All photos are credited to Emily Eizen for Los Angeles Blade.

WeHo’s Pride last weekend hit off Pride month for everyone across L.A., bringing major headlining acts to our backyard through the OUTLOUD Concert. Conveniently located a few blocks away from my West Hollywood apartment, every year I would hear performances booming from a distance. This year brought a lighthearted revelry of queer music performed by artists who are a part of or allied to the LGBTQ community. However, having inside access thanks to Los Angeles Blade and my dear friend Laganja Estranja (love you sis), I tapped right into the beating heart of West Hollywood, the queer music scene and a deeper sense of community — during a time when our joy and celebration are being banned and demonized. This year felt different because we are different. We are more empowered, galvanized and out, louder than ever. 

Kim Petras reaches out to fans during her Saturday night set.

Between musical acts and hurried backstage commotion, I found myself dressed in my best finery, with freshly dyed eyebrows and bleached roots to really set it off. While I had my usual pre-show jitters, I actually felt calmer than ever before because I was surrounded by family waiting to be met and connections to be made. Sure enough, with each person I met and asked to capture, a sense of belonging and creativity washed over me. 

DJ Hannah Rad pumps up the crowd between sets.

Friday Night, During the Kickoff, Laganja and I kiki’d with lesbian queen Kori King, the “Legs of New York” Lana Ja’rae, and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 10 star Acid Betty. Not to mention the ever present SLAY of the masters of ceremonies Ryan Mitchell and Arisce Wanzer, who flawlessly ushered us throughout the whole weekend, generously offering an introduction or a quick sesh between acts. Qveen Herby closed out the night, reminding the crowd — and myself — that the world needs our art. 

Qveen Herby lights up Friday Night.

Saturday was a whirlwind, starting with me meeting pop-rock girlie pop Chrissy Chlapecka, who I captured on my fisheye lens. That session something clicked, I decided I was going to get as many fisheye portraits as I could. Not in a “can I take your photo k-thx-bye” kind of way, but in a “I would love to capture your unique and beautiful slay because I see you” kind of way.

Hip Hop duo FLYANABOSS pose wearing @ColtyLeather.

I linked up with the hiphop powerhouses FLYANABOSS, whose charisma practically shattered my camera. During their set I spotted Veondre Mitchell and I snapped a gorgeous photo of her being a barricade baddie as we exchanged compliments. In the artist area, which started to feel like a mini gay Coachella, I met the electrifying Frankie Grande, and met up with one of my best friends, Luna Lovebad, who happens to be the genius behind my new look.

Frankie Grande poses at OUTLOUD festival before performing.

As we hung out by the trailers, Pabllo Vitar emerged in an anime inspired pink butterfly look, with a dozen dancers all dressed in matching pink outfits. She graced me with the opportunity to snap a quick fisheye photo as her team shone the perfect warm lighting for us. Goals.

Luna Lovebad stuns in pink with Labubus to match. 

Lastly, the generous king Ryan Mitchell was talking to the one and only Kim Petras and introduced me. Petras was the sweetest and told me I looked cool. I internally screamed, but played it cool and shot some photos of her that may or may not be my current screensaver. After her performance, I floated home on a cloud to prepare for Sunday.

Kim Petras performed new song “Freak It” at OUTLOUD.

I didn’t know how it could get any better, but Sunday proved to be a culmination of the weekend that I never expected. As I mingled by the trailers and sipped my millionth free Red Bull, talent started walking around filming content for the day. I met Corook by the steps, needing to lens their fun personality and style.

Corook was all smiles backstage before their Sunday set.

Then the world shifted and the ground vibrated with only the energy a mother could bring. Before my very eyes, the queen mother herself, Sasha Colby. I introduced myself and congratulated her on her new cannabis venture, being somewhat of an expert myself. We then talked about my journey from budtender to photographer, and I thanked her for her service (and for existing in our timeline.) Never did I think I’d actually burn one with her. Still processing that. Her performance drew A Listers including the likes of supermodel and activist Cara Delevingne.

Cara Delevingne at Sasha Colby’s performance.

Then I hung out with Kyra Jete, who I met at the OUTLOUD pride kickoff event a few weeks before. Before her “Club Shy” set, I was lucky enough to capture Shygirl, as I felt a tap on my shoulder. I was asked what I was doing tonight, or if I was free to photograph Remi Wolf. The headliner of WeHo Pride’s OUTLOUD concert.

Remi Wolf headlined OUTLOUD on Sunday, June 1st, ending the night with electrifying glitz and glamour.

Did I just get asked to shoot the headliner of the festival? Well, yes! I met with Wolf for some pre-show portraits and then shot her set, which perfectly wrapped up the weekend with rock and roll that touched the spirit of everyone in attendance. 

As I looked through the who’s who of queer musical and drag royalty I had the privilege of capturing during WeHo Pride weekend, it dawned on me that this joy is an act of resistance in itself and I am but an archivist capturing the time I live in.

Yes, Pride started as and always will be a protest and a riot. It is also our art that lives on beyond our time, shining a light for future generations to see how we celebrated our existence in a world that condemns us for it. My hope is that these photos showcase our beauty when we come together as a community filled with talent, love, and beautiful resistance. 

Follow Emily Eizen on Instagram for more content.

The Trending Up Conference brought together influential digital voices, lawmakers, advocacy organizations and movement leaders to discuss how creators are redefining the political landscape. Last month, over 200 content creators gathered in the nation’s capital, not to chase likes or algorithmic trends, but to take meaningful action in shaping policy.

Through collaborative sessions on topics ranging from the economy and climate change to LGBTQ rights, immigration, reproductive rights, education and disability justice, the conference showcased the powerful role creators play in shaping public discourse. It also provided dedicated spaces for creators and policymakers to work side by side, building connections and strategizing for impactful change.

“The more we collaborate and work together, the more successful we will be in advocating for human rights for everyone,” said Barrett Pall, a life coach and influencer in the queer community.

Rep. Maxwell Frost (FL) the youngest member of Congress, discussed innovative strategies for civic engagement. He emphasized the importance of meeting young voters where they are — through culture, music, and storytelling — to combat political disengagement. Frost, a former organizer and musician himself, has long championed the use of creative platforms to mobilize underrepresented communities and inspire a new generation to participate in the democratic process.

His remarks aligned with a central goal of the conference: to empower creators to drive political awareness and action, particularly among young voters whose turnout in recent elections has been alarmingly low.

Warren emphasized the importance of creators in driving meaningful change.

“You are the people making America’s national conversation. What we’re trying to do here matters, and you’re part of that fight,” urged Sen. Warren, adding that they should recognize their power and responsibility. “If enough of us tell enough stories, we’ve got a real chance to build a country where every kid has a fighting chance.”

She continued by reinforcing the value of our voices.

“This moment is up to you to make the decision,” she said. Warren then asked the audience, “what are you going to do when your country is in real trouble?” Warren’s message was clear: creators are essential in this moment and our voices must be uplifted and leveraged in the fight to reshape the nation for the better. 

“We need to find ways to talk to each other across this nation and that conversation starts with all of you,” she said. 

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also emphasized the importance of reaching audiences across all platforms. 

“Whether it’s going on Fox or going on Flagrant, how can I blame somebody for not embracing the message that I believe in if they haven’t heard it? We’ve gotta be cross-cutting these platforms [or else] no one is persuading anybody,” said Buttigieg. 

He believes in meeting people where they are, spreading progressive messaging in language that resonates, and ensuring that those who might not typically hear his message have access to it.

“Democrats used to think that they were the ones who were digitally savvy,” he added. “The algorithm is not neutral.” A recent study revealed that TikTok’s algorithm during the 2024 presidential race disproportionately recommended conservative content — Republican posts received 11.8% more recommendations than Democratic content. This highlights how platforms themselves can skew the political narrative, further underscoring the necessity for creators to actively push back against these digital biases.

“What we build next has to be different from what we inherited,” Buttigieg said. “You are at the very heart of that — that’s why I’m here today.”

While Buttigieg advocates for engaging across platforms, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s approach has raised concerns. Instead of using his platform to meet a broad spectrum of voters, Newsom has recently chosen to amplify far-right voices. His decision to invite extremist figures like Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon onto his podcast under the guise of creating a “middle ground” is deeply troubling. At the same time, Newsom — who once championed California as a sanctuary for transgender youth and a defender of inclusive education—has taken a stance against transgender women and girls competing in female sports, calling it “deeply unfair.”

“I think it’s an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness, it’s deeply unfair. We’ve got to own that. We’ve got to acknowledge it,” he told Kirk. This capitulation to conservative talking points doesn’t just undermine his past work—it emboldens those who are trying to dismantle hard-won rights.

At Trending Up, creators pushed back against this political drift by meeting directly with California representatives to discuss urgent social issues — including threats to Medicaid, the pink tax, disability rights and the disproportionate impact of billionaire tax breaks. Across these conversations, one thing was clear: creators are not just influencers. We are educators, mobilizers and trusted voices in out communities, capable of translating policy into stories people care about.

Tiffany Yu reflected that Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove’s presence alone spoke volumes: “Her showing up to create content with us meant that she understood we as creators are more than just influencers — we’re mobilizers and educators.” Ashley Nicole echoed this sentiment after meeting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“When people know, they will resist — but they have to know about it,” said Nicole. That quote stuck with me because it highlights how important it is to get information in front of people in a way they can connect with.”

Loren Piretra emphasized the urgency of economic justice: “We talked about the billionaire tax breaks…and how most people don’t realize they’re closer to being unhoused than to being billionaires.” Meanwhile, Nikki Sapiro Vinckier described her conversation with Rep. Ami Bera as a rare moment of digital fluency from an elected official.

“His willingness to engage on camera signals that he sees value in creator-led political communication, which isn’t always the case.”

These interactions underscore the evolving role of content creators as vital conduits between policymakers and the public. By translating political complexity into accessible, engaging content, creators aren’t just informing their audiences — they’re mobilizing them toward meaningful civic engagement.

In a media landscape dominated by far-right outrage and rampant disinformation, creators using their platforms for good are a powerful counterforce—reclaiming truth and championing the issues that matter most. While extremist voices often dominate the conversation, the majority of Americans stand with the progressive causes creators at Trending Up are fighting for: reproductive rights, LGBTQ protections, and climate action. It’s time for elected officials to stop pandering to the far-right and start amplifying the voices of the people driving change.

This moment demands more than political compromise — it calls for bold leadership that empowers creators who are already shaping a better future. Uplifting these voices is not just strategic; it is crucial for protecting democracy and ensuring that progress, not division, is at the heart of our nation’s political discourse.

A lot happened at last weekend’s high school state track and field championship meet in
Clovis, Calif. Parents of cisgender student-athletes booed the one and only transgender
girl competing. Police and security officers showed up in large numbers to keep
protestors apart and safeguard the competitors. Police made an arrest outside the
stadium after a demonstrator brandishing a transgender pride flag allegedly assaulted a
man described as a conservative activist and caused damage to his vehicle.

The trans student — 16-year-old AB Hernandez — finished a winner. But she wasn’t “the” winner.

As CBS News reported, “Hernandez took home first place medals in both high jump and
triple jump and she placed second in the long jump event. Following a rule change by
the California Interscholastic Federation, a co-winner was named in each of the three
events in which Hernandez placed.”

You didn’t misread that. Hernandez shared the podium with “co-winners.”

As the Blade reported last week, the CIF introduced a new “pilot entry process” that for
the first time, allowed judges to score trans athletes separately from cisgender
competitors, so there were three winners in every event: a cisgender male winner, a
cisgender female winner and a trans student-athlete winner.

The new policy was announced hours after President Donald Trump threatened to pull
“large scale federal funding” from the state if officials allowed trans athletes to compete
according to their gender identity.

Despite the policy change, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on social
media it was investigating State Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Superintendent of
Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, the Jurupa Unified School District, and the CIF for
potential violations of Title IX, as the Blade reported.

So what happens now? As KXTV reported, President Trump issued another threat to
pull funding on Monday in a post to his Truth Social account, not naming Hernandez but
labeling her “a biological male” and using his favorite derogatory nickname for
California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“A Biological Male competed in California Girls State Finals, WINNING BIG, despite the
fact that they were warned by me not to do so. As Governor Gavin Newscum fully
understands, large scale fines will be imposed!!!”

Now, the pundits are weighing-in. Sara Pequeño wrote in USA Today how she was
encouraged to see Hernandez share the 2nd place podium with Brooke White and “put
their arms around each other.”

“They’re setting an example for how all of us should treat our trans neighbors, i.e.,
treating them like human beings, not enemies,” she wrote.

As Pequeño noted, Save Women’s Sports, an anti-trans advocacy group, could only
identify five trans students in the entire United States who were competing on girls’
teams from kindergarten through grade 12 in 2023. “That group’s entire existence is to
hate trans athletes, and they found very little to hate,” she wrote.

According to the president of the NCAA, there are fewer than 10 student-athletes
who publicly identify as transgender out of the more than 500,000 competing at the
collegiate level.

Pequeño was not alone in finding joy in the rules change that brought cisgender and
transgender girls together on a podium, each of them a “co-winner.” So did self-
proclaimed “trans advocate” Cyd Zeigler.

He’s one of the co-founders of the LGBTQ+ sports site Outsports, who in 2023
infamously came close to endorsing Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis for
president, only to offer his regrets, following a backlash from readers. Zeigler penned an
op-ed Wednesday originally titled “California trans athlete policy is something everyone
can embrace.”

“Everyone?” Not this sports editor.

He called the new CIF policy “the best possible path in 2025 to trans participation in
sports.”

In celebrating this change, Zeigler also trashed “goal-post-moving trans advocates” and
policies in California and Connecticut that allow “a trans girl to run in boys track meets
and, without a medical transition, later compete in girls meets,” meaning high school
competitions. “That’s bad policy,” declared Zeigler without evidence.

That policy in Connecticut has stood since 2011 and is enshrined in state law, and so far
has withstood legal challenges once again being heard in federal court.

Outsports at some point changed the headline of his screed to “New California trans
athlete policy is something we can embrace” and apparently made another significant
choice: Despite quoting the outlet’s one and only remaining transgender contributor,
Karleigh Webb, who opposes the rules change, Zeigler did not mention her by name.
Why?

In an article published before the championship, Webb wrote: “If AB Hernandez wins,
why should she have to share the spoils with someone else if’s not a tie? That’s what
professional transphobes like Jennifer Sey and Riley Gaines try to sell. Awarding a
duplicate medal gives their nonsense credence to the detriment of the sport and the
athletes.”
Webb is right. Zeigler and the CIF and Gov. Newsom are wrong. You either win, or you
lose, or if you prefer, you come in second, third, whatever. But “co-winners?”

That’s a crock.

Imagine if the Dodgers and Yankees shared the World Series trophy. Why shouldn’t the
49ers also win the Super Bowl alongside the Chiefs? Maybe Kamala Harris should be
declared a “co-winner” of last November’s election?

Personally, I’m glad to see Hernandez embraced by her cisgender peers. I’m relieved to
know that crowds cheering these amazing girls last weekend drowned out the hecklers
who showed up to boo a child. I’m encouraged that even if she had to share the win,
Hernandez was given her rightful place among the teens competing and proved she
was not only worthy of competing but did not win in every event.

So, she’s hardly “unbeatable.” Most trans athletes actually lose, as Zeigler wrote almost
six years ago, back before he started echoing anti-trans inclusion activists Martina Navratilova, Renee Richards and Nancy Hogshead-Makar.

If he really thinks the CIF “co-winners” rule is going to silence anti-trans forces, I think
he’s going to be very surprised by Riley Gaines and her crowd.

While it’s easy for Zeigler to concede public opinion has shifted, he should know
better than to blame those who pushed for inclusion, when it’s clear that conservative
voices in media and politicians, like his, are the ones responsible for influencing that
move to reject trans women’s right to compete in women’s sports. It’s a pendulum swing
that in time will undoubtedly swing back, once the science proves that trans women and
girls don’t always win. In fact, researchers have already proven some trans athletes are
at a disadvantage compared to their cisgender competitors.

Just as Parker Molloy reported that a Republican-commissioned study on gender
affirming care in Utah actually found “that youth who received care before age 18 had
better outcomes, especially around depression, anxiety and suicidality. Hormonal
treatments were associated with positive mental health and psychosocial functioning
outcomes.”

I believe the science is on the side of transgender Americans. Americans love a
winner. Not a “co-winner.”

Summer is upon us, and so is Pride month, which means a whole crop of queer-flavored movies and shows are ready to blossom onto our nearest screen over the next few weeks; and as always, the Blade is here with a handy guide to help you fill out your watchlist.

I Don’t Understand You

First up is this pitch-black horror comedy starring Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells as a gay American couple (and soon-to-be-adoptive-daddies) celebrating their 10th anniversary with a trip to Italy. Unfortunately, neither of them speaks Italian, and the resulting language barrier creates a series of mishaps and misunderstandings that turns their dream vacation into a farcical traveler’s nightmare. Co-created by real-life gay couple Brian Crano and David Joseph Craig (who also directed), it’s got an authentic queer voice behind it, and a pair of talented and funny lead actors to make it work; it’s also got a nice collection of good reviews behind it from its debut at 2024’s SXSW and other festivals, which makes it a strong opener for your summertime slate. 6/6, in theaters

Loulou

Directed by Noëlle P. Soulier, this thoughtful trans coming-of-age/coming-out story centers on a closeted 17-year-old teen (Kevin Curtis) struggling with her identity while trying to cope with harassment at school and the pressure of living with her strict Catholic parents (Desean Terry and Reiko Aylesworth). Pushed to the church, she finds unexpected solace, encouraging her to start a journey toward self-acceptance – something that includes a new relationship with her own ex-bully (Spencer Belko), who has been struggling with some identity issues of his own. Also starring Patrika Darbo as a sympathetic nun, this gentle story about trans experience seems like a welcome beacon of support at a time when we really need one. 6/6, VOD

Sally

Directed and produced by Cristina Costantini, this documentary from National Geographic explores the life and career of Sally Ride, who became the first American woman to blast off into space. It’s not just the story of her historic achievement, however, but the story of her 27-year romance and relationship with life partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, who reveals the full personal journey of America’s LGBTQ astronaut for the very first time. 6/16, NatGeo; 6/17, Hulu, Disney+

Brokeback Mountain

No, that’s not a misprint and you’re not having a flashback to 2005, because the game-changing Ang Lee-directed drama about two cowboys in love is returning to theaters for a series of special screenings to celebrate its 20th anniversary. If you’re anything like us, you probably “wish you could quit” this powerful, heartbreaking, and tragically beautiful masterpiece – but we all know we never will. Why not celebrate that special bond by seeing it again on the big screen? Beginning 6/20, in theaters

The Gilded Age (Season 3)

Back for another round of sumptuously costumed, lavishly decorated intrigue among the ostentatiously wealthy high society class of late 19th-century New York (and those entangled in their world), the newest installment of this intrinsically queer period soap opera finds a definite shift in dynamics taking place after last season left the major players of the “old guard” weakened and the social-climbing “new money” crowd poised to take their place at the top of the pecking order. Promising the return of its sprawling cast – which includes queer fan favorites like Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Carrie Coon, Nathan Lane, and more, not to mention an ever-expanding host of Broadway greats to fill out the supporting cast and guest star roster – as well as the savvy perspective of show creator Julian Fellowes (“Downton Abbey,” which also returns later this year for a swan song on the big screen) to ensure its status as both artful social observation and “guilty pleasure” escapism, it’s probably already on your list if you’re a fan. If you’re not, there’s still time to catch up with the first two seasons before this one drops. 6/22, HBO Max

King of Drag

Move over, RuPaul, because the first major Drag King competition series is making its debut on queer streaming service Revry, where it plans on “serving you bold, brilliant, and unapologetic talent like never before” and celebrating “masculinity in all its forms.” Hosted by legendary trans New York drag king Murray Hill, it will feature regular judges Gottmik, Sasha Velour, Tenderoni, Wang Newton, and Revry co-founder Damian Pelliccione, as well as a list of guest judges that includes Jackie Beat, Cole Escola, Landon Cider, Lisa Rinna, and more. 6/22, Revry

Ironheart

Queer Marvel fans will certainly be on board for this new miniseries from the MCU, which is set after the events of the film “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and follows young genius inventor Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) as she embraces her evolution into the titular superhero in her hometown of Chicago. Reportedly establishing the lead character as bisexual, the series (created by Chinaka Hodge) also continues the Marvel franchise’s efforts toward diversity and inclusion with the introduction of a transgender character and the casting of transmasculine actor Zoe Terakes and “Drag Race” star Shea Couleé in supporting roles. “Hamilton” and “In the Heights” star Anthony Ramos co-stars as Parker Robbins (aka “The Hood”). 6/24, Disney+

The Ultimatum: Queer Love (Season 2)

For fans of reality TV competition, this popular show – a spin-off from “The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On” – returns with a set of six new couples (made up of women and non-binary people), who must put their love to the test by moving in with other partners to determine if they’re ready for marriage — or simply ready for someone else. 6/25, Netflix

Hot Milk

Adapted from the 2016 novel by Deborah Levy, this coming-of-age drama from filmmaker Rebecca Lenkiewicz follows Sofia (Emma Mackey) as she accompanies her domineering, wheelchair-bound mother (Fiona Shaw) to a questionable clinic in Spain in search of treatment. and is tempted by a tantalizing new life in the form of a local seamstress (Vicky Krieps). With a literary pedigree to balance its air of soft-core steaminess, this one appeals to us on the basis of its captivating cast alone. 6/27, limited theaters

M3GAN 2.0

The hot movie ticket this summer is likely to be for this sequel to 2022’s campy comedic cult horror hit, in which a murderous rogue AI-powered doll goes on a rampage after becoming self-aware before being destroyed – or at least, apparently. Three years later, M3GAN’s creator (Allison Williams) is now an advocate for oversight on Artificial Intelligence, but when a new and deadly android (Ivanna Sakhno) is created as a military weapon from her stolen plans, she must risk resurrecting her original invention in order to stop an even greater threat to humanity. Violet McGraw returns as Williams’ now-teenaged niece, as do Amie Donald and Jenna Davis as the title character’s body and voice, respectively. 6/27, in theaters

Ponyboi 

Highly anticipated is this neo-noir thriller from director Esteban Arango, written by and starring intersex actor, filmmaker, and activist River Gallo, which is finally getting a theatrical release nearly a year and a half after its acclaimed debut at the 2024 Sundance Festival. Adapted and expanded from a 2019 short film by Gallo, it follows a young intersex sex worker (Gallo), whose messy personal life – his best friend (Victoria Pedretti) is pregnant, and the father is his own pimp/boyfriend (Dylan O’Brien) – gets even messier when a drug deal gone bad puts him on the run from the mob. Gallo’s performance has earned copious praise, and the fact that it’s a whole movie centered on an intersex person – surely a rarity, if not a first, in commercial American filmmaking – makes it even more of a must-see. 6/27, in theaters

Sorry, Baby

Another Sundance favorite makes its way to theaters in the form of this dark comedy-drama from first-time writer/director/star Eva Victor, who plays Agnes, a woman still recovering from a sexual assault by a trusted figure in her past, who has tried to move on but  realizes how “stuck” she still is after a close friend makes a milestone announcement . Despite the heavy subject matter, it’s earned its acclaim – and the resultant buzz that enticed top flight distributor A24 to snap up the rights – by approaching it with a hefty dose of absurdist humor, as it peels back the onion of the “bad thing” that happened and finally sets Agnes on a course toward healing through a series of five “chapters” in her life. It’s been described as a “trauma-dy” – and frankly, we think that’s enough to make it irresistible. 6/27, in theaters

Freakier Friday

You might be tempted to say this is the sequel that nobody asked for – but you know you’re going to be there for it. The perennial parent/child identity swap franchise (spawned by a sharp-witted novel from Broadway royalty Mary Rodgers) reinvents itself yet again with the return of Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan as a mother and daughter who, decades after having swapped bodies due to a mystical incident involving a fortune cookie, find themselves once again switching places on the eve of a milestone wedding. We have no idea if there’s any queer-relevant story elements here; we just know most of us will be fully on board, if only for the nostalgia and the undying appeal of its queer-fan favorite stars. 8/8, in theaters

Lurker

Touted as “a screw-turning psychological thriller made for the moment” and directed by Alex Russell (writer/producer of the acclaimed shows “The Bear” and “Beef”), this dark pop cultural commentary focuses on a young LA loner (Théodore Pellerin) who has a chance encounter with a rising pop star (Archie Madekwe) and uses it to infiltrate his “entourage” – only to find himself caught up in an ever-escalating competition for attention, access, and proximity to “fame” that soon becomes “a matter of life and death.” A buzzy, paranoid, and grimly exhilarating exploration of the music industry, fandom, and “our universal search for validation,” this creepy but enticing suspenser scores extra points from us for leaning into a homoerotic subtext and serving up the sweaty wrestling scenes to prove it. 8/22, in theaters, in theaters

Honey Don’t!

The second of a planned “Lesbian B-Movie Trilogy” from filmmaker Ethan Coen and his wife Tricia Cooke (which began with last year’s “Drive Away Dolls”), this neo-noir-ish dark comedy stars Margaret Qualley (“The Substance”) as a lesbian private eye who is led by a case into a series of strange deaths centered around a mysterious church. It’s the kind of movie for which the less you know about it, the better it probably plays, so we won’t say much more – except that its cast includes heavyweights Aubrey Plaza, Billy Eichner, and Chris Evans. We say, “honey, DO.” 8/22, in theaters

Twinless

Coming on the cusp of fall, filmmaker James Sweeney’s eagerly awaited black comedy (do we detect a common thread in this summer’s selection, or is it just us?) is yet another Sundance darling, bolstered even further by the controversial gay sex scenes that were leaked online by fans of teen-heartthrob-turned-A-lister Dylan O’Brien (playing gay again for his second appearance on our list), who co-stars with Sweeney himself in this oddball story about two young queer men who meet in a support group for bereaved twins and form a sexually intense friendship with each other. Praised by critics for its “seamless” integration of queer themes into a compelling (if unusual) narrative, there’s been a lot of delay and reshuffled plans around its official release date – but now it’s officially set to be our final treat for a summer full of queer entertainment. 9/5, in theaters

It is rare to step into a room where the walls ripple with Icelandic wind, hum with the volcanic heat of Hawaii, and pulse with a wide-eyed color of an Amsterdam trip. This June, West Hollywood becomes a gateway to this world with the arrival of Through the Brush, a pop-up solo exhibit by Los Angeles-based painter Andrew Max Modlin.

The show, curated by renowned critic Peter Frank, opens Saturday, June 7, with an artist’s reception from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and runs through June 21 in a studio located at 411 N. La Cienaga Blvd.

Expectations are high — featuring large-scale landscapes, a DJ set, libations and above all, the possibility of escape.

The paintings themselves are immersive 60” x 72” dreamscapes that pull directly from Modlin’s travels to Iceland, Hawaii, Mexico and Amsterdam. They serve as both visual memories and portals to another place in the world, inspired by his travels.

“Traveling is one of the most important things to me because it allows you to see outside your bubble and understand how diverse the world really is,” said Modlin.

He considers the places he visits as extensions of home.

“I immerse myself in what palette the location makes me feel and that immediately comes out in my drawings. It’s bringing that experience back to my studio that makes each painting so diverse because it really has the essence of that location in it.” As the show coincides with Amsterdam’s 750-year anniversary, Modlin says many of the works will be grounded in the city’s distinctive atmosphere.

To understand the intention behind Modlin’s paintings, it helps to understand the artist himself. Modlin is an openly queer artist best known as the co-founder and brand designer behind the cannabis dispensary MedMen and Kreation Organic Juicery. Though successful in business, the pull towards painting never left.

“The fact that I wasn’t painting haunted me all those years because I always felt like that was my life calling,” he said. For a change of pace, Modlin made a drastic change and relocated to Amsterdam. “In that time, I developed how I draw digitally on the iPad.”

That iPad plays an essential role in Modlin’s creative process. His digital sketches are more than rough drafts — they are explosive playgrounds.

“The iPad is where I get to be reckless,” said Modlin. “There’s something precious about a blank canvas but that sense of preciousness doesn’t exist on the iPad.” Without the fear of failure, Modlin can “rapidly sketch with colors that would take much longer to mix by hand,” pushing beyond the limits of traditional materials.

Back in Los Angeles, he focused on translation — how to bridge the digital and physical. “Once I move to the canvas,” explained Modlin. “The process shifts. It becomes more about the physicality of the paint and the act of painting itself than the original composition.”

That act is deliberate and cumulative. “My paintings are a slow, layered process where each brushstroke is a response to the one before it,” said Modlin. “The final piece becomes a record of that dialogue between gesture, surface, and duration.” His works aren’t meant to be consumed all at once — they reveal themselves slowly. Up close, hidden details emerge; from afar, emotions stir. “I hope the viewer starts by getting lost within the painting,” stated Modlin.

Modlin doesn’t see painting as a hobby — it’s a deep expression of self as his work resonates with lived experience. “I’ve always believed in the power of starting things within our own community.” That ethos led Modlin to open MedMen in West Hollywood, making him the first queer dispensary owner in the neighborhood. “With my debut solo exhibition,” said Modlin. “It felt just as important to me that it take place in West Hollywood, the community I live in and care deeply about.”

Through the Brush may feel like a breakthrough, but for Modlin, it’s just the beginning. “For me, success now means seeing my work shown around the world, in spaces that elevate and challenge it.” As Modlin imagines his next chapter, the invitation is clear: “I’d love for that visibility to open the door to working even larger on a scale that allows for something deeply expressive and immersive.”

This Pride Month, we’re turning up the volume and the visibility with Loud & Proud — a bold new campaign from Culture Machine in collaboration with Last Prisoner Project, produced by Izzi Cavotta, Kaylen Ng and Merari Chavarría. Featuring beloved drag artists like LaGanja Estranja, Jorgeous, Sabiyana and many others, Loud & Proud celebrates the queer legacy of cannabis activism while demanding a future where no one is incarcerated for a plant and no one is punished for being proud.

At first glance, it might seem that the cannabis legalization movement and the LGBTQ rights movement are two separate struggles. But when you trace the smoke back to its source, you’ll find that queer liberation and cannabis justice have long burned from the same flame.

Before California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996 through Prop 215, its roots of resistance began with queer activists who were already leading the charge. Prop 215 would not have passed without the efforts of HIV/AIDS activists, many of them queer, who demanded compassionate access to cannabis as medicine. Dennis Peron, a gay man who lost his partner to AIDS, co-authored Prop 215. His earlier work on San Francisco’s Prop P in 1991 helped pave the way, allowing doctors to recommend cannabis for medical purposes.

But the history runs deeper. In 1978, Harvey Milk — California’s first openly gay elected official — pushed a ballot initiative urging the San Francisco District Attorney to stop prosecuting marijuana possession. This was decades before either movement found mainstream support, but Milk and Peron knew what too many still forget: the systems that criminalize queerness and cannabis use are one and the same.

Today, more than 575 pieces of anti-LGBTQ legislation are circulating in statehouses across the country. And while cannabis is legal in some form in most U.S. states, the criminalization of the plant still ensnares marginalized communities — especially queer and trans people.

LGBTQ folks have always had to navigate systems that criminalize their survival. Often shut out of traditional employment and housing due to stigma and discrimination, many have turned to criminalized economies — including cannabis — for community, income and healing. As a result, they’ve been disproportionately policed, prosecuted and punished.

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, in 2019 gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals were more than twice as likely to be arrested as their straight peers. One in five trans women has been incarcerated. Nearly half of all Black trans people have faced imprisonment. And while hard data on cannabis-specific charges is limited (a data gap that speaks volumes), we know anecdotally and statistically that LGBTQ folks are overrepresented in the system.

To this day, mainstream cannabis rhetoric rarely accounts for these intersectional realities. And when queer folks are included, it’s often in tokenized marketing — not in leadership, policy spaces, or commutation campaigns.

The Loud & Proud campaign isn’t just about rainbow-wrapped pre-rolls and glittery photo ops (though we love those, too). It’s about honoring the queer elders, like Brownie Mary, who fought for our rights to exist and medicate. It’s about amplifying the voices of those still behind bars. And it’s about claiming space — in the streets, on the stage, and in the industry — for those who’ve been systematically shut out.

From drag stages to protest marches, from poetry to policy, our community has always used creativity as a form of resistance. This campaign is no different. Together, we’re using joy as protest. We’re using glamour as grit. And yes, we’re putting our lighters up — for every queer person who’s ever been arrested for weed, every trans woman locked away for surviving, and every drag artist who uses cannabis as both healing and defiance.

Cannabis companies: if you’re profiting off Pride or cannabis, you need to be funding queer liberation and cannabis clemency work. Consumers: ask who’s on the board, who’s in leadership and who’s still in prison. And to everyone: show up, not just during Pride month, but all year long.

As we celebrate how far we’ve come, we must remember who helped get us here — and who’s still waiting for their freedom.

This Pride, let’s be LOUD & PROUD. Let’s put our lighters up in their honor. Let’s fight for their release. Let’s demand justice, together.

Stephen Post is a Strategic Communications Manager at the Last Prisoner Project (LPP), a national, nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to freeing everyone still incarcerated for cannabis and helping them rebuild their lives. He also serves the City of West Hollywood as a Public Safety Commissioner.

If queer culture itself had a Mount Rushmore, Grace Jones would be carved in obsidian, glowing like a disco ball, with cheekbones sharp enough to slice through time. She is no mere performer — she is a provocation, a movement, a fierce force to be reckoned with. This June 15, at the iconic Hollywood Bowl, Miss Jones takes the stage once more — not as a nostalgia act, but as a living, breathing beacon of artistry, abounding soul and queer defiance.

It’s only appropriate that Jones headlines the Blue Note Jazz Festival, a space known for legends and nonconformists alike. Because that’s what she’s always done: bend genre, bend gender and bend the very idea of identity. Long before the mainstream caught up with conversations about fluidity and expression, Jones was already there, prowling through Studio 54 in Issey Miyake couture, turning disco into performance art, queering fashion and queering music simply by refusing to be anything but herself.

In the late 70s, New York nightlife was church and Jones was its high priestess that the disciples of disco and dance bowed down to. Her early hits like I Need a Man and La Vie en Rose weren’t just dance floor anthems to get down to — they were declarations of an unapologetic presence. She became the face of a new sect of glamour — androgynous, untamed and transcendent. With her sleek flat-top and surreal persona, she turned herself into a living sculpture — black, bold and utterly uncategorizable. While others played roles, Jones crafted her own mythos.

Without a doubt, the queer community took notice of her magnetism. Not just because she radiated. Not just because she could command a stage in heels taller than their dreams. They took notice because she embodied the purest form of liberation. She was dangerous, defiant, and divine. The kind of icon you didn’t just admire but you emulated. To be queer in the shadow of Jones was to know that defiance could be not just sexy but sacred, that identity could be art.

Her influence transcends both decades and genres. Nightclubbing, Warm Leatherette and Living My Life didn’t just experiment — they shattered expectations. She sang Joy Division like a glistening goddess and made Sting’s Demolition Man sound like a god damned prophecy. Songs like Pull Up to the Bumper weren’t just hits, but cultural cataclysms. Even now, Beyoncé’s invitation to Grace on Renaissance resonated less like a feature and more as a coronation.

The most inspiring aspect about Jones is that she’s never been part of the machine. She is the machine. A postmodern construct of fashion and fearlessness in the funkiest of forms. Her 2008 album, Hurricane and her 2014 memoir, I’ll Never Write My Memoirs, unearthed a soul as deep as her basslines. She told the world how she turned religious repression into self-made divinity. Jones danced with Leary, painted with Warhol and eviscerated the boundaries of possibility.

And now with her show at the Hollywood Bowl, Jones arrives not as a relic, but as a reckoning. For queer folks, especially our Black queer queens, kings and all of that royalty in between, Jones represents more than just music. She is the liberation incarnate. She is proof that our futures can be as extravagantly ungovernable and as radiant as we want to make it. Jones is not the past nor the future. She exists beyond our mere three dimensions and linear concept of time. She is pure unfiltered prophecy.

When she steps onto that stage lit like the Phoenix that she is, we won’t just be witnessing a performance. We’ll be honoring Queer legacy. And, if we are lucky, we will get a taste of whatever the next version of Jones is evolving into. She evolves, reinvents, reclaims — and in doing so, reminds us that we can, too.

Grace Jones will headline The Blue Note Jazz Festival on Sunday, June 15 at The Hollywood Bowl. Click here for tickets.

WeHo Pride is now fully underway with an arts festival happening now, leading up to a weekend-long worth of events celebrating the kick-off of Pride season. 

On Friday, May 31, the Women’s Freedom Festival will take over the Celebration Stage, celebrating women’s rights — and wrongs. The event is co-sponsored and produced by the L-Project, featuring emerging and local artists from the LGBTQ and QTBIPOC identities, including activists, musicians, poets and comedians. 

The exciting lineup of events features an arts festival that is currently hitting the streets of West Hollywood, the historic Dyke March featuring Dykes on Bikes and Pride Riders L.A. — an organization for queer and lesbian women motorcycle riders — and much, much more. 

Katrina Vinson is the founder of Pride Riders L.A., working hard over the last few years to bring much-needed visibility to dykes, women who love women and nonbinary people who identify as sapphics. 

Her application to start the first Dykes on Bikes Los Angeles chapter is about more than branding. It’s about connection to a legacy of activism — dating back to the group’s 1976 founding in San Francisco, when leather-clad lesbians led the Pride parade in defiance of the police force and society’s patriarchal norms.

“It’s not just about riding,” Vinson says. “It’s about showing up for each other and reminding the world that we’re still here, still loud, still proud — and still riding.”

Pride Riders LA will feature an all-women and nonbinary people lineup of motorcycle bike riders, revving their engines all up and down West Hollywood. Pride Riders LA will roll in following the Women’s Freedom Festival, creating a transition from stage to street. The call for riders is already underway—with an emphasis on inclusivity and outreach to younger riders, trans and nonbinary folks, and LGBTQ+ bikers of color.

Jackie Steele is a multi-faceted community organizer and longtime activist who has built a reputation in queer and sapphic spaces. She is the Los Angeles District Attorney LGBTQ+ Advisory Board Chair, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna LGBTQ+ Advisory Board Member, and was previously the Public Safety Commissioner for the City of West Hollywood, Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Advisory Board of the City of West Hollywood and a self-proclaimed militant queer.

“Chris Baldwin runs the L-project and what they’ve put together is a concert and an event that is a true celebration of intersectional queer identities,” said Jackie Steele. “We worked really hard to work with the city to create a space that was accessible for everybody, where folks can just come out, enjoy the street fair and enjoy themselves.” 

This year, they are expecting around 50 bikes to roll through for the Dyke March, so if you’ve never been, this will be a moment to remember, some might even call it a canon event. 

“If you’ve never been, Dyke March is a celebration of dykes and what lesbians have done in the community — which is often under-celebrated,” said Steele. “There’s going to be bikes everywhere, engines roaring, a live program on stage and we will be fists in the air, standing together.” 

WeHo Pride will take over Santa Monica Blvd., over the weekend. Check the West Hollywood Pride events page to keep up with street closures, parking information and full lineup of performers and events.

Most of us who have lived long enough to get nostalgic for our formative years have, by now, watched enough documentaries about a beloved entertainment icon from our past to know what to expect when a new one comes along.

Such offerings are typically slick biographical portraits blending archival material with newly filmed “talking head” reminiscences and commentaries, and perhaps punctuated by eye-catching animations or other flourishes to add an extra layer of visual interest; heavy on the nostalgia and mostly reverent in tone, they satisfy us with pleasant memories, supplement our knowledge with behind-the-history insights and revelations, and leave us – ideally – with a renewed appreciation and a reinforced feeling of comfortable familiarity. Many of them are little more than retrospectives, more glossy tribute than in-depth profile; occasionally, a few go beyond the surface to give us a deeper sense of personal connection with their subject – but rarely enough, even in the best of them, to make us feel as if we know them well.

No matter how many of these docs you have seen, however, or jaded your expectations may be when you approach it, “Pee-wee as Himself” is still going to surprise you.

Directed by filmmaker Matt Wolf, the two-part HBO docuseries – which premiered May 23 and is now streaming on Max – is built around material culled from 40 hours of interview footage with the late Paul Reubens (the creator and performer behind nerdy, manic cultural phenomenon and children’s show host “Pee-wee Herman,” for anyone that needs to be told), and conducts a “guided tour” of Reubens’ singular career in the limelight. The first installment traces a path from his Florida childhood through his early adventures as an actor and performance artist in Los Angeles to his rapid rise to fame through the popularity of his carefully crafted alter-ego; part two continues the story to explore the expansion of his fame through the phenomenon of “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” but soon shifts gears to cover his sudden fall from grace after a notorious “public indecency” arrest in an adult theater, and the subsequent accusations of collecting “child pornography” that unfairly branded him as a pedophile in the public eye — and comes full circle to document his return to favor as an underdog hero for the generation that had grown up watching him. 

Besides its detailed chronicle of these already-well-known chapters in Reubens’ life, however, Wolf’s doc (and Reubens, via frequent full-frame close-up commentary throughout) delves into publicly uncharted territory to give us a look at something we’ve never been allowed to see before: Paul Reubens himself.

That includes, of course, removing any ambiguity that might remain about the sexuality of the man behind the bow tie, who never publicly identified as gay before his death from cancer in 2023. It’s not so much a “coming out” — after all, he artfully teased his queerness to fans for years — as it is a dropping of pretense. There’s no need for a definitive statement announcing something that everybody already knew, anyway.

That’s not to say he skirts the issue as he delivers his full-frame close-up testimonial to the camera; on the contrary, he reflects often and with bittersweet candor about the carefully-managed matter of his sexuality – or the public’s perception of it, at any rate – with the matter-of-fact eloquence of someone who’s spent a lot of time thinking about it. He openly discusses his choice to keep the closet door closed on his personal life in order to preserve Pee-wee’s ambiguously wholesome yet irresistibly subversive persona in the public’s imagination, and to abandon his openly queer life (as well as a loving long term relationship, one of the series’ biggest “reveals”) to do so.”I was as out as you could be,” he reflects with rueful irony, “and then I went back in.”

Indeed, it’s Reubens’s sexuality that ultimately emerges as the show’s core focus — even more than the rich treasure trove of personal photos, home movies, behind-the-scenes footage, and all the other fan-thrilling delights it provides — and gives it a larger significance, perhaps than even the man himself. It’s a thread that runs through his story, impacting his choices and the trajectory of his career, and reflecting the familiar shared experience of many audience members who may be able to relate; later, it manifests on a societal level, as Wolf and his subject explore the homophobic attitudes behind the legal persecution that would bring his rising star into a tailspin and hang over his reputation for the rest of his life. It serves as both a reminder of the power of cultural bigotry to repress queerness and a cautionary tale about the personal cost of repressing oneself.

A good number of Reubens’ longtime friends (like Cassandra Petersen, aka “Elvira, Mistress of the Dark,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” costar David Arquette, and former “girlfriend” Debi Mazar, who provided support, acceptance, and companionship in the wake of his legal troubles), come along for the ride, offering their own reminiscences and insights into official record, as well as lesser-known members of an inner circle that comprised the late artist’s chosen family. Yet all these testimonials, authentic as they may be, are not what enable “Pee-wee as Himself” to bring us closer to the real Paul Reubens. It’s Reubens himself who does that.

Maintaining an ambiguously hostile edge in his interviews, bringing to light a clash for control between himself and director Wolf with as much clarity as he illuminates the vast archival material that is shown to document his career, he demonstrates firsthand the need to manage his own narrative, balking, even openly resisting, certain questions and interpretations that arise throughout. It gives the real Reubens the same vague menace with which Pee-wee was also infused — and also creates a sort of meta-narrative, in which the conflict between subject and director must also be resolved before the story can truly achieve closure, calling into question whether Reubens (a veteran of avant-garde theater and lifelong fan of the circus) might not be adding yet another layer of mystery and performance to his image even as he gets honest publicly for the very first time.

That closure eventually comes in the form of a voice recording made by Reubens the day before his death — after a six year battle with lung cancer (he was a heavy smoker, another personal detail he painstakingly hid from the public) which, save for those in his innermost circle, he never revealed until the end — in which he delivers a final message to the world. With it, he finally accomplishes what he never could during his life, and lets us see, at last, who he was when he wasn’t being Pee-wee.

And it’s a beautiful thing.

Photographer, multimedia artist and creative director, Emily Eizen gracefully photographed the fashionably-dressed attendees of our 8th annual Best of LGBTQ LA Awards. She brought the glitz and the glamour, just as much as those who attended.

Here are a few of her best shots.

(All photos credit and courtesy of Emily Eizen)

LA Blade Publisher, Alexander Rodriguez poses next to LA Blade Editor, Gisselle Palomera.

Attendees mix and mingle, some eagerly awaiting to see if they won a Best of LGBTQ LA award and others casually hanging out in support of the nominees.

Mayor of West Hollywood Chelsea Lee Byers poses next to Tristan Schukraft, owner of The Abbey. Schukraft flew in for the awards show along with his crew.

Victoria “DJ Vic Jagger” Valenzuela and Francisco “DJ Frandisco” Aviles-Pino pose together for a photo. DJ Vic Jagger was a finalist for the Best of LGBTQ LA Award for Best DJ.

Everyone was feeling the vibes here, from the fashion fits, to the fire moves.

Famous influencer, comedian and Kamala Harris impersonator, performed at the show, bringing her dyke vibes to the function. Journalist, Joel Medina assisted us with interviews of some of the nominees and performers.

Pickle the Drag Queen received recognition from the office of Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur.

Read more about the nominees and the awards in an article written by Rob Solerno.