When it comes to blending humor and hard-earned perspective with a healthy dash of heart, few do it quite like Alec Mapa. Actor, comedian, and self-proclaimed “attention whore” (his words, not mine) has spent decades lighting up screens and stages while using laughter as both a mirror and a megaphone for truth.

This November 8 at Nya West in Los Angeles, Mapa will be honored at NIGHT OUT, Family Equality’s gala celebrating LGBTQ+ families and the many avenues of love that make them thrive. It’s an appropriate recognition for someone like Mapa who’s managed to turn visibility into advocacy.

Equal parts entertainer and family man, we had the chance to sit down with Mapa as he shared with us about the power of being seen, the continued efforts for equality, and how both comedy and fatherhood continue to shape the way he navigates through the world.

You’ve got a big evening coming up with NIGHT OUT hosted by Family Equality this coming November 8th. What does it feel like to be honored not just for the impact you’ve made as an entertainer but also as a parent and family man?

 It feels lovely because I’m an attention whore, and surprisingly, because I never leave the house. To hear that my work or family would have any impact at all is wonderful news.  I’m just here folding the laundry.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Family Equality (@familyequality)

Family Equality has been an impactful force for LGBTQI+ families. What do you think is the most urgent and impactful work they’re doing right now?

 The urgent work to change hearts and minds hasn’t changed one bit. Since 1979, Family Equality’s mission has been to ensure that everyone has the freedom to find, form, and sustain their families by advancing equality for the LGBTQ+ community. The fight for queer rights is like a game of Whack-A-Mole. Just when you think you’ve made some impact, a new generation of bigots pops up. 

With such a diverse and talented group of performers like Monét X Change and Brendan Scannell, how do you think events like NIGHT OUT help showcase the many faces of queer comedy and entertainment?

Performing at queer Hollywood fundraisers is how I met all the queer creators who hired me! Sylvio Horta cast me in Ugly Betty after seeing me perform for the GLAAD awards. Ryan Murphy cast me on Scream Queens after seeing me at Family Equality.  Greg Berlanti cast me in Doom Patrol, but not from a fundraiser; I auditioned.  Still sore about that. 

You are a true Renaissance man, from TV and film to Broadway, stand-up, and voice work. What aspects of your career in the public sphere have influenced your role as a parent?

 I took my kid to every set I worked on and introduced him to every department from wardrobe to craft services because I wanted him to see that being an artist is a real job. 

What has parenthood taught you about yourself that performing never could?

I’m more careful about my words.

Using harsh language on your kids doesn’t make them stop loving you, but they end up loving themselves less. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alec Mapa (@alecmapa)

Comedy can be a weapon just as much as it can be a unifying force. How do you approach the balance between pushing boundaries while also creating a connection with your audience?

 I started out on Broadway, so I always want my audience to experience a catharsis-  that sublime release that happens when you laugh all the laughs and feel all the feels. 

From Roseanne and Friends to Jane the Virgin and Scream Queens, you have been representing the entertainment world for a minute. How have you seen queer representation evolve over the span of your career? Is there still room for improvement?

In 2000, I was the first out gay Asian actor to play a gay series regular role on network television. Now, Gaysian superstars like Bowen Yang, Nico Santos, and Joel Kim Booster are smashing it. I feel like a gremlin that someone got wet or fed after midnight.  However, the caste system that centers whiteness is currently in charge, so diversity, equity, and inclusion might go the way of the Dodo. 

You’ve been speaking out and showing up for queer causes for decades. What gives you hope in this current climate? What gives you pause?

What gives me hope is the unstoppable strength, resilience and queer joy of the LGBTQ+ community. No matter how much they try to pave over us, we’re as relentless as a blade of grass bursting through concrete. What scares me is the complete lack of humanity of those in power. 

How do you use comedy to spotlight queer issues, especially at a time when audiences might prefer to “laugh and not think”?

The more specific you are, the more universal you become. I didn’t spotlight queer issues in my Showtime Special “Alec Mapa Baby Daddy” (now streaming on YouTube),  I just spoke honestly about my experience as a married gay Filipino man and the adoption of our son. My new stand-up hour, “The Buttcracker,”  on December 11th at El Cid on Sunset, is all about doing stand-up while I was recovering from prostate cancer. Hilarious. 

Adoption is undoubtedly a transformative way for many LGBTQ+ folks to build families. From your point of view, what is the unique power of adoption in creating families, and how has it shaped the broader narrative of queer parenthood?

Several studies have shown that LGBTQ+ individuals and couples are significantly more likely to adopt or foster children in the foster care system. My friend Stephanie White adopted and raised 7 special needs kids. Jason Cook and his husband adopted 6 kids and kept all siblings intact.  Despite that powerful narrative,  adoption agencies can still legally discriminate against qualified individuals based on sexual orientation or gender identity.  Family Equality sent me to Capitol Hill to lobby on behalf of the “Every Child Deserves a Family Act” to prevent anti LGBTQ+  discrimination in foster care. The Act has still not passed. Whack-A-Mole it is. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alec Mapa (@alecmapa)

Join the Los Angeles Blade on Saturday, November 8, in Los Angeles for a special evening of love, laughter, and change-making. Event info here.

Conor McDermott-Mostowy spends close to 40 hours every week on the ice, often training multiple times a day as he gears up to participate in a series of competitions to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics. McDermott-Mostowy is on the national long-track speed skating team, and has competed in world championships for the sport since 2017. Most recently, he won silver and bronze medals at the 2025 U.S. Long Track speed skating Championships in Utah.

Soon, he’ll be heading to Canada, the Netherlands, and Norway to compete in the upcoming World Cup circuit before the U.S. Olympic Trials in January. Mcdermott-Mostowy has prepared his whole life for this moment — to hopefully compete in his first-ever Olympics — but his journey is rife with intense financial and emotional pressures, especially as one of the few openly queer athletes in his league. 

“I’m currently the only out man on the World Cup circuit,” McDermott-Mostowy told the Blade. “Especially coming from Salt Lake, which is certainly not the mecca for queer culture…and being in sport…it can be pretty isolating at times.” 

McDermott-Mostowy stopped by West Hollywood on Saturday for a fundraising event at the City’s Nike Training Studio. Organized by Out Athlete Fund, a nonprofit focused on uplifting LGBTQ+ visibility in sports and raising funds for out athletes, as well as Pride House LA/West Hollywood, the official hospitality house for LGBTQ+ athletes at the 2028 Summer Olympics, the event aimed to garner community support and donations to help support McDermott-Mostowy and other queer athletes as they prepare for career-defining competitions.

The event also demystified the belief that professional athletes are lavishly compensated. As McDermott-Mostowy explained in an earlier Blade interview, “the reality is that Olympic sports are not accessible or sustainable for most people…Many world-class and Olympic-caliber athletes earn less than minimum wage while dedicating more than full-time hours to their sport. The nature of training makes it nearly impossible to take on additional work, meaning athletes are often forced to rely on family, fundraising, or personal debt to continue competing.” 

The current political climate also presents other challenges for openly queer athletes. Cyd Ziegler, the co-founder of LGBTQ+ sports news publication Outsports and board member for both Pride House LA/West Hollywood and Out Athlete Fund, recently wrote that “these upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics are in Italy, where another right-wing government is cracking down on the gay community. I don’t have to tell anyone in the LGBTQ community what is going on right here in the United States. That makes supporting Conor, and other out LGBTQ athletes with the potential to compete at these Olympics, that much more poignant.”

McDermott-Mostowy confirmed at Saturday’s event that there has been a “significant pullback” in financial and sponsorship support for queer athletes, creating strain on how he will afford all the components vital to his Olympic journey: the training, travel, gear, nutrition — just to name a few. 

Beyond raising funds, Saturday’s event served as a moment of reprieve and queer gathering for McDermott-Mostowy. West Hollywood city officials including mayor Chelsea Byers arrived to present a certificate of recognition to the athlete, and former competitive figure skaters Randy Gardner, Tai Babilonia and Bobby Beauchamp offered warm words to McDermott-Mostowy, ushering in a new generation of queer excellence at the Winter games.

Currently, McDermott-Mostowy is preparing for the World Cup in Salt Lake City from November 14-16, the first of four World Cups that will lead him to Hamar, Norway in December. As of Nov. 3rd, Out Athlete Fund has raised $16,000 to support McDermott-Mostowy in his road to the Olympics, as confirmed by Pride House LA/West Hollywood board vice president and Out Athlete Fund marketing co-lead Haley Caruso.

Actor Jonathan Bailey made history Monday after he was named People magazine’s first openly gay “Sexiest Man Alive.”

Bailey is known for his starring role in “Wicked,” as well as well-received turns in “Bridgerton” and “Fellow Travelers,” for which he was nominated for an Emmy. He returns to the big screen on Nov. 21 in the “Wicked: For Good” sequel.

Bailey announced the news on the Nov. 3 “Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon.

“It’s the honor of a lifetime,” Bailey, 37, said. “I want to say, Jimmy, thank you so much for turning it down so that I could be here.”

Bailey told People, “It’s a huge honor. Obviously I’m incredibly flattered. And it’s completely absurd. It’s been a secret, so I’m quite excited for some friends and family to find out.”

People launched its popular “Sexiest Man Alive” issue in 1985 with inaugural winner Mel Gibson. Last year’s winner was actor John Krasinski.

Bailey came out publicly in 2018 and founded a nonprofit, Shameless Fund, which raises money for LGBTQ+ organizations and issues.

Happy November, my lovelies. And happy birthday to all of my fierce and fiery Scorpio and Sagittarius babes out there! We are moving into the final stretch of the year with tense energy mingling with the strongest sense of community and camaraderie that we have seen in years. So how do we navigate this dichotomy and use it to our advantage? Let’s dive in and find out.

We enter into the month in the last Mercury Retrograde shadow of the year. Mercury officially goes retrograde on November 9th, where he has his messy moment, creating a little chaos for all of us until he stations direct on November 29th. Since this is the last retrograde we will experience with Mercury for 2025, I encourage all of you to use this time to reflect on everything that has transpired for you over the past year…the good, the bad, and the crazy! Take a breath amongst the retrograde chaos and reflect with the purpose of clarity and committing to change that will help you become what you really want. You may be surprised to find that you have walked through a large portion of this year in survival mode with no clear definition of what you are working and fighting toward. This time also provides us with a wonderful space to begin releasing, healing, and tying up the loose ends of 2025. The planetary influence will be perfect in assisting us with this, and getting an early start on the shadow self and personal purge means we get to walk into the new year with a strong and refined sense of power and worth.

A vast majority of the collective is walking into the month with heavy feelings and a sense of loneliness. This is particularly a challenge when we are entering a season that boasts joy, gratitude, and togetherness. You may find it difficult to align yourself with the spirit of the season this year, but quiet moments filled with self-care and self-soothing can absolutely count as acts of gratitude and joy. With that said, we are being challenged to allow ourselves to ask for help and further are challenged to remember that help may not always arrive in the forms we expect. Even in the moments where we feel comfort or even lost in our solitude, there is a healing, safe space among our coven, chosen family, and community. Our mental health, like a garden, is something that continuously needs to be tended to. If this is where you are this month, do you, babe, tend to the beautiful and feral garden that is made up of pieces of you and all of your fierce glory.

A magical tip to take the edge off: bee pollen is known to assist us in tuning in to the “hive mind” around us, heather flowers are a botanical that encourages friendship, and jasmine flowers evoke a sense of self-love and interpersonal soul connection. Take each of these three elements and keep them in a small bag to help you find your way out of the lonely haze and back to yourself and your circle.

On a lighter note, November will be bringing in bustling Venusian energy, meaning we will see an influx of feelings of love (hello, cuffing season) and people living their entrepreneurial dreams. Go cuddle with your latest boo, sling your services to your friend group, and list your goods on Etsy. People are lending loving hands and helpful dollars to those who are shining the brightest, so be on your game and bring it. The year may be ending, and we may feel like the world is ending, but for those who are up for the challenge, there are some sweet and successful roads just opening. To conjure up someone to help keep you warm as it gets cold outside—or if you just want to bask in the rays of good fortune—try wearing oil blends and fragrances that are ruled by Venus, such as rose, cardamom, or apple.

This month is no stranger to challenge, but let’s be real—neither are we. Tend to your emotions, seek safe spaces and connections when you need a boost, and welcome love and success in all forms this month. Happy November, my magical loves.

Shana is an initiated priestess, paranormal investigator, author, and host of the podcast Queer from the Other Side. Follow Shana on IG.

Even if you’ve never heard the name Lorenz Hart, chances are high you’ve heard some of his songs.

A giant of early 20th century Broadway songwriting, he was a lyricist whose complex blend of wit and wistful romanticism – mostly set to music by longtime composing partner Richard Rodgers – became a significant part of the “Great American Songbook,” performed and recorded by countless musical artists in the decades since. Yet despite his success, happiness eluded him; depression and alcoholism eventually hobbled his career, and he died in 1943 – aged only 47 – from a case of pneumonia he caught after passing out in the rain in front of his favorite bar.

His tragic story might seem an odd fit for a screen treatment from maverick director Richard Linklater, but his latest film – “Blue Moon” in theaters as of Oct. 24 – delivers exactly that. Crafting a mostly speculative and highly stylized portrait of Hart (portrayed in a tour-de-force by longtime Linklater muse Ethan Hawke) on a night that was arguably the lowest point in his professional career: the opening night of “Oklahoma!” – the soon-to-be smash hit composed by Rodgers (Andrew Scott) with new partner Oscar Hammerstein III (Simon Delaney) after their two-decade partnership had been tanked by his personal struggles.

In Robert Kaplow’s theatrically crafted screenplay, Hart shows up early for the post-opening celebration – held, of course, at Broadway’s legendary meeting place, Sardi’s – to hold court with the bartender (Bobby Cannavale) and a young hired piano player (Jonah Lees) while steeling his nerves with a few shots of the whiskey he has sworn to avoid. He’s not there to support his old colleague, however; there’s too much resentment swirling inside him for that. Rather, he’s there to connect with 20-year-old college student Elizabeth (Margaret Qualley), whom he has taken on as a protege – and with whom he has convinced himself he is in love, despite the homosexual inclinations that are mostly an “open secret” within his circle of Broadway insiders.

Constructed as a real-time narrative that follows Hart over the course of the evening, Kaplow’s script could almost be described as a monologue – with interruptions, of course – by the songsmith himself; aided by Hawke’s fearlessly unsentimental performance, the film’s presentation of Hart – a queer man grappling with his own self-loathing in a deeply homophobic era – is almost brutal in its exploration of his emotional and psychological landscape. He has walked a thin line for most of his life, alternately hiding and flaunting his inner truth to navigate his world for decades; and the strain has taken its toll – once heralded as one of Broadway’s brightest talents, his reputation has been ravaged by rumor and he occupies his time by escaping his loneliness through self-denial and liquor. He’s become that guy at the bar who regales you with larger-than-life stories while peppering them with barely concealed bitterness and regret; you can’t help but feel empathy for him, but you’d love to politely extract yourself from the situation at the first opportunity.

There’s something relatable about that situation – from both perspectives – and that’s what keeps “Blue Moon” from becoming insufferable. It’s the kind of movie that makes us cringe, not over the pathetic behavior of its leading character but in anticipation of the next uncomfortable development that’s sure to come as a consequence. He’s a seasoned raconteur, with a polished wit and a prodigious skill with language, and we find ourselves pulling for him both in spite and because of the sense of manic desperation we can feel behind his words.

It’s that almost-grudging empathy we feel for him that gives “Blue Moon” a sense of humanity in the face of what might otherwise seem a relentlessly bleak character study, and keeps us from judging Hart’s impulses toward self-delusion and self-destruction too harshly; and in the end, Linklater’s biopic leaves us with a perspective on his life that emphasizes the legacy he left behind – the poignant lyrics that bespoke an unfulfillable longing for love and connection – and the lasting influence he cast over the generations that succeeded him.

To underscore the latter, the movie imagines a few fortuitous encounters during the festivities at Sardi’s, in which Hart unknowingly drops nuggets of inspiration for such future icons as author E.B. White and a very young Stephen Sondheim. The meetings may or may not not be flights of fancy, but they convey the lasting impact of Hart’s creative contributions in a way that not only feels truthful but provides some amusing moments for buffs of Golden Age Broadway-and-Hollywood lore.

In fact, it should be said that “Blue Moon,” despite the underlying melancholy and the squirm-in-your-seat discomfort that hovers around its edges, is a thoroughly entertaining film; constructed like a play, shot in a style that evokes the cinema of the era (with ongoing references to “Casablanca” to underscore the connection), and wrapped in the nostalgic glow of old Manhattan in its elegant heyday, it bubbles with the kind of wryly sophisticated humor that marked so much of Hart’s own work and thrills us with the feelings it sparks within us. 

For that, we must again point to Hawke’s award-worthy performance as the core element; though he accomplishes a physical transformation into the short, balding Hart and masterfully captures his flamboyant personality, it’s the actor’s understanding of the songwriter’s inner landscape that gives the movie its heart, soul, and painfully human perspective.

Even so, it’s a movie with an entire cast’s worth of superb performances. There’s Scott’s carefully measured Rodgers, balancing genuine friendship with the frustrated impatience of navigating a strained relationship in public. Qualley walks a similar tightrope as the object of Hart’s misguided affections, charming us with authentic fondness and diplomatic compassion, and Cannavale provides a solid ground of streetwise wisdom as the bartender who might be his best friend. Patrick Kennedy’s E.B. White, bringing a welcome note of respect and insight, is also a standout.

Yet while the acting in “Blue Moon” may be excellent across the board, it’s Linklater’s direction that drives his cast’s work and ties it all together; a proven chameleon behind the camera, he embraces the theatrical structure of the screenplay with a perfectionist’s aesthetic, and indulges his fascination with time by encapsulating the portrait of a man’s entire life into the observations that can be gleaned from a single night. More importantly, perhaps, he honors his subject by refusing to define Hart’s sexuality to fit modern sensibilities. We can draw whatever conclusions we want, but in the end we have no reason to reject the songwriter’s description of himself as “ambi-sexual” – even though, with its undercurrent of jealousy between two ex-partners, it’s hard not to take note of some very gay implied subtext.

In the end, Hart’s sexual “label” is irrelevant; his loneliness is what matters, the longing to love – and to be loved – which we all share, regardless of our sexual makeup. 

It’s the tragic beauty of that universal pang that comes through in all of the timeless lyrics that Lorenz Hart wrote, and it comes through in Linklater’s excellent movie, too.

‘Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it’ — a cliché phrase that is more relevant now than ever. 

It’s an unfortunate truth that the erasure of queer history is not a new phenomenon. While the current political climate has featured some of the most blatant attempts to remove our communities’ impact, those in power have always tried to diminish just how much LGBTQ+ people have influenced society as a whole. It’s an ongoing attack that has left many worried about future generations not knowing all of the queer greatness that came before them — and it’s why Queer 101, hosted by Peppermint and Hugh Ryan, couldn’t have come at a better time. 

This new podcast from Pride House Media commemorates the moments in LGBTQ+ history that are too often ignored by the mainstream news cycle. And it’s hosted by a pair who make history as much as they record it; Peppermint is a world-famous Drag Queen who went from stunning on RuPaul’s Drag Race season nine to breaking barriers as the first out trans woman to originate a role on Broadway. And as one of the leading voices in the preservation of LGBTQ+ culture, Hugh Ryan has dedicated his career to unearthing and documenting the moments in our history that too many have already forgotten. The Los Angeles Blade was lucky to sit with these hosts to discuss Queer 101, why learning from the past is key to navigating the present, and how everyone listening is already an LGBTQ+ historian – they just don’t know it yet. 

“Queer history is a history of resistance,” said Hugh, as he and Peppermint detailed what initially drew them to this project. “This is our chance to talk about everything that touches on pure life, culture, and resistance right now.” And talk about it they do; each episode sees the duo tackle a new aspect in queer history, ranging from deep-dives into little-known advocates to interviews with stars like George Takei about queer life within Japanese internment camps. Theirs isn’t the first podcast to discuss subjects like these, but Peppermint emphasized that Queer 101 is unlike anything listeners have heard before. Not only because of how these topics personally affect them — Hugh is a gay man and Peppermint is a trans woman — but because of their genuine love for the spirit of liberation that makes these stories so impactful. “We often end up with these whitewashed versions [of history],” she explained. “It’s up to the queer people, the people of color…the marginalized people [to] assert our history and redeem it.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Miss PepperMint (@peppermint247)

They stressed that this doesn’t mean these episodes are a droll recitation of information — quite the opposite. Each segment is filled with small tangents and jokes from the hosts, with their unique brand of approachable education ensuring that audiences are actually growing from the information they’re hearing.

 “A lot of people don’t have…basic knowledge of American history — let alone queer history!” Said Peppermint, when discussing how curated, over-simplified accounts of the past (which almost always erase LGBTQ+ presence) are often all that your average person is exposed to. “We’re setting out to change that…and reintroduce people [to this history].” It’s a valiant mission at any time, but particularly now when so much of the history people have fought generations for is under attack. 

Every week under the current presidential administration brings some new attempt to erase the impact of marginalized communities. Whether it be ‘softening’ depictions of slavery or trying to remove transgender folks from the Stonewall Riots memorial, time and time again, these people have shown how desperate they are to disregard those who truly built this country. This podcast’s goal is not only to fight back against such a violent erasure by educating listeners, but also to remind them of a darkly hopeful fact: this isn’t the first time things like this have happened. 

“It’s how we know how we got [here], which is how we know what’s happening next. It’s how we understand ourselves and how [to] push back.” Stated Hugh, whose long career has shown him the cyclical nature of history — particularly how many times queer communities have fought for their freedom, attained some, and then had their pride attacked by those fearful of true equality, restarting an at-times unbearable cycle. Peppermint echoed this sentiment, clarifying that while we are in uniquely troubling times, it doesn’t mean that we can’t learn from those who fought before and use their tactics to combat erasure now. 

And the best method of preserving queer history for the future? Telling our stories today. 

“Everyone has a voice recorder on their phone!” Exclaimed Hugh, when discussing how, by documenting their stories, individuals are preserving their own LGBTQ+ impact and that of those around them. “Where you can do it, bring it out, share it…it’s something we can all do.” 

“It’s important for queer people to learn about their history,” continued Peppermint. “To have a connection to the generation before them, to understand how these things get passed down…because it doesn’t happen automatically.” It’s something that these two do every week with their fun, insightful conversations that finally give so many people and moments the respect they deserve. And, they want to remind everyone listening, it’s something that every person in their audience can do by remembering: you’re an LGBTQ+ person with a story to tell.

That means you’re already on your way to making queer history yourself. 

Singer-songwriter Stewart Taylor has never been afraid to get down on the dancefloor. With his new single and self-directed music video “Emilio,” Taylor blends Latin flair and pop nostalgia into a vibrant love story. Not love in the weepy-ballad way – but the kind that leaves you a little thirsty. It’s a bilingual (or should we say gay-lingual?) anthem dropping today, October 29th, on VEVO, serving as the lead single from his debut album arriving next year.

Inspired by a magnetic yet forbidden connection, “Emilio” successfully captures a bittersweet feeling – the tension of wanting someone that you can’t have. “We were in business together at one point, and Emilio was very adamant about not crossing that line,” Taylor tells the Blade. “I definitely have a lot of respect for his decision, but it made me want him so much more.” Taylor might’ve taken the emotional hit, but the rest of us, at least, scored a dance-floor confession.

The track carries a sense of restraint beneath its glossy, danceable, and highly choreographed surface. It couldn’t have sounded any other way. Taylor reflects on the inspiration behind the song: “I wanted to tell a story about how it feels when you don’t get the man of your dreams because it’s forbidden,” he says. “That’s something a lot of people can relate to.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by STEWART TAYLOR (@imstewarttaylor)

Most tend to forget that a song is more than the lead singer. “Emilio” is produced by Stephen Beerkens of Australian rock band The Faim. Like most songs, “Emilio” went through a litany of iterations before the final product was made.  “Stephen definitely helped me find the right sound after I sent him the first demo,” Taylor explains. “His rocker sensibilities found their way into my new music.”

The song gives equal parts VH1-era pop and Latin flair: two genres that have been lifelong loves of Taylor’s. His musical palette was shaped early: “Growing up, I listened to a lot of eighties music,” he says. And besides listening to Selena and watching her biopic one too many times, Taylor is also influenced by Shakira, Ricky Martin, Alejandro Sanz, Nelly Furtado, and Christina Aguilera’s Spanish albums.

Taylor’s favorite musicians are bold, but the camera’s gaze in the “Emilio” music video is bolder. “Julie Vegliante (Lady Gaga) and Johnny Rice (Taylor Swift, Adam Lambert) are my main choreographers,” he says. The charisma and confidence of Taylor’s choreography pair perfectly with dancer Armando Eleazar, who recently performed on Saturday Night Live with Bad Bunny and appeared alongside Jennifer Lopez in Kiss of the Spider Woman. Upon watching Eleazar dance for the first time, Taylor was mesmerized: “My friends and I could not look away from Armando the entire show, and I promptly went backstage to meet him.” Together, their performance is electric; it is a match made in heaven – on heaven’s hottest dancefloor.

Filmed inside Los Angeles’ history nightclub Jewel’s Catch One, the video pays tribute to the venue’s storied LGBTQ+ history. “It’s a place where so many love stories began and probably ended – where people could feel safe and free to be their true selves.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by STEWART TAYLOR (@imstewarttaylor)

“Emilio” continues Taylor’s mission to amplify expression and connection through pop. “Even though I’m not Latin, I have tremendous love and respect for the Latino community,” he says. “Emilio is a beautiful Latino man who inspired his own Queer love song – and I think that story needs to be told now more than ever.”

There’s seldom a night that combines laughter, love, and a good cause quite like NIGHT OUT, Family Equality’s gala celebrating the beauty and resilience of LGBTQ+ families. This November 8, at Nya West in Los Angeles, NIGHT OUT brings together advocates, artists, and allies for an evening where joy meets justice, and this year it will be honoring none other than the incomparable Tig Notaro. The Emmy- and Grammy-nominated comedian, actor, and producer (and master of the perfectly timed pause) will be honored alongside her wife, the talented Stephanie Allynne. Together, they’ve built a life and career grounded in authenticity and heart, raising their family while reimagining what visibility looks like. As we sat down with Notaro ahead of this year’s festivities, she reflected with her signature mix of dry wit and warmth on her career, community, and what it means to be a family.

You and your wife are being honored alongside some incredible talents at Night Out, hosted by Family Equality. What does this recognition mean to you—personally, professionally, or otherwise?

I’m flattered that anyone has noticed what we’re doing, honestly. We’re already so proud of our family and the life we’ve built together, and to have others take notice—and to feel like it’s making an impact for other families—is really meaningful. It adds another layer of appreciation to something we already hold dear.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Family Equality (@familyequality)

You and your wife built your family together, and parenthood is still a politicized space in many ways. How do you navigate the balance between protecting your family and being a symbol of resilience within the LGBTQ+ community?

We just keep moving forward—like we always have. I think that’s the best statement we can make: continuing to live our lives and move ahead.

You’ve spoken openly about the importance of chosen family, which is such a vital part of queer culture. How has your chosen family shaped your journey?

Our sons, Max and Finn, honestly don’t know who’s biologically related to them and who isn’t—and that’s kind of beautiful. We have so many incredible people around us who take on different roles, bring different personalities and love into our lives. If they weren’t around, sure, we could figure things out, but having them in our lives is remarkable. It’s this beautiful, extended web of support. I don’t know if that fully answers your question, but that’s how I feel about it.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by V ugghiottfo uhtttm by ybuyr (@therealfluffnotaro)

It absolutely does. On that note, you were a producer on your dear friend Andrea Gibson’s documentary, Come See Me in the Good Light. How did your relationship with Andrea—and your involvement in that project—impact how you move through the world now?

That experience was deeply personal. I was very clear from the beginning—both as a friend and a producer—that everything needed to be rooted in love and support for Andrea and their wife, Meg. That was my North Star throughout. Even now, any decision I make on the film is guided by that principle: doing right by them.

Working on the documentary was what I call a “compartmentalized joy”—because it was filled with love and laughter, despite being a film about a friend who was dying. And what surprised me was how much hope it gave me—not just in humanity, but in collaboration. In film and TV, it’s easy for differing opinions and egos to get in the way, but this project didn’t have that. We came out the other side with something really positive. That gives me hope.

You co-host the podcast Handsome with Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin, and you field a lot of questions from guests. If you could ask one question to the entire nation—something to spark an important conversation—what would it be?

Hmm… I think it would center around compassion. I’d ask: At what point do you crack open to compassion? And at what point do you shut it down? I’d be very curious to hear about those breaking points in both directions.

That’s a powerful one. Switching gears a bit—you portray Jet Reno on Star Trek: Discovery. If Reno were beamed down to the United States in 2025, what do you think would be the first thing she’d try to repair?

She’d probably start by repairing the planet itself. My character jokes about fixing anything with duct tape—and honestly, that’s not far off. But in all seriousness, environmental issues are the most pressing. If there’s no planet, there’s nothing else to worry about. Jet Reno would definitely beam down and start duct-taping Earth back together.

Your comedy is both personal and deeply relatable. How do you decide what parts of your life to bring to the stage, and what to keep private?

It really comes down to connection. Whether it’s a personal story or something observational, I have to feel a strong connection to it. Sometimes I know right away—oh, there’s something here. Other times, I test it out on stage a few times to see if it clicks. But if I’m amused or entertained by what I’m saying, chances are the audience will be too.

How has the landscape for LGBTQ+ performers evolved since you started your career, and where do you see it going?

When I started stand-up almost 30 years ago, LGBTQ+ performers were mostly confined to LGBTQ+ shows. If you wanted to see a queer comedian, you had to go to a specifically queer lineup. Now, it feels like much less of an issue. The comedy world reflects the larger world—it’s divided in many ways—but within comedy, if you’re funny, people generally don’t care about your sexuality or gender. I hope that continues. Despite the larger political pushback we’re seeing, I haven’t experienced that same resistance within the comedy scene. It’s come a long way.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by V ugghiottfo uhtttm by ybuyr (@therealfluffnotaro)

Finally, as Family Equality’s Night Out celebrates joy and resilience, what message do you hope attendees take away from the evening?

I hope the message is that families—of all kinds—are valid and powerful. In certain circles, there’s still resistance or controversy, but among the families I know, it’s such a non-issue. Our kids didn’t even know we were gay! We never thought to “come out” to them because it just… was. That’s how normal it felt. And I think if we keep creating and celebrating these families, that sense of normalcy will continue to grow. It’ll stop being a “thing”—because it isn’t.

Join the Los Angeles Blade on Saturday, November 8, in Los Angeles for a special evening of love, laughter, and change-making. Event info here.

It took eight years for Kristen Stewart to get her ambitious directorial debut, The Chronology of Water, independently made and financed, and she’s been open about how “impossible” the entire process was following its buzzy Cannes premiere. But for the award-winning actor and writer, the prospect of making something “boring” was more terrifying.

“Being an actor has absolutely fucking nothing to do with the reason that we got this thing made because nobody could have,” Stewart said at a post-screening AFI Fest conversation on Oct. 26, moderated by IndieWire’s Editor-at-Large Anne Thompson. “Logistically, the only reason I was really able to do it is because I had met some people who were at some point sick of hearing me complain about it and just went like, ‘Okay. I’ll try and connect you with the people that can actually realize this.’”

Now with a U.S. distributor in The Forge backing the project, Stewart’s adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch’s 2011 memoir of the same name will have an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run. The Chronology of Water recounts the author’s personal experiences (played on-screen by a fearless Imogen Poots) through violent family abuse, trauma, and her own relationship with the female body over multiple decades. “I’ve loved a lot of books in my life, but this felt like it should be a movie because it could really have its own body and have its own memory and life,” Stewart said. “[It’s] a movie that is super faithful to the book, not because it’s obsessed with the details, but because it’s obsessed with the form and how it breaks and then reforms itself.”

Thora Birch, who plays Lidia’s sister in the film, admits that she was initially “confused” about how to approach the character. “But then once I realized that I’m just existing in the form of someone’s memories, it was a little bit more freeing,” Birch said. And she explains that as somebody who started acting as a child in films like Hocus Pocus and American Beauty, she had a shorthand and shared understanding on-set with Stewart, a former child actor herself. 

While Poots wasn’t present at the screening, Birch spoke highly of her co-star: “She carries the film, basically in a close-up, and that’s incredibly difficult to do. And so my experience working with her was [wanting] to be there and present for her, but also [giving] her a little space … One day, there [were] some eye drops that gave her a really bad reaction, she couldn’t work for like an hour. Normally, you would see a visible reaction from any actor or actress, but she was like, ‘Everything’s fine.’”

Stewart explained why Poots was the right choice to portray Lidia: “Some of my favorite movies ever are when you just cannot get with the decisions that, you know, the woman makes. It’s just [Imogen’s] fucking face! And it’s like how present in this moment she was … There was a mutual rupture that was ready to go, and she’s been working for a long time.”

For the visual look of the film, Stewart shot on 16mm and wanted it to “feel out of time,” like something the audience found hidden away in an attic. The story becomes forceful and visceral through editor Olivia Neergaard-Holm’s (The Apprentice) abrupt style, often cutting conversations and scenes short as Lidia is reliving her uncomfortable memories: “The film encouraged us to cut when we wouldn’t have thought to cut because sometimes that’s, like, what happens when your neurons don’t fucking fire,” Stewart said. “That’s often what it feels like to try and grab at the drags of memory.”

Blood is a key motif, starting from the opening scene. That symbolism, and depicting the female body, was important for Stewart. “It’s not always your choice, but it is something that you have to hold in your fucking hands. And the viscosity of that speaks so much to where it comes from, what it means in given moments,” she said. “[The book] wasn’t just about the things that happened to this person — it’s about the things that come out of us. All of us.”

And when asked by Thompson if the offers have started pouring in for her second feature, Stewart remained as honest as ever: “No! We have to do it again ourselves with our bare fucking hands.”

The Chronology of Water played at AFI Fest, which runs Oct. 22-26 at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. The film will have a U.S. theatrical release in December.

As the countdown to the next Winter Olympic Games begins in Milan, Pride House LA is shining a well-deserved spotlight on queer athletes who are breaking boundaries both on and off the field. Among them is Team USA speedskater Conor McDermott-Mostowy – a fierce competitor and proud member of the queer community. With blistering speed on the ice and a steadfast commitment to equity in sports, Conor is doing so much more than winning medals – he’s redefining what it means to represent one’s country while representing one’s community.

This weekend, McDermott-Mostowy took one step closer to the 2026 Winter Olympics by winning the silver and bronze medals at the US Championships in speedskating.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Conor McDermott-Mostowy (@conor.mm)

The athlete will make a Los Angeles appearance this coming weekend at the Nike Training Studio in West Hollywood (8714 Santa Monica Blvd) on Saturday, November 1st, from 5 to 7 pm. The event is being presented by Out Athlete Fund/Pride House LA in the organization’s efforts to raise funds to support Conor and other out athletes as they pursue their Olympic dreams in Milan 2026 and beyond.

We had the opportunity to chat with the star athlete to talk about resilience, representation, and the legacy he hopes to leave one day.

Huge congrats, Conor! Winning a World Cup gold is no small feat. Do you feel like this win proved something to the world – or more importantly, to yourself?

Winning gold with my team last year was definitely a major goal achieved. That said, the event we won isn’t yet an Olympic event. The races that have had the most profound impact on me actually happened two years ago.

The first was the team pursuit in Obihiro, Japan. I’d always been more of an alternate for that event, since it’s typically raced by skaters who compete in both the 1500m and 5000m. But I’d been itching for the opportunity to race it at the World Cup level. I finally got that chance when a teammate had to pull out at the last minute due to a back issue. We led the race through six of eight laps, ultimately finishing third. While it was a little disappointing to fall out of the lead, I was proud to prove that I could contribute meaningfully and help the team medal.

The second race was later that year in Salt Lake City, my home ice. After competing in Japan, I came down with a lung infection that affected my performance at the next few World Cups. Fortunately, I had time to recover before the North American World Cups and World Championships. At the Salt Lake City World Cup, I was balancing competition with completing my undergraduate degree. I didn’t know what to expect, but I ended up finishing fifth in the 1000m—my highest individual finish ever—and posted a time of 1:06.91. That’s a very significant time in speedskating; only three other Americans have gone under 1:07 in that event, all of whom became world champions. That result felt like a turning point, showing me that an Olympic or World Championship medal wasn’t just a dream—it was within reach.

This PrideHouse LA event is a huge moment. What does that support from the queer community mean to you?

It’s incredibly meaningful. Being queer in Olympic sport can be very isolating, both inside and outside the sport. I barely have time to socialize outside of skating, and relocating to Salt Lake City doesn’t exactly help when it comes to queer community. So having that kind of solidarity and support from the wider LGBTQ+ community really means a lot.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pride House LA & WeHo (@pridehouselaweho)

Do you remember the moment you realized skating could take you all the way to the Olympics?

There hasn’t been one single moment. It’s been a series of them. Over the years, I’ve had many races that shattered the limits I thought I had and inspired me to reach higher. That Salt Lake City race was one of them. It made me realize I shouldn’t just aim for the Olympics. I should aim for medals.

Another key moment came in 2018 at my last Junior World Cup, when my teammate and I finished 2nd and 3rd in the mass start. That event is similar to short track but held on a long track. It was my first full year focusing on long track after previously dabbling in it, and we had no expectation of medaling. But after we did, I realized I might actually have a future in this discipline—and that I could be competitive on the world stage. It was a pivotal realization, especially as I was trying to decide whether to continue skating or pursue a traditional college experience.

What initially drew you to speedskating? How did you get into the sport—and what’s kept you motivated?

I grew up on skates. I started at age two and became a strong skater early on. But I never had any interest in hockey or figure skating. One winter, I was skating with my family on the C&O Canal in Washington, D.C., when a guy skated past us on these wild-looking speed skates. I was immediately intrigued. My parents found a local club, which happened to be run by three-time Olympian Nathaniel Mills, and I was hooked.

What’s kept me going is simple: I love it. This isn’t a sport you get rich in. I’ve only earned more than $20,000 a year twice in my career, and you can’t use it to pay for college either. The motivation has to come from within—the pursuit of excellence, the dream of going to the Olympics, and pure love for the sport.

What’s been your toughest race to date, and what did it teach you?

That would be the team pursuit in Japan. I wasn’t expecting to race it and had already competed in a full weekend of events before getting the call. Team pursuit is arguably the toughest event in speedskating. Stepping up without being mentally or physically prepared was a challenge, but I did it. It showed me I could push through, even under extreme circumstances.

You’ve made headlines not just for your speed, but for your openness. What was it like coming out publicly in the world of elite sport?

By the time I was publicly identified as gay, I had already been out to anyone who asked. So “coming out” doesn’t feel like the right term. It wasn’t a big declaration. I had the benefit of growing up seeing openly gay athletes and being part of a supportive community. I never felt the need to hide who I was.

Eventually, as I started achieving more on the ice, people began noticing me and the content I posted, and they put two and two together. When I was asked to speak publicly about being an openly gay athlete in speedskating, I didn’t hesitate.

What have been the biggest challenges in your career – physically, mentally, or otherwise?

Honestly, my entire career has been about overcoming challenges. The two biggest obstacles have been illness and finances.

I’ve dealt with asthma, a norovirus that derailed my chances in 2022, and a fatigue condition last season that affected my performance. These setbacks take a toll. Not just physically, but mentally. When you invest everything into your sport, being forced to pause or scale back is a huge emotional hurdle.

Financially, speedskating is a tough path. Even as a consistent top-20 skater in the world, I’ve only broken $20k twice in a year, and we’re paid for just nine months, even though we train year-round. I’ve leaned on friends and family for support many times just to make ends meet.

Have you ever been told – explicitly or implicitly – that being openly gay could hurt your chances with sponsors or coaches?

Never with coaches. In our sport, selections are based on the clock, not someone’s opinion. My coaches have always been great.

But when it comes to sponsorships, especially over the past year, I’ve noticed a shift. As anti-DEI sentiment grows, brands are backing away from anything that could be seen as “controversial.” Being openly gay seems to fall into that category now. Since most of our income comes from sponsorships, that retreat is deeply felt.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by US Speedskating (@usspeedskating)

As someone proudly representing Team USA, how do you navigate the emotional complexity of competing for a country where LGBTQ+ rights are still under threat in many states?

This is something I’ve thought a lot about recently. I’ve ultimately come to the conclusion that visibility is more important than ever. We’re at a moment when LGBTQ+ rights, protections, and services are being rolled back in many places. The only way to push back against that is to be loud, present, and unapologetically ourselves.

It’s easy to marginalize people you don’t see or hear from. Hiding who I am or stepping out of the spotlight would only give power to those who want to define me—and my community—on their terms. Yes, there’s a dissonance in representing a country that is actively working to limit the rights of people like me and those I care about. But I also believe in representing the version of America we aspire to be. These attacks on the LGBTQ+ community aren’t new. We’ve endured before, and we’ve always found ways to thrive. But none of those rights were won by staying quiet—and we can’t afford to be passive now.

What would you say to political leaders who use “protecting women’s sports” as a cover for banning trans athletes and rolling back queer rights?

I’m not a woman, so I don’t pretend to fully understand the complexities of trans women competing in women’s sports, especially at the elite level. It’s a nuanced conversation. But right now, that conversation is being approached with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

What I can’t wrap my head around is this: the same people arguing that post-pubescent trans women shouldn’t compete are also the ones preventing trans youth from accessing gender-affirming healthcare, like hormone blockers – treatments that would eliminate the very advantages they claim to be concerned about. You can’t claim fairness as your motive while actively eliminating the tools that would create it. That’s not legislating in good faith. It’s weaponizing a complex issue to justify discrimination.

What’s one piece of advice you wish you’d gotten when you first started speedskating?

Dream bigger.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Conor McDermott-Mostowy (@conor.mm)

Looking ahead, what legacy do you hope to leave for future generations of athletes?

Right now, I’m focused on improving the lives and opportunities of the skaters who will come after me. I serve as an athlete representative on the board of US Speedskating, and my goal is to help the sport grow and thrive well beyond my time on the ice.

The reality is that Olympic sports are not accessible or sustainable for most people. That’s not okay. In recent Olympic cycles, athlete compensation has continued to drop, even as the cost of living has gone up. Many world-class and Olympic-caliber athletes earn less than minimum wage while dedicating more than full-time hours to their sport. The nature of training makes it nearly impossible to take on additional work, meaning athletes are often forced to rely on family, fundraising, or personal debt to continue competing.

Even after I retire, I plan to stay involved in speedskating and the Olympic movement more broadly. Because the truth is, being an Olympian is becoming a privilege for the wealthy—something that requires not just talent and dedication, but also a trust fund or willingness to go into serious debt. That is not what the Olympics should be. If we don’t fight to change this, we risk turning one of the greatest stages in sport into a pay-to-play system. And not enough people are sounding the alarm.

An Evening with Conor McDermott-Mostowy

Nov 01, 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM / Nike Training Studio West Hollywood, 8714 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA

Los Angeles Blade is a proud media partner of PrideHouse LA.