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,…
Lena Fancher (L), Jan Zimmerman Addressing the needs of the LGBTQ community, Lotus Place Recovery’s Lena Fancher and Jan Zimmerman on living your authentic life. BY MARK ARIEL | PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM Lotus Place Recovery is a gender diverse conscious organization located in in Fountain Valley, near Newport Beach, whose goal is to help…
Xavier Espejo, California Drummer 2017, on taking advantage of opportunities that come your way. BY KIAN KAMATAKI | PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM California Drummer 2017, Xavier Espejo, leaving this month for Chicago to participate in International Mr Leather 2018 contest (IML), talks to THE FIGHT about racial diversity, sex positivity and representing his title to…
JUSSIE SMOLLETT, LONG BEACH PRIDE EVE, LA PRIDE A record number of Pride Festivals, taking place throughout the state over the next few months. Actor, singer and songwriter Jussie Smollett of Fox’s hit television series Empire, will showcase his musical talents at the 35th Annual Long Beach Pride Festival on Saturday, May 19 at the…
Former West Hollywood city council member, Los Angeles County Assessor, Jeffrey Prang is running for re-election. BY MARK ARIEL Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang, former West Hollywood council member, currently running for re-election, is no stranger to politics. A gay man, originally from Warren, Michigan, Prang says that “public service has appealed to me…
Ariana and The Rose’s Ariana DiLorenzo on musical influences, Studio 54 and female front women. BY ROXIE PERKINS Ariana DiLorenzo, the creator of Ariana and The Rose, the synth, art-pop band that headlined at The Dinah last month, says that she “decided early on that with my music I want to make spaces for the…
PHOTOS BY ANDREW LEIGH GREEN Andrew Leigh Green, an award winning photographic artist based in Launceston, Tasmania, was the odd, creative kid who didn’t fit in, the one who just wasn’t normal and should be ostracized in the eyes of the conservative community. As a proud gay photographic artist Green makes full use of his…
Olympic Diver Robert Páez: “It was up to me whether I lived in happiness, or sank and lived in a lie that never would be.” Robert Páez, 23, a professional diver from Venezuela, who represented his country in the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, came out publicly last month in a moving op-ed at outsports.com. “I’ve been…
(Photo: Danny Cruz) New laws, on local, state and federal levels, are driving more sex workers into the streets, putting their lives at risk. BY LARRY BUHL On April 17, a new California bill meant to expand the definition of “pandering,” which means solicitation and recruitment for prostitution, was tabled in the Senate Public Safety…
Steve MacIsaac An expat Canadian living in Los Angeles after several years in Japan, Steve MacIsaac’s comics explore contemporary gay culture, identity, and sexuality. MacIsaac has released five issues of his solo series Shirtlifter, with the sixth due for release later in 2018. His wordless collaboration with Dale Lazarov, Sticky, was recently re-released in a…
SATURDAY, MAY 5 CINCO DE MAYO The Abbey, 692 N Robertson Bl, West Hollywood, CA. 4pm-2am. The fiesta starts at 4pm. At The Abbey & The Chapel! WEDNESDAY, MAY 9 JINKX MONSOON & MAJOR SCALES: THE GINGER SNAPPED Dynasty Typewriter at The Hayworth, 2511 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. 7pm. Jinkx and Major have come to showcase…
SAN PEDRO Man Who Threatened To Kill Rep. Maxine Waters Pleads Guilty A 45-year-old San Pedro man pleaded guilty last month to threatening to kill Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, over her opposition to President Donald Trump, reports Los Angeles Daily News. Anthony Scott Lloyd faces sentencing July 16 on the single count of threatening a…
STUDY AUTHOR GIOVANNI TRAVERSO Once A Week Pill Replacing daily pills with a weekly regimen could help patients stick to their dosing schedule. Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a capsule that can deliver a week’s worth of HIV drugs in a single dose. This advancement could make it much easier…
Queen Kong At Precinct DTLA Last month at Precinct—with Mistresses of Ceremonies The BOULET BROTHERS featuring stage shows by: YUHUA HAMASAKI (RPDR S10), HOLLOW EVE (San Francisco), ROXY-COTTEN CANDY and MILITIA TOWERS (San Francisco). DJ: Mateo Segade. KING DONG DANCERS: Aram & Teddy Bear. QUEER POP UP SHOP BY GAYPIN’ GUYS. PHOTOS BY JEREMY LUCIDO
Zelim Bakaev Never Again (Again) Over a year later—and still no justice for gay and bisexual men murdered in Chechnya. BY MATT BEARD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALLOUT.ORG One year ago last month, news broke of a wave of terrifying, state-sponsored violence in Chechnya against men perceived to be gay or bisexual. In scenes that would not…
A Happy Accident New York-based duo Sofi Tukker releases Treehouse, an outstanding debut album. BY PAUL V. VITAGLIANO You might not know Sofi Tukker by name yet, but I bet you know their music Apple Watch featured their debut single “Drinkee” (that went on to rack up over 40 million Spotify streams) which received a…
The late Queen’s mother … reportedly [had] a penchant for drink and a lot of gay men on her personal staff. “Will one of you young queens get this old queen a martini?” she is rumored to have shouted down the hall one evening.” Register This! I was following a story out of Turin, Italy,…
Past And Present We asked these clean and sober individuals to share what their life is like now in recovery, in contrast to the life they had before sobriety. New Desire “My life today is hopeful and full of possibilities. Not that there weren’t possibilities before, but there was a disconnect from my own personal…
JC Mounduix PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM AGE: 25. HOMETOWN: Miami. SELF IDENTIFY AS: Gay. CURRENT AND PAST OCCUPATIONS: Event production, dancer, some modeling gigs. CHILDHOOD CRUSH: I was never sexual at all while I was a child. (I know, weird). RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single. PET PEEVE: People who aren’t humble. HOBBIES: Different things. Always something new.…
Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur Pushing Forward Legislators and advocates meet at Equality California’s Fair Share for Equality event. BY VICTOR MELAMED Equality California held its fourth annual Fair Share for Equality event last month at the Paramount Studios lot in Hollywood. The program, with close to 400 attendees, included TED-style presentations from LGBTQ community…
