a&e features
Adam Rippon on new life, loves, memoir, ass and skating in the nude
Rippon says Ashley Wagner abuse allegations, Coughlin suicide rocked skating world
Adam Rippon says the time was right for his new memoir, ‘Beautiful on the Outside.’ (Photo by Peter Yang; courtesy Grand Central Publishing)
Adam Rippon
‘Beautiful on the
Outside’ book signing
Wednesday, Oct. 23
6 p.m.
Book Soup
8818 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood
$28 (includes book)
We blitzed through a torrent of questions with Adam Rippon by phone last week. The bronze medal-winning gay breakout star (and self-proclaimed “America’s sweetheart”) releases his memoir “Beautiful on the Outside” Oct. 15. He and skier pal Gus Kenworthy each came out in 2015 and last year became the first openly gay male U.S. athletes to compete at the Winter Olympics. Rippon is in LA (at Book Soup) on Wednesday, Oct. 23 as part of a 13-city book tour. His comments have been slightly edited for syntax and length.
WASHINGTON BLADE: How did the book come about?
ADAM RIPPON: Well, right after the Olympics, my team was saying that it might be a fun idea to write a book and I thought that this, like, really felt like a full chapter of my life sort of coming to an end and a new one was starting so I felt like it would be a really therapeutic almost experience. And I thought it would be a good thing for me to do, to kind of debrief and sort of be my moment to soak in everything that was like going on. So it was my team’s idea but then ultimately it was something that I did truly want to pursue.
BLADE: How long did it take to write?
RIPPON: About six-seven months. It wasn’t too long but it was a substantial amount of time.
BLADE: A lot of your appeal is the way you come across on camera. Were you concerned that that might not translate to the written page?
RIPPON: Totally. One thing that I really focused on was (making sure) the writing felt very in person, so that whatever you were reading felt like I could have been sitting right next to you like on a couch telling you this story and you were hearing my voice. So that was really important to me because I feel less like a writer and more like a storyteller. So I wanted to make sure, especially when I would be doing the audiobook, that it really felt like I wasn’t adding any words or saying any words that I wouldn’t say in a conversation.
BLADE: You share a lot of hard-won wisdom in the book. Were those convictions about life already in your head and bones or did the process of writing the book kind of help you distill and articulate some of that?
RIPPON: I think when I wrote the book, that was such an important thing for me to add into it because those are lessons and scenarios and things that I had learned and they were just so important to me, that was something really I wanted to add into the story. … Sometimes I just laugh at myself and move along through life through different struggles and things of that nature, but I really did learn a lot about myself, it really prepared me for the bigger moments.
BLADE: A lot of the book is about how what was going on in your head affected your skating. Did you ever work with a sports psychologist when you were competing?
RIPPON: I did but … it’s funny now, post skating career, I see a therapist but when I was skating, I felt like, no that’s weak, I’m not going to go to a sports psychologist, I’m going to just suck it up. I wish I had, but it’s harder because when you’re a competitive athlete. One you don’t have a lot of means to go out and find someone on your own and they do offer someone but it’s like someone that everybody uses, like all of your competitors are going to use the same sports psychologist, so in a way I was like, “Am I really going to tell my deepest fears with somebody’s who’s then gonna work with all of my competitors too?” I was like, no, I’m gonna tell this bitch that yeah, everything’s fine and I’ve never felt better. So it’s hard but now as an adult, I can go out and find someone on my own who’s personally mine and that was just something I did not have access to when I was competing because it was really expensive.
BLADE: How often are you on the ice these days?
RIPPON: Maybe once or twice a month now. Just skating for myself. Sometimes if I have a day off, I’ll go work with one of the skaters I used to train with, Mariah Bell. Working with her some makes me feel connected to skating, but I don’t skate very much on my own anymore.
BLADE: Would you like to do more skating exhibition tours?
RIPPON: I would, but they take so much time and energy to prepare for and I would not ever want to do one and not feel like I was giving my best. … Right now I really do want to focus on pursuing these other endeavors that are available to me now and I do want to pursue them because I do think the time to do that is right now and if there is something comes up in skating, it’ll make sense. Right now, I think I’m really focused on writing this book and that kind of hustle.
BLADE: It looks like you’ve stayed in great shape. Do you feel pressure to have perfect abs? I mean the shape you were in for Olympics has to be impossible to maintain I imagine.
RIPPON: Well, you know what? I’m gonna be super honest. After the Olympics, I went to the gym and I was like, “I can’t do this anymore. I’ve gone here every day of my life for 20 years and I just don’t have the motivation,” and that was OK. But I didn’t go to the gym for maybe a year.
BLADE: Oh wow.
RIPPON: Yeah, I know. It was a lot.
BLADE: But you didn’t gain 300 pounds or anything. I haven’t seen you lately but you look like you were in great shape on “Dancing With the Stars.”
RIPPON: I’m not 300 pounds yet, but no. … I realized I just needed to find new goals at the gym because it’s something I really enjoy. So I’ve been going for like the past month and have been working out pretty regularly with my old trainer again and, of course, the workouts are totally different, because it’s no longer about trying to be as good a skater as possible. But I really love the rush you get from finishing a workout.
Adam Rippon (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
BLADE: You make a joke in the book about your hook-ups not believing you had an office job because nobody with a desk job would have an ass like yours. What kind of currency has having that kind of butt given you in your personal life? Is it something your boyfriends have gone on and on about or it something that maybe seems more exaggerated from afar? Tell me about your ass, Adam.
RIPPON: Well, here we go. How much time do you have? (laughs) No, I’m kidding. Um, the one thing I’ve noticed, now surrounding myself with people who are not athletes by profession is that everybody who works out and goes to the gym, the hardest thing for them is legs. I’ve noticed going back to the gym, that’s always been my upper hand because I’ve done only legs for so long. With my boyfriend, he’s mostly envious that I have these bigger legs and, like, a butt that really fills out my pants. Mostly he’s jealous but he does like it, which is good because I can’t really get rid of it.
BLADE: At one point in the book you say you were having trouble with quad toe so you had to switch to quad lutz. Why not quad sal?
RIPPON: It’s a little different with the quads. That’s why you see these Russian junior girls and some of them won’t do triple axels but their only two quads are toe and lutz. The lutz may be the hardest because that entrance is so hard but when you have the torque just right, it really snaps the quickest into rotation. I think when you’re learning triples, the skill of how you should learn them is correct, but with quads, it’s more like which do you feel and I think difficulty sort of comes in second.
BLADE: Did you ever play around with quad loops or flips?
RIPPON: Yeah. I think in my life, I’ve landed a (quad) flip, a salchow. It was just one day and it’s going really well, then the next day I’m just doing like cheated triples and I’m like, “Oh, OK, here we go.”
BLADE: Have we hit the ceiling on quads? Is it realistic to think somebody might land a quad axel someday?
RIPPON: I think so. I never thought I’d see a day where somebody has a program like Nathan Chen’s planned programs and it’s something he actually does and it’s not, like, a joke. And it’s the way he does it really effortlessly and you don’t really actually notice he’s doing all these quads ‘cause they’re so well done, which is the scariest part of his skating.
BLADE: Have you stayed in touch with him?
RIPPON: I’ve stayed in touch with pretty much everyone I competed with and with Nathan, we had the same coach for a while. I have such a soft spot for him and the things that he does. I’m always cheering for him. He’s just a really, really good kid and, you know, works super hard and is so well rounded. I love catching up and seeing how he’s doing.
BLADE: I know it’s probably hard to put into words, but how much harder is the triple loop than the triple toe as the second jump in a combination?
RIPPON: Adding the triple loop onto something is much harder because the room for error and correction on landing the first jump is so small. When you’re doing a triple loop in a combination, the biggest thing is you cannot readjust or fix the landing position of that first jump because it happens so quickly and it immediately needs to come together. With the toe loop, you can readjust the tap into the ice, you can tap a little further, tap quicker, you can jump a little more from the assistance of the free leg, so it’s still incredibly difficult but a triple loop combination is by far much harder than a triple toe loop combination.
BLADE: Were you more team Zagitova or Medvedeva in the ladies’ event last Olympics?
RIPPON: You know, I think that I was really impressed with Zagitova, I thought she skated very well, but I do have to say the way that Medvedeva handled herself as like a two-time world champion, and then to go out and skate two clean programs, I just felt she had a lot of substance to her skating maybe her style wasn’t the I don’t know, wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea. She performed, she had everything that an Olympic champion should have and I really felt that she kind of earned it. Zagitova skated a little bit like a really excellent junior lady in her first year senior. It wasn’t as refined and Medvedeva was a two-time world champion heading into that event, she was very refined and in that moment and was incredibly young, but yet had some womanly flair to her, which I really admired. I completely see why Medvedeva was the silver medalist and Zagitova was the gold medalist, I understand, but if I were judging I would have had Medvedeva first.
BLADE: Did it bother you that Zagitova back-stacked all her jumps? (Jumps completed in the second half of the long program are weighted in scoring.)
RIPPON: No. I mean, of course I want to be like, yes, it doesn’t make for a nice program, but then at the end of the day, we have rules and we have points and you know I think if Eteri’s goal, their coach, is that she has a student who wins, and that they compete and there’s no pecking order of who should win and who shouldn’t win, you’re gonna go and you’re gonna do the most that you can do. So, I mean she played the game within the rules and she knew that Medvedeva had better style, so the way to make Zagitova more competitive against Medvedeva would be to just technically you know, put everything at the end. So is it annoying, like a little bit, but is she cheating? No. Everybody had that option and everybody knew that, so it doesn’t bother me. I kind of look at it like I don’t like it, but you’re smart.
BLADE: Why are they wrapping everybody up in those goddamn jackets now the second you step off the ice? They never used to do that.
RIPPON: It’s a sponsor thing. While you’re just sitting there in kiss and cry, they want the sponsor logo to be visible on TV. Obviously you couldn’t skate with a logo, but when you’re just sitting there waiting for scores, you can see what it says on the label.
BLADE: I wasn’t a big fan when they changed the rules to allow vocal music. You took advantage of it. What was your opinion?
RIPPON: I didn’t like it at first, but then I really enjoyed it as a skater. I just thought it opened the door for a lot of really cool ideas.
BLADE: How was Tonya Harding on “Dancing With the Stars?” Did you develop any camaraderie with her?
RIPPON: I wouldn’t say camaraderie, but she was super nice and she’s fun. She’s super funny, really personable. You know, I doubt Nancy (Kerrigan) would think that, but she’s super personable. I had no problem with her. She was nice.
BLADE: Did you admire her skating back in the day?
RIPPON: The first competition I ever watched was ’98, so I never grew up with her, but once I went back and started watching things, I’ll always remember that opening at 1991 nationals with the “Batman” theme and that mint green dress.
BLADE: Did you like the movie “I, Tonya”?
RIPPON: I mean Margot Robbie when she does press for the movie, she says it’s Tonya’s side of the story and I think she did a really good job of that. But I think even Margot would tell you that the truth probably lies in the middle.
BLADE: So many skaters — Brian Boitano, Jeffrey Buttle, Johnny Weir — came out after they stopped competing. I’m not asking for names, but are there still closeted skaters that you know of or is that era finally over?
RIPPON: I think we’re becoming past it and I really feel that like I hope that I had something to do with it, where people felt like it didn’t really matter and you could still be successful. But I do think that the pressures of someone like me and someone like Brian Boitano or Jeffrey Buttle are so different. I was never a favorite for a world title, there was no pressure like that. I was just trying to kind of make my world team and see if I, if someone’s having a bad day, could swoop in for a world medal. Or like at the Olympics, know that I could be a really good asset to the team event. So I knew that like the pressures for me were totally different, they were not the same as somebody trying to win a world title, I wasn’t going to be as scrutinized. I mean especially compared to somebody like Brian Boitano in the ‘80s. So it’s a totally different time but I do think that because a lot of the attention, I did get at the Olympics, I think it broke down a lot of stigma. Because yes, there was a gay athlete but everything else wasn’t about that, which I think was great. I think it was a really good thing.
Adam Rippon at the 2018 Human Rights Campaign National Dinner. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
BLADE: Why are there so many more medal opportunities in the summer games? Can you imagine if figure skaters had the number of medal opportunities as Michael Phelps?
RIPPON: I think when you get into subjective sports where it’s all based on human judging, it’s really hard to break those into different categories. And it’s part of the drama of skating that there aren’t all these opportunities. That’s one reason I love the idea of a team event, not only because I’m a medalist from it, but I love that it’s brought different stars from the Olympics forward. I mean look at Yulia Lipnitskaya from Sochi. In the team event, she was the star of the whole competition and when we think about the individual, I even forget that she competed in it. So it gives other people the chance to be Olympic stars in a different capacity. The whole point of the Olympics is to inspire people to get into sports. That really is truly what it is. And I think the team event really does that.
BLADE: You obviously came up long after compulsories were eliminated. When you go back and watch old performances, do you think skaters in the ‘70s and ‘80s had better form, better edges, because of having to learn the school figures or not so much?
RIPPON: I think the quality of skating is going up because the demands of what you have to do now technically are so high. You have to do so many transitions into jumps and so many turns and steps into all of your elements so you get a nice transition score and I think that’s pushing people to learn these turns and steps in the proper way and faster than if they’d started with figures. This way you jump right into it and the learning curve is a lot quicker. You know you have to do it this way because that’s how it’s judged so it’s the only way to be competitive.
BLADE: Were you really fully nude except for your boots for the ESPN shoot or did you have some kind of little loincloth on or something?
RIPPON: I was 100 percent naked and it was actually at the rink I trained at. There are three rinks and one is all the way at the end in the corner and they blocked it off and had security and everything but yeah, it was fully nude, and for the first two minutes it was like, “Isn’t it weird that I can see my dick and I’m skating,” but then you get going and you’re like it doesn’t really become a thing anymore and nobody’s really fazed by it because they’ve shot like a million naked athletes before so it’s a very cool experience.
BLADE: Isn’t it hard to skate with your dick flopping around?
RIPPON: No, because at that point, everything gets so small it’s like, “OK, this is what we’re dealing with.” It’s nothing to write home about. (laughs)
ESPN’s 2018 ‘Body Issue’ cover
BLADE: What did you think of Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski’s commentary of your Olympic performances?
RIPPON: They bring such excitement to skating. People tune in to watch the skating, but also to hear their opinions. They’re like Dick Button and Peggy Fleming for this generation, where you wanted to hear if Dick Button thought you were a good skater or not. They aren’t mean, they’re honest and now, being able to be more subjective, I see that. I remember there was one performance where Johnny said he thought I wasn’t interpreting the music well and I was like, “What? He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” But as I watch it back now, I’m like, “No, he’s totally right.” He was just giving an honest opinion and it’s his job do to that. … They add flair to the whole competition.
BLADE: Did you ever hear from Mike Pence after the Olympics or was that just a big dog-and-pony show?
RIPPON: Well I knew that I never would, so I haven’t.
BLADE: Do you keep the Mirror Ball Trophy (from “Dancing With the Stars”) with all your skating medals? Or they displayed?
RIPPON: All my skating medals are in a container from the Container Store. The Mirror Ball Trophy is in a guest bedroom on the night stand. I have it out if somebody wants to see it, but it’s not something I’m looking at all the time. I want to focus on getting more things and — I know this is just in my own head — but not feel complicit in what I’ve achieved so far.
BLADE: You don’t even keep your Olympic medal out?
RIPPON: They came in beautiful boxes so I have it in the box on a side table with the medal inside. So it’s there if somebody wants to see it but it’s not like, “Oh wow, it’s hanging on the wall.”
BLADE: Any hint of sexual tension between you and (out Olympic skier) Gus Kenworthy or is that just totally a gay bromance?
RIPPON: It’s very much a brotherly sort of relationship. I adore him. We don’t talk all the time, but he’s just somebody I think I’ll always be kind of close to.
BLADE: You say in the book you and (figure skater) Ashley Wagner were close friends. Do you have any comment on her decision in August to say she was sexually assaulted (11 years prior by pairs skater John Coughlin, who committed suicide in January under similar allegations)?
RIPPON: I think it was brave. I’m sure it was really hard for her to do it. I think it’s going to hopefully create some good conversations with people within the sport.
BLADE: You say in the book you two were super close. Did she tell you about this shortly after it happened? Did you know John Coughlin?
RIPPON: I did know John, I thought, pretty well. But I had no idea any of this was going on and it’s been pretty tough ‘cause I wish I could have said something to someone or said something to him, but I didn’t have that opportunity. It’s something I think a lot of skaters are struggling with because we don’t agree with it. It’s not good. So many athletes aren’t equipped to deal with the suicide of someone that they knew. So it was really something challenging for a lot of people to get through and it was just something that was still, you know, pretty raw I think for a lot of people.
BLADE: What did you think of Yuzuru Hanyu’s (gold-winning) performances in PyeongChang?
RIPPON: I thought he was amazing. He’s incredible. Such a legend.
BLADE: Is he approachable or kind of in his own world? What’s it like being around such a great skater?
RIPPON: There’s a level of respect for everybody like that that all the competitors have regardless of who they are or what they’ve achieved. He’s always been super nice and I would say that I enjoyed competing with him as both gold older. One thing that helped is since he moved to Canada, his English got better so we could actually chat. As an adult, I enjoyed seeing him and getting to cheer for him and watch him compete.
BLADE: How do you feel about turning 30 (in November)?
RIPPON: I can’t wait. I’m really excited.
BLADE: Why?
RIPPON: I just feel like it’s perfect timing. I’m retiring from skating and starting this new phase of my life and career so the time feels really good. And I don’t know, I felt like I was 30 for a few years already anyway, so it’s all good timing.
BLADE: Does (boyfriend) JP (Jussi-Pekka Kajaala) live with you now in L.A.? How are things there?
RIPPON: JP goes back and forth between L.A. and Finland. I’m actually going there Friday.
BLADE: How often do you get to see each other on average?
RIPPON: We probably spend about five months out of the year together.
BLADE: Are you and (“Dancing With the Stars” dancing partner) Jenna (Johnson) still BFFs?
RIPPON: Um, yeah. I love her. We talk, like, very often.
BLADE: Are you a morning person by nature or did you kind of just force yourself to be one all those years getting up to train?
RIPPON: I’m not, but if I don’t force myself to be a morning person, I could stay in bed for like years.
BLADE: What do you have coming up? What do the next six months look like for you?
RIPPON: I’m on the book tour for two weeks, then right after that I have a few stops and I’m working on a few other things that will be announced soon, which is cool. I also just filmed another series of Breaking the Ice, the little videos on YouTube. Yeah, just stuff like that. It’s all good, nothing super busy.
BLADE: What would you like to be doing in 10 years?
RIPPON: I would love to still be working in entertainment, in comedy, and be successful. Let’s see, I don’t know, I just would like to be really successful, have more awards, right? I’m an athlete, I love a good trophy. So I think I really enjoy the kind of stuff I’m doing now and just continue to be a performer but like in a different way. I’d love to still be doing all this in 10 years.
a&e features
Discord Addams wants you to say ‘F**k This!’
The ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ alum speaks about her new show and the importance of authenticity.
Discord Addams is a queen of many talents, as any fan who watched her run on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18 will tell you.
The Florida-based drag queen pumped into this historic program ready to make a mark on the competition. Rocking her trademark ‘high fashion punk rock maximalist’ aesthetic and entertaining viewers with her biting personality (along with a…questionable runway walk), Discord spent each episode turning out not only astounding fashion but hard truths. The performer made it clear early on that she was never scared of sharing her genuine opinions with anyone who would listen. Whether it was judges on the runway or her fellow competitors in the werkroom, Addams always paired her punk rock kindness with a style of harsh sincerity that entertained audiences to no end. When she finished the season in sixth place, there was a whole new slew of fans ready to hear whatever hard truths Discord was ready to spill next.
And, luckily, they didn’t have to wait long. Because WOW Presents Plus recognized that thousands of new fans were still desperate to hear the style of unabashed candor that Discord brought to season 18. And now, with her new series on the platform, F**k This! With Discord Addams, this punk fan-favorite gets to give her audience the one thing they now know to always expect from her: brutal honesty.
“I felt like I was the star of season 18 — you know, whether I won or not,” laughed Addams, as she described what a whirlwind experience of going from a Drag Race contestant to host of her own series. “Getting to have my own show, where I get to talk about literally whatever the fuck I want to talk about, it just…it feels right.” F**k This! takes a relatively simple premise but spices it up with Discord’s ruthless style of candor; each episode sees her sit down in a completely demolished set and rant to the camera about a poignant topic, ranging from fast fashion to the horrific rise of AI. These dialogues are occasionally interrupted by Discord taking calls from her audience about their issues, with the Queen delivering genuinely insightful thoughts on whatever tenuous concept is presented to her.
Discord spoke about how this commitment to complete honesty was passed down to her from her parents, folks who understood the importance of telling their truth. “There was nobody censoring me growing up, so I think it was a natural progression into my standing up for what I feel is right.” It’s this mindset that has led Discord to become one of the most vocal advocates of the entire Drag Race franchise; even before her casting on the show, Addams used her social media to share community resources and speak out against injustices taking place all over the world. This has only increased since her time on season 18, with Addams using the new popularity this show has brought her to speak even more about corrupt politicians, the dangers of ICE, modern-day war criminals, and more.
Addams brings a refreshing willingness to speak about these hard topics that is unfortunately rare in today’s entertainment landscape. In an industry where, sadly, a performer speaking about social issues can hurt their career, Discord makes it clear that her punk nature doesn’t stop at her clothes. She embodies the roots of this subculture, one that began as an affront to modern fascism and has always been meant to challenge the discrimination that too many people take as a given in society. Addams is proud that she’s never silenced herself in order to ‘get ahead’ professionally…and she wishes that more of her fellow queens would do the same.
“I think a lot of the Drag Race girls in the past kind of teetered on a line of what they felt they were or were not allowed to say,” stressed Discord, calling out the many performers who haven’t used their platforms to discuss social issues. “I think there are a lot of drag queens who just censor themselves or like present themselves a certain way that they think is more palatable…people can sense authenticity, and they can also sense when you’re fucking lying to them.”
It’s an issue that has plagued the Drag Race fandom for years, though it isn’t entirely the queens’ fault; online bullying has become so horrific that many contestants are scared that by expressing themselves on the show, they’re inviting torrents of digital hate from so-called ‘fans.’ Yet while this is a valid fear — and something that this fandom desperately needs to work on — Discord reminds everyone through her drag that you don’t succeed by being a fake version of yourself. By refusing to speak about these issues, her fellow queens are hurting the movement and making it so that any success they may seem to have is built on lying to themselves and everyone around them.
It’s a twisted form of ‘winning’ that Discord completely detests, and it’s why she hopes her show, along with being an avenue to express her many feelings, is a lesson on authenticity for everyone watching.
Because while F**k This! Is thoroughly entertaining — it’s hilarious watching how eloquently Addams combines some of the most vile curse words — it is also a genuine lesson on the importance of honesty today. These concepts are ones that Addams struggles with in her own life and that she knows the people watching do as well. Each is selected because she knows they’ll resonate with those watching, and through hilarious rants and some sickening makeup, Discord hopes to use her own voice on these topics to help others do the same.
This is Discord Addams’ true goal with F**k This!: to not only entertain audiences but show them how empowering it is to be completely honest today. And whether you’re a new viewer or one of her longtime fans, Discord has just one lesson she hopes you take away from her new program: “If you’re being your most true, your most authentic self, you’re going to also bring in the most authentic [community]. You’re going to create a circle of people that genuinely want to hear what you have to say — instead of playing a bullshit character.”
F**k This! is now streaming on WOW Presents Plus
a&e features
How JP Karliak brings queer power to ‘X-Men ’97’
The voice actor speaks about voicing the MCU’s first nonbinary superhero.
Rarely have we seen a fierce comic book squad-up of LGBTQ+ icons like the X-Men.
Originating in Marvel comics, for decades now, the team’s millions of fans have watched their stories play out both in print and on the silver screen. Thousands of narratives — with even more astounding characters — that offer thrilling adventures, as well as poignant lessons on what discrimination looks like today. Because despite what some Marvel fans may have you believe, these stories about a class of people being disenfranchised by a bigoted society have always been allegories for the discrimination faced by real-life communities. Combine this with its many queer and queer-coded members, and it’s no wonder that LGBTQ+ fans were ecstatic when it was announced that the team’s original series, X-Men: The Animated Series, was being rebooted for Disney+ in 2025.
These viewers were thrilled to once again watch their favorite team of super-powered mutants fight bad guys with campy flair. But when the reboot, X-Men ’97, was released, LGBTQ+ fans were shocked to learn it would also feature the first nonbinary character in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe! Morph, the shapeshifting, wise-cracking mutant from the original series, would return to not only fight villainy but also provide vital representation for millions of nonbinary audience members. And when creating such a monumental figure for this version of the team, X-Men ’97’s creators knew there was only one voice actor who could do the superhero justice: JP Karliak.
“As a kid, I was a huge fan of animated shows like He-Man and Batman: The Animated Series. I was so enamored with voice acting, I felt it couldn’t be a real job!” Laughed Karliak, as they spoke with the Los Angeles Blade to celebrate X-Men ’97’s recent season two premiere. It’s the latest project in their jaw-dropping career; whether it’s voicing the titular professional in Boss Baby: Back in Business or a saucy trophy in video game Date Everything!, Karliak can be heard in many hit franchises. They’ve become known for the tonal whimsy they bring into every role, a trademark talent that has made JP one of the voice acting industry’s top queer actors.
Karliak emphasized how honored they are for this title — especially because of the many issues this industry still has with its LGBTQ+ performers. “There’s a narrow-mindedness in so much of the voice industry that it’s like, ‘Okay, well, we can only let you play this particular thing,’” they explained. “But also just a [person’s] transness shouldn’t determine that they can only voice trans roles or only voice nonbinary roles! In the same way we’ve seen so many cis straight people play cis-het roles, letting queer people play the majority roles only helps us to build long-lasting careers — because there’s no way to do it if we’re only playing queer roles.”
It’s a unique set of issues further complicated by the many problems all voice actors face today, ranging from the rise of AI to big studios’ harmful underpayment practices. It’s because of this that JP established QueerVox, a nonprofit that provides aspiring queer voice performers with the training they need while connecting them with the roles they deserve. From communal job boards to free classes to networking events that help LGBTQ+ artists connect, Karliak spoke proudly of all they’ve done to help make this industry more accessible for all.
Presented with a performer who excels not only in talent but in making a difference, it’s no wonder that the X-Men ’97 team thought JP Karliak would be the perfect voice for Morph! Although the character definitely had a darker backstory than the actor’s usual roles, X-Men: The Animated Series saw Morph turn from the team’s comic relief into the brainwashed henchman of their most sickening villain. This led to the mutant spending much of their original time on the show in recovery, traumatized from having their autonomy ripped from them in a narrative that resonated so deeply with LGBTQ+ fans. Karliak was thrilled to bring back Morph to hopefully give them the joy they deserved, and they were happy to be doing so with the character — one who literally shifts constantly between gender identities — finally using they/them pronouns.
“Knowing from the get-go that this was going to be a nonbinary character now, and as identifying as gender queer myself…I felt so much kinship with this character,” explained JP, as they spoke about how it felt to embody Morph through their voice. “It felt like as long as I was being true to myself, I was doing the character a service.”
It’s a truth that comes through in every line, with JP’s mischievous yet resounding performance style showing in every moment Morph is onscreen. They recognized that this would be one of the first examples of a nonbinary person that viewers would see in animation and wanted to do them justice, saying, “Giving nonbinary characters [like Morph] the ability to be serious, to experience loss and pain, to experience joy — all aspects of humanity! And to not just be relegated to one narrow band of the human experience…it’s just so important.”
This interview took place on the day that it was announced X-Men ’97 would be returning for seasons three and four, which meant fans can expect more years of Morph shapeshifting across their screens. Karliak was ecstatic at this news, and when asked what they hope to explore in these new installments with the character, they said, “In season one, Morph was a less confident version of me, because Morph was really just trying to find where they belonged and feeling accepted, having just rejoined this team and not really knowing what the dynamic was…I think season two finds them much more confident, much more akin to where I find myself, personality-wise. They don’t feel that they always have to use humor to break the tension.”
“So much of Morph’s journey has been dominated by victimization and trauma and so much hurt. I’d love to see them just experience some joy and find friendships and relationships that are really fun, and fulfilling, and beautiful.”
It’s a future for the character that many of their fans hope to see as well. And, luckily for them all, with a talent like JP Karliak voicing the nonbinary mutant, chances are they’ll be getting just that — and so, so much more.
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Lupercio Media turns influencing into advocacy
Founder Carlo Lupercio speaks about helping marginalized creators today
In a digital landscape where social media reigns supreme, few industries are as profitable — or as risky — as the influencer economy.
Becoming an influencer has transformed from a side hobby into a legitimate profession, one that generates millions every year. And that’s putting it lightly; low estimates of profit derived from influencers in 2025 currently sit at 30 million dollars. Whether it be corporations making online celebrities a major part of their marketing or certain users getting paid thousands of dollars for a single post, it’s undeniable that influencers hold power within our often unstable economy.
Which is why the industry’s bias against marginalized creators is so deeply unfortunate.
The bigoted rhetoric that fills many parts of modern society has always (sadly) infected our digital world. It’s an issue that has only grown in recent years, with a combination of hateful users and predatory algorithms making it insurmountably harder for diverse influencers to find their audience online. It’s a harmful trend that continues to stifle the queer voices so many people need to hear right now, and it’s something that Carlo Lupercio fights against through his agency, Lupercio Management.
“We represent specifically Latin as well as LGBTQIA+ creators — creators that are not traditionally represented to the full capacity,” explained Lupercio when he sat down to speak with the Los Angeles Blade. “I serve as their partner but also as their manager, and really am just amplifying and helping them achieve the goals that they want to achieve as creators.” Carlo brings a personal passion to this work; before founding this agency, he worked in influencer marketing for many well-known brands. And it was through these experiences that he learned the term that companies use to keep our communities out of the spotlight: ‘brand safe.’
“There is this stigma of some brands where what is okay for a White gay creator may not be okay for a Brown or Black creator,” Carlo explained. “As a creator, you want to be authentic. You want to show your [truest] self to the internet, because that’s the way that people will follow you…but oftentimes, a brand does not see that as ‘brand safe.’” He detailed the many times he saw this term used against queer and POC influencers, with executives using it as a method of catering to the potential anger of the hateful parts of their audiences.
Carlo got a firsthand look at this phenomenon and how it left many talented people without the opportunities they needed in this cutthroat industry. It made him passionate about fighting against these discriminations to create a way for influencers of any identity to have an equal shot at success — and so, Lupercio Media was born.
Lupercio Media serves as a comprehensive resource for its clients, with each one belonging to a marginalized community (identities that would make many other agencies ignore them completely). Carlo outlined how he works daily with these creatives to understand their dreams and develop plans on how to attain them, helping them in countless ways, ranging from establishing their image to securing brand deals. But beyond these professional duties, Lupercio stressed that he also serves as a personal cheerleader for each of these diverse clients, saying, “There’s obviously the job component — but I am also their partner. I find out who they are as a person outside of [being an influencer]…when you’re working with talent, they’re still people at the end of the day. So really getting to know them personally is a huge role of mine as a manager.”
“I think it’s important for [influencers] to create content that shows who they are…because it’ll only inspire the next person,” emphasized Carlo. “It’ll open up more opportunities, and it will show brands that this is a large demographic in society that they just cannot ignore — despite everything that is going on in the world. Because LGBTQIA+ people are here. They’re present. And they are not going anywhere.”
And that is at the heart of Lupercio Media: the knowledge that managing these people not only helps their careers but also the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. Because social media is growing every single day! And queer users, especially young ones, are constantly searching for people with their identities who show them that they can succeed as their most authentic selves — even if there are many people today telling them they can’t.
Because of the influencer industry’s discriminatory practices, many of these folks searching for inspiration have been historically left wanting. But through Lupercio Media, Carlo works hard to not only give marginalized creatives a platform but also to make sure that everyone has someone they can look up to online.
It may sound laughable to the many folks who still write off influencers and the power they hold. But Lupercio Media recognizes the strength of these individuals and how they can serve as true models of success for countless underserved communities today. Carlo Lupercio works tirelessly to ensure that any creator, no matter their identity, has what they need to offer their followers the representation they need — and all while securing some pretty sweet brand deals along the way.
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The Queer Film Collective makes your favorite movies possible
This LA-based nonprofit unveils its brand new panel series and talks all things film industry.
If we want queer artists to succeed, then there need to be systems that support them.
Unfortunately, providing free resources to aspiring artists hasn’t always been America’s priority. This is even more blatant for marginalized creators; while the U.S. has rarely offered artistic programs the funding they deserve, recent years have seen countless conservative attacks against most kinds of LGBTQ+ creativity. But despite these institutional and social roadblocks, queer creatives have always persisted! No matter what era of film and television we’re in, it’s heartening to watch so many creators fighting to not only make their own projects but also make it easier for other marginalized artists to do the same.
In a city as vibrant as Los Angeles, there are luckily dozens of groups helping to platform underserved filmmakers today. These organizations fight to create a film industry where truly anyone can thrive, and nowhere is that work more visible than within the Queer Film Collective.
Growing from a small networking group into a thriving nonprofit, the Queer Film Collective (QFC) serves as a resource hub for LGBTQ+ directors, actors, and all film and TV professionals in Los Angeles. The LA Blade spoke with QFC’s founder, Ray Taylor, about how important the group’s work is today, emphasizing how it’s more important than ever that we support the people making inclusive media possible. He spoke about the impact of this representation, the experience of trying to create LGBTQ+ films in our current political environment, and, when discussing QFC’s exciting new Summer Panel Series, how he’s excited to foster an LA film industry that gives queer filmmakers the respect they deserve.
“We’re doing everything we can to make it so filmmakers can make their films,” explained Taylor, as he described the whirlwind process his past year with QFC has been. “The Queer Film Collective is a nonprofit that provides resources, opportunities, and education. We focus on four pillars: connect, collaborate, create, celebrate, and our main focus is making it easier for films to be made.” It’s an important mission for not only queer filmmakers but creators in general! The past few decades have seen big studios grow more reluctant to give new creatives a chance (or offer livable wages to the many workers who make their projects possible). And while recent years have shown that not only original ideas but also small creators are essential to improving the film industry, it’s been extremely disheartening to see that this hasn’t changed today.
Ray, an accomplished film director, spoke about how the QFC was created in opposition to this unfortunate phenomenon. He organized the group’s first official meet-up — a small get-together of only a few dozen people — as a space for folks to share advice about navigating this tenuous profession while queer. “The more I talked to people, the more I realized they wanted resources, they wanted opportunities, they wanted to get on sets,” he reminisced. “So I threw together a pitch deck, and I said, ‘All right, here’s my five-year plan. We’re going to become a nonprofit.’ And in January of this year, we got our official 501c3 status, and that five-year plan is now thrown out the window — because everything that was on it has already happened in the first six months of our being alive.”
The Queer Film Collective couldn’t have arrived at a better time because, as Taylor is quick to remind anyone who will listen, inclusive media has always been key in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. The man stressed, “It’s really important to focus on telling these stories that allow queer people to just be seen as people — they’re just everyday people! They experience joy; they experience heartbreak…I think that it’s really important to normalize seeing queer people in media, because the more normal that you see queer people in media, the more normal you will see queer people in life.” And while we’ve been lucky to see allies create inclusive media, Taylor emphasized that it’s only by uplifting queer filmmakers that we ensure this industry continues to make media that our communities can find themselves within.
Whether it be community meet-ups, their constantly evolving job board, or the organization’s constant spotlights on queer projects and individuals, every aspect of the QFC helps create the onscreen representation that so many people need to see. And while each of these facets is integral to the group’s work, Ray has never been more excited for the upcoming resource they’ll be providing LGBTQ+ filmmakers: The QFC Summer Panel Series.
“I wanted an event that we get to do every year, and whatever that is, I wanted it to be impactful,” raved Taylor, as he excitedly described how he and other QFC leadership initially thought of the series. He spoke at length about the many industry professionals they’re honored to have join these panels and, in a shocking rarity for educational opportunities in film, how all of the conversations will eventually be uploaded completely free online. “The conversations that we chose this year we felt were really important because we’re starting our panel series with a whole conversation about queer joy and telling stories beyond trauma, and we’re ending our panel series on a on a panel that’s talking about how to create art in today’s political climate…all of these are hot topics right now, and I think that they need to be told. And I think not only do queer filmmakers need to hear this, but everyone needs to hear.”
As the interview came to an end, it was obvious how ecstatic Ray was to talk about the Summer Panel Series and invite everyone reading to attend. Not just because of what an accomplishment it was — though he proudly listed off the many amazing discussions this series had in store — but what it represented for QFC as a whole. This organization was founded to empower LGBTQ+ filmmakers and help create an industry where not only can inclusive media be easily made, but the people who want to make it actually have the chance to. This panel series caps off an astounding first year of doing just that, with Taylor teasing even more to come in the next few months.
And as a final pitch to encourage folks to come, Ray summarized why this panel series — and all of the Queer Film Collective — is so vital: “I think that queer stories are so important to tell…and not just the ones focused on trauma or coming out! In my opinion, the most important queer stories right now are the ones focused on joy and succeeding in life, because we need to show the world — and not just the world, but also young LGBTQ+ people — that queer people are here. We’re going to survive. We’re going to keep pushing, and nothing’s going to bring us down. And so I think that queer filmmakers need to have those opportunities to tell these stories, because I think that they are so important.”
Summer Panel Series: Thu, Jul 9, 202610:59 AM Thu, Aug 27, 2026 1:00 PM
Join the Queer Film Collective for an 8 week panel series bringing together working filmmakers, writers, and creatives for honest, practical conversations about the realities of the industry today.
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Disney Animator Andreas Wessel-Therhorn talks being queer in animation and preserving the hand-drawn technique for the future
From ‘Tarzan’ to ‘Hercules,’ Wessel-Therhorn has worked on dozens of the animated movies we grew up watching
Andreas Wessel-Therhorn has gotten a rare front-row seat to the endless changes in the animation industry.
From breaking onto the scene in the ’90s through films like The Thief and the Cobbler and A Goofy Movie, to working on rare contemporary films with hand-drawn animation like Mary Poppins Returns and Space Jam: A New Legacy, Wessel-Therhorn has seen work dry up for the artists he grew up dreaming of working alongside.
“It’s a real shame that knowledge is getting lost,” he tells The Blade. “We’re all at the point where we’re either close to retirement or are in retirement already, or people move to other fields. I wonder where this knowledge is going to go.”
With Disney continuing to pump out sequels like Toy Story 5, and the uncertain road ahead with the emergence of AI, Wessel-Therhorn spoke with The Blade about his decades working in entertainment, how he has been able to pivot and continue finding work over the years, and his thoughts on Pixar cutting queer storylines in films like Elio. This interview has been edited and condensed.
What drew you to working in animation, and what are some of your most prominent projects?
As a kid, I was always a big fan of the Disney classics – and by that, I mean the really old ones like Bambi and Cinderella! I always wanted to be a part of that. It was sort of a childhood dream that eventually became a reality, and for some years was quite thrilling. Now, I wasn’t a big natural talent at drawing; it was really something I had to learn. I was lucky that when I was ready, there was a big demand for people who wanted to do hand-drawn animation. I started on a movie called The Thief and the Cobbler in London, then A Goofy Movie in Paris. Then there was a general shift to go to America, as most companies were relocating. Eventually, I got an interview with Disney in London and was offered a job. I came over here for Hercules in 1996, and I worked on Tarzan, Fantasia 2000 and The Emperor’s Groove. Then I moved over to Disneytoon Studios, where I supervised animation on Tarzan II and The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning. Apart from Disney, I went outside and worked on Looney Tunes: Back in Action, both Space Jam movies, Tom and Jerry movies, and a bunch of commercials.
I grew up watching many of those, so it’s really cool to hear your credits. You were one of the last ink and paper illustrators and got to see the transition to 3D animation and digital. How did that impact the work you were doing? Were you able to pivot?
This is just my impression — when the studio pivoted to CGI, they did not do a great job of preparing or training us as they did at DreamWorks. It was pretty much learn on your own time, if you have any. I got into this because of hand-drawn animation, and it took me long enough to learn how to draw, so I want to stick with that. That’s my love. For a long time afterward, there was still enough work for me because while there was not as much work around, there was also a smaller pool of people. For quite a few years, I was doing quite well with independent stuff, working on union and non-union stuff, whatever came along. It’s only really in the last two to three years that it has dried up completely. 2D work is usually sent out to either Canada or Europe. Suddenly, a lot of us who were hanging on by our fingernails are suddenly faced with the reality that there’s not enough work around. I pivoted a little bit to book illustrations and did quite a few of those. Thankfully, I’m not at the start of my career but sort of at the tail end. Now I want to concentrate on mentoring and doing my own short films.
It’s a shame because character animation of the kind Disney, DreamWorks and other smaller studios did is the one true American art form. Animation is done all over the world, but that kind of character animation was absolutely unique to the United States. It’s a real shame that knowledge is getting lost. We’re all at the point where we’re either close to retirement or are in retirement already, or people move to other fields. I wonder where this knowledge is going to go.
I saw the director of Hoppers post some of the early hand-drawn footage, and it looked really beautiful. People were commenting online, wondering why the movie wasn’t done in 2D.
Even some of the main supervising animators at Disney who were kept on were basically doing experimental or guide animation for the CG animators — their actual drawings never saw the light of day. For a while, it was good for them because they kept their paycheck. Artistically, it must have been utterly depressing to do stuff that no one is ever going to see.
For 2018’s Mary Poppins Returns, which you worked on, Disney had to bring back many hand-drawn artists for the animated sequence. What was that experience like?
A lot of friends from the industry, we were suddenly back in one room. There’s the sound of people flipping paper all day. The director, Rob Marshall, insisted that the piece of animation would be hand-drawn to match the original. We had a young character designer with an updated, modern version of the characters.
Were you surprised when you got the call and heard they were asking for hand-drawn animation after all these years?
Pleasantly surprised, I would say. I’m sure someone suggested going the CGI route. It has a different kind of charm to CGI. It’s a great sequence in the movie. I was a bit skeptical at first, thinking “how can you follow up Mary Poppins?”
What has your experience been navigating the animation space as a queer person?
I always had a pretty good time, I have to say. I hardly ever ran into problems, certainly not with management, because there were a lot of queer people in management, especially at Disney. I heard it was quite different in the ’80s, but not in the ’90s; [when I started], it was a very open and welcoming situation there. It’s a very odd mix of people who get drawn into animation. Most gay guys I know worked in production, but not in animation itself. We have a few exceptions, of course, but there was this weird mix of very liberal and religious people.
What I’m missing, unfortunately, is a lot more gay-themed animation. You may have seen that piece from the boss [Pete Docter] at Pixar, which was a ridiculous statement, to be honest, because the kid in Elio would have had a few certain traits from which you may infer he’s gay later. To put that out there and say “we cut the storyline” is ridiculous. I did two short films based on a German gay comic artist, and they did quite well in animation festivals. But even then, they often only did well in gay festivals. It still seems to be put into a certain corner. A few years ago, there was this really sweet CGI short by two young people called In a Heartbeat, which I loved! It not only should have had a nomination; in my book, it would have won, and it didn’t get nominated.
What did you think of the Oscar-nominated animated shorts this year and the winner, The Girl Who Cried Pearls?
Well, it wasn’t my winner. All five had merit and, in the end, it comes down to personal taste and what people like the best — of the people who actually watch them. Especially with features, so many people ask their kids what they would vote for, which explains some of the choices.
As we’ve been talking about your career and you look back on films you’ve been part of, what work are you most proud of?
I loved working on Tarzan because I worked on the mom character. Many mother characters in Disney movies are usually dead already! I was able to use personal experience from things my mom used to do. Sometimes the movie doesn’t turn out to be a big hit, but it was great fun working on Looney Tunes: Back in Action. The live-action was so poor, though, that it didn’t do very well.
You mentioned wanting to mentor younger animators. What are you hoping to teach, and why are you focused on mentorship at this point in your career?
There’s knowledge I got from other people that I want to impart so it doesn’t go away. There are people interested! Studying animation, or anything, is so expensive in this country. If I can help someone for free and they get something out of it, it’s [for the] better. I never understood the college system here, as opposed to what was in Germany. When I finished school and went to study design, that’s all I was doing 100% of the time. Apart from art history, that was it; everything was practical. Whereas here, students spend at least 50% of their time redoing the stuff they’re supposed to know already. They’re taking English and geography again, which is ridiculous, and then they hardly have any time to learn what they’re there to learn. Sometimes I look over student portfolios; they’re in their final year, and I have a hard time finding anything that qualifies them for working in the industry.
There’s so much information now available on the internet. It’s just there — tutorials, all kinds of helpful things to reference, all the stuff you used to have to go to the library for. There’s really no need to spend tens of thousands of dollars going to college. You can do it yourself if that’s what you want to do.
I don’t work in animation, but I can vouch for the mentors who have helped shape me as a writer. I’m sure people would be lucky to learn from you and all your experience, so it’s great you want to pass down that knowledge.
When I started out, I had a graphic design mentor who later became a production designer on Mulan and other Disney movies. He was really brutal with his comments on my first portfolio. I mean, I almost gave up the whole thing! But it was so important for me to hear that. From your friends and your parents, “Oh, that looks great! You’re really good,” until a professor tells you, “Start again; none of this is usable.” That’s the crux — when you continue at that point and work through it.
As we wrap up, is there anything else you want to say, or anything on your mind about the current state of animation?
Going back to movies that were actually good, did you see Nimona?
I need to see that!
That was a feature with a very queer storyline that didn’t get much attention, especially from the right-wingers, because it wasn’t Disney. If it’s Disney, they jump on it — the slightest whiff of something queer, and they go crazy. The two main guys in Nimona are a couple, which makes story sense because at one point they become adversaries; since they also share a love, it makes it that much more poignant and makes the stakes higher.
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Yona Speidel and the future of trans television
The ‘Pose’ and ‘The Boroughs’ writer on what she hopes for the future of queer media.
Thousands of queer viewers are huge fans of Yona Speidel — they may just not know it yet.
This is due largely to the fact that, up until a few months ago, Speidel went by a different name professionally: Lady J. It’s Lady J who’s credited as a producer and writer on Transparent, one of the first mainstream TV series to center a transgender woman as its protagonist. And when the series Pose began in 2018, it was Lady J who served as a member of the program’s central creative team, writing and producing nearly every episode to develop the onscreen refuge that thousands of fans still see the show as today.
It can’t be understated how much of an impact Lady J had on modern television. But just recently, fans were shocked to hear that she’d be retiring…her name, that is. The artist assured everyone that she still planned to create programs that completely shift how certain identities are portrayed in the media. She will continue the vital work she’d already been doing for years, only now, she’s ready to do it under her true name: Yona Speidel.
“Lady J is a showgirl name, and I’m not really doing that anymore,” laughed Speidel, as she spoke with the LA Blade about the decision to change her professional moniker. “At one point, I did wear sparkly sequin bras and perform in drag clubs — but I’ve aged out of that a little bit. And as a writer, director, and producer in Hollywood, I thought it was time to retire ‘Lady J’ and just go with my day-to-day name.”
And though she’s only been working for around a year with this ‘new’ name, Yona already has some impressive credits under her belt; she currently works as a writer and executive producer on the acclaimed Netflix series, The Boroughs, which has been applauded for its mixture of sci-fi horror and biting social critique. This is all in addition to the ample work she did as Lady J, with Speidel reminding fans that she is still the ingenious creative they knew and loved before. That dynamic artistry has always been a part of the woman, with Yona saying, “I always had ‘the flair,’ and it stood out from a very young age…I learned to hide it for survival.”
“I grew up in Amish country, Pennsylvania, and my family came from an old order of Mennonites, though they left many generations ago,” Speidel explained. “It was hard in the 1980s growing up with AIDS in the headlines, and all the homophobia that was happening in the world to blame gay people for this disease. [That] manifested in school, so there was a lot of bullying…the ‘flair’ was just something that I learned to temper down, and I had to be careful where I showed it. And then as the world progressed…I let it out.”
She described using music as an escape from her harsh community, avoiding chores on her family’s farm by spending hours each day practicing the piano. It was a talent that took Yona abroad for college and, eventually, to New York City, where she spent years as a professional musician while finally living as the proud trans woman she is today.
It was during her time in New York that Speidel began to write and direct, becoming a part of the city’s vibrant theater scene and helping put on numerous productions. It was just as she had begun to explore what being a producer could look like that she was asked to join the team of Transparent, a new show that promised to ‘completely change how trans people were portrayed on television.’ Excited at this possibility — and ready to ensure the series was actually accurate — Yona joined the program.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Whether it be the plight of queer people of color during the AIDS epidemic in Pose or how society mistreats the elderly in The Boroughs, Yona’s career is defined by amplifying the voices too many overlook today. This is in addition to serving as a trailblazer every day as an out trans woman in the entertainment industry, with the producer emphasizing, “It’s up to us to really test the waters. [We have to ask,] ‘Is it safe for me to be out at work? Is it safe for me to be all of me?’” She explained that at the beginning of her career, it wasn’t, and that’s why so much of her early work is focused more on introducing the general concept of LGBTQ+ identity through straightforward storytelling.
But she reminds everyone reading that it was a long time ago. Through her current work, she hopes to create an entertainment industry where underserved narratives are given center stage, where they’re allowed to challenge what general audiences are taught about their communities. It’s why she continues to create TV shows that center marginalized folks — because she knows that by introducing these voices today, it will be so much easier for them to take the spotlight again tomorrow.
Yona’s is a vital kind of advocacy that, as we see more attacks against all kinds of LGBTQ+ voices (especially trans folks), we need more than ever. She emphasized that she understands how scary it can feel being a queer creative right now, but that is exactly why artists need to continue introducing these stories that nobody else could have ever thought of! As someone who’s spent a majority of her life navigating this tenuous industry, Yona advised her fellow artists, “Shut out the negativity as much as you can. That’s a luxury if you can do that, but if you can take the luxury, do it. Be present with your friends and with your family, and with the people who love you. Feel that love, be embraced by that love. And don’t neglect that love in favor of anxiety and what-ifs.”
It’s advice that Lady J followed, allowing her to create such monumental pieces of television — and it’s what she’ll continue to live by as she does even more for her queer community today as Yona Speidel.
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Television loses a legend and longtime ‘Will & Grace’ director James Burrows
Iconic hitmaker leaves behind a legacy of telling LGBTQ stories
You don’t have to be a pretentious film major to name 10 movie directors. But naming television directors is not that simple. They’re the unsung heroes of your favorite shows, and the late James Burrows was the television director. He passed on June 19, 2026, but his DNA runs through television history.
He directed over 1200 episodes of television and over 50 pilots. He co-created Cheers and directed many episodes of long-running series like Friends, Taxi, Frasier, The Big Bang Theory, and Two and a Half Men. You also may remember him from playing a heightened version of himself on the Lisa Kudrow comedy The Comeback.
He has left an indelible mark on the LGBTQ community. As recently as last year, he directed the series run of Mid-Century Modern starring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, and Linda Lavin. He was also a longtime director of Will & Grace and directed every episode of the series revival. He even directed the unaired Absolutely Fabulous pilot with Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Johnston, and Zosia Mamet.
Not to mention he’s worked with queer icons throughout history, including Betty White and Stockard Channing on their single-season series, and Jennifer Coolidge in 2 Broke Girls.
He started his career on shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, Laverne & Shirley, and the first four seasons of Taxi.
He continued to work steadily and directed successful pilots that went to series for Roc, 3rd Rock From the Sun, Dharma & Greg, and Wings. He directed multiple episodes of Friends, Caroline in the City, and Frasier.
This magic continued into the 2000s with him directing the pilots for Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, and multiple episodes of Mike & Molly, and the entire return series of Will & Grace.
What was the secret to his success? He’d enact the “fun clause” in his contract. In his words, “Life is too short to deal with obnoxious leads,” He shared. “So as long as the writing is good and the cast is fun, I’m going to enjoy the experience.”
He had the magic touch, having multiple pilots turned into long-running series. He was nominated for an Emmy 24 times in 26 years and worked consistently until a year before his death.
The secret was the way he brought the cast together. He describes, “it was my job to mold them into an ensemble, and they did round into a group of people who loved each other.”
This earned him 11 Emmy Awards and 5 Directors Guild of America Awards, including being awarded the inaugural DGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Television Direction.
In a 2003 interview by the Television Academy, he was asked how he wants to be remembered, and he said, “That every night forever you can tune in somewhere, and there’ll be a show I did.”
He’s survived by his wife, Debbie, four daughters, seven grandchildren, and the countless people whose careers he launched and the countless viewers he inspired with his television legacy.
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ChiChi brings drag, history, and advocacy to LA Pride’s main stage
The Los Angeles drag performer, commissioner, and housing advocate honors Pride’s roots while uplifting the community beyond the parade
When ChiChi Charlas steps onto the main stage at the 56th Annual LA Pride Parade on June 14, the moment will carry more weight than a typical hosting role.
For the Los Angeles drag performer, policy advocate and commissioner, moderating the main stage is an opportunity to honor what Pride has always been about: celebration, protest, and community.
“The origin of Pride has its roots in uprisings and protests, oftentimes led by Black and brown trans women,” ChiChi told the Blade. “From Christopher Street to Cooper Do-nuts to the fight against Rule No. 9 here in Los Angeles, trans and gender expansive people have resisted criminalization and have demanded the right to live freely.”
That history, ChiChi explains, is the foundation of how they understand Pride. After hosting LA Pride’s Latine Stage last year, being invited to host the main stage this year feels like a profound accomplishment.
“I am showing up as a first-generation Mexican-American, queer, trans, gender-expansive Angeleno,” ChiChi confidently told the Blade, “But also as a commissioner, a community and policy advocate, and an educator.”
Many view hosting events as simply introducing performers. However, for ChiChi, this opportunity to host is about creating a space where people feel welcome and connected to something larger than a single day of celebration.
“It is about creating a space where our history, our joy, and our collective experiences and power can all be uplifted and celebrated,” ChiChi said. “I want people to leave with an instilled sense of hope, empowerment, and knowledge on how to get involved in the community.”
As a drag performer who accentuates their facial hair, ChiChi said their work does not fit neatly into traditional drag queen or drag king aesthetics. “I feel that this kind of visibility matters now more than ever when drag and trans people are being hyper-targeted for their gender and gender expression,” ChiChi stated. It is evident that ChiChi’s drag challenges gender expectations directly and seeks to make the LGBTQ+ community more open to diverse forms of expression.
That visibility is personally meaningful to ChiChi as a Latine performer. They said they want other Latine community members to feel seen when they are on stage – including families who may still be learning how to support LGBTQ+ loved ones.
“Homophobia, transphobia, and machismo are very much alive within many Latine communities,” ChiChi said. “I know that we will have many parents present who are learning and unlearning. I hope to provide them with a message of kindness and gratitude for all their work.”
Beyond performance, ChiChi’s advocacy has focused heavily on housing policy for trans and gender expansive people. Before shifting fully into LGBTQ+ advocacy, ChiChi spent nearly ten years in the housing nonprofit sector. In that work, they saw how homophobia, transphobia, racism, and structural inequities place LGBTQ+ people – especially Black and brown trans and gender expansive people – at greater risk of housing instability.
ChiChi told the Blade that their policy work is “grounded in the belief that when trans and gender expansive people have stable housing, our entire community becomes safer and stronger.”
For ChiChi, supporting trans people beyond Pride means moving from individual celebrations to sustained action. That includes “supporting trans-led organizations, protecting trans youth, and challenging anti-trans rhetoric in the spaces we move through.”
As thousands gather for LA Pride, ChiChi hopes people remember that Pride was made possible by those who resisted criminalization and state violence – and that the work is not over when the parade ends and the curtain falls.
ChiChi leads the readers with a final and important question:
“If we are not visible, if we are not supported, if our struggles are not taken into account in spaces such as Pride,” ChiChi said, “then how can we expect non-LGBTQ+ people to even look our way?”
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From ‘XO, Kitty’ to Marvel: The multi-talented Regan Aliyah is only getting started
Actor, rapper, and activist Regan Aliyah shares how she balances blockbuster opportunities with a deep commitment to community and authenticity..
We seldom get to see a rising star moving through Hollywood with the same fearlessness and versatility as Regan Aliyah. Whether she’s navigating the heartfelt chaos of a beloved YA dramedy, stepping into the expansive mythology of Marvel, or plunging audiences into the emotional intensity of a psychological thriller, Aliyah approaches every role with curiosity, preparation, and a very real commitment to authenticity. Actor, rapper, dancer, and creative force, Aliyah’s building a career defined not by depth, all while bringing nuance and humanity to every character that she steps into.
Off-screen, Aliyah is equally, if not more, compelling. As a proud queer Black artist, outspoken advocate, and lifelong Angeleno, she speaks with refreshing candor about identity, representation, and the responsibility that comes with visibility. In our conversation, Aliyah opens up about the emotional challenges of her most recent projects, the evolution of queer storytelling in Hollywood, the lessons she’s learned from staying true to herself, and why the younger version of Regan would be proud of exactly who she is today.
From YA dramedy to Marvel to psychological thriller, how do you approach building a character in such different worlds?
I think it’s about feeling comfortable in the words that are written and really understanding who the specific character is, as well as what they’re going through in this piece of media. Understanding how they’re affected by their surroundings, other characters, and even themselves. There’s also the element of research; like for Marvel, I was lucky enough to have so many comics that I could read and see how my character interacted with this mystical world. It was a very different process from Juliana, in XO, Kitty, where I watched the To All The Boys I Loved Before films, and I learned more about the tone of the space she would be a part of. So, it can look very different for each role that you get, but the preparation and research will always get you where you need to be.
You’re currently starring as Juliana in XO, Kitty. What aspects of yourself do you see reflected in her? And on the flip side, what are some Juliana-isms that would never fly with Regan?
I think Juliana and I are a lot alike. We lead with our heart, we’re both very artistic, and if I do say so myself…we’ve got great fashion sense. Oh, and we’re both gay. That’s definitely my favorite thing we share in common. I think Juliana is a lot more muted than me. She’s a lot quieter and a little less confrontational, but she has definitely learned to be more upfront in the later seasons. She’s absolutely someone I would be friends with in real life. I don’t know, I think she’s just such a cool girl.
Your work in Please Don’t Feed the Children explores a much darker, survivalist tone. What challenged you most about that role? What did you find most rewarding?
I think when you’re in a horror or a thriller, it’s just such a different space than anything else. It took a second for me to get used to hearing the word “action“ and knowing it meant my body had to stay in a state of panic and despair. I think by like, page 10, we’re already in this trapped situation, so finding ways to sit with this continued emotion while making it feel layered on screen was really important to me. I also had to cry on camera for the first time, which I thought would be more taxing on my mental because I was getting so much advice about pulling on personal trauma or to think about some terrible situation to produce tears. When I actually got to that scene, I felt so comfortable with this character that it was actually easy for me to find that emotion and those tears through her and not myself. That was a very rewarding moment.
Belated congrats on coming out publicly just a few years ago. How has that moment shaped the way you move through your career and your visibility?
First off, thank you so much! That moment wasn’t because of my career or any type of external pressure; it was genuinely me just wanting to live an honest life with everyone who interacts with me — whether that’s in person or online. I want you to know me for me. That honesty is very freeing. So, I don’t think I pay attention to if it’s negatively affecting my career…if you don’t want to work with me for being my authentic self, then that opportunity was just not meant for me. On the flip side, it has brought me joy, love, community, and business relationships that are all founded on, “you are who you are, and we support who you are.”
How do you think queer representation is evolving in the kinds of projects you’re getting to be part of?
I think we’ve made a lot of progress. I think we’re seeing a lot more queer characters on screen as a whole. I’m interested in going past the representation and diving deeper into the actual stories that are being portrayed. I think a lot of media still needs to get better at nuance and depth for the queer characters they have in their stories. But I always feel really blessed to be a queer actor playing queer roles; it’s the most fulfilling thing to me. So, every opportunity I get to do that, I am beyond happy.
What does it mean to you to be a young, queer Black artist working in mainstream Hollywood right now?
It means learning how to run before ever getting the chance to walk. It means pushing open doors that have multiple signs of no entry. It means making a name for yourself that holds weight for multiple communities. It means joy, nuance, and beauty that deserve airtime. It means so much, but to me, it’s just who I am, and I hope Hollywood can love, respect, and share more from all individuals who have this same intersectional identity.
You’re outspoken about issues like racial justice, food access, and homelessness (as more people should be). How do you decide when and how to use your platform?
I don’t decide, I just do. It’s that simple. There’s no 12-step program or 40-person team that I need to ask. It’s about humanity. We’re all connected, and we’re all meant to fight for one another. Sometimes that’s through my social media, sometimes that’s on Skid Row feeding our houseless community, sometimes that’s mutual aid, or sometimes that’s performing at a benefit show. There are so many ways to show up, and I believe everyone needs to be doing that in their own way.
Growing up in Los Angeles, how did your environment shape your artistry? Your worldview?
I like to call myself a “county kid.” I grew up in schools in the Valley; my family is in Inglewood, Baldwin Hills, Carson, and all the way up to Palmdale. My friends are in South Central and Leimert Park. I love and see LA for what it truly is. We’re dealing with the housing crisis, are being priced out of our own neighborhoods we built, witness the brutalization of the police, and see so much more. But we are also a place where dreams come true, where the sun attracts anyone who dares to think outside the box, and plan block parties with some of the best musicians in the world. Our culture runs deeper than the valleys of the land. The people of this city, the natives, shaped me to be who I am. I love this place so much…I mean, it’s my hometown. Every day, I think of the ways I can contribute to it, protect it, and preserve it for what it truly is.
When you think about the roles you want to take on in the future, what kinds of stories are you hoping to tell or be part of?
I want to be in stories that push the needle, ones that reflect the times, or ones that challenge the brain. I would also love to do something otherworldly. I always say that I want to play a role that would have me in the makeup chair for like 12 hours. Something where I could fully transform. That would be so cool and something I’ve never done yet.
We could all benefit from a bit of grounding and decompression. Can you share with us two things you do to decompress during your downtime?
Oof, I’ll let you know when I figure that out myself. I’ve been in work, work, work mode, but I do love cartoons, animation, and stop motion. So I’ll throw on one of those when times get stressful.
What is one invigorating phrase or mantra that your mind recites when the stress of work, and life in general, is getting a little too loud?
Recently, I’ve been reminding myself of how proud the younger version of me would be of who I am today. I think that will always center me and humble me, but light a fire in me like no other.
If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice before entering this industry, what would it be?
Nothing really. Younger me was THAT girl. She had some strong boundaries and one goal on her mind…I love her for that. Now, she would have some advice for older me, but she’s definitely very proud.
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EROS LA is starting a queerotic art movement in KTown
Local artists activate gay-owned Earl Gallery, bridging queer art history
Erotic art in the gay community? Groundbreaking. The Devil Wears Prada references aside, with both the arts and the LGBTQIA community under attack, erotic art has much more of a political sheen these days. After all, if our private lives can be the subject of political action and public outrage, why can’t they also be artistic? Enter: EROS LA.
Beyond the debates of arts, decency, and what is porn vs. erotica? There is a collective need for community and safe spaces for queer men that don’t center on drinking at a bar or doing drugs at a warehouse party. Why not hang out with other creative, curious queer men to look at art, wear fun outfits, pose for photos, and more?
EROS LA is curating the vibe to engage with all of this. The, for lack of a better word, movement celebrated its 7th installment this past Saturday, May 9th, and Sunday, May 10th. What started as an art show to showcase local queer erotic artists has expanded to include drawing classes, speed dating, networking, and even a film collective.
As Casey Kringlen, the mind behind EROS LA, puts it, “There’s a heat that creatives generate when they’re operating beyond fear, connected to their primal sensibilities and willing to follow creative instincts that don’t always fit neatly into polished cultural spaces. ‘Erotic’ is the word that gets closest to that feeling.”
EROS LA, which happens every month, began simply as an art show. It curates a flirty, creative vibe that invites hotties of all ages, shapes, and sizes to converse, consume art, and feel a little frisky. Over its last 7 iterations, it’s expanded into a whole weekend of events.
Kringlen adds, “Each show includes curated programming alongside the exhibition: speed dating activations, live movement and dance performances, and a VIP Drawing Lounge where guests can draw live figure models, mingle, or simply watch. The art is the anchor, but the night has a full arc.”
This past Saturday, a group of artists ranging from painters and photographers to dancers and adult performers gathered to share their wares at the Earl Gallery in Koreatown. Kringlen continues, “The Earl is perfect for EROS: raw energy, a maze-like layout, high ceilings, brick walls, original elements from the early 1900s, room for art, conversation, performance, and mischief. This is not a white cube or a WeHo bar.”
EROS was born through the collaboration between Kringlen and gallery owner Michael Monk. Kringlen explains, “Michael has run The Earl in Koreatown for over 20 years. Michael has deep roots in queer publishing and culture. He co-founded Monk Magazine and wrote Pink Highways, and brings a lived sense of history and perspective that have grounded EROS from the beginning. He didn’t just offer a space; he offered a partnership.”
Kringlen met Monk while exhibiting his own nude photography. Kringlen shares, “I had shown work in a series of group exhibitions there, and during one of them, he asked what other queer erotic art events were happening in LA and whether we could bring that energy into his space.”
The rest is history. In Kringlen’s words, ” EROS has been built by a community that showed up on its own. Artists, regulars, and passionate people who found us and fell in love with what we were doing.” It cannot be understated that Kringlen and Monk have cultivated an environment that invites artistic appreciation, conversation, and community.
As the show’s resident in-house photographer, Alexander Chadryan puts it: “There is a real hunger for human-to-human connection right now. People want to be seen, not just evaluated. They want sensuality, but also warmth. They want desire, but not only the transactional logic of the hookup market.”
Chadryan continues, “A lot of gay nightlife, especially in LA, can be shaped by status, body hierarchy, self-protection, and performance. It can create this notorious ‘fake people’ feeling — everyone looking perfect, everyone acting unavailable, everyone trying not to seem vulnerable. EROS feels different from that.”
EROS is creating an amazing space for emerging artists. Diego De León, who creates art nouveau-inspired watercolors, shares, “EROS creates a space where erotic art can be celebrated openly, while still allowing artists to approach it from very different perspectives and styles. They show a lot of artists that don’t have big followings; it’s really about the art.” He adds, “Art is one of the highest forms of human evolution. To create it and to receive it is something no other creature that has ever existed is able to do. To take what we see in our mind and bring it into the physical world.”
Ricardo Villanueva, who was sharing his art for the first time at EROS, adds, “It’s a great way for artists with a specific focus to come together in one place. I also think it’s a really good opportunity to network and connect with other creatives.” He continues, “EROS creates a space where erotic art can be celebrated openly, while still allowing artists to approach it from very different perspectives and styles.” Villanueva paints sexy shirtless versions of characters like GhostFace, Jason, and other figures from horror and pop culture. He also sells colorfully painted statues of cartoon bears.
Another first-time exhibitor, Walker Paulsen, who was sharing digital portraits he made using a program called Heavy Paint, observed, “The Earl Gallery provides a unique space for everyone’s work, and the community is so uplifting and feels like a tight-knit group of artists.” About his art, Paulsen shares, “My work is directly related to the ethereal emotions that are felt in our experiences battling depression in the gay community and the dating woes.”
Regardless of the type of erotic art, anyone is welcome. Kringlen adds, “We apply the broadest possible definition of ‘erotic.’ If an artist says their work is erotic, that counts. It could be an explicit photograph or a painting of two rain clouds talking about love. We don’t jury. We don’t filter. We trust the artists, and we trust the audience.”
EROS is not just a show; it’s a weekend it is expanding into Sunday programming. Kringlen adds, “We now have a figure drawing workshop with live models, no experience necessary, and we just launched EROS Film Club, a recurring queer film night at The Earl curated in collaboration with Kurt Osenlund and Maksym Varenyk.” In addition to the film screening, there was also a networking event for entertainment professionals to mix and mingle.
Kringlen shares, “Art processes what ordinary language can’t. Queer people frequently move through experiences that lead to self-examination, and creative expression can become a powerful way to process and understand those experiences. Through art, people recognize themselves and each other more honestly, and that recognition can become the foundation for real community.”
The Next EROS weekend is Saturday, June 13, with the art class and film screening on Sunday, June 14. EROS is also entering the female art space with a show called SAPPHO on Saturday, June 27. You can stay up-to-date by following their Instagram and RSVP to events at EROS on Partiful.
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