It’s a story that has been heard countless times before: someone feels the call of stardom, and they believe the only way to answer is to move across the country to Los Angeles. Entire libraries are filled with the unfortunate stories of these people, who often discover that the “City of Angels” is much harsher than it seems onscreen. But for the select few, they manage to find success in one of the toughest industries in the world. And for those like TikTok star Clayton Farris, they manage to do it while providing the LGBTQ+ representation our communities need now more than ever. 

“I grew up in a very traditional Southern space, and I always just stood out because I was…I was different,” said Texas-born Farris when he sat down to discuss his new movie, Weapons. “I had a whole life [in Dallas] that I packed up and left — and as soon as I got to LA, I was like, ‘Oh, this is where I’m meant to be.’”

Anyone online in the past decade has seen Farris’s work. Before starring in numerous hit TV shows and movies, the man made his mark on Vine through comedy sketches (never again can someone ask for their keys without imagining a printer being hurled at them). Since then, he’s acted in hit series like Scream Queens and Ratched, all while becoming a mainstay in the LA comedy scene and amassing more than 400,000 followers on TikTok. Clayton brings his trademark style of irreverent humor to every project, all while proudly sharing his bisexual identity with the world — a sense of pride that didn’t come easy to him. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Clayton Farris (@claytonfarris)

“Coming from a place that really encourages people to be closeted, it’s been a long journey for me to be able to be myself,” he explained when he sat down with the Los Angeles Blade, still tired from the Weapons red carpet he’d been strutting down only a day before.

“I always say: any character I play, I always bring the ‘bisexual edge’ to them.” The actor laughs but stresses the importance of this kind of representation, and the long journey it took for him to share his bisexuality through his art. Farris knows that it is essential to bring his authentic identity into every single role…even in a movie as terrifying as Weapons. 

Most horror fans are familiar with director Zack Cregger’s work; his previous film, Barbarian, is infamous for not only its jaw-dropping plot twists but the unceasing anxiety it carries throughout every scene. His latest film, Weapons — a mystery-horror centered around a classroom of children who flee their homes in the dead of night — recently premiered and is already being lauded as one of the scariest movies of 2025. Yet somehow, amidst the thrilling bloodshed that its trailers are promising, it finds the space to feature LGBTQ+ representation through Farris’s role as Terry, the goofy, endearing partner of one of the main characters. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Clayton Farris (@claytonfarris)

While he laughed about the quirks he brought to the character and what wild fun it is to star in a scary movie, Farris also recognized just how important this performance really is. “To be one of the only queer characters in such a big movie, [I was] like, ‘Oh, this kind of has some weight to it!’” he exclaimed, proud of injecting casual queerness into such a complex plot.

He went on to describe how, even at the premiere, there were executives coming up to him, thanking him for the representation and the nuances he brought to what could have been such a cliché stereotype. It’s a kind of representation that LGBTQ+ horror fans have fought decades for, and through Terry, Farris is proud to push it even further. 

No matter where his career takes him next, whether it be in another gore fest like Weapons or some hit comedy show in LA, Farris makes it clear what his goal is as a bisexual actor: “I just want to do a good job, and represent the community well.” It’s a mantra that more performers should carry, and it’s what makes Farris one of the true standout comedy stars of Los Angeles (and TikTok) today. 

Follow Clayton Farris on Instagram & TikTok

Weapons is now in theaters

In the penultimate episode of the world’s first drag competition show, King of Drag, two contestants would be sent packing with their packers before the big finale. The five fan-favorites had to create original looks from scratch, lip sync to “Good Boy,” and come up with an interpretive dance to earn their spot in the top three of the Revry series.  Unfortunately, two fan favorites didn’t make it past the final hurdle: King Perka $exxx and Big D.

Big D has big P-personality. The one-of-a-kind character actor had never lip-synced before this episode, but judges loved what Big D brought week after week. Of the five weeks he competed on the show, Big D was in the top three times! His background in clowning helped him to bring such vivid and memorable characters to life on King of Drag. On the other hand, King Perka $exxx had a much bumpier road, but throughout that journey, audiences fell in love with the performer we got to know. From his perfect Urkle to his hilarious stand-up routine, Perka $exxx was the heart of King of Drag season 1. To lose them both before the finale was tough for fans. But fingers crossed for an eventual King of Drag All Stars.

The LA Blade caught up with Perka $exxx and Big D to talk about their experiences on King of Drag, advice for other kings, and what they would do differently.

Tell me about your first time in drag. 

KPS: My first number was last at my college drag show, and I didn’t wanna wait a year till the next school show, so I went out and hit the city.

BD: Drag was a gradual process for me, from my dad teaching me to do a double Windsor when I was in middle school, to suits, fedoras, pocket watches and worshipping macho-intellectual books and movies in my teens and 20s, to a slow realization that I could BE the thing I secretly worshipped, that I didn’t have to have my face pressed up against manhood’s window anymore. I could do the damn thing. 

What made you decide to be a part of the inaugural season of King of Drag? What do you hope to see differently in future seasons?

KPS: I had half my timeline tagging me in the audition posts, so partly peer pressure. I went back and forth on whether I should do it, but I had to stop thinking and start doing it. I just did the best I could on my tape, and I was myself the entire time, and I always made sure to have fun. I want future seasons to have more episodes and more days off to sleep in. 

BD: Murray was my main motivation. He was the artist who inspired me to really step into drag, and I cheered along as his career grew from clubs and live shows in NYC to TV and film. The chance to connect with him was impossible to pass up. I still pinch myself that I have his number in my phone, and that he let me borrow his Doc Martens for one of the shoot days.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by revry (@revrytv)

What surprised you most about your experience on King of Drag?

KPS: That we were able to be competitive, and not be bitches to each other like I’ve seen on other shows. I shouldn’t be surprised though – drag kings are just built differently. 

BD: I was celebrated far more than I thought I would be. I thought I would be read to filth for my lack of polish, but I was more often than not encouraged and deeply seen by my castmates, by production, and by the judges. 

What do you cherish most about your filming experience?

KPS: I cherish the kindness of production and the moments behind the scenes with everyone. 

BD: The connection with my castmates and with the fans of the show. The community that has come together to support this project. Being part of something much larger than myself. 

If you could do one thing over on King of Drag, knowing what you know now, what would it be?

KPS: Drink more water. 

BD: More stillness, more breath. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by revry (@revrytv)

Have you had any especially memorable fan interactions since the show began? 

BD: I want to inspire others to take up more space—and I’ve heard from kings and aspiring kings that I made them feel that they could do the damn thing, regardless of all the little things that can make us stop ourselves from doing the damn thing. If I made people feel that there is a place for their art, or even just a fuller flower of their soul, that’s awesome. 

What do you want aspiring kings to know about the working life of a king?

KPS: Don’t quit your day job or ruin your day life over drag. You, as a human being, are still important, and you have to work twice as hard as queens, because you will have higher standards. When that happens, you need to rise to the occasion and prove the haters wrong 

BD: There are a lot of ways to King: in theater, in comedy, in dance, in role play, in… probably knitting, you know? It isn’t just lip syncing in bars. Take kinging further, take it everywhere it’s needed. 

If you can ask a co-star or Murray Hill one question at a season 1 reunion, what would it be?

KPS: I’d ask Murray to try one of these challenges. Like, c’mon, 90 minutes on the first day songwriting; I wanna see Murray try to do that. 

BD: Hey, Murray, what size/make were those Doc Martens again? 

Stream the entire season of King of Drag now on Revery.com and followKing Perka $exxx and Big Don social.

Few classics of the Hollywood Golden Age have stood the test of time with as much stamina as Billy Wilder’s “Sunset Boulevard.” 

Released on Aug. 10, 1950, it became a near-instant classic, earning rave reviews for its savage portrayal of the very industry that produced it and the fearlessly intense performance of former silent screen goddess Gloria Swanson — as tragically deranged former silent screen goddess Norma Desmond, whose fictional history mirrored her own more than enough to make the casting provocative. It was one of the year’s biggest “award season favorites,” a creative triumph for the longtime director/screenwriter team of Wilder and Charles Brackett (along with co-credited D.M. Marshman Jr.), and it quickly gained a reputation — one that it largely still holds — as the best film Hollywood has ever made about itself. It would go on to become a frequently cited example of the film noir genre at its finest, a near-legendary insider’s tale of the movie industry, a meditation on the dangers of ego and the fickleness of fame, and a damning indictment of callousness within a system that exploits its best and brightest before casting them aside when they cease to be profitable. 

It’s inarguably a great movie, fully worth the reverence with which it is held in the “cinephile” community — but while that’s more than enough reason to observe and celebrate its 75th anniversary, what makes the occasion noteworthy for us here at the Blade is its status as one of the most beloved “gay” film faves of all time.

Not that there’s anything explicitly “gay” about it, at least on the surface. Indeed, if you watch it at face value, it adheres more or less to conventional heterosexual “normalcy” in the specifics of its story. Struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis (William Holden) is the image of mid-century American masculinity: worldly, handsome without being “pretty” and oozing with an almost smug virility; there’s the air of a “hustler” about him, sure, but we all know there’s an appeal to that, too. He’s an attractive enough package to make a movie star — albeit a faded one — want to turn him into her own private rent boy, especially when he has talents that might help her accomplish her delusional dream of a return to stardom. Considering how he looks in those mid-century swim trunks, we can’t say we blame her.

Then there’s Norma. To say she’s larger than life is an understatement; exuding a persona that speaks of a need to be seen and acknowledged, she’s made a place for herself by commanding every room (and every movie screen) with her sheer presence. It’s an identity built on artifice, on the carefully mastered tricks of her trade — the elevated vocal expression, the broad gestures and glamorous presentation that establish her as… well, a queen. Yet she’s been rejected, cast aside in a world that no longer recognizes her glory, which worships youth and beauty and views those who are older as unwanted and irrelevant; how many queer men, especially in the repressive days of “Sunset Boulevard,” have been able to relate with that?

Naturally, there’s a certain amount of camp to be found here, too, which in itself could explain the queer fascination with the movie.  The exaggerated acting style of the silent screen, embodied so menacingly in Swanson’s iconic performance, adds a certain air of the ridiculous — and of the terrifying — yet (like all good camp) invites our empathy, too. 

That, of course, is why this nugget of classic cinema speaks to us still after three quarters of a century: no matter how flawed, how unlikable, how ridiculous or self-serving the denizens of “Sunset Boulevard” might be, they are so recognizably human that we cannot help but be moved by them. Yes, it’s ultimately a dark comedy, a pitch-black satirical commentary on vanity, amorality, and self-delusion, but it also jolts us throughout with unexpected (and un-ironic) moments of truth.

It’s impossible to watch without feeling a tinge of sympathy for Joe Gillis — dead in a swimming pool before he even gets to tell his own story, and not even a good enough opportunist to avoid feeling sorry for the woman who will eventually put him there. It’s impossible to consider the fate of Norma Desmond — the years of loneliness, of living in memories, of finding connection only through the fawning servitude of her ex-husband-turned-loyal manservant (Erich Von Stroheim), and of finding companionship only through the proxy of a pet monkey — without becoming aware of the profound sadness of her existence. It’s even impossible not to believe in the idealism of naive “good-girl” Betty (Nancy Olson), despite the fact that everything else we see in the film makes a mockery of it.

Wilder and Brackett may have been renowned for their cynicism, but their collaborative film work never failed to touch you with their deep sense of humanity, either — and those moments do not happen by accident, but through careful craftsmanship. “Sunset Boulevard” is a movie full of iconic quotes precisely because they provide those glimpses of profound humanity; they hit us with the recognition of our own pretensions, our own delusional moments of self-importance, our own embrace of ego over candid self-awareness. All of them sting us with a wisdom we cannot ignore, but they also offer a nudge toward our own redemption, perhaps most pointedly with the climactic observation spoken by Joe in an appeal to Norma’s fast-deteriorating sanity: “There’s nothing tragic about being 50, not unless you try to be 25.”

It’s the thesis statement of “Sunset Boulevard,” in a way, a hard-candy truism toward which the movie builds with easily traceable deliberation from the fateful moment its anti-hero turns into the driveway of that decaying mansion on the eponymous street of its deeply metaphoric title. It’s delivered to Norma, not as a slap in the face but as a lifeline, but it’s really aimed at the audience; while it may come too late to save either of these two doomed characters, Wilder and Brackett clearly intended it as a message that it’s not too late for us.

Likewise, though we never see even a hint of queer identity depicted on the screen, the overtones and undercurrents of queerness are so recognizable — and would have been so to queer audiences even in 1950 — that it’s hard to convince us they are there by coincidence. Though neither Wilder nor Brackett identified as queer themselves, they were veteran workers in the Hollywood industry, and knew full well that there was a “secret world” behind the scenes that the censors of the time would never let them portray directly. Yet understanding that their film’s powerful message was equally relevant (if not moreso) to the queer community, they would have known that they could reach them with it, anyway. So when Joe Gillis, watching the grim nocturnal funeral for that aforementioned monkey from his window, voices his opinion that “it was all very queer,” you can be sure they chose that word on purpose, too.

Of course, for many queer audiences, understanding “why” they like it is not really necessary — after all, it’s an entertaining enough movie, with a wickedly transgressive attitude about social norms and constructs (the reversed gender dynamics between its two “romantic” leads add an overall sense of discomfort for anyone who might feel vaguely threatened  by such things), and if you’re a fan of old Hollywood, it offers a host of pleasures in its incorporation of real-life personalities — filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille and legendary gossip columnist Hedda Hopper make appearances as themselves, as do several silent stars (including Buster Keaton, Anna Q. Nilsson, and H.B. Warner) as Norma’s “bridge circle.”

Ultimately, though, what matters most of all is that it is a film with universal appeal — a timeless story, despite its aging stylistic and technical contributions — and the fact that it remains so after 75 years is testament of the universal power of cinema to speak to us regardless of when it was made.

Suzie Toot tapped her way into America’s hearts and international drag stardom during her epic run on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17. The 25-year-old triple threat came in fifth place that year, after winning the talent show, the SNL challenge, and the Lip Sync Lalaparuza Smackdown.

Now that she’s conquered the small screen, Suzie Toot (aka Benjamin Shaevitz) is ready for her close-up. Suzie stars as Mimi Bouvèé-Truvé in Erynn Dalton’s horror comedy Big Easy Queens. The camp thriller follows rival mob bosses set on revenge, and Suzie plays the estranged sister of HBIC, Minnie Bouvèé (played by Eric Swanson). 

The LA Blade caught up with Suzie at home in Brooklyn to discuss creating the project, her love of Rocky Horror, and the highs and lows of life after Drag Race.

What’s been your biggest pinch-me moment since Drag Race aired and the world learned your name?

There are so many! There’s something to me about just seeing GIFs of myself and our season in reaction images and in the world. That really does get me. 

I feel like everyone shared your winning tap dancing talent video when that happened. That must have been surreal.

It was really, really cool. I forget sometimes, because that moment was tied together with the whole rest of everything starting to come out – I mean, 7 million views on Instagram. Oh, that’s major. That one’s a hard one to comprehend, for sure.

@rupaulsdragrace tappin' and tootin'  @suzietoot #dragrace #suzietoot #talent #tapdance #dancer #drag #dragqueen ♬ original sound  – RuPaul’s Drag Race

Who’s been the biggest celeb that slid into your DMS to say they were a fan?

Oh my gosh. I know that it seems obvious that Ru girls would swing by, but the first time, Jinkx Monsoon messaged me, I freaked. I cried. I was in the airport having a very bad day, and I was fully crying. Because beyond the RuPaul’s Drag Race of it, Jinkx’s documentary Drag Becomes Him was one of my favorite watches in high school. I’ve watched it 10-plus times. The journey, and the following a dream that is so specific to such a height. It really inspired me so, so, so much.

Big Easy Queens is set in New Orleans but was filmed in Florida. You’re from the oft-dissed state of Florida.  Right now, what do you love about the state?

Wow. Okay, because I, too, am one of the haters. However, I’m from Florida, so I have the right to hate. But Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors totally opened my mind when I first got there. I went to college in Boca, and I went down for an audition. It felt like bizarro land. From discovering my sexuality and discovering a queer community, mostly online, to suddenly being thrust into it. I started Suzie Toot right out of high school, and my first three years of doing drag were in Fort Lauderdale. So she is a Fort Lauderdale-grown diva. I think it’s one of the most beautiful places to just exist because of the people.

I love the way you’re styled in this film. Did you have a hand in Mimi’s look? 

Yeah, even back then, even when I looked a fucking mess, I was very protective of the Suzie Toot character. So Dan Gagnon was the costumer, and he built a lot of dresses, but did not have the faculty to build the entire wardrobe. So he and I did work on some stuff that I pulled from my closet that ended up in the movie that I was so excited about.

How did filming with the blood work? Did you have to be one-take wonders, because there’s no coming back after blood meets drag? 

Exactly, 100%. They built a thing that they called a Blood Sucker in order to fire the blood. They tested it, but we also didn’t have the budget for elaborate testing. And the funniest part, and you can see it in the film, is where the first patch of blood hits not me, but the back of my wig from the side, and fully ejects it from my head. Then they called cut, and everybody involved was on the other side of the camera – people that I had never met before were on the other side to watch the blood thing happen. And then people came up and we all did pictures covered in blood, because it was this big moment. Then, I turn around and I see my wig on the floor, and I did not know that my wig was off during all those pictures. I didn’t notice because I was preoccupied with the blood that was all over. But cover me in blood any day of the week. I loved it. Loved it!

Who’s your favorite scream queen?

Oh, you can’t do this to me! I’m a huge Scream fan. So, Drew [Barrymore]. It’s so good. I love when drag queens do that audio. Drew is so magnetic. And in the only five minutes she has in that series, it’s so incredible! 

Back to Drag Race for a moment. Having watched your season play out, if you could go back and redo one moment, what would you like to redo?

Oh my god, before the Lalaparuza ever happened, this question would haunt me forever. And the thing is, we didn’t know that that’s how [the season] was gonna end. We didn’t film [the Lalaparuza] til much later. So for the longest time, I was settled on the fact that I had a really great start and a kind of poor ending, and that’s okay. So the Lalaparuza kind of answered that question of, “what could I have done better?” 

What is the best advice you’ve received from another Drag Race girl about life after the show?

Oh, that’s a really good question. My number one, ever, ever, ever, is Kylie Sonique Love. The icon, legend, and All Stars winner told me to always have one outfit in your carry-on. You carry one wig, one outfit, and your makeup with you, and your wig on your person on the plane, so that, God forbid, anything happens to the checked luggage, you have one outfit. It’s already saved my life when I went to London. God bless Kylie Sonique Love; she knew what she was talking about.

Final question today. What’s your favorite drag movie? It can be a movie about drag, like The Birdcage, or a movie starring queens, like Big Easy Queens and Girls Will Be Girls.

My number one of all time always will be Rocky Horror Picture Show. That movie is so important to me. Seeing it was so important to my queer and political awakening. That is the blueprint that is the always and forever. Cult classics and cult followings are my special interests, my favorite thing; I’m fascinated by them. It’s the blueprint. Girls Will Be Girls and To Wong Foo are my other answers, but Rocky Horror is number one. 

Stream Big Easy Queens on Hulu, and follow all things Suzie Toot.

From the streets of the Boston projects to fabulous West Hollywood, Michael-Shaun Hennessey’s story is anything but ordinary. He is a man of many markers: a longtime AIDS survivor, mystery show entrepreneur, and former Power Rangers writer, Hennessey is now touring the world with an unlikely performance. Searching for Robert Hennessey is an autobiographical story chronicling his decades-long search for his father.

The show begins its world tour August 9th & 10th at Culver City’s Fanatic Salon Theater. It has already drawn praise from critics for its emotional depth, charismatic storytelling, and a final act twist that critics say feels “scripted by fate.”

“I had been working on the show off and on for the last three years,” Hennessey says, “and then in March, I was getting inspired by many of my friends who were writing and performing their own one-person shows so I decided to just go for it!” Hennessey details the process taking a whole month of nonstop effort where he made it “just in time” for the Hollywood Fringe Festival deadline.

Hennessey’s story is full of laughter, sorrow, and everything in between: escaping a cult, living with AIDS, and yes, kissing John Stamos. The show is not a typical autobiography – it is a full display of integral moments in Hennessey’s life. “I actually wanted to be sure I didn’t put any emotional guardrails up and this allows me to be as raw and connected to my story as possible,” he explains. “And it’s definitely paid off. People have said they’ve never seen a show where someone was so connected – mission accomplished.”

When watching the show, a central question emerges: was Hennessey’s story one of fate? “If I didn’t believe in fate,” Hennessey explains, “I absolutely do now after all the twists, turns, and the perfect people coming onto my pathway at the exact moment they were meant to.”

The mix of openness and drive has defined Hennessey’s creative life. Amidst everything, he founded a “mystery company” for children and hosted “mystery events” where children looked for clues to solve various mysteries. Looking back, he finds something deeper at play. “I absolutely believe that I created my mystery company subconscious because I had a mystery to solve of my own,” he says. “All of the children have absolutely inspired me to find my father because I would see them with their fathers and it would awaken my need to connect with my own.”

But it would be incorrect to say Searching for Robert Hennessey is solely about bloodlines; it is about finding one’s true self. “I believe that we each need to find what works and what doesn’t work for our own journey in our search for meaning and connection,” Hennessey reflects. “The main thing we all need to embrace is [something] we have within ourselves already.”

Hennessey finds these connections with various, seemingly random things. Numerical synchronicities and psychic signs weave throughout the performance. “When I first moved to Los Angeles from Boston, my mentor Dee Wallace recommended all of her students meet with her Reiki Master,” Hennessey tells the Blade,  “I was extremely resistant because I thought it was some kind of witchcraft and as a Born Again Christian queer man, it bothered me.” However, he overcame his previous fears and biases and attributes Reiki as playing a large role in overcoming AIDS. “I became a Reiki Master soon after and have felt beautifully connected ever since,” Hennessey proclaims.

As the show embarks on a world tour – culminating in a run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – Hennessey hopes queer audiences see themselves in the performance. “I truly hope my beautiful queer tribe will realize that they have the power within to make anything happen,” Hennessey succinctly states, “It is my hope that NAYsayers will become YAYsayers when they find that hope within themselves or within the circle of people around them. We are never alone.”

Next steps for Hennessey include Off-Broadway, a potential music version, and possibly a streaming series. In fact, there is even talk of a Grammy as the show could possibly qualify for a spoken word album. In the meantime, however, Hennessey has a goal: “We are seeking out LBTQAI+ theaters around the country that would welcome my story in the coming year.”

Hennessey leaves the readers with a simple, yet profound message: “Don’t stop believing and never ever give up!”

Searching for Robert Hennessey is not a show to miss. You can find tickets here.

Hello, my lovies! Happy August! We find ourselves 8 months into the year, with spooky season budding delightfully early and halfway through the current Mercury Retrograde. While some of us are in the throes of shopping for Halloween tricks and treats and indulging in spooky events like Midsummer Scream, others are just trying to get through the chaotic energy of a summertime retrograde. What end of the spectrum are you landing on this month? Let’s ask the cards and find out. 

August brings in changes and forces us to look outside of the box to find our new paths. For some of you this is happening in a more internal way, challenging your beliefs and the structure that has long been in place in your life. It’s so hard when we have to look at the things that have been presented to us as truth and realize that they are in fact not true, or that the people you have looked up to have flaws and are more fallible than you originally knew. You might have Mercury Retrograde to thank for that. Most often people just blame this retrograde for technology mishaps and miscommunication, but we must remember that one of the deeper things this time does is bring the truth to light.

For those of you facing new truths and trying to reshape relationships through them or embrace new routines because of them, I want to remind you that change is uncomfortable, but it inevitably leads us to a better plan, higher understanding, and a more spacious comfort zone. Kambaba Jasper could be a helpful stone for you at this time. It is known to help soothe us through its nurturing and grounding properties. Hold a piece in your hand, take a deep breath in, hold it to your heart, breathe out. You got this, Boo.

As rocky as communication can be during a retrograde, I see relationships actually thriving right now. The energy is set up for people to have deep, vulnerable conversations with their partners and in turn fall deeper into harmony, love, and a tangle of sheets. The opportunities for these conversations encourage us to embrace and grow our inner wisdom and empathy. Even if you don’t want to share whatever event in your life that has brought you to the place of understanding that you are currently at, you can still hold space and set the example that people around you deeply need.

Remember that strength doesn’t always arrive in the form of the Divine Masculine, bulging muscles and brute force; sometimes it shows up in the aspect of the Divine Feminine, gentle, graceful, and flexible. When this kind of strength is called into action, I always think of a Willow Tree. In a storm, a Willow survives the night not by being rigid but by knowing how to bend but never break. 

The second half of the month brings promise of fun and feelings of success. With Mercury going direct on August 11th, we will all start to feel a bit more at ease as we get closer to the 14th. The chaos in our personal lives begins to turn itself down a couple notches and we will find ourselves seeking ways to embrace some balance and light hearted pleasure. There are some big wins and personal triumphs this month and it’s important that we see ourselves for the glorious, victorious creatures that we are. After all, we have managed to still be here striving and thriving even in the dumpster fire of 2025. If you ask me, that in itself is a win. Vacations and sensuous temptations are calling to us, asking us to hang up the hustle for a minute and let our hair down. This is your reminder to make good life choices but still have fun doing so!

There seems to be energy here that is leaning towards awareness of health and wellness. A hike at Runyon Canyon or Malibu Springs might be a new part of your weekly routine and that satisfies this craving. For others, the wellness aspect of community might be what your spirit is calling for. Commit to dinner plans with your chosen family, paint night with your coven, or simply a cup of tea (literally and metaphorically,) with your bestie and watch how at peace your spirit will feel.  The month of August is telling us to replenish our souls and we should listen to the instruction.

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

‘Judy Garland: The Voice of MGM’
By Scott Brogan
c.2025, Lyons Press
$65/405 pages

The monkeys used to scare you a lot.

The Wicked Witch was one thing but those flying simians with their booming voices? Ugh, they gave you nightmares for weeks. And despite that you knew how things would end – you’d seen the movie annually, for heaven’s sake – let’s just say you spent a lot of time covering your eyes. So now be like a Lion. Get uncowardly and find “Judy Garland: The Voice of MGM” by Scott Brogan.

When most people think about Judy Garland, two images come to mind: the teenager in pigtails or “The one-dimensional image of an always suffering and always tragic Garland.” Neither one, says Brogan, is totally correct. In reality, Garland was “positive, joyful, and funny.”

Her parents, Ethel and Frank Gumm, were performers who moved their little family around Michigan and Wisconsin before landing in Grand Rapids, Minn., where their youngest child, Frances, was born in 1922. An adorable baby, little Frances loved an audience almost from the time she could walk; her parents happily added her to the family troupe.

In 1926, the Gumms performed their way across the country to Los Angeles, where Frances and her sisters appeared in many shows, but critics were not entirely impressed. Still, Ethel pushed and the girls toured with Paramount Circuit in the northwest, and then in Chicago in 1934 where Frances had “one of [her] biggest career milestones.”

By 1935, she was formally using the name “Judy Garland” onstage and she’d secured informal representation. That same year, she signed a contract with MGM, a studio that took a near-total control it “would exert over Garland’s personal life” and her schedule, denying her wish to be with her father at the end of his life and dictating what she ate or didn’t eat.

Still, says Brogan, their methods worked: by the time Garland was 20 years old, her “career seemed to know no limits.”

Page through “Judy Garland: The Voice of MGM” and you’ll instantly know that you’re in for a treat: this book is loaded with photos, stills, publicity shots, and newspaper recreations. There’s a lot to look at here, but what there is to read is better.

Author Scott Brogan makes Judy Garland his raison d’ȇtre in this book, but it’s not entirely all about her. Brogan shares an overview of the movie studio that made her famous, including what is arguably her most top-of-mind film, the gossip that surrounded it then, and the mythology that still lives on. There’s a comprehensive list of World War II-era appearances that Garland made, and what happened at each one. If you’re expecting dirt-dishing, you’ll read about her father’s secret, her marriages, and her addictions, but not in an over-the-top scandalous way. Brogan is factual, inclusive, and respectful, just as you’d want.

If you’re planning on having guests soon, put “Judy Garland: The Voice of MGM” away or your guests will want to read, rather than mingle. It’s the kind of coffee-table book that, for fans, will make you Get Happy.

The Blade may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via this post.

When Charles Galin King made his big debut on the world’s first drag competition show, King of Drag, you knew you were taking in a star. He introduced himself as “a Mexican-American Indigenous Wixárika with Ch’ol blood person,” and you couldn’t help but take notice.

His cultural influences are apparent in his drag, serving distinct and memorable looks. He won fans over with his fabulous impression of Nosferatu on The Dong Show and connected with them through his honesty about his mental health struggles. After bringing the black plague to the prom, his time on the Revry series came to an end.

We caught up with Charles Galin King to talk about his experience on King of Drag, what he hopes to see in future seasons, and advice for new drag kings.

Tell us about your first time in drag. 

Back in high school senior year, I decided to wear one of my dad’s black button-up short-sleeved shirts and made a beard and mustache on my face, and wore a fedora hat.  I went out with one of my best friends to this day, Ruben, and we went to Hollywood and went to Jack and the Box. I needed the restroom and went to the women’s, and a guy coming out of the men’s said, “Not that one, this one.” And I felt validated in drag cause I was that convincing of a “man,” jajaaaja. 

What made you decide to be a part of the inaugural season of King of Drag? 

I wanted to try it cause I was looking at the application out of curiosity, and upon reading started feeling fear and nervousness. And said, “I should apply,” to my mother.  Also, l will die one day, might as well go for it and see how it is. I knew I would be a part of the first trial and error cause it’s a first of its kind, so we all learned together what this show is and will be. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by TilDusk Presents: WHAT’S MY AGE AGAIN?! (@whatsmyageagain.la)

What do you hope to see differently in future seasons?

More kings on the King’s Court, and more BIPOC judges, and more lip sync songs.

What surprised you most about your experience on King of Drag?

I gained 9 new siblings and felt a beautiful connection to myself in wanting to be a part of this community even more because of them. And due to being a beautifully diverse experience.

What do you cherish most about your filming experience?

I showed what drag means to me and what my drag is. And being able to say thank you to the cast, crew, tech, and owners of the studio where filming was at.

If you could do one thing over on King of Drag, knowing what you know now, what would it be?

Have more money and be able to show my true fear of cutting out a fetus from me and showing myself dying.

Have you had any especially memorable fan interactions since the show began? 

Yes, when people and fans would say thank you for sharing your story about accepting death and suicide.  And them asking me what surprised me most about being on the show.

Do you hear from other kings about the representation the show offers?

Yes, very much. They feel seen and have been wanting this for such a long time, and it’s a breath of fresh air seeing us all work together.. We still feel the hate from those who don’t understand our existence, though I have learned from my kings on the show that with every hate comment, there are ten love comments from the fans.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by revry (@revrytv)

What do you want aspiring kings to know about the working life of a king?

Be prepared to be looked at by certain audiences with stares of confusion, and being on their phone when performing or being compared to other kings. Also, since we are still climbing to be accepted in this world, the majority of Drag Race fans still see us as non-existent and trash. Always focus on our drag king audience, for they understand us the most. Always have fun, for if I have fun, then the audience will have fun alongside me. SO many queens support us, and there are still queens who look down on us. Accept that and focus on your music, routines, lyrics, and feeling the vibes of what character you will put on stage.

If you can ask a co-star or Murray Hill one question at a season 1 reunion, what would it be?

What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream if you eat ice cream? And when can we hang out and look out to the sunset and high-five when it’s time to go home?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by revry (@revrytv)

Stream the entire season of King of Drag now on Revry.com and follow Charles Galin King on social.

Members of the journalism industry gathered together this last weekend to celebrate the nominees and winners for three inaugural journalism awards for Southern California journalists and newsrooms who championed LGBTQ+ stories in 2024. The Los Angeles Chapter of NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists presented this Press Pride Prom inaugural event.

Over 200 attendees gathered in Glendale at the historic Grand Central Air Terminal to celebrate. The evening was presented by ABC7 and hosted by award-winning journalist Tracy Gilchrist. The ceremony also included a moving performance by the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles and a hilarious appearance by drag king Charles Galin King.

The Los Angeles Blade took home the first award of the evening, the Excellence in LGBTQ+ Reporting Newsroom Award. The award recognizes a news outlet whose coverage of the queer and trans community is well-informed, complex, varied, and intersectional, with a track record of promoting The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists’ mission to advance fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ communities and issues. The other nominees were LAist and Variety. Team members of the Blade took to the stage, including publisher Alexander Rodriguez, writers Rose Montoya, Rob Salerno, and Joel Medina, and former editor Gisselle Palomera to accept the award.

The evening also included the presentation of the Queer Beat Award for Excellence in LGBTQ+ Reporting, honoring a single story or series that demonstrates care, skill, and a commitment to fair and accurate reporting of LGBTQ+ themes, issues, and people. This year’s winner was “She Was Supposed to Be at Pulse Nightclub — And Club Q. Now She’s Fighting To Keep LGBTQ+ People Safe” by Lil Kalish for HuffPost.

Another special moment for the Blade took place in the presentation of The Troy Masters Legacy Award for Visionaries in Media, presented in collaboration with the Blade and LA NLGJA, honoring a journalist or news media professional whose work reflects a dedication to the craft of journalism and a commitment to setting the stage for the next generation of LGBTQ+ industry leaders. The award is named in honor of Troy Masters, veteran queer journalist and former publisher of the Los Angeles Blade, who passed away last year.
This year’s winner was John Griffiths, founder of GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ
Entertainment Critics and Dorian Awards.

The final presentation was presented by the office of State Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, for District 51. Joshua Marin-Mora gave a moving speech and delivered proclamations to each of the winners.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by j o s h u a (@joshua_marinmora)

We are honored by our win and extend our congratulations to the LA NLGJA for a successful and important evening. A big thank you to our readers, who continue to support our efforts.

When “Taxi zum Klo” was released 45 years ago, it’s doubtful that anyone realized the extent to which the time and place in history it was capturing would someday be iconic — but watching it today, in a new 4K restoration which begins a multi-city “roadshow” tour in New York City this weekend, the world and the lifestyle it shows us feel not only familiar, but woven inextricably into the DNA of gay culture as we know it.

An underground sensation in West Germany upon its initial release, it made its U.S. premiere at the New York Film Festival in 1981, and was given a theatrical release in America that same year. It quickly achieved cult status, becoming a hit with queer audiences even as it became a flashpoint of controversy and a target of censorship in the repressive sociopolitical atmosphere of the Reagan era. Poised between the heady “golden years” between the rise of Gay Liberation and the nightmare of the AIDS epidemic, it offered a then-shockingly explicit, inherently transgressive inside look at the “secret” world of gay Berlin, in all its promiscuous, leather-clad, gender-bent, unapologetic glory.

Produced on a shoestring budget, with Ripploh and his cast of non-professional actors playing characters who share their real names and a cinematic style that seems equal part social documentary and absurd comedy of manners, “Taxi zum Klo” feels thrillingly authentic to anyone who has ever participated in gay “hook-up” culture — though the lifestyle it presents might also feel like a far cry from its modern equivalent, in which “dating” apps like Grindr and Sniffies have largely replaced the non-virtual sex clubs and porno theatres of a grungier and less impersonal time. There’s no exchange of “dick pics” here, no convenient listing of stats, likes, preferences or pronouns — just the unpredictable and potentially risky rituals of in-person connection. For those too young to remember when such things were the way of the gay world, the behavior of Frank and his various fellow “sex-plorers” might well seem just as scandalous as it would have been to the homophobic prudes of its day.

Produced on a shoestring budget, with Ripploh and his cast of non-professional actors playing characters who share their real names and a cinematic style that seems equal part candid documentary and absurd comedy of manners, “Taxi zum Klo” feels thrillingly authentic to anyone who has ever participated in gay “hook-up” culture — though the lifestyle it presents might also feel like a far cry from its modern equivalent, in which “dating” apps like Grindr and Sniffies have largely replaced the non-virtual sex clubs and porno theatres of a grungier and less impersonal time. There’s no exchange of “dick pics” here, no convenient listing of stats, likes, preferences or pronouns — just the unpredictable and potentially risky rituals of in-person connection. For those too young to remember when such things were the way of the gay world, the behavior of Frank and his various fellow “sex-plorers” might well seem just as scandalous as it would have been to the homophobic prudes of its day.

Likewise, there’s something about the film’s unabashed graphic nudity and sexual content that seems more “obscene” than the raunchiest OnlyFans content; Ripploh’s fearless choice to show male nudity, complete with erect penises and un-simulated sex, brings a visceral (and vaguely unsanitary) reaction that’s as inflammatory as it is erotic.

Still, Ripploh’s movie cannot help but arouse us; its raw and un-romanticized prurience makes it somehow easier for us to imagine ourselves as a participant despite (or perhaps because of) the voyeurism it evokes, and the effect is both lascivious and liberating, inviting us to embrace our sexuality as a visceral part of our queer identity — a concrete and gloriously queer touchstone of natural human experience that feels validated by the instinctual response it evokes in our physical being, defying any construct of “appropriate” behavior through its undeniable ability to turn us on.

Ripploh, who passed away from cancer in 2002, was in real life both an actual secondary school teacher and a popular drag performance artist known as Peggy von Schnottgenberg; he made “Taxi zum Klo” while on probation from his job, a disciplinary action imposed by school authorities after coming out as gay in a 1978 cover story for Stern Magazine. In a later interview, he said of the film: “I was not pursuing any political goals, but rather realizing purely private interests: my career as a teacher was ruined. And the film fulfilled a very simple desire for revenge, along the lines of ‘I’ll get back at you’.”

He also claimed it was not intended as a “gay movie” at all. Rather, he described it as “a sad film that expresses the longing for a relationship and its impossibility, despite all the humor… I definitely wanted to confront two dead ends: a bourgeois dead end where someone suffocates in pillows, coffee and cake, and a dead end of pseudo-free gay sexuality where you use drugs to blur boundaries but not eliminate them.”

Although his film was made decades ago, it’s those same conflicts, as much as any “shock value” or sex-positive embrace of our libido, that resonate with us now. While we may thrill at recognizing ourselves in its seminal portrait of liberated gay sexuality, it’s the still-potent longing to reconcile our conflicted impulses that speaks to us most urgently.

In a time when we face a struggle to keep ourselves from being shoved back into the shadows, it offers a powerful — yet still defiantly joyful — reminder that our real human struggle toward happiness on our own terms transcends all the irrelevant differences of sexual identity for which we have been continually persecuted, and inspires us to say, yet again, “we’re here, we’re queer, get used to it.”