a&e features
2018 Best of Gay LA Awards
All of your favorites, from bartenders to activists and more
Best of Gay LA
Welcome to the inaugural Best Of Gay LA Awards presented by the Los Angeles Blade. There were hundreds of nominations in 25 categories and thousands of votes. Here we present your picks for the best LA has to offer along with editors’ choices in most categories.
LOCAL HERO: JON DAVIDSON
Jon Davidson (Photo courtesy of Davidson)
Jon Davidson has been fighting for the rights of the underdog for most of his adult life.
An attorney focused on the LGBTQ community and people living with HIV, virtually since graduating from Yale Law School in 1979, Davidson has fought and won some of the most important cases facing LGBT Americans. But, as he says, ultimately it’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the long game.
“What I’ve learned is that one of the realities of doing the LGBT rights litigation that I’ve spent most of my career doing, is that sometimes you can lose the case, but still win. Because those sorts of cases end up educating people about the things that are wrong,” Davidson told the Los Angeles Blade.
He became interested in politics in high school, around the time of Stonewall. He was boycotting grapes and lettuce in support of California farm workers and he protested the Vietnam War. He says he was excited about political change. He started taking cases pro bono.
His first big case was no small potatoes. He sued the city of Los Angeles on behalf of homeless people. Not long after, he says, in 1985 a lot of his friends started to get sick. He started looking for a way he could help.
Davidson teamed up with attorney and activist Susan McGreevy, who was at the ACLU at the time. She enlisted his help in writing the first brief to the U.S. Supreme Court about AIDS. It was about whether people with contagious diseases could be considered disabled and protected against discrimination under a law called the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The goal was to convince the courts that AIDS was a disabling condition.
“At the time, the Reagan administration was arguing that contagious diseases couldn’t be considered disabilities because that would mean that people with AIDS would be protected from discrimination,” Davidson says.
Another local case got a lot of attention when Davidson was working with a gay rights organization that no longer exists, on behalf of a man threatened with eviction for hanging a gay Pride flag off his apartment’s balcony. The building’s argument was that people would think it was a “gay building.” Davidson argued that people put American flags on their balconies, so why not a Pride flag?
Davidson left private practice in 1988 to work for the ACLA of Southern California. He was there for eight years, and then joined Lambda Legal, where he worked for more than 20 years.
It was Davidson’s work on a case against the Boy Scouts of America that brought much national acclaim. He was the lead lawyer on the Curran v. Mount Diablo Council of the Boy Scouts of America, a case that went to California Supreme Court. He lost the case, but it was part of the fight to get people to understand that the Boy Scouts were engaging in discrimination.
Davidson also helped out on the Dale case, in which the U.S. Supreme Court held that the constitutional right to freedom of association allows a private organization like the Boy Scouts, to exclude a person from membership when “the presence of that person affects in a significant way the group’s ability to advocate public or private viewpoints.” In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that opposition to homosexuality is part of BSA’s “expressive message” and that allowing homosexuals as adult leaders would interfere with that message. It reversed a decision of the New Jersey Supreme Court, which had determined that New Jersey’s public accommodations law required the BSA to readmit James Dale, who the BSA expelled after Dale went public about being gay.
Davidson says despite losing those cases, the suits against the Boy Scouts outed the organization as discriminatory and ultimately led to a lot of pressure on them to change their position – both social and financial pressure.
“I used to joke that I’ve spent the bulk of my career fighting for LGBT people to serve in the military, get into the Boy Scouts, serve in the Los Angeles Police Department, and to get married, but I didn’t want to do any of those things. But those are four of the most conservative institutions we have in this country and they all in many ways epitomize being an American citizen,” Davidson says.
He and his longtime partner celebrated their 13th anniversary this year, which they count from the time they moved in together.
“I believe that an attack on any member of this nation or the world is an attack on all of us. But I decided more than 30 years ago I wanted to put my professional energies into and work on behalf of my community, which I define as the LGBT community and those living with HIV. That’s what spoke to me and where I felt there was a need,” he says. But, he adds, “A big part of the battle is also to remember that our community also includes several other groups who’ve been targets of the Trump administration – poor people, people of color, Muslims, people from other countries, you name it – it’s frightening. Our community needs to address the fact that many of the gains we made didn’t really help those most marginalized in our community.” (REBEKAH SAGER)
BEST BARTENDER: ANTHONY SALDANA
Anthony Saldana (Photo by Brett Saari Photography)
He prefers to be called a bartender rather than a mixologist, but Anthony Saldana is Micky’s top man behind the bar.
“We are more fine-tuned for speed and agility than mixing fancy drinks, because it’s always so busy,” Saldana told the Los Angeles Blade.
Born and raised in Ontario, in the inland empire, Saldana has lived in LA for the last 10 years, and worked at Micky’s for most of that time.
His first job after finishing UC Riverside was at Target as an executive manager. He says he was making $70,000 but on his first visit to Weho, a friend came running out of Micky’s with his shirt off, and told him they were hiring.
“I went in and spoke with the manager, who tore my shirt off in the office. He takes one look at me, and says I can start Monday. I told him about my Target gig and what I was making. He laughed at me and said I’d make double that,” he says.
Saldana waxes poetic about the days before the straight crowd discovered Weho.
He explains that straight guys come in to hit on drunk girls, but they don’t drink as much.
Trained using YouTube videos, this is the fourth year he’s won a Best Bartender title. In 2013, Grindr awarded him Best Bartender. He was flown to Vegas to receive the award.
“I don’t know why I keep winning, because I’m kind of an asshole,” he admits sheepishly. He adds, “If you come into my bar, and you act shitty I’m going to call you out on it. I’m very protective of my customers. I’ve jumped over the bar and thrown people out. I take shots with all of my customers. They literally love it.”
Saldana left home at 17 to “do his own thing.”
Now fairly distant from his family he says people don’t get to choose to be born into a family. “I want to choose who I love. I don’t want to be forced to love people I don’t even get along with. I travel a lot, and I take my friends wherever I go.”
His family found out about his being gay via social media. He almost married a girl. He has some complicated views on being gay, and says he gets pretty deep with customers about them all the time.
“I was born a straight man. I was in love with this female, it wasn’t until my sophomore year I had my first gay experience. I think as a child something very small could alter your thought process. I feel like the gay community always says ‘oh, you’re born gay,’ but if 10 percent of the community is born different than the other 90 percent, then that would make it a disability. I would hate to think that being gay is a disability. Personally I don’t want to be thought of as born gay… But, I’m gay now.
“I definitely appreciate a beautiful female though… and have this girl Natalie in my life that I call my wife. We’re inseparable and we do everything together, and I swear she would get married in a heartbeat, but sexually I just can’t do it. I associate with being gay,” Saldano says.
Single and dating, he has a staunch rule about never dating customers. He’s pressured a lot by men, and says he’s had to tell people he’s straight because it’s easier than telling men he’s not interested.
Despite turning a few guys away, Salgado gets gifts — lots of them. At Christmas he received a Cartier love band worth $10,000. “I mentioned that I’d always wanted one, and the next thing you know it’s getting screwed on my wrist,” he says. He’s been given a Mercedes, taken on trips, and even had someone give him money for his sick father.
“I mean people will give 10 to 20 percent to a church, whereas in the gay community they’ll give 20, 30 or 40 percent to the bars,” he says.
Although he’s known by the tattoo inked on his flat stomach, complete with washboard abs, the days of bartending shirtless are over.
A gym rat, Saldano says to keep his liver from completely failing, he only does shots of tequila, and his favorite is Don Julio anejo – always with a slice of orange. (REBEKAH SAGER)
MICKY’S
8857 Santa Monica Blvd.
310-657-1176
BEST BARTENDER, EDITORS’ CHOICE: CORY ZWIERZYNSKI
Cory Zwierzynski (Photo courtesy of Zwierzynski)
Bartender and star of “What Happens at The Abbey,” Cory Zwierzynski is the editors’ pick for Best Bartender. For nearly 25 years, The Abbey has dominated gay nightlife in West Hollywood. And Cory is almost as famous, thanks to his starring role on “What Happens at The Abbey.”
“When you start working at The Abbey,” Corey told the Los Angeles Blade, “it’s like joining a big family. We don’t just work together; we have a good time together. We have so many regulars at The Abbey that they are all part of the family too.”
Corey’s favorite moment at The Abbey so far? “People dancing to Diana Ross’ music on the dance floor with Diana Ross. It doesn’t get more memorable than that.”
THE ABBEY
692 N Robertson Blvd.
310-289-8410
BEST DJ: STEVE AOKI
Steve Aoki (Photo courtesy of Aoki)
Steven Hiroyuki (Aoki) is one of the world’s most influential DJs. He certainly has the whole EDM circuit world jumping at venues around the world. But he’s really just an ordinary guy who grew up Newport Beach and attended USCB.
He holds degrees in feminist studies and sociology. But while in college, a spark captured his imagination when he produced a do-it-yourself record and began running underground concerts at Isla Vista, a section of residential land adjacent to UCSB. The venue became known as The Pickle Patch and it changed Aoki’s life.
In his early 20s, Aoki built his own record label, which he named Dim Mak – a reference to his childhood hero, Bruce Lee.
Aoki has won and been nominated for a number of industry awards, both in annual competitions and in magazine rankings. In 2007, he was named Best Party Rocker DJ by BPM Magazine, Best DJ of the Year by Paper Magazine, and Best Set of the Season at the Ibiza Awards. Several years later, in 2012, he was named #15 in the Top 100 DJs in DJ Magazine, and was named America’s #2 Best DJ. Also in 2012, he won an
EDM Effect Woodie Award by MTVu, and the following year he was nominated for his first Grammy.
In 2014, Aoki was awarded two Guinness World Records, one for the “longest crowd cheer,” and also for the “most amount of glow sticks for thirty seconds.” Aoki performed at the 2015 Ultra Music Festival in Miami Beach on May 21. He also earned the Guinness record for “most traveled musician in one year,” with 161 shows in 41 countries in 2014.
To say he has been successful is an understatement.
He is the founder of the Steve Aoki Charitable Fund, which raises money for global humanitarian relief organizations and medical research. In 2015, he was named Global Ambassador for the Best Buddies program, a non-profit devoted to young people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Learn more at steveaoki.com
BEST DJ, EDITORS’ CHOICE: SHANE IVAN NASH
Shane Ivan Nash (Photo courtesy of Nash)
As a transgender activist and talented musician, Nash has consistently shared his story and his music, helping to inspire others. When asked what he loves most about DJing, Nash said, “Your profession requires you to party, dance and create a collected consciousness. The nightlife is the release from life—we’re all on the same beat, in the same moment.”
Of his work with the LGBT community, Nash said, “I’ve helped countless people in the community start their endeavors including Trans Chorus LA and as a board member for LA Pride, I fought for the trans representation.” Learn more at ShaneIvanNash.com.
BEST CHEF: STUART O’KEEFFE
If you haven’t heard of chef Stuart O’Keeffe, then you clearly haven’t been invited to the right A-list Hollywood dinner parties.
A small town Irish hottie, who now lives in West Hollywood, O’Keeffe made a name for himself on the Food Network’s “Private Chefs of Beverly Hills.”
“I was always obsessed with America and always wanted to be on TV,” O’Keeffe told the Los Angeles Blade.
His first gig in the U.S. after culinary school in Ireland was in Napa Valley working at Meadowood Napa Valley. But restaurants didn’t suit him. He says he didn’t like the way people were treated.
“I knew I was destined to do what I wanted without the stress. I thought there must be another way, and I kind of started doing dinner parties in my apartment for friends, and they’d tell people about them. I was also working as an executive assistant, and started getting hired for private parties.
O’Keeffe can’t talk a lot about who he works for, but will mention a few celebs he says have “eaten at his tables” – stars such as Sharon Stone, Jennifer Aniston, Justine Bateman, Harrison Ford, Cindy Crawford, Jane Fonda and Christina Aguilera.
O’Keeffe has been at his job long enough and has become well known enough that he doesn’t suffer fools and although his clients tend to be high-maintenance, he lives to cook for others.
“I want people to be nice. I’m not going to bow down to people. I’m well equipped to do this. I won’t stand for people being rude. I’m fair. I mean, how much do you value yourself really,” he says.
So, why do celebs keep calling him back? He says straight up, it’s the way he looks. “I’m a cute guy from Ireland. A lot of women, I overhear them asking if I’m straight or gay. It can be funny in a really sweet way,” O’Keeffe says laughing.
He’s currently single and dating. He likes to meet guys through friends or at a bar. He says his favorites are the Abbey, Revolver and Chapel. He meets people through friends mostly, and doesn’t do the app thing. He says he’s tried it, but it’s not personal enough and he’s too old school.
O’Keeffe says the “power gays” don’t hire him much.
“They have their set people they use… I think people think that I don’t do this anymore because I do so much TV, or because they think I’m above it. But, if I have time in my schedule, I’ll do it. I don’t really turn down things. I like to keep busy. I’d like to do more things,” O’Keeffe says.
His goal is to have his own TV show on the Food Network. He has another cookbook coming out later this year, and he wants to open a restaurant in the next year or two.
He envisions a show where he can travel around the U.S. — a kind of Irish guy fish out of water. He says he loves rural America, and thinks the people are funny and sweet. They remind him of the small town he grew up in — Nenagh, not far from Limerick.
He says Irish food is different than people think. “We have some of the best meat and fish in the world where we are,” he says.
His signature dishes are chicken cacciatore, short ribs, individual baked Alaska, and a killer flourless cake – “Jennifer Aniston told me my cake was good, so it must be badass.”
For a guy that makes his living off people who don’t cook for themselves, O’Keeffe believes a major problem with Americans in general is that they don’t cook at home enough.
“People need to get back in the kitchen and start cooking. There’s so much joy in that. And it’s healthier,” he says. He adds though that he actually hates to shop. “One of the most annoying thing about cooking is going to the store and shopping for the ingredients. I tell people to go shopping one day, and cook the next day. Cooking can be stressful if you don’t know how to do it.”
When O’Keeffe isn’t cooking for actors and Hollywood executives, you can find him on Mondays at the farmer’s market, on Gardner and Fountain streets, or at his local Whole Foods.
He lists Jar, Rossoblu, and Cecconi’s as his favorite restaurants in LA.
As for his TV aspirations that dream has certainly come true, if you count Food Network, “Stuart’s Kitchen” which aired in Ireland and New Zealand, appearances on Marie, CBS’s “The Talk,” “The Home and Family Show,” and Republic of Telly and Asiana Airlines featured Stuart in its national “Fly with Color” campaign.
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST CHEF: SUZANNE TRACT
Suzanne Tracht (Photo courtesy Tracht)
Chef and owner of the critically acclaimed Jar Restaurant, Suzanne Tracht has won international praise for her culinary adventures at Jar. Her countless appearances on the “Today” show, Food Network, and Extra, as well as her multiple awards led her to be inducted into the Fine Dining Hall of Fame and participating in Fortune magazine’s Most Powerful Women Summit.
“Relating to people and making them feel warm and welcome isn’t hard and you can do it in many ways, which is why I cook,” Tracht said. “I like feeding people and making them happy.”
JAR
8225 Beverly Blvd.
323-655-6566
BEST BUSINESSPERSON: BRAD LAMM, BREATHE LIFE HEALING CENTER
Brad Lamm (Photo courtesy of Lamm)
Fifteen years ago Brad Lamm was a self-proclaimed total mess. He was bulimic. He smoked two packs of cigarettes a day. He was an alcoholic, addicted to meth, and he supplemented all of this by taking Xanax. In 2002, he got clean.
Lamm’s journey to help others grew into an empire with two treatment centers that have helped numerous people in the LGBTQ community get clean and sober.
“I knew I was gay at 5 years old,” he says. “When I took my first drink at 15, I was deliciously soothed. By the time my first partner died in 1989, I was 19 years old and convinced not only was I going to die, but we were all going to die.”
He added, “We were part of this sad infected class with no upside… Gay men in my generation, pre-HIV cocktail, it was more than a death sentence, it was a shame sentence. It was a downward spiral. It was a grizzly and gruesome death. And I’d already been cast out of my family.”
ACT UP became Lamm’s upside. Although he was still getting high at the time, he fell into a clan he calls “purposeful,” working to make progress and trying to save his life.
“I found a place for my rage, but I thought I was going to die from alcohol and drugs, so when I didn’t, it was an amazing ‘ah-ha’ coupled with helping others, and it was all congruous with my trauma survival and being a gay man,” Lamm says.
It was in Lamm’s search for what to do with his life after getting clean that he found doctor Dr. Judith Landau, a South African psychiatrist focused on “invitational intervention,” a trauma-informed approach to helping families help their families.
“Essentially you invite your family to an intervention and the work starts from there. It suited me and it coincided with enormous energy I had around, never thinking I’d stop this litany of things that were killing me,” he says.
Lamm’s entre into the work Landau was doing eventually led to starting an intervention practice himself in New York, 13 years ago, and it really took off thanks to contacts he’d made in his former life as a TV weatherman.
“Some of the same skills I had as a journalist and some of the people I grew up in that industry with were now in TV running shows, and they knew about my remarkable turnaround.
“The ‘Today’ show said come and do a show on recovery, and Oprah said come and do a docu-series on food and that became “Addicted to Food,” an eight-part series produced for her. Then Dr. Oz said come help launch the show. And I did like 30 stories. That was the rocket fuel to this mission of helping my recovery community and their families reduce its suffering,” Lamm says.
Five years ago, Lamm opened a trauma-informed treatment center that would accept health insurance, Breathe Life Healing Center in Los Angeles.
“Meth and alcohol was my struggle, drug and hurt, so to see treatment in my community is powerful,” he says.
He and Scott Sanders, a Tony, Grammy and Emmy winning television, film and theater producer (Sanders produced the musical “The Color Purple” for Broadway), were married and it was the first gay wedding Oprah attended.
He says he sees so much of himself in the Celie character from “The Color Purple.”
“You’re at the end of the rope and you’re so beaten down, and then all of a sudden instead of cutting Mister’s throat, you choose grace and find your way. And part of that is forgiveness. But forgiveness doesn’t mean I need to live up to anyone’s version of who I need to be,” Lamm says.
Lamm says the headline of his life continues to be defined by something famed author, Alice Walker said to him 13 years ago.
“She told me that ‘the power of you is not your story, but that you’re a ‘bodhisattva.’ I was like, what’s that? She told me to go and look it up. It means, the one who goes into the lake of fire to help another out. That’s the beauty of every person to help another. The very wreckage of my past becomes the crown jewel of my ability to help another,” Lamm says.
BREATHE LIFE HEALING CENTER
8730 Sunset Blvd.
800-929-5904
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST LGBT BUSINESSPERSON: OLIVER ALPUCHE, REDLINE
Oliver Alpuche (Photo courtesy of Alpuche)
When asked what inspired the business venture that led to the opening of this premier gay bar in DTLA, Oliver Alpuche said, “I’ve lived downtown for eight years and noticed that the LGBTQ community was growing, but we had nowhere to go and meet each other. Downtown deserves a dedicated queer space 365 days a year.”
That paved the way for the DTLA Proud Festival, which Oliver created. “DLTA Proud is committed to celebrating everyone’s story, to spreading optimism, to growing our community and to expanding our definition of diversity,” he said. “I love Los Angeles because of how diverse it is.”
REDLINE
131 E 6th St.
BEST LAWYER: S. CHRISTOPHER WINTER
S. Christopher ‘Kit’ Winter (Photo courtesy of Winter)
S. Christopher (“Kit”) Winter didn’t always want to be a lawyer.
“I wasn’t one of those kids who had a clear idea of what I wanted to be when I grew up,” he said. “I could envision myself doing a lot of different things. It all seemed interesting.” That curiosity is reflected in his varied career in New York between graduating from Yale in 1987 and starting law school at UCLA in 1994. “I had a little bit of career ADD after college,” Winter said. “I worked in advertising sales, graphic design, desktop publishing – and I always had a side gig.”
Those side gigs included promoting parties at Limelight, Sound Factory and other New York nightclubs featuring DJs such as Frankie Knuckles, Little Louie Vega, and Junior Vasquez; bartending at various restaurants in the West Village and Chelsea; and working catering jobs for clients including Madonna.
“I think people were surprised when I decided to go to law school,” Winter laughs. “It wasn’t something that you would have necessarily thought was in my future.”
Surprising or not, Winter excelled at law school, graduating UCLA law in 1997 in the top 10 percent of his class and winning numerous academic honors. For more than two decades since then, Winter has been practicing law in Los Angeles, in settings ranging from large national law firms to his current solo practice.
“I don’t believe in fighting for the sake of fighting,” Winter says about his philosophy. “My goal as a lawyer is to help my clients navigate their legal challenges as quickly and affordably as possible.”
Winter’s practice is focused on serving as outside general counsel to small-to-medium sized companies, encouraging his clients to take a proactive approach to avoiding legal problems and crafting effective strategies to address problems. His legal background includes experience in litigation, intellectual property and general business law, and he has authored portions of treatises relating to privacy law and technology transactions.
Winter doesn’t specifically target his practice to the LGBT community, although he says he represents a diverse group of clients.
“I’m a ‘gay lawyer’ because I’m gay and I’m a lawyer,” he jokes. “I’ve been out of the closet since I was a teenager.”
Indeed, Winter has a long history of LGBT activism extending back more than 30 years. As an undergraduate at Yale, he was the co-chair of the Gay & Lesbian Co-op (with the late Sarah Pettit, a founding editor of OUT magazine), and part of a group of students who successfully lobbied the Yale Corporation to include “sexual orientation” in the university’s non-discrimination policy in 1986.
“I was sort of a big gay on campus,” Winter recalls, “writing op-eds in the Yale Daily News, arranging protests, that kind of thing.” Asked whether he contributed to the environment that led the Wall Street Journal to label Yale the “Gay Ivy” in 1987, Winter laughs, “I’d like to think so. I definitely left Yale a gayer place than I found it.”
Winter moved to New York City in 1987, in the middle of the AIDS crisis and shortly after the founding of ACT UP. “It was a terrifying time,” Winter says. “While my straight friends from college were starting their careers or heading to graduate school, gay men were trying to survive an apocalypse.”
Winter became involved in ACT UP and found a home in gay publishing, working first at the New York Native, New York’s gay newspaper, and later serving as the founding advertising director of Outweek magazine.
He later served as the production manager of QW, a gay newsweekly (Troy Masters, Los Angeles Blade publisher was a founder and publisher of QW) for which he also briefly penned the advice column under the moniker “Queer Abby.” “I don’t think we thought much about trademark law back then,” Winter laughs. After working as a freelance desktop publisher at various Conde Nast titles including Mademoiselle, Allure, and Details, Winter decided to pursue the challenge of a career in law, and hasn’t looked back since.
“I love being a lawyer,” Winter says. “Legal issues can be overwhelming to people, and can be fatal to businesses. Helping my clients get through that successfully is very rewarding.”
Winter is married to Patrick Jensen, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. They live in Silver Lake and have two dogs and two cats.
This year will mark Winter’s fourth time riding in AIDS/Lifecycle to raise money for the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST LAWYER: LAURA W. BRILL, KENDALL BRILL & KELLY LLP
Laura W. Brill (Photo courtesy of Brill)
A lifetime focus on cases that promote equal rights, make Laura Brill a force in the fight against discrimination.
“One of my briefs in the early 1990s argued in the case of Lawrence v. Texas (a challenge to a state anti-sodomy statute) that discrimination based on sexual orientation was a type of sex discrimination and that the statute should be ruled unconstitutional on that basis. That same argument has been made many times over the years…this theory is now gaining recognition by courts and administrative agencies, including most prominently, in cases relating to employment discrimination.”
In the case Colin v. Orange Unified School District, Brill helped pave the way for Gay Straight Alliances. Brill discussed this significant moment: “We got the first preliminary injunction requiring the school to allow the club to meet and use school facilities just like any other club. One of my favorite moments since then has been going to gay Pride events more recently and seeing the huge numbers of wonderful high school students marching with their Gay Straight Alliance banners. I’m so happy to have had a part in helping kids have a safe environment at schools.”
“My New Year’s resolution is to do all I can to increase voter registration rates, especially among young people and especially in the LGBTQ community. Many people don’t know that young people can pre-register to vote when they are 16 or 17. Then when they turn 18 they will be automatically registered to vote,” Brill said. “Most people don’t know about pre-registration, but we need everyone registered so we can make sure government policies reflect our priorities, instead of the opposite.”
Kendall Brill & Kelly LLP
10100 Santa Monica Blvd
310-556-2700
BEST ALLY: MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI
LA Mayor Eric Garcetti in his office (Photo by Karen Ocamb)
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST ALLY: LISA VANDERPUMP
Lisa Vanderpump (Photo by Toglenn; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
As an entrepreneur, avid activist, author, television personality, and restaurant owner of LA staples such as Pump and SUR, Lisa Vanderpump is an LA icon. She has consistently stood up for the LGBT community, having worked as a spokesperson for GLAAD, led the AIDS Walk Los Angeles, served as grand marshal of 2017 Long Beach Pride, worked with Desert AIDS Project, The Trevor Project, the LA Gay & Lesbian Center and more.
In addition to advocating for the LGBT community, Vanderpump created The Vanderpump Dog Foundation, working to help end animal abuse. She somehow also found time to produce “Vanderpump Rules,” the smash reality TV show. She’s the ultimate philanthropist who really does it all. Vanderpump has a love for all living creatures that shines through in her humanitarian efforts, making her a model ally.
BEST DRAG SHOW: LEGENDARY BINGO AT HAMBURGER MARY’S
Jeffery Bowman and cast members from Legendary Bingo. (Courtesy Legendary Bingo)
Beautiful drag queens, fantastic food, money, charities…Bingo! Legendary Bingo at Hamburger Mary’s is not just a great drag show, it’s a fantastic and sometimes wild night out. Jeffery Bowman is almost as legendary as Hamburger Mary’s.
HAMBURGER MARY’S
8288 Santa Monica Blvd
323-654-3800
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST DRAG SHOW: LYRIC HYPERION, GREEN EGGS AND GLAM
Lyric Hyperion Theatre & Café
2106 Hyperion Ave.
323-928 2299
BEST BAR: THE ABBEY
Where else are you going to see Diana Ross or Elon Musk tear up the dance floor? The Abbey is arguably the best-known gay bar in all of the U.S. and always a fun night out with your besties. It’s a treasured LA icon and so is owner David Cooley.
THE ABBEY
692 N. Robertson Blvd.
310-289 8410
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST BAR: REVOLVER
WeHo loves the oversized drinks and darts in the back at this famous video bar.
REVOLVER
8851 Santa Monica Blvd.
310-694 0430
BEST RESTAURANT: SUR RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE
“Real Housewives” star Lisa Vanderpump’s SUR is a great place for people watching, and the upscale food is, well, impressive. It’s definitely a see-and-be-seen scene that can’t be missed.
SUR
606 N. Robertson Blvd.
310-289 2824
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST RESTAURANT: Cecconi’s West Hollywood
The Northern Italian cuisine is spectacular, the decor a kind of elegant retro Roman-chic with outdoor seating. True luxe.
CECCONI’S
8764 Melrose Ave.
310-432 2000
BEST GROCERY STORE: TRADER JOE’S
Quite simply, the best place to go shopping for unique, curated food brands.
TRADER JOE’S
7310 Santa Monica Blvd.
323-969-8048
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST GROCERY STORE: PAVILIONS
Extensive selections of the highest-quality foods. And, at least in WeHo, it’s where the boys are.
PAVILIONS
8969 Santa Monica Blvd.
310-595-1730
BEST REAL ESTATE AGENCY: THE COLLECTIVE REALTY
Experienced real estate agents who negotiate well for their clients. One reader said, “The Collective is the concierge service of boutique realty. And Andy Vulin is the best real estate investment teacher I ever met.”
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST REAL ESTATE AGENCY: BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY
Find the most luxurious West Hollywood or Beverly Hills home of your dreams and call Berkshire Hathaway, because no one can close it faster or more fairly. Readers praised their attentiveness to detail.
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY
131 S. Rodeo Dr.
310-844-6434
BEST STYLISTS: SHORTY’S BARBER SHOP
Whatever level of service you require for your coif, Shorty’s is the place to go. It’s the very best place in West Hollywood for a drop in fade. People travel from all over Los Angeles to the unmistakable storefront on Fairfax.
SHORTY’S
755 N. Fairfax Ave.
323-297-0554
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST STYLIST: MARCO PELUSI
Celebrity hairstylist Marco Pelusi has the best tips for looking great. “Ask your stylist to do a gloss or a shine treatment when you’re next at the salon,” he recommended. “Your hair can often dry out and look dull, lifeless, and frizzy during winter months; the added shine treatment will boost the condition of your hair and make it look healthy.”
MARCO PELUSI
636 N. Robertson Blvd.
310-967-0999
BEST CAR DEALERSHIP: BEVERLY HILLS BMW
One reader commented, “At Beverly Hills BMW, I walked through and decided what I wanted and with no pressure at all I left with the $90,000 ride of my dreams. No hassles, no pressure. Just great service and a brilliant ride.”
BEVERLY HILLS BMW
5070 Wilshire Blvd.
877-794-4678
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST CAR DEALERSHIP: HONDA OF HOLLYWOOD
Honda of Hollywood has one of the best full-service shops of any dealership in Los Angeles. Our favorites are the 2018 CRVs and HRV. Great quality SUVs at a realistic price.
HONDA OF HOLLYWOOD
6511 Santa Monica Blvd.
323-466-3247
BEST MEDICAL PROVIDER: CEDARS SINAI URGENT CARE
World-class urgent care from one of the world’s leading medical institutions.
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST MEDICAL PROVIDER: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MEN’S MEDICAL GROUP
Doctors you can talk to and advice that’s easy to take because they are just like you. Comprehensive, fully loaded and state of the art.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MEN’S MEDICAL GROUP
9201 Sunset Blvd.
310-550-1010
BEST FITNESS FACILITY: 24 HOUR FITNESS
One of the busiest places in WeHo, 24 Hour Fitness is as much a family for some as it is a gym.
24 HOUR FITNESS
8612 Santa Monica Blvd.
310-652-7440
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST FITNESS: EQUINOX FITNESS
A little bit of luxury goes a long way during a hard workout. Outstanding, modern and clean facilities are what make Equinox worthy of Editors’ Choice.
EQUINOX FITNESS
8590 Sunset Blvd.
310-289-1900
BEST MARIJUANA DISPENSARY: MEDMEN
Since Jan. 1, MedMen has experienced lines down the block and its fans are true believers in the almost Apple Store experience of boutique weed products of every kind. Founder Andrew Modin, almost overnight, has become a business sensation in West Hollywood and is now ramping up to take it national.
MEDMEN
8208 Santa Monica Blvd.
323-848-7981
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST DISPENSARY: ZEN HEALING WEST HOLLYWOOD
Some say it has one of the highest-grade selections of any store in Los Angeles. Its edibles and medicinal choices are outstanding.
ZEN HEALING
8464 Santa Monica Blvd.
323-656-6666
BEST HOTEL: WALDORF-ASTORIA
One of the world’s leading hotel names is now at home along Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Unprecedented luxury is just the tip of the iceberg of the Waldorf experience. After watching it soar skyward during construction, you know you want to spend the weekend there. Staycation!
WALDORF-ASTORIA
9850 Wilshire Blvd.
310-860-6666
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST HOTEL: JEREMY HOTEL
Soon to experience a name change — think One Hotel — The Jeremy, as everyone now calls it, is an astounding architectural gem and gorgeous hotel overlooking Rainbow City. It’s not only a great place to stay, it’s also a destination.
JEREMY HOTEL
8490 Sunset Blvd.
310-424-1600
BEST HOUSE OF WORSHIP: FOUNDERS METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH
The house that MCC founder Troy Perry built is a rollicking, down home gospel of faith and a beacon in the fight and one of the most consequential cornerstone establishments of LGBT history in LA.
FOUNDERS
4607 Prospect Ave.
323-669-3434
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST HOUSE OF WORSHIP: KOL AMI
One of the most significant Reform synagogues in America is also one of the most innovative. A powerhouse of Jewish tradition and thought, Rabbi Denise Eger is devoted to community and social justice.
KOL AMI
1200 N. La Brea Ave.
323-606-0996
BEST LGBT SOCIAL GROUP: IMPULSE GROUP LA
Impulse Group is an international group that advocates change toward healthier sexual lifestyles among gay men in 18 cities around the world, based in Los Angeles. Founder Jose Ramos felt stronger community bonds and family building among peers can reduce HIV rates and save lives. Turns out he was right.
EDITORS’ CHOICE: BEST LGBT SOCIAL GROUP: VARSITY GAY LEAGUE
California’s largest LGBT recreational sports league is celebrating 10 gay years! A robust and well-organized calendar of Kickball, Dodgeball, Bowling, Tennis, Soccer and Volleyball. Who says gays don’t do sports? Will Hackner and Andrew Miller want to know.
BEST MUSEUM: LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART
LACMA is a world-class museum and with its expansion, including an incorporation of Hollywood movie and Oscar history, it’s unrivaled. Many outstanding collections and community events, like outdoor films, make it a treasured institution.
LACMA
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
323-857-6000
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST MUSEUM: THE BROAD
One of the most important modern museums in the western United States is also one of the most iconic landmarks in DTLA. Eli Broad’s massively important contemporary art collection almost wound up in a building that would have been where the new Waldorf is today.
THE BROAD
221 S. Grand Ave.
213-232-6200
BEST NON-PROFIT: AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION
AHF provides services to more than 600,000 HIV+ individuals in 15 U.S. states and 36 countries worldwide and is the largest AIDS service organization in the world. Michael Weinstein founded the agency as a hospice when no hospital would care for AIDS patients and since then has grown it into a billion-dollar non-profit.
AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION
6255 W. Sunset Blvd.
323-860-5200
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST NON-PROFIT: LOS ANGELES LESBIAN & GAY CENTER
Founded by Morris Kight in 1969, LA’s LGBT Center is now the world’s largest LGBT social service agency and community center and is in the middle of an expansion that will revolutionize its reach. Lori Jean, its CEO, has become one of the most important LGBT non-profit leaders in the U.S.
LGBT CENTER
1625 N. Schrader Blvd.
323-993-7400
BEST VET: LAUREL PET HOSPITAL
A truly empathic provider of outstanding medical services for generations of LGBT community members in West Hollywood.
LAUREL PET HOSPITAL
7970 Santa Monica Blvd.
323-654-7060
Dr. Mark Nunez
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST VET: Dr. MARK NUNEZ, formerly of VETERINARY CARE CENTER, now Medical Director of VCA Miller-Robertson Animal Hospital.
Dr. Mark Nunez was previously Veterinary Care Center’s go-to doctor, known for going the extra mile to save your pet. Dr. Nunez recently accepted a new position as Medical Director of VCA Miller-Robertson Animal Hospital
VCA Miller-Robertson Animal Hospital
8807 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90069
310-657-7050.
BEST LA ATTRACTION: GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY
The go-to place for all family visits and the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood offers views that just can’t be beat.
GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY
2800 E. Observatory Rd.
213-473-0800
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST LA ATTRACTION: HOLLYWOOD BOWL
The iconic outdoor theater celebrates everything about Los Angeles and features some of the greatest names in music, under the stars.
HOLLYWOOD BOWL
2301 N. Highland Ave.
323-850-2000
BEST RED CARPET EVENT: HRC LA DINNER
The Human Rights Campaign brings out the star power each year in Los Angeles and is famous for an exuberant red carpet experience. On March 10, 2018 you have your next chance to take a walk.
EDITORS’ CHOICE, BEST RED CARPET: OUTFEST
The world’s most important LGBT film festival is also becoming one of LA’s most anticipated events.
(Mary Jo De Silva contributed to this article)
While some may be feeling a bit of comic book movie fatigue with the MCU and DC films, there’s still a startling lack of LGBTQ representation. While comics and graphic novels have a bit more representation, there has been a need for more queer folks with superpowers, magical abilities, and sci-fi adventures. Enter: Prism Comics.
Prism Comics is a nonprofit championing LGBTQIA+ representation in comic books, graphic novels, and popular media. They uplift creators, highlight queer comic book writers and artists, and even offer grants. They run Q Con, a queer comic mini convention that partners with City of West Hollywood. Their latest Q Con featured 100 LGBTQIA+ comic creators, artists, and cosplayers and over 1400 attendees of all ages. The 6th Annual Q Con is set for Spring 2027.
They’re expanding into live social events with the Prism Comics Rainbow Book Club.
This book club brings together anyone under the rainbow umbrella who likes comic books and graphic novels. Each month they’ll highlight a work penned by a queer author or highlighting queer character(s). The monthly events will be held at Moby’s Coffee and Tea Company.
Ted Abenheim, the President of Prism Comics, and Emma Schulman, the mastermind behind the idea and the book club’s coordinator, took some time to preview their plans for this exciting new social group and what’s going on in the world of comics.
What can you tell me about the Rainbow Book Club?
ES: The Book club is a space for everyone who wants to read more books with LGBTQ characters or/and authors. Specifically, graphic novels or comics. Each month, the group will vote on a book that we will then read in the following month. We will then meet up at Moby’s Coffee & Tea Co to discuss the book. Through this club, we will be continuing Prism’s mission of creating a welcoming, safe, and collaborative environment for comic book readers and creators.
TA: Emma came to us as a volunteer, offering to start and run the book club for Prism Comics.
What was your goal in creating this opportunity for queer people to connect?
TA: Acceptance of LGBTQIA+ comics and comics creators has come a long way since I joined Prism over twenty years ago. But as you know, the community is facing a huge backlash of discrimination, hate, and book banning. Our main goal is for the Book Club to be fun and social, but it’s also one more way to fight the backlash, to show power in community. I also want to give a big thank you to Moby’s Coffee and Tea Company in North Hollywood for being a generous ally and letting us hold our monthly meetings at their very cool coffee house.
ES: I am a writer, and I love being able to share stories with others. For me, hosting this event is another way of being able to do that. I wanted to create a space for people to connect with comics and graphic novels that are LGBTQ centered. I think having space where LGBTQ books are being centered is especially important with the rise of book bans and the growing attack on our community.
Why do you think LGBTQ people are drawn to comic books/graphic novels?
ES: I think comics have been a way for us to express our identities freely. From the X-men to Harley Queen and Poison Ivy, comics have been a way for us to express who we are without a mask. Pun intended.
TA: I think almost everyone is drawn to comics and graphic novels because they’re a very accessible medium. People are attracted to comics for the art and the stories, and they like seeing themselves included in those stories. Years ago, we didn’t see many queer characters and stories in comics, and now we do. Now there are lots of LGBTQIA+ graphic novels (especially for young adults), mainstream comics with mainstream queer characters, publishers celebrating Pride Month, and the growing number of webcomics that can appeal to more diverse and intersectional queer readers – transgender, bisexual, ace, gender queer, and people of different races and backgrounds.
What are some pivotal queer comic book storylines our readers should check out?
TA: I’d recommend the pioneering works of Howard Cruse (Stuck Rubber Baby) and Alison Bechdel (Fun Home). Rupert Kinnard created the first ongoing gay/lesbian-identified African-American comic-strip characters, and his comics were recently collected in a beautiful book called Ooops…I Just Catharted! Fifty Years of Cathartic Comics. No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics is both an anthology and the terrific documentary made by Vivian Kleiman and Justin Hall. Jeff Krell (Jayson Comics) and Diane DiMassa, whose 90’s alternative comic Hothead Paisan: Homicidal Lesbian Terrorist was finally republished last year. And Roberta Gregory, whose great underground comics were just collected as well.
ES: Tillie Walden (Charity and Sylvia) is someone to look out for. Ted said almost everyone that I was going to say.
Who are some LGBTQ authors or books to keep an eye out for?
TA: There are so many amazing creators in the newer and upcoming generations – Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer, This Place Kills Me), ND Stevenson (Nimona), Lee Knox Ostertag (The Witch Boy, The Deep Dark), Jen Wang (The Prince and The Dressmaker, Ash’s Cabin), Maia Kobabe (Gender Queer), Alice Oseman (Heartstopper), Tillie Walden (Charity and Sylvia), and the comics of Sina Grace, Nicole Maines, Josh Trujillo, Steve Orlando, Vita Ayala, Tini Howard, Stephanie Williams and so many more. Even though we’re facing more discrimination and hate than I’ve seen in decades, there are still terrific new queer comics and graphic novels coming out every month.
ES: Kieron Micheal Gilles run of Doctor Aphra is one I always recommend, especially if you’re a fan of the enemies-to-lovers arc. You also don’t have to be a huge Star Wars fan to enjoy it. I know I mentioned Charity and Sylvia already, but I think that’s a great book, especially in terms of showing how queer people have always been here and have always found ways to build meaningful lives. The Long Lived King, coming out later this month, is a graphic novel sequel to the TV show The Owl House written by the show’s creator Dana Terrace.
Anything from comic book culture media you are super excited about?
ES: I think comics are having a really special moment right now, and I think because so many LGBTQ people are drawn to comics, it will allow for there to be more representation not only in comics but in other mediums as well. I also think that because of the independent nature of comics I think it’s going to continue to be a medium that will allow us to fight against censorship and to fight against the people who want to erase our community.
TA: I was very excited about the explosion of queer YA graphic novels and the introduction of major queer characters in mainstream comics in the last decade: Tim Drake (Robin), Jon Kent, Wiccan and Hulkling, the many characters in the X-Men universe, Dreamer, Alan Scott (Green Lantern), Kevin Keller in Archie Comics, and others. But the pendulum is swinging back in the other direction with the erasure of DEI. I am excited to see publishers still supporting queer creators and queer comics and graphic novels in the face of erasure. That keeps me going… plus the fact that there are more books out there for pre-teen LGBTQIA+ readers that we can offer to the increasing numbers of parents and families who come to our booths.
What inspired Prism Comics?
TA: Prism was founded by a group of dedicated comics fans in an organization called The Gay League, which is still going strong today as a website and on social media as an online community group. They wanted to start an official nonprofit 501c3 to support queer comics readers, exhibit at conventions, and foster upcoming queer comics creators. So Prism Comics was founded in 2003 with a booth at San Diego Comic-Con. I discovered Prism at Comic-Con in 2005 and was thrilled to find a community of other queer people into comics. I’ve been involved with Prism ever since, helping with the booth at San Diego Comic-Con for years and then as President in the last decade. With Prism Comics, I can fulfill both my love of comics and be of service to the community.
Anything exciting coming from Prism?
TA: We’re exhibiting at six comic conventions around California through the end of the year and gearing up for 2027 when we plan to exhibit at over a dozen and a half comic conventions. Our main Southern California shows are WonderCon Anaheim, Los Angeles Comic Con, Comic Con Revolution in Ontario, San Diego Comic-Con, and our very own Q Con, LGBTQIA+ comic convention in West Hollywood.
Meetings of the Rainbow Book Club will be held the 2nd Sunday of each month from 2 to 4 pm starting October 11th. To register or for information, please visit https://forms.gle/72AozDqHKG8GufMs5 or prismcomics.org.
a&e features
A ‘Heaux’-le New Church: Brandon Kyle Goodman brings a queer spiritual experience to the stage
Heaux Church creates a queer inclusive community for Heauxs of all kinds
A wise black elder once said, “Black stockings. White shoes shouldn’t be allowed in the church.” While Kennedy Davenport’s comment about drag fashion was a joke, you cannot deny the connection between black culture and the church. However, for queer black folks, that means a fundamental part of your culture gets cut off because of the homophobic stance of many Christian believers.
Brandon Kyle Goodman, a self-professed pastor’s kid, wants to change that with their new show. Heaux Church. It’s a wild and irreverent show that creates a space for black queer folks to have their own ministry. The show focuses on inclusivity, celebrating positive views on sex combined with Goodman’s keen eye on culture and where we’re going. There is even a kiki where the audience can chat with Lena Waithe, Darnell L. Moore, and Kid Fury.
Goodman is a bit of a culture vulture who has made a name for themself with expansive creativity and an eye for pop culture. Goodman is a writer and performer who is best known for
Netflix’s smash hit and Emmy-nominated animated comedy series, Big Mouth, and its spin-off, Human Resources. Goodman was a writer and even appeared as Walter the Love Bug. With credits including Amazon’s Modern Love, Hulu’s Plus One, Netflix’s Feel the Beat, and ABC’s Abbott Elementary, Goodman has become a part of the pop culture they tackle with their humorous hot takes.
In 2024, Goodman launched their podcast, Tell Me Something Messy! with the iHeart network. On the show, celebrity guests and experts divulge their messy stories to help shuck off shame and celebrate their individuality. Goodman also joined E! News for RE!CAP co-hosting chats about Hollywood’s biggest nights.
Goodman is even an author with their first book, You Gotta Be You, released in 2022. From a viral Instagram personality to a well-established member of the pop culture they comment on, Goodman is now bringing their view on sex and spirituality, with an intersectional space for people of all races, genders, and sexual identities to connect in a ministry of fabulosity.
Goodman took some time to chat with The Blade about Heaux Church, creativity, and their goals for lifting our spirits.
Congratulations on Heaux Church. Can you tell me about the show?
Thank you! Heaux Church is part comedy show, part revival, part group therapy with better lighting. I remind everyone that I’m not a pastor, but I am a pastor’s kid, and I’ve set out to build a new kind of church. One that celebrates who we are as sexual beings and leaves shame at the door. I think it’s important to note that my definition of a heaux has nothing to do with body count.
A heaux is someone committed to their own liberation, and other people’s, by getting curious about their relationship to sex. Curiosity, communication, and compassion are a heaux’s tenets. We’re at The Elysian Theater in LA, November 5 through 8, directed by Lisa Owaki Bierman. Every night ends with a talkback we’re calling Kiki @ Curtain, and our moderators are Darnell L. Moore, Kid Fury, and Lena Waithe.
What was the creative process like for you?
Honestly? It started with Instagram and my podcast. Messy Mondays and Tell Me Something Messy are just people telling me things they’d never say at Thanksgiving. They’re my big ol’ confession booth. But honey, I wanted a sanctuary. A room where a whole group of people could exhale at the same time. We did it first in New York, and that run taught me what the show is, and what it isn’t.
For LA, I’ve been in rehearsals with Lisa, tightening every moment. The whole thing runs on something I call disruptive curiosity: intentionally asking questions that interrupt personal habits, generational cycles, and internal narratives to live a liberated life. I say the embarrassing thing first, out loud, so the room knows it’s safe to be human. And also, there are puppets, beautifully designed and operated by Greg Corbino. I’ll let you meet them in person, because their names aren’t printable in every publication. But they are my favorite brain babies.
Who would be some members of the Heaux Church (real or imaginary)?
Our Evangelists are real, and they’re already spreading the word: Cynthia Erivo, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Nina Parker, Cree Summer, Laci Mosley, Eric Williams, Ryan Mitchell, LA Pride, and LA Black Pride. That’s an iconic group! As for the fantasy congregation: James Baldwin and Maya Angelou are our co-pastors. I’ma say Samantha Jones runs the usher board, and nobody gets seated without a fabulous outfit. I’m putting Prince on the organ. Megan Thee Stallion leads the choir! Mister Rogers, Pee-wee Herman, Dr. Ruth, and Wendy Williams are on the board of directors.
Is there a side of you we get with Heaux Church we may not have before?
The facilitator and party host. Most people know me from the internet or a podcast, but to be IRL, creating a safe and rambunctious experience for real bodies, minds, and hearts in a shared space, is a different undertaking. It’s one I love and take a lot of pride in. No matter what, a live show is always gonna hit different.
Not to get too serious, but what are some of your spiritual beliefs?
I believe curiosity is a spiritual practice. Asking “Why do I feel this way?” instead of “What’s wrong with me?” has done more for me than any rulebook. I believe my body isn’t a problem to solve. I believe in my ancestors. My grandmother was born in 1919 in L’Anse Noire, a tiny village in Toco, Trinidad, and I feel her with me all the time. She was open-minded at a time when that cost something. And yes, I check my transits. But I also worship at the altar of music, art, stage, and food. Watching Whitney Houston belt a ten-minute medley that ends with “I Have Nothing” is healing.
What was it like having Lena Waithe associated with the show?
Transformative. To have someone like her believe so fiercely in your work is deeply encouraging. Listen, this industry is a tough one, and when you’re an artist who exists at the margins, the climb is that much harder. You can’t do it without help. Without support. Lena is support personified. She is the definition of it. She rolls up her sleeves and gets into the trenches. She hustles with me, as a partner, to get this show in front of audiences.
We’ve been going a hundred for the last few weeks, so there hasn’t been a lot of time for me to stop and really reflect on it. But it makes me emotional. To have someone not just like me or believe in me, but actually lift me up. It’s transformative. It keeps my heart open and my fire burning. It holds my faith. She’s also doing our Kiki at Curtain talkback on November 7, so come see the deacon in person.
You mentioned your podcast, Tell Me Something Messy, who are some of your favorite guests?
Asking me to pick favorite guests is difficult, because I listened to advice I got from Casey Wilson of Bitch Sesh. She said, “Only interview the people you want to interview.” Game changer. I only interview my favorite people, whether I know them personally or I’m a fan. It makes going to work a thrill, because even on my most exhausted or depressive days, I know I’m gonna spend 90 minutes with someone I actually think is dope. And doing that makes it hard to pick. But because he’s been on the show I think five times now, my bestie Devere Rogers is one of my faves! Go see him in Passing Strange at the Pasadena Playhouse.
Can you tell our readers something messy?
I got divorced, and I just started talking about it publicly. It was amicable, and I’m allowing myself to be curious about who I am and who I’m becoming without a relationship like that. It’s been fascinating to be by myself again after eleven years.
You worked on Human Resources and Big Mouth. What was that experience like as a writer and performer?
Imagine a room full of grown adults trying to remember exactly how humiliating it felt to be thirteen. That’s the job. And it was the best training I could’ve asked for, because it taught me shame is funny once you say it out loud. Being in the writers’ room and in the booth was a gift. As a writer, you’re building the joke. As a performer, you get to find the heart under it. Getting to do both on the same show taught me my voice is worth something on the page and on the mic.
You played Walter the Love Bug. Would you say you’re more of a love bug or a heaux?
Here’s the secret: it’s the same job. Both are about paying attention to what people actually want and helping them ask for it. Walter just has wings. I have a pulpit. Love bug by day, HEAUX by divine appointment.
You write a lot about dating and relationships. What’s the one thing queer men and AMAB folks are not getting?
Of course, it’s hard to say definitively what the group is getting wrong. But I think culturally, a lot of us are not talking about STIs without shame or a fear of moral failing. I don’t know anyone who wants to get one, but nobody wants to get the flu either. But it happens, and people should be able to take care of it and navigate it without feeling that they failed morally, that they’re “dirty.” Get tested, get treated, and move on.
What is your current queer culture obsession?
Dominique Morgan and Monroe Alise. I literally cannot get enough of their content. Funny, smart, witty, stunning, honest. I’m very obsessed. Also, I Swear We’re Friends, a digital series created by one of my faves, Dewayne Perkins, and Devere is one of the stars. I literally think it’s a perfect show. Go watch it.
You’ve had a very illustrious career. What are some goals or projects you’d love to do?
I still want to write my own TV show. I have some ideas that I’d like to express in that medium, on my terms. I would also love for Heaux Church to travel and pop up wherever people need it. I’m also relaunching Tell Me Something Messy independently through my company. The big goal is ownership. I want to build things I own and bring my community into the room with me.
Do you have a celebrity or pop culture crush of the moment?
Honestly, like everyone else right now, mine is Owen Thiele. I love a tall, funny hottie…respectfully. ‘Cuz I think he’s in a relationship. So, very respectfully.
You can visit the Heaux Church at The Elysian Theater (in partnership with Celebration Theatre) November 5 through 8 and stick around for the kiki afterwards.
a&e features
From the bedroom to Broadway: Sterling Tull and the many faces of ‘Rocky Horror’
Makeup designer stays true to the characters in ‘Rocky Horror’ while giving them her own eclectic style
NEW YORK – Before Sterling Tull was creating the makeup for Rocky Horror Broadway Revival, its mad scientist, Dr. Frank-N-Furter, was watching over her bedroom from a poster on the wall. Purchased by her mother, the poster hung there from the time Tull was 13 until she was 18, offering a glimpse into a world where self-expression was something to celebrate.
Now, as makeup designer and makeup artist for the Broadway show, Tull, a queer transgender artist, brings that world to life eight shows a week. “Sometimes it doesn’t feel real,” Tull tells the Blade. “I would’ve killed for this job, and I know many others would have too, so I feel very very lucky and blessed.”
The opportunity arrived in a fittingly theatrical fashion: on Halloween night. Tony-nominated costume designer David Reynoso reached out to interview Tull for the production. Given the incredible opportunity, Tull rightfully couldn’t believe what she was reading. “I thought the email was fake at first, ” she explained. “It turns out it wasn’t!”
From there, things fell into place. The email led to an interview, and the interview led to a job, giving Tull the opportunity to translate a deeply personal attachment into an artistic vision. Long before joining the production, she had found something in Rocky Horror that extended beyond its eclectic style and audacious characters: a community in which she could recognize herself.
“Over the years, I grew into the culture of Rocky Horror and felt safe in the community,” Tull tells the Blade. “It let me understand that I wasn’t so different, and that, as a little Mormon kid, I could be myself.”
That commitment to being herself now informs the faces audiences encounter onstage. Her challenge was to preserve the characters’ immediate recognizability while allowing for her artistic spin. Familiarity offers the starting point – Tull uses makeup to make it her own. “I wanted to honor the source material and what fans are expecting from a production of this size with huge audacious makeup looks that capture Club Kid New York culture, New Romantics, English trad goth, and 1970’s Studio 54 sleaze,” she tells the Blade.
The designs took shape through collaboration with Reynoso, hair designer Albee Alvarado, director Sam Pinkleton, and associate makeup designer Vee Sadiku, whom Tull affectionately calls her “best friend” and “work wife.” Yet even with that support, sharing her vision came with its own uncertainty. Tull explains, “I would say the scariest part is just hoping that both your collaborators and fans like what you’re creating.”
Behind the performance, however, is time, precision, and a practice shaped by attention to detail. Tull works at the theater six days a week, applying makeup to actors in a way that would be difficult for any makeup artist. She tells the Blade, “The makeup is incredibly ephemeral and applied in a time span that would challenge any makeup artist.”
None of Tull’s work is about ego or adding another credit to her resume. It is about honoring a performance and creating a moment for people to come together, laugh, and enjoy themselves. She respects all those involved, especially the actors who bring the show to life. “It is so important to respect where the actors are every day while honoring the integrity of the work,” Tull says.
Ultimately, the show will end, and the makeup will come off. The next performance will bring another round at the makeup table. Yet that temporary nature gives Tull’s work an intimacy: the world that once helped a young Rocky Horror fan feel welcome is now something she helps bring to life for others, one face at a time.
Follow Sterling on IG: @SterlingTullNYC.
a&e features
A Parvesh perspective: Actor Parvesh Cheena talks his roles in ‘Wives’
The actor talks about his new play, being South Asian in Hollywood, and the future
When you see Parvesh Cheena, there is a 90% chance you’ll recognize him from something. You may have seen him on the new Frasier, My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, or in co-star roles he’s had in sitcoms and movies. Or you might recognize his voice from countless cartoons and animated series. He’s gearing up to play multiple roles in the new play, Wives.
Wives features a primarily South Asian cast and travels from 16th-century France to 1920s India and 1960s Idaho to highlight the perspective and experiences of women who’ve changed history but are often overlooked. Cheena plays the token Man and lends his comedic sensibilities to multiple roles.
Directed by Hypokrit Live Arts NYC co-founder Arpita Mukherjee, this comedy comes at an interesting political moment with South Asian American women making history in both parties, Nithya Raman in the 2026 mayoral race. This play launches the 61st mainstage season East West Players (EWP), the nation’s largest and longest-running Asian American
Theater. It’s penned by prolific playwright Jaclyn Backhaus and co-founder of the New York City arts company Fresh Ground Pepper.
Cheena has been a face of AAPI visibility. He starred in Outsourced, a mostly South Asian sitcom that paved the way for shows like Never Have I Ever and Deli Boys. He’s played both stereotypical South Asian characters and people who just happen to be of South Asian descent.
The animated actor with a quick wit and gregarious nature took time to chat with the Blade about his hot takes on Hollywood, being South Asian and gay, and his excitement about his new play.
What can you tell me about Wives?
Wives is a wonderful work of theatre and storytelling by Jaclyn Backhaus about four different eras from the perspective of the wives and not the men. Ugh, men. Amirite?
How would you describe your character(s) in Wives?
I’m going to be playing four different characters. A French King, A Prince of Jaipur, A grandfather, and Ernest Hemingway. You know…my usual typecast parts. Le sigh. This is like my 11th time playing Ernie Hemingway. I get it, I get it. I have a beard. And Hemingway and I are both from the western suburbs of Chicago. I don’t fight my fate. Big Ern is going to be my one-man touring show for the dinner theatre circuit in my 70s.
How does it feel being in a primarily Asian cast?
It always feels correct to be in a primarily Asian cast. My people are from Asia. Big continent. Big personalities. Big hearts.
You have a robust television resume. Are you enjoying being on the stage?
I’m of the age where you started in theatre. You interned at theatres. You worked box office at theatres. You start theatre companies with friends from college. It’s home. When I moved from Chicago to LA, that’s when I started improv and sketch because it was harder to commit to theatre or not have an understudy when I was in my 20s. Improv/Sketch at least still gave you the chance to perform on stage for folks.
Wait a minute… Why do I enjoy it? It’s scary. I’m always still kinda scared. We put ourselves in scary situations. What to do? I know, admit my need for validation by strangers in public spaces. Are we still talking about theatre?
There was a time when there was a fair amount of South Asian representation in Hollywood; you were in a primarily South Asian sitcom, Outsourced. Do you feel like representation has gotten better or worse? Has it been harder or easier to find roles?
It’s always better today for representation than it was yesterday, and tomorrow will be even better. I see so many shows featuring younger South Asian talent, and that is a joy, and it brings me so much pride, too.
We also have brown folks writing and producing and greenlighting these projects. Yes, there is pushback as political winds blow. Hello Paramountskydancewarnerbros after all, but we are still gaining more representation, not less. And it might not be through legacy media holding onto antiquated views of whose stories get told.
For me, I work. I always want to work more. Friends hire me and want to keep working with me, and for that, I am always grateful. Grateful to help tell their stories and also for the continued chance to make healthcare. Another sigh…we can’t even get a single-payer health care option out of California and NY’s state legislatures? What are we doing? Healthcare tied to work? That’s just a worry for everyone.
I often wonder if they were going to do Outsourced now, would they even hire an American-born guy like me, of Indian descent or cast from India proper? We were playing people born and raised in India but clearly filmed here at Radford Studios.
We sometimes have a hyper-accurate need for casting these days, which is making some jobs harder for those of us with a complicated background. Pre-Partition, my Sikh family lived in Lahore, now in present-day Pakistan, but because of the British’s first Brexit during the devastating Partition of India in August 1947, my Mom’s Punjabi Sikh family is one of the millions affected by these acts of colonizers. They, along with millions of people, left their home in Lahore for what is now India’s side of Punjab. Now, we are considered Indian. But we are also Punjabi. The state we are from, the state split in two by the Brits. A Pakistani Punjab and an Indian Punjab. A country for Muslims, a country for Hindus. The Sikhs got lost without a home of their own. Yay…my glossed-over and probably inaccurate version of history.
So, I bring this up because I am still not allowed to be seen for some parts that are of Pakistani descent. Or certain Punjabi parts. Or certain religious roles. Which is just silly to me as a brown atheist with ties to all of these lands. The subcontinent was all one land, one country before the English. Some of us South Asians are being separated from access to roles by gatekeepers who don’t even know the cultural history and heritage. But I digress. I am already on the first of many tangents.
You’ve been in a lot of animation. How have you enjoyed that experience? Any highlights?
Well, the exact opposite of a live stage. I love how I can be gentle, sing quietly, whisper into that microphone in my voice booth closet thing or at a professional shop. I like that you can give a multitude of takes and let the powers that be pick and choose. I like that people of color can also be Transformers and rocks and clouds and ferrets, too. And when you have to sing, it is always easier with just a few people around than in front of a live audience. Again, my fears.
I’ll always be proud of my work as Blades on Transformers: RescueBots for Nicole Dubuc and Brian Hohlfeld and as Couch on the podcast Melon’s House Party for Duke Doyle and Matt Sax. The creator/writers, the people in the recording booth, and the directors behind the plexiglass are some of the loveliest folks I’ve gotten to work with. Animation folks tend to be so kind in my experience. Everyone has that little sense of play and joy that we get to do this art form.
You’ve said in an interview, “White people were allowed to be gay, in a sense, or be queer as an identifier. People see our color and ethnicity first before our sexuality.” Do you think that’s changed for the better or the worse?
Still the same. At least more folks know what intersectionality is now. At least, I hope they do. A white, rich cis gay man may, just may, have more privilege and opportunity than a disabled non-binary immigrant. Folks are learning. But for the identity politics world, I get to be on a bunch of panels due to my own intersectionality. I can be on Asian, South Asian, Gay, and Gay Asian, and Gay South Asian panels. I think I might have missed a few configurations but I am also available for podcasts. I talk a lot, and my friends are busy with their kids.
What do you wish the gay community understood about the unique challenges/life of being both gay and South Asian?
I already mentioned intersectionality. My personal challenges really stem from a lot of the brownphobia/Islamaphobia/Sikhphobia that has continued in this country since the 9/11 attacks. After the Cold War and the USSR’s bust (Pre-Putin), the 2001 attacks and the subsequent surveillance state response only intensified the xenophobia of many Americans. To see the racism ratcheted up these past few years of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians is nothing new to me. I saw it during college in 2001, the ridiculous Iraq War in 2003, and now 2023 to 2026 and we are in another stupid war.
So, for any of us who are… human beings living in America, it’s already been a tumultuous 10 years since Trump first got in. Add in all the added weight of children of immigrants being told to “go back to your own country” by descendants of white colonizers is just…tiring. Oh, and that’s before any homophobic or transphobic attacks. Uneducated and fearful people who own a lot of guns really make life tricky at times here in America.
Hmm. I keep thinking about this. There was just a young influencer, Mad Sandhu, who was just shot and killed in Punjab. The area of India my family is from. Thinking of this out and fabulous makeup artist who was shot and killed on the street. It’s a reminder that threats to our community are worldwide. It’s easy to forget when we live here.
What is your favorite role you’ve played?
I dunno. I don’t center myself in the work. This is my attempt at a non-vain answer. I dunno. You tell me. What do you like of my work? I think I answered it a bit with Blades and Couch in the V.O. world. On camera. Gupta in Outsourced was a joy, as was being a part of the film Sometimes I Think About Dying.
What part of queer culture or general gay representation are you currently obsessed with?
I have accepted that RuPaul’s Drag Race/World of Wonder, with every foreign iteration, is just my version of sports at this point. I remember asking friends why they still watched college football or teams that weren’t their hometown. Now I get it.
It’s just something to have on, wind down to. And I watch most of them, and Drag Race podcast recap shows, too, like Bussy Queen. I have a few friends where drag is pretty much the only thing we talk about. Just finished Latina Royale, now Drag Race Philippines Season 4’s first episode is what I fell asleep to last night. I’m old. I have to split up the episodes. Mabuhay!
You were on My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend; is there any chance of you reprising your role? Anything you can share?
Are they doing a reboot? I should text Rachel. You know Rachel Bloom? Let me pick up that name I just dropped. She’s on Broadway right now. Um…we ran into each other at the Hollywood Bowl, and she’s really nice. (Wait. So. Is there a reboot? Do you know something I don’t? Jane. Jane!)
Now read what you just read again, but as Lisa Kudrow’s Valerie Cherish. Seriously. I know nothing. Lovely people all around.
Given your fairly long IMDB profile, what role would you still love to play? Any dream projects you’d love to tackle?
I’d like to get cast in a role in a show that goes to a second season. Wait. This is my dream project: Medicare for All
I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be an ass, but I have played convenience store owners and terrorists and roles where they changed my co-star/one scene part into an Indian guy with an accent. I’m just grateful to play more nuanced roles on stage. But I’m also not waiting to play Falstaff or Oedipus or any other old European “classics” anymore. If it happens, wonderful, but they aren’t the dream role I’m pining for. The great roles and projects for South Asian people are being written as we speak by folks like Jasmine Sharma and Madhuri Shekar. I’m just happy to be working on new plays like Wives.
I think I chase work not by the part but by who I want to work, collaborate, and spend weeks with. I wanted to work with our director Arpita Mukherjee again after a lovely time previously, and so many friends love Jaclyn’s work and saw Wives in NYC. I do want to keep working with women and queer folks, too. The majority of our crew and creatives are queer folks, women, and people of color. That’s the current dream. Did I mention we all need healthcare in this country?
You can catch Parvesh in Wives from October 8, 2026 – November 1, 2026 at the David Henry Hwang Theater in the Union Center for the Arts, 120 Judge John Aiso Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, in historic Little Tokyo. Tickets here.
a&e features
Actor Kal Penn on the real lesson of ‘Trust Me, I’m a Doctor’
The gay actor speaks about his newest role and the true cost of fame
The death of Anna Nicole Smith has been portrayed for decades by the very entertainment industry that led to her downfall. This tale of manipulation and institutional incompetence continues to be a warning, with Smith showing what happens when people see you as a product rather than a person. Countless films have chronicled her life and death, repeating the same heartbreaking beats while recycling the usual messages — but Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, tries something different.
Directed by Thane Economou, the film is based on the real autobiography of Sandeep Kapoor, the doctor who prescribed Smith a heavy dosage of sedatives throughout the last few years of her life (which allegedly played a part in her death). Trust Me, I’m a Doctor looks at the larger system of spectacle that guides not only our entertainment but our legal system. It travels from intense Los Angeles courtrooms to the streets of West Hollywood in its focus on this man, who is played amazingly in the film by gay actor Kal Penn.
“I think the thing that really drew me to the character [of Sandeep] is: he’s a doctor who’s really vulnerable,” said Penn, speaking to the LA Blade about the role. “He’s deeply insecure at times where…he makes a lot of bad decisions. There’s equal parts cockiness and insecurity that I thought would be really interesting to delve into as a character.”
Most people know Penn for his famous Harold and Kumar series; this comedy trilogy sees him as a stoner getting into random misadventures with his best friend. But while he became known for playing this slacker, Kal’s real life is the complete opposite, with the man working across film and TV while also serving within the Obama administration’s Office of Public Engagement. The past few decades have seen him pursue both film and advocacy, but it wasn’t until his memoir You Can’t Be Serious that he officially came out to the world by announcing his longtime boyfriend.
This wild combination of real-life experience meant Kal was very drawn to the central role in Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, explaining, “Sandeep says, ‘I’m just a private person living a private, quiet life,’ — but then he makes 10 decisions that counter that, where it’s clear that he loves attention, that he really enjoys being in the company of Anna Nicole because of her celebrity and her status!” Kal’s own experiences with the pitfalls of fame informed his role in the story, as audiences watch the initially quiet doctor attend the WeHo pride parade with Smith, begin supplying her with a questionable amount of drugs, and eventually face the Medical Board of California in court.
Somehow, Trust Me, I’m a Doctor still manages to imbue this harrowing legal battle with a startling amount of dark humor, with Penn explaining, “I certainly don’t want to make light of somebody’s tragic death, but Dr. Kapoor has a self-deprecating humor. There’s a dark comedy aspect of his stuff that I think audiences would enjoy.” It’s a comedy that quickly becomes vital to the film as viewers learn its true message: the entertainment industry can be so, so ridiculous.
As Kal emphasized, this isn’t delivered at the expense of how heartbreaking Anna Nicole’s final months were. In fact, the film offers many shockingly heartbreaking scenes as viewers learn just how terribly she was treated by people like her shady lawyer and irresponsible psychiatrist. But through Sandeep’s view — both when Smith was alive and in the ensuing case — audiences learn how even the most serious of issues can be sensationalized to a horrible degree.
It displays how judges, lawyers, and even potential governors used Smith’s death as a way to gain attention, with many targeting Sandeep as a ploy to garner the ‘audience’s’ approval. That’s not to say that Sandeep is treated as some war-torn hero — the film harshly critiques his many jaw-dropping mistakes. But it shows how people will so often skew reality if it means getting the kind of attention that led to Anna Nicole’s death.
Kal has seen this unfortunate phenomenon throughout his long career (both on the entertainment and the political side). For himself, and for anyone who hopes to make it in this industry someday, Kal advised, “Take pride in your job, and love what you do, but…when there’s more of a focus on you and what you do, talk to a friend who doesn’t do what you do for a living. Just remind yourself that…that you aren’t sh*t basically, you know?”
The man laughed at that, with his wry advice mirroring the dark humor of Trust Me, I’m a Doctor. He stressed that above all else, he hopes people enjoy the film as a great adaptation. But with its main themes, he also hopes that it helps educate people more about the terrible things that led to Anna Nicole Smith’s death — and how they can watch out for them in their own lives.
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Fortune Feimster has always taken representation through comedy seriously
Feimster is bringing her latest comedy tour to the United Theater in Los Angeles on November 7
After spending months away from friends and family (outside of a hometown visit to North Carolina), Fortune Feimster is in the final stretch of her latest tour, Takin’ Care of Biscuits. And it’s only fitting to bring it home to Los Angeles, the city that provided the queer stand-up comic her first live audience two decades ago.
“Every hour that I put out is very much a reflection of my life at that period of time and what I’m going through; there’s a lot of changes in my personal life, from my Mom to my marriage, so I don’t shy away from those things,” Feimster tells The Blade. “But I’m also not a serious ‘comic,’ so I still find levity in those life experiences.”
In the Takin’ Care of Biscuits tour, which is coming to the United Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 7, Feimster explores some of these big changes in life, from coming out of a 10-year relationship to her Mom being diagnosed with cancer — all through the lens of confessional, feel-good style comedy, of course.
Long before voicing a lovable beaver in Zootopia 2 or starring in The Mindy Project, Feimster got her start back in 2007 at The Comedy Store, which she describes as “bro-y.” Everything changed, though, when she discovered a local show at Akbar, run by a gay comedian named Bruce Daniels. “The queer comedy community embracing me and giving me a platform was a huge part of my foundation,” she says.
As part of her comedy, Feimster will sometimes dig up hate tweets and comments and incorporate them as part of her act (at least in the past, when she says she had “more time” to look at social media). In her 2022 special Good Fortune, the audience roars in laughter when she reads a comment calling her a “taco-licking lesbian.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to deal with some of the hateful comments, but this particular one, I was turning his comment on its head in that he referred to me as these awful things, but he did refer to my partner at the time as my wife, which meant he was recognizing my marriage!” Feimster says. “That was a huge step because guys like him, people like him, do not want me to have that right to begin with.”
As a comedian who speaks openly about sex and sexuality, Feimster has “always” taken the representation she provides “very seriously” when she steps on stage in front of an audience.
“Anytime we get to tell our stories and be on platforms like Netflix, it’s big. People from all over the world see these specials, and hopefully they see something in you they resonate with,” she says. “And then on the silly side of this, I also have some fun jokes that I tease my fellow lesbians about, which people are really enjoying. You’ve got to not take yourself too seriously.”
Outside of stand-up comedy, Feimster co-hosts the podcast Handsome, which won a GLAAD award in 2026, with Tig Notaro and Mae Martin. That has “broadened” the comedian’s horizons in the different generations of queer fans each host draws in. She also recently co-starred in Netflix’s The Hawk, holding her own alongside Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon. In addition, Feimster has been chosen as the 2026 National Grand Marshal for Palm Springs Pride, timely for her Palm Springs appearance at the Plaza Theatre on November 8th.
“Things are getting harder; this is the time to be more visible,” Feimster says. “And that’s what I try to do — just be a visible, out comedian who is not trying to shy away from being who I am.”
Feimster’s tour comes to Santa Barbara on Oct 24th, Los Angeles Nov 7th, and Palm Springs Nov 8th; get your tickets here.
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How Orville Peck healed his inner child through ‘Street Fighter (2026)’
The famous singer discusses this new role and what it means to him as an LGBTQ+ artist
When asked to think about Orville Peck, most people would immediately remember the man’s music, his time on Broadway, his many scintillating photoshoots or, of course, the ornate masks he wears throughout it all.
Most wouldn’t, at least before a few months ago, think about the long-lasting video game franchise, Street Fighter.
This historic fighting game doesn’t instantly mesh with the image that Orville has spent years developing. The country singer has garnered national acclaim through his four albums, sultry and often somber affairs that have earned him numerous awards and thousands of fans. Along with his voice, new listeners are intrigued by his masks; Peck always wears a face covering to protect his privacy and embody a distinctly queer flair in his work. These are only removed for very special occasions — such as his renowned turn as the Emcee in a Broadway revival of Cabaret — with even his recent centerfold in the sexy magazine Playgirl seeing Orville bare everything except his face.
The musician does all of this while being proudly gay, serving as one of the most notable queer celebrities we have today. This, combined with his dynamic career, has earned Peck legions of supporters, each one excited about whatever new project he decides to do next. And they were all completely shocked in early 2026 when Orville announced just what that project would be: starring in Kitao Sakurai’s live-action adaptation of the classic video game, Street Fighter.
“They didn’t know I grew up playing this game, so it was so cool!” Peck raved as he discussed the film with the Los Angeles Blade. For the less digitally-minded of us, Street Fighter is an immensely popular gaming franchise, with this decades-spanning series offering dozens of games filled with colorful characters players can fight as. The cast for this latest adaptation dropped earlier this year and included stars like Jason Momoa, David Dastmalchian, Callina Liang — and, of course, Orville Peck.
“Fighting games probably draw a lot of queer people in [because] you can choose which character speaks to you, and they belong there,” Orville explained. “They don’t have to prove themselves…they belong, and you can connect in that way, since maybe you didn’t belong or [feel] included,” Orville admitted that it’s a connection he’s experienced himself; the man spent many hours of his childhood playing Street Fighter with his brothers. And one of his favorite characters was Vega, the bullfighting, gorgeous assassin obsessed with his own appearance (and slashing his opponents to ribbons).
It’s why there was no question Orville would take on the role when it was first offered to him. This may seem like an easy choice for many viewers — both Peck and Vega wear a mask — but the singer stressed that his link to the character went far beyond just the physical. “Vega did carry this kind of queer-coded energy that queer fans of Street Fighter have always picked up on and related to. And I was encouraged to not stray away from that — they wanted that to be included.”
Vega serves as the loyal henchman of Street Fighter’s main villain, M. Bison, with the claw-wielding fighter filling his screen time with snarky humor, great action scenes, and a distaste for wearing a shirt. But Vega also serves as a vital contrast in the film by punctuating the hypermasculinity of the men around him. He shows that queerness and strength can go hand-in-hand, with Orville finding it so affirming to bring out that universal truth through his performance.
It was something that he enjoyed not only for his adult self, but for the younger version who loved nothing more than playing Street Fighter with his brothers, saying, “Being a little queer kid…I definitely did not feel at times that I was going to be welcomed into some things in life, right? Getting to be the only openly gay man in this film with a bunch of very heterosexual gentlemen running around, and then having my place next to them? I think that would be really encouraging and healing to little Orville, for sure.”
Orville went on about his amazing co-stars — he warmly referred to Callina Liang, who plays Chun-Li in the film, as ‘my sister’ — and the countless joys this role brought him. When asked whether he would return for a possible sequel, he emphasized, “We’re all so close as a cast now. Everybody loves and supports each other so much. I would 100% do it again, of course.” It’s a promising message for many queer viewers absolutely loving his turn as Vega, and it signals an uplifting development for the man himself.
Orville Peck’s entire career is dedicated to utmost authenticity, showing your truest self in a way that feels genuine and recognizing what that truth brings to yourself and others. In a movie filled with nonstop fighting and campy chaos, he still managed to channel that into every second of his time onscreen. And whether it be as Vega or whatever role he decides to take next, it’s a vital message that this musician — and, he will remind you now, actor — will always work hard to make the center of his work.
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Exposing the realities of influencer culture with Bran Flakezz
This LA-based creator uses his massive fanbase to create a better industry for all
Being an influencer seems like the easiest job in the world…to the people who aren’t actually doing it.
It’s a belief that has been completely debunked in recent years, especially for diverse creators; biased algorithms have made it hard for LGBTQ+ and people-of-color to gain fame online. And even if you didn’t have strings of code fighting against your success, many creators have spoken about the tireless aspects of this job that online audiences rarely get to see. The eighteen-hour work days, the predatory brand partnerships, and the immense mental stress that comes from relying on others’ opinion of you to make rent that month.
For a majority of the successful folks we see online today, their onscreen joy is built on years of hard work and tireless determination. It’s a part of this industry that doesn’t get enough spotlight, and it’s one that Bran Flakezz is committed to showing his many followers every single day.
When he sat down with the Los Angeles Blade, Bran wanted to make one thing very clear: he absolutely loves his job. He detailed his early career after graduating with a degree in fashion merchandising — shoutout Elle Woods — where he went through the gamut of internships, part-time work, and official positions with various large brands. It was working with these jobs’ social media teams that he learned the ins and outs of online fame, skills that proved vital in 2021 when he decided to quit his role and commit to creating content full-time.
“It just feels so great to be in control, to have creative freedom and make my own goals,” said Bran when describing the many things he loves about his career. “Being my own boss is incredible — making my own schedule, and building a team around me of people that contribute to my success.” It’s a love that shows in his content; Bran first gained attention online by offering an unfiltered look into his daily (and often very chaotic) life as a gay man. It’s why his many fans — more than 1.5 million across TikTok and Instagram — feel like they know the LA-based creator, with each new follower learning about everything from Bran’s obsession with Bratz dolls to his thoughts on the latest season of Big Brother.
Bran has happily welcomed audiences into his wild life over the past few years. But though the man’s main goal is always to bring joy through his content, he also knows it’s important to educate users about the issues he and his fellow creators face today. He does this mainly through TikTok; Flakezz regularly posts videos speaking about things like the intensity of his daily work schedule and how much money people can actually make posting online (it’s a lot less than you’d think). “I never want to sound ungrateful for any of this,” Bran emphasized. “But there are prices to all of it.”
“We’re told that people’s opinions of you are not your business — but when you’re creating a business around people enjoying your content, people’s opinions of you literally become your business!” He stressed. “Your brain is always spinning [with tasks] and you have to stay consistent on all platforms, especially now more than ever, when there’s just so much saturation and competition.” It’s why Bran works so tirelessly across his many social channels and always offers a wide array of content — because he knows that in this fast-paced influencer economy, one day of rest could undo months of hard work.
Funnily enough, Flakezz did clarify that the homophobic comments he constantly receives don’t bother him much, saying, “Everything that you can say to me online, I heard the 6th grade bullies say to me on the recess yard.” But while he can easily tune out the internet trolls, his experience with large brand partnerships — one of the key ways influencers make money — has shown him how this industry still grapples with homophobia. “Sometimes I’ll see campaigns for brands, and I’ll feel like, ‘Oh, was I a token? Was I selected because they needed me to cross off on their list that they got one gay creator?’ There’s been opportunities I say no to, and I see another gay creator get the opportunity — so they were completely profiling us as LGBT influencers.”
While it is amazing that brands want to spotlight LGBTQ+ creators, Bran shows how this kind of ‘we only need one to look woke’ mentality both limits opportunities for queer influencers and reduces them to nothing more than their sexual or gender identity. This reveals how shallow this type of inclusivity truly is, and why creators like Bran are fighting to remedy this mindset so that brands create ample chances for diverse influencers who respect who they truly are.
Fans have been overwhelmingly supportive of Bran’s openness around these topics, appreciating his transparency in an industry often built on misinformation. Flakezz has been immensely grateful in turn, explaining, “I never wanted to come across as ungrateful or complaining about such a privileged life that I get to live, but…I really wanted to approach the conversation in a way of education. Because I know so many people out there want to do this career — and it’s an amazing career — but here are some of the things that people don’t always tell you.”
Through his feed, Bran offers a welcoming mix of queer humor and informed knowledge, helping his followers unwind after a long day while ensuring that they leave each scroll session with more knowledge than they had before. It’s an uplifting approach that helps improve the influencer industry for all. And it’s one that Bran Flakezz hopes to embody throughout the rest of what is shaping up to be his very bright, very long career.
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LA writer/director gets a little ‘Psycho Baby’
Charlotte Kennett discusses the wild success of her short film and shares on the state of queer people in entertainment
YouTube has created its own style of content, whether it’s “get ready with me” videos, scene compilations of your favorite shows, or simple to-camera essays. And yet, one major milestone remains: reaching one million views. Writer/Director Charlotte Kennett has done just that with her original film Psycho Baby.
Her dark comedy short explores the extreme side of lesbian relationship drama. Kennett managed to organically reach 1 million views in 2 years, which is no small feat. In 2025, she also participated in Amy Aniobi’s TRIBE Writers’ Fellowship. She also continues to work on the front lines of an unprecedented Hollywood, most recently working as a writer’s assistant, then director’s assistant on A Place in Hell, starring Michelle Williams and Daisy Edgar-Jones.
She took some time to chat with The Blade about her film and its success while also discussing the state of the industry for both queer content and queer creators. Her humor and passion for creativity shine through, and you can see how she’s a very distinct queer voice in entertainment.
Congrats on reaching 1 million views on YouTube. How does it feel to reach that with scripted long-form content vs. a sketch or standard “YouTube” content?
I’m incredibly honored that my film found its people. It’s both comforting and validating to know that other people care about longform content. I’m not interested in cutting the fat on anything. Those are the juiciest bits. We’re living in a time of bite-sized everything, from Ozempic to how short can you make this reel? The story decides the length it wants to be, and if you’re lucky, an audience finds it. Are you reading this at 2x speed?
How would you describe Psycho Baby?
Psycho Baby is an intimate, character-driven dark comedy where a love addict falls for a psychopath. Is it a recipe for disaster? I think we already know.
Any secrets to your success?
Send nudes to the algo Gods.
Manifest in the bath.
Buy lottery tickets.
Actually, I think it’s something simpler: Never stop talking about the things you create, even when everyone else is ready to move on. You know the writing advice: kill your darlings? That’s only true at a script level, but once they’re realized, you must love your darlings FOREVER. Also, never stop creating. Not everything performs well; that’s okay. If even one person watches your work, that’s a win. Success is defined on your own terms.
What was your process for writing and directing Psycho Baby?
Long before I wrote the script for Psycho Baby, I had visions of the opening scene in my mind. I saw a girl laying on a bed with a letter on her chest. A letter that would test her and render her powerless in some way. I spent a lot of time thinking about the characters and my own romantic experiences as a queer person.
So much of the process of Psycho Baby was allowing the idea to marinate in my head. And I’ve found that to be true for me on almost all of my projects: I don’t force an idea to come through before it’s ready. A year had passed by the time I finally sat down to write the script, but when I did, it just poured out. The short is pretty much word-for-word how I wrote the first draft, which is wild to think about.
Psycho Baby was initially inspired by a break-up. In processing with friends, I kept hearing other people calling their exes psycho an awful lot. I found the need for humans to villainize a person they once loved quite interesting. In truth, the snapping point- when the switch flips and someone has decided they can’t be with you anymore is quite jarring. I put on an ugly fedora and started to Nancy Drew my own feelings. When sapphic relationships end: who’s the crazy one? The core of Psycho Baby asks this question. Is it possible it’s both of them?
It was cathartic to interrogate my own flaws alongside those of past partners. Sadie and Andra are the end result of my exploring queer grief and heartbreak from the heightened lens of a psychopath and love addict; two people destined to fail. Once I had the script written, we were off to the races. Everything else was fast and furious. I’m really proud of what we created together.
What do you think of the state of the entertainment industry in LA right now?
I’m in active denial and have to remain delulu and think everything is fine. It’s been sad. Everyone has lost so much. Like most, I can only speak to my experience. It’s been hard to admit that the industry has changed, a lot more doors are closed, and we don’t know if they’ll ever open again.
We’ve lost so many great storytellers. I mourn that more than anything. I think about all the stories we’ve lost, the ones that went with them when they left. Someone had the next great classic on their laptop. That haunts me. The industry is trying to recover, but it’s like an injury that refuses to heal. Everyone still here is my hero.
How do you navigate that as a queer creator?
I’ve accepted that this is, and will continue to be, a hard and arduous journey. I’ve fallen in love with all aspects of the process. There’s inherent value and growth in winning and losing.
Mindset is everything. You must believe that your stories matter and that there is room for you in what feels like an overcrowded industry. I know deep down in my soul that LGBTQ+ media saves lives. Shows like Heartstopper. Positive queer representation in the media has the power to reach across the aisle and connect people.
I navigate the entertainment industry as a queer creator with the same relentlessness as AT&T Fiber sales reps: I’m showing up at your door at all hours, in a flashy vest, with the same damn offer.
What are some things you’re working on?
This past year, I’ve been working on a feature that I hope will be my debut. My manager is taking it out soon, so stay tuned and pray for me. Outside of writing specs and samples and hoping a showrunner will pluck me out of obscurity, I’m also actively developing a slate of queer narrative shows for my YouTube channel Sleep Late.
Traditional Hollywood opportunities and pipelines have all but evaporated, so I’m making lemonade out of sewer water. I’m not waiting for permission to create. I think creators have to take some of their power back and greenlight their own ideas. I’m excited to grow my audience on YouTube and dethrone Mr. Beast. Hollywood might be burning, but I’m an old-growth Redwood tree. This is all I’ve ever known… and I’m not going anywhere.
What do you think is lacking in stories of female queer love?
First, I want to echo the culture and say we need more stories that end on a good note. People get off on queer pain, and I get it; I’m a masochist too, but let’s listen to the corporate gays and unlock queer joy.
What’s really lacking is diversity. Like, I’ve seen two white women prancing around in the English countryside and exchanging long, silent looks across ballrooms enough times now. I’d like to see more sapphic BIPOC representation on-screen. I need another Hedda immediately.
What is your list of definitive queer movies or shows that you think should be required viewing?
The Handmaiden. Brokeback Mountain. Disobedience. Bound. The L Word. Orphan Black. Heated Rivalry. Everything Sucks!
What advice would you have for a queer young person trying to make it into the industry now in Los Angeles?
Find your people. Look out for expanders: people who invite you into the room, laugh at your jokes, connect you with others. Stay away from people who make you feel weird; if it happens once, it’s gonna happen again. Not everyone is going to like you or your voice, and that’s okay.
Rejection is redirection. Make things regardless of resources and release them into the world; people still love their ugly children, don’t they? Do it again and again. Continue to refine your craft with your friends and community. Also, just because you’re young doesn’t mean you can’t lead. You’re a leader the day you decide to be the connective tissue between people and projects. And the cardinal rule: always uplift other creatives and invite them into the room.
What is your dream project or collab?
This question lit up too many parts of my brain. In truth, my dream project or collaboration could come in so many forms. I’ll cross Genre River any chance I get. Check out the sci-fi rock banks, then wade over to rom-com island, get chased off by an Indiana Jones type who wants the girl, and getaway with stoner chicks floating the river in tubes.
I fell in love with storytelling because of big, immersive films, so naturally I want to make movies that feel all-consuming: movies that make people feel really seen, that people want to watch over and over again. Down the line, it would be meaningful to take a stab at some of my favorite IP, to work on the stories that made me a dreamer and a storyteller in the first place.
But right now, my dream is to work with passionate creatives that make me laugh. People who need to tell stories to survive. A dream collaboration is one where I’ve brought creatives from all walks of life together to tell a story only we could in partnership with one another.
What are your biggest inspirations?
I’m inspired by truth-tellers and people who are willing to say the things everyone else is afraid to say. Activists like Greta Thunberg inspire me, but so do survivors, my community, and the people I meet every day. I’m especially inspired by neurodivergent and queer people and the ways we move through a world that wasn’t necessarily built with us in mind.
I’m inspired by radically honest people, even when it’s uncomfortable or dangerous. People who are strange, resilient, uncompromising, deeply themselves. I’m inspired by risk takers and troublemakers. Those are also the kinds of people I want to uplift and make stories about. I’m a filmmaker who enjoys boundary-pushing work and unconventional characters who question the systems we live in. I’m inspired by everyday people who demand better for our world.
You can learn more about Charlotte’s work on her website or YouTube channel and follow her and her production company on Instagram( @charkenni @motherfever)
a&e features
Veteran Broadway actor Laura Benanti bares all in her new show ‘Nobody Cares’
Fresh from a run at The Wallis in Beverly Hills, she brings the show to South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa from October 8-11.
One might expect when Laura Benanti comes to town that they are in store for a feast of recognizable standards from the veteran of ten Broadway shows, as well as having a strong presence in television and film. Her new show, Nobody Cares, is not that show. Written by Benanti in collaboration with songwriting partner Todd Almond and Director Annie Tippe, this show is a surprising, personal, and hilarious take on what it is to be a 40-something woman in today’s world. It takes on subjects from motherhood to aging to relationships and perimenopause. Fresh from a run at The Wallis in Beverly Hills, she brings the show to South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa from October 8-11.
My first exposure to Laura Benanti, the person, was on The Broadway Cruise in 2023. Unbeknownst to the audience for her featured performance on the poolside stage was that Benanti was in the middle of a miscarriage. When I asked her about that experience, she shared something important she has learned from life. “Not that I’m trying to win here, but that was my fourth miscarriage! I could have done what I did in the past and spent my time alone and sad. Instead, I wanted to do the thing I love with my audience and feel that joy of performing for and with them.” That authenticity is what she brings to this show that is so revealing and personal. The result is connection and “laughter of recognition.” In other words, she invites the audience in to laugh with her and inspires them to laugh at their own similar life experiences.
What inspired you to write Nobody Cares?
I had done ten Broadway shows and was always cast as the ingenue. Finally, I decided that the only way I was going to get a role written for me was to do it myself. What’s interesting is that when I started writing the show, in my mind, I was like, what are you doing? Nobody cares. This is so narcissistic! Then, I would read parts of it to my girlfriends, and they were like, “I do care about this, and that’s because I care about you.” And then, ironically, I was having a conversation with my 4-year-old. I was telling her something that was important to me, and I felt like I was imparting my wisdom. She stopped me and went, “Mommy, nobody cares.” I thought, she’s right, actually. All of the things I used to worry about – am I pretty enough? Am I thin enough? Am I successful enough? Nobody cares!
So, maybe it really isn’t a show about not caring, but caring about the right things?
I think it’s that, you know, I talk about going from a people pleaser to a recovering ingenue. Starting out in this business so young (she first starred in The Sound of Music at the age of 18), I started to inadvertently live out my characters in real life. I took on this persona of never upsetting anybody, being what people wanted me to be, especially men. I got caught in a trap of not living my own life, becoming whatever another person wants me to be. It’s taken a long time to unravel that.
Has there been a specific experience that helped the unraveling?
Being a parent. My children put the nail in the coffin for needing everybody to like me all the time. They’ll never like me all the time, and it can’t be their job to like me all the time. It’s my job to not need them to. I had to develop an internal fortitude. I tell some really out-there stories, very private stories that used to hold shame for me. In telling them, it takes that shame away. What I hope is that it involves people enough to release their own.
Is there a particular moment in the show that you still say, “OMG, I can’t believe I’m actually telling them this?
There is definitely one song where it’s hit or miss. I tell a story about when I was 21. A man proposed to me, and he would not take no for an answer. He just kept at it. And because I’m such a people pleaser, I didn’t have the heart to say, “Listen, I don’t love you.” I didn’t want to hurt his feelings…so I told him I had cancer…and that I didn’t want him to have to see me like that. It’s a song called “Marry Me,” and either you’re on board and you love it, or you hate me.
You have explicitly described the show as a love letter to women of all ages, mothers, and your “beloved gay men.” As you know, gay men have a long history of embracing glamorous, funny, complicated, and authentic women. What is it about you and your particular brand of comedy and performance that attracts your beloved gay men to you?
I think that’s true, and I love it. I believe it’s my sense of otherness that I have always felt since I was 11 years old. My main interests were Murder, She Wrote, the music of Steven Sondheim, and the 1944 psychological thriller Gaslight. I was so on the outs! I was so not cool. And, please know that I am in no way comparing this to the challenges of coming out. That is not the correlation. I always say I was born like a 45-year-old gay man in a little girl’s body. I just wanted to sit in a well-knit room and listen to good music and watch movies. So I think there’s a similar sense of culture. My Uncle Bob was an incredible drag queen named Wanda May Wanaburger and one of the founders of the Gay Men’s Chorus in Washington, DC. I grew up with him. Actually, the last time I ever saw him, we were singing together on stage at the Kennedy Center. I was playing Maria (Von Trapp from The Sound of Music), and he played the Mother Abbess. It was so great to have that moment with him before we lost him suddenly. I worshipped him. I grew up under his wing…or wigs, as it were! I think on some level I share the recovering people-pleaser identity with gay men. So many of us can’t change it until we have the courage to do so. I always knew, on some level, that people-pleasing was a survival strategy, not some altruistic trait.
You have spoken about women and the influence they have in your life.
Yes, when I turned 30, I met some truly wonderful women who are some of my dearest friends to this day. They just moved through the world in such a different way than me. I just started mirroring them. I started thinking, “What would Sara do? What would Kelly do? What would Celia do?” Then, I would sort of act accordingly. It became a freedom. I also had them loving and supporting me and cheering for me. That was really the beginning of a big shift in me. Having my children was the second phase of that.
How do you feel now that you’re touring the show you’ve written after becoming frustrated with waiting for other people to write a role for you?
It’s been extremely empowering in that I get to use my own words. I’ve written for a very long time, and I’ve written comedy for a while for a lot of award shows. I would write my own monologue and bits and even the sort of Broadway cabaret shows that I would tour. I would have someone who didn’t want to be there come up to me afterwards and say they really like the stand-up part. That’s when I realized that’s what I was doing, and it was ok. It didn’t make me a fraud to pursue that. And this level of authenticity that I want to bring forward, this level of connection with the audience, it’s really become my favorite thing I do. I’ll always love playing characters, but this is a real departure for me.
Do you believe that your queer fans have helped teach you about being able to be who you are and be this person you’ve become?
Yeah, because my road is so much easier than theirs, and they do it. I think about that with my uncle. He lived. He was in a long-term relationship with a black man in Washington, D.C., in the 80s. It was not a time to be gay. I think about him all the time when I’m like, it’s so hard to be a woman. I just so admire the people I know in the LGBTQIA+ community. And right now, it feels like we’re sort of going back in time. You know, to see joy, to see a Pride Parade, to see people, even if they are afraid, walking and talking and being themselves, and trans people, having the courage to live their truth. I am so inspired by that. If they can find joy, I can find joy.
Tickets for Nobody Cares are available at SCR.org.
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