Indholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2019 i The Advocate

WHEN I FIRST MET OUR cover star Isis King, she was still a teenager. I saw the same spark in the model that Tyra Banks did, and like Banks, I was sure Isis would become a star. It took a little longer than I expected, but 15 years later I’m thrilled King is getting the attention she deserves, wowing America with her role in the remarkable Netflix series Now They See Us. Speaking to Isis reminds me that when it comes to social justice issues, be it around race or gender or sexual orientation, everyone is playing the long game. We all got here on the shoulders of the previous generation, but the thing is, we don’t typically realize it until we become the shoulders that younger LGBTQ activists are…

When archivist Rachel Miller began to investigate the life of Sidney Franklin, one of the world’s most famous matadors, she uncovered a treasure trove of unexpected information—including the fact that his sexuality and gay escapades were an open secret in the world of 1920s bullfighting. “We’re in a moment now when [Franklin’s life] is ripe for investigation, and further thought and analysis,” says Miller, director of archive and library services at the Center for Jewish History in New York City. A series about Franklin’s life was presented at the Center for for Jewish History in June. “Sidney didn’t do what so many other gay men at the time did, which is hide in a whole variety of ways by marrying, fitting into a traditional mold. There’s a level of bravery…

After shooting to stardom and snatching the crown last year on season 10 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, spending months trotting the globe on a grueling drag tour, and recently making history as the first drag queen to grace the red carpet at the Met Gala, it’s almost hard to believe that Giovanni Palandrani—better known as Aquaria—just turned 23 years old. The star’s new series Werq the World premiered on World of Wonder’s new streaming network in June. It takes a very raw, behind-the-scenes look at the world’s biggest touring drag show, which stars some of the brightest names in the game (including Latrice Royale, Violet Chachki, and Alyssa Edwards). Each episode centers around a different performer on tour. “I think it offers a great look into the touring life and…

It may seem like someone as out and proud as Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness must’ve twirled out of the womb on a sparkling rainbow, but the reality is that life hasn’t always been fabulous for this beloved beacon of positivity and joy. “I think a part of my spirit came out of the womb like that, but it also is a journey to get to a point,” he says. “Really, I think I’ve always felt comfortable in my skin. It was learning how to deal with other people’s reactions to it that took me a minute to get used to.” Before he stole our hearts as the Fab Five’s grooming and self-care expert on Netflix’s hit show, Van Ness was growing up in a small Midwestern town that didn’t…

Like A Love Story by Abdi Nazemian is set in 1989 New York City as three diverse teen friends come of age and come to terms with the AIDS crisis. Reza is a closeted Iranian immigrant fearful of having his sexuality discovered by his traditional family. Susan is an aspiring fashion designer. Art is the only out and proud kid at their school. Reza falls for Art but starts dating Susan instead, with predictable results. Can Reza break up without losing his friend in the process? Susan’s gay uncle provides a connection to the crisis unfolding around them, as he takes to the streets in a desperate fight against the disease that’s killing him, yet still managing to mentor the kids. Award-winning author Nazemian is an immigrant, and he captures…

At some point, everyone realizes how invisible folks over 50 really are in the LGBTQ world. However, their life stories are among the most fascinating and most important to share. That’s particularly true of Allen Young, author of the memoir Left, Gay & Green. Now 78, Young was a writer-activist in the post-Stonewall gay liberation movement, wrote for The Advocate in the 1970s and ‘80s, and part of New York’s Gay Liberation Front. He collaborated with famed lesbian writer Karla Jay on four books. An anthology they edited, Out of the Closets: Voices of Gay Liberation, was one of the earliest to introduce modern gay political thought and action to the country. Young had previously reported for The Washington Post, a job he left to work for the underground press…

Eugene Lee Yang first rose to prominence with his YouTube troupe, The Try Guys, four young actors, comedians, and filmmakers: Yang, Keith Habersberger, Ned Fulmer, and Zach Kornfeld. First on Buzzfeed, The Try Guys began with the simple premise of trying new things, especially outside of their comfort zone. Since then, they’ve launched their own production company (2nd Try); amassed nearly 6 million YouTube subscribers; published a book, The Hidden Power of F*cking Up; and started a weekly podcast. Now they’re embarking on their first national tour. Though Yang has identified as queer for some time, he recently came out as a gay man in an exclusive interview with The Advocate. Queer versus gay—what’s the diff? Yang explains, “I think that there’s a lot of different factors that played into…

The colorful patterns and layered textures of Alok Vaid-Menon’s third fashion collection riffs on traditional Hindu designs, early Hollywood glamour, 1980s shoulder-padded excess, stuffy Victorian-era collars, and sexy short-shorts—all filtered through their gloriously joyful femme aesthetic. Each item in their latest collaboration with Indian designer Adrianne Keishing bears a name like “Biological,” “Innate,” or “Natural,” reclaiming terms that have long been used to police the identities and expressions of those with nonconforming genders like that of the internationally renowned Indian-American writer and performance artist. With their fashions they hope to challenge notions of femininity, masculinity—and beauty itself. “So many times people tell me… I should just ‘tone it down,’” says Vaid-Menon. “The idea is that ‘dressing up’ is about artifice. I wanted to actually challenge that and say for some…

The Advocate recently published a story by filmmaker Robert Camina in which he claims to have identified one of the three unidentified victims of the 1973 Up Stairs Lounge fire (February/March #1101). “It is time to officially acknowledge Larry Norman Frost,” he writes, “as a victim of the Up Stairs Lounge arson.” As authors of a pair of deeply researched histories about the fire and its aftermath, we were sincerely hopeful that Camina had, indeed, identified a victim. Although Robert Camina has produced a fine documentary about the Up Stairs Lounge fire and he has been a powerful advocate for all those whose lives have been affected by the fire, in calling for an official revision of the record, he has, in our opinion, overstepped the available evidence and mismanaged…

WHEN I THINK about the LGBTQ people who have shaped and influenced the man I have become, my thoughts go to the first person I connected with as a young boy. Pedro Zamora is still my biggest hero and will forever be remembered as a true icon of HIV activism. In many ways, I have tried to follow in his footsteps. But my admiration and awe for Pedro as an HIV-positive man today started out as a simple, albeit confusing, TV crush. Even at a young age, I was enthralled by the drama and emotion of The Real World. I would picture my 10-year-old self gossiping with Rachel, complaining about Puck, and becoming best friends with Pam in the charmed world of San Francisco. I also imagined falling in love…

Some comics make the mistake of boxing themselves inside a nonthreatening paradigm in a desire to reach commercial appeal, but the best ones—like Nigerian-British lesbian Gina Yashere—use their comedy not only to pull audiences to higher ground, but to make room for other marginalized comedians in the white male-dominated world of stand-up. London-born Yashere worked as an elevator engineer before hitting the local stand-up circuit, then crossed the pond to make appearances on Live at the Apollo and reached the top 10 on 2007’s season 5 of NBC’s Last Comic Standing. Named one of The Hollywood Reporter’s top 10 rising talents, Yashere became the newest British correspondent on The Daily Show, and starred in four stand-up specials, two of which (Laughing to America and Skinny Bitch) are streaming on Netflix.…

Los Angeles-based artist and musician Brooke Candy is aptly named. Visiting her world is like going to a deliciously dazzling candy store—filled with sex. But make no mistake. Candy’s world is a place that does not exploit female sexuality—it empowers it. The message that permeates most of the artist’s work is clear: Exercise your sexual agency. In fact, the queer feminist is so dedicated to her beliefs that she walked away from a lucrative contract with Sony because she wanted to create art without “old men breathing down my neck.” Candy grew up around the sex industry (her father is the former CFO of Hustler) and eventually worked in it as a stripper. One might think that, having seen the good, bad, and ugly of that world, it would have…

MariNaomi is an award-winning queer, half-Japanese author and artist whose graphic novels include the memoirs Kiss & Tell: A Romantic Résumé, Ages 0 to 22, and Turning Japanese; and the young adult Life on Earth trilogy. Her artwork has graced the pages of more than 80 publications and been featured in institutions like the Smithsonian, the De Young Museum, and the Asian Art Museum. Her podcast, AskBiGrlz, with author Myriam Gurba, offers biracial and bisexual feminist advice. MariNaomi is also the founder and curator of the influential databases for marginalized comic artists: CartoonistsOfColor.com, QueerCartoonists.com, and DisabledCartoonists.com. “When I started the databases, I was hoping to build community, get jobs for marginalized folks, and essentially make them more visible,” she says. “From what I’ve seen and heard, it’s been working so…

As the rainbow wave continues pushing queer people forward, Jonathan Lovitz has made it his mission to ensure our place in the American economy. As the senior vice president of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Lovitz is often the architect of policies centering queer businesses and consumers. A regular commentator on MSNBC, CNBC, and NPR, he’s been a key adviser to legislators, advocating for economic empowerment and equity for the LGBTQ community. Lovitz breaks ground empowering the LGBTQ community to invest in its future. It’s more than a job; it’s a duty. “I will never stop,” he says. “Whether that means going into the private sector and advocating for change in companies or going in the public sector and running for office, I’m going to do something public and…

Four years ago, Staceyann Chin’s groundbreaking one-woman show MotherStruck! pierced the hearts of women theatergoers. The Cynthia Nixon-directed, Rosie O’Donnell-produced play—the true story of how Chin navigated her quest for motherhood as an over-30 single lesbian immigrant of color—has been adapted into a web series that’s been entertaining audiences across the festival circuit since premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival. “[Motherhood] is one of the places where the LGBT community intersects comfortably and holistically with the traditional heterosexual community,” the now-47-year-old says. Chin argues that her generation was the first in which a large number of women decided, “‘Babies aren’t that important, so let’s live our lives and be gay, and be corporate people and be committed to our careers.’ And then we looked up and it was, ‘Holy moly,…

In 1989, five Black and brown boys were arrested for allegedly gang-raping a white woman in Central Park. Portrayed as a pack of animalistic young men “wilding” in the park and brutally beating and gang-raping a female jogger simply for the thrill of it, the five boys were demonized in the press, convicted by a jury, and handed stiff sentences. But as Ava DuVernay’s groundbreaking Netflix series When They See Us heartbreakingly illustrates, the conviction of the Central Park Five was actually a terrible miscarriage of justice perpetrated by a system whose racial biases warped its view of the boys who would—over a decade later—all be completely exonerated. At the time of their arrest, now-President Donald Trump bought $85,000 worth of full-page newspaper ads that read, “BRING BACK THE DEATH…

ROBERT L. CAMINA, WRITER AND DIRECTOR OF UPSTAIRS INFERNO, RESPONDS: I have spent the last six-plus years of my life researching and telling the story of the UpStairs Lounge tragedy. I made a documentary that not only brought attention to its history, but also honored the victims with the dignity they deserved. So when Larry Frost’s family asked me to help find answers and closure, I agreed. After extensive research and analysis, I determined there was overwhelming evidence to reasonably identify him as one of the unknown victims. In their attempt to invalidate my findings, Delery and Fieseler repeatedly refer to a single typewritten document as “evidence.” When doing my due diligence, I determined that the information in the document, including material connected to Larry Frost, could not be verified.…

This past September, a 16-year-old Swedish student named Greta Thunberg skipped school to sit in front of her country’s parliament, demanding action on the climate crisis. The move launched a worldwide student-led movement. Haven Coleman, 13, is the co-executive director and national co-director of the U.S. Youth Climate Strike, which took place in March. The Colorado-based seventh-grader was first made aware of the issues when she was 10. Coleman’s mom helped her sign up for training through Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project. She used that knowledge to encourage Congressman Doug Lamborn, a climate change denier, to support wind turbine jobs for veterans. Her action caught Gore’s attention. But the teen’s high-profile recognition doesn’t exactly translate to coasting through middle school. She’s been bullied because of her activism. The family moved…

The task was really quite simple: make restaurant Eleven Madison Park home to the very best cocktail bar in the world. The year was 2011. Will Guidara and Chef Daniel Humm had just assumed ownership of Danny Meyer’s venerable New York City restaurant. A longtime fixture behind the bar, Leo Robitschek created a new cocktail program that mirrored Humm’s elevated cuisine. Then in 2017, Eleven Madison Park was named the Best Restaurant in the World by William Reed Business Media. As Eleven Madison Park soared to new heights in 2012, Guidara, Humm, and Robitschek established what are now the Elephant Bar and the NoMad Restaurant, both located in the NoMad Hotel in Manhattan (@TheNoMadHotel). Two years later, the space expanded and the NoMad Bar was born. In 2018, for the…

With her recent work, Julietta Singh, associate professor of English and women, gender, and sexuality studies at the University of Richmond, has taken the mantle of other brown and Black lesbian and bisexual female authors who came before her—including powerhouses like Gloria Anzaldúa, Cherrie Moraga, and Audre Lorde—to create contemporary queer women of color critiques. The author of last year’s No Archive Will Restore You, which garnered her a Lambda Award nomination (in bisexual nonfiction), and 2017’s Unthinking Mastery: Dehumanism and Decolonial Entanglements, Singh has topped Amazon charts in the gay and lesbian literary criticism category with her brilliant witness to the way society processes certain bodies differently. No Archive takes the academic concept of “archive” and subverts it to the body, while tackling everything from queer theory to violence,…

Instagram and YouTube are crowded with influencers these days, but makeup artist and micro-influencer Talon James Maxwell shines a little more brightly than most. Maxwell grew up in Baytown, Texas, but moved to nearby Humble when he was in seventh grade. “That’s when I came out,” he recalls. “I told myself, OK, Talon, this is your chance. This is a new place, a new school, no one knows you here so you can be whomever you’d like.” So he chose to be himself. His journey with makeup started not long after, when he was cast as the male lead in his middle school’s musical production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. “When you are onstage, you have to wear makeup so that the audience can see your face better from a distance…

LZ Granderson is a new type of sports personality: accomplished, multitalented, woke, and unafraid to make his voice heard. A cohost of Mornings With Keyshawn, LZ, and Travis on ESPN Radio Los Angeles, the 47-year-old Detroit native has written for CNN, ESPN, ABC, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He’s also a gay man blazing a trail through a traditionally heterosexist industry. Granderson wrote for his school newspapers throughout high school and college, but it was a theater scholarship that sent him to Western Michigan University. That led to film roles, in Zebrahead and 1996’s To Sir, With Love II. “I was in a fucking movie with Sidney Poitier!” he exclaims. “I was in scenes with Sidney Poitier… so it was an absolutely amazing experience.” His move from actor to sportswriter was,…