Metrosource - August/September 2019

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019 METROSOURCE

METROSOURCE

TREAT YOURSELF

TO AMSTERDAM

MEASURING UP

SHORTER AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

MEN’S STYLE

STRICTLY BALLROOM

LIVE FROM THE SET OF POSE

MEN EN POINTE WHEN BALLET IS A DRAG

WELLNESS

DAVEY WAVEY WHAT MAKES MEN CLICK

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.

(bik-TAR-vee)

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, 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.

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 effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).

} Worsening of Hepatitis B (HBV) infection. 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.

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults. 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,

These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY.

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.

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

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:

Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

} Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-

counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

} BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect 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.

Get HIV support by downloading a free app at

MyDailyCharge.com

GET MORE INFORMATION } This is only a brief summary of important information

about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

} Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5. } If you need help paying for your medicine,

visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, DAILY CHARGE, the DAILY CHARGE Logo, KEEP LOVING, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.

Version date: December 2018 © 2019 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0102 01/19

KEEP LOVING.

Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

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

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

To learn more, visit BIKTARVY.com.

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

THE DAY HER HEART STOOD STILL

VIEWS

EDITOR’S LETTER

YOU KNOW WHAT’S NOT A GREAT TIME TO RECEIVE A PHONE

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call that your homophobic Mom has been taken to the hospital? Just as a waitress is delicately setting down a full-to-brimming martini in front of you at a gay bar.

First, there came that moment of urgent panic that people often experience when they hear something bad has happened. It’s as though we tell ourselves that if we can respond fast enough, we just might be able to go back in time and fix whatever has gone wrong. In fact, I remember instinctively jumping to my feet — jostling the table and nearly spilling the cocktails I’d been sipping al fresco with friends in the West Village.

By that point, my mother had already been saved by both her own quick thinking and that of her then-neighbor, Joe. When she began to feel overcome by the effects of the heart attack she was having, she managed to stumble out into our front yard. There Joe had noticed her in distress. He called medical help for her as quickly as possible and stayed by her side until the EMTs arrived.

My second reaction was fear. But this was not fear about my mother’s health or that I might not reach her in time to say goodbye. This was pure, unadulterated fear of returning home. After many years of feeling like an outsider in my suburban NJ community, I had moved to NYC and begun to blossom in new and different ways. I could finally be openly gay and was almost constantly surrounded by people knew that I was. (It has been said that anyone with the ability to see and hear knew that I was.) Though my apartment was admittedly unglamorous, I knew that I was free to bring a guy home (if I ever found one who would come). That would not have been okay with my mom. My budget was strictly limited, but nobody judged how much of it ended up in the cash registers of boy bars — as I knew my mother would have. The crowded streets and constant thrum of the subway felt like freedom compared to the loneliness I’d left behind in the land of lawns and culs-de-sac.

How, I wondered, had my mother had managed to take me away from all that in a heartbeat (or lack thereof)? Could this be part of a master plan to do so? At some level, I was aware that I was not feeling things one is supposed to feel when one’s mom has a heart attack.

Instead, I was flashing back to years of pain and judgment and suspicion — feeling I thought I’d left far behind. I tried to collect myself and explain the situation to my friends, who were surprised, but supportive. I briefly considered leaving the drink on the table. Instead, I brought the glass to my lips and drained it in one long painful gulp.

It didn’t help. Much.

I followed the instructions I was given and got on a train to Jersey. One of my mother’s friends picked me up at the station in a minivan. I wondered if she could smell gin on my breath. And I wondered if she knew what was going through my head. I provided ID at the hospital entrance, wondering why they make people stop for such beauracracy in the middle of an emergency. Eventually, I found my way through labyrinthine halls to her room.

And there she was - looking more pale and tiny than I had ever seen her. There was a tube in her throat and machines that were whirring and beeping. And suddenly I was feeling the things I’d expected to feel all along. This, after all, was my mommy, who sang to me and studied with me and hand-sewed my costumes for school plays. All that fear of going home melted away. But it was replaced by a new fear — that she wouldn’t wake up.

I sat by Mom’s bed. I held her hand. I talked softly to her even though she was unconscious. Finally, she opened her eyes. At first she looked alarmed — both by the breathing tube and the fact that her son seemed to have somehow appeared from the next state over.

“Don’t try to talk,” I said. “You’re going to be okay. I’m here.” And I knew that, no matter what else I’d felt earlier, in that moment — I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

■ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

METROSOURCE.COM

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THIS PAGE: PHOTO COURTESY OF PETER MANNING • COURTESY DAVEY WAVEY • LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO PHOTO BY ZORAN JELENIC

August/September 2019 | VOLUME 30, NO. 4

40 28 GET SHORTY IN A WORLD WHERE “BIG AND TALL” options are everywhere, these entrepeneurs are crafting express-yourself fashion for guys closer to the ground.

34 LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN DRAG MEETS BALLET? We discuss with people who’ve been

asnwering this question in a company that’s been around for 45 years!

28 34

ON THE COVER COURTESY DAVEY WAVEY

CONTENTS

40 DAVEY WAVEY WE TALK TO THE INTERNET PHENOMENON about how he became a YouTube

superstar and why he’s using that power to help gay men love each other better.

52 THE ART OF LIVING IN LYON AND AMSTERDAM ONE IS A FRENCH CITY WITH A LIGHT FESTIVAL you can see from space. The other is a

Dutch city that’s famous for freedom and entering a new golden era.

DEPARTMENTS wellness

August/September 2019 | VOLUME 30, NO. 4

52

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culture

5 the scope Celebrate Fire Island, Pierre Cardin, Queen, Bisexuality, American Horror Story and more... in scope!

14 screen Queer teens, a murdered gay auteur and Trixie Mattel!

22 TECH The ultimate app to keep track of your meds.

23 FINANCE What you could learn from living off only cash...

24 music The latest from Dionne, Carly Rae and Madonna.

56

50 books Eye-opening work from photographers and chefs.

Body 12 metro hiv What happens when two miracle workers join forces?

44 HEALTH Meet the gay yoga guru who is teaching the next generation of teachers.

views 13 POV Kevin spends one too many nights helping straight people get laid.

49 diary Wade and Gary struggle through each other’s fave fitness routines.

56 LAST CALL Three stars of Pose offer behind-the-scenes dish.

This Page: Image courtesy of Alex Geana/Glitterati Editions from “Fire Island Photographs” • Photo courtesy sacred fig • Place des Jacobins - FDL 2018 ©Brice Robert for Only Lyon • Dominique by Macall Polley courtesy FX

44

THESCOPE

THE

CURATED BY SEBASTIAN FORTINO, PAUL HAGEN, AND SYRA TAUB

THIS PAGE: IMAGES COURTESY OF ALEX GEANA/GLITTERATI EDITIONS FROM “FIRE ISLAND PHOTOGRAPHS”

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CULTURE

SCOPE INK SPOTTED

A MAGICAL, GAY PLACE MANY BEACH TOWNS THAT STILL ATTRACT AND WELCOME THE

LGBTQ community began as secluded artists’ colonies in the last century. But in Fire Island: Photographs ($50, Glitterati Editions) by Alex Geana, we see what the island means to a new generation of gay men. “I was following a long list of artists who used the community as a safe haven from the city to find inspiration, connection and love,” Geana said of his work. “I wanted to share the respect, fun and happiness and as well as heartbreak that one experiences here, in addition to focusing on how climate change is affecting this special place.”Yes, there are pictures of beautiful men on beaches and dance

floors.You’ll find elegant nudes, sun-drenched poolsides and exquisitely costumed drag performers. But, there are also images to induce thoughts of solitude and reflection. In one, a lone figure poses against a stark backdrop - what appears to be a dry swimming pool. You can’t help wonder if the subject feels alone despite the summer revelers surely nearby.

In another, a blond stands among the ruins of a fire like a phoenix inside the ashes. It’s a potent reminder of the Fire Island staples that have been lost to actual fire. However you interpret its images, Fire Island: Photographs is an invitation to a very magical gay place indeed. alexgeanaphotography.com METROSOURCE.COM AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

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From Left: Pierre Cardin “Computer” coats, 1980.; Pierre Cardin “Cardine” dress, 1968.; Pierre Cardin (French, born 1922). Sketch for a “Cardine” minidress,1968. Photos: Courtesy of Archives Pierre Cardin. © Archives Pierre Cardin

the future is now If you’re able to visit Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion at the

culture

thescope

Brooklyn Museum, you’ll be treated to a view of more than 170 pieces related to this gay fashion titan. Among the wonders, you’ll find archival images of Cardin and examples of his work ranging from fashion sketches to designs for television and film. These works - largely sourced from the atelier and personal archives of the designer - reveal him to be a futuristic iconoclast. His designs favor geometric shapes - even when building bespoke gowns. They reference influences ranging from Japanese origami to American football uniforms. This allowed him to create new forms for the

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Tour Thing

Yasss, Queen!

With the success of the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen is

back for a whole new generation, and they’re making the most of it. The band formed in 1970, and is widely regarded one of the most important and influential rock groups in history. Now the British hitmakers behind “You’re My Best Friend” and “We Are the Champions” continue their North American Rhapsody tour throughout the month of August. Each Queen tour typically features a rotating cast of music notables, and this outing is no different. Led by founding members Brian May and Roger Taylor,

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modern era. They include synthetic unisex jumpsuits; vests, illuminated garments — and even those broad-shouldered jackets that became so ubiquitous in 1980s fashion. There will also be a selection of 1964’s Cosmocorps collection, which streamlined menswear with minimalist details and tailoring. Cardin is still working today and recently launched a line of menswear. Some 20 years ago, he purchased the ruins of the Marquis de Sade’s chateau in Lacoste, France where he still hosts exhibitions and musical events. So there’s something for all fashion lovers. The exhibit opened in July and runs through January of 2020. brooklynmuseum.org

august/september 2019

metrosource.com

The Rhapsody Tour will feature Adam Lambert on vocals, taking on the legacy left by the late Freddie Mercury.” The tour will certainly feature such audience favorites as“Somebody to Love,” “Don’t Stop Me Now” and “We Will Rock You.” Lambert brings a new and unique energy to Queen, while continuing to impress audiences and celebrate the band’s ‘70s and ‘80s heyday. Queen will appear in the New York area on August 6 and 7. They’ll also be making stops throughout the U.S., including Houston, TX; Washington, D.C. and Tampa, FL. queenonline.com

this page: Queen and Adam Lambert Photo Courtesy CBS

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ART BEAT

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CAN’T MISS

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT EMMY

THOUGH WE’VE STILL GOT MONTHS BEFORE THE BIG SCREEN’S AWARD

season gears up again, television gets its big night in the limelight September 22. Some of last year’s big LGBTQ-themed winners included The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story for Outstanding Limited Series and RuPaul’s Drag Race for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program. This year’s show will air live starting at 8pm on Fox, and there’s plenty to root for. Killing Eve stars Sandra Oh as a British investigator and Jodie Corner as an assassin with whom she shares a perpetual cat-and-mouse game — and a deeply complicated infatuation.

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The show could be a candidate for Outstanding Drama Series or for acting awards recognizing the performances of Oh and Corner. Another show with the potential to make an impact this year is Pose, with its largest recurring cast of LGBTQ actors ever for a scripted series, including Metrosource cover gent Billy Porter.

And LGBTQ-beloved backstage drama Fosse/Verdon will almost certainly compete for some statuettes, especially considering the white hot performance of Michelle Williams as Gwen Verdon.

As of press time, no host had been announced, leading some to speculate whether the ceremony will go hostless. emmys.com

DRINK UP

ALL BOTTLED UP WHEN CAMERON HUGHES WINE RELEASED A “WINE-BOW” FEATUR-

THIS PAGE: RUPAUL EMMY WINE PHOTO COURTESY PAUL DRINKWATER/NBC

ING six of their most popular wines in a rainbow-splashed six

pack for Pride, they certainly attracted our attention. We decided to turn to them on a topic that always gets trotted out when it comes to wellness: whether wine is actually good for you. In turn, they referred us to their very reliable source. The Mayo Clinic. So what did the #No. 1 hospital on the U.S. News and World Report Honor Roll have to say about whether raising a glass of vino can help you stay healthy? According to its staff, while wine is often thought of as heart-healthy, they don’t completely understand the link between the beverage and decreased heart attacks. That said, a substance found in red wine called resveratrol may be the hero: It’s an antioxidant that helps prevent damage to blood vessels, reduces bad cholesterol and prevents dangerous blood clots. Since resveratrol is found in grape skins which ferment in red wine longer, red is ostensibly the healthier tipple. For example, Cameron Hughes Wine recommended their “Lot 643 - Paicines Cabernet Sauvignon.” Even better news?

When consumed in moderation, the alcohol in wine also has health benefits. So you have something extra to feel good about next time you toast with friends. Now if only we could do something about that seductive cheese platter...

METROSOURCE.COM AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

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Circuit Shakers

It’s time to book your flights and get to

GOOD THING

the perfect time to bi

Everyone is getting ready for Celebrate Bisexuality Day this September 23! The

culture

thescope

holiday aims to bring the bisexual community into the spotlight and observe bisexual history. Also known as Bi Visibility Day, it was first celebrated in 1999 by three bisexual rights activists concerned that the bisexual community was still largely invisible compared to other components of the LGBTQ community. In 2014, the seven days surrounding Celebrate Bisexuality Day were declared Bi Awareness Week. During this time, allies and community members alike are encouraged to discover the history, culture and priorities of the bisexual community. Many choose to refer to the holiday as Bisexuality+ Day in an effort to include those who identify as pansexual, polysexual and omnisexual. Now in its 21st year of celebration, Celebrate Bisexuality Day is a great occasion to bring attention to the fact that some of our favorite folks are bi. These include Sara Ramirez (of Spamalot, Grey’s Anatomy and Madame Secretary), Michelle Rodriguez (of Avatar, Resident Evil, and the Fast and Furious franchise), Miley Cyrus, the late David Bowie, Shannon Purser (of Stranger Things and Riverdale), Janelle Monáe, Drew Barrymore, and the Queen of them all, Freddie Mercury. bivisibilityday.com

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TV Set

when roberts met kenworthy we didn’t know exactly what to expect going into

American Horror Story: Apocalypse. However, at least we knew it would be a mash-up of the characters from Coven and Murder House. The next chapter, American Horror Story: 1984 has been even more shrouded in mystery in the lead-up to its release. The show’s creators have revealed that Emma Roberts (pictured here at the premiere of Ugly Dolls) will return. What’s more, Olympian Gus Kenworthy will join the series playing her boyfriend. However, Evan Peters, who has appeared in all eight of the show’s other seasons, will not be returning this time. Nor will Person We Love Billy Eichner, who had roles in both Cult and Apocalypse. Apparently this season’s title refers to famous late-20th century slasher film franchises like Halloween, Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street. However, conspiracy theorists have guessed that the specific choice of 1984 - which is also the title of George Orwell’s novel about a dark, dystopian future - may also offer some hints about what’s in store. We’ll start getting answers when the show premieres September 18. fxnetworks.com

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august/september 2019

metrosource.com

Barcelona Circuit Festival August 8 - 18 There’s never a bad time to go to Barce-

lona. But, if you want 10 days of non-stop beats from 40 international DJs, this is the ideal moment for you to dance all night, and siesta all day while enjoying the Catalan experience. The event hosts 16 parties, so there’s sure to be something for everybody. circuitfestival.net/barcelona/about-us/ Chicago Market Days August 10 - 11 Since 1980, Northalsted Chicago Market

Days has attracted thousands of hip DJs, hot musicians, dancers and music lovers of all stripes. It’s also a street festival,with more than 200 unique vendors, so you can browse and nosh between sets. chicagoevents.com/ events/northalstedmarketdays/ P-Town Carnival August 15 - 24 Idyllic Provincetown knows how to

throw events with the LGBTQ community in mind. This year, with Stonewall 50 to celebrate, it’s gonna be an extra hot time in Ye Olde Towne! There’ll be a costume ball, local artists selling their wares, and a parade Thursday, August 22nd bearing the spellbinding theme of “Enchanted Forest.” ptownevents.com/provincetown-carnival/ Austin Splash Days August 30 - September 1 Austin Splash days offers four hot par-

ties over four hot Texas days. And you know what they say about everything being bigger in Texas, so expect this event to be no exception to the rule. As an added bonus, you can feel good knowing that 100% of the profits earned go to AIDS Services of Austin. Headlining DJs include LA’s Roland Belmares and J. Warren from Dallas. splashdays.com

this page: Sara Ramirez Photo by David Needleman/CBS • By Eric Charbonneau courtesy STX Films

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these hot parties in August and September.

Remember, even though it’s no longer June, we’re still celebrating 50 years of gay liberation since the Stonewall Uprising. Their fight led to your right to party!

this page: Downton Abbey photo courtesy focus features • The Inheritance Photos by photo by Simon Annand courtesy the british production at the Young Vic

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SCREEN IT

return to the Abbey When the last episode of Downton Abbey aired in 2015, many

viewers felt as if they were losing old friends. So it shall be quite the lovely reunion when the Crawleys and company return on the big screen September 20. Returning characters include Lady Cora (Elizabeth McGovern), Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), “poor Lady Edith”(Laura Carmichael), and most importantly, the Dowager Countess of Grantham (Dame Maggie Smith). Our friends downstairs are also in residence, including mercurial cook Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nichol), Anna (Joanne Froggat) and her husband Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle); kindhearted Mrs. Hughes (Phyliss Logan) now married to Mr. Carson (Jim Carter). And if you were

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a fan of the smolderingly sexy Thomas (Rob James-Collier) who was outed as gay in the series — he’s back too. It seems he’ll have a chance for romance (the trailer shows him sharing a kiss with another gent). One of the film’s central plotlines revolves around a royal visit by King George V and wife Queen Mary of Teck. And if you don’t know Mary of Teck (the current queen’s grandmother), Google her immediately. She knew her bling, and exactly how to flash it. Otherwise, series creator Julian Fellowes has kept mum about what his rabid followers might expect from the film. However in related news, his long-awaited follow-up series The Gilded Age recently moved to HBO. focusfeatures.com

STAGE ADVICE

heir it comes

Clear your schedule for Broadway’s next LGBTQ masterpiece.

“The Inheritance”is a play focused on several contemporary gay lives. And its smash hit production is traversing The Pond to NYC from London this fall. The play was written by Matthew Lopez and directed by the renowned Stephen Daldry (of Billy Elliot fame). Among the accolades already received: the 2019 Olivier Award for Best New Play. The piece, which is loosely inspired

by E. M. Forster’s Howards End, is set in 21st century NYC, a full generation after the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s. It follows a trio of gay men as they struggle to connect to the past and find their place in the world. Over two performances, the show examined more than 40 years of the gay experience, encountering loss, changing relationships and oppression in politics. Critics have hailed The Inheritance as a “moving” and “inspirational” piece.

The two-part play, which runs for a total of six hours, was first premiered at London’s Young Vic, where it starred such talents as Vanessa Redgrave. Now New York City audiences will have the chance to experience this slice of LGBTQ history at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Previews begin September 27 and the play is scheduled to open November 17. theinheritanceplay.com metrosource.com august/september 2019

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Important Facts About DOVATO

Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: (cont’d) This is only a brief summary of important information about • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you DOVATO and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider take DOVATO. about your condition and treatment. ° You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing What is the Most Important Information I Should HIV-1 to your baby.

Know about DOVATO? One of the medicines in DOVATO (lamivudine) passes into your breastmilk. ° If you have both human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) and Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby. ° hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, DOVATO can cause serious side Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, effects, including: including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and • Resistant HBV infection. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV herbal supplements. infection before you start treatment with DOVATO. If you have HIV-1 and Some medicines interact with DOVATO. Keep a list of your medicines and show hepatitis B, the hepatitis B virus can change (mutate) during your treatment it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. with DOVATO and become harder to treat (resistant). It is not known if • You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that DOVATO is safe and effective in people who have HIV-1 and HBV infection. interact with DOVATO. • Worsening of HBV infection. If you have HIV-1 and HBV infection, your • Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking DOVATO. A “flare-up” is when healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. Worsening to take DOVATO with other medicines. liver disease can be serious and may lead to death.

What are Possible Side Effects of DOVATO? Do not run out of DOVATO. Refi ll your prescription or talk to your ° DOVATO can cause serious side effects, including: healthcare provider before your DOVATO is all gone.

• Those in the “What is the Most Important Information I Should ° Do not stop DOVATO without first talking to your healthcare Know about DOVATO?” section. provider. If you stop taking DOVATO, your healthcare provider will need • Allergic reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away if you to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months develop a rash with DOVATO. Stop taking DOVATO and get medical to check your liver. help right away if you develop a rash with any of the following signs What is DOVATO? or symptoms: fever; generally ill feeling; tiredness; muscle or joint aches; DOVATO is a prescription medicine that is used without other antiretroviral blisters or sores in mouth; blisters or peeling of the skin; redness or swelling of medicines to treat HIV-1 infection in adults: who have not received antiretroviral the eyes; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; problems breathing. medicines in the past,and without known resistance to the medicines dolutegravir • Liver problems. People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus may have an or lamivudine. HIV-1 is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency increased risk of developing new or worsening changes in certain liver tests Syndrome (AIDS). It is not known if DOVATO is safe and effective in children. during treatment with DOVATO. Liver problems, including liver failure, have Who should not take DOVATO? also happened in people without a history of liver disease or other risk factors.

Do Not Take DOVATO if You: Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your liver.

• have ever had an allergic reaction to a medicine that contains dolutegravir Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the or lamivudine. following signs or symptoms of liver problems: your skin or the • take dofetilide. white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark or “tea-colored” urine; What should I tell my healthcare provider before using DOVATO? light-colored stools (bowel movements); nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; and/or pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area.

Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, • Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis including if you: • have or have had liver problems, including hepatitis B or C infection. is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare • have kidney problems. provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. One of the medicines in DOVATO that could be signs of lactic acidosis: feel very weak or tired; unusual (not normal) muscle pain; trouble breathing; stomach pain with nausea and (dolutegravir) may harm your unborn baby. vomiting; feel cold, especially in your arms and legs; feel dizzy or lightheaded; ° You should not take DOVATO if you are planning to become and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat. pregnant or during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Your • Lactic acidosis can also lead to severe liver problems, which can healthcare provider may prescribe a different medicine if you are planning lead to death. Your liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and you may to become pregnant or become pregnant during treatment with DOVATO. develop fat in your liver (steatosis). Tell your healthcare provider right ° If you can become pregnant, your healthcare provider will perform a away if you get any of the signs or symptoms of liver problems pregnancy test before you start treatment with DOVATO. which are listed above under “Liver problems.” You may be ° If you can become pregnant, you should consistently use effective birth more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you control (contraception) during treatment with DOVATO. are female or very overweight (obese). ° Tell your healthcare provider right away if you are planning to become pregnant, you become pregnant, or think you may be pregnant during treatment with DOVATO. ©2019 ViiV Healthcare or licensor.

DLLADVT190009 June 2019 Produced in USA.

Learn more about Leo and DOVATO at DOVATO.com

SO MUCH GOES INTO WHO I AM HIV MEDICINE IS ONE PART OF IT. Reasons to ask your doctor about DOVATO: DOVATO can help you reach and then stay undetectable* with just 2 medicines in 1 pill.

That means fewer medicines† in your body while taking DOVATO

You can take it any time of day with or without food (around the same time each day)—giving you flexibility

DOVATO is a once-a-day complete treatment for adults who are new to HIV-1 medicine.

Results may vary. *Undetectable means reducing the HIV in your blood to very low levels (less than 50 copies per mL). † As compared with 3-drug regimens.

LEO‡ Living with HIV

What are Possible Side Effects of DOVATO (cont’d)?

• Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you start having new symptoms after you start taking DOVATO. • The most common side effects of DOVATO include: headache; diarrhea; nausea; trouble sleeping; and tiredness.

These are not all the possible side effects of DOVATO. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. 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.

Where Can I Find More Information?

• Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

• Go to DOVATO.com or call 1-877-844-8872, where you can also get FDA-approved labeling.

Trademark is owned by or licensed to the ViiV Healthcare group of companies.

Compensated by ViiV Healthcare

‡

Could DOVATO be right for you? Ask your doctor today.

Lounge at StandUp Harlem House One bedroom unit at StandUp Harlem House

Charles King

Daniel Tietz

joining forces

12

It was a meeting of the minds and missions when Housing Works and

Bailey House, two of New York City’s most respected organizations in the HIV/AIDS healthcare arena, began to contemplate how to turn obstacles into opportunities.

The result: after significant strategic planning, the two organizations merged to become one of the region’s largest health and human services providers.

“Integrating housing and care coordination in a seamless way becomes the vision that we are working toward,”said Charles King, cofounder and CEO of Housing Works,“and if we do it well, it brings an infusion of Medicaid dollars into what was always seen as a separate service model.”

Such mergers are becoming more common as healthcare providers on the frontlines of HIV/AIDS services look to control costs, expand their footprint and provide a wider range of services amid uncertain federal funding. In his report, “Mergers as a Strategy for Success,” by the Metropolitan Chicago Nonprofit Merger Research Project, Professor Donald Haider said the key to success is identifying the right partner.

“It’s like a successful marriage. Finding the right organization is having the right advocates on the board, doing due diligence so you know each other’s organizations, being open and transparent with all stakeholders and having a pre-merger plan,” Haider says.“I identified 10 keys to successful mergers, but the most important was trust between the organizations to hold everything together.”

Haider adds, “It’s important in a successful merger that all parties are clear about their overall goals and what they’re going to do to achieve those goals.”

Those factors were evident as Housing Works and Bailey House began working to join forces. The process began three years ago when Bailey House’s longtime leader, Gina Quattrochi (who later died in December 2016), proposed that Bailey House find a strategic partner which would be able to provide clients with primary health care.

Both nonprofits initially emerged amid the AIDS epidemic to address the need of patients for stable housing. Since its founding in 1990, Housing Works had grown into one of the nation’s largest HIV/AIDS service organizations, serving nearly 10,000 people annually, operating four fedaugust/september 2019

metrosource.com

erally qualified health centers and a harm reduction-based outpatient drug treatment program. They also provided health home care management, behavioral health and syringe exchange programs (as well as running bookstores, cafés and thrift shops). Meanwhile, Bailey House - the nation’s first HIV/AIDS supportive housing provider - was assisting those with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses. They operate a center offering behavioral health clinics and provide a variety resources of their own.

The merger creates a new housing operations and development unit, which will retain the Bailey House name. Additionally those served by Housing Works and Bailey House now have access to such expanded service offerings as primary medical care. Housing Works is also extending its federally qualified health center to include Bailey House’s behavioral health program located in New York City’s East Harlem neighborhood.

Daniel W. Tietz, CEO of Bailey House, said the evolving Medicaid system puts funding at risk amid a time of desperate need for affordable housing. “Direct managed care contracting put organizations like Bailey House and other not-for-profits at essential risk,”he says.“The most sensible way to do this wasn’t the old ‘let-me-go-get-a-certificate-of-need.’

It was that we look around and see who is in this business already. But the first driver of this merger was mission, vision, culture and values.”

Experts say there is no one template that works best for organizations seeking to replicate a successful merger.

“There’s a lot of give and take and imagination that goes into looking at the possibilities of what can’t happen if folks driving the process are invested in doing things the way they’ve always been done or to holding onto turf,” King says. “[From] what I’ve seen of other merger efforts that failed, they generally foundered on those kinds of points. This merger would have never happened had it not been for Dan and his skill in helping folks look at things differently.”

Adds Tietz, who plans to step down after an initial integration period, “I took this job without knowing what comes next. But what happens to me can’t be the thing. You just have to trust that you are going to be okay.

The driver has to be the mission and the needs of the folks you’re serving, and when you set aside your own anxiety, a lot of interesting things can happen.”

■

this page: photos courtest housing works/bailey house

body

metroHIV

Backyard at StandUp Harlem House

Two of New York City’s most essential providers of services to people living with HIV/AIDS are reaping the benefits of working together.

By Jeff Simmons

crash of the wingman

metrosource.com august/september 2019

views

I was never the most popular and always the least toasted (lest I betray the urge to kiss one of guy in school. It always seemed those handsome unsuspecting guys). a dubious honor at best, and one One night, I ended up alone with a girl I had been dating that carries far too much pres- socially. With no one else to hide behind, I surrendered my Golden sure. You have to spend time Gay card then and there. It was either that or out myself to a girl with people who share only a few I knew would not deal well with the newsflash that she’d been of your interests and engage in a dating a gay dude for an entire semester. degree of brown-nosing I generAfter college, I moved to Austin and slowly emerged from ally find disagreeable. my straight cocoon. And over time, I outgrew the need to be in But I am a people person. And anyone’s shadow (Cue the Whitney.) For the better part of 10 years, growing up in a swirl of alcohol I co-hosted a drive time radio show called “Kevin & Kevin in the and chaos, I envied the popular Morning, from 5:30 to 9am Mondays through Fridays. We played kids. They had shiny cars, letter rootsy music called “Americana” (the station is now known as jackets and ‘60s sitcom-perfect “Austin City Limits Radio”), while our neighbors down the hall parents. Being a closeted gay teen, I longed to bask in the glow offered up shock jocks, classic rock and Rush Limbaugh wannabes. radiating from my neighborhood heroes, but not so evidently that On a break one day, I dashed out during a commercial break to I’d get clocked as a homo by anyone looking too closely. hit the restroom and a young woman stepped out from her booth My accidental alternative was to become besties with the most where she was spinning techno and house music for breakfast. popular guys in school. Age-wise, I fell right between two brothers, She looked me up and down. “You’re Kevin,” she said. I nodded. one a year older, one a year younger. We met when I was nine and “So you’re gay, right? a friend introduced us while trading comic books — Me, Marvel.

Unsure of where this was headed, I affirmed that indeed, I Them, DC. We were a multi-culti Jonas Brothers. was. “Do you know any straight guys?” Bewildered and bemused, For the next ten years, we were more together than apart. We I allowed that I have many straight friends. She said, “Oh, good. came from military families, and since they are black and I am Can you fix me up? I sure could use a date.” white, we were all minorities in 80% Hispanic El Paso. We were “Well,” I asked her, “what’s your criteria?” practicing Catholics too, and served mass together as altar boys.

“I’m not fussy,” she confided. “He just has to be J-O-B positive.”

I became more a part of their family than my own. When visitors Some weeks passed and before long, I introduced her to a came to their home, I was often introduced as “the white sheep young medical intern friend of my then-husband-to-be. She of the family.” seemed um, very into him during the happy hour where we David and Don were the coolest guys in their respective classes. handed them off to each other.

I was able to dwell in the vicinity of their mojo just because I had We never heard from the aspiring doctor about how their always been there. When their fancies turned to music, I followed encounter went. But I did run into my female deejay co-worker, suit. They learned guitar; I joined the choir. They landed gigs, and who had all but forgotten his name by that point — even though I took up writing about pop artists in the school paper. only two weeks had passed since she was in his lap, kissing him.

That’s where I quickly learned that the perks of writing about “You two really seemed to hit it off,” I said, sure that I had done entertainment included free tickets to concerts, movies, musicals, my Wingman best. “What happened?” plays and after-parties. I had no car, but there was always some She shrugged. “Two-pump chump,” was all she said before preppy hunk who did. It became the perfect subterfuge to date throwing all her weight against the door to her studio. guys I found attractive without anyone knowing. Not even them.

I’m pretty sure that in that moment I lost any desire to facilitate So began my career as a Wingman. someone else’s happy hook-up, as a wingman or otherwise. I still Once out of high school and into college, I honed my craft. I wake up occasionally with that poor kid’s tombstone illuminated became the ideal guy to hang out with at discos, nightclubs or in a flash of lightning like something out of Ebenezer Scrooge’s rough joints where cowboys still two-stepped to the “Cotton-Eyed Christmas Carol nightmare.

Joe”. The way I put the ladies at ease in conversation always made “Here he lies,” it says for all eternity: “Two-Pump Chump.” ■ my buddies feel like they could focus on getting drunk and laid - secure in the fact that their girls never quite seemed to be “my have you ever played wingman or matchmaker? share type.” I wasn’t the best dancer, but I was often the most willing your story in “gay voices” at metrosource.com.

POV

After a lifetime of helping his friends get laid to cover up his closetedness, Kevin’s final flight as a wingman goes down over No Man’s Land. By Kevin Phinney

13

TO BE HONEST

CULTURE

SCREEN

A queer-positive story about saying goodbye to high school; an artistic take on the murder of a gay Italian iconoclast; and some quality time with a Drag Race star who’s been dealing with a world of hurt all along. BY JONATHAN ROCHE

JEFF GOLDBLUM GLOWS WITH A DARK AND EERIE CHARisma against the stark backdrop of director Rick Alverson’s The Mountain. When Andy loses his father (Udo Kier), he ends up working for the man who years ago lobotomized his mother. Dr. Wallace Fiennes (Goldblum) travels the United States hammering metal spikes around the eyes and into the frontal lobes of anyone whose doctors and family will pay him for it. Meanwhile, Andy hefts the luggage and takes their patients’ pictures afterwards. Goldblum’s powers are on full display here as somehow his considerable charms seem not much diminished by the loathsome labors of his character. In fact he seems like a pretty nice guy, giving a job to the lost puppy of a man he helped to orphan.

Andy witnesses the good doctor chisel the spirit out of patients, mostly powerless women, who range from the manic to the simply depressed. However, he lacks the will to do anything about it. Goldbulm’s character is based on an ac-

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019 METROSOURCE.COM

tual doctor who pushed lobotomies on the ignorant long after medicine had begun to widely question the practice.

As a reminder of this not-so-long ago era (the 1950s), The Mountain is both fascinating and haunting. But beneath the insidious mutilations we see on screen lies an even deeper layer of horror in the story. Audiences will surely feel its desolation and promise of a broken future. Young Andy is played by Tye Sheridan (Mud, Tree of Life) who costarred in Alverson’s anti-comedy Entertainment. Dynamic French actor Denis Levant (Holy Motors, Beau Travail) is thrown into the mix as a desperate father who offers up his wild-eyed daughter (Hannah Gross - Mindhunter) to the doctor for his savage cure-all. THE WORD: Alverson’s films are certainly an acquired taste, and the pacing will test many viewers. But if you can make it up the mountain (Goldblum’s presence really helps), there is singular vista awaiting at the summit. COMING TO: Theaters

THIS PAGE: THE MOUNTAIN ART COURTESY KINO LORBER

THE MOUNTAIN

THIS PAGE: BOOKSMART PHOTOS BY FRANCOIS DUHAMEL COPYRIGHT ANNAPURNA PICTURES • BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON PHOTO COURTESY AMAZON STUDIOS

BOOKSMART IT’S CLEAR THAT ACTOR/DIRECTOR OLIVIA WILDE (HOUSE, Tron) and a group of four female writers have done their homework about how to make a crowd-pleasing high school coming-of-age story loaded with silly and smart humor.

However, if they were metaphorically sharing a classroom with 2007’s Superbad, any observant teacher might accuse Booksmart of copying off its neighbor’s work. Both Booksmart and Superbad can accurately be described as ‘school’s-outforever’ odysseys. Each follows fiercely loyal misfit friends on quests to punctuate their high school experience by finally making it to the big party and seeing nascent crushes reach some level of fulfillment. The film also matches Superbad in many specific ways — too many to list. Suffice it to say that while Kaitlyn Dever does something of a Michael Cera impression, Beanie Feldstein could believably pass as Jonah Hill’s younger sister. That said, the category of ‘high school

comedy’ is certainly a well-worn form; so perhaps it’s not surprising that there should be so many similarities. However, Feldstein (Lady Bird, What We Do in the Shadows) and her co-star Dever (Short Term 12, Beautiful Boy) make Booksmart clever in a way that transcends the genre. It’s not necessarily in the writing (which is winning but often precious). Nor is it fully to be found in the characters (which are pleasing but not believable under scrutiny). Yet its cast, which also includes Diana Silvers (Glass, Ma), Molly Gordon (I Am Sam), and Billie Lourd (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, American Horror Story: Apocalypse) — supported by cameos from veterans Jason Sudeikis, Lisa Kudrow, and Will Forte — handily fulfill the film’s comedic promise. THE WORD: This film is like popcorn, delicious but primarily empty calories. Still the Booksmart’s main message is positive and queer-friendly, and stars have bright futures in Hollywood. COMING TO: Video on Demand

BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON THIS IS A FILM THAT’S MUCH FUNNIER AND FRESHER THAN its title and premise might suggest. Brittany is fabulous, funny, friendly, fat and pretty much makes sure that she is always the life of any party. But when she visits a doctor in the hope of scoring some Adderall, she gets slapped with a prescription that she never wanted. At the tender age of 27, her late night adventures and early morning walks-of-shame are starting to catch up with her, and it’s time to shape up. Thus Brittany (Jillian Bell - Rough Night, 22 Jump Street, Workaholics) begins a long trek towards self-improvement. She risks losing some old friends in the process, like her instagram obsessed roommate (Alice Lee - Wish Upon). But she will also gain some unexpected new ones amongst her new running crowd, (Michaela Watkins - Casual, In A World; Micah Stock - Escape at Dannemora).

Brittany also needs to focus on her non-existent career. And soon, working as a professional house/dog sitter, she ends up in an awkward state of cohabitation with her co-worker, Jern (Utkarsh Ambudkar - Pitch Perfect), after they both illegally move into the fancy New York apartment they’re taking care of. What makes this film by award-winning playwright Paul Downs Colaizzo (making his directorial debut) substantial is that the story rings true in so many ways. There’s a predictable dip into self-doubt and self-destruction just as Brittany is

starting to make things work. It’s a necessary counter-beat that’s been known to slow many other stories, but here it’s meaningful and well done. However, what really makes this film worthwhile is Jillian Bell, who - whether fat or fit - is very, very funny. The same can be said of all the actors named in this review, in addition to Lil Rel (Get Out) who plays Brittany’s brother-in-law. THE WORD: Brittany may learn to have a life, instead of just a succession of wild nights, but it’s still wicked fun. COMING TO: Theaters METROSOURCE.COM AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

15

!&4%2 (%2 #/-%$)# 4!,%.43 helped make Crazy Rich Asians such a hit, rapper and actress Awkwafina finds herself back in the East. This time, she’s in China with some less opulent Asians. Billi (Awkwafina) has a life and career in New York that aren’t going so well. That’s when she gets some distinctly bad news: her beloved grandma back in China is dying. Already Billi’s family have a plan. They’re not going to tell grandma about the stage-four cancer in her lungs. Instead Billi’s dad (Tzi Ma - The Arrival, Mulan) and his brother in Japan are conspiring to bring both their families for one last visit their ailing mother. They plan to use a cousin’s hastily assembled and entirely forced wedding as a cover to avoid making grandma suspicious at this sudden influx of family. Apparently keeping knowledge of terminal illness from the elderly (at least until the very end) is commonplace in China. Why? As Billi’s mother puts it patly, “When people get cancer, they die.” Deceptive as it may seem (and tangled as it may become) there may be some wisdom in the tradition. However, it mostly seems cruel to Billi — whose family

doesn’t even want her to come. (They fear that her special bond with her grandma will cause her to spill the beans.) Nevertheless, Billi buys a ticket she can’t afford and goes anyway. The story that unfolds as the family surrounds a still vivacious and utterly adorable matriarch is a pitch perfect mix of true-to-life comedy and well observed pathos. The blend is so smooth that audiences are likely to feel both elated and a little sad at the same time. THE WORD: The cast is excellent, but grandma (Shuzhen Zhou) and Awkwafina (who was raised by her own grandmother after her mother died when she was only four years old) carry the award-worthy, well-balanced film that easily crosses all barriers of culture and language to touch the heart. COMING TO: Video on Demand

0!3/,).)

7),,%- $!&/% 0/242!93 )#/./#,!34 &),- $)2%#4/2 0)%2 0!/,/ Pasolini in the final days before his murder in 1975. It’s immediately uncanny how much Dafoe resembles the 53 year old Italian director.

(Dafoe was 60 when the film was shot in 2014.) Why is the film only just reaching American audiences now? The delay isn’t so surprising given how European, intellectual, and non-linear this tribute to the

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019 METROSOURCE.COM

legendary artistic and political provocateur is. Pasolini is perhaps best known for his controversial and graphically sexual film Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. The auteur liked to challenge a society he believed was heading down a bad road. Consumerism was a particular concern of his, as was corrupt Christian democracy which he saw as similar to Italy’s fascist past. From the perspective of our current global political climate, Pasolini’s views appear prescient. What’s more, his belief that post-industrial culture was being degraded by consumerist and bourgeois values anticipates the dissolution of individual will into the media slurry we now inhabit. His opinion: ”We are all in great danger, we are not real people any more.”

Pasolini was a communist, but primarily an independent and outspoken thinker whose violent death sparked serious outcry within Italy. Was he murdered in a homophobic panic by the young man who was found driving his car? Or was his death an organized assassination by right wing forces? Director Abel Ferrara (Bad Lieutenant, King of New York) faithfully serves both Pasolini’s essential character and brutal murder with a clear and unblinking eye.

Wisely, he does not attempt to copy Pasolini’s style, even as he mixes scenes of what would have been Pasolini’s unfinished final film. THE WORD: A good watch if you’re up for something intellectual that also features explicit gay sex. COMING TO: Video on Demand

4()3 0!'% 4(% &!2%7%,, 0(/4/ #/524%39 /& ! s 0!3/,).) !24 #/524%39 +)./ ,/2"%2

CULTURE

SCREEN

THE FAREWELL

TRIXIE MATTEL: MOVING PARTS

4()3 0!'% 42)8)% -!44%, -/6).' 0!24??.)#+?:%)' /7%.3?? ?7"?,2?5"' s $)!-!.4)./ 34,,3 #/524%39 +)./ ,/2"%2

4()3 !"./2-!,,9 7%,, 4)4,%$ $/#5-%.4!29 $)6%3 deep into the character of both drag superstar Trixie Mattel, and (more compellingly) the less-often-witnessed person behind the character: Brian Michael Firkus. In truth there doesn’t seem to be that much of a divide between the two personas. Brian comes across as a rather emotionally healthy and stable person. He’s almost surprisingly so for a wildly successful performer whose mother can still barely be bothered to come to one of his events (even as he helps pay her bills).

There’s a gentle sadness in Brian about this, and about a childhood spent being the family black sheep back in Wisconsin.

His abusive stepfather used to call him ‘Trixie’ when he acted feminine. The fact that Brain used this as part of his stage name evidences that he is the sort of entertainer who takes pain and turns it into laughter. Like the great clowns of old, he leaves a hint of the original sorrow in his act. That’s part of makes him great and why he draws so many kindred misďŹ ts to seek shelter in the shadow of his massive wig. Another apparent source of joy and sadness for Brian is his frequent comedy partner, friend and Drag Race alumni, Katya (Brian Mc-

Cook). Their YouTube’s series (UNHhhh) was so popular it got picked up to be a bigger series on Viceland. Katya’s subsequent meltdown before the end of the ďŹ rst season is something Moving Parts sheds some light on. The situation’s impact on Firkus, who again smiles and sings through the hurt, speaks volumes about his personal strength of character. Documentarian Nicholas Zeig-Owens achieves a level of behind-the-curtain intimacy that’s not easy to come by. He even lived on Trixie’s couch for a time. As a result, Owens doesn’t just capture Trixie in motion, but also the parts of this talented and terriďŹ cally real person are genuinely moving. THE WORD: Also worth seeing for Trixie’s music - she’s a legit singer/songwriter! COMING TO: Video

$)!-!.4)./ 4()3 )3 ! #!-09 '%.$%2 "%.$).' 0/245'5%3% &2/,)# It intertwines international soccer, mad science, government conspiracy, refugee crises and stampedes of mammoth, uffy puppies. If that sentence doesn’t make you want to see this ick, then you probably shouldn’t. But if you do, you’ll have fun time watching the titular Diamantino (Carloto Cotta - Tabu) playing a sort of burlesque version of Christiano Ronaldo. He’s the world’s most famous soccer player, a man as chiseled as he is childlike. The secret of his genius on the soccer ďŹ eld, he tells us, is the gigantic lap dogs that he perceives running with him through ďŹ elds of pink mist. However, after a day of pleasure boating with his elderly father/coach and his two bossy/ busty sisters ends in Diamantino rescuing a raft of desperate refugees from Africa, everything changes. As when young Sid-

dhartha ďŹ rst learned there was suffering in the world, so the princely Diamantino cannot get the event out of his mind.

Quickly this distraction leads to him blowing the ďŹ nal game of the World Cup and retiring in disgrace. Yet Diamantino has a new purpose now, to help the “‘fugeesâ€? and hopefully adopt one for himself. Here the plot gets really thick as government agents investigating him for money laundering use his bleeding heart as an undercover way into his home. Meanwhile his wicked materialist sisters make a secret deal with forces seeking to spark a nationalist surge to leave the EU using a team of Diamantino clones! Also: the mad science involved may cause Diamantino develop breasts. THE WORD: This wild romp isn’t high art, but does make good points about global politics and the dire need for more uffy puppies. COMING TO: Theaters METROSOURCE.COM AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

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IMPORTANT FACTS

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

(des-KOH-vee) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DESCOVY

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF DESCOVY

DESCOVY may cause serious side effects, including: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. DESCOVY is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking DESCOVY. Do not stop taking DESCOVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

DESCOVY can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About DESCOVY” section.

• Changes in your immune system.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

• 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 effect of DESCOVY is nausea.

These are not all the possible side effects of DESCOVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking DESCOVY. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with DESCOVY.

ABOUT DESCOVY • DESCOVY is a prescription medicine that is used together with other HIV-1 medicines to treat HIV-1 in people who weigh at least 77 lbs (35kg). DESCOVY is not for use to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection.

• DESCOVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others.

BEFORE TAKING DESCOVY Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

• Have any other medical condition.

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed.

Do not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with DESCOVY.

GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about DESCOVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

• Go to DESCOVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 • If you need help paying for your medicine, visit DESCOVY.com for program information.

HOW TO TAKE DESCOVY • DESCOVY is a one pill, once a day HIV-1 medicine that is taken with other HIV-1 medicines.

• Take DESCOVY with or without food.

DESCOVY, the DESCOVY Logo, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: September 2017 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. DVYC0085 11/17

my heart belongs to daddy

photos courtesy daddyhunt

The Daddyhunt app and website have become one of the fastest

growing social networks for men seeking a different approach to meet guys of disparate generations. The site now boasts more than a million members. But unlike other dating sites, Daddyhunt has employed a new tactic to engage a broader audience: storytelling.

The founders created Daddyhunt: The Serial, a three-season series revolving around the budding relationship between a middle-aged man and his younger admirer. Through ongoing vignettes – each with its own juicy cliffhanger – the series captures the promise and pain of relationships and romance. And, with each new season, the videos have begun to sprinkle in public health messages about HIV and AIDS, safe sex and sexually transmitted diseases.

“I recognize that people are turned off by safe sex public service announcement messages,”says Carl Sandler, CEO of Daddyhunt.“In today’s day and age, people have to get something for their time, and entertainment is a wonderful way to educate — if it’s done right.”

In the first season, neighbors Ben and Graydon meet and share a mutual attraction which quickly hits some humorous obstacles. Season Two subtly inserts a public health component into the storyline with messages about condoms, undetectable viral loads, PrEP, the importance of routine testing and safe sex practices.

Daddyhunt GM and executive producer Casey Crawford says that the next season is more diverse than ever. It will discuss how HIV disproportionately affects African American men, and addresses partner notification and PrEP. “It was important for us to touch on those topics in a way that was authentic,” says Crawford.

“We want the Daddyhunt community to be accepting, but we also want people to be more accepting in the gay community at large,” explains the exec. He hopes audiences will learn to “not stigmatize people“based on being short or tall, skinny or fat, black, Asian, Latino,

HIV positive or negative.“We want this to be an all-inclusive community.” Dan Wohlfeiler, Director and Co-Founder of Building Healthy Online Communities (BHOC) sought to help Crawford drive those messages home. Call it a public/private partnership between dating sites and apps and HIV and STD prevention organizations.

“We were talking with Carl and said,“Why don’t we try to incorporate a plotline into a second season where Graydon and Ben are clearly building a relationship, and Graydon wants to use condoms and Ben wants to use PrEP. And how do they work that out?”Wohlfeiler says. “What’s a better place to reduce risk than where guys are meeting, and that’s online, and taking advantage of the apps?”

When the actors were assembled to shoot the series, they also taped short PSAs in which they spoke directly to the camera to discuss such topics as dating someone who is positive, condom use, partner notification, navigating relationships, undetectable viral loads and making safe sex choices.

Jim Newman, who plays daddy Graydon, was captivated by the beauty of the budding relationship.“It struck a chord,”he says.“We all just want to meet a nice guy who respects us and fall in love.”

At 54, Newman recently joined the ever-fluctuating lineup of the Village People (as the cowboy). When he was called in to audition for this Daddyhunt serial, he learned they wanted him for the older partner.“Now I’m a daddy,” he laughs. Just the same, he says,“I get a lot of messages from kids who say this helped them come out. Because of this series, we have reached a lot of people who didn’t have positive images of gay men.”

The series strives not to be preachy, but to educate through entertainment.“The reality is it’s very hard to tell a story in a few minutes,” Sandler says, “People see themselves in the characters and perhaps they change their behavior as a result.”

■ metrosource.com august/September 2019

body

metroHIV

Intergenerational Relationships? Messages about safe sex, race and shaming?

This is how one dating app is shaking up the world of hooking up. By Jeff Simmons

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NEVER MISS A DOSE Concerned about forgetting to take pills, refill prescriptions or note drug interactions? Now there’s an app for that. BY DUSTIN CHARLES YOUNG 10 REASONS MEDISAFE IS A LIFESAVER

22

EFFECTIVE HIV THERAPY DEPENDS ON

medication adherence. That means taking your medication at the same time each day. Strict adherence to one’s HIV regimen will reduce the risk of HIV transmission and treatment failure due to drug resistance. Medication nonadherence in the US costs more than $100 billion annually. It doesn’t make sense to gamble with one’s health trying to remember when to take your prescription. The newest tech to help LGBTQ patients manage their medication regimens and improve their prescription adherence is medication adherence apps.

The intuitive Medisafe Pill Reminder app removes the stress associated with remembering to take medications on time. This prescription adherence app touts itself as the fastest, most secure and most accurate helpmate on the market.

It reminds when it’s time to take a medication while also keeping track of all the medications you might be taking.

The Medisafe app is currently the top-ranked pill reminder app in the world with an estimated 5 million-plus registered users. The app has a 4.7 out of 5-star rating by more than 200,000 reviewers. In 2016, Medisafe received awards as the“Most Innovative Healthcare & Life Sciences Technology” and “Best UX” from the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange (MITX). MITX Award winners are meant to represent the best innovations in New England.

In 2017, the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) published a study by a research team that compared medication adherence apps by assessing their features, functionality, and health literacy of the 100 highest-ranking adherence apps. After analyzing the data, the research team ranked Medisafe the best app for medication management, connectivity, general features and health literacy.

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medications and vitamins, you’ll receive personalized reminders for each medication and/or vitamin. The feature supports even complicated medicine dosing schedules.

2. INTERACTION CHECKER—Contains over 30,000 severe drug interaction warnings, preventing harmful drug interactions that your doctor or pharmacist might possibly overlook. This can be critically important for patients with more than one physician.

3. CAREGIVER SUPPORT—If you list your caregiver as a Medifriend, the app will send them a notification should you accidentally miss a dose/medication.

4. DEPENDENTS—Have family members taking medications? With Medisafe, you can also manage all your family members’medications from one convenient app using the Dependents feature.

5. VITAL TRACKING—This Medisafe feature also keeps you on top of your blood pressure, weight and glucose levels.

6. ADHERENCE REPORTS—Create empowering reports that show you weekly and monthly medication adherence to create a picture over time.

7. NOTIFICATION RINGTONE LIBRARY—Select your favorite ringtone reminder from the app library, or add your own. Examples include “Star Wars”,“Morgan Freeman”,“Gandalf”, and even “Finding Nemo’s”Dory.

8. DIARY—Document symptoms, health events, or other important medical information to later share with your doctor.

9. PRESCRIPTION REFILL REMINDERS—Ever go to your medicine cabinet only to discover that you’ve run out of medication? The Prescription Refill reminder notifies you well in advance so that you never run out.

10. COUPONS—Keeping a stock of lifesaving prescription drugs can be costly. With the Medisafe app, you can receive budget-saving coupons and discount cards accepted by many U.S. drug stores including CVS, Rite-Aid and Walgreens.

Other app features include a “weekend mode,” schedule of appointments, a store of doctor’s information, pharmacist tip videos, and the extras don’t end there. Most of the Medisafe Pill and Medication Tracker features are available cost-free. However, access to all of the app’s features requires a $4.00 per month or $39.99 per year subscription. Medisafe is also compliant with HIPAA regulations in order to safeguard your medical information.

MEDISAFE APP SUPPORTED DEVICES The Medisafe app can be used on your smartphone, tablet and smartwatches including Apple Watch, LG Style, LG Sport, LG G, Moto 360 (both first and second generation), Moto 360 Sport, Samsung Gear Live, Huawei Watch, ASUS ZenWatch 2 and others). The app is available in the Google Play and Apple app stores or online at Medisafeapp.com.

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TECH

1. MEDICATION REMINDERS—After adding or importing all your

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO

LIVE OFF CASH

(FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH)

tence is perfect. If I’m splitting dinner with friends, I drop my debit card in the center of the table like I’m dropping a mic. Even for a $2 pack of gum at CVS, I swipe without a second thought. Handing my card over to the bartender at the end of the night is second-nature.

It’s not really hard to live a paper currency-free life. Especially in NYC, it’s often not necessary to carry cash anymore. Venmo, PayPal and other money-sharing apps make it easy to reimburse a friend or tip your piano player or favorite mixologist. And Apple Pay has come in handy too — especially when I realize I’ve left my wallet at home and had to buy coffee or groceries. Sweden actually has a goal of becoming a cashless society by 2023. In my humble opinion, the future is cash-free.

But before dollar bills go the way of the dinosaur, I decided to live the entire month of June without using my credit or debit cards once. As it was Pride month (and WorldPride, to boot) I knew that I would be hanging out with many of my friends, attending events and generally celebrating all things LGBTQ. But, I wondered, would putting away my plastic put a crimp in my Pride plans?

THE EXPERIMENT: AN ALL-CASH DIET

STOCK PHOTO COPYRIGHT: ALIASCHING

When starting my cash-only test, I turned off Venmo, hid away my Apple Pay and stashed my credit cards in my underwear drawer. Not only was my rule that I would pay for everything with cash, but I was also determined not to take out money from anywhere other than my own bank’s ATMs. I set myself a budget of $125 a week. That allowance was meant to covered everything aside from my fixed costs. (Among those were included rent, streaming services, internet, phone and insurance.) I’d pay for groceries, bars and restaurants, laundry, and transportation all in cash.

A FEW MORE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES: 1. I’d withdraw $125 every Sunday. That’s all I would have for the week.

2. If I didn’t spend my full weekly allotment, I would allow extra money to roll over to the next week.

3. I’d carry one credit card for emergencies. And by emergencies, I meant an actual crises — not merely the desire for one more cocktail.

SO HOW DID IT GO? Admittedly I had weeks where $125 wasn’t enough. Dinners out, toasts to Pride: it was probably the wrong month to try my experiment. But the biggest takeaway was how much more mindful I became of what I was spending. Handing over $80 in cash for dinner and drinks is more meaningful

than using Venmo to pay a friend. You really think about what those four $20-dollar bills mean — and how hard you worked to get them.

I walked more. The convenience of taking a Lyft had become secondnature to me, but living on a cash budget forced me to walk or take public transportation whenever possible. And when I was home, I ordered from Seamless less and cooked for myself more.

As an added bonus, I lost weight. The combined walking and cooking for myself managed to shave off around 10 pounds. I’m sure it would have been more if I hadn’t devoted much of my cash budget to Fireball shots and vodka sodas. But it was Pride, so I forgave myself.

OTHER LESSONS LEARNED Using a cash-only budget during the week is a great way to save for a big purchase. In your case, that could be a vacation to Mykonos, a new home, or a summer rental on Fire Island. If you are more mindful of what you are spending your cash on, you might be compelled to save more.

One budgeting method to try is the 50/20/30 budget rule that Senator Elizabeth Warren popularized in her book All Your Worth: The Ultimate Lifetime Money Plan. The basic rule is to divide after-tax income, spending 50% on needs and 30% on wants while allocating 20% to savings:

CULTURE

I NEVER CARRY CASH. NEVER. I’M A FIRM BELIEVER THAT A CASHLESS EXIS-

FINANCE

Here’s what happens when you choose paper in a world of plastics. BY JENNIFER DAY

• NEEDS: Needs are those bills that you absolutely must pay and are necessary for survival. These include rent or mortgage payments, car payments, groceries, insurance, health care, minimum debt payments and utilities. Fair warning: the “needs” category does not include certain items that may feel like needs, such as premium cable,Venti lattes and dining out.

• WANTS: Wants are all the things you spend money on that are not absolutely essential. Here’s where staying cash-only can make you think twice about splurging. Wants include visits to bars and restaurants, tickets to shows, new outfit and shoes. Basically, it’s all those little extras you buy that make life more enjoyable and entertaining. Using cash here will definitely make you think before you empty out your wallet at the register.

• SAVINGS: Finally, allocate 20% of your income to savings and investments. This includes adding money to an emergency fund in a bank savings account, making IRA contributions to a mutual fund account, and investing in the stock market.

By the end of June, I learned to appreciate how much money I was spending almost every time I went shopping or out for a night on the town with friends. Being mindful of my spending may just be my mantra for the rest of 2019. And just maybe that means: I’ll see you in Mykonos.

■ METROSOURCE.COM AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

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grand madames music

Carly Rae Jepsen is no one-trick pony; Madonna can still stir controversy; and Dionne Warwick serves up some vintage soul. by matt gross

Madonna

24

On the diva’s 14th release, Madonna examines the current state of the world while imagining a peaceful, harmonious way to move it forward. Of the anthemic “I Rise,” Madge says the track gives “voice to all marginalized people who feel they don’t have the opportunity to speak their minds.” It features a spoken-word intro from Emma Gonzalez, the young social activist, gun control advocate and survivor from the Parkland school shooting in early 2018. Earlier this summer in Israel, Madonna performed another Madame X track, “Future” at the Eurovision Song Contest — and stirred up some controversy: While telling her audience to “never underestimate the power of music to bring people together,” her set featured two male dancers walking arm-in-arm with Israeli and Palestinian flags on their respective backs. When she’s not pushing the envelope in a political sense, Madame X includes some notable bangers, including the pulsating lead single,“Medellin,” a duet with the gorgeous Colombian reggaeton singer Maluma. Another collaboration, “Crave” with rapper Swae Lee, is a desiretinged pop gem. This Queen won’t be passing her crown along anytime soon. august/september 2019

metrosource.com

this page: madonna courtesy interscope

culture

Madame X (Interscope Records)

DIONNE WARWICK

She’s Back (E-One Records / Kind Music)

THIS PAGE: DIONNE WARWICK COURTESY OF THE ARTIST • CARLY RAE JEPSEN 2019 BY MARKUS & KOALA

The legendary chanteuse returns with an impressive new release comprised entirely of covers. It’s her first collection of new music in five years. Produced by her son, Damon Elliott, Dionne’s 36th album includes duets with singer-songwriter Kenny Lattimore (“What Color is Love”) as well as revered R&B crooner Musiq Soulchild (“Am I Dreaming?”). And that’s only two of the many soulful heavy hitters on this parade of ballads and slow jams. The lead single of She’s Back is her updated heart-wrenching version of the Burt Bacharach / Hal David classic,“What the World Needs Now,” which she originally recorded in the ‘60s. With an array of synthesizers, a steady in-the-pocket bass line and a touch of modern production, She’s Back is clearly meant to inject some modern vitality into the singer’s familiar easy-listening sound, and the album succeeds greatly in doing so. Warwick sounds weathered on certain tracks — which is to be expected at 78 with a six-decade career under her belt. But there’s also no denying it still possesses unparalleled warmth and sweetness.

CARLY RAE JEPSEN

Dedicated (School Boy / Interscope Records) In 2015, Carly Rae’s last release, EMOTION, proved that she’s much more than a one-trick pony (anyone remember her 2011 earworm “Call Me Maybe”?). Now, Dedicated proves she might be one of her generation’s more enduring popsters. Dedicated is the kind of catchy summer album that begs to be turned up full blast while roaring down the highway with the convertible top down. Admittedly Carly’s lyrics have never been particularly deep or introspective.

However, her cleverly crafted tunes chronicling crushes, first kisses and the sparkle of new love have never sounded stronger than they do on Dedicated. Highlights include the sultry opener “Julien,”“Now That I Found You,” (cat people are advised to watch the accompanying video immediately), and the deliciously funky “Want You in My Room.” She’s never sounded more self-assured, spirited or direct.

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LIVING BY OPRAH’S WORDS THE WORDS OF OPRAH WINFREY FUEL KALVIN LEVEILLE’S PASSION AND PURPOSE

BODY

METROHIV

every day, motivating him to share his most personal trials to create positive change in the lives of others.“Oprah says we have two things we have to do in life; one is learning why you were born, and the other is learning what you are going to do about it,”Leveille says. Those words are his mantra and his mantle.

“As I’m getting older - I’m 32 years old now - I realize I have a responsibility to help people,” says Leveille, a proud New Yorker. “Maybe I can’t give someone a million dollars, but I can give someone hope. That’s what I feel like I was born to do.”

Leveille serves on the frontlines of educating others about HIV and AIDS, and is among those selected by the State of New York to champion the U=U or “Undetectable equals Untransmittable” initiative, which focuses on sexual health and safe sex. As Metrosource reported, the campaign in a simple and direct way explains how to protect yourself without surrendering to a life of celibacy. And it addresses how people living with HIV can bring their viral loads under control to the point that they too can become undetectable.

As a longtime leader in health education, Leveille has shared his life’s journey with more than 50,000 people in the greater New York City area, visiting college and high school classrooms to discuss his multiple comings out – as a gay man, and later as HIV positive.“Coming out,”he says,“is not just about coming out to your family or the world. It really starts in your heart and learning to love and accept yourself.”

Born in Jamaica, Queens, Leveille was the first in his family to be born in the states after his family relocated from Haiti. Raised by a single parent, he recognized his same sex attraction early on and came out when he was 17 years old. While he had familial support, he nevertheless felt alienated by not having a mentor to turn to or resources that would, in his words, “help me figure things out.”

A few years later, during his undergraduate studies, he learned he was HIV positive. This was a period he considers the most challenging of his

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life. He felt alone, fearing stigma and estrangement.“It’s crazy that I didn’t think about my health. I thought about whether I would be alone for the rest of my life,”he says.

As he came out to those close to him as a person living with HIV, Leveille found his way into advocacy. He became the Director of HIV Prevention Services at The Long Island LGBT Services Network. Then he joined Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. As a Health Educator for“Love Heals, the Alison Gertz Foundation”for the last decade, he has led more than 150 workshops populated most often by teenagers and young adults. He speaks about judgment, stigma and validation. “I tailor my story and experience to really target the issue and to bridge a gap and let people know, regardless of HIV status, that we are all in those together to make better decisions and make change,”Leveille says.

He also served three years as Co-Chair for the New York State Department of Health’s Statewide AIDS Services Delivery Consortium, and was then appointed as the youngest member and Prevention Committee Co-Chair to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Ending the Epidemic Task Force to reduce HIV infections in the state, taking on other prominent additional roles in healthcare initiatives.

If he’s ever doubted his impact, he needs to look no further than his Facebook inbox, where Leveille regularly receives messages from those who’ve heard his words. They write, “’You don’t remember me, but five years ago you came to my school and I just want to tell you that you changed my life’,” he says with satisfaction. Another man connected with him on an LGBTQ dating app and commented, “’You told me to always love and respect myself.’Those moments mean the world to me.”

Now, as he focuses professionally on his creative side – acting, modeling and consulting – he remains on the HIV/AIDS advocacy frontlines, most prominently in his role as U=U spokesperson. “U=U is hope. It is hope for people who are HIV positive and it is hope for individuals who are HIV negative,” he says.“In the HIV prevention toolbox, it is hope because it encourages people who are HIV positive to take their medication.

So not only are they able to live longer and be healthier and in control and able to manage their HIV diagnosis, but [also] so they can ensure that they are reducing the chances of infecting their sexual partners.”

Taking on such a public persona has reshaped his mindset as well — about what it means to be HIV positive and to be an advocate. Leveille notes that as an advocate, he is not only educating but also becoming a beacon for change, using his positions to generate broader awareness, combat stigma and elicit life-changing conversations.

“I want to use my experiences, my triumphs, dealing not just with me being HIV positive but me being a black gay male,” Leveille says.“I want to be able to help the generation that’s coming after me in particular. ... I always say that the H in HIV stands for ‘Human’ and we need to pay attention to that. One of the core things about being human is that we are all seeking validation. I was seeking validation, acceptance and love.”He’s embodying the words of his role model, Oprah, who said: “There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling.”

■

THIS PAGE: JAY WALKER - INSTAGRAM: @JUST_CALLMEJ

“Oprah says we have two things we have to do in life. One is learning why you were born, and the other is what you are going to do about it...“ BY JEFF SIMMONS

fashion is a part of many gay men’s identity — often compromised by height. we found designers giving them reasons to live. by Kevin Phinney were the third tallest in the world: at 5’7”.

Less than four percent of the population

was six feet tall or more. On average, males have grown more than an inch a century since record keeping began, with

Founder Steven Mazur says, “It’s always been frustrating to

walk into a store and find plus and petite sizes for women and big and tall sections for men, but nothing for people like me. My partner and I could never find any clothes that fit people who are 5’8” and under. You had to either get lucky, find something in the kid’s department or take what you’ve bought to a tailor. And even that doesn’t quite work.”

Most short men know how the routine. Buy a button-down?

The sleeves are too long, there’s a big gap under each armpit, and your shirt now billows around the trunk. Take it to be altered, and the tailor will show you just how much of the sleeve placket you’ll lose in order to move the cuffs to your wrists.

“People tend to think that it’s all about length,” muses Mazur.

“But as we got more and more into the design process, we found that it’s not so much about cutting a few inches off the pants or the shirt sleeves. There are a variety of details to take into consider-

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variations across the globe attributed to such factors as nutrition and genetics.

As men sprouted in stature, fashion

ation. In pants, that includes everything from where the zipper and the belt loops actually belong to the wash and taper of the leg. If those are in the wrong place — for example, a wash that highlights the knee — it’s clear they’re altered and not constructed to fit your body. And you can see that right away.”

Ash & Erie launched in 2015 (as Ash & Anvil) and got an unexpected push into the limelight on TV’s Shark Tank when entrepreneur Mark Cuban (who inhabits a different ecosystem at 6’3”) decided to partner with Mazur and co-founder Eric Huang. “We went on the show in 2017,” Mazur recalls. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pitch what we do, and we were looking for funding to continue to grow. We thought, ‘Why not?’ The worst case scenario is that nothing changes. The best is that you walk away with funding and exposure and the help of a new partner.”

Mazur and Huang entered the tank seeking $100,000 for 12 1/2 percent of their company. “Then the deal took a dramatic turn

this page: ABC/Michael Desmond) MARK CUBAN, STEVEN MAZUR, ERIC HUANG (ASH & Erie nee ANVIL)

A hundred years ago, American men

and clothing manufacturers instinctively followed suit. Now nearly every department store in the country has a “big and tall” men’s section and boutiques catering to their needs have popped up to compete.

All but shut out in the rush to keep pace with the largest segment of the market?

Men under 5’10” — though one in three American males is still under 5’8”. That’s roughly 40 million men.

During their exile, gays, straights and everyone between have been forced to

wear severely altered clothes created for our big bros — or found themselves scouring kids’ departments in chain stores.

To make matters worse, anyone who didn’t maintain a 30-inch waist had to choose garments meant for much taller men that were simply chopped off by tailors (who after all, aren’t miracle workers).

Boxy and ill-fitting formalwear became commonplace. Those who could afford it, like late funk fashionplate Prince, had every outfit made specifically for him.

Now, with online sales demonstrating that there was actually an underserved market for the vertically challenged, change is in the air. And a handful of entrepreneurs are willing to gamble that men will show up to buy menswear created with them in mind.

We spent time with three clothiers targeting shorter men and found that while each business seeks to serve the market they’ve identified, no two share the exact same business model for reaching them.

rie.com

r igned fo lly des a c ifi c e es sp ay cloth Everyd eights. h great f o n e m

THIS SECTION: ALL PRODUCT IMAGES COURTESY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE MANUFACTUERERS

E Ashand

where Mark was out, then came back again. Ultimately we got $150,000 for 25 percent. And there’s a photo of me with my head craned up just to look at him.”

The company changed names in 2017. “The first part comes from Detroit, where we’re located,” Mazur explains. “It’s the city motto: ‘We will arise from the ashes.’ And Erie is a tribute to the region we’re proud to be from.” We thought that Ash & Erie better represented our brand, but we’re the same company, people and clothes.”

The Ash & Erie line was created after interviewing and working with hundreds of men to not only identify where to place pockets and zippers, but to discover what wardrobe pieces they most longed for in their own sizes. Sure, says Mazur, there are slim and classic fits, “but it’s not just shorter guys. It’s men at a variety of waist sizes who now have an alternative to having everything in their wardrobe be sent through a tailor. Whatever size you are, we have perfect sizes for you, as long as you’re with-

in our height range.”

For now, the company serves online customers exclusively.

And while they make every effort to help clients find the right fit the first time, they know that having an easy and streamlined returns policy also makes shopping more adventure than chore. “We keep in close contact with the people we serve,” Mazur says. “And that starts from the very first time we hear from you. For us, customer feedback is vital and something we take into consideration as we’re trying to fill their needs. Not being a brick-and-mortar outlet and being able to see our customers all the time, it’s essential that we know what they’re responding to in what we provide.”

WEBSITE: AshandErie.com STANDOUTS: Lower-rise jeans with just enough spandex to create a slimming silhouette rather than suggest you’re dressing out of your generation. A plethora of button-downs to keep you looking on point, even in a casual setting.

METROSOURCE.COM AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

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“I like seeing people come out of our dressing rooms

saying, “’This is the first time I haven’t had to have pants tailored.’ Sometimes their significant others will have to drag them in to check us out. But then you see that expression of satisfaction on their faces when they try on one piece after another and go, ‘Yeah. This is right. This fits.

Finally.’”

So says Zach Fields, product and marketing manager for Peter Manning, a menswear brand for customers they refer to with fraternal bonhomie as “not so tall men.”

Fields says Peter Manning debuted in 2011 with “a kind of everyday shirt” they call the weekend untucked shirt. That success led to a full line that now includes pants, sweaters, sport jackets, suits and their own take on the classic Baracuta jacket made immortal by Steve McQueen back in the 1960s. Their styles, like those of their competitors, intentionally telegraph that this is the way young professionals dress in 2019.

That’s not wrong. A young techie named Al Faiella appeared during our interview to shop and left after spending $1000 on wardrobe upgrades. “I did a lot of market research,” he confessed between changes. “I don’t shop until I can find a spot where I can really find things for guys like me. I had basically just given up, because I very rarely buy clothes anyway. But that’s what really led me here today.

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PeterMa

nningN

YC.com Classic C lothing F or Not-S o-Tall™ Guys.

I was thinking about what I was looking for, and the biggest surprise moment for me was just now trying on a pair of pants on for first time that completely fit everywhere. And because I couldn’t do that before, I really didn’t care as much how I looked all the time.

But as I’m getting older and making more money, dressing well is more meaningful. Why did I spend so much? Because everything I just tried on worked. So I bought it all.”

Fields jumped from a full-time career as an attorney to join Peter Manning a year and a half ago because he was convinced as a customer that this market was going through the roof. “Even though something like 90 percent of our business now comes from online traffic,” he says, “here you have the advantage of trying things on. So you have some expectation of what the fit and feel of each garment is like, and that saves a lot of time in terms of returning things until you have every purchase exactly the way you want.”

While almost all clothiers take pride in their designs, have clients raving about them on social media, and are vying for brand loyalty, what sets all these purveyors apart from most retailers is how passionate they are about what they do. They’re aware they’re selling much more than clothes. Each one is selling confidence and customer satisfaction.

“Being not so tall myself,” says Fields, “it helps you understand that what’s different here is all the details — where the pocket should be on a shirt, for example.

I can remember trying on suits in department stores and having the sales guy say, ‘That looks great,’ when you know the coat is too long, and everything else is completely out of proportion. That’s why I hate those guys,” he says. “Because they haven’t been there and they know nothing about what it’s like. They’re just trying to make a sale.”

Could this trend all suddenly go away? Is it some kind of fad or flirtation? Or are shorter men permanently back on the industry’s radar?

“There’s definitely still a long way to go,” says Fields. “It often takes me back to when I was shopping for a tux for my high school prom. I had to get a rental and I had no idea how bad the fit was back then. Now I know.”

WEBSITE: PeterManningNYC.com STANDOUTS: A pair of jeans so black you could wear

them to a funky formal dinner. The übercool Baracuta jacket. Their new puppy-soft sweatshirt.

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10.com

ed for design s d n ra thing b that fit! ality clo inally clothes F Best qu .

0 der 5’1 men un

under5

ELIE ROBINSON, THE FOUNDER OF UNDER 5’10, HAS DONE HIS HOMEWORK.

He says standard sizing began during the Civil War so that uniforms could be made in bulk. “General size buckets were created in order to make it easier for manufacturers to mass produce clothing,” he explains. “And getting uniforms fast that fit good enough was . . . well, good enough. Before clothiers could execute their work, they needed standard sizes (what we know today as XS, S, M, L and XL). “They were crudely created by sampling sizes from soldiers and finding obvious patterns that came up over and over again. When the war ended, standard sizing was adopted by the public market and has only changed slightly since then.”

As average male height in America increased over time, he says, mass manufacturers continually updated their sizing charts to accommodate “the natural evolution of men getting taller and heavier. And while this was happening, a new evo-

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lution of ‘Big & Tall’ began, leaving shorter men even further behind.”

No more, says Robinson. “At Under 5’10, we believe that the 32 million men in America who are 5’8” and under have simply been forgotten along the way.’

Like his colleagues, he decided that at 5’7”, he deserved more and better options. Robinson’s company was born “out of my personal need for off the rack clothing that fit well,” he says.

“My entrepreneurial curiosity recognized the opportunity for a niche buildout for a seemingly ignored market.”

The credo at Under 5’10 is simple: “We believe that men of all heights should have the opportunity to buy great clothing off the rack. Ours are engineered to fit men under 5’10 and without having to pay a premium for it. Men shouldn’t have to shop at the same stores as their children, be forced to buy custom or have to pay for extensive tailoring.”

Because theirs is such a narrow market and smaller batches make each item more expensive to produce individually, clothing can cost more than what shoppers are used to finding at The Gap or J. Crew.

Opening a brick-and-mortar store in Cedarhurst, NY helped to keep those costs under control. And with a less expensive space, Under 5’10 is also able to keep more of its inventory in house. Translation: You can walk in, try on clothes and walk out the door with them. “But our price points are probably the biggest differentiator,” maintains Robinson. “We firmly believe that if we are to succeed in outfitting our customers and to stop them from buying ill-fitting clothing from mass manufacturers, price cannot be a factor in their decision making.”

The company began with button-down shirts, then diversified into jeans, ties and polos. The company now even offers a first foray into footwear with their vegan sneaker. “Ultimately,” says Robinson, “we plan to offer a full line of men’s clothing and accessories as a one-stop shop for men.”

Everyone exploring this untapped market wants to make a profit, says Robinson, but the biggest winners will be those customers who wandered so long in the wilderness. “In the end, the more companies that get involved, the more that will benefit consumers looking for more options,” he concludes. “We are thrilled to be on the ground floor of this clothing revolution. Now that we have entered into the marketplace along with a few competitors, we also foresee a shift in the way shorter men shop. What started out as my desire to have off the rack clothes made for men under 5’10 and serve that demographic is evolving into a lifestyle brand specifically created for the shorter man.”

He’s certain of one thing: “The customer’s relationship with their local tailor will never be the same.”

Website: Under510.com Standouts: Slim, stretchy jeans in hypnotically deep indigo. A

gingham button down that would work at a Broadway opening or over a truck stop plate of biscuits and gravy.

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we visit the world’s premiere drag ballet company just as an alum’s drag race success garners them fresh attention. by paul hagen similarities. Creatures of impossible beauty take to the stage, where they create art through stylized movement and eye-catching costumes. Yet in other key ways, they diverge. Ballet requires years of rigorous formal training, in which adhering to rules earns opportunities to exhibit one’s skills. Meanwhile, the path to a drag career often involves experimenting - to find venues, audiences and styles that best suits the performer. They may join forces with colleagues and mentors to learn and grow, though rarely in something as formal as a school. And often a drag queen’s biggest success comes from breaking the rules.

Yet for decades, there has been a place where drag and ballet meet: Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (affectionately nicknamed “the Trocks” ). We spoke to their Artistic Director Tory Dobrin and dancer Duane Gosa about where the company has been and where it’s going. They revealed the unique triumphs and challenges of a career in drag ballet — from losing toenails to losing partners, and how they’ve kept on dancing through it all.

ALONG CAME BROOKE Forty-five years ago, a group of ballet enthusiasts came together to form a dance experience unlike any other.

Over time, they’ve seen extraordinary changes in how society regards LGBTQ rights, drag and dance. Then this year, along came RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 11. The fact that Trocks alum Brock Hayhoe (a.k.a. Brooke Lynn Hytes) was the season’s runner-up has shone a new light on the company’s special place in the world of drag.

“Brock was a great guy and he danced with us [until] he didn’t want to tour anymore and he started doing drag in clubs,” remembers Dobrin, who joined the dance troupe as a performer in 1980 before going on to become artistic director. “We were super-thrilled,” he adds. “He comes across as very nice and chill and that’s exactly who he is.”

“I think that it’s kind of cool that she has brought

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something that we do to a mainstream audience,” says Gosa - who joined the Trocks at 27 and has been dancing with them for six years now. “A couple of episodes when she mentioned the company on the show, I got so many messages from people that I met all over the world.” How would Gosa judge Brooke’s performance? “She really did well on the show — very impressive drag queen, very talented — which I think really helped for people to be even more excited about what we do.”

WHO ARE THE TROCKS? For those unfamiliar with the Trocks, let’s get some basics out of the way: Male dancers perform all the roles, both male and female. They embody all the grace and athleticism of classical dance and blend it with a comic sensibility that makes the combination instantly accessible. “It’s classical ballet and it’s parody of classical ballet,” Gosa explains. “So you get to see classic works that are famous throughout history like Swan Lake and Don Quixote, and parody of even more contemporary works like some Merce Cunningham and George Balanchine. But you get to see it with a twist and you get to laugh at it.”

“You will go home astounded by the dancing and super happy about the comedy,” says Dobrin.“I would just say it’s a really great show, time well spent in the theater, basically not that expensive ticket-wise.” He emphasizes that although they have an enthusiastic gay audience, their fans include straight people, too. It’s a show where, for example, a woman who loves ballet can take her husband who hates ballet and both leave having had a good time.“That’s part of our longevity and popularity.”

NOT FEMALE IMPERSONATION Though Trocks must be many things, Dobrin is firm in his insistence that they are not female impersonators. He notes that hey were born just five years after the Stonewall Uprising as the community sought to throw off straight

background stock photo credit: Ghenadie Pascari

the arts of Ballet and drag share some surface

This Page: Photo By Zoran Jelenic

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Esmeralda The Art of Partnering

ONE NIGHT IN MONTE CARLO Dobrin likes the use the word “dynamic” in discussing the balance between dance and comedy that goes into any given performance by the Trocks. “You try to mix it up so that the balance comes out right,”he explains. In a typical three-act evening, they’ll begin with what he calls a “white ballet” — something grand like Swan Lake or Les Sylphides — and really camp it up. They begin act two with something more on the serious side and then close it with high

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THIS PAGE: PHOTO BY EMMA KAULDHAR • PHOTO BY ZORAN JELENIC • PHOTO BY MARCELLO ORSELLI. PHOTO USED WITH KIND PERMISSION OF FONDAZIONE TEATRO CARLO FELICE DI GENOVA (ITALY)

Pas de Deux

misconceptions about gays and girls.“In the ‘60s, the thing about the straight world … everything was always about: ‘What do you want to be - a girl? Is that why you’re a gay?’” recalls Dobrin.

“We’ve gone way past that. But back then it was really trying to prove to the world that no, we don’t’want to be girls. We’re men who fall in love with other men. That’s what makes us gay.”

Instead, Dobrin traces their philosophy to Charles Ludlam and the Theater of the Ridiculous. Ludlam, Dobrin explains, would create adaptations of great female roles from Camille to Cleopatra and play the characters without the pretense of feigning womanhood.

He points to Glenda Jackson in King Lear as a recent similar example.“The point of Trockadero is not that the audience thinks that we’re women. We’re men doing these roles in these costumes for comedic effect. Whether we’re gay or straight is immaterial, even though we’ve had maybe two straight people in the company in the past 40 years.”

“I don’t ever feel like I’m dancing as a woman,” Gosa offers. “I enjoy dancing with qualities that are more identified with women dancing . . . soft or lyrical … or demure or coquettish.”

Nor does he feel bound by traditional masculinity when dancing men’s roles. “I was never really interested in men’s roles in ballet, so I have tried to find a way to play these characters in a way that’s interesting for me,” Gosa adds.

“I do Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake and for me, trying to be a prince is kind of a joke because I don’t see myself as being this strong, big, cavalier type.” Instead, Gosa makes it fun. “I’m really puffing my chest up, and I’ve always got the one eyebrow raised. And you know I put on this wig that has like a really big kind of like pompadour in the front. I just try to make it like a Disney character.”

camp again, for example: Dying Swan. And then they’ll close the evening with a big ballet like Don Quixote or Raymonda’s Wedding which brings the entire cast onstage.

Dobrin says that the company’s aesthetic evolved in response to other companies abandoning some of ballet’s more grand trappings. “I guess it was in the early ‘90s when I started becoming the director, I would go to ballets,” he remembers. “A lot of other ballet companies were coming into New York and they were doing nothing but spandex. No tutus at all. Classical ballet companies were doing this, and I thought: ‘That’s ridiculous. You’re going to see a big ballet company.You want to see a tutu.You want to see the classical canon. And we’re not seeing that.’ So I said: we’re going to go in the opposite direction.” They started working with a woman in New York named Elena Kornikova, who staged classics for them seen rarely outside Russia.

At the comedy end of the spectrum, Dobrin points his dancers back to the Marx Brothers “with Margaret Dumont, how she’s reacting to Groucho Marx,”he says. “The use of her eyes, the use of her faux shock. Or Gracie Allen responding to George Burns, or even Lucille Ball.”

already been dancing for a little bit longer,” says Gosa. In addition to the rigors of dancing en pointe, another major challenge was makeup.“You kind of pick up things here and there as you go. I got a lot of tips from some people in the company. There’s some pretty fierce makeup artists that are there like Bobby [Robert Carter] and Albie [Alberto Pretto].”

“If you haven’t been in drag and then you get into a tutu, a wig and a headpiece and pointe shoes, you feel a little bit like you’re mummified, so it’s a little disconcerting for the first time,” says Dobrin.“It usually takes two or three performances before they start becoming comfortable.

The audience hopefully doesn’t realize that they’re not comfortable, but certainly I do.”

Dancers also get Trock names: one female and male, often hilarious. Gosa is Helen Highwaters and one of the Legupski Brothers. “When we come in, they have a stock of names that they pick from,” Gosa explains. To him they traditionally correspond to certain aspects of a dancer’s personality or appearance. “The Helen Highwaters, for me, were tall, lanky black girls,” he says. So he’s part of a line of Highwaters?“Yes,”Gosa says with a laugh,“of the Manhattan Highwaters.”

This Page: Photo By Zoran Jelenic

GETTING THE POINTE “Usually in the audition process – we assume everybody who is auditioning is really more interested in doing the pointe work and the drag roles,” says Dobrin. The trick is that male ballet dancers are not traditionally trained in this. “When I joined in 1980, no open class teacher would let me take class en pointe,” remembers Dobrin. Nevertheless, he says,“when the teachers would give the corrections to the girls en pointe, it’d be like, if you - as a music comedy person - you’re not necessarily interested in opera,” Dobrin explains. “And then you’re in a class and they talk about opera, and you would listen because you’re interested in the voice.”

“I always felt this way,” Gosa admits. “Any guy in ballet class who sees that, you’re definitely interested and curious about it, especially the homosexual ones.” Gosa had additional reason to focus on the females. “I was never that good at the male roles. I wasn’t really strong in my upper body. My legs are strong but I couldn’t lift or press anything; so I struggled a lot with partnering, which is the man’s main role. … I convinced the faculty to let me take pointe class a couple of semesters so that I could ‘see what’s going on in the shoe’ — so I could understand better how to partner.”

Dancing professionally en pointe took some getting used to for Gosa.“I was only doing it like three times a week for an hour,”he recalls.“So then once I got to the Trocks and having to do it for five plus hours out of a day, every day of the week, it’s a different kind of strength and challenge. I lost my first toenail actually last year which I was pretty proud of.”

A TROCK IS BORN “When I first started with Trockadero, I was 27; so I had

THE PHYSICAL CHALLENGE But even once you’re an official Trock, it’s not all tutus and applause. “I’ve had like bunion pain, which I don’t wish upon anybody. I had a stress reaction [which comes] just before a stress fracture a few years ago, which was pretty painful.”Whether or not a dancer has had pointe training, it’s trial by fire. “You’re going to make mistakes, and until you learn how to do it correctly – injuries make you stronger.”

Gosa has learned how to help his body cope. “I got my certification in Pilates ten years ago, and that has really helped my body and helped me understand how to use my body and how to take care of my body if an injury or some kind of stress happens. So that’s probably been my saving grace for a lot of my dance career.”

Disinterested in weightlifting since childhood, Gosa found other ways to strengthen his body, including jumping rope and doing push-ups. In terms of diet, he has experimented with intermittent fasting, but

Les Sylphides

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TROCK AROUND THE WORLD “The greatest thing about being in the company is getting to travel. We see a lot of the world, and we get to do something gay and take it around the world and show people and make people laugh and entertain, which is the most amazing gift,” says Gosa. He also admits that it’s one of the hardest parts of the job, too. “Traveling and touring definitely is exhausting and is a skill that you have to develop. And being able to rehearse all day and then do an evening show and then go back to the hotel and not even have eight hours of sleep to recover. And you’re up with your bag packed on the bus at six in the morning flying to the Duane Gosa next city.” This goes on for weeks,

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and presents additional challenges like finding healthy eating options and balancing the need to rest with a desire to get out and see the world.”These days in my free time, I’m happy to do anything that involves sitting.”

Dobrin remembers moments when the Trocks met hostility on the road.“We were in Mexico City,”he recalls.“1980 I think, and someone stood up and accused us of causing the explosion of Mt. St. Helen’s. We were picketed in Medford Oregon. We were in Owensboro Kentucky, and it was after the show, and I was waiting on a street corner. Some guy was talking on the telephone, and he said ‘I don’t know what they were doing up there, but they definitely were all lost in sin.”

“And then in 1994, we were in Russia and we went to Novosibirsk, which is in Siberia in the middle of nowhere.

And it was a really interesting kind of town. We went to the train station and it felt a little bit like in Star Wars when they go into the bar with all these weird characters. Anyway, I was the director already at that point, and it’s polite to go to the theater director and introduce yourself and say hello.

So I went. And the guy was an old Stalinist type,” Dobrin remembers. “He said, ‘Well, you’re on our stage tonight, but last year you all would have been arrested.”

BEING CAREFUL “The little thing that I worry about now is that our young gay guys are so comfortable and they don’t realize that when we go to Birmingham in the UK and they’re walking around holding hands…” Dobrin says with a sigh.“Unless you know your environment and you know it’s safe, you really still have to be careful in a lot of places that we go. And a lot of the young gay guys don’t have that DNA. And I’m happy that they don’t have that DNA, but I worry about the caution that is still necessary.”

“Even a few years ago when we were in London, some of

PHOTOS BY MARCELLO ORSELLI. PHOTO USED WITH KIND PERMISSION OF FONDAZIONE TEATRO CARLO FELICE DI GENOVA (ITALY) • PHOTO BY ZORAN JELENIC

says he generally burns enough calories dancing to not make extreme dieting necessary.

And then there’s dealing with the drag.“As far as my skin is concerned, I think moisture is key. Always moisturizing will save your face or any part of your skin. I swear by coconut oil. I can literally take a jar and just pour it over the top of my head and let it run down,” Gosa says with a laugh. “I think it’s great for everything. Oils have really saved my skin or at least preserved it. I think as far as with the makeup,” he says, “I think one thing that I get more of an issue with is shaving so often. That’s one thing I struggle with. So I have found that I can’t use these razors with seven or eight blades on them. I use the disposable, the two blade razor and it’s much better for my skin.”

the guys smoked,”Dobrin remembers.“They can’t smoke anywhere in the buildings anymore, so they were standing at the stage door, which was on a street, and three of them were attacked, right before the show. So, yeah, it still can happen. So I worry. And I also worry they’ll go out in drag at night after the performance. Some of them do and I say: you gotta be careful.”

Gosa says he hasn’t personally experienced this kind of confrontation. “I have not usually wanted to go out in drag as much as everyone else does. I’ve gone out a few times in drag, and we usually go to a gay bar or something and everyone is pretty excited for us to be there and really enjoying it. So I haven’t really experienced anything threatening or hostile,” he says. But he knows what it’s life to feel the danger of being different.“I grew up a black boy in white suburban America, so I’ve felt uncomfortable. I know that feeling. And I was gay too.” However, he also points out that most of the places they tour tend to be pretty accepting — or else they wouldn’t be booking a drag show.

Swan Lake

This Page: Photos By Sascha Vaughan • Photo By Zoran Jelenic

WHAT’S NEXT? “I’ve been at Ballets Trockadero almost 40 years,” says Dobrin. “This has been my entire adult life.”

He says he does not miss dancing. “I was with somebody. I had a partner in the company. Even though we had broken up as a couple, we were still very close as family members, as gay people do, and he died of AIDS. And so after he passed away — I’m talking about in the mid-’90s — I just said, ‘Okay, I don’t want to do this.’” These days, Dobrin says he does not have ambitions beyond keeping the Trocks in good standing. “If I were ever to leave, I would probably go sit on a beach and just look at the ocean and a tree,” he says.

“And I would be very happy to do that.”

Conversely, Gosa will be 34 this year. “I’ve thought about going into something other than dance,”muses Gosa.“I think I maybe want to take a break from dance being my full time job and explore different things after this.”

“I don’t really think there’s a set expiration date on it,” Gosa says. “It’s just kind of how you feel and what you want to get out of the career. I feel great about my career so far, and I just I want to leave it on a good note,” he adds.”But I think I’ve got a little bit more time here.”

Learn more about Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo — and when they will be coming to a theater near you — at trockadero.org.

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Raymondas Wedding

The Trocks Out of Costume

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CRUISE DIRECTOR IF YOU’RE GAY AND ONLINE, AVOIDING DAVEY WAVEY IS LIKE

avoiding the weather: Sooner or later, you’re going to get wet. At the moment, he presides over a million-plus subscribers from more than 150 countries who have seen his YouTube videos more than 300 million times.

Add to that another 662,000 Facebook followers and an additional 12,000 fans who keep up with his exploits on Instagram.

And they’re ravenous. Chatrooms lit up with soap opera curiosity in 2015 when he sold his LA apartment. How much did it cost? What does it mean for his boyfriend?

Fans hang on every word, and his relationship with them is symbiotic. In him, they see an idealized version of themselves and Wavey, the marketing manager-turnedinternet influencer, never strays far from his boy-next-door roots.

Don’t know Davey Wavey? Well, to paraphrase Rat Pack crooner Dean Martin’s description of Frank Sinatra, “It’s Davey’s world. We’re just living in it.”

For all the attention he gets and seeks, he exhibits nary a hint of celebrity attitude. A description that better fits him is evangelical. He is an unapologetic zealot for more mindful and connected encounters between men, which he believes will in turn foster a more loving, more inclusive community of gay brethren.

His New England preppy good looks and rigorous fitness regimen haven’t hurt his cause. Wavey (who does not use his birth name online) grew up in Rhode Island in a conservative Catholic family. He still splits his time between there and Palm Springs, although he says with a chuckle, “My family is no longer conservative or Catholic.”

Maybe one of the reasons Wavey is so comfortable in his own skin is that his earliest memories are entirely free of homophobia. “When I was young,” he recalls, “I thought that all the boys felt about other boys like I did. I would make out with my classmates. And it wasn’t until that ended in middle school that I realized no one was like me.

There wasn’t any internet or YouTube then. And then I met a family friend who my Mom explained to me later had a

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husband. She said, ‘And that’s called being gay.’”

At 16, Wavey came out to his friends. A year later, he told his parents. “It wasn’t the greatest experience,” he says with a wince.“My mom sent me to our Catholic priest, and I remember thinking, ‘Oh, this is gonna end well.’ I gave my folks a few years to come around, and they did. I figured the only thing that could get them to change their point of view was their love for me. And that’s exactly what it took.”

At college, Wavey spent time as a resident assistant — a garden-variety undergrad deputized as the dorm’s amateur authority figure and counselor. “I guess I’m a glutton for punishment,” he laughs. “I went from Catholic high school to a Catholic college as an RA. I saw a lot of incident reports about things the school didn’t like or want to recognize.

Long story short, it awakened an interest in supporting people like me. I got hired as a marketing manager by an LGBTQ rights group called the Family Equality Council to create community, so I started making YouTube videos, not thinking it would mean much. And then my seventh video was about my masturbating neighbor, and suddenly that video had several million views.”

Knowledge is power, so they say, and Wavey knew he had washed ashore on some uncharted isle of the cyberverse. “Honestly,” he admits, “I had a moment thinking to myself that I didn’t want any of this: seeing my life exposed online and having people comment on it. I was really put off by the whole idea. But I very quickly realized it was also an opportunity, if not a responsibility, to help other people like me. Shortly after that, Google bought YouTube and started monetizing content, and it became my full time job.”

Unlike many of his contemporaries — straight or LGBTQ — Wavey says he’s never pursued fame as an end unto itself. Instead, he says, “I’ve always created content about things I’m passionate about. Since I started at 23 years old, I’ve been driven by my passions and created videos about coming out and self-acceptance. That’s what my journey has been. And the stuff I’m interested in is different than a lot of what you see online. It’s honest and empowering at the same time.”

ALL PHOTOS THIS PIECE COURTESY DAVEY WAVEY

HOW DAVEY WAVEY BECAME A YOUTUBE SENSATION AND WHY HE’S USING THAT POWER TO CHANGE HOW GAY MEN LOOK AT EACH OTHER. BY KEVIN PHINNEY

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True, he’ll allow, the audience he’s amassed has provided a livelihood “in a world driven by metrics. But I don’t think about the numbers, because I don’t want to be some package in the world.

It’s never been a numbers game for me, and if enough tune in that I can make a living, that’s great. I don’t want to fall into the trap of chasing likes and clicks. That doesn’t seem like a particularly healthy perspective.”

What some might consider a lack of killer instinct, others regard as integrity. “I was in WeHo for two years,” he says, “and one of the reasons I only lasted there as long as I did is that so many people there look at fame as the end goal. The people I look up to didn’t do what they did to be famous. They were doing something they’re passionate about. So I’ve never asked myself, ‘What can I do to be famous?’ It’s a very disempowered approach. Doing what it is I love and making people laugh and smile and maybe learn something? I think people tune in because of that.”

Since he doesn’t deal in celebrity gossip or post every time a hot button issue starts to trend, the question arises: What does Davey Wavey have in common with the superstars of social media?

“That’s the big question, right?” he says with a twinge of mischief in his voice. “I think about this all the time when I’m evaluating myself. ‘Are you a good witch or a bad witch? Are you using your power to help people or to build your brand? I really measure myself by the content. You know, I’m not entirely sure what confluence of talents makes an influencer. Maybe they can take a sexy picture; maybe they have a message worth delivering. Me, I’m decent at a number of things. I’m not great at editing, filming or marketing. But I think that I’m decent at all of them. So I wear a lot of hats.”

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In 2017, he added to those responsibilities by launching HimerosTV.com, a website where Wavey gets to deliver his mantra of mindful exploration of intimacy between men.

The concept is meant to both expand and replace the template that the entertainment industry plants in the minds of almost every gay man: that sex is transactional. That people are archetypes meant to be used and discarded like products. That bringing 100 percent of who you are into your own sex life is something to fear.

Videos on the site turn that idea inside out. They include a man well into his 80s sharing a hot tub with men in their prime.

A quadriplegic is shown having the time of his life, and viewers can choose from an assortment interracial and daddy/boy scenes.

Subscribers will even find guided meditations (set to steamy visuals) on how to make even the most casual encounters into something beautiful that connects men to same-sex impulses that are as old as time.

“It’s authentic and joyful, the way we portray men interacting,”he says. “And it resonates deeply with my own experience. What most people watch is certainly designed to get you off, which is fine. But as gay men, it’s also served as our sex education, so a lot of us try to emulate what we see on our screens in our bedrooms. Porn is very good at getting you off, but it does nothing to create intimacy or connection. All of these things are important to living your best life.

So I wondered: ‘Can I use the same formula as my YouTube videos, and instead of goofiness and humor, can I package this so that we create content that is instructive rather than destructive?’”

Not being licensed in the field himself, Wavey partnered with tantric instructors, mental health experts and sexologists to create

videos that enhance men’s experience of what’s possible.

“So on our site, maybe the guy you see has a belly, or maybe he’s 83, or he might be in a wheelchair. We have our share of what the industry would call traditional guys on the site, too. But our community is so very siloed: young with young, older with older, and so forth. We’re trying to incorporate more of the range of guys we all experience in the real world, because they’re all hot in their own way. We want to open hearts and minds at the same time.”

Wavey believes that because we live in a youth-obsessed culture — especially when it comes to sex — people forget that experience has its advantages. “We filmed a scene with three generations of gay men,” he says. “Younger guys and guys in their 50s, 60s and 70s. And you can see what happens. The older men were so in their bodies with sound and movement; really inhabiting the moment. Yet it’s the 20-somethings we tend to collectively celebrate, even though they’re just starting out.”

Wavey is careful not to call more generic erotica obsolete.

“I think it’s a combination,” he muses, “but the apps we use have brought us to a place where sex is very transactional today. So I say, if you want to hook up, do it mindfully. Still connect with your partner in a way that’s real and present and intentional, not just mindless.”

Essentially, he says, “Our site is serving broccoli coated in something irresistible. And you can fool people into trying the good stuff. It’s a really good vehicle for pushing positive messages. We also host a deep-dive podcast, so it’s an opportunity to really have, like a gay dirty book club. We gather round and chat about it, like a bunch of queens. And we have a conversation which becomes very interactive.“ When Himeros conducted research, Wavey reports, 48 percent of his viewers wanted to see men over 50 rather than only models who share similar aesthetics, whether they were smooth, furry or otherwise.“Over time, archetypes become interchangeable,” he says. “It’s the same thing over and over. What I believe, especially when you’re measuring yourself against what you’re watching, it’s validating and empowering to see people who look like you do. People of color, people with disabilities, men of different shapes and sizes, all showing off the ecstasy and erotic connection that is our birthright.”

It’s an unusual calling for a boy who grew up conservative and Catholic, he’ll admit. But trying to enable men to reach out with their hearts and minds as well as their hands has given him a sense of purpose, as well as an opportunity to challenge his own imagination.

For the moment, that’s enough. “Ultimately, I’m not really worried whether people remember me or not,” says Wavey. “I hope people remember the message of what we’re doing. That they’re worthy, deserving and lovable. And sex can be an amazing vehicle for learning about life and the world around you.”

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THIS IS HOW YOU GROW

A SACRED FIG

ANYONE WHO BELIEVES THE PHRASE, “THOSE WHO CAN’T DO, TEACH”, HAS

clearly never met Anton Brandt. His preternatural ability to jump into gravity defying handstands or intertwine body parts (“binding” in yoga parlance) attests otherwise. Positions that would evoke fear or discomfort in most people are places of repose for the veteran yogi, who — after years of participating in others’ training programs decided to found The Sacred Fig — a roving school for international yoga students and certified teachers.

Tall and lean, Brandt has one of those bodies that appears to bend into any shape with relative ease. His calm vocal tone and clear eyes impart an energetic wisdom that extend well beyond his years. After a short amount of time in his presence, it appears Brandt was almost pre-ordained to become an instructor. Long before Brandt set foot into a studio (or even knew what yoga was, for that matter) he was drawn to key elements of the practice. And though the outcome in retrospect seems inevitable, his destiny had to find him first.

“During college, I’d smoke a joint, then go up to my dorm room, lay on my back and put my legs on the wall in what I now know is plow pose,”Brandt confides with a smile in his voice.“I would use that technique to draw inward, and did so for years before I learned that other people did the exact same thing - only they paid to do so in a class setting.”

Years after graduation and several spliffs later (but who’s counting?), Brandt found himself hiking at Joshua Tree in his home state of California. During this same camping trip, a friend suggested

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the two start their day off with a DIY yoga session.“We pulled out our sleeping mats and went through some poses,” he recalls.“I remember doing a Warrior 2 and realizing that was a huge access point for me - when I got into my breath and body, I knew it was what I had been seeking all along.”

From that moment on, Brandt couldn’t get enough. His passion for yoga led him to an ashram in India where he completed his first 200-hour yoga teacher training certification. Upon receiving his initial certificate, he immediately signed up for a second 200-hour course.

“The day I finished that, I sat in Vipassana - a silent form of meditation - for 10 days,” he shares. “I completed months of teacher training before going straight into that. And then I never really came home.”

After embarking on a third training program in Bali, Brandt landed in New York City where he taught at studios like Equinox and Sky Ting.

Eventually his ambitions would put him back on the road. “I never wanted to become a full-time studio instructor. I knew my dharma was to facilitate trainings,” he says with certainty. “My ultimate goal was to build a community so I could organize and lead more intensive training programs.”

And he did just that. Catching up with Brandt now, he’s just finished leading yet another 200-hour teacher training session in Coastal Alentejo, a city off the beaten path in Portugal, where he resides part time.

“I’ve always wanted to create the extraordinary, to give my students adventures and experiences that they’d never be able to find on their

ALL PHOTOS THIS SPREAD COURTESY SACRED FIG

BODY

HEALTH

Anton Brandt isn’t simply teaching yoga. He’s deeply invested in how to better embody its lessons - like LGBTQ inclusivity. BY MEGAN VENZIN

own,” he allows.“My farm in Portugal sits on the untouched Atlantic Coast. Here you can walk for miles along the beach without seeing another person — and that’s a good thing.”

Bringing students to these less trammeled locations in regions of Bali, India, Italy and Portugal are signatures of The Sacred Fig model, which has churned out more than 1,000 teachers since the company’s inception some five years ago. The 200-hour and 75-hour advanced trainings are fully immersive, starting with meditations every morning followed by rigorous asana and class lectures. All are delivered in intimate remote settings with the world’s leading voices in yoga instruction at the fore. Brandt’s handpicked destinations each possess unique qualities that complement his end goal of providing a sense of transformation within students. That means not only a physical transformation, as they deepen their practice and nosh on plant-based diets, but in their minds and spirits as they enter nature and disconnect from common distractions like technology (Remember: no cell phones in public spaces before asana!).

Also key to the Sacred Fig’s ethos is inclusivity. “I’m such a huge fan of inclusivity in yoga classes and studios. [Classes] should be as accessible for my mother as they are for my nephew,” he says. “There must be room for everyone, because we all need these tools. They are a practice in embodiment.”

When prospective students fill out their applications to participate in a teacher training, they’re then asked to provide their preferred pronouns. Brandt no longer assigns roommates based on gender, either.“As a faculty, we’ve cut out phrases like ‘you guys’,” he adds.“It’s just one way we are collectively working toward becoming a more conscious organization.”

Being part of the LGBTQ community himself, Brandt feels it’s his responsibility to uphold his core values both inside the shala and out. “I love being the leader of a strong community, and also being gay,” says Brandt.“I’m thrilled that I can be open with my sexuality and also serve as a role model for people who may want to become leaders in their own communities, whether those be in wellness or any other work they do. Growing up, I didn’t have gay mentors or role models; I had to find that for myself.” Now Brandt is giving students what he never had. And he’s spreading those positive messages from one continent to another.

In the same way someone’s yoga journey is considered unending, so too is the trajectory for The Sacred Fig. Soon, Brandt and his partner (yoga instructor Tony Lupinacci) will open a Wellness Retreat Center in Puglia, located along the southern tip of Italy’s “boot”.

The wellness center will serve as a new location for Brandt to demonstrate that he has the capacity to“do”as much as he does to“teach.” The site will also join the growing list of places he reverently refers to as “home”.

“That’s the joy of having a practice,” he says matter-of-factly. “When I’m eating, speaking and moving with intention; when I’m surrounded by others who are also doing the work — I’m living into my dharma. I’m at home.” ■

Anton’s classes are known for their potent combination of movement, breath and beat. Search “Anton Brandt” to peruse dozens of his yoga playlists on Spotify.

Some of his favorite artists to move to include: s &EATHERED 3UN s ,UCHS s 'ARTH 3TEVENSON s 3OL 2ISING s $* 4AZ 2ASHID s 0ORANGUI s 0ARRA FOR #UVA s .ICOLA #RUZ s 2ODRIGO 'ALLARDO You can learn more by following @thesacredfig on Instagram and Facebook or visiting them online at thesacredfig.com.

METROSOURCE.COM AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

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FINDING FITNESS

Having trouble finding a workout routine that’s right for you? Check out these apps —

BODY

HEALTH

all designed to point you in the right direction. BY JEFFREY JAMES KEYES IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY LGBTQ PERSON WE TALK TO IS OBSESSED WITH FITNESS. BUT WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY OPTIONS AVAILABLE, FINDING WHAT WORKS

for you can seem overwhelming. In April 2019, Wellness Creative Co. published Gym Market Research & Industry Stats 2019. The report shared that more than one in five Americans belongs to at least one U.S. health club or studio. That means in 2018 there were 62.5 million gym members in the United States. But what about the rest of us? In a survey conducted by ClassPass last December, 59% of respondents said their 2019 resolution was to exercise more. We’re well into 2019 at this point, but it’s never too late to recommit: If you are new to fitness, new to your town, or simply trying to pump some new energy into your fitness routine, how do you find options to start or upgrade your workouts? Tech companies ClassPass and MINDBODY are two great resources for finding something just right for you.

MINDBODY MINDBODY, which describes itself as the leading technology platform for the wellness industry, is one of the top resources for finding both fitness and gym classes (plus local spa and salon treatments). The app even states,“We get it; the struggle is real. But finding & booking wellness services doesn’t have to be. There are no memberships or commitments, so you can drop in at a nearby gym or try a new fitness class at a great price.” If MINDBODY sounds familiar, that may be because it’s been around since 2001. Rick Stollmeyer founded the company in his garage in San Luis Obispo, California and over the years the company has grown to roughly 2,000 employees. MINDBODY offers a wide variety of classes, including barre, CrossFit, Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi, Bootcamp, Dance, Interval Training, Aerial, Gymnastics and more. You can filter classes by location, date and fitness category in order to ensure you’ll find the right fit. Or, if you’re in a mood to pamper yourself, you can opt to search for local salons and spas. Just how popular is MINDBODY? Well, they process some 5.5 million classes each day. In addition, the company recently introduced something long in the works: The MINDBODY Wellness Index, a statistical ranking of the overall health of the metropolitan areas in the United States. Their studies found that Austin-Round Rock, TX; San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA; Raleigh, NC; Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO; Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA; Tampa-St. PetersburgClearwater, FL; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clarita, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; and San Diego-Carlsbad, CA make up the 10 Strongest Wellness Markets in America. Are you in one of those cities? Jump into a class! Not in one of these cities? MINDBODY most likely still has some classes in your neck of the woods. Download their app and see for yourself.

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CLASSPASS Looking to find a local gym or studio, but can’t decide where to go? ClassPass can help you to sample a few local options and allow you the flexibility to search and try out various local classes. The company was founded in 2013

by Payal Kadakia, who was struggling to find a good dance class to join after work. Now, it’s a“monthly subscription service providing access to the world’s largest network of boutique fitness studios and gyms.” In less than a decade, ClassPass has grown to claim that it’s the world’s leading fitness membership and largest fitness network. ClassPass has more than 15,000 partners in 80 cities worldwide. Whether you prefer Pilates, yoga, cycling, barre, running, strength training, dance, sports or videos, they have you covered. Are you a jet setter? They’ve got that covered, too. In fact, ClassPass recently acquired GuavaPass, an aggregator of fitness experiences operating in Asia and the Middle East (including cities like Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Beijing, Dubai, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Shanghai and Singapore). Recently, the company also launched an option they call “ClassPass Getaways.” It’s a series of experiential events exclusively available to members. Getaways transports fitness enthusiasts to luxurious locations for carefully curated adventures, including one-of-a-kind fitness programming from boutique studios, complementary treatments and an assortment of special treats.“At ClassPass we aim to provide stepping stones toward an active and inspired lifestyle, and ClassPass Getaways will do just that. We’re thrilled to give members the opportunity to take a mini-escape from their day-to-day to try new things and explore unfamiliar places. It’s our hope that attendees will leave feeling energized and empowered to continue living life to their

absolute fullest,” said Payal Kadakia. Interested in a Class Pass free trial? Check out their Instagram Page for a link in their profile. Book a spot and get yourself moving today.

■

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WHO SHOULD GET TESTED FOR HIV? EVERYONE.

See how often testing is recommended.

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feeling the burn spend inordinate amounts of time together. We run our own business. I write books, and he assists the publisher with all of my author marketing, touring, speaking engagements and social media efforts. We manage two households.

We even eat nearly every meal together.

What’s more, we travel together. Often, we end up in the same car for days and weeks at a time. We are not merely coworkers and business partners.

I like to term what we are as “gleefully codependent.”

Mostly, we are best friends.

However, when it comes to working out, we have very different routines. I go solo, while Gary goes group. I like to run long distances or work out at the gym. Gary thrives in a class environment. He goes to yoga nearly every day. He loves any class that has choreography — from spin to cardio funk.

I thought that this was working out well for us. We were not only taking care of ourselves, but also getting a mini-break from one another every day. Even our timing was staggered.

Gary loved to work out in the morning, while I preferred to go after lunch.

And yet, for years, Gary begged me to do yoga with him.

“I feel like you’re missing out on a big part of who I am,” he told me. “I think you’d love yoga, too. You run so much. You need to stretch more.”

I didn’t disagree with that conclusion. But Gary also knows that I don’t do well in group classes. Not only do I not feel the need to be motivated by a stranger, but I am also visually dyslexic. I simply cannot follow someone doing a routine backward.

For a brief time, Gary taught Zumba and kickboxing. I distinctly recall that when I attempted Zumba, I looked like Elaine dancing on Seinfeld. And when I tried kickboxing, I struck a woman in her hoo-ha with my foot.

Nevertheless, after a week of endless begging, I finally caved and went to yoga with Gary. It didn’t go well.

Gary didn’t warn me that they chanted and sang in the beginning of class. This is another thing I hate about group work.

Gamely, I mouthed “banana” until they were done.

Next, they began to maneuver into positions my body didn’t

particularly enjoy at eight in the morning. I fell over once, kicked Gary’s water bottle like I was trying to hit a field goal, cursed him (not under my breath), and did every pose in the exact opposite direction of what the instructor wanted. She said my name so many times, I felt as if we were dating.

Yet I am also one of the most competitive humans on the planet. A bunch of teenagers tried to pass me at the end of a 10k once, saying, “Let’s take the old guy.” I nearly lost a spleen just to spite them. So, after a determined hour of yoga, I finally began to understand the poses. And by the end of the hour and a half class, I even did a butterfly pose that was praised by the instructor.

“Showoff,” Gary said at the end of the class. “Didn’t you have fun, though? Isn’t it fun to work out with me?”

I looked at him. “Now it’s your turn,” I said.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, now it’s your turn to work out with me. Quid pro quo.”

“I don’t know what that means,” he said.

He soon found out.

That weekend, I made Gary run six miles with me.

Gary despises running. He finds it even more horrific than Fox News. I took him on my favorite run along a trail overlooking Lake Michigan. It’s beautiful, but hilly.

Gary moved at the pace of a turtle. With a truck on its shell.

What would have taken me 45 minutes to complete seemed to take Gary a week. I’d run way ahead and circle back to make sure he was alive.

“You’re like a vulture!” Gary finally screamed. “Stop circling!”

“Stop asking me to do classes with you!” I yelled.

Gary stopped. “You don’t like working out with me?”

“Do you like working out with me?”

Ultimately, Gary and I came to a complementary agreement after I resuscitated him. While we still generally adhere to our own fitness routines, we also use each other’s regimens as learning tools. He’ll take walks and hikes with me. I will stretch and even do some yoga with him.

These days we couldn’t be healthier.

Or happier.

■

views

My husband Gary and I

diary

After years of embracing decidedly contrasting fitness routines, husbands Wade and Gary attempt to embrace one another’s regimens of choice. BY WADE ROUSE

Check out Wade’s latest novel under the pen name Viola Shipman, The Summer Cottage, and visit him online at waderouse.com. has anyone taken a risk to show their love for you? share your story in “gay voices” at metrosource.com. metrosource.com august/september 2019

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A photographer exhibits flair for both the ordinary and the extraordinary, while chefs celebrate international fusion. Plus, tennis anyone? By sebastian fortino

SKREBNESKI DOCUMENTED: 1948 - 2018

By Victor Skrebneski; Rizzoli New York; $150.00 Some photo books bring to mind Hemingway’s recollections of

Paris in the 1920s: they are “a moveable feast.” The work of American famed photographer Victor Skrebneski, who was born in 1929, easily captures those ideas of the sacred and the profane. Across the 325 images collected here is something for anyone who appreciates art.

Skrebneski is renowned for his stylish glamorous fashion and advertising photography. The artist is also noted for his profoundly sensuous and sculptural nude studies as well as for casually elegant portraits of friends and the famous. The latter includes a veritable cavalcade of one-name stars: Minnelli, Warhol, Hepburn, Bowie, Ross.

In terms of noted American celebrities, Skrebneski’s images of Orson Welles loom larger than life — as Welles most certainly did.

A bearded face with the elan of a childlike curiosity looms over the darkly shrouded temple of his body. Bette Davis, captured in later

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years (but almost certainly long before her strokes and later ill health) is instantly recognizable — indelible as she ever appeared on the silver screen. Skrebneski is also known for snapping numerous photos of the legendary Audrey Hepburn in her prime. While there isn’t as much of her in this book as you’d expect, there is a fitting homage to the actress and humanitarian. Appropriately, some of the shots capture the image of a Givenchy label and, later, Hepburn seated next to Hubert de Givenchy.

But the photographer’s subjects vary. One wonders: Who is the plain woman who recurs in multiple shots from the 1950s? Did Skrebneski make an act of contrition after photographing the French church advertising “connfesseurs”? Why is the woman ordering a drink with her dog at a bar so very happy? Did he have his fortune read by Gina, the fortune teller, staring out her shop window? We may never know for sure, but the images invite us to happily conjure up our own answers.

this page: images from Skrebneski Documented: 1948-2018 byVictor Skrebneski. courtesy Rizzoli New York, 2019.

culture

books

more to love

Press • “Steven würth: Tennis Fan” images courtesy steven würth/artbook|dap this page: Images from “A Place at the Table” courtesy Prestel

A Place at the Table: New American Recipes from the Nation’s Top Foreign-Born Chefs Edited by Gabrielle Langholtz & Rick Kinsel; Prestel Press; $40.00 despite rabid xenophobia on the part of some of our elected officials,

the U.S. traditionally regards itself as a melting pot of people and ideas.

Perhaps this is best represented in our vast variety of culinary experiences.

Luckily for foodies and hungry people everywhere Americans have a long rich tradition of adopting the cuisines of newcomers. Consider what a night in would be without options like pizza, pad thai, tacos or sushi.

In A Place at the Table: New American Recipes from the Nation’s Top Foreign-Born Chefs editors Gabrielle Langholtz and Rick Kinsel have collected recipes from chefs who came to our shores with unique takes on (and taste in) food. This volume was created in partnership with the Vilcek Foundation, an organization which celebrates the contributions of immigrants to American society. Some 40 chefs are represented, including Dominique Crenn of France and San Francisco and Marcus Samuelsson with his Ethiopian/Swedish influences. Emma Bengsston, who brought her Western Swedish to NewYork is also celebrated along with rising stars.

Consider Scallops with Ponzu-Poached Butternut Squash by Colombian-born, French-trained chef Cesar Gutierrez for your next pescatarian guest. Open a fine wine to pair with chef Joseph Sukhendra’s Rosemary-Roasted Leg of Lamb and Mint Chutney. Sukhendra was born in New Zealand of Fijian and Indian heritage, and his recipe celebrates both savory influences.

Charles Olalia offers up a dessert based on a dish from his native Philippines using a staple found in American fruit bowls and larders all over the country: it’s a Banana Bibingka cake sweetened partially by coconut milk. “Moving stateside has allowed me to gain valuable experience I could not have gained if I stayed in the Philippines,” Olalia states simply. That sentiment is echoed by the chefs over and over again.

They treasure the food cultures they came to and from. And they each celebrate creating something exciting and new. As American eaters, we are lucky to have such international fare on our menus and on our lips.

Stephen Würth: Tennis Fan

By Stephen Würth; Distributed by ARTBOOK | D.A.P.; $40.00 Sports photography is a genre which has to capture the action

going on at any given moment. But that of course tells only part of the story. In Tennis Fan, by German-born photographer and tennis enthusiast Stephen Würth, we see well past what’s happening while the balls are in the air. In fact, this tome delivers much more of what goes on beyond the sidelines and baselines - and all the way off the court - with a confidence that what exists out of bounds is just as important.

From the very start, readers will be able to tell they are in for a different kind of sporting experience: The bold red cover displays the title and author name in a refreshing 1970s font, prompting them to wonder: Is that when this artist first fell in love with tennis?

Würth goes on to capture dramas of life on and off the court. He

catalogues empty arenas, hard-pressed cameramen, and of course ecstatic fans. The photos - all in black and white - starkly capture both the energy of actual matches and the way players and the sport are represented in the media. There is a quiet, almost sacred love of the game revealed in these photos. Even a small item, such as a tool used to mark court lines, takes on the sculptural quality of an object whose purpose lies in motion, deserves contemplation while momentarily at rest.

Whether his lens finds a location is a rooftop in Manhattan, a match in Palm Springs, a billboard featuring a three-dimensional tennis racket, or a snapshot of an a Nike ad taken on a gritty subway platform, Würth chooses not to simply record the sport, but its hold on him and his world as an artist and tennis fan. metrosource.com august/september 2019

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Hotel-Dieu-Fotolia

IN LYON, THERE IS A STREET NAMED FOR SISTER BOUVIER, WHO DELIVERED

more than 100,000 babies during her decades-long tenure as a member of the hospital order at Hôtel-Dieu (or “hostel of God”).

One of the most historic buildings in France, Hôtel-Dieu de Lyon was the hospital where nearly two-thirds of all Lyonnais were born.

It’s an imposing structure along the Rhône with a 1,300-foot façade built by Soufflot, the architect who designed the Pantheon in Paris.

For more than 800 years, this magnificent structure has been a symbol of Lyon’s beneficence — first as a refuge for travelers and clergy in the 12th century and later for ex-prostitutes who, once they were coaxed off the streets by priests, formed the hospital’s nursing staff. What a testament to Lyonnais humanity: to be delivered into the world by former street-walking ladies of the night.

Much of this rich history is evident throughout Grand HôtelDieu, a brand-new hospitality and gastronomic complex that has transformed Lyon’s premier hospital into a dynamic center of luxury and well-being. Medicinal plants and botanical herbs bloom throughout the cloister gardens and courtyards. They now house restaurants and lounges such as Buddha Bar and L’Officine, as well as the fivestar InterContinental Lyon-Hotel Dieu. In a nod to the historic hospital’s fabled 70-ingredient theriaca (a cure-all panacea comprised primarily of opium poppies), the apothecaries fronting the Rhône in Soufflot’s original 18th-century design are now boutiques devoted to 21st-century health and wellness.

Nestled in the heart of Lyon’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, Grand Hôtel-Dieu is also home to Lyon’s Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie: an interactive laboratory that focuses on food as a source of both pleasure and health. Designated“the world capital of gastronomy” by the famed 19th-century French food author Curnonsky, Lyon remains the spiritual home of Paul Bocuse, the beloved chef of chefs whose nouvelle cuisine revolutionized French cuisine with its focus on lighter,

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seasonal fare. And it was “Monsieur Paul” (as he’s affectionately known throughout the city) who founded the Bocuse d’Or, Lyon’s biennial cooking competition that has become the gastronomic equivalent of the World Cup. In part, Lyon’s culinary prowess is a consequence of its optimal location at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers where it is surrounded by several illustrious wine regions, including Beaujolais and Côte du Rhône AOC. Even during the Middle Ages, spiritual travelers would attest to Lyon’s gastronomic excellence, which is reflected today in the city’s 23 Michelin stars and a staggering 4,000 restaurants. Beloved for its bouchons (cozy inns serving the traditional Lyonnais cuisine often associated with grandmothers), Lyon has been cited by UNESCO for its rich foodie heritage. At Le Bistrot d’Abel, one of the city-certified Les Bouchons Lyonnais, guests can descend into a Proustian reverie induced by French comfort food such as pâté en croûte and pillowy quenelles, followed by baba au rhum.

Amidst such plenitude, it’s relatively easy to succumb to gluttony —particularly when confronted with a buffet laden with Lyon’s signature tartes aux pralines: rose-colored almond confections that melt in the mouth like cotton candy. Equally addictive are the regional cheeses and oysters shucked by the bushel at Halles de Lyon-Paul Bocuse. Home to more than 50 purveyors of Lyonnais delicacies, the market first opened in 1859 and has remained Lyon’s culinary centerpiece. Both locals and visitors commingle around the comptoir to sip and slurp side by side.

Further gastronomic temptations await at Le Grand Réfectoire, housed in the former refectory of the sisters of the hospital —complete with the pulpit from which the mother superior read aloud from her Bible during the sisters’ silent meals. Certainly those times have changed and the spectacular vault-ceilinged room now thrums with energy behind the guidance of Michelin-starred chef Marcel Ravin, who comple-

THIS PAGE: HOTEL-DIEU BY FRÉDÉRIC PROCHASSON PHOTOGRAPHE

SLEEP IN AN ANCIENT HOSPITAL, EAT WHERE THE CULINARY WORLD CUP TAKES PLACE, AND SEE A LIGHT SHOW LIKE NO OTHER ON EARTH. BY MARK A. THOMPSON

This page: Vieux Lyon de nuit by www.b-rob.com • Opera Lyon by Stofleth • Cells - théâtre des Célestins by Brice Robert for Only Lyon • You and the night - Place des Jacobins by Brice Robert for Only Lyon • Une petite place pour de grands ràves 2 Place Bellecourby Brice Robert for Only Lyon • Reflets - Colline de Fourviäre -by Brice Robert for Only Lyon

Vieux Lyon de nuit

ments traditional Lyonnais cuisine with indigenous ingredients from his native Martinique.

Yet even in the face of overindulgence, Lyon retains its reputation for health and well-being. Bicycles are as abundant as baguettes — with more than 4,000 shareable Vélo’v bikes available for traversing the city’s 300 miles of cycling routes. At Tête d’Or Park, which flanks the city’s contemporary art museum (known as MAC), nearly 400 acres of verdant meadows and rose gardens surround a vast 40-acre boating lake. Redeveloped river banks provide endless enclaves of relaxation with barge restaurants and floating bars that morph into moon-kissed clubs.

Maybe it’s something in the water, but innovation has been an integral part of the city’s reputation since Lyon’s dominance of the silk industry began in the 16th century. It is to Lyon that we trace the development of the Jacquard weaving loom, which is considered a forerunner to the computer. At the former Hôtel-Dieu, the Lumière brothers also pioneered the use of X-rays to treat cancer. And fun fact: the local duo also invented modern cinema and color photography.

Equally inventive is the city’s annual light festival known as Fête des Lumières, which illuminates the city with such a glow that French astronauts photograph it from the international space station. More than 30 international artists create scores of spellbinding installations throughout the city’s squares and parks. As Lyon Mayor Gérard Collomb states,“Few Opera Lyon

You and the night - Place des Jacobins

events are better positioned than Fête des Lumières, with its universal symbol of light, to showcase the soul of Lyon: its values of unity, sharing and solidarity.”

In keeping with the city’s sense of inclusiveness, Lyon hosts various annual LGBTQ events, including France’s second-largest Pride Parade each June. The event concludes with a massive festival on Place Bellecour, the largest pedestrian square in Europe. Biennial de la Danse occurs in September. In October, that’s followed by Lumière Festival, a celebration of film curated by the Institut Lumière with nearly 200 offerings shown on screens throughout the city.

Often listed as one of the world’s most livable cities, Lyon is home to no less than 29 bridges which straddle the rivers and make the city one of the most pedestrian-friendly in Europe. At Okko Hotels Lyon Pont Lafayette, premium rooms front onto the Rhône, with sweeping skywide vistas that lend veracity to the hotel’s tagline: Four stars and no clouds.

Behind the hotel’s traditional 19th-century Haussmann façade exists a sleekly urbane all-inclusive property that functions as a private club for guests, complete with a lounge and living spaces that are impeccably outfitted for 21st-century comfort. In the evenings, an Italian-style apéritivo is served with a focus on local products and regional wines. By that point, you’ll have plenty of reasons to toast l’art de vivre in Lyon. And you can always bike away that butter tomorrow.

■ Cells - Théâtre des Célestins

Une petite place pour de grands ràves 2 Place Bellecour

Reflets - Colline de Fourviäre

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

Studio Phylicia

Exterior De L’Europe (1) - High Res-Hotel De L’Europe-Redactioneel

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BACK IN THE 1980S, AMSTERDAM WAS THE SIN CITY OF EUROPE. IT WAS THE CITY

where my boyfriend and I traveled whenever we needed respite from the Biblebleating hegemony of the United States. Grittier than New York, Amsterdam celebrated sex with abundant boys and brothels. Around every corner were cannabis coffeeshops. And when those clubs closed, there was Indonesian rijsttafel — a munchies-sating feast imported from colonial Dutch culture back when the Netherlands ruled much of the known world.

As UNESCO noted in 2010 when designating the city a World Heritage Site, Amsterdam’s tolerant and cosmopolitan culture evolved alongside its maritime trading empire. It also reflects the spirit of the Calvinist Reformation which made the city a refuge for generations oppressed by religious persecution. It’s unlikely that John Calvin anticipated Amsterdam’s ongoing popularity for stag and hen parties or the enduring appeal of its red light district. Nonetheless, and similar to Las Vegas, Amsterdam has always cultivated a laissez-faire attitude that has proven alluring to nearly 18 million annual visitors.

And just as Vegas has polished its brassy image over recent years, Amsterdam has done the same to usher in a 21st-century renaissance that replicates the prosperity and cultural prowess of its Golden Age. Throughout the 17th century, Amsterdam was the hub of global trade and the world’s most formidable economic power. As the majority shareholder in the world’s first multinational corporation, the Dutch East India Company, Amsterdam was renowned for its wealth, which was made manifest in art, architecture and haute cuisine.

At the Rijksmuseum, there is a genre of Golden Age painting known as pronkstilleven. It is famed for depictions of “ostentatious still life” — ornate canvases resplendent with abundance of flora, fruits and fauna that represented the patron’s affluence. Similarly, patrons at the museum’s Michelin-starred RIJKS restaurant are now fêted with new Dutch cuisine in a room reflective of the timeless grandeur of its recently-restored museum. In honor of one of the Golden Age’s most remarkable artists, Rijksmuseum has designated 2019 as the Year of Rembrandt with an exhibition of the world’s largest collection of the artist’s works, including Rembrandt’s masterpiece The Night Watch.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY THEIR RESPECTIVE ESTABLISHMENTS AND MRNY.COM

Waldorf Astoria Lobby

THE CITY, LONG CONSIDERED THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION FOR INDULGING EVERY DESIRE, IS EXPERIENCING ITS OWN SPECIAL RENAISSANCE. BY MARK A. THOMPSON

Bijenkorf

Rijksmuseum

Not long after the Rijksmuseum opened in 1885, an unknown painter named Vincent Van Gogh wrote his brother declaiming, “It is with justice that they call Rembrandt ‘magician.’” Less than a hundred years later, the Van Gogh Museum opened near Rijksmuseum on Museumplein where it has become the most visited museum in the entire country. The world’s largest collection of works by Van Gogh is housed in a spectacular structure that also offers private dining experiences within view of Van Gogh’s self-portraits.

In another prescient letter,Van Gogh mused,“I’d like to do a decoration for the studio. Nothing but large sunflowers.”Today, those immortal sunflowers are also on view at the museum — including a reproduction that invites touch for the blind and partially sighted.

On the floral front, Amsterdam is also renowned for its tulips, which contributed to the city’s speculative wealth as a coveted luxury item during the 17th century. Guests at Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam are granted access to one of Amsterdam’s largest private gardens with more than 7,000 tulips. The hotel’s six adjoining UNESCO-listed canal palaces face the Herengracht, home to the city’s most illustrious citizens.

Inspired by the Waldorf Astoria flagship in Manhattan, the hotel’s marble lobby leads onto Peacock Alley where afternoon tea is served daily, augmented by musical accompaniment. For those guests who cherish their privacy, the garden’s octagonal 18th-century teahouse provides a perfect setting for private dining. It is particularly coveted for marriage proposals, but would be appropriate for almost any occasion involving the presentation of diamonds.

In the 17th century, nearly all of the world’s cut diamonds came through the ports of Amsterdam — and today the city remains a diamond capital. That’s due in part to Royal Coster Diamonds, the world’s oldest diamond polishing company. Equally prestigious, Gassan Diamonds hosts nearly half a million annual visitors at its factory and showroom. The Diamonds & Champagne package assures one lucky guest will leave with a cut diamond at the bottom of their champagne flute.

Given that Amsterdam was the Queen Bee of the mercantile world during its Golden Age, it’s fitting that the city’s premier department store, de Bijenkorf, is named for the Dutch word for beehive. That’s an accurate analogy for navigating the Netherlands’ most eye-popping emporium.

A haven of luxury since its founding in 1870, de Bijenkorf offers various dining options, beauty treatments and a personal shopping lounge for couture consultations. In keeping with the city’s esteem for arts and culture, de Bijenkorf inaugurated its artist-in-residence project in 2015 — which includes a panoramic rooftop studio apartment in the store’s historic tower to house accepted artists.

And while you’re buzzing about, you’ll note Amsterdam is a city of cyclists with more bicycles than residents. They peddle by the city’s 62 miles of canals, lined with 7,000 monuments. Built in 1987 as the world’s

Peacock Alley Spectrum - Zwarte Truffel

first LGBTQ memorial, Amsterdam’s Homomonument commemorates those persecuted throughout history — and especially during WWII. Equally inspiring are the denizens of Rapido, Amsterdam’s long-running party at the legendary Paradiso. What was once an 18th-century church building now houses a polyglot congregation of party people pounding floorboards previously trod by Lady Gaga, Madonna, Patti Smith and scores of other entertainers. More than 180 nationalities are represented in Amsterdam’s population — and a night at Rapido serves as a reminder of Amsterdam’s diversity and tolerance. For after all, it was in Amsterdam that the first same-sex marriage occurred after the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2000.

While it’s entirely possible to party all day and night in Amsterdam — particularly during ADE, the five-day annual autumn dance music festival that has become the largest club-based festival in the world — it’s equally restorative to return to the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam and check into the hotel’s Guerlain Spa for an afternoon of Champagne and hydrotherapy. Before the bubbles go to your head, be sure to raise a glass to Amsterdam's new Golden Age. ■ metrosource.com august/september 2019

55

such posers

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last call

On an overcast and blustery spring day in New York, filming

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continues on the fourth episode for Season 2 of Pose. A warehouse the size of a city block contains most of the world depicted in the series. There’s Blanca’s House of Evangelista apartment at one end, the renowned twostory ballroom a short walk away and Elektra’s S&M hotspot — Hellfire — tucked well out of sight. Since we live in the Age of the Spoiler Alert, it’s a rare event for a journalist to see any of this in real time. But the principals of Pose — Mj Rodriquez (Blanca), Indya Moore (Angel) and Dominique Jackson (Elektra) — have all agreed to provide a tantalizing glimpse into the realness they’ll be serving up this season.

Metrosource: Three years have gone by since the conclusion of the first season. Plot points off the table, can you provide any insights into how your character has grown?

Mj Rodriquez: I feel like Blanca is more established, you know? She’s more sure of herself as a mother now. She has her feet planted on the ground. I think she’s more aware of what her kids have, what their talents are, and how she can utilize them to make sure they flourish the way they’re meant to flourish. And that’s for her. She is her kids. She’s still dealing with her diagnosis for sure, but she’s also finding ways to cope.

Indya Moore: Actually, I wanted to go for Blanca. I didn’t know what the characters were going to be, but I related with her feeling like she wasn’t as pretty as the other girls in the ways that she felt. And I related to her not feeling comfortable or happy with the dynamics in the house too, because I had that experience myself in the ballroom scene; not feeling that it was family enough. So I thought I’d love to contribute to that character.

Metrosource: We now know that like you, Angel aspires to be a model. Do you think your experience modeling has given the writers a different perspective on Angel?

Indya Moore: Well, I think they had a vision of what Pose would look like before I came in. I won’t take away the possibility that in some way I may have influenced some of what they were inspired to write, or the way they developed our characters to be. But I already related to a lot of what Angel’s story had been. I’m dabbling in the fashion modeling world, and Angel’s aspiring to do that. I think to some degree I may have inspired that. But I also believe Tracey Africa has inspired that, because Tracey Africa was the first trans woman to do that around the same time that the show takes place. She’s also black and really important. She was the first trans person to be on the Clairol box in the pharmacy.

Metrosource: So you must have some sense of how empowering this show could be for young people growing up feeling like no one understands them or shares their experience.

Dominique Jackson: I come from ballroom. And the journey in ballroom is so amazing because it provided family — support that, being a woman of color and being trans and being from a religious background and a West Indian background, people don’t appreciate or accept any of that. august/september 2019

metrosource.com

They don’t realize that being trans is something that needs to be respected, not approved.

Metrosource: Do you find it remarkable that people were able to create such beauty in the middle of poverty and an epidemic?

Dominique Jackson: In ballroom, I found this place — this space — where talent was just abundant. People more mature than I am, the pioneers of ballroom, would sit in their little apartments, eight people in one place, like how I came into ballroom, with eight in one house. And we would sit and construct things for the ball. And that helped to bring us together and helped us function as a family. So when you see the artistry and the fashion on Pose, you have to remember that they are being extremely authentic.

Indya Moore: Actually, those of us who were lucky enough to find a space or a group of people that were there for one another no matter what: that helped them to survive.

Metrosource: It seems like the first season was devoted to whether creating a family of spirit was even a possibility, and the second zeroes in on what that kind of bond can generate.

Mj Rodriquez: Blanca has always been very street and very tomboyish.

Now, as a mother, she’s growing up and she’s like,‘Okay, no more time for being a child anymore. I gotta be a grown-ass woman. I have to make sure I take care of these three kids in an apartment and the other sisters I have outside of here.’ I think she’s establishing her womanhood and her adult life. Granted, she was an adult when she was in the House of Abundance, but she was still a child of Elektra. I feel like she’s definitely at a point where she’s figuring herself out and saying,“I’m finally settled into who I am. Now it’s time to take on the next chapter.”

Metrosource: Once the series airs its last episode, becomes history and gets put into a vault, what do you hope its legacy will be?

Dominique Jackson: Well, hope that Pose is never put into a vault. However, the one thing that I want people to understand is that we’re human beings. I think in society we have this thing where we suffer in silence and we don’t speak out. But we’re in an era where everyone is starting to come forward and say,“I matter. My life matters.”

It’s high time we started to remove ourselves from this taught toxicity where women believe that they are subservient and men believe that they are the ones in power and trans people believe that the only thing they can do is sex work.

We have a lot of myths and stigmas that we have to continue to debunk.

So if Pose were to be put into a vault, I hope that people would understand that it is for us to be human beings to each other. That is our foundation.

Right now, we have to know what your body parts look like before we can approve you or feel comfortable with you. We have to start learning to lead with kindness and to believe in respect for one another. We’re all fighting – ■ not for privilege, but for true equality.

this page: Indya by Pari Dukovic-FX • Dominique by Macall Polley courtesy FX • Mj by Pari Dukovic-FX

Mj Rodriguez, Indya Moore and Dominique Jackson fling open the doors of the Pose set to say that Season 2 has only begun: “You haven’t seen anything yet, darlings!” By Kevin Phinney

MY SHELTER PETS ARE MY BEST FRIENDS

OLIVIA MUNN WITH FRANKIE AND CHANCE: ADOPTED 2016 AND 2014.

They’re a little bit of a lot of things, but they’re all pure love.

THESHELTERPETPROJECT.ORG