Oh man, there are so many female roles I’d love to play. Particularly some Shakespearean classics like Juliet and Lady Macbeth. But if I had to pick one musical leading lady, it would prob ably be Dot from Sunday in the Park with George. Maybe Sally Bowles [from Cabaret] too.

What are you watching and listening to?

Right now, of course, we are in the summer of Beyoncé. Renaissance has been playing on repeat. Other than Queen Bey, I’m a huge Frank Ocean fan. His queerness opened the world of hip hop/R&B to me. I always liked that music but felt like an imposter listening to it. Like it wasn’t supposed to be for me. Frank Ocean broke that open for me, and he’ll always be my favorite. Yebba is another singer I play constantly. There are some voices that just light that fire in your gut, and you want to copy everything they do.

I watch too much TV and film to know where to begin here. I’m super excited for the new Game of Thrones spinoff, House of the Dragon. Some of my favorite movies are American Beauty, Moonlight, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Boogie Nights.

Do you have a celebrity crush?

Oh my god. Frank Ocean.

That didn’t take you long.

No. He’s my husband, he just doesn’t know it yet.

GUY BRANUM BLAZING A NEW COMEDIC TRAIL

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

AFTER YEARS OF PLAYING THE SASSY SIDEKICK OR BEST FRIEND TO EVERY FE MALE PROTAGONIST IN A HOLLYWOOD ROM-COM, our community gets to take center stage in Bros, the first gay rom-com ever released by a major studio and the first major studio film with an all LGBTQ+ principal cast (yes, even the straight roles). One of the masterminds behind the film is entertain ment industry veteran Guy Branum, who not only co-stars but also serves as executive producer.

Guy has cut his teeth on about every project imaginable and was out and proud before it was mediaapproved to be out and proud. Pivoting from law school, he got his early start writing and produc ing for macho networks like G4 and MTV. He made his film debut in No More Strings (playing Natalie Portman’s bestie) and would go on to appear on Chelsea Lately, Conan, Last Comic Standing, and Talk Show the Game Show on TruTV (which he also executive produced). Other projects included The Mindy Project, Billy on the Street, Fashion Police, and the current A League of Their Own series. Recently, he has worked on the new Mel Brooks variety series History of the World, Part II and

Paramount+’s reboot of How to Lose a Guy In 10 Days. Saying yes to projects is in his nature whether he is hosting a podcast, doing standup, or appearing as the “token gay guy.” He lives comedy, he under stands comedy, and can write for the gayest or straightest project without hesitation. He also under stands the evolution of comedy as it relates to today’s cancel culture and social awareness.

It is so interesting that we always place this in terms of political correctness. When it comes down to it, it’s acknowledging that more people exist than straight white guys - and they might be in an audience. I remember being at a show

in 2013/2014 in New York and every comic who got on stage felt the need to say the word “faggot.” And I watched two guys in the audience sitting there becoming aware that this was not a space that was for them and eventually leav ing before the end of the show, before my set. And that’s what pisses me off - these dudes are driving away my audience. I’ve seen comics who were very comfortable shitting on women as a group of people for the better part of 45 minutes and then expecting women in the audience to just be silent and coming to a point where those women are not silent.

Comedy is not a guarantee of laughs. When you get up on stage, you must make people like what you are saying. And if people do not like it, it is the art form where they have the most liberty to tell you that they don’t like it. And what

BEING GAY USED TO BE HARVARD, NOW IT’S CHICO STATE, WE JUST LET ANYONE IN.”

WHAT PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO LAUGH AT HAS CHANGED.”

people are angry at is not that politi cal correctness has run amok, it’s just that comedy has changed, it’s that what people are willing to laugh at has changed. People are scared. There was not space in comedy for me 20 years ago, we just didn’t have successful, gay, male, standup comedians. There really are not successful gay male, standup comedians from the generation before me. There are very few and those guys have had very mitigated, frustrated careers. My career is better because we live in a world where people of color, women,

and gay and trans people feel entitled to be entertained and amused as well.

Guy is not one to mince his words. His debut book, My Life As A Goddess: A Memoir Through (Un)Popular Culture, is both hilari ous and heartbreaking as he talks about his farm-filled childhood as a sissy boy to his experiences as a plus-size member of both the gay community and entertainment industry. Guy’s role in Bros is a bigger size guy who is hypersexual and has no problems in getting laid. Very different from the on-screen repre sentation of plus-size characters we’ve seen before and a far cry from even the most body positivity-minded gay pool parties of today.

My favorite thing with body positivity is it being co-opted by dudes who have the most conventionally attractive bodies to declare their enthusiasm for how big and round their ass is, how tiny their waist is, and how broad their shoulders. “Oh, look at me. I’m a curvy girl,” you know, “thick with two ‘c’s” and it’s like, calm down. So much of this stuff is co-opted by people who aren’t having to deal with oppression and who aren’t using it to challenge their notions of what’s attractive or what’s acceptable.

We have seen bigger size models in com mercials, and bigger actors being cast in film and TV. But in Branum’s experience, much of this is just popular rhetoric. The behind-the-scenes of Hollywood needs to adapt if anything onscreen is truly to change and become more inclusive.

I worked on a film where I went into the wardrobe trailer to introduce myself and explain, I know it’s hard to find clothes for someone like me, I want to work with you and help you on this. And the person in charge refused to believe I was in the movie and kept insisting that I must be a background actor. They kept insisting I must be some crazy person because no one in a movie is supposed to look like me. And that is really frustrating. These are people whose job it is to support and encourage somebody to have a good per formance. It’s amazing the frequency with which I have somebody actively working against me. There are times when it’s frus trating and I’m thinking, should I even be trying to do this? I have a nice life writing, blah, blah, blah, why am I doing this? And the answer is that I am in a better position than most actors.

I was recently on a show where I was a co-executive producer and the ward robe department made clothes for me that they ended up not stitching properly, so the crotch immediately tore. It was not ideal for a good performance. But I was a co-executive producer, so I was able to go in and say, “Hey, this is not okay. And this happens because I’m fat and we need to talk about why that’s going on.” Most other people can’t do that when you’re just an actor. So, I value that I have that opportunity.

Early on in his on-screen career, he was titled as The Ambassador of Gay, No more Mr. Nice Gay, or Staff Homosexual. Looking back, his

sexuality was used as the butt of a joke. But the fact that Guy stuck with it and made it work to his advantage is a testament that yes, sometimes we have to walk through the mud to get to a good place. Now his voice is not just the token gay guy, he is rubbing elbows alongside some of the funniest voices of comedy and has trailblazed for a new generation of queer entertainment.

Sometimes, there has to be objecti fication or disrespect that goes along with the chance to use your voice and it’s frustrating, but it’s the cost of doing business. It’s more important that we all keep things moving forward. With any creative career, there is going to be a list of indignities. It’s annoying that some are the result of my body, but those are just a different set of indignities that another person would have to deal with. I’m just so lucky to get to do what I do, and it’s really fun.

There are hard moments, but one of the wonderful things about being middle-aged is not being scared of it anymore. It’s just being able to say, oh, well, this is not going to happen, I’m going to tell someone. People are at least going to have to think about what they are saying and doing. I think so much of that is just years and years of hearing people use gay slurs on standup stages and saying, all right,

my answer to that is I’m going to get up and tear that person apart for five minutes so that they never do it again.

Bros has already gotten much love and attention from the media, mainstream and gay. The trailer is unabashedly sexual, unabashedly queer. With loud voices like Branum and Billy Eichner, who would expect less? With our community’s current social and political struggles, true representation where our community is in front of and behind the camera is vital.

Part of the trouble is that so much representation of queer people doesn’t involve queer people in the writing or producing process. Unlike other minorities, it is extremely easy for us to just be played by straight people, to be written by straight people, and to not have anything that is reflective of our real experience be there. Our story is being modified in a very shallow way. You must negotiate this difference because our non-representation allowed us to exist in the shadows and be magical and do bad things and do great things and be creative and wonderful. And there are times I joke about the fact that I worry about us going mainstream. My joke is that being gay used to be Harvard, now it’s Chico State, we just let anyone in. But the real truth is trying to build a way

of representing us that shows that we are human beings, but still reflects our difference and celebrates it.

Are audiences ready for a film like Bros? Time will tell. But with this creative team behind it, we can rest assured it will be funny AF. This will be Branum’s second time work ing directly with Eichner, after a successful pairing on Billy on the Street.

I was in New York and Billy, who I had never met, heard that I was in town and asked, “Do you want to come in and do you want to do a week on the show?” And I did that. It was one of the most fun experiences I ever had. Then the next year I just came back and worked full-time for a year on the show. Billy is the best creative boss I have ever had. He manages to make you feel more loved for the stuff he rejects than the stuff he accepts. It was just so wonderful to go from spaces where people did not get your references to places where people got such specific references that you laughed at it in the room and then realized we can’t put this on television. And so much of the stuff that we did put on television was ridiculous, truly ridiculous.

Catch Bros in theaters, and follow Guy on IG: @GuyBranum

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JIM OBERGEFELL DOING THE RIGHT THING

BY JIM DELYEA

MOST OF US FIRST HEARD THE NAME OBERGEFELL BACK

ON JUNE 26, 2015. This was the date the U.S. Supreme Court struck down all state bans on same-sex marriage. Many of us couldn’t believe our eyes and ears when we turned on the news that day to find gay marriage has been legalized?! Indeed the Supreme Court ruled on the Obergefell v. Hodges case (5–4) that state bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional.

This landmark civil rights case launched the plaintiff, Jim Obergefell, into the national spotlight. What started as a challenge to the State of Ohio to be listed as a spouse on his husband’s death certificate, eventually turned into the Supreme Court case that resulted in gay marriage becoming the law of the land. This also resulted in Jim Obergefell dub bing himself an “accidental activist.” How has this evolved over the past seven years?

I’ve since embraced the role and would describe myself as a much more purposeful activist. Seeing the impact on the nation has been incredible and I was changed by it as well. And we need to keep fighting to make things better.

Your name is back in the news again. After Roe v. Wade was recently overturned, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that justices “should consider all of the Court’s substan tive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell.” This could significantly impact our privacy, due process and equal rights.

First of all, what a dark day for women to no longer have decision rights over their bodies. Personal freedoms are at the root of our democracy. What a terrible thing to lose. And with this Supreme Court all other rights are at risk.

Also, I find the statement from Justice Thomas to be appalling! It’s quite

SOME PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATED ME IN MY FIGHT FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY, AND THAT WAS A MISTAKE.”

– Jim Obergefell for Ohio House

ironic that he’s calling these civil liberties into question. If it weren’t for the ruling on the 1967 Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia, his marriage to Ginny Thomas, a white woman, would be illegal.

Members of a certain political party claim to be “pro-family” but are not willing to take a stand on the Respect for Marriage Act. Cowards! If you’re pro-family, you should protect it and respect it.

On the activism front, we need to be out there and be loud to protect what we have. This also means taking every ballot and legislative measure possible.

When we spoke in 2019, I asked about your political future, and it didn’t seem to be in the plans. What changed?

At an event to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Brian Sims, the first openly-gay person elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, planted the seed. He told me people would start asking about my political ambitions. [Representative Sims was right.] He advised me not to say no, and to think about it. And I did.

During the Covid pandemic, I moved back to my hometown of Sandusky, Ohio. My five siblings, nieces and nephews all live in the area.

Shortly after my move, I had lunch with Chris Redfern, chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, who posed the ques tion, “What do you think about running for the Ohio State House?” I came to the conclusion that it’s the right time and the right place.

Of the Ohio House of Representative’s 99 reps, two thirds are Republican – a super majority. What do you hope to accomplish and how difficult will it be?

The issues facing Ohio’s 89th Dis trict are similar to many areas of the country – they want good paying jobs and opportunities. Locally, we’ve lost so many manufacturing jobs. People want to work and earn a living wage.

Other important issues to me are expanding health care (it’s a human right), raising minimum wage, keeping tax dollars in public schools and not funding private religious schools, supporting alternative energy as well as

promoting transparency and honesty in government. The Ohio State House is known as one of the most corrupt in the country.

I will be a voice in the State House for the marginalized community. I would be the only queer representa tive in the House.

Tell me about life on the campaign trail. What’s been your experience?

I’ve had the joy of people hosting fundraisers to support my candidacy. I often hear that I “do the right thing” and people want to support that. I go door-to-door to talk to people to find our what matters to them. And I encourage them to call me directly –yes they have my mobile number.

My opponent, D.J. Swearingen (R), is an incumbent who is not well liked and won’t engage in town hall meetings or debates. We are at opposite ends of most issues, including his recent sup port of the Transgender Athlete Ban, which included a provision for a “geni tal inspection!”

In light of the recent Supreme Court ruling, do you think we’re more likely to see higher voter engagement in this year’s elec tion? What’s your message to voters?

People are angry. This loss of personal freedom is a terrible government overstep and has become a voting issue. Post Dobbs ruling, Ohio has seen the 7th highest new voter registrations in the country.

It’s come down to saving democracy. We have the Supreme Court that we do because people didn’t vote. There’s so much at risk. The only way we can

prevent the loss of democracy is if everyone votes.

People should care and vote at all levels – federal, state, and local. Look at what’s happening at a state level with “Don’t Say Gay” and with local school boards banning books.

I encourage everyone to vote for those candidates with whom your values align.

Six years ago, Obergefell co-founded Equality Vines, the worlds first cause wine portfolio, with Matt Grove. Equality Vines partners with organizations dedicated to equality by making a per-bottle cash dona tion directly to the cause. Has this new venture made an impact?

I’m pleased to report that we’ve made direct contributions of over $250,000 to our partner organiza tions. We not only support gay causes such as SAGE (Senior Advocacy for Gay Elders) but organizations to pro mote women’s rights, racial equality, and immigrant’s rights. In addition to the financial contributions, we’ve also raised awareness of these causes. www.EqualityVines.com

What would Obergefell think if I told him ten years ago that he’d be a nationally rec ognized American civil rights leader, author, candidate for the Ohio House of Representa tives and co-owner of a wine business?

First, I’d think you’ve been drinking. [Laughs] Then I would say never in my wildest dreams.

www.ObergefellforOhio.com

Twitter: @JimObergefell

■

Supreme Court of the USA

BY ERIC ROSEN

THE AZURE WATERS OF SYDNEY HARBOUR. THE RUST-COLORED MONOLITH OF ULURU RISING OUT OF THE DESERT. The wave-beat en spires of the 12 Apostles along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. Australia is not short on iconic landscapes. And perhaps, like me, you’ve seen them already.

What keeps me coming back to Oz time after time, though, is the opportunity to discover new, awe-inspiring and utterly unique places on every visit. For it is in some of these less-traveled destinations where the “real” Australia is to be found. Here are three spectacular settings to consider exploring on your next visit Down Under.

The Kimberley, Western Australia

Roughly the size of California, the Kimberley region in Australia’s remote northwest is home to just 40,000 people. This mystical place is anything but empty, though.

The Kimberley’s seasonal lakes and mangrove-lined tidal rivers teem with wildlife. Enormous jellyfish and sting rays float along with the currents. Scaly saltwater crocodiles emerge at intervals along the shore. The terrain is strewn with craggy rock formations, some of which date back a billion years, while the bottle-like boab trees standing out solitarily here and there measure time in centuries, or even millennia.

You can visit this otherworldly land aboard True North (www.truenorth. com.au), a luxury yacht that plies the Kimberley’s 7,500-mile-long coastline from March to September.

In Talbot Bay, my fellow passengers and I climbed aboard tenders to shoot

the tide-fueled rapids of the Horizontal Waterfalls, which David Attenborough called“Australia’s most unusual natural wonder.”Another morning, we moored near Montgomery Reef, a 155-squaremile marvel that emerges from the sea twice each day, towering 13 feet out of the water before submerging completely again at high tide. While navigating its narrow channels, True North’s nature guides pointed out giant sea turtles gliding beneath us, and kept watch for shy, manatee-like dugongs nibbling on the sea grass.

Aboard True North’s helicopter, we took scenic flights over Mitchell Falls, which dwindles to a mere trickle in the dry months, but roars into a four-tiered gusher fed by emerald-green ponds after the rains. Our chopper pilot fer ried us to Eagle Falls for an afternoon picnic. Between plates of barbecued lamb and ice-cold beers, we could swim under some of the smaller water falls for a “Kimberley shower,” or peek

over the edge for a glimpse of the fresh water crocodile who lived below.

The young, Aussie crew hiked us up to an aquamarine swimming hole, with floors of glimmering quartz stones, where we could float and watching rare butter flies flitting overhead. The crew took us on walks to cave systems where nomadic peoples passed through and left not only midden heaps, but also some of the oldest art on earth. Colorful Wandjina rock paintings of spirit-like figures and wildlife including wallabies and turtles dated back 5,000 years, while the elegant, stick-like Gwion Gwion figures are thought to be as old as 50,000 years.

For a glimpse of the more recent past, we moored at Careening Bay to see the Mermaid Tree, a boab with a distinctive split trunk that was named after the HMC Mermaid. Aboard that ship, a dashing Brit ish naval officer named Philip Parker King surveyed this coast in 1820 and created maps that are still used today.

We spent our final afternoon luxu riating on the iridescent white sands of Silica Beach, which bubbled up like vin tage champagne underfoot as we walked into the water. Afterwards, the able-bod ied crew lashed five tenders together to create a waterborne cocktail party for a last spectacular sunset and sad but satis fied goodbyes.

Practicalities: True North’s Kim berley cruises leave from either Broome or Wyndham. Qantas flies non-stop to Broome from Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, and to Wyndham from Perth and Broome.

The Eyre Peninsula, South Australia

South Australia has always been just a little bit different from the rest of Australia. Unlike the original colonies on continent’s east coast, it was established as a free state rather than a convict settlement. Its capital, Adelaide, was thoughtfully laid out on a well-mannered grid drawn up by Colonel William Light in 1837 that still comprises the city’s core today.

Many travelers come to visit South Austra lia’s world-class wine regions, including the Barossa and Clare Valleys, and the Instagramworthy ochre topography of the Flinders in the north. However, some of South Australia’s most magnificent natural treasures are to be found along the Eyre Peninsula to the west.

The main town of Port Lincoln is the hub for a mix of maritime adventures, though you can also go winetasting at boutique cellars or taste local brews. My favorite landmark? The statue of explorer Matthew Flinders plotting his 18011803 circumnavigation of Australia…along with his trusty cat, Trim.

Everyone in Australia has a shark story, and if you want one of your own, this is the place to come. I was reluctant to swim with the toothy terrors of the deep, but braver souls than I can swim with great whites off the nearby Neptune Islands. In fact, this is one of the only places

in the country where people are allowed to cage dive with the fearsome pelagic predators. Calypso Star Charters (www.sharkcagediving. com.au) run day tours year-round. Instead, I opted for a more playful pastime: the chance to swim with sea lions, which the crew described as the “puppies of the sea.” After our two-hour cruise to Boston Bay, the sea lions seemed as excited to see us as we were them. Dozens came bounding off the beach, swimming toward the boat, as if beckoning us to dive in. I did, and what ensued was one of the most delightful, enchanting, and just plain fun hours of my life. Sea lions swam around me, twisting and flipping, mirroring my movements and wait ing patiently as I periodically surfaced for air so we could resume our games. It was with a heavy heart that I reboarded the boat for the return journey.

There are adventures in store back on land, too - oyster-harvesting and tasting, casting for Pacific salmon, observing koalas in the wild, and hiking on the sea cliffs of Lincoln National Park.

Practicalities: Port Lincoln is a 50-minute flight west of Adelaide on either Rex or Qantas. Though you can book vacation homes in many of the peninsula’s small towns, the most upscale accommodation in town are at the Port Lincoln Hotel (www.portlincolnhotel.com.au).

Koala South Australia

Sea Lions South Australia

TRAVEL

The Whitsundays, Queensland

The Great Barrier Reef is probably the most famous natural wonder in the world. But it is also among the most misunderstood. It actually comprises a system of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands and is the only living structure in the world that can be spotted from space.

In recent years, the Reef has been under constant threat from tropical cyclones wreaking devastation on its underwater ecosystems and warming ocean waters stressing coral and other marine life – both the products of unprecedented climate change. It’s not all gloom and doom, though. New studies have found that parts of the reef and the animals that live there have bounced back quicker than expected from bleaching and storm events, and eco-conscious tourism might just be the best way to protect the Reef for future generations. So do your part with an aquatic adventure up to the Queensland coast.

For an off-the-grid excursion to a rebounding region of the Reef

that’s still close enough for a day trip to Brisbane, Lady Elliot Island (www.ladyelliot.com.au) is a study in considered conservation (and one of the best spots on earth to scuba with manta rays). Up in the tropi cal north around Cairns and Port Douglas, visitors can split their time between day sails out to little-visited sections of the Reef, and trips up into the Daintree Rainforest, which is thought to be the oldest rainfor est in the world and contains plant species that predate the dinosaurs.

However, for a truly Reef-centric retreat, head to Hamilton Island and the Whitsundays. The Whitsundays are an archipelago of 74 trop ical islands just off the coast, about a 90-minute flight from Brisbane, or three hours from Sydney. Hamilton Island itself is a hotbed of hotels and tourist activity, though you can book a sumptuous, seques tered sojourn at qualia (www.qualia.com.au), a luxury lodge nestled into the island’s jungle-covered slopes.

Among the other not-to-miss experiences here are a scenic flight over the recognizable Heart Reef, and a charter sail to the four-milelong Whitehaven Beach, which is routinely voted among the most beautiful on earth. If you are into scuba diving, check out Explore Group (www.exploregroup.com.au), which operates kitted-out cata marans from Airlie and Hamilton Island. On our day out at Bait Reef, I dove with sea turtles and reef sharks, and marveled at massive under water geological formations.

Practicalities: You can fly to Hamilton Island non-stop from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

Hamilton Island Queensland

Penington Bay South Australia

A MATCH MADE ON MELROSE:

RONAN

BY ERIC ROSEN

ROMANTIC, CANDLELIT PATIO: CHECK. HANDCRAFTED, WOOD-FIRED PIZZAS: check. Accomplished, artisanal cocktails: check. Sophisticated, stylish supper set: check.

RONAN

You could be forgiven for thinking that Mid-City hotspot Ronan on Melrose Avenue, simply replicates a formula so many other LA restaurants have found suc cessful. But that would overlook a number of elements that make this particular eatery so exceptional.

The restaurant is a family affair, created by co-owners and spouses, chef Daniel Cutler and his wife, Caitlin Coyne. He over sees the kitchen (including that essential pizza oven) while she handles the wine. It’s a delicious division of labor.

Here, Cutler and Coyne put their own spin on seasonality and responsibly sourced products. In fact, you can find a list of the farms, ranches and even apiaries that provide the ingredients for the restaurant’s dishes listed right on the restaurant’s homepage.

Beyond its virtual presence, however, the restaurant itself is hard to miss thanks to a vibrant, two-story floral mural by local artist David Flores that is like a Belle Epoque update on a Gothic stained-glass rose window.

For folks who prefer an alfresco ambi ance, the large front patio exudes a sparce but snug Scandinavian sensibility with pressed-wood chairs, a long wooden ban quette and a row of tables that can be combined or split according to group size. The space is also dog-friendly if you want to bring man’s best friend for a meal out.

The interior is likewise industrial but inviting, with a long communal table run ning down the center, deep booths along one wall, and bar seating overlooking the open kitchen on the other.

Start with sips from bar’s inventive cock tail list - the Bubbling Avarice is a refreshing aperitif with vodka, green chartreuse, grape fruit, lemon, and brut; and the Lone Warrior with Suntory Toki whisky, Rucolino, Amaro Angelino and demerara is a strong way to start. Although the wine list changes regu larly, the entries are a mix of natural and biodynamic bottles, and might include options from Italy, France, Spain, and even Slovenia, among other locales. Join them on Wednesdays for “Women in Wine Wednes days” where wines produced by female winemakers are discounted 30%.

Pizza is the focus, but the menu also includes an appetizing array of small and shareable plates. For something light, try

the asparagus with black pepper oil, meyer lemon, and five-year parm. Seafoodies should enjoy the spicy clams with an aro matic Sicilian-style fennel soffritto and Cutler’s perfectly baked garlic bread. The padron peppers with anchovy emulsion and mint, provide just the right amount of zing.

Once the time comes for pizza, the Spicy Chomper is always a crowd-pleaser, topped with tomato, spicy soppressata and four cheeses. The Ode to Philippe is a French dip calzone filled with rare roast beef, onion jus and hot mustard.

Going all out? Try the How ‘Nduja Want It? pizza with spicy sausage, creamy gorgon zola, green onion, and celery. Otherwise, the Sweet Cheeks with sharp ricotta forte, juicy

guanciale and a light drizzle of cacao e pepe honey is a tantalizing nexus of savory and sweet. Toppings might get top billing, but underlying unifying factor are the fluffy but crunchy crusts fresh from the pizza oven anchoring Cutler’s kitchen.

The dessert menu is not long, but it is also not to miss. The house-made ice creams are simple but satisfying. For something a little more intriguing, the wood-fired cheesecake is a tasty twist. It pairs perfectly with one of the amaros on order as a digestivo.

Ronan

■

7315 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046; 323-917-5100; ronanla.com

LOS ANGELES DIRECTORY

ACCOUNTING

Greg Cash TaxPlus

Cash, Gregory D , EA, MST 5150 E Pacific Coast Hwy, Ste 350 Long Beach 562 597-4300 www gregcash com

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Parker | Waichman LLP

6 Harbor Park Dr Nationwide 800 JUST-CALL www yourlawyer com

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Cake and Art 8709 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood 310 657-8694 www cakeandart com

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US Bank

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Wells Fargo Toll Free 800 869-3557 www wellsfargo com/lgbt

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Book Soup Bookstore 8818 W Sunset Blvd West Hollywood 310 659-3110

Crossroads Books 1196 E Walnut St Pasedena 626 795-8772

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Lotus Place Recovery 1111 Baker St Unit A Costa Mesa 800 951-0735 www lotusplacerecovery com

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Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) 1700 Stadium Way LA 213 847-LAFD www joinlafd org

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Framing Gallery

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Body Builders Gym 2516 Hyperion Ave Silverlake 323 668-0802

Fired Up Athletics

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MisterBandB www misterbandb com

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Blades

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Opus Hotel Vancouver 322 Davie St Vancouver, BC Canada 604 642-6787 www opushotel com

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Ramada Plaza West Hollywood Hotel 8585 Santa Monica Blvd 800 845-8585 www ramadaweho com

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Marc Berton Insurance LA 323 872-0482 San Fernando Valley 818 365-9449 Toll Free 800 924-4459 www marcberton com

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Bespoke Matchmaking LA 888 422-6464 www bespokematchmaking com

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665 Leather & Fetish Co 8722 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood 310 854-7276

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Brand2Fly

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Power Zone

8578 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood 310 289-1125 www powerzoneonline com

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Nulo Pet Foods nulo com/love

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AHF Pharmacy

1400 S Grand Ave, Ste 801

Downtown LA 213 741-5271

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Cienega Pharmacy 99 N La Cienega Blvd, Ste 104 Beverly Hills 310 360-9969 www uniteddrugs com

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Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic

Family Medicine & Mental Health 3324 W Sunset Blvd, LA 323 660-2400 www hsfreeclinic org

TATTOO

Body Electric Tattoo and Piercing 7274 1/2 Melrose Ave LA 323 954-0408 www bodyelectrictattoo com

THRIFT SHOPS

Berda Paradise Thrift Store

3506 W Sunset Blvd LA 323 661-8246

VIDEO

Broadway Video

3401 E Broadway, Long Beach 562 433-1920

WEDDING SERVICES

Cake and Art

8709 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood 310 657-8694 www cakeandart com

ATHLETIC

ARRIBA SKI &

SNOWBOARD CLUB

PO Box 69611

West Hollywood, CA 90069 www.arribaski.org

CHEER LA

1223 Wilshire Blvd #1580 Santa Monica, CA 90404 www.cheerla.org

DIFFERENT SPOKES OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

P.O. Box 2466 Hollywood, CA 90078 www.differentspokes.com

GOLDEN STATE GAY RODEO

ASSOC - GLAC

P.O Box 2407

Long Beach, CA 90801 562 498-1675 www.larodeo.com

GREATER LA GAY BOWLING www.igbo.org

LA BLADES ICE HOCKEY

PO Box 4346

Laguna Beach, CA 92652 310 288-3632 www.bladeshockey.com

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FRONTRUNNERS

OF LONG BEACH PO Box 90774

Long Beach, CA 90809 562 252-0218 www.shorelinefrontrunners.org

SURF & SUN SOFTBALL www.surfandsunsoftball.com

WEST HOLLYWOOD AQUATICS www.wh2o.org

CULTURAL, SOCIAL

ASIAN PACIFIC AIDS INTL TEAM

6501 West Olympic Blvd Ste 610 Los Angeles, CA 90015 213 553-1830 www.apaitonline.org

BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY

5001 Angel Canyon Rd Kanab, UT 84741 435 644-2001 www.bestfriends.org

BEST FRIENDS PET ADOPTION & SPAY/NEUTER SERVICES

15321 Brand Blvd

Mission Hills, CA 91345 818 643-3989 www.bestfriends.org/la

CHRISTOPHER STREET

WEST/GAY PRIDE

8235 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90046 323 969-8302 www.lapride.org

GAY & LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION (GLAAD)

5455 Wilshire Blvd, #1500 Los Angeles, CA 90036 323 933-2240 www.glaad.org

GAY MENS CHORUS OF LA 9056 Santa Monica Blvd, #300 West Hollywood, CA 90069 800 636-7464 www.gmcla.org

LA GAY & LESBIAN CENTER

The Village at Ed Gould Plaza 1125 N McCadden Place Los Angeles, CA 90038 323 860-7302 www.laglc.org

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LONG BEACH LESBIAN & GAY PRIDE PO Box 2050 Long Beach, CA 90802 562 987-9191 www.longbeachpride.com

OUTFEST THE LA GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL 3470 Wilshire Blvd #1022 Los Angeles, CA 90010 213 480-7088 www.outfest.org

PACIFIC PRIDE FOUNDATION

126 East Haley, Ste A-11 Santa Barbara, CA 93101 805 963-3636 www.pacificpridefoundation.org

THE POINT FOUNDATION 5757 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 370 Los Angeles, CA 90036 866 33-Point www.pointfoundation.org

VALLEY PERFORMING

ARTS CENTER

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WORLD HARVEST

FOOD BANK

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HEALTH/ COUNSELING

AID FOR AIDS AFA

8235 Santa Monica Blvd #200 West Hollywood, CA 90046 323 656-1107 www.aidforaids.net

AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION/MENS

WELLNESS CENTER

• 6255 W Sunset Blvd, 21st Fl Los Angeles, CA 90028

888 AIDS CARE

• 1300 N Vermont Ave, Ste 407 Los Angeles, CA 90027 866 339-2525 800 367-2437 www.inspotla.org

AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION PHARMACY

8212 Santa Monica Blvd

The David Geffen Center West Hollywood, CA 90046 323 654-0907 www.ahfpharmacy.org

APLA HEALTH

Client & Community Services

The David Geffen Center

• 611 South Kingsley Drive Los Angeles, CA 90005 213.201.1600

213 201-WALK (9255)

• 3743 S. La Brea Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90016 323.329.9900

• 5901 W. Olympic Blcd. #310 Los Angeles, CA 90036

• 1043 Elm Avenue #302 Long Beach, CA 90813 562.247.7740 www.apla.org www.aidswalk.net

AIDS RESEARCH ALLIANCE

1400 S Grand Ave Ste 701 Los Angeles, CA 90015 310 358-2429 www.hopetakesaction.org www.aidsresearch.org

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

3333 Wilshire Blvd #900 Los Angeles, CA 90010 800 227-2345 www.cancer.org

BEING ALIVE PEOPLE WITH HIV/AIDS ACTION COALITION

621 N San Vincente Blvd

West Hollywood, CA 90069

310 289-2551 www.beingalivela.org

GAY & LESBIAN CENTER

Orange County 1605 N Spurgeon St Santa Ana, CA 92701 714 953-5428 www.thecenteroc.org

HOLY FAMILY SERVICES, ADOPTION & FOSTER CARE 840 Echo Park Ave Los Angeles, CA 90026 213 202-3900 www.hfs.org

LA FREE CLINIC

• 5205 Melrose Ave Los Angeles, CA 90038 323 653-1990 – appts 323 653-8622 – admin www.lafreeclinic.org

• 6043 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90028

• 8405 Beverly Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90048

LA PUBLIC HEALTH www.reallycheckyourself.org

OUT OF THE CLOSET THRIFT SHOPS

• 8224 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90046 323 848-9760

• 3500 East Pacific Coast Hwy Long Beach, CA 90804 562 494-0340

• 1726 East Colorado Blvd Pasadena, CA 91106 626 440-1719

• 360 North Fairfax Ave Los Angeles, CA 90036 323 934-1956

PROJECT ANGEL FOOD 922 Vine St Los Angeles, CA 90038 323 845-1800 www.angelfood.org

THE TREVOR PROJECT 9056 Santa Monica Blvd #100 West Hollywood, CA 90069 310 271-8845 www.thetrevorproject.org

VALLEY COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE

6801 Coldwater Canyon Ave North Hollywood, CA 91605 818 301-6314 - HIV testing 818 301-6390 - Medical Services www.smarthealthla.com

LEGAL

LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE & EDUCATION FUND INC.

Western Regional Office 3325 Wilshire Blvd #1300 Los Angeles, CA 90010 213 382-7600 www.lambdalegal.org

NATIONAL G & L TASK FORCE 5455 Wilshire Blvd #1505 Los Angeles, CA 90036 323 954-9597 www.thetaskforce.org

LESBIANS

LESBIAN LAWYERS ASSOC OF LA PO Box 480318 Los Angeles, CA 90048 213 486-4443 www.lgla.net

POWER UP 419 North Larchmont Blvd, #283 Los Angeles, CA 90004 323 463-3154 www.power-up.net

WOMAN ON A ROLL PO Box 5112 Santa Monica, CA 90409 310 578-8888 www.womenonaroll.com

PROFESSIONAL

LOS ANGELES GAY AND LESBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 8424 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood,CA 90069 424.209.2708 www.laglcc.org

REFERRALS/ SWITCHBOARDS

LA Gay & Lesbian center Jeff Griffith Youth Center 7051 Santa Monica Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90038 TOLL FREE: 800 773-5540

LA GAY & LESBIAN CENTER MacDonald/Wright Bldg 1625 North Schroder Los Angeles, CA 323 933-7400 www.angelfood.org

THE TREVOR PROJECT 9056 Santa Monica Blvd #100 West Hollywood, CA 90069 310 271-8845 www.thetrevorproject.org

THE VILLAGE AT ED GOULD PLAZA 1125 North McCadden Place Los Angeles, CA 90038 323 860-7328 prevention@laglc.org www.laglc.org

RELIGIOUS

ALL SAINTS PARISH 504 North Camden Dr West Hollywood, CA 90036 310 275-0123

BETH CHAYIM CHADASHIM 6000 West Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90035 323 931-7023 www.bcc-la.org

GLORY TABERNACLE CHRISTIAN CENTER 3215 East Third St Long Beach, CA 90804 562 438-7758 www.glorytabernacle.com

OPEN DOOR MINISTRIES 4101 Willow St 562 925.3533 www.open-door-ministries.org

ST. JANE FRANCES

CATHOLIC CHURCH G & L OUTREACH 12930 Hamlin St North Hollywood, CA 91606 818 985-8600

WEST HOLLYWOOD CHURCH 916 North Formosa Ave West Hollywood, CA 90069 323 656-2400

FABULOUS THAT’S FIT TO PRINT!

PALM SPRINGS DIRECTORY

CANNABIS

760 778-1053

The Lighthouse Dispensary

760 320com

The Vault Dispensary and Lounge 760 866-

Just Fabulous

515 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 864-1300 www bjustfabulous com

Mischief Cards & Gifts

226 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 322-8555 www mischiefcardsandgifts com

Peepa’s 120 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 318-3553 www peepasps com

HAIR SALONS

Cut Barber

1109 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 322-2999 www cutbarber com

Daddy’s Barbershop

567-6852

Palm Springs, CA 92262 888 999-1995 www sparesortcasino com

• 32-250 Bob Hope Dr, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270

322-3400

268-5498

ATTRACTIONS

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens 47900 Portola Ave Palm Desert, CA 92260 760 346-5694 www livingdesert org

Palm Springs Air Museum 745 N Gene Autry Trail Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 778-6262 www palmspringsairmuseum org

Palm Springs Art Museum 101 Museum Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 322-4800 www psmuseum org

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway 1 Tram Way Palm Springs, CA 92262 888 515-8726 www pstramway com

BAKERY

Over the Rainbow Deserts 1775 E Palm Canyon Road, Suite 150 Palm Springs, CA 92264 760 322-2253 www romanblas com

Pastry Swan Bakery 70225 Highway 111 Suite A Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 760 202-1213 www pastryswan com

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino 84-245 Indio Springs Dr Indio, CA 92203 760 342-5000 www fantasyspringsresort com

Morongo Casino Resort & Spa 49500 Seminole Dr Cabazon, CA 92230 800 252-4499 www morongocasinoresort com

CLOTHING

GayMart

305 E Arenas Rd #6635 Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 416-6436

Revivals

• 611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 760 318-6491

• 68401 Hwy 111, Cathedral City, CA 760 969-5747

FINANCIAL ADVISORS

Simon Hobbs

California Financial Partners Inc California 818 637-0180 simon@calfp com

GIFTS Destination PSP

170 North Palm Canyon Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 354-9154 www destinationpsp com

Greetings Palm Springs 301 N Palm Canyon Dr # 102 Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 322-5049 www greetingspalmsprings com

192 S Indian Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92264 760 537-1311 www daddysbarbershop com

Palm Springs Fine Men’s Salon

750 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 3 Palm Springs, CA 92262 760-904-0434 www psfinemenssalon com

PET SUPPLIES

Bones-N-Scones

633 S Palm Canyon Dr Suite #26 Palm Springs, CA 92264 760 864-1133

Cold Nose Warm Heart 187 South Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 424-2006 www pspetstore com

RESOURCES

DAP HEALTH 1695 N. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 323-2118 www.daphealth.org

DESERT CARE NETWORK 760 561-7373 www.desertcarenetwork.com

DESERT OASIS HEALTHCARE 275 North El Cielo Road Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 325-DOHC (3642) www.mydohc.com

EISENHOWER HEALTH 39000 Bob Hope Drive Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 760 340-3911 eisenhowerhealth.org

MICHAEL’S HOUSE 1910 S Camino Real Palm Springs, CA 92262 844 768-0633 www.michaelshouse.com

PALM SPRINGS ANIMAL SHELTER 4575 E. Mesquite Ave, Palm Springs, CA 92264 760 416-5718 www.psanimalshelter.org

PALM SPRINGS FRONT RUNNERS & WALKERS frontrunners.clubexpress.com

STONEWALL GARDENS 2150 N. Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 548-0970 www.stonewallgardens.com

THE LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER OF THE DESERT 1301 North Palm Canyon Dr, 3rd Floor Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 416-7790 www.thecenterps.org