PRIDE 2021
MILESTONES IN LGBTQ HISTORY
KARMA CHAMELEON
THE SEARCH FOR BOY GEORGE
IN THE HEIGHTS
FROM BROADWAY MUSICAL TO BIG SCREEN
JUNE 2021 | VOLUME 9 ISSUE 6 | THESTANDARDPS.COM | @THESTANDARDPS
CONTENTS VOLUME 9, ISSUE 6
theStandardPS.com PRIDE 2021
MILESTONES IN LGBTQ HISTORY
KARMA CHAMELEON
THE SEARCH FOR BOY GEORGE
IN THE HEIGHTS
FROM BROADWAY MUSICAL TO BIG SCREEN
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JUNE 2021 | VOLUME 9 ISSUE 6 | THESTANDARDPS.COM | @THESTANDARDPS
facebook.com/theStandardPS instagram.com/theStandardPS FEATURE
GLOBAL SEARCH FOR LEAD ACTOR TO PLAY ICONIC MUSICIAN BOY GEORGE BEGINS PAGES 18-19
Volume 9 Issue 6 COVER PRIDE 2021 / A MATTER OF PRIDE COVER PRIDE 2021 / MILESTONES IN LGBTQ HISTORY FEATURE FOOD TRENDS 2021 / WHAT ARE YOU EATING? FEATURE KARMA CHAMELEON / IN SEARCH OF BOY GEORGE PROFILE DAVID A LEE / A JOURNEY IN PHOTOS MUSIC DAVID HERNANDEZ / AN ALL-INCLUSIVE LOVE SONG MUST SEE IN THE HEIGHTS / BROADWAY MUSICAL TO BIG SCREEN JUNE 2021 3
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COMMENTARY
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the publisher.
COVER
A MATTER OF PRIDE BY ADRIAN LUZAN
Last year, 2020 was an unprecedented year as the coronavirus pandemic swept across the globe disrupting daily life. As most countries went into various forms of lockdown in an effort to curb the spread of the virus, large events and festivals including pride celebrations, marches and demonstrations were canceled. As a response to the mass cancellations, many organizations opted to host virtual events. In June 2020, InterPride also launched Global Pride, a virtual event connecting pride organizations and online attendees across the globe. As 2020 came to an end, many pride events have again been forced the cancel, postpone or go virtual. However, a handful of events in countries like Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand with closed borders and tight control of the pandemic have eased back into near-normal life and are able to again host in-person pride events. It’s expected that most pride events will return to their previous form in 2022 as vaccine distribution reaches high levels across the world.
activist, Brenda Howard. Known as, “The Mother of Pride,” a year after the Stonewall Riots, Brenda organized Gay Pride Week and the Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade. This eventually morphed into what we now know as the New York City Pride March, and from where parades and marches across the world evolved. The LGBTQ+ rights movement has made tremendous strides over the past few decades and much of the progress in visibility is thanks in part to gay pride parades and marches that have taken place in cities around the world. The global landscape for LGBTQ+ rights, protections and acceptance varies tremendously by location, with some destinations attracting millions of visitors to their events like Madrid Gay Pride, Sao Paulo Gay Pride or San Francisco Gay Pride, while more than 70 other countries have laws that allow discrimination or persecution of LGBTQ+ people.
HISTORY OF PRIDE MONTH On a hot summer’s night in New York on June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village, which resulted in bar patrons, staff, and neighborhood residents rioting onto Christopher Street outside. Among the many leaders of the riots was black, trans, bisexual woman, Marsha P. Johnson — leading the movement to continue over six days with protests and clashes. The message was clear; protestors demanded the establishment of places where LGBT+ people could go and be open about their sexual orientation without fear of arrest. Pride Month is largely credited as being started by bisexual
While the aim of pride day started with a political nature, many cities around the world have such wide acceptance and legal protections that many events have become a celebration of pride for the local LGBTQ+ community. Depending on the country or city where the event is being held, the marches and parades often campaign for recognition and acceptance of same-sex marriage, legal protections for couples and families, anti-discrimination laws or trans rights. Although there are still obstacles in achieving full acceptance and protections for the LGBTQ+ community, the progress made just over the past few decades has been significant. Over the past 50 years, pride events, marches and demonstrations have
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evolved considerably. In western nations where LGBTQ+ people are protected and acceptance is high, many pride events have grown in scale, welcoming millions of visitors to their celebrations. Major cities like New York, São Paulo and Madrid host some of the largest events in the world with crowds of up to 5 million people. GLOBAL AND REGIONAL PRIDE ORGANIZATIONS Several non-profit organizations have also formed within the past couple of decades in an effort to support prides regionally and around the world. InterPride is one such group and its members include dedicated volunteers who organize and work to put on pride events all over the world. They are also the creator and licensor of WorldPride, an event that promotes LGBTQ+ pride issues on an international level through parades, festivals and other cultural activities. The inaugural WorldPride was held in Rome in 2000. The members of InterPride at its annual general meeting select the host cities. Previous WorldPride host cities also include Jerusalem, London, Toronto, Madrid and New York City. Copenhagen is now set to host the next edition of WorldPride August 12-22, 2021. Similar organizations also exist at a regional level such as EuroPride and Pride of the Americas. EuroPride operates similarly to InterPride and they also license an event by the same name (EuroPride) in a different European city each year. Pride of the Americas was created with a similar mission to connect pride events in both North and South America. The inaugural Pride of the Americas is set to take place in Fort Lauderdale November 2021.
THE ORIGIN OF THE RAINBOW FLAG, FASCINATING AND VERY RECENT ONE Harvey Milk, who asked a talented designer friend, Gilbert Baker, to design an all-encompassing symbol to take on San Francisco’s Pride March in 1978. Sadly, Harvey Milk was assassinated along with Mayor, George Moscone, on November 23, 1978 in San Francisco City Hall by disgruntled former Supervisor Dan White, who was angry at Milk who had lobbied hard against having him reappointed on the Board of Supervisors. Artist and activist Gilbert Baker is credited with creating the first pride flag, meant to represent the gay community. “Flags are about proclaiming power” Baker said. The United States flag inspired Baker, with its series of stacked lines, and also by Pop Art of the time. Several communities at the time had reclaimed the Pink Triangle as a symbol of queer power. The Pink Triangle was used in Nazis concentration camps to identify men imprisoned for their homosexuality. Despite the Pink Triangle’s prevalence, Baker argued that there was a need for a new symbol “We needed something beautiful. Something from us.” The flag was first flown in San Francisco’s United Nation’s Plaza in June of 1978. Some historians have argued that the idea of the rainbow flag came about because of the rainbow’s link to actress Judy Garland. A strong supporter of the gay community, in reference to her role in The Wizard of Oz. Baker stated, however,
JUNE 2021 7
COVER
that the idea of a rainbow pride flag did not stem from Garland’s singing of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. According to Baker, “It’s a natural flag. It comes from the sky”.
In 1988, a man named John Stout and the LGBT Pride Flag found national attention when he sued his West Hollywood landlords for the right to display the flag on his balcony. He won.
The original LGBT pride flag contained the colors hot pink, meant to represent sexuality, and turquoise, meant to represent magic or art, depending on the source.
After a scary, depressing and isolated year we are all ready to celebrate Pride the way we are used to. But one thing we should keep in mind is to continue to create awareness for equality. Remember that in certain parts of the world and even our own country it is illegal to hold your partners hand in public if that person is of the same sex as you. Let’s change that.
Hot pink was removed from the original pride flag because fabric and dye in that color was difficult to find. Turquoise was removed to make the flag appear more symmetrical when hanging vertically. THE MEANING OF EACH COLOR Red: Vitality Orange: Healing Yellow: Sunlight Green: Nature Indigo: Harmony Violet: Spirit
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COVER
NOTABLE MOMENTS IN LGBTQ HISTORY BY CHRIS ASTRALA
1924 - The Society for Human Rights is founded by Henry Gerber in Chicago. It is the first documented gay rights organization.
September 1955 - The first known lesbian rights organization in the United States forms in San Francisco. Daughters of Bilitis (DOB). They host private social functions, fearing police raids, threats of violence and discrimination in bars and clubs.
1950 - The Mattachine Society is formed by activist Harry Hay and is one of the first sustained gay rights groups in the United States. The Society focuses on social acceptance and other support for homosexuals.
June 28, 1969 - Police raid the Stonewall Inn in New York City. Protests and demonstrations begin, and it later becomes known as the impetus for the gay civil rights movement in the United States.
April 27, 1953 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs an executive order that bans homosexuals from working for the federal government, saying they are a security risk.
1969 - The “Los Angeles Advocate,” founded in 1967, is renamed “The Advocate.” It is considered the oldest continuing LGBTQ publication that began as a newsletter published by the activist group Personal Rights in Defense and Education (PRIDE) in 1966.
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COVER January 14, 1975 - The first federal gay rights bill is introduced to address discrimination based on sexual orientation. The bill later goes to the Judiciary Committee but is never brought for consideration.
June 28, 1970 - Community members in New York City march through the local streets to recognize the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall riots. This event is named Christopher Street Liberation Day and is now considered the first gay pride parade.
1976 - After undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 1975, ophthalmologist and professional tennis player Renee Richards is banned from competing in the women’s US Open because of a “women-born-women” rule. Richards challenges the decision and in 1977 and the New York Supreme Court rules in her favor. Richards competes in the 1977 US Open but is defeated in the first round by Virginia Wade.
October 14, 1979 - The first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights takes place. It draws an estimated 75,000 to 125,000 individuals marching for LGBTQ rights.
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March 26, 1973 - First meeting of “Parents and Friends of Gays,” which goes national as Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) in 1982.
1978 - Inspired by Milk to develop a symbol of pride and hope for the LGBTQ community, Gilbert Baker designs and stitches together the first rainbow flag.
January 9, 1978 - Harvey Milk is inaugurated as San Francisco city supervisor, and is the first openly gay man to be elected to a political office in California. In November, Dan White, who had recently resigned from his San Francisco board position and wanted Moscone to reappoint him, murders Milk and Mayor George Moscone. White later serves just over five years in prison for voluntary manslaughter. November 30, 1993 - President Bill Clinton signs a military policy directive that prohibits openly gay and lesbian Americans from serving in the military, but also prohibits the harassment of “closeted” homosexuals. The policy is known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
November 1995 - The Hate Crimes Sentencing Enhancement Act goes into effect as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. The law allows a judge to impose harsher sentences if there is evidence showing that a victim was selected because of the “actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person.”
September 21, 1996 - President Clinton signs the Defense of Marriage Act, banning federal recognition of same-sex marriage and defining marriage as “a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.”
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COVER
December 3, 1996 - Hawaii’s Judge Chang rules that the state does not have a legal right to deprive same-sex couples of the right to marry, making Hawaii the first state to recognize that gay and lesbian couples are entitled to the same privileges as heterosexual married couples. June 2003 - The US Supreme Court strikes down the “homosexual conduct” law, which decriminalizes same-sex sexual conduct, with their opinion in Lawrence v. Texas. The decision also reverses Bowers v. Hardwick, a 1986 US Supreme Court ruling that upheld Georgia’s sodomy law.
April 1, 1998 - Martin Luther King Jr.’s widow, Coretta Scott King, asks the civil rights community to help in the effort to extinguish homophobia.
October 6-7, 1998 - Matthew Shepard is tied to a fence and beaten near Laramie, Wyoming. He is eventually found by a cyclist, who initially mistakes him for a scarecrow. He later dies due to his injuries sustained in the beating. November 4, 2008 - Voters approve Proposition 8 in California, which makes same-sex marriage illegal. The proposition is later found to be unconstitutional by a federal judge.
May 17, 2004 - The first legal same-sex marriage in the United States takes place in Massachusetts.
October 28, 2009 - Obama signs the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law. September 20, 2011 - “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is repealed, ending a ban on gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military.
November 6, 2012 - Tammy Baldwin becomes the first openly gay politician and the first Wisconsin woman to be elected to the US Senate.
May 9, 2012 - In an ABC interview, Obama becomes the first sitting US president to publicly support the freedom for LGBTQ couples to marry.
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June 24, 2016 - Obama announces the designation of the first national monument to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ) rights. The Stonewall National Monument will encompass Christopher Park, the Stonewall Inn and the surrounding streets and sidewalks that were the sites of the 1969 Stonewall uprising.
May 17, 2016 - The Senate confirms Eric Fanning to be secretary of the Army, making him the first openly gay secretary of a US military branch. Fanning previously served as Defense Secretary Carter’s chief of staff, and also served as undersecretary of the Air Force and deputy undersecretary of the Navy.
June 30, 2016 - Secretary of Defense Carter announces that the Pentagon is lifting the ban on transgender people serving openly in the US military.
March 23, 2018 - The Trump administration announces a new policy that bans most transgender people from serving in military. After several court battles, the Supreme Court allows the ban to go into effect in January 2019.
September 22, 2019 - Billy Porter becomes the first openly gay Black man to win the Emmy for best lead actor in a drama series.
November 6, 2018 - Democratic US Representative Jared Polis wins the Colorado governor’s race, becoming the nation’s first openly gay man to be elected governor.
June 30, 2019 - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signs a law banning the use of the so-called gay and trans panic legal defense strategy.
June 15, 2020 - The Supreme Court rules that federal law protects LGBTQ workers from discrimination. The landmark ruling extends protections to millions of workers nationwide and is a defeat for the Trump administration, which argued that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act that bars discrimination based on sex did not extend to claims of gender identity and sexual orientation.
January 25, 2021 - President Joe Biden signs an executive order repealing the 2019 Trumpera ban on most transgender Americans joining the military. “This is reinstating a position that the previous commanders and, as well as the secretaries, have supported. And what I’m doing is enabling all qualified Americans to serve their country in uniform,” Biden said, speaking from the Oval Office just before signing the executive order.
March 24, 2021 - Dr. Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health in the Department of Health and Human Services becomes the first out transgender federal official to be confirmed by the Senate. February 2, 2021 - Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg becomes the first openly gay Cabinet member confirmed by the Senate.
FEATURE
FOOD TRENDS FOR 2021 BY JAMES HOPKINS
In 2021, many food trends we’ve seen start this year will likely carry over, even as the COVID-19 pandemic starts to release its stronghold. People will still continue to cook and bake at home, order take-out, and get more things than ever delivered. Below are a few things you’ll be seeing more of in 2021. PLANT-BASED FOODS Plant-based items continue to be a trend into 2021, as 28 percent of people said that they have been eating more protein from plant sources during the pandemic, according to IFIC. More people will be flirting with veganism, but others will just be eating things that taste good and happen to be vegan. Expect the usual suspects to be rolling out even more innovations, especially at fastfood restaurants, but some forecasters predict newer things like plant-based “fish” are also going to be big on the horizon. BREAKFAST With more people working from home, the most important meal is getting the attention it deserves, not just on weekends, but every day. Even cereal saw a huge bump in sales this year. There’s a whole new lineup of innovative products tailored to people paying more attention to what they eat in the morning. Think pancakes on weekdays; sous vide egg bites and even “eggs” made from mung beans. PICKLING/FERMENTING Expect people showing off their gardens in the spring as well as how they will turn their harvests into jars of pickled cucumbers, red onions, radishes, and more.
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VIRTUAL COOKING CLASSES Expect to get more invites to virtual classes that you can do in your home or even more elaborate ones that you can follow along with friends on Zoom. Everybody from famous chefs to your favorite restaurants have these on the docket, and we think more people will be taking advantage of them this year. HOMEMADE PASTA In 2021,people are taking the time to make and cut delicious gnocchi from scratch, hanging their homemade bucatini all over their kitchen, and even laboring over a big pot of Sunday Gravy. Even if you resisted the urge to get in on trends like banana bread and Dalgona coffee, it’s going to be hard not to Google pasta attachments for your KitchenAid this year. DELIVERY SERVICES After seeing a huge increase in demand (the Coresight Research U.S. Online Grocery Survey 2020 expected demand for online grocery services to grow by 40 percent this year), it seems like grocery services finally have a handle on this new world of increased delivery. But why stop there? Everything from meal kits to alcohol can be delivered now and people will be trying it out. REASONABLY PRICED PREMIUM ALCOHOL We’re seeing a shift from people turning up their noses at anything under three dollar signs amidst the realization that you can get quality alcohol on a budget. Because people have more time to look for the good stuff (and will be spending less time taking well
shots of vodka at bars), the good stuff will be way more in demand... even if it doesn’t cost much more than that well shot. TAKE-AND-BAKE KITS Restaurants will continue to innovate by selling take-and-bake kits. These have already included things like assembled but not cooked pizzas, bread, and other meals. You can even get steaks and deli meat at some of your favorite places! The perfect marriage between cooking and takeout. CELEBRATING CULTURE WITH CUISINE Each year we typically see a new global focus on specific regional flavors. With limited travel in 2020, we saw many cultures celebrating their heritage with food. For example, in the U.S. we saw an increase in African American cuisine and businesses as people delve into these tastes, and we expect to see this continue and expand in 2021. There will also be an increase in Latin American foods and flavors like chimichurri, horchata and salsa macha following the global trend for Mexican flavors. SPECIFIC SPICES AND INGREDIENTS In previous years we have predicted spicy specificity as a trend. This meant adding pungency to foods and beverages with specificity, beyond ‘mild,’ ‘medium,’ and ‘hot.’ Now, the trend for specific spices
and ingredients has expanded into front of pack claims for other spices, alliums, fruits and vegetables, like black garlic rather than just garlic. The desire for specific ingredients ties into the macro trend for transparency across the supply chain as consumers want to know more about the foods and flavors they are eating and the craving for uniqueness. WELL-BEING IS SERVED The lines are blurring between the supplement and grocery aisles, and that trend will accelerate in 2021. That means Superfoods, probiotics, broths and sauerkrauts. Suppliers are incorporating functional ingredients like vitamin C, mushrooms and adaptogens to foster a calm headspace and support the immune system. For obvious reasons, people are clamoring for this. COFFEE BEYOND THE MUG The love affair between humans and coffee burns way beyond a brewed pot of joe. That’s right; java is giving a jolt to all kinds of food. You can now get your coffee fix in the form of coffee-flavored bars and granolas, smoothie boosters and booze, even coffee yogurt for those looking to crank up that breakfast parfait. OIL CHANGE There’s a different crop of oils coming for that place in the
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FEATURE
skillet or salad dressing. At-home chefs are branching out with oils that each adds their own unique flavor and properties. Walnut and pumpkin seed oils lend a delicious nutty flavor, while sunflower seed oil is hitting the shelves in a bunch of new products and is versatile enough to use at high temps or in salad dressing. THE MIGHTY CHICKPEA You can chickpea anything. Yep, the time has come to think beyond hummus and falafel, and even chickpea pasta. Rich in fiber and plant-based protein, chickpeas are the new cauliflower — popping up in products like chickpea tofu, chickpea flour and even chickpea cereal.
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FRUIT AND VEGGIE JERKY Jerky isn’t just for meat lovers anymore. Now all kinds of produce from mushrooms to jackfruit are being served jerky-style, providing a new, shelf-stable way to enjoy fruits and veggies. The produce is dried at the peak freshness to preserve nutrients and yumminess. If that’s not enough, suppliers are literally spicing things up with finishes of chili, salt, ginger and cacao drizzle. Which are you ready to try? With this ever changing environment and tastes we are sure to encounter many new and exciting ways to entertain our palates.
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FEATURE
GLOBAL SEARCH FOR LEAD ACTOR TO PLAY ICONIC MUSICIAN BOY GEORGE BEGINS BY TIFFANY WAGNER
Millennium Media has come on board to produce and finance the Boy George biopic Karma Chameleon which is written and will be directed by Sacha Gervasi. Sacha Gervasi’s (My Dinner with Hervé, Hitchcock) Karma Chameleon begins casting and launches a worldwide search for an actor to play Boy George – George took to his social media asking who will play him.
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The feature film has moved to Millennium Media from MGM. Millennium will finance and produce. Previously announced Producers include Kevin King Templeton (Creed, Creed 2, Homefront, Expendables) for Templeton Media and Paul Kemsley. Executive Producers are Jessica de Rothschild for Portobello Electric and Boy George. Casting director is Kate Ringsell (Wonder Woman, All the Money in the World)“We’re elated to bring this amazing story to life. Boy George and Culture Club have been an inspiration to so
many people, specifically, George’s unapologetic way of being true to himself. He has paved the way for people to live their truth as fearless individuals. This is more relevant today than ever and we are so proud to have Sacha lead the charge on this musical journey,” stated Jonathan Yunger, Co-President of Millennium Media.”Now with Millennium Media coming on board, all of the elements are in place and I look forward to finding a dynamic lead. Having spent time with George over the last four years developing the film, it is important to me that his story gets told in a way that honors him,” said Producer Kevin King Templeton. Karma Chameleon will explore George’s humble beginnings in an Irish working-class family, through his rise to the top of the international charts with the ’80s band Culture Club alongside original band members Jon Moss, Roy Hay, and Mikey Craig. The larger-than-life George never disguised who he was – a fearless, ruthlessly honest young man with an open identity who was years ahead of his time. Grammy-winning band Culture Club has sold more than 100 million singles and over 50 million albums. George is also a successful solo artist and the author of two bestselling autobiographies as well as co-producer, songwriter and onstage star of the award-winning musical Taboo on Broadway and London’s West End.
Gervasi’s Hitchcock received BAFTA, SAG, and Golden Globe nominations for Helen Mirren’s performance as Alma Reville, as well as an Oscar nomination for make-up and hairstyling. My Dinner with Hervé was nominated for PGA, WGA, Critics Choice Award, as well as a primetime Emmy for Outstanding Television Film. Gervasi’s critically acclaimed Emmy award-winning rock documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil also won the Film Independent Spirit Awards and two International Documentary Association prizes, as well as a DGA nomination. About Millennium Media Millennium Media Inc. is one of the longest-running independent film companies in Hollywood and has established itself as a leader in creating multi-billion dollar box office action franchises and acclaimed independent films. The full-service entertainment company finances, produces and sells films worldwide and has a production facility, Nu Boyana Studios, in Bulgaria, which hosts international and Hollywood productions. Millennium is best known for the box office hits The Expendables franchise, Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, and Mechanic: Resurrection. Recent films include Angel Has Fallen and the successful reboot of the Rambo franchise, Rambo: Last Blood. It has also produced the acclaimed independent films Rod Lurie’s The Outpost, Tesla starring Ethan Hawke, and Blackbird starring Susan Sarandon and Kate Winslet.
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BOOK REVIEW
ALWAYS OVERBOOKED BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER You spent days examining your life. Sins: that’s what you were looking for How had you displeased God? How many lies, covets, dishonors? What have you done since – oh, when was your last confession, anyhow? They say the sacrament is good for your soul, and in “Confessions of a Gay Priest” by Tom Rastrelli, there’s a lot to tell. Though he’d always known that he liked boys, little Tommy Rastrelli pretended the opposite when he was in grade school because marriage was what good Catholics did. His family was devout and Rastrelli never questioned God’s love. Not even after, he says, a doctor repeatedly molested him in his Iowa hometown. For several reasons, he never told his parents about the abuse, enduring it for years until he’d convinced them that he was too old for a pediatrician. That God hadn’t saved him from a predator made Rastrelli slowly lose his faith and his self-respect. He stopped attending Mass and began questioning the Church’s teachings. But then God called a shocked Tom Rastrelli to the priesthood. It happened while he was at college, and the whole idea quickly consumed him. Gone was the plan to major in theatre; instead, Rastrelli began to explore a world steeped in mystery and ritual, but overlaid with fear. Always believing that testimony against the doctor could save others from the same abuse, Rastrelli took legal action, knowing that scandal could ruin his chance to attend seminary. There were many things undiscussable, in fact, and the court case was only half of it. As he progressed in his journey to ordination, the secrets included priestly kisses, caresses, and soft lies that a “backrub” was just a backrub. At nearly every gathering, Rastrelli was approached for sex or touched inappropriately, led to believe that celibacy had wiggle-room, plied with alcohol or favors, and left to deal with it alone. He fell in misguided love. And then he fell into a deep depression, with only one real way out... “The Confessions of a Gay Priest” is a hard, hard book to read – it’ll make you squirm, it’ll make your eyebrows raise, you’ll want to toss it on the street and let semis run it over and yet, it’s stay-up-allnight compelling. Beginning with his ordination (so you know-don’t-know the end of the story), author Tom Rastrelli tells a tale that will further
shock Catholics already reeling from church-related scandals. This book, however, is not written in the same manner, as is a diocesan document: Rastrelli is sometimes extremely graphic, both in the bedroom and in his various emotional states. He doesn’t pull back the curtains on his experiences; he rips them down and burns them. He used pseudonyms, but tells details before softening his harshness with beautiful language, strong faith, and poetic distractions that play with a reader’s sympathy. You can’t beat a book like that, though its graphic nature needs to again be underscored. For a reader who can endure a panoply of squirms, “Confessions of a Gay Priest” is worth deep examination. “Confessions of a Gay Priest” by Tom Rastrelli c.2020, University of Iowa Press $19.95 / higher in Canada 328 pages
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AMAZON TRAIL
NOTES FROM A HOMEBODY BY LEE LYNCH
It’s finally here, the end of total lockdown. Am I ready? Absolutely not. I like my burrow. I don’t wanna play with others. We’ve fashioned a comfortable little routine. Weekdays, work. Evenings, spend time alone together. Weekends, yard and housework and, sometimes, an adventure. The adventures are mostly food and view related. They require us to travel along Highway 101 thirty to forty-five minutes south. Which is a mini-vacation in itself. People come here from all over the developed world to drive this highway. My sweetheart and I, we just buckle up and go, the little dog in her back seat safety perch and the cat at home, guarding the house from whatever intrusions he fears. Probably a bug. Talk about privileged lives. We ain’t got much but we’ve got it all. Former neighbors gave us the idea. They liked to go to a certain restaurant, get takeout, drive two minutes to the ocean, and watch the waves while they ate. As it happens, that modest restaurant makes the best fish and chips on the coast. No soggy beer batter. No fancy coleslaw. No stingy portions. We worried that this institution might be lost to the pandemic.
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When the first Covid cash arrived, my sweetheart suggested we use some of it to help keep our small local businesses afloat. Wow. What a very pleasant patriotic practice. And it hasn’t all been food. Over the months we’ve helped keep America strong by shopping at Grandma’s Greenhouse, the feed stores, the locksmith down the street, a roofer, the hardware store—though that’s a franchise operated by a local. Of course, these happen to be the places we’ve always shopped, but now we could pat ourselves on the backs, all noble in our consumerism. Ice cream had been a forbidden fruit for health reasons, but we couldn’t let the nearby ice cream palace or the iconic creamery in the next county suffer economic ruin, could we? Pounds for a purpose and a treat for the dog, who we are trying to convert to a pet who loves the car and travel and her safety seat. So far, ice cream isn’t enough of a bribe. We weren’t hiding under a rock. We knew the pandemic was taking a terrible toll; the sheer numbers of deaths assured that. Multiply each death by a family, friends, work colleagues, perhaps students, clients, patients, the losses became staggering, and the former administration’s deceptive, money-grubbing, incompetent response was revealed as criminal.
Covid has forever changed our lives. We follow the guidelines and make our drop-in-the-bucket contributions and stay sane with our little routines. Then we found Chubby’s. Is there a more effective method of funneling Covid cash into a rural county’s economy than by patronizing our food trucks? Chubby’s is a basic burger chuckwagon. The friendly pest control guy told us they made the best burgers he’d ever tasted. Out came our second Economic Impact Payment. Chubby’s only accepts orders online. This was new to us, but through trial and error, we’ve indulged ourselves twice. Maybe the third time we’ll get the fried onions, onion rings, mustard-mayo-ketchup, cheese, and timing right. They only stock so many patties per day and when they’re out, they close, a horrid surprise after a fogbound drive when the ocean is mostly invisible. The newest problem for these businesses is lack of employees. What’s with that? The pizza and grinders place we favor is pleading with customers to be kind to staff because they’re all working ten-hour days, fourteen days in a row. They’ve had to cut back on deliveries and close two days a week. The same with our fish and chips place. Is it continued fear of Covid? The unvaccinated? The unvaccinated and unmasked? It’s hard to admit to myself that I can’t go and apply. Even if they were desperate enough to hire someone with white hair, my body wouldn’t last an hour at restaurant pace. But that’s not what I set out to say. It crept up on me—the beginning of the reopening of our county. First there was my friend the Librarian who came to drop off a brilliant red daylily and I was so excited to see her, I insisted she come inside. The first other than service people to do so since lockdown. Then there was my sweetheart’s friend of many years who appeared like an emissary from the Golden Crown Literary Society. We three actually rode in a car together and ate inside a restaurant. Two other firsts. The Handydyke emailed to invite us to watch the annual Blessing of the Fleet—we’re a commercial fishing town—with her, the Pianist, and maybe some other friends, from their deck. Five of us showed up, unmasked, vaccinated. It was just like old times. The CDC said we’d be safe. And it felt wonderful, especially the hugs. I should have checked; is it safe to hug again? How am I going to preserve our hermitage, when seeing friends is such a pleasure? I loved eating by the ocean with my sweetheart and our little dog Betty who dislikes oceans as much as cars. We may have to leave her home and bring (gasp) two-legged friends.
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PROFILE
DAVID A LEE PHOTOGRAPHER
PHOTO CREDIT VIVIEN BEST
Growing up in Rochester, New York as a “Kodak kid,” I created my first images with Instamatics my dad brought home from the company he worked at for 33 years. At 15, I took a class in black and white fine art photography and was instantly hooked. I not only shot for my college yearbook, but participated in solo and group exhibitions immediately following graduation. After a decades-long break from serious photography, the bug bit me again in 2005, and I invested in my first 35mm digital SLR camera. I haven’t stopped shooting since. In 2007, I moved to Palm Springs from Los Angeles with my husband and screenwriting partner, Daniel Vaillancourt. In the desert, I found such a wondrous range of photo subjects—from people and products to architecture, real estate, and special events, not to mention awe-inspiring natural beauty.
I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with such wonderful organizations as HRC, the Palm Springs LGBT Community Center of the Desert, EQCA, DAP Health, Cinema Diverse, Palm Springs Pride, GLAAD, the Palm Springs International Film Festival, ANA Inspiration, BNP Paribas, and my personal favorite— Palm Springs Modernism Week, where I have served as official photographer since 2013.
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PROFILE
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As a writer/photographer I’ve also regularly contributed to media outlets such as The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Architectural Digest, Dwell, The Advocate/ Out, and Palm Springs Life. From the intoxicating beauty of our surroundings to the amazingly diverse cast of characters who inhabit and visit our beloved valley, I’m never at a loss for creative inspiration.
Ever thankful for the rich life my husband and I have built here—which includes our rescue pups Bunny and Rizzo, dear friends, fellow Burning Man habitués, and all the wonderful people I’ve met over these last 14 years— I’m proud to not only be a contributing member of this community and The Standard Magazine, but to be able to give back whenever I can. www.DavidALeePhotography.com
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JUNE 2021 29
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FITNESS
JUNE = NO MORE GLOOM! BY JILL LANGHAM
On June 15, the state of California will finally come out of our imposed restriction; quarantine; sheltering-in; imprisonment; isolation; sensory deprivation period or any other choice adjectives you can think of, and hopefully, it will be for good! As a single person who lives alone by choice, it has really been a long, and lonesome road. I hadn’t been dating prior to Covid and certainly had no desire to start while we were under its spell. On top of that, none of the dating apps have ever appealed to me so when I say I have been alone and not touched, I mean it. I used to love coming home after seeing 6-8 clients a day, anxious to be alone to re-charge my battery. But all day, every day, pre-Covid, I was also fortunate enough to receive numerous hugs from clients and friends. In fact, I typically greet friends and clients with a hug. I was able to appropriately touch my clients, sharing information about how their muscles felt or responded to training. None of this was an option during Covid. Simply put, I was being touched or touching, being hugged or hugging every day outside of my home. Some afternoons or weekend nights while out as the “Dancing Queen”, I might get hugged a few hundred times. At circuit parties or on cruises, I might give or receive thousands of hugs all of which came to a screeching halt with the onset of Covid. As a young baby I had been deprived of touch from my mother, who’d been diagnosed with Mononucleosis and was told she couldn’t hold me for the first six months of my life. This deprivation had legs and ever since I have been a hugger. But even more so since arriving in Palm Springs. It has become a way of life for me. Over the last 15 months this sensory deprivation has really gotten to me. I am not the same person I was and it has resulted in me not being a very happy person. I am much shyer in crowds and stick more to myself. I’m more reluctant to approach people and have become more guarded. I don’t like this version of myself and pray that I will be able to reconnect with the parts of myself that allowed my light to shine so bright. I need for it to resurface again. In the past I was alone but not lonely. Lately it has felt like both.
I miss my community and the joy I felt from it and believe that I brought to it. I long to dance with you all again and pray that the magic I felt will rise to the surface again. I know I am not alone and realize that I am fortunate enough to have a home, friends, money, health, a job and so much more than so many others. Simultaneously, it hasn’t helped me get back into the groove. I wonder how many other single, non-dating people who live alone feel the same way. I’ve never had pets and now that I’m back to work feel I missed the window of opportunity to raise one since I’m home so infrequently. My hope is that after June 15, I will be able to make up for lost time and that we will all be able to “reach out and touch someone!” The Covid lessons continue! Sending hugs your way. And feel free to hug me when you see me, my arms will be open to you! Xoxo Jill
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DAPUPDATE
NEW REVIVALS INDIO OFFERING MORE BY ROB HOPWOOD
Revivals Indio opened in May and is already drawing crowds of customers as well as donations of incredible merchandise. Located at Indio Plaza, a popular shopping center with ample parking, this spacious and sparkling new store will meet increased demand from the community for the thrill of the hunt. The resale store chain’s broad community of generous donors provides a steady supply of stellar resale merchandise, available to shoppers alongside brand-new furniture and home décor.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES If you’re looking for a volunteer opportunity, and you like to be in the middle of excitement while meeting people, Revivals Indio has several ways you can make an impact.
The 18,000-square-foot store is bringing Revivals’ unique mix of products to Indio consumers for the first time. Indio Plaza stores like Food 4 Less, Sally Beauty, and dd’s Discounts make it easy to visit Revivals Indio when shopping for the family.
Please e-mail Marice Lerner at mlerner@daphealth.org for information about volunteering at Revivals Indio.
Just like at the other three stores, Revivals Indio will keep customers, volunteers, and employees comfortable and safe with enhanced store safety and cleaning standards for COVID-19. EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Revivals is now hiring customer service and product flow coordinator professionals! Please send us a private message on social media or email info@daphealth.org. View all of our open position descriptions here: http://bit.ly/DAPHealthCareers.
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“We are really excited to open up our Indio store,” says Marcie Lerner, volunteer coordinator for Revivals Stores. “Our success depends on the generosity of our volunteers’ time.”
DONATION DROP-OFF ON WEEKDAYS Revivals Indio offers assisted donations drop off Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. Volunteers are happy to help unload your vehicle. DONATION PICK UP You can also schedule a free pick up by calling (760) 318-6491. Known for influencing Coachella Valley resale industry by combining vintage and retail, Revivals is well known for affordability, discoverability, and its commitment to community.
“We are a resale store with resale prices, but we operate like a regular retailer,” says Dane Koch, director of retail for DAP Health. “Our stores are clean, they’re organized, they’re easy to shop.”
Facebook: facebook.com/RevivalsStores Instagram: @RevivalsStores Twitter: @RevivalsStores Pinterest: @RevivalsStores
Revivals has a reputation for making resale shopping a joy. ABOUT DAP HEALTH “Our philosophy is that that resale doesn’t need to be ugly,” says Mr. Koch. “It doesn’t need to be messy…it doesn’t need to be dirty.” Shoppers enjoy the thrill of the hunt when shopping at Revivals. They are looking for something unique at the right price point. About 70 percent of the merchandise is resale and 30 percent is brand new. Revivals also features the Mode Furniture brand of new furniture, lighting, and home decor and has been voted Best Furniture store by readers of The Desert Sun. Operated by DAP Health, Revivals Stores are located in Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Palm Desert. Revivals offers home furnishing from more than 50 vendors—including brand names such as Ashley, Diamond, and Coaster curated by the local buying team under Revivals’ Mode Furniture brand. “Revivals was early to innovate and is the only thrift store in America with its own brand of affordable new furniture,” explains Koch. “We buy a different assortment for each store location to reflect the communities we serve.” The Palm Springs shop focuses on all things midcentury modern, the Cathedral City branch trades on value, and the Palm Desert outlets’ assortment is more traditional in style. The typical Revivals shoppers, however, likes to shop all our stores. They find that each one is unique. The new Revivals Indio is expected to generate $1.2 million in revenue and $300,000 to $400,000 in profit. The three other Revivals stores, meanwhile, contribute more than $1,000,000 to DAP Health’s budget. SHOPPING HOURS: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays WHERE: Indio Plaza 82-150 Highway 111 Indio, CA 92201 WEBSITE: revivalstores.com DONATION DROP-OFF: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday DONATION PICK-UP: (760) 318-6491 SOCIAL MEDIA:
DAP Health is an advocacy-based health center in Palm Springs, CA serving over 9,700 patients, offering medical and mental healthcare, STI testing and treatment, dentistry, pharmacy, and lab. A variety of services enable patients to experience optimal health, including social services, support groups, alternative therapies, and other wellness services. Excellent HIV care is provided by the largest team of specialized clinicians in the area. DAP Health opened one of California’s first COVID clinics and hotlines to offer screening, testing, and treatment. DAP Health is also working to improve social determinants of health to prevent negative health outcomes during this pandemic, like food and housing insecurity, joblessness, isolation, and access to ongoing healthcare. DAP Health’s sexual health clinic offers STI testing and treatment, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), and HIV and HCV testing. DAP has earned Charity Navigator’s highest rating for the twelfth consecutive year – landing DAP in the top 6% of nonprofits rated. The distinction recognizes that DAP exceeds industry standards in terms of financial health, accountability, and transparency. The DAP Health Research Program is a leader in research that supports better health outcomes for people with HIV (PWH). The Program offers The ANCHOR Study at DAP Health, and research studies exploring antiretroviral medication and the effects of wellness on health. Visit www.daphealth.org to learn more.
ABOUT REVIVALS STORES Revivals Stores has four locations: Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, and Indio. The stores are staffed by 180 volunteers who support the mission of DAP Health, the healthcare home of more than 9,700 local residents. Revivals to make an annual $1 million contribution to DAP Health. DAP Health has earned a national reputation as one of the most comprehensive HIV service providers in the United States. Revivals employees and dedicated volunteers create a unique retail experience for the 29,000+ people who shop the stores each month looking for a unique thrift store find while shopping brand new furniture and accessories. To learn more: www.daphealth.org and revivalsstores.com
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PSP FOCUS
>> LASERS INSTEAD OF FIREWORKS FOR THE 4TH IN PALM SPRINGS Earlier this month, the Palm Springs City Council voted against holding a fireworks show this year, citing concerns about the negative impacts of fireworks on pets, veterans and people with PTSD. During last month’s council meeting, it was announced that the city’s Parks and Recreation Department is planning several activities in multiple locations for July 4. These will include water activities at Victoria Park in the morning, activities at Sunrise Park and Ruth Hardy Park later
in the day, and midday pool activities at the Palm Springs Swim Center. The “headline activity” will be an evening activity with a laser show and music. Some other Coachella Valley cities are moving forward with fireworks plans. Other events in the valley include, in Palm Desert a July 4 fireworks display and Desert Hot Springs will hold the “first in the valley” fireworks show on July 2.
>> AAP – FOOD SAMARITANS TO BENEFIT FROM BARRY MANILOW’S “A GIFT OF LOVE” HOLIDAY CONCERTS Postponed in 2020, the concerts will be back this holiday season! Pop culture icon and music legend Barry Manilow has announced that he will once again perform five holiday concerts to raise funds for 25 charities in the Coachella Valley. AAP – Food Samaritans is among the beneficiaries. Manilow’s A Gift of Love V concerts will feature his hit songs and holiday favorites. His past holiday concerts have surprised audiences with a children’s choir, Santa Claus, and even snow! Concerts are scheduled for December 7 and 8 and again December 10, 11 and 12 at the McCallum Theatre. Mark Anton, C.E.O./Executive Director of the charity said of the news, “Barry Manilow is an outstanding member of our Palm Springs community, and we are all so very fortunate that he is so generous. After such a long period where we were unable to hold fundraising events, this is a tremendous opportunity for us. If you’re thinking about going, please select AAP – Food Samaritans at the time of purchase.” Tickets range from $59.99 to $499.99. A limited number of
VIP tickets range from $500 to $2,000 and include special access and benefits. All tickets allow purchasers to designate which of the 25 charities benefit from their purchase. General and VIP Premium tickets are on sale exclusively online at AGOL5.com or by phone at (424) 298-4818. Mr. Manilow is contributing his performances to the A Gift of Love V concerts and will not be compensated. 100% of the proceeds will be given to charities. ABOUT AAP – FOOD SAMARITANS Now in its 30th year of service to the community, AAP – Food Samaritans of Palm Springs remains dedicated to providing nutritional support to improve the quality of the lives of lowincome people living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses. For more information, please call 760-325-8481 or visit www.aapfoodsamaritans.org
>> GAY CIRCUIT PARTY IMPRESARIO JEFFREY SANKER DIES AT 65 Gay circuit party impresario Jeffrey Sanker, owner of the Los Angeles based White Party Entertainment Company, died last Friday at Cedars-Sinai Hospital with family members in attendance after a long battle with liver cancer. The 65 year old West Hollywood resident had built his company and reputation on hosting large scale parties in exotic places, including Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco, Mexico, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Miami,
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Florida although his trademark extravaganza, White Party Palm Springs, had evolved into the nation’s largest gay dance music festival, attracting more than 30,000 attendees from every corner of the globe. West Hollywood City Councilmember John Duran noted, “Jeffrey was a long time friend. He was an iconic figure in gay history with his creation of the White Party. For many gay men, he created a space for them to find their tribe and sexuality. While he
PSP FOCUS
had his critics – he loved his gay community and left a lasting mark. So many of us found a place to belong because of his vision“ Sanker moved to Los Angeles in 1987. His innovative technique of using landmark venues for trend-setting themed events was credited for breathing new life into the Los Angeles gay entertainment night scene. In addition to hosting superstar entertainment events, which included Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and other celebrities over the years, Sanker is credited with launching the careers of many new up and coming performers. Sanker’s events featured high caliber DJs/producers, including: Dave Aude, the late Peter Rauhofer, Junior Vasquez, Victor Calderone, Freemasons, Manny Lehman, Rosabel and Tony Moran. Sanker also staged and produced fundraising events on behalf of numerous charities and community organizations, including Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing (GLEH), The Trevor Project, and Desert AIDS Project. He will be missed.
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MUSIC
AN ALL-INCLUSIVE LOVE SONG BY WILLIAM COOKE
David Hernandez made sure his new song, “ILY.” (an abbreviation for I Love You) was not pronoun specific. The initial pre-chorus was written as I wouldn’t be the man I am if it weren’t for you. David changed the line to I wouldn’t be who I am, if it weren’t for you. “I want everyone to be able to identify with the song’s message,” he explains. “We are lacking inclusion in music and it needs to be recognized because inclusion inspires understanding and humanizes our experiences.” The song’s music video pairs the American Idol with another gay heartthrob, Benji Schwimmer from So You Think You Can Dance, who plays David’s embattled love interest. Trans actress Alexa Abraxas also appears, playing a therapist who is helping the couple work through their relationship issues and back to the ILY.
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We spoke with David Hernandez from his home in Los Angeles. ILY. is a beautiful song! What sparked the idea? David Hernandez: I was inspired from a song by Lewis Capaldi. His songs are just so melodic and his voice is raspy and powerful. I wanted to capture something similar like that for ILY., but in my own way and style. I’ve always been a fan of belty chorus where it feels like I’m at the top of my range. Almost like if the song was sung by itself without any background vocals, it would be enough. It has a great message. David Hernandez: I agree. To be honest, I don’t feel like I say “I love you” enough to the people in my life that I truly mean the most. The day often gets away from us and then the weeks and then
the months and the years... People come and go and then you’re left with regret for not telling them how you feel in the moment. That’s the place that the song really came from. Do you have a favorite lyric? David Hernandez: The first line: “I’m crazy, I change my mind, I go back-and-forth up-and-down all the time”, because, quite literally, that is me. Anyone that knows me, knows that I’m a Gemini and that I have a few different sides to me. I think it takes a really special person to be my partner. I also tour a lot and I’m hardly ever home so having trust and confidence is definitely a must if you want to be with me. What inspired the music video? David Hernandez: I sat down with my best friend James for lunch. We had a couple of Aperol spritzers and started throwing ideas around about dancing. I’m not a dancer but I’ve always been fascinated by contemporary work. I wanted to figure out a way to incorporate some of that in the video. Initially, I considered hiring two dancers to tell the story for me but I decided that I wanted to give dancing a try. I’ve learned that stepping out of my comfort zone yields great rewards. So, you called up Benji from So You Think You Can Dance? David Hernandez: I mentioned the concept to my good friend, Brady Kerr, and he suggested Benji. They’ve known one another since they were kids. Ironically, I was on the “Ballroom with a Twist” tour where I actually performed alongside Benji’s sister, Lacey. I didn’t know that one day I would eventually end up working with her brother! How would you describe the experience? David Hernandez: Benji is the most incredible dancer and a very patient teacher. When I discussed the idea with him, he got it right away but then made it better, mapping out the exact
movements. I think conceptually, he really brought the song to life. On set he was super professional and guided me through the movements I was having difficulty with. Ultimately, he told me that his job was to make me look good and I think he did just that. Obviously, he’s a professional dancer but he choreographed the movements in such a way that really highlighted my strengths. How did you get Alexa on board? David Hernandez: Benji and I discussed who we thought our therapist should be. I wanted to highlight a trans actress because I think it’s important to normalize trans people in a professional working environment. Alexa happened to be a good friend of the videographer, Arno Diem. Arno put me in touch with Alexa. She’s one of my closest friends now. Super sweet! What has been the best thing about working in the music industry so far? David Hernandez: Well, I’m not typically a huge fan of the industry, but I will say that music has connected me to a lot of incredible people through my life and has opened up my heart. Music is a universal language. I think it’s stunning the way that it impacts people’s minds, influences their choices and changes their hearts for the better. What projects are coming up for you next? David Hernandez: I’m finishing up my next single and I have a few shows that are lined up. I’m excited to get back to touring! I’d love to create another visual for the upcoming single, but, “ILY.” Is so important to me that I’m gonna give it some time to catch some more fire and hit the mainstream. David Hernandez’s “ILY.” is available now on Apple Music, Spotify, and all other major e-music retailers. Visit www.OfficialDavidHernandez.com
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MUSIC
RUFUS DOES JUDY AT CAPITOL STUDIOS BY MARTHA TANG
2x GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright has announced plans for another landmark virtual concert event. Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios will see Wainwright performing his groundbreaking 2007 tribute to Judy Garland, Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall, in its entirety, live from Los Angeles’ famed Capitol Studios. The event will premiere Thursday, June 10 at 8:00 PM (AEDT/EST/CET), celebrating what would have been Garland’s 99th birthday. Tickets for Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios are available now exclusively via Veeps priced at $30 (advance)/$35 (day of show). There will also be ticket bundles available with the opportunity for fans to participate in an intimate Q&A with Rufus priced at $60 (advance) / $65 (day of show) Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios will see Wainwright backed by a four-piece band in front a micro-audience comprised of 2x Academy Award-winning actress Renée Zellweger, winner of last year’s “Best Actress” Oscar for her spectacular performance as Garland in 2019’s Judy. In addition, Wainwright will be joined musically by award-winning star of stage and screen and Concord recording artist, Kristin Chenoweth in person at Capitol Studios and his sister Martha Wainwright from Montreal. “The American Songbook and Judy Garland’s famed 1961 Carnegie Hall concert gave me a lot of hope after 9/11 and lead to the idea for my first song by song recreation of that show at the same venue. It felt fitting to do the entire set again as the dazzling finale of my Rufus-
Retro-Wainwright-Spective and hopefully the beginning of the finale of this global pandemic. Once again, these songs revealed their healing power. To be able to sing them in front of Renée, to sing with Kristin Chenoweth and still have my sister Martha be part of these shows was particularly meaningful although to sing them into the very microphone that Judy used for her recordings at Capitol Studios was the most mind-blowing ,” says Wainwright.
“I’ve been wanting my moment with Rufus for forever. It’s finally happening!” says Chenoweth. “I am still awed by Rufus’ voice just as I was 22 years ago in friend’s living room where I heard him perform for the first time,” says Zellweger. “Witnessing Rufus do the entire Judy Garland Carnegie Hall show was the most special day and I loved sharing the time.”
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IN THE HEIGHTS BY RYAN TURRIN
The creator of “Hamilton” and the director of “Crazy Rich Asians” invite you to a cinematic event, where the streets are made of music and little dreams become big... “In the Heights.” “In the Heights” fuses Lin-Manuel Miranda’s kinetic music and lyrics with director Jon M. Chu’s lively and authentic eye for storytelling to capture a world very much of its place, but universal in its experience. “In the Heights” stars Anthony Ramos (“A Star is Born,” Broadway’s “Hamilton”), Corey Hawkins (“Straight Outta Compton,” “Kong: Skull Island”), singer/songwriter Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera (TV’s “Vida”), Olga Merediz (Broadway’s “In the Heights”), Daphne RubinVega (Broadway’s “Rent”), Gregory Diaz IV (Broadway’s “Matilda the Musical”), Stephanie Beatriz (TV’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), Dascha
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Polanco (TV’s “Orange Is the New Black”) and Jimmy Smits (the “Star Wars” films). Chu directed the film from a screenplay by Quiara Alegría Hudes, based on the multiple-Tony-winning musical stage play, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, book by Quiara Alegría Hudes and concept by Miranda. Miranda, Hudes, Scott Sanders, Anthony Bregman and Mara Jacobs produced the film, with David Nicksay and Kevin McCormick serving as executive producers. “The whole thing is a love letter to this incredible neighborhood. It’s a first chapter in so many stories—American stories start here.” Lin-Manuel Miranda is effusive when he talks about Washington Heights, the neighborhood that is his home—up in the northernmost part of Manhattan, beginning at 155th Street and stretching for
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nearly 40 blocks. But perhaps he is even more exuberant discussing the musical play-turned-film inspired by that community, “In the Heights.” Miranda explains, “It’s always been an immigrant community. Now, it’s a Latinx neighborhood; it was Dominican when I was growing up in the ‘80s. Before that, it was Irish, it was Italian, it was Jewish. It’s always the first chapter in so many stories, and that’s what makes it universal. And being first-generation kids, we always wonder, what would it have been like if our parents had stayed? Those really personal questions—what does ‘home’ even mean? And every character in this is answering it in a different way. For some, home is somewhere else, and for others, home is the block that they’re on. That’s worth singing about and worth celebrating in a movie of this size.” Director Jon M. Chu grew up far from New York City in California but felt a personal connection to the story as a first-gen American as well. “I knew what it felt like to be an immigrant kid,” he offers, “and to watch the community that grew out of that and to decide: what do you choose to carry forward as an American now living here and calling this place home? “This past year has been hard for everybody, we had to deal with a lot,” Chu continues. “And the only people we could turn to were each other. That’s the spirit of this movie—that’s what Lin and Quiara created so many years ago and that I’ve been lucky enough to be invited in to. It’s what you felt on the streets of Washington Heights every day before the pandemic”. Also a resident of Washington Heights, screenwriter and producer Quiara Alegría Hudes—who also wrote the book for the original musical—says, “I’m like my parents were. They came from Puerto Rico
to Philadelphia—I came from Philly to New York. There’s a line in the movie, ‘We’re a people on the move.’ For me, it’s about the heart, integrity and intentionality behind the life you live. Now, I have new neighbors here, and I’m getting to know a new barrio in Washington Heights. Some of that heart is the same—check on your neighbor, the old lady who lives on the corner, as you’re walking by. Does she need groceries or a coffee? That’s the little, humble seeds that become these big numbers onscreen. That’s the heart behind it, these little interactions that together weave a really wide fabric. That to me is home—the intentionality you bring with you wherever you are.” Ultimately, “In the Heights” is a musical portrait of a community full of lively numbers as diverse as its cast. The story weaves together an ensemble of characters during one particular summer of seismic change in all of their lives, with much of the action-taking place at one intersection central to the neighborhood. The songs and dances cover a variety of styles—from hip-hop to Latin to pop and musical theater—and this provides ample opportunity to explore the varied influences of the distinct Latin cultures that merge and continue to populate and represent Washington Heights. It’s the timing in the piece that stands out to producer Scott Sanders: “One of the things that people discover about ‘In the Heights’ is that the immigrant experience is absolutely relatable. I think, overall, the world is migrant in a way that it’s never been before, and the experience of having an immigrant community within a community is global. I also think it’s being thought about in new ways—diversity, representation, inclusion. And so, the idea that this movie can come in and help us look at what that experience is
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about and process it in a positive, humanistic way, gives a wonderful grounding to this film, for audiences domestically and internationally. Hopefully, even though this is a little microcosm in upper Manhattan in New York, people will see more commonalities than differences. Nothing better than music and dance to be the common glue to bring all of that, and us, together.” Lin-Manuel Miranda admits, “I started writing this show when I was 19-years-old, and I just turned 41. Even when I was 19, this show was bigger than it had any right to be. It was bigger than was possible for me to mount in college; it was bigger than we could mount in the basement of the drama bookshop. Finally, with this movie, Jon has brought it to the biggest canvas possible. To imagine 500 people dancing to your music in the middle of Highbridge Park pool… for me, every day was a dream come true.” In the Heights, with a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes lights up theatres and on HBOMax June 11.
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Please join supporters of AAP – Food Samaritans at a dazzling Independence Day celebration and fundraiser. Sunday, July 4 @ 7:30 pm at the historic O’Donnell House. Guests will enjoy traditional American fare catered by Willie Rhine and his amazing team from Eight4Nine. $200 per person includes cocktails, dinner, entertainment, and valet parking. Advance purchase required. Please visit aapfoodsamaritans.org or call 760-325-8481
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