Fetish gear designer David Mason Chlopecki (slickitup.com) on his love for leather, his childhood influences and his collaboration with Tom Of Finland. BY RUBEN ZAMBRANO | PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM David Mason Chlopecki has had a busy year. He and his husband (creative director/ graphic artist) Alvaro Masa have relocated from New York to Los…
Director Jill Salvino on producing documentaries, queer films and “the female filmmaker question.” BY ROXIE PERKINS Jill Salvino is a writer and director who tells stories of under represented communities with particular interest in sharing authentic LGBTQ stories through the art of documentary filmmaking. Her first feature documentary, Between The Shades, centers on interviews with…
TOP L-R: RENE HERNANDEZ, RAKEEM CUNNINGHAM. BOTTOM L-R: BAIZE WHITE, JOHN ALEXANDER CAGANDAHAN. Four friends come together to create a weekly podcast “to make sense of the world.” BY MARK ARIEL | PHOTO BY RAKEEM CUNNINGHAM A weekly show about four queer friends of color, from The Bay, LA and NYC, coming together to give their…
Actor, musician, adult film performer, therapist, and writer Aram Giragos on bridging the gap between San Francisco and Los Angeles. BY BRENDEN SHUCART | PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM Even if you don’t know who he is, you’ve seen his face; smoldering wolf-yellow eyes piercing your soul from party fliers and go-go boxes up and down…
SESTA-FOSTA and its implications on stigma in gay culture. BY STEPHAN FERRIS SESTA-FOSTA stands for Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act and Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act. The two pieces melded together to become law on April 11, 2018. Both purport to halt sex trafficking, but in reality, are a tool for censorship. Censorship through costly…
On August 12th, 2018, the first annual Valley Pride Street Festival will take place on Burbank Blvd from Cahuenga Blvd to Strohm Ave in North Hollywood. Celebrating “diverse and alternative lifestyles,” Bullet bar owner and event creator Michael Lara explains that “there is a need for a Pride Festival in San Fernando Valley. We have around …
Nothing says “you’re less than” like a business owner saying your life is too sinful to allow you to pay him for something he sells others. BY SYD PETERSON My partner and I stepped up to the hotel’s front desk. From past experience, I already knew what was going to happen. Like most couples, when…
WWLA: Country Western Ball & Dance Workshops, July 27–29 at The Garland. The L.A. Wranglers is a group of performing line dancers who hold a passion for all things country. This award-winning dance troupe, formed over 16 years ago by Rick Dominguez, has maintained a presence in the LGBTQ community, performing at numerous pride, rodeo, and fundraising events. The L.A. Wranglers have recently incorporated into…
An advocate for social justice, viral sensation TS Madison on racial and sexual discrimination, staying visible as a trans woman and personal, spiritual transitions. BY PICKLE | PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM Social commentator and superstar performer TS Madison knows her priorities. Answering the phone, she huffed, “Well I’m on my way to check the mailbox…
The Miseducation of Cameron Post The LGBTQ Film Festival screens more than 150 feature and short films at state-of-the-art venues around the city of Los Angeles. Next month, July 12–22. Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival is eleven days of not to be missed world-class films, panels, and parties. Taking place next month, July 12–22,…
ICONA POP Everything you need to know. Dates, gates, hours, stages, tickets and more. The 2018 LA Pride Festival takes place this month on Saturday, June 9th (12pm—1am) and Sunday, June 10th (11am—11pm). The LA Pride Festival takes place in West Hollywood Park, along San Vicente Boulevard (between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue), and…
We must make a distinction between the parts of LGBTQ culture that the mainstream hasadopted versus the parts that are still our own. BY SYD PETERSON Lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer people are extraordinary. We have overcome great adversity by being tenacious and joyful, fierce and loving, smart and revolutionary. While our fight for…
Not just a meal but a flourishing force in Hollywood. BY TIMOTHY RAY IG: @freeman.jasper Coffee dates will get you far in Hollywood. Those connections elevate who you know and who knows you. For gay men of color in Tinseltown there’s a specific appointment you do not miss: Black Gay Brunch (BGB). BGB is an…
When Bette Met Mae. Honoring our shared history, and the people and events that paved the way for the rights we hold dear today. The City of West Hollywood’s One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival celebrates pride in 2018 with the festival theme “I Remember”—honoring our shared history, and the people and events that…
My 12 Step Store offers custom chips for all recovery programs. BY PAULO MURILLO Chip Mart–a division of the My 12 store, the recovery gift store located at 8730 Santa Monica Boulevard, is coming up on one year of providing inspirational custom chips for all 12-step programs of recovery. Chip Mart specializes in chips that…
Brave Trails, an LGBTQ Youth Leadership Summer Camp, creates a safe, inclusive space for queer youth from all over the world. BY ROXIE PERKINS Jessica Weissbuch is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Brave Trails – a LGBTQ, non-profit Leadership Summer Camp for Youth based out of LA and Maryland. Brave Trails creates a safe,…
California’s first gay state senator leads the pack to be SF’s next mayor. Leo Herrera interviews Mark Leno. BY LEO HERRERA | PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM The first time I saw Mark Leno, he might as well have been a gay unicorn. I was 22 and had just arrived to San Francisco from Phoenix, AZ,…
