Los Angeles DJs Heidi Lawden and FLABBERGAST teamed up for “Children of the Revolution,” a new track released Sept. 4 on Berlin label DESSERT.  Written and produced by Lawden and Hein Hoven, with lead vocals and lyrics by FLABBERGAST, the track appears alongside a darker, stripped-down “Power Bottom Mix,” by Lawden.

Lawden and FLABBERGAST first connected in L.A.’s queer underground party scene. Lawden co-founded Take It Outside, while Zane Pond, who performs as FLABBERGAST, co-founded VICE Underground. On July 4, 2025, amid ICE raids across L.A., they organized an art installation and protest rave on the Arroyo Seco Walkway near Dodger Stadium, where they debuted an early version of the track while local artists covered the bridge with anti-fascist messages.

DESSERT co-founder Tom Peters visited L.A. in April to DJ at VICE. Before the party, FLABBERGAST played him the track, and Peters expressed interest in releasing it. Lawden, Hoven and FLABBERGAST then rebuilt the track and made the “Power Bottom Mix.”

Ahead of its release, Lawden and FLABBERGAST spoke separately with the Los Angeles Blade about the track, their friendship and queer nightlife as resistance.

What made you two want to work together?

HEIDI LAWDEN: It was unbelievably organic. We gravitated toward one another politically when the ICE raids were really happening in our city. We were very connected over our shared disgust.

FLABBERGAST: We’re both very punk. We believe in anti-fascism. Those things bonded us as really good friends. I said to her after I DJed a party, “Let’s go to the studio on Tuesday.” She was like, “Let’s do it.” We did it, and we made the track in a day.

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What were you trying to say politically?

FLABBERGAST: “Revolution,” in the context of the song, is about freeing all people who are under bondage, specifically trans and queer people. We’re not free, and this song is about reminding people of that. It’s all of our responsibility to make noise and fight.

HEIDI LAWDEN: It was a call-out to inspire people to rally, protest, object, and resist. I really wanted it to feel powerful, like a musical air raid siren.

What did each of you bring to the record?

FLABBERGAST: Heidi brought the sound and the euphoria. Everything about her is joyous. My lyrics are more about the protest. And she also includes some of her lyrics at the end. She sang them, which was so beautiful.

HEIDI LAWDEN: My inspiration was really Zane, the things we talked about and musically bonded over. It was wholly inspired by our friendship and our shared views.

Why two versions, and what distinguishes them?

FLABBERGAST: We realized over time that we didn’t want it to be so dark. We wanted it to be uplifting and full of love.

HEIDI LAWDEN: The “Power Bottom Mix” is down-and-dirty beats. It doesn’t reach any kind of crescendo, whereas the full mix has a euphoric ending. The “Power Bottom Mix” is something you could play for 20 minutes on a loop, and it makes you get down and dirty. That’s why the two tracks work so well together if you want to go between the mixes.

The track connects queer nightlife with resistance. What makes the dance floor political for you?

FLABBERGAST: It’s about being in a place you feel safe and liberated. Some people might be hiding, might not be out, and these places are the only places where they can truly feel free. Especially people of the trans experience, they face challenges every day when they go out in public that cisgender people will never have to deal with.

HEIDI LAWDEN: My earliest experiences of nightlife were dancing and not knowing who was going to be there to dance with me the following week. It’s always been an act of resistance. I saw this amazing quote about being in the fight in the daytime and then being on the dance floors at nighttime to remind ourselves what we were in the fight for.

These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

Entertainment has been bittersweet for queer people. We’ve lost Dolly Parton, Bob Mackie, and Tim Curry. We’ve seen a 41% drop in queer characters on television due to TV cancellations. So you likely weren’t expecting the Emmys to be a particularly queer affair. And yet, there were some delicious moments that were queer-coded, and many of our favorites were honored. 

Mariska Hargitay, who has played our favorite quasi-butch SVU detective for 27 years, hosted the festivities. She took home two Creative Arts Emmys for directing the documentary My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay, which also took home an award. She started the ceremony with a parody of “I Love Rock-n-Roll” which featured appearances by Jean Smart, Jennifer Coolidge, and gay Emmy winner Jeff Hiller. There were also weird product placement ads for Marriott and United. #recessionindicators 

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As for LGBTQ representation, Rhea Seehorn won for playing lesbian character Carol Sturka in Pluribus. Alan Cumming took home another Emmy as well for The Traitors, beating out RuPaul and RuPaul’s Drag Race. Drag Race did take home an Emmy for Outstanding Hairstyling For A Variety, Nonfiction, or Reality Program.

DTF: St Louis which followed an infidelity that ended in a muder subplot and featured a unique polyamorous threesome was an Emmy darling and earned Emmys for Linda Cardellini and David Harbour. 

There were some historical moments: Matthew Rhys took home two Emmys for Best Lead Actor in an Anthology and Best Lead Actor in a Comedy, making him the first actor to win for two of the main categories in one night. Rob Reiner, who received a posthumous Emmy for his role in The Bear, beat out 2025 darling Connor Storrie.  This broke the record for the longest span between acting Emmy wins at 48 years, which was previously set by his father, comedian Carl Reiner.

To honor Dolly Parton, Sally Field (who took home an Emmy) gave a stirring introduction, with Reba McEntire singing a tribute. Macaulay Culkin, Annie Murphy, and Dan Levy paid tribute to Catherine O’Hara, with Culkin pulling heartstrings calling her “mama.”

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There was a 50th reunion for Charlie’s Angels with Jaclyn Smith, Kate Jackson, and Cheryl Ladd presenting Outstanding Drama Series. They took a moment to shout out and honor Farrah Fawcett. Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Borenaz had their own reunion, giving out the award for Outstanding Lead Actor and alluded to the sad loss of Nicholas Brendan, Anthony Stewart Head, and Michelle Trachtenberg, who all passed within the last two years. Gellar was also able to make a quick crack about her now-cancelled Buffy reboot. 

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The ceremony was also very on it and was quick to add Bob Mackie, who passed earlier this week, to their In Memoriam segment. 

Here’s the full list of winners as well as notable Creative Arts Emmy recipients. 

Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures

Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie 

• Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me

Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis

Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• David Harbour, DTF St. Louis

Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• Steven Conrad, DTF St. Louis

Limited or Anthology Series

• DTF St. Louis

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

• Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

• Jean Smart, Hacks

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

• Stephen Root, Widow’s Bay

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

• Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay

Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

• Rob Reiner, The Bear

Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

• Betty Gilpin, Widow’s Bay

Directing for a Comedy Series

• Hiro Murai, Widow’s Bay

Writing for a Comedy Series

• Katie Dippold, Widow’s Bay

Comedy Series

• Widow’s Bay

Lead Actress in a Drama Series

• Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

• Noah Wyle, The Pitt

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

• Allison Janney, The Diplomat

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

• Tom Pelphrey, Task

Guest Actor in a Drama Series

• Ernest Harden Jr., The Pitt

Guest Actress in a Drama Series

• Shailene Woodley, Paradise

Writing for a Drama Series

• Vince Gilligan, Pluribus

Directing for a Drama Series

• Saul Metzstein, Slow Horses

Drama Series

• The Pitt

Structured Reality Program

• Antiques Roadshow

Unstructured Reality Program

• Love on the Spectrum

Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program

• Alan Cumming, The Traitors

Directing for a Reality Program

• Ben Archard, The Traitors

Reality Competition Program

• The Traitors

Writing for a Variety Series

• The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Directing for a Variety Series

• Yvonne De Mare, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Variety Series

• The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Variety Special (Live)

• The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny

Variety Special (Prerecorded)

• The Muppet Show

Directing for a Variety Special

• Hamish Hamilton, The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny

Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series

• Colbert Before Air

Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series

• Inside The Pitt

Performer in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series

• Desi Lydic, The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains

Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program

• Mariska Hargitay, My Mom Jayne: A Film By Mariska Hargitay

Documentary or Nonfiction Special

• My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay

To those still reeling from the loss of Dolly Parton and Tim Curry, we have another queer icon to add to the In Memoriam of 2026: Bob Mackie. A designer known for being extra, before that was even a thing, has left us with a legacy of looks and an indelible mark on fashion. 

The news broke on his Instagram account Monday, September 14th, with the message:

 “It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Mr. Bob Mackie passed away today. He lived his 87 years to the fullest, fulfilling his dream of being a Fashion and Costume Designer, which is all he ever wanted to do. His genius and extraordinary designs will live on forever, continuing to bring beauty into this world.” According to People magazine, he passed away in Palm Springs due to pneumonia. 

At 87, Mackie is the definitive designer for divas. Mackie has literally dressed them all, including Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Barbara Streisand, Dolly Parton, Tina Turner, Bette Midler, Bernadette Peters, and even RuPaul. He’s dressed film and television icons like Raquel Welch, Lynda Carter, Goldie Hawn, and Jennifer Lopez. It’s not just female divas; he’s also done many of Elton John’s famous costumes as well as David Bowie’s.

His first major mark was drawing the first design of Marilyn Monroe’s famous “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress. Next, he was an assistant to costume designer Ray Aghayan on The Judy Garland Show. The two would carry on a professional and romantic partnership for 50 years until Aghayan’s passing in 2011.  

Mackie then went on to do all of the costumes for The Carol Burnett Show, creating an estimated 17,000 costumes for her show’s 11-year run. This gave him much critical acclaim and notoriety, making him a permanent fixture in the variety show market. 

He became a frequent collaborator of Cher, having made her famous midriff-revealing Oscar gown, her “If I Could Turn Back Time” costume, and being her designer for her various television shows, including The Sonny and Cher Show. He even designed costumes for her Farewell Tour. The two are synonymous with him having lent his artistic sensibilities to give her a distinct look. Cher even said in 2024, “He helped me create a different me.” 

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Mackie has left his mark on fashion with a distinct style of glamorous, over-the-top looks. He received the monikers the “Sultan of Sequins,” the Rajah of Rhinestones,” and the “Guru of Glitter” for challenging the line between costume and fashion with lots of fringe, flash, and over-the-top eye-catching elements. He’s managed to retain a presence not just in entertainment but in the fashion industry for decades. Most recently, one of his outfits was a major plot point for the final season of Hacks. 

Mackie has received his share of awards and acknowledgments. In addition to dressing many people for the Oscars, he received three nominations, including dressing Diana Ross for Lady Sings the Blues. He won a Tony Award for The Cher Show. He won 9 Emmy Awards and received 30 nominations for his prolific television work. 

Luckily, Mackie’s life was celebrated before his passing, receiving various Lifetime achievement awards including the Geoffrey Beene CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award, being honored by the Television Hall of Fame, and receiving RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Giving Us Life-time Achievement Award. He was the first guest judge on the popular series. 

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It’s clear that not only was Mackie talented, he was magical. He gave a bit of stardust to countless celebrities, luminaries, and public figures with looks that not only defied expectations but managed to be truly spectacular. He’s part of the glitz we think of when we think of Hollywood, and while often elaborate costumes, the shrewd fashion sense and elegance cannot be denied. Mackie will be missed, but his work lives on in the countless pieces still in circulation and forever captured on film and in media.

‘Ain’t Nobody’s Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton’
By Martha Ackmann
c.2026, St. Martin’s Press
$30/304 pages

Not too bright.

That’s what people once thought about you. Your language didn’t conform, you had your own sense of style, and you were ignorant about modern things and places and foods. But you were no dummy. You were different, and you had a secret: as in the new biography, “Ain’t Nobody’s Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton” by Martha Ackmann, you knew exactly where you were going.

When Avie Lee Owens and Lee Parton first married, they had the very basics: “two knives, two forks, two spoons, a skillet, a butcher knife, and an old iron kettle.” He was 17; she was 15. Babies came quick. The fourth one was named Dolly, after two great-aunts.

Almost from the time she could walk, Dolly sang. Before she was old enough to attend school, she wrote poetry, and she’d begun to notice rhythms and beats she could make with her fingers. As a schoolchild, she created her own musical instruments out of scraps, and she was eager to perform whenever anyone asked her – and they asked often, because Dolly Parton was a nice girl, and her sense of humor conveyed a warmth that drew people in.

Growing up in the Tennessee mountains, Parton was independent, shunning marriage and child-raising, instead focusing on a dream of being a star. By the time she was in high school, she’d had a regular gig on local television but she recognized that there were few opportunities for fame in the mountains, so she left for Nashville the day after high school graduation, with the snickers of naysayers ringing in her ears.

She stayed with an aunt and uncle there, and she beat the streets, dined on grocery store samples to get by, and missed her family and friends. And they worried about her, but they knew nothing would derail her plans. They knew Dolly would be fine.

As a friend said, “’She had her head on pretty good.’”

Chances are that if you’ve listened to music any time in the last 60 years, you’ve heard Dolly Parton through her words or her music or both. Now you need to learn more about her, and “Ain’t Nobody’s Fool” is where to do it.

Here’s a biography that grabs you on the first page with the tiniest bit of family tree, but not so much that you get bored with it. Author Martha Ackmann writes about Dolly Parton’s early life, putting hardships and experiences in context, both personally and historically. There are name-drops, but not overly so, as Ackmann takes you through Parton’s career, her heartbreaks, her marriage, and her years with Porter Wagoner, in detail but not dramatically embellished or outrageously told. It’s a biography that’s just right, sourced well and written with a fresh take that, like its subject, tells a good story. 

Fans, of course, will want this highly researched book but music lovers of any age or type will eat it up. That means you, so use up that Christmas gift certificate. “Ain’t Nobody’s Fool” just shines.

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Drag enthusiasts — and fans of LGBTQ+ excellence in general — were thrilled in 2025 when Revry debuted the first-ever drag king competition show, King of Drag. 

Joining the pantheon of drag-themed reality series like RuPaul’s Drag Race, this new program finally gave the kings of our community the attention they deserve, introducing viewers to a group of stellar performers who’d been flexing their artistry for years in communities across the country. Filled with a judging panel of queer royalty, complex challenges, and jaw-dropping creations from each contestant, King of Drag ended season one to widespread acclaim and thousands of new fans all over the world. 

These watchers were elated when it was announced that the show would be returning in 2026 for a second installment. And they were even more excited to find out who’d be taking over as its illustrious host: historic queer comedienne Cameron Esposito. 

This comic has spent the past few decades proving why they’re the perfect person to host a show like King of Drag. Many will know Esposito from their hilarious (and often very twisted) comedy; her many stand-up specials, albums, and guest appearances have earned her numerous accolades. Pair this with her current standing as a vocal LGBTQ+ advocate, and many folks in the queer community regard Cameron as one of our funniest activists today, always ready with a joke and a lesson on why we need to come together and fight against hatred. With that reputation, it was no question that she’d be the best person to fill the shoes of former host Murray Hill, after he stepped away from the program after season one. And in conversation with the LA Blade about the new role, Esposito raved about how excited they were to take on this mantle, saying, “I started [my career] around Kings.”

“They were really socially justice-motivated. They were super fun to watch — very sexy — and funny,” she continued, recounting her early days as a comic in Chicago’s thriving queer nightlife scene. “So having a chance to lift up that community as a host….I’m trying to come up with a lot of sick jokes so that the show is as good as it possibly can be!” 

Cameron spoke about what it meant to lead King of Drag season two and how honored she was to guide this whole new batch of Drag Kings. “Any reality competition show is a high-pressure situation, and folks are really putting themselves out there! There’s so much vulnerability in that. So I really hope that I was able to bring some sweet little moments of relief for them. And also for the viewers — I hope the viewers think I’m funny,” she laughed.

Joined by judges Gottmik, Vico Ortiz, and Damian Pelliccione, Esposito worked hard to not only make amazing television, but to finally give these performers the appreciation they’d worked years for. She stressed that beyond the jokes she makes on this season (all of which she assures are hilarious), this was her main reason for joining the series, saying, “One of the biggest things was to focus on the kings. To get these folks the greater recognition that television brings, so that when they go back to their cities or when they’re on tour, people have that extra incentive to get out and see them.”

Because King of Drag understands how these artists have been treated not only by the mainstream media, but by the LGBTQ+ community itself — namely, how many queer people push them aside to focus on more ‘conventional’ images of drag. It’s why so few kings have been allowed on drag-centric shows until now, a glaring erasure that not only undercuts each series as a source of queer culture, but robs these performers of the success that television often entails. 

“Trans dudes, queer women, lesbians…we are still, often, at the margins of a larger cultural push,” Esposito explained. “Elevating kings is an opportunity to trust audiences more…[because] I really don’t think that viewers have been given the opportunity to treat us seriously. You know, we might be joking around — but we are not a joke. When you’re talking about our rights, our respect, our safety…knowing people who are actually in this community affects how we’re treated. It affects how people see us, that we’re not just like nameless, faceless nothings.”

“I think it’s time for these kings who deserve recognition, and I also think it’s time to trust and move the needle in a larger context. Because we deserve to feel noticed, because we deserve to be paid. And because we deserve to be safe.”

Cameron Esposito is excited to lead King of Drag with not only the comedy that has defined her career, but the advocacy that guides her every single day. Because this series is not only a competition reality show — it’s a spotlight. A spotlight on a community that faces so many issues yet has never received a platform to openly speak about them. Combine this with a celebration of their astounding art, and King of Drag provides an exploration of drag kings like most queer viewers have ever seen before. 

Esposito is proud to play such a huge part in bringing that to audiences today — and she promises to give you some sick, twisted laughs along the way.

King of Drag season 2 drops on Sept. 20th on REVRY.

Hard as it is to believe for those who were around when it happened, “Thelma and Louise” celebrates the 35th anniversary of its release this year. 

Deeply popular with both critics and audiences at the time, its reputation continues to ride high; it’s a movie that manages to exist within a nexus of intersecting genres – the “buddy picture”, the “crime thriller,” the “action adventure,” the “western,” the “neo-noir” – by blending them seamlessly into a crowd-pleasing wild ride of a story, all while delivering a powerful feminist message of outrage, defiance, and empowerment.

And no, “Thelma and Louise” is not a “queer movie” – but it feels like one.

That’s partly because It exists within another genre, too: “lesbian noir,” which blossomed in its wake with films like “Bound” (1996) and has re-emerged in recent films like “Love Lies Bleeding” (2024) and “Honey, Don’t” (2025) – but that also stretches back across decades into the days of old Hollywood, when coded queer characters were a regular fixture in the seedy film noir classics of their time, never overtly identified as such but obvious to spot for anyone savvy enough to read the subtext. That’s why “Thelma and Louise” resonated (and continues to resonate) with lesbian and bisexual audiences who see themselves reflected in its two lead characters, even if there is nothing queer about their relationship — on the surface at least.

Of course, that can be a sore subject; subtext might seem like a “cop-out” for those who long for more open representation for LGBTQ people on the screen – but it’s everything when it comes to recognizing the queerness of older movies (and a lot of newer ones, too), and just because something is not explicitly stated, that doesn’t mean it’s being hidden. After all, most good stories rely on the transcendent power of nuance, which always relies on subtext to shine through. And if any movie relies upon subtext, “Thelma and Louise” is certainly one of them. In its masterfully crafted narrative of a weekend “girl’s trip” that goes horribly wrong, a lot of the most important information is left unspoken.

Take Thelma (Geena Davis), to start with: a naive young housewife whose husband Darryl (Christopher McDonald) treats her like a possession, she blithely ignores his mediocrity and disregards – or at least, pretends to – his repressive tactics to control her, choosing instead to live in a tenuous illusion of “traditional” marriage dynamics; yet when her bestie Louise (Susan Sarandon) offers her a chance to escape for a weekend, she jumps at it – even if she has to skip the part where she asks his permission.

Louise (Susan Sarandon), a bit older and a lot more worldly, is a waitress who spends her days fending off the insults and advances of her male customers at the diner where she works; she sees Thelma’s situation clearly, and hopes that a temporary respite from Darryl will help her recognize the dead-end reality of her marriage. We understand this immediately, even though a direct word is never said about it, and she’s right, of course. They’ve barely even gotten on the road before Thelma’s longing for attention from someone other than her inadequate husband – a honky-tonk Lothario (Timothy Carhart) she meets in a roadhouse where they stop for drinks on the way out of town – leads to an attempted rape that is only prevented when Louise shoots the predator dead in the parking lot.

That killing is the catalyst that turns them into fugitives; as Louise rightly understands, there’s no evidence of sexual assault, just a dead body and a pair of runaway women, and the letter of the law is not on their side. But in truth, that fatal shot is fired not to save Thelma, who has already been freed from her would-be rapist’s clutches when it happens, but because Louise has traumatic memories – and a chip on her shoulder – over something that “happened in Texas,” years before. We never find out what it was that happened, and we don’t need to; our imaginations tell us all we need to know, just as we know that the killing, while it may have been cold-blooded murder, is a justifiable homicide all the same.

There’s more of that subtextual nuance throughout, from the perversely inspiring motivations of hitchhiking hustler J.D. (Brad Pitt, in the sex-on-a-stick performance that launched him on his trajectory to stardom), who takes advantage of Thelma’s gullibility to rob the heroines even as he teaches her the tactics that will soon sustain them on their fateful ride-or-die fugitive adventure; to the self-serving “chivalry” of Louise’s erstwhile boyfriend (Michael Madsen) when he casts himself as the “martyr” for letting her go. And yes, even to the benignly sublimated patriarchal programming that drives police investigator Hal Slocumb (Harvey Keitel in an uncharacteristically empathetic role) to act as would-be savior to these two “fallen” women, though they want no part of his well-meaning attempts to “rescue” them from the consequences of their choices. And when the two fugitives terrorize a piggish trucker (Marco St. John) before blowing up his big-rig tanker, nobody says – or needs to say – why it feels like the right thing to do; it simply IS the right thing, and we, as the audience, know it. What we have seen up to that point has placed us firmly on Thelma and Louise’s side, and we’re as ready to watch the puerile patriarchy burn as they are.

None of this is spoken aloud, nor is it even alluded to, but it comes through, nonetheless. Chalk it up to the power of Callie Khouri’s Oscar-winning screenplay, which expertly lays this inner narrative as the foundation for everything that happens, and leaves director Ridley Scott to supply the stylish, action-packed visuals.

Thelma and Louise may not be “a couple,” but we can’t help notice as their clothing evolves from frilly-femme to “butch” utilitarianism along the way, nor how their connection to the men in their lives easily dissolves without fanfare. And by the time we reach the movie’s thrilling denouement, when all they have left is their commitment to simply stand up against the things that have kept them feeling incomplete, unfulfilled, and unacceptable, it’s an achingly familiar feeling for any queer viewer who has experienced the same – and let’s face it, that’s probably almost all of us.

We all know what happens, so it’s no spoiler to say that, when they drive off into oblivion in the Grand Canyon, they choose freedom over life itself – and when they head over that cliff, fully embracing their fate as a feminist iteration of the Bonnie and Clyde brand of “noble” outlaws, they seal their fate with a kiss. 

At that point, any further explanation would feel like an insult. Their love for each other transcends anything they’ve felt with the inadequate men in their lives, it’s as simple as that, and their triumph is perfectly captured in that final freeze-frame moment, when they drive off the cliff and begin their plunge toward certain death and it feels like joy.

Yet still, we like to think that their car – like Danny Zuko’s at the end of “Grease” – simply flies away with them instead, into the bliss of an endless summer, and you can’t get any queerer than that!

The Trans Chorus of Los Angeles has always been about more than music. Since its first rehearsal on October 18, 2015, TCLA has built a space where trans, non-binary, intersex, gender non-conforming, and gender-fluid singers can be seen, heard, and celebrated on their own terms. Now, as the chorus enters its 12th season, it does so under new leadership. Two longtime members, Alana Balagot and Corinne Burch, have stepped into the role of co-artistic directors, carrying the organization’s mission forward while shaping a vision of their own.

TCLA’s origin story has an unexpected source. “There was a trans chorus in one of the episodes of Glee,” Alana explained, and the moment stuck with a group of singers who decided to make it real. Alana, a founding member who joined in 2015 after spotting a Facebook ad, had been in choruses her whole life but had not been singing since transitioning. TCLA gave her a space to be both. With support from the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, and under the direction of founding artistic director Lindsey Deaton and executive director Lisa Marchbanks, the group held its first rehearsal in a bank conference room. There were no auditions, just people who wanted to sing.

Corinne joined years later, in 2021, in the middle of the pandemic, rehearsing over Zoom before the chorus returned in person. He had moved to Los Angeles in 2020 and started testosterone in 2019, a transition that came with an unexpected fear. “When I started taking testosterone, I was worried I was going to lose that part of myself and lose that mode of expression,” Corinne said. Having studied voice and sung in choirs his whole life, he searched for trans choruses and found TCLA first. Both singers stepped into music director roles together in 2022, after longtime musical director Joe Lawrence stepped down, and last year, when artistic director Abdullah Hall left, they stepped up again, this time as co-artistic directors.

Alana and Corinne describe their partnership as one built on complementary strengths. Corinne brings a background in music therapy and music education, while Alana brings experience in composing and production. Together, their priority is protecting the professional level of musicianship the chorus has cultivated over the past decade. “That’s something that we think really serves our mission of uplifting the trans community, is showing the world how beautiful our trans voices are,” Corinne said. At the same time, they are building something new. Corinne hopes to expand workshops and training resources for people who want to sing but cannot commit to a full rehearsal schedule. “A lot of trans people are turned away from musical spaces in their educational years, and we want to right that wrong,” he said.

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The new season will also lean further into original work created from within the chorus itself. Composers, arrangers, studio engineers, and directors, all TCLA members, are already shaping the group’s sound. Alana wrote and helped produce a music video last year with her wife Becca directing, recorded in a member’s home studio, with other choristers handling production design, art direction, and choreography. “We want to be intentional about who we’re platforming as well, and making sure we’ve got diverse voices and doing it respectfully,” Alana said.

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When asked what they wish the public understood about TCLA, both directors pointed to something bigger than the songs themselves. “We’re hoping it changes hearts and minds. We want to show that trans people are artists and musicians and like to sing like everyone else,” Alana said. Corinne pointed to the labor behind the scenes: the volunteers who set up and tear down every show, the board running the organization’s business side, and the funding gap that limits how far the chorus can reach. “The number one thing that stops us from reaching more people is funding,” he said. Grants and a loyal base of recurring donors keep TCLA running, but every dollar matters. His ask to the community is simple. Show up.

The chorus has a packed fall ahead. On September 19, TCLA performs as part of a festival with GALA Choruses, the national organization supporting LGBTQ+ choruses. On October 18, the chorus celebrates its anniversary with a birthday concert marking the date of its very first rehearsal in 2015. On November 20, TCLA honors Transgender Day of Remembrance with a full fall show at the Renberg Theater at the Los Angeles LGBT Center.

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More than a decade after that first rehearsal in a bank conference room, the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles remains proof of what happens when a community insists on being seen. Under Alana and Corinne’s leadership, that mission is expanding rather than settling, reaching further into music education, original composition, and public visibility for trans artists. As the chorus prepares for a fall full of performances, its message stays consistent even as its sound grows. Trans people are musicians, neighbors, and artists, and this season, Los Angeles will have several more chances to listen.

‘Every Inch a Lady’
By Audrey Smaltz with Alina Mitchell
c.2026, Amistad
$27.99/256 pages

Snaps, zippers, buttons, ties.

Toss that garment on, pull it up, wrap it around, you know what you like and how to wear it. The color is perfect for your skin tone, the fabric enhances your form. Yep, you always look your best and, as in the new book “Every Inch a Lady” by Audrey Smaltz (with Alina Mitchell), that best is fabulous.

”Born, bred, toasted, buttered, jellied, and honeyed in Harlem” in 1937, Audrey Smaltz was a force to be reckoned with almost from the time she could walk. Her parents imbued confidence in her, they nurtured her creativity and sent her to charm school, but they never allowed her to create a stir.

“That,” says Smaltz, “is not what ladies did.”

By the time she was a teenager, Smaltz was modeling for New York City designers. Shortly thereafter, she started working for a married man with whom she had an affair, and whom she loved very much. She broke up with him, attended college, worked a series of jobs that taught her about fashion and jobs that didn’t seem to fit her. An ill-fated marriage took her to Chicago where she ultimately landed a position that sent her to work in Ebony magazine’s New York office.

Working at Ebony was a career-changer, in a way. Smaltz was able to travel the world and learn more about fashion, but she didn’t exactly get along with her boss.

Finally, seizing an opportunity, Smaltz decided to launch her own company, Audrey Smaltz, Inc., a “fashion production business,” but she couldn’t get any designers to take a chance on her. Undaunted, she reorganized, re-branded, hit the streets, and knocked on doors until she finally found one client, which led to many others.

Through it all, her personal life was a whirlwind. She dated “more men than you can shake a book at,” settling down occasionally, briefly. Fashion had always been her first love, but she accidentally found real love, “the love of a woman,” at a leadership course.

There’s an old saying that writers need to add lots of “color” into their stories. Read a little of “Every Inch a Lady,” and you’ll notice immediately that author Audrey Smaltz (with Alina Mitchell) quite literally takes that to heart by mentioning nearly every color of the spectrum here. Hmm.

That oddity aside, Smaltz is a wonderfully lively storyteller, speaking with the energy of a woman much younger to the heart of anyone who loves fashion. That glee extends to collectors of vintage clothing, who will be delighted to read about the industry long ago and the way things worked then. Smaltz says she experienced racism, which is not unusual for pre-Civil Rights America, but doors were surprisingly closed for other reasons that will astound anyone who’s savvy about the fashion industry, even today.

There’s quite a bit of name-dropping in this book but most of it belongs in the anecdotes, so you likely won’t mind. If you’re a fashionista, too, find “Every Inch a Lady,” and snap it up.

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Across his many years as a singer, a conductor, and an activist, Dr. Alexander Lloyd Blake has been driven by one universal truth: music has power. 

It’s a fact that has guided the man’s entire life; he grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina, singing in his church’s gospel choir. “I’ve always loved singing with people from the very beginning, and singing gospel music has always meant singing for a purpose,” said Alexander, reminiscing on his early days as a performer. “I always wanted to be a gospel choir director. But, frankly, I knew I was gay for a very long time, and I was like, ‘This is not going to work out because I do not feel like I can really have a peaceful life trying to sing in the church.’”

Recognizing that he needed a setting where his queerness didn’t have to be hidden, Blake eventually left Jacksonville to pursue vocal studies, earning his doctorate in Musical Arts before becoming one of the entertainment industry’s top composers today. The past few years have seen him contribute to the music of blockbuster films like The Odyssey and Us, but while he’s proud of these and the many other projects he’s worked on over the years, there’s one that truly summarizes his passion for music: Tonality. The Grammy-winning choral ensemble led by Dr. Blake uses music to fight for social justice today. 

“Let me think about all the ways I have been made to feel less than, directly or indirectly, in my field, and [how] to combat that,” said Blake, recounting how he initially found the idea of creating an ensemble made solely of marginalized performers. “That was really the beginning. It was a personal question of, ‘Can I create a group where I don’t feel like an outsider?’” Since its formation more than 10 years ago, Tonality has won two Grammys for its work in film and has created numerous albums centered around the social issues faced by its many members. In the group’s own words, they are “dedicated to the power of music as a vehicle for equity, healing, and community.” And while they’ve made a name for themselves by creating jaw-dropping pieces centered around fighting oppression, their latest album, Running From, Running To: A Musical Reflection on Ahmaud Arbery, is proving to be one of Tonality’s most moving works yet.

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America still hasn’t recovered from the atrocity that was the murder of Ahmaud Arbery in 2020. At only 25 years old, this young Black man was stalked, attacked, and eventually murdered by three white men in his own neighborhood, all because he decided to go on a jog. The horrendous mishandling of this case by local authorities — with numerous figures having personal relationships with the perpetrators and pushing for lighter sentences — sparked national outrage, as his death highlighted the abuse of Black communities in this country. Ahmaud’s death came only a few months before the murder of George Floyd, with both fueling nationwide protests against the social mechanisms that continue to steal the lives of Black people every single day. 

“I remember where I was when I read about the Ahmaud Arbery story in 2020, and at the time, it didn’t really seem like a lot of people were talking about it,” described Alexander. “I remember thinking, ‘Okay, there are so many lessons in this story.’ Thinking about what it would be like to be running — something so many people do — and to be gunned down for being different. So, I [went to] the board of Tonality, and I said, ‘I feel like we should create a piece about Ahmaud Arbery’s story.’” 

And so, Running From, Running To: A Musical Reflection on Ahmaud Arbery was made, with the album consisting of eight intricate movements that each center the life and death of this young man. 

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Alexander credited this album as one of the most difficult projects of his career, emphasizing that before he could even start working on it with Tonality, he had to first get the blessing of the person who loved Ahmaud most: his mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones. “I got in touch with Ahmaud Arbery’s mother because I didn’t want to be another person who just writes about the death of someone,” the composer explained. “I was able to talk with her, and we had many conversations, and she’s been such a supporter.” 

With her approval, Blake got to work, and since its release in Feburary, 2026, Alexander has been heartened by the positive response Running From, Running To has received. It serves as a reminder that this was a person robbed of his future and that we must constantly fight racism to ensure others are allowed the long life that Ahmaud deserved. It’s an important message that carries through with each note, and it’s one that Blake and all of Tonality will be bringing to Los Angeles with their upcoming event, ‘Running From, Running To | A Benefit Concert Honoring the Life of Ahmaud Arbery.’

Taking place on Sunday, September 20th, at The Ebell in LA, this pay-what-you-can concert will see Tonality perform the album in an intimate community setting that fosters true understanding for all in attendance. After this, guests will hear a conversation between Dr. Blake, the group’s artists, and Wanda Cooper-Jones herself, as they discuss her son’s story and what we can learn from this lyrical celebration of his life. 

“Music becomes like a conduit for people to share empathy and understanding,” stressed Dr. Blake, encouraging interested listeners to attend the event and listen to Running From, Running To: A Musical Reflection on Ahmaud Arbery. “This music, while very specifically inspired by one story, can translate to so many instances of human emotion, how we grieve, how we feel, and how we really come together to think about these difficult things.” 

An apt description from a lifelong advocate who has always used music to inspire communities. Dr. Blake urges everyone to attend the upcoming event, to experience this album in person and learn why we must remember Ahmaud Aubery in our ongoing fights for justice. Because it’s through music that we can truly connect as a community, coming together to fight oppression and ensure that what happened to Ahmaud never happens again. 

Running From, Running To | A Benefit Concert Honoring the Life of Ahmaud Arbery takes place Sunday, September 20th, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Ebell in Los Angeles. You can get your tickets here.

There are a lot of queer coming-of-age movies about how hard coming of age can be when you’re queer – and that’s because, for far too many queer young people, coming of age is a very difficult experience.

Yet as difficult as it may be, imagine how much more so it is for queer kids who are also struggling with other factors that make them a potential target for bullying and social stigma. When your awakening sexuality is complicated by fears and self-esteem issues that can cause you to feel ostracized even by the other queer kids, it’s pretty hard to find a place where you fit in. Unfortunately, there are far fewer movies that address that kind of “double whammy” scenario, and even fewer whose leading characters don’t look like model-perfect “influencers,” complete with chiseled abs, perfect hair, and flawless skin – which makes it all the more welcome when a movie like that actually does come along.

That’s why the arrival on Netflix of “Here the Whole Time” – a Brazilian teen romcom from director Daniel Lieff – feels a bit like a surprise gift.

Its central character – Felipe (Miguel Lallo), a teenager who lives with his single mom Rita (Débora Falabella) – is already out as gay, but that’s not the only reason that his life at school is torturous; as he informs us through his own narration, he’s always been the butt of cruel jokes and public bullying because he’s always been (in his own words) “fat.” He’s teased in the classroom, humiliated in the hallways, and victimized at dodgeball in his gym class; so when his eagerly awaited summer break arrives, he’s looking forward to weeks of freedom in which he never has to interact with anyone except his mother.

His blissful dreams of isolating himself in his room are shattered, however, by a rude awakening in the form of Caio (Diego Lira), a neighbor boy and former childhood friend, whose mother and father have left him to stay with Rita while they are away on a trip. Athletic, handsome, and popular, he’s everything Felipe is not, and despite any previous bond of companionship they may have had, Felipe has no intention of playing the gracious host.

Yet as the days go by, the two boys begin to resuscitate their friendship; rather than being the bully Felipe expects, Caio is mostly respectful and exceedingly polite in trying to negotiate their temporary co-habitation. Forced to spend time together, the two gradually warm to each other, opening the door to a renewed friendship; they begin to “hang out” together, expanding the usually isolated Felipe’s social circle to include Caio’s BFF Beca (Mika Soiero) and her girlfriend Melissa (Bel Moreira) — leading to a revelation that turns his newfound friendly feelings for Caio into something more of a crush.

Is the feeling mutual? Can Felipe set aside his insecurities enough to even find out? We did describe the movie as a “romcom, so you can draw your own conclusions from that, but it’s a wild ride of a story, and half the fun is watching it unfold through each new development, so we won’t give any of those surprises away.

It won’t be a spoiler, however, to discuss the way “Here the Whole Time” undercuts the sentiment of its predictably “sweet” formula with its presentation of Felipe as something of an anti-hero, a strident “rebel with a cause” who disdains and distrusts everyone around him except for his mother and sees his therapy (or at least pretends to) as just an extension of school — complete with the unwanted inconvenience of homework. 

He’s also, ironically, something of a bully himself, initially responding to the presence of Caio — who is no happier about their temporary living arrangement than he is — with willful and deliberate contempt, and levying his position as host (or as son of the hostess, at least) to assert his circumstantial power and dominance over an unwanted guest. Of course, we can see all along where it comes from, the habitual offense-as-defense tactic that has helped him survive and gain what little self-confidence he has, but that doesn’t make it any less rude.

Still, we don’t dislike him for it; a lifetime of body-shaming can do that to a person. Besides, it makes the transformation that comes in him — after learning to stand up for others like he stands up for himself, and other valuable life lessons he undergoes along the way — feel much more like an uplift. And if his insecurities win out once in a while (as they do, to dramatic effect, in the film’s penultimate chapters), who can blame him?

Caio, too, is portrayed against expectation. His self-assured swagger, like Felipe’s misanthropic hostility, comes from a young lifetime of self-protective compensation, but it’s just as easy for us to see through, and as the tenderness inside is revealed, he’s a far cry from “popular jock” stereotype that Felipe — and the audience — assume him to be,

It’s the dynamic between these two eminently likable characters that makes the film work, granting each of them their own dovetailing journeys toward self-discovery and allowing the feel-good sentiment of the story to emerge as something authentic, rather than just another trope-driven fantasy.

Much of this is thanks to the two young leads, who fully commit to their roles and strike a winning chemistry that makes us want them both to find their way through the amusing — but no less traumatic — growing pains they experience, both together and apart. They succeed in building an onscreen world in which we can believe, with them, in the possibility of rising above the obstacles thrown in their path, and it leaves us feeling not just uplifted, but maybe even a little joyful. 

Kudos also go out to Falabella, whose performance as the quintessential “cool mom” makes her stand out as the film’s adult MVP; likewise, director Leiff handles the material with a superb sense of balance between over-the-top absurdity and quietly joyful moments of truth.  In the end, though, it’s screenwriters Ray Tavares and Victor Brandt — adapting from a book by Vitor Martins — that’s truly responsible for crafting a charming coming-of-age story that allows itself to reach for the unlikely happy ending instead of sticking with the tried-and-true bittersweetness that usually arrives to provide an extra dash of unrequited yearning.

Of course, more jaded viewers — especially if they’re adults — might find the overall effect of “Here the Whole Time” less of than convincing. But for most of us — and hopefully it’s target audience, especially — it’s a charming reminder that “coming of age” isn’t just about sex or compromising with disillusionment. More than anything else, it’s about learning to let go of our disappointed assumptions to blossom into the life we truly deserve. 

As a refreshingly upbeat entry into a genre that somehow holds a key position in our compromised adult lives, it’s definitely a ride worth taking,