Today, indie artist Onsen shares his experience with diving into unknown territories in love and instinct, and the wild ride of escaping what’s expected of you.
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Did You Know That Being Gay Is a Superpower?
by Onsen (Drew Straus)
No, really. It’s like X-ray vision for life. Or at least the ability to see alternate dimensions.
Some background on this statement: I’m from Cambridge, MA. It’s just across the Charles River from Boston and is highly sensible and fairly set in its ideas about how to live a life. From about the age of 2, there was a plan charted out for me: work as a pediatrician and marry the girl next door. At a young age, that seemed great. My doctor was nice enough and the girl next door had great hair.
For years, I more or less went down that path. At some point, doctor morphed into diplomat and girl next door became girl around the corner, but, honestly, same difference. Essentially, I was living in a pre-set sandbox. And it almost worked. If I bent myself into a certain kind of shape and didn’t look in the wrong direction, it was kind of ok.
I might have gone right down the straight and narrow if it wasn’t for the fact that along the line I got bit by a mutant spider: I developed a bit of a crush on a boy. Now, this wasn’t the first time I’d been attracted to a guy but I assumed everyone was at times and we just didn’t talk about it. This seemed different. I would get butterflies if our arms touched. Rubbing suntan lotion on his back was a full body experience. My journal had his name on every page. What was happening??? I had to step off the path and figure it out.
Tragically, my crush was trampled to death by the rhinoceri of heterosexuality and was buried in the suburbs. But it didn’t matter, I kissed another boy anyway and was shaken to my core. I began to question everything. What makes a life meaningful? What do I actually want for myself? Who should I be with? Is having children essential to a fulfilling life? Is LA really a flaming dumpster that’s on fire? Why are the kinds of people I spend time with so limited in scope? The world was about to become so much larger.
And this is why I say it’s a superpower: I feel that because of my queerness I was able to do things that would have been impossible for me otherwise. Suddenly I could see in places I couldn’t before: I didn’t really want the path that had been placed before me. Mountains in my life became easier to leap over: I quit my drab tech job and started playing music, something I never would have allowed myself to take seriously. In that period of change, I moved to LA to study music composition.
That isn’t to say it’s always easy. In some ways, life is more challenging. Being a musician is tough as anyone on this site can tell you. And though LGBTQ+ acceptance has come a long way, there are still assholes out there who want to put us back in a closet or in a grave. But those challenges are part of my own choices, not the aches of trying to fill a space that doesn’t fit. And for me, those are the easier ones to face. Not to mention they are offset by the joys of aligning yourself with your own truth.
Without being queer, I don’t think I ever would have made music.
I never would have felt enough to care. To fit that preordained space, I would have had to go numb or expend all my energy just to make it work. And I never would have given myself permission. Having come out, I get to write songs about the loves I’ve had and lost, my strange surreal dreamlife, and sometimes, like my new single ‘Momma Said,’ songs that address the queer experience.
I want to leave on this note: whatever about you feels unacceptable, if you embrace or at least explore that part, it’ll lead you to a rabbit hole that’ll change your life for the better. Even if you’re not queer, challenging the assumptions society puts on you will lead you to your own superpower. And if you don’t know what that is, celebrate Pride by kissing someone that’s not the gender you’re used to. I promise you will learn something about yourself and probably end up shooting laser beams into the nearest building.
Instead, individuals will be asked about their recent sexual behaviours, regardless of their gender or sexuality.
This means people like Richard can finally donate after years – even decades – of waiting.
‘When I was 17 I went with some friends to go and give blood,’ Richard, who is now 37, told Metro.co.uk.
‘I view giving blood as the health equivalent of jury service – like a kind of civic duty. If everyone does it a couple of times it will ensure we have enough blood for everyone. That’s why I wanted to do it.’
But he said when the nurse was checking he was eligible, he was shocked to learn he was not allowed to donate because he was gay.
Richard, who now works for the Terrence Higgins Trust which campaigns around HIV and sexual health in the UK, said: ‘The donor centre was in my scout hut, so I knew it quite well.
‘Historic’ new rules have come into effect on World Blood Donor Day today, allowing gay and bisexual men to give blood in England, Scotland and Wales (Picture: Terrence Higgins Trust)
20 years after I first tried to #giveblood, I am now allowed
Today I did what I consider to be the health equivalent of jury service: I donated a pint of blood, and hopefully saved a life. pic.twitter.com/LNvtlRy5Wb
— (((Richard Angell))) (@RichardAngell) June 14, 2021
‘So I went out behind the back, and snuck out the fire escape, because I could not have my friends see me leave. I just told them afterwards I felt really faint.
‘It was huge for me, and it remained really stigmatised – and makes you feel bad about being gay.’
Previously gay and bisexual men had to abstain from sex for three months before being able to give blood, but now people can also donate if they have had the same sexual partner for the last three months or if they have a new sexual partner with whom they have not had anal sex.
There must also be no known recent exposure to a sexually transmitted infection, or recent use of HIV prevention drugs such as PrEP or PEP.
Anyone who has had anal sex with a new partner or with multiple partners in the last three months will be not be able to give blood today, but may be eligible in the future.
Richard, who lives with his partner in Barkingside in east London, said he felt ’emotional’ to step through the doors of Westfield Stratford City Donor Centre before 9am this morning to finally donate for the first time.
He was pictured wearing a face mask with the phrase ‘La.’ written on it – a nod to TV programme It’s A Sin which focuses on a group of people living during the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s – and surrounded by rainbow flags.
He said the rainbow Pride flags made his donation really feel like a ‘celebration’ of the country breaking away from stigma (Picture: Terrence Higgins Trust)
Richard previously fled through the fire exit of a donor centre at the age of 17 when he realised he couldn’t donate (Picture: Terrence Higgins Trust)
‘It was brilliant to donate alongside many others in the same boat as me who were donating for the very first time,’ Richard, a campaigns director, said.
‘From now on, I hope no more young gay people are made to feel lesser or scared by being refused on the basis of who they are attracted to and have sex with. That sort of thing really does chip away at your confidence.
‘I hadn’t really thought about the actual process of giving blood, but the donation centre in Stratford was brilliant with lots of people there to donate on day one of the changes coming in.
‘The Pride flags made it feel like a real celebration of the UK following the science not stigma when it comes to blood donation.’
The new rules not only fall in the Pride month of June, but also in Metro.co.uk’s dedicated Pride Week which celebrates the LGBT+ community.
Ella Poppitt, chief nurse for blood donation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said the change will make blood donation policy fairer and more inclusive, while still maintaining the safety of the blood supply.
Married couple Steven Smillie and Tyler McNeil pictured outside Edinburgh Donor Centre in Scotland (Picture: PA)
‘Patient safety is at the heart of everything we do,’ she said, ‘This change is about switching around how we assess the risk of exposure to a sexual infection, so it is more tailored to the individual.
‘We screen all donations for evidence of significant infections, which goes hand-in-hand with donor selection to maintain the safety of blood sent to hospitals.’
Robbie de Santos, from LGBT+ rights charity Stonewall, said: ‘We welcome today’s historic change, which will help ensure more gay and bi men can donate blood and represents an important step towards a donation selection policy entirely based on an individualised assessment of risk.
‘We want to see a blood donation system that allows the greatest number of people to donate safely and we will continue to work with Government to build on this progress and ensure that more people, including LGBT+ people, can donate blood safely in the future.’
But the Terrence Higgins Trust acknowledged that although today’s change is positive, there are still concerns regarding ‘discriminatory restrictions’ on blood donation in England regarding race and geography.
Today’s historic change has been welcomed by charities, but they say more work needs to be done (Picture: Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
There is still a three-month deferral period for anyone who has a ‘partner who has, or you think may have been, sexually active in parts of the world where HIV/Aids is very common’, which references ‘most countries in Africa’.
There are fears this ‘unacceptable’ question may prevent many black people from giving blood, although donations from these communities are in high demand.
The charity’s chief executive, Ian Green, said: ‘It’s great news that far more gay and bisexual men can safely donate blood from today.
‘But the excitement of that announcement is significantly dampened by another discriminatory question being retained by Government in the blood donation process in England, which presents a significant barrier to black donors in particular giving blood.
‘This is despite it being removed in both Scotland and Wales, and the blood service actively encouraging black communities to donate plasma and blood due to shortages.’
He said the Trust has today written an open letter to health secretary Matt Hancock to encourage him to remove the ‘unacceptable’ question, which he says is
Ian further added the Fair (For the Assessment of Individualised Risk) steering group led by NHS Blood and Transplant – which recommended the removal of the gender-oriented questions – also suggested the geographical question be removed.
The beating heart of the Wilton Manors universe is undoubtedly Wilton Drive. Spanning five blocks, a sense of camaraderie unites the LGTBQ+ owned businesses here. “We immediately felt welcomed to The Drive by the other businesses,” says nightclub owner Mark Hunter, who opened the third outpost of Hunters here in 2013. The now-iconic dance club concept is one of the towns’ most popular after-dark haunts.
“Most of the bars work well with each other—we even have a group on WhatsApp to communicate,” says Hunter. “Almost all of the businesses do charity work as well, and that enriches the lives of our close-knit LGBTQ+ community.”
The brilliance of nightlife in Wilton Manors is that, despite its small size, no person is excluded from the fun, with spots along The Drive catering to all queer identities, preferences, and fetishes. “You can find a leather bar, a male dancer bar, a bar that caters to the trans community, a drag bar, a cabaret bar…you get the picture,” adds Hunter. “Here in Wilton Manors, there is just about something for everybody.”
Arrive in Saugatuck for the first time, and it hits you almost immediately: This is not your average small town USA.
Downtown, the streets are lined with impeccably preserved, century-old storefronts that house locally owned boutiques, renowned art galleries, and star-caliber dining. Surrounded by lush forests and farmland to one side, and the stunning sandy shores of Lake Michigan to the other, it’s easy to see why Saugtatuck earns its spot as one of
Yet this Michigan outpost of 850 residents (twice as many if you include neighboring “sister city” Douglas, as most locals do) is more than just good looks. The charming resort town is also one of the country’s most inclusive, as much beloved by the LGBTQ+ community and its allies as it is by the Midwestern families who return each summer.
“Saugatuck is hard to describe. It’s a little bit of magic,” explains Mike Jones. “We’re right in the middle of Dutch Christian West Michigan, and yet one of the largest LGBTQ+ resorts in the country sits right here.”
The iconic Dunes Resort, of which Jones is a co-owner, is one of the longest-running LGBTQ+ resorts in the country—a gay haven that, for the past 40 years, has helped transform Saugatuck into the accepting, dynamic destination it is today.
“There’s no shaming. There are no odd looks,” Jones says. “People can truly come here and be whoever and whatever they want to be.”
Where to stay and play on a visit to Saugatuck
Since 1981, the Dunes Resort has been the beating heart of Saugatuck’s LGBTQ+ community. The 81-room resort sprawls on 22 acres with an outdoor pool, restaurant, game room, nightclub, cabaret theatre, and covered patio known as the “Tea Deck.” Following pandemic-related restrictions for the past year, Jones says things are finally getting back to normal.
That means the return of a packed events calendar that includes karaoke, live piano, DJs, and more. Dunes Cabaret features drag divas and lounge acts every Saturday night at their storied Show Bar theatre, while the infamous “Tea Dance” Sundays, open to the public, bring the uninhibited vibes of a Vegas dayclub to the Midwest.
For a different kind of LGBTQ+ resort experience, theCampit Outdoor Resort is a 33-acre wooded property ten minutes from Saugatuck/Douglas catering to the LGBTQ+ community, friends, and allies. The rustic retreat offers space for drive-in tent camping and RVs, as well as log cabins and vintage trailers for rent. Campit also hosts theSaugatuck LGBT Music Fest, slated this year for June 18-20.
If the party resort vibe isn’t your, well, vibe, consider one of the private retreats at Hidden Garden Cottages, an LGBTQ+ owned boutique experience in the heart of downtown Saugatuck. And if you’re all about luxury, check in at the European-styleBelvedere Inn and Restaurant. Built in the early 1900s, it was once the Gilded Age summer home of wealthy Chicagoans.
Explore the “Art Coast” of Michigan
Michigan’s premiere gaycation spot is also a destination for the arts and antiques. TheOx-Bow School of Arts and Artists’ Residencyhelped establish Saugatuck’s reputation as “the art coast of Michigan” over 100 years ago when the Art Institute of Chicago began offering summer classes here. Today, it is the country’s oldest continuously operating artist community, offering workshops, studio spaces, artist retreats, and events.
Dozens of artists and creative professionals call this area home. Spend a day exploring galleries like the LGBTQ+ ownedAmazwi Contemporary Art Gallery, dedicated to amplifying the voices of African artists and artisans throughout North America. Another LGBTQ+ owned gallery not to be missed is Roan & Black, run by partners Doug McIntosh and John Newland. An attached store sells carefully curated, hand-made accessories, where every item has a unique story behind it. (While you’re at it, LGBTQ+ ownedKindel & Company has a gorgeous assortment of lifestyle items, from leather-bound journals to Art Deco table clocks; for authentic vintage furniture and home decor, head toUpscale Mercantile.)
At the cultural heart of town lies the multi-disciplinary Saugatuck Center for the Arts, which boasts a 400-seat theatre where every year they stage ambitious productions, such as In the Heights in 2019. This summer, they’ll bring two shows to their outdoor stage: SHOUT! The Mod Musical and an original production called Just Too Big, featuring show-stopping numbers from hit musicals that are “just too big” for their theatre.
Eat your way through West Michigan’s farm-to-table offerings
“Honestly I think this is one of America’s best-kept secrets,” says Kristin Armstrong, the Executive Director of the Saugatuck Center for the Arts. Along with the town’s robust arts community, it’s the food scene she raves about.
“There’s a billion restaurants here that are all Chicago-good,” Armstrong says. “You could rattle off a dozen places that I could say ‘oh yeah, that should be in Chicago’ but it’s not—it’s right here, at half the price and with free parking.”
Thanks to its location in the middle of Michigan’s fruit belt, Saugatuck’s farm-to-table scene is particularly impressive. Pennyroyal is helmed by Executive Chef Melissa Corey, a Chicago transplant with an extensive James Beard pedigree, and a previous champ of Chopped. Inventive seasonal cuisine and whole animal butchery is her forte.
See what makes the Great Lakes so great
One of the things that make Saugatuck so special is its location on the stunning shores of Lake Michigan, a lake so vast it might as well be an ocean—in fact, you can even go surfing. Spend the morning exploring rugged wilderness areas like theSaugatuck Dunes State Park, where you can climb coastal dunes over 200 feet tall. Or skip the cardio workout and just lounge the day away on the world famous white sugar sand Oval Beach.
If you’d rather explore the water by motor, Retro Boats is a new addition in town that offers pontoon boats, “donut” boats, and more launching from the Kalamazoo River. If you want to let someone else do the driving, the Star of Saugatuck is an authentic sternwheeler paddleboat and “a beautiful way to spend an evening,” says Armstrong.
New Yorker Jake Kirsch was working at a restaurant in Portland when a friend suggested he come to Ogunquit for a summertime stint bartending at The Front Porch, a gastro-bar and gay piano lounge. He ended up staying for five years, brainstorming ways to open his own restaurant concept in town.
After a stint in nearby Boston, Kirsch was tipped off to a space opening up on Ogunquit’s main drag. In 2017, the budding restaurateur opened up his elegant, “but by no means pretentious,” alfresco beach bar Brix + Brine. Just three years later, he opened a contemporary American bistro called The Crooked Pine across the street.
“On day one I had a set of regulars I knew from bartending at The Front Porch that were there to support,” recalls Kirsch. “Ogunquit is such a great town; it truly is a community. In the winter, it’s small enough that your social life is waving to people at the post office, and in the summertime, the streets are as crowded as any major city.”
Vice President Kamala Harris drew loud cheers and prolonged applause when she and her husband, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, joined more than 1,000 LGBTQ participants in D.C.’s Capital Pride Walk on Saturday, June 12, becoming the first U.S. vice president to participate in an LGBTQ Pride event.
Harris’ appearance at the Pride Walk, which some described as a march, was unannounced and came as a complete surprise to the dozens of onlookers who saw her as well as to leaders of the Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes D.C.’s annual Pride events.
“Oh my God, I can tell you that I screamed my head off,” said Tiffany Royster, a Capital Pride official who said she saw Harris at the Pride Walk.
“The fact that she showed up for us means that we mean something to her because she wouldn’t have stopped by randomly,” Royster told an NBC 4 News cameraman at Thomas Circle at the conclusion of a separate event on Saturday called the Pridemobile Parade. “We didn’t know she was coming.”
An NBC 4 report showed Harris making brief remarks while walking along 13th Street as the Pride Walk passed the Warner Theater and as it approached Pennsylvania Avenue at Freedom Plaza.
The Channel 4 News report said Harris called for Congress to pass the LGBTQ rights bill known as the Equality Act and said the Biden administration understands the importance of LGBTQ rights.
“We need to make sure that our transgender community and our youth are all protected,” she states in the Channel 4 News broadcast. “We need, still, protections around employment and housing,” she told people walking beside her and her husband. “There is so much more work to do, and I know we are committed.”
Harris wore a shirt with the words, “Love is Love” printed on it. Emhoff could be seen waring a T-shirt with a rainbow-colored design on it.
After walking for a block or two and speaking at the Pride Walk, Harris and Emhoff got back into the vehicle they arrived in and drove past the rally at Freedom Plaza, waving to surprised and cheering onlookers, according to gay Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Mike Silverstein, who saw what he called Harris’ motorcade drive by. Silverstein said Harris and Emhoff did not get out of the car to join the rally, and the vehicle they were in appeared to be driving toward the White House, located a few blocks from Freedom Plaza.
Among those speaking at the rally was D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who received loud applause when she told the crowd that during her travels across the country and abroad, she tells people that D.C. is “the gayest city in America.”
“So, Capital Pride, we have a lot to celebrate,” the mayor told rally attendees, many of whom waived hand-held rainbow Pride flags. “We have a lot to work for still,” she said. “We know that discrimination and violence is real. We know there’s too many guns on the street. And we know when all of us are not safe, none of us are safe,” she said.
“So, I know you’re going to stand shoulder to shoulder with me and I’m going to be with you every step of the way,” she said. “Happy Pride!’
Bowser also announced at the rally that Sheila Alexander-Reid, who has served as director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs since Bowser took office in January 2015, would be leaving that position soon to go on to “bigger and better things.” Alexander-Reid has said she will be joining a company that provides advice and training in the area of workplace nondiscrimination based on race, gender, and LGBTQ related workplace competency training.
At the conclusion of the rally, about 50 vehicles that had been parked next to and near Freedom Plaza led by a Capital Pride bus decorated with signs and banners began the city-wide Pridemobile Parade. The route of the parade released by Capital Pride shows it was scheduled to travel through all four quadrants of the city, including neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River. Capital Pride organizers said the parade or caravan of vehicles, all of which were decorated with Pride displays, would be passing by homes and businesses in the city’s residential and commercial areas that also were decorated with Pride displays as part of its “Paint the Town Colorful” Pride event.
The Pride Walk began shortly after noon at Dupont Circle and traveled along P Street to Logan Circle, where it proceeded south on 13th Street to Freedom Plaza.
Capital Pride Alliance President Ashley Smith said a little over 1,000 people participated in the walk, which he noted Capital Pride decided to do and first announced less than two weeks before it was to take place.
Smith and Capital Pride Alliance Executive Director Ryan Bos have pointed out that the city announced it would be lifting its more than year-long restrictions on large public gatherings in May, which didn’t give them enough time to pull together a large parade and street festival that have been part of D.C.’s Pride celebrations in the years prior to the COVID pandemic.
“Today has been truly phenomenal,” Smith told the Blade. “The turnout has been amazing. The total number of people that have come to support this and the efforts that we’re trying to do, it’s just been amazing,” he said.
“The community has truly been supportive of all the great work that the team, the staff, the volunteers and board members have been part of,” said Smith.
Bos said people had gathered in the various neighborhoods in the city where the Pridemobile Parade passed in advance of the parade’s arrival and cheered and waived as the vehicles drove by. “There were kids with their parents and their families just sitting on the sidewalks waiting for the Pridemobile to come by,” Bos said. “It was pretty cool.”
About 100 people were standing or sitting in Thomas Circle, the final destination of the Pridemobile Parade, as it arrived there to loud cheers. The vehicles drove around the circle several times while honking their horns before the parade disbanded.
A smaller crowd waving Pride flags had also gathered on the steps of National City Christian Church, which faces Thomas Circle. Large rainbow-colored banners were hanging from the front of the church, showing its support for the Pride events.
Speakers at the Freedom Plaza rally, in addition to Mayor Bowser, included Smith of Capital Pride; Alexander-Reid; Ben De Guzman, director of the Mayor’s Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs; gay Latino activist Jose Gutierrez, who reflected on the fifth anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla., on June 12, 2016 in which 49 mostly LGBTQ people were killed and 53 wounded; transgender activist Monica Nemeth, who reflected on transgender lives lost to violence in the U.S.; Nancy Canas, president of Latinx Pride; Rehana Mohammed, chair of the board of the D.C. Center for the LGBTQ Community; and June Crenshaw, executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, which provides housing for homeless LGBTQ youth.
Pride celebrations were scheduled to continue on Sunday, June 13, with about a dozen D.C. area restaurants participating in Capital Pride’s Taste of Pride Brunches, which would be raising money for local LGBQ organizations, according to an announcement on the Capital Pride website. The names and locations of the restaurants can be accessed at capitalpride.org.
“I was a city commissioner from 2009 to 2013, and during that time, we were confronting two problems,” Rasor, the well-known Royal Oak-based attorney, told Pride Source. “The first was we had a bunch of old motor inns that were producing a large amount of EMS calls. They were being used as long-term housing, and they were not great. The other problem we had is that we didn’t have a quality hotel in the community. We had to rely on other communities’ hotels for events. And that was a bad situation.”
Just three months after Rasor left office, the Royal Oak Motor Inn on 11 Mile Road came on the market.
“We assessed the property and purchased it,” said Rasor. “It needed everything. It was a great deal financially, but everything that could be worn out was worn out. We replaced and renovated everything and reimagined it as a boutique hotel.
The final product, Hotel Royal Oak, embraces its mid-century charm while offering guests distinctly 21st-century amenities. “Using those motor lodge bones, we came up with a real hit,” Rasor continued. “It’s got that 1950s motor lodge, drive up right in front of your door, big layout kind of thing. But it has completely modern amenities, Bluetooth keys, no-contact registration and the conveniences that the modern traveler needs.”
William Steiner of the Lambda Car Club, who participates in car shows held at the property, said Rasor has done a great job updating the hotel. “It looks fresh and attractive, and the furnishings and fixtures in the rooms all give a nod to the building’s original mid-century-modern roots,” he said.
Photo courtesy of Jim Rasor
Outside, Hotel Royal Oak offers plenty of entertainment and leisure space — over an acre. There’s live music on Saturdays and classic car shows on Sundays. The hotel is planning to bring in a DJ on Fridays and is in search of just the right drag queen to steal the stage now and then.
“A lot of the programming that takes place at the hotel is my own personal [taste],” said Rasor. “I like to do stuff when I go out. I’m not the type to go sit in a bar.” As a self-described “LGBTQ boomer,” Rasor’s tastes these days lean more toward a quieter social scene. “It’s not my schtick to go out to a bar and stay until 2 o’clock in the morning,” he explained.
Much of Rasor ‘s approach to entertainment at the hotel is aimed at appealing to others who share his mindset. He said he brought in Jenga Giant, cornhole and ring toss basketballs – competition games. “There’s more of that coming,” he promised. “People like to sit and chat, but they also like to be involved in activities together.”
So far, Rasor’s ideas are proving popular.
“People are starting to rave about the Cars & Coffee on Sundays,” Rasor said. “And we’re launching an industry night on Sunday with a DJ where we’re going to give industry workers half off rooms in gratitude for working through this pandemic and taking care of all of us.”
Photo courtesy of Jim Rasor
Steiner endorses the car shows at the hotel enthusiastically, describing the atmosphere as more of a backyard party than a typical cruise-in. Visitors enjoy an expansive, grassy area with seating in the center of the court, a space that encourages socializing. “The motor court of an old motel is a natural setting for a car display, and because the court is surrounded by the building on three sides, the space feels intimate,” he said.
“Jim Rasor is a great host,” Steiner added. “He enthusiastically greets everyone who shows up to display or observe, and he genuinely wants people to enjoy themselves while they’re there.”
Steiner said that all car owners, himself included, “LOVE to talk about their cars to anyone who’s interested.” Cars & Coffee is an ideal opportunity for this kind of car enthusiast chatter — Steiner described the typical crowd as “always very friendly.”
Though all are welcome at the hotel, Rasor, himself openly gay, has an affinity for queer folk.
“We’re very inclusive, and Hotel Royal Oak’s crowd looks a lot like Royal Oak,” he said. “Not just one demographic. It’s a very heavily LGBTQ neighborhood, so organically, people from the neighborhood join us, and a lot of them are LGBTQ.”
Hotel Royal Oak is located at 811 E. Eleven Mile Road in Royal Oak. For information or for event details, check out the hotel’s website.
A quarter century after it first rocked the theater world, Rent continues to make waves wherever it goes.
That was especially true in 2014–15, when the late Jonathan Larson’s exuberantly edgy musical homage to La Bohème was produced in Cuba, the first Broadway show to be staged there by a U.S. company in more than 50 years. A bold choice, considering the show’s inclusive celebration of gay characters was being presented in a Communist country that persecuted homosexuals during Castro’s revolution.
The poignant and deeply personal documentary Revolution Rent is the backstage story of that production—and of its director, Andy Señor Jr., who played the role of Angel on Broadway in the 1990s and is the son of Cuban exiles. Returning to his ancestral homeland, Señor is inspired and unsettled as he walks the historic streets of family legend and assembles a local cast, many of whom reflect the bohemian outsider spirit of Rent‘s beloved characters.
With only five months before opening night on Christmas Eve—a date special to Larson and the show—rehearsals in Havana are beset by technical difficulties and a lack of resources; a veteran production coordinator calls the enterprise “Broadway Survivor. Señor keeps a tight focus on his inexperienced ensemble, coaching them to overcome personal and cultural insecurities so they can fully embrace Rent’s message of love and tolerance.
During the process, one actor learns he’s HIV-positive. Though she’s playing a proud lesbian in the show, an actress in the cast shrinks at being touched or kissed by another woman. “The only way to get by here is to help one another,” says an actor.
Another observes, “For this show, the unity among people is fundamental, or the show won’t succeed.” In the best tradition of Broadway—or in this case, as off-Broadway as it gets—the show goes on. And like everywhere where Rent is welcomed, the result is the same: sold-out houses.
Revolution Rent, Documentary Premiere, Tuesday, June 15, 9/8c, HBO
In case you haven’t seen it yet, cornerback Jalen Ramsey is officially switching from number 20 to number five ahead of the 2021 season. Earlier this year prior to the NFL approving the expansion of jersey numbers, Ramsey had his eyes on number two. However, veteran Robert Woods had seniority and chose to go back to two since that’s what he wore while in college at USC.
Ramsey wore the number eight while he played at Florida State but inevitably chose to let kicker Matt Gay stay in the number and will continue his NFL career wearing the number five, which is also a pretty sweet number to wear in its’ own right.
What do you all think of the change? How many of you are livid that you now must buy another jersey? Let us know how you’re feeling about this one.
Family-owned Wilklow Orchards and other orchards surrounding it in Highland have provided sweet sustenance to the Hudson Valley community for more than 160 years.
“We’re about 100 acres all together. Our primary crop is apples,” said Albert Wilklow, co-owner of Wilklow Orchards and Bad Seed Cider.
What You Need To Know
Wilklow Orchards in Highland first opened in 1855 and is now operated by sixth-generation Wilklows
Big Gay Hudson Valley hosts LGBTQIA+-centric events throughout the year across the Hudson Valley, including at Wilklow
For more information on other Pride events in and around the Hudson Valley, visit biggayhudsonvalley.com
Just before the pandemic, the family that also makes hard cider began exploring the idea of including more events at the orchard.
“We were lucky in that we have an outdoor space and a lot of room. So when it happened last year, we were able to be open and allow people to come in and have space for everyone to social distance,” he said.
That also meant members of the local LGBTQIA+ community could also stay connected as well.
“It gave us the perfect opportunity to say ‘you know what? There’s a lot of new people that moved to the Hudson Valley, a lot of people that have felt isolated over the last 18 months.’ Working with the Wilklows, it gave us an opportunity to present an entire fall of queer entertainment,” said Stephan Hengst, co-founder of Big Gay Hudson Valley.
During Pride Month, Big Gay Hudson Valley is able to continue hosting events for all who celebrate.
“We didn’t get the go-ahead to start doing large events with large groups of people until the end of May,” Hengst said.
That, Hengst said, prevented many organizers from planning large-scale events typically featured during this month.
To commemorate a return to in-person Pride celebrations, the Wilklow family created a special edition dry hard cider containing pink edible glitter. Each can is filled carefully with cider made from apples from the orchard, on their new canning line.
Big Gay Hudson Valley’s Queer Summer Nights series will continue until August. Albert Wilklow said this is just the continuation of a fulfilling partnership with the community.
“I think it’s important that we got involved with Big Gay Hudson Valley as a way to make a safe space where people felt comfortable and a way to bring community together,” said Wilklow.
The special edition hard cider will be available at the orchard throughout June.
As Pride Month approached, Playbill reached out to a host of LGBTQIA + theatre artists to see how they planned to celebrate Pride during this unique year. Their varied responses follow.
And, whether you’re planning to celebrate virtually or in person, be sure to catch Playbill’s first-ever live concert event in honor of Pride, Glimmer of Light. The star-studded evening will take place June 17 at Radial Park in Halletts Point, Queens, and will stream for free beginning June 24 at 8 PM ET on Playbill.com and Playbill’s YouTube.
NickCearley: Nothing gets me more excited to celebrate Pride than the drum solo at the beginning of “I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross. But also, this year I am feeling doubly proud and excited to be able to perform live for Denver Pride at Clocktower Cabaret as well as Colorado Springs Pride at ICONS with The Skivvies. Feeling grateful and thankful for the world healing, being able to travel again, and perform live in front of audiences to celebrate LGBTQ Pride.
Kevin Chamberlin
Kevin Chamberlin: I will be celebrating my 30th anniversary with my husband, TV writer and producer Michael Gans, this Pride Month here in Los Angeles. Michael and I met just before Pride in NYC in 1991 when we were both young, struggling actors. We were both in the closet, terrified about coming out to family members and employers. Look how far we’ve come—and still the world still has a long way to go. We were married in 2008, but count 1991 as our real anniversary. We’re both sad that there’s no parade this year, but we will be supporting our local gay bars as of June 15 when everything opens to full capacity—mask free! Please donate to The Trevor Project!
Stephen Cole: It looks like Pride is a whole month. I can remember when we had one day. But truthfully, the only way to celebrate is all year. Still. I will celebrate as I always do. Writing. I am writing a new sitcom called ConeyIslandSurprise, where the lead character is gay, and he lives with an 81-year-old woman. He is only 35, so it’s just second nature for him. If I could step into the sitcom, I would let him know how hard won his pride is and how we all had to go through more than one plague to get here. I think I will write that episode and have that 81-year-old woman teach the young whippersnapper a thing or three about Pride.
Jenn Colella Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Jenn Colella: I’ll be home in South Carolina for Pride this year. My big plan is to hit up a local karaoke bar with my nieces and TWIRL, hunty. We shall twirl.
Darius de Haas: I am primarily here in my new-ish home in New Jersey, and as far as Pride, I’m happy and honored to venture out to sing the music of legendary composer Billy Strayhorn on June 24 at 7 PM for the Flushing Town Hall Pride Trilogy. I’m also a guest host this month for SIRIUS XM On Broadway’s TwoShowDay series—sharing Broadway and related songs that were influential to me. They are featuring founders from Black Theater United (of which I’m one) all this month. While not exactly Pride-related, it is still with a great sense of pride that I can share at least a small portion of what helped to shape my artistry.
Willy Falk: For Gay Pride this year, I will be remembering and rejoicing: remembering those we have lost to death and despair, while rejoicing that things keep getting better for LGBTQIA+ awareness and acceptance.
De’Lon Grant
De’Lon Grant: There is a group of five of us from college. My best judies. Two of us live here in New York City, the other three are traveling to the city so that we can spend it together. Since most of the public events for Pride this year are virtual, our plan is to explore some of the city’s outdoor attractions and just be together. Little Island on Pier 55 just opened, so that is high on the list. I know we will try to organize a moment of celebration in one of the parks (I live in Brooklyn, so I hope it’s Prospect Park, but my friends whine about coming to Brooklyn, and I’m outnumbered). Given the nice weather and outdoor dining that’s available, I know there will be a ton of meals and drinks to match. Cue the laughter! I can’t wait to see these men—some of whom I haven’t seen in person for years.
Alan H. Green: In my ’20s I never went to Pride. I thought it was all about sex, drugs, and dudes dressed up outlandishly, and I felt like that didn’t represent me. Then in my ’30s I realized that my perception of Pride was my own internal homophobia, and if I didn’t think I was represented at Pride then I needed to go and represent myself. I went and basically haven’t missed one since. Pride is a celebration of joy and love and hope and a reminder that I’m wonderfully and perfectly made just as I am and that I’m not broken and I’m not alone. Now I celebrate that, not just this month, but everyday.
Rachel Hauck Joseph Marzullo/WENN
RachelHauck: My partner Lisa and I have a tradition of going to the parade with one of my best friends, though it usually only takes an hour before we eventually make our way to the Cubbyhole, where all good things happen. The parade is always delightfully full of joy and spirit, but it’s the crowd on the sidewalks I really like. There are always a few people who are quite clearly there for the first time, taking it all in. My favorites are seeing a parent who has brought their queer kid to see that epic celebration. It fills my heart to see their wide, wide eyes as they realize they are not alone. I remember that moment. This year will be one of many when we join the Dyke March, which will be live this year and happens the night before the parade. It is epic and full of fury and protest and love. See you there?
Rodney Hicks Joseph Marzullo/WENN
RodneyHicks: I will celebrate Pride this year with a full heart of love for myself and our LGBTQIA+ community, along with all sentient beings of our world. This year I have stepped into my full state of being as a gay, queer gender fluid human being who identifies as he/they. I celebrate Pride this year free from shame and stigma, by waking up grateful for evolution, faith, and change while happy and humbly confident in my 47-year-old Black body and skin. I celebrate healing. Standing in our world today with love, breath, compassion, joy, and softness for myself and all sentient beings. I celebrate Pride this year with renewed hope and faith in our tomorrow as a people, to inspire and lift one another up as we all continue forward. I celebrate Pride this year by completing the first full draft of the book to a new musical with music and lyrics by David Austin. The story is one of hope, love, peace, family, and friendship amidst the year that was, 1968. I celebrate that there will be many diverse roles for artists from many walks of life to originate in this new work of art for today. All of this I celebrate. Love.
Andrew Keenan-Bolger Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Andrew Keenan-Bolger: One of the best things that last year brought us was Pride returning to its political roots. Don’t get me wrong, I also love dancing to techno music and marching in parades, but seeing our community take to the streets and join the Black Lives Matter protests was the reminder that our movement needed. I hope to spend this Pride working to get more LGBTQ representation in our government. There are a record number of queer candidates running for office right now, and a lot of them are at the state or local level. Check out the Victory Fund to see if there is anyone you can volunteer for in your area. And, afterwards, I hope to see everyone on the dance floor!
Kevin Smith Kirkwood: Every year, my friends Christian and Peter host a Pride brunch at their downtown Manhattan apartment, and then we walk to the parade. In 2019, the brunch party came out to watch me perform as “Classic Whitney: Alive!” on the Procter & Gamble float celebrating 50 years of World Pride! I’ll never forget riding past Stonewall, dressed in “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay” Whitney drag, singing “One Moment in Time.” LOL. I’m also busy all month performing for Pride events and celebrations. We won’t be doing our usual ClassicWhitney Pride show at Joe’s Pub (last year’s was canceled), but we will definitely be back in 2022. This year, I performed virtually for Westchester Pride and the Loft LGBTQ Center’s Pride kickoff, I’m doing the ThousandJudys concert Pride week, and also a corporate show for a private consulting firm. My pride will be on display all month, and then hopefully I’ll get to hug my friends at brunch on the day of Pride.
Jose Llana
JoseLlana: I celebrate Pride every year the same way I celebrate it since I came out in 1994 when I was 17 years old—by living my life out and proud and with no shame. And, since I got legally married nearly three years ago, I’ve been dropping the word “husband” as often as I can!
Douglas Lyons: I’ll be celebrating Pride this year by seeing as many vaccinated friends as I possibly can. I don’t need big parties or a parade this year. After the pandemic, a cocktail and a simple hug is more than enough.
Andy Mientus: This year, I am actually thrilled to be missing the parades and parties again because I’ll be spending Pride working on making live, in-person theatre with my company, The Forest of Arden, at the Williamstown Theater Festival. Luckily, I’m super queer and super proud all the time, so we can all make up for lost time when I’m out of my bubble. Till then, come see Alien/Nation at WTF, and have a safe and joyous Pride.
Beth Malone Michael Kushner
Beth Malone: During Pride month I’m usually busy doing exactly this—going about being visible, singing songs in my gay way, and generally celebrating queerness like rainbow mayonnaise.
Javier Muñoz: I always celebrate Pride by surrounding myself with my closest friends and loved ones. Last year it was virtual, this year I hope to see my friends in person for lots of hugs and laughter and joy. This year also marks 40 years of HIV/AIDS, so there is much reflection to be had and life to celebrate.
Shakina Nayfack: I’m part of the Intersectional Voices Collective (IVC), a group of Black, Indigenous, POC, Trans, and Queer artist/activists who came together last year to throw a massive Juneteenth Jubilee in Harlem, celebrating Black Trans and Queer joy as liberation. I’m helping to produce our second annual Juneteenth Jubilee on June 19, and I’m hoping it becomes a Pride tradition! We’re seeking community support for the event via venmo at @IVCjuneteenth or on cashapp at $IVCjuneteenth, and you can learn more about IVC on Instagram at @intersectionalvoicescollective.
LarryOwens: Fortunately my debut 54 Below show falls on June 19th, which is so perfect it’s the intersection of Juneteenth and Pride Month! I can think of no better place to be than onstage with my amazing music supervisor Josh Kight and performing this show I crafted with my brilliant co-director Chip Miller. The entire experience feels like a huge party, as Pride Month should.
Jessica Paz: Well, I’ll be treating myself to a once-a-week massage. It’s a treat I like to give myself every once in a while, and it’s been way too long. Cuddling with my kittens, and making plans for re-opening shows in the fall are top priorities these days as well as re-connecting with friends and family in person now that we are vaccinated and restrictions are lifting.
Peppermint Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Peppermint: I’m celebrating five this year by highlighting LGBT POC voices, particularly black queer joy, healing, and celebration. Bob the drag queen and myself are producing Black Queer Town Hall 2nd annual event on June 26 and June 27.
EthanLePhong: It’s very rare that I get to be home for this long, thanks to COVID, so I’m having a fantastic summer with my family and friends from my hometown. It’s a special year as I celebrate a friend’s coming out to her family—champagne included, of course. I have my nephews and niece that I adore and get to share my life with them instead of sharing stories over Instagram. We get to watch LGBTQ+ movies together, educate them on why we have Pride, along with BLM and StopAsianHate marches. Teach them that love wins but know that we all are here to help and teach one another that it is okay to be different, and being different makes us all special. I guess celebrating Pride is celebrating them, my family, my friends, and their Guncle!
Daniel Reichard Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Daniel Reichard: What a thrill to see New York City gradually open up and return to a new normal during Pride Month. I will be celebrating life and giving thanks for all that the LGBTQ pioneers have done for us with my boyfriend of 11 years—the gorgeous and talented Patrick McCollum, who choreographed TheBand’sVisit on Broadway. We will probably walk around the city, giving compliments and smiles to everyone we see.
Seth Sikes: Last June, with the pandemic at full throttle, I was staying in Fire Island, and I made a music video to celebrate Pride in order to poke a bit of fun of the mask-wearing rules and to celebrate all of the colors in our rainbow flag. And, while things are a bit better this year, I am back in The Pines, and on Pride I will be performing a benefit concert June 26 for Fire Island Pines Art Project at Whyte Hall. Then, I’ll probably be singing songs at the piano bar or dancing at Tea!
Adam Weinstock: As an LBGTQIA+ producer, Pride holds great significance for me. What started as a revolution is now part of the American vernacular and seen displayed in department stores. I have gotten “Happy Pride Month” well wishes form all sorts of straight allies, friends, family, co-workers, and former students. Whilst I celebrate “who I am” on a daily basis, during Pride Month I certainly up my activism and activities in June.…During Pride Month I try to find find new voices on the fringe and patronize the work both online and now in-person in the hopes that some could be of interest to me as a producer and perhaps I can help further incubate their art. Lastly, patronizing NYC LBGTQIA+ venues and hopefully Fire Island and Provincetown.
Check Out Photos of These 12 Theatremakers Celebrating Queer Joy With Ring of Keys
Check Out Photos of These 12 Theatremakers Celebrating Queer Joy With Ring of Keys
12 PHOTOS
“Queer joy to me is embracing that there isn’t one way to look non-binary/genderqueer. There’s infinite ways.” –Actor/Writer Sophie Sagan-Gutherz (They/Them) Shani Hadjian
“Queer joy is singing, dancing, laughing, wearing what you want, and kissing who you want.” –Music Director/Composer/Arranger/Pianist Dionne McClain-Freeney (She/Her) Shani Hadjian
“Queer joy to me is queer community coming together and uplifting each other. I built Ring of Keys because there was no existing network of this specific community, and watching Keys meet, befriend, and hire each other because of this organization is a personal queer joy explosion.” –Actor/Singer/Producer and Ring of Keys Executive Director Andrea Prestinario (She/Her) Shani Hadjian
“Queer joy to me is a work in progress. It is resilience, finding the places and people where I feel seen, loved, and celebrated, and learning to free myself from the stigmas surrounding my AAPI bisexuality.” –Actor/Singer/Fiber Artist Kristian Espiritu (She/They/Siya) Shani Hadjian
“To quote the poet Toi Dericotte, ‘Joy is an act of resistance.’ Queer joy to me is exactly this—living loudly and authentically as our true selves, standing defiantly in the face of people and systems that seek to diminish our existence. Queer joy is celebrating our unique identities—found at the intersections of race, gender(s), class, age, size and ability—while working together for collective liberation.” –Actor/Singer-Songwriter Madge Dietrich (She/Her) Shani Hadjian
“Queer joy is the freedom to be.” –Actor/Director Kevin Paley (They/Them) Shani Hadjian
“To me, queer joy is self acceptance; it’s living in the gratitude of how far we’ve come, alongside the ever-expanding liberation and empowerment of our future.” –Actor/Singer Ashley Blanchet (She/Her) Shani Hadjian
“Queer joy to me is being able to exist authentically and feeling a calm content, whether you’re surrounded by your community, your allies, or yourself.” –Composer/Lyricist/Musician Will Shishmanian (He/Him) Shani Hadjian
“Queer joy is my inner child!” –Playwright/Actor/Model Morgan Dean (They/Them) Shani Hadjian
“To me, queer joy is queer people of all ages seeing our own stories in art and popular culture (and not only sad stories). It comes from recognizing ourselves in not just the characters, but the actors, writers, directors, designers, and producers. It comes from seeing that our stories are worth telling and celebrating, and that we can be the ones to tell them!” –Actor/Composer-Lyricist/Musician Pearl Rhein (She/Her) Shani Hadjian
In October 2019, Devon Rouse booked a week-long trip to Florida on a whim. He had never been on an airplane. Little did he know that trip would kick off a racing career that would have him driving in NASCAR at the Daytona International Speedway.
“You could have told me when we were down in Florida, ‘You’re going to race Daytona at the start of the 2021 season,’ and I would have literally laughed in your face,” Rouse said by phone from his hometown of Burlington, Iowa.
On the last night of his 2019 Florida trip, Rouse, 22, was at a patio bar with friends in Clearwater when he noticed a group of guys wearing the NASCAR truck team logo. He struck up a conversation and, three hours later, they were exchanging numbers and promising to keep in touch.
Soon, they invited Rouse to join them at a Charlotte, N.C., race. He ended up tagging along as the circuit took them from rural Ohio to Fort Knox, Texas, and from Phoenix, Ariz., to Miami. Three months later, he was racing trucks himself.
Though it was a dream come true, Rouse felt stifled by a secret he had carried since he was in Grade 7. He was gay, and terrified that someone would find out.
“I always said I would take it to my grave,” Rouse said. “It was so exhausting. I could sit here and have a conversation with somebody and after every sentence I would pause and think about how I said (something) to see if that was a giveaway.
“I did that with every single word I said, and I couldn’t do it anymore. It was around fans. It was around sponsors. It was around friends. It was around family.”
Last June, Rouse decided he couldn’t keep up the act, and came out in a 400-word post on Instagram.
“This is me, and it’s time for me to stop living a double life. Living as what people want me to be, and living as what I want to be,” he wrote. “I wish each and everyone of you could feel the weight that’s been lifted off my shoulders, and pressure off my chest. It hasn’t been fun lying to people, it hasn’t been fun hiding, limiting myself.”
“This is me, I’m just your same Dev, just a little better now!” he ended his post.
When Rouse tested at Daytona this past January, not only did he set a personal record, racing a best lap of 174 miles per hour, but he made history as the first openly gay driver in the NASCAR Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) series at Daytona. “My name is in the history books,” he said. “That’s mind-blowing to me.” Rouse is only the second openly gay NASCAR driver, the first since Stephen Rhodes debuted in 2003. Another driver, Evan Darling, who competed on the Grand-Am Road Racing circuit, came out in 2007. Darling has said that the decision cost him his sponsorships, and eventually his career. Fourteen years after Darling came out, Rouse has also struggled to book adequate sponsorship.
“I was approved for 26 races this year,” Rouse said. “I was approved for every road course, and I was approved for any race track a mile and smaller, and ARCA, and the truck series. And unfortunately, I don’t have the funding to do all that.” After tweeting about his search for sponsorship, Marcus Lemonis, the CEO of American RV chain Camping World, offered to sponsor him for their NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in Knoxville, Iowa, on July 9. Rouse is also hoping to land a sponsor to attend four upcoming ARCA races in Springfield and Du Quoin, Ill., Bristol, Tenn., and Phoenix. Since coming out, Rouse has had members of the media question his motives, suggesting he did it to raise his profile. “My biggest fear in coming out was altering any future racing endeavours,” he said “Racing is not a community where you see gay people. It’s not.”
That lack of role models has been discouraging, but Rouse is emboldened knowing that he will be that example for someone else. “I am 100 per cent okay with sharing my story, because I know there are hundreds of thousands of people out there that find themselves curious, questioning, or in the same shoes of knowing who they are but scared because of the stereotypes we have,” he said.
Someday Rouse would like to start a charity to support LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports. He has been working with ex-NFL player Ryan O’Callaghan, who came out in 2017. He’s asked O’Callaghan to introduce him to one of his football friends, former NFL player turned “The Bachelor” contestant Colton Underwood, who also recently came out in the media.
“I watch ‘The Bachelor,’” Rouse said. “I find it funny. I had the literal biggest crush on Colton when he was on the show. So here is the thing. We are going to have to hangout.” Thinking back over the past two years, Rouse can hardly believe how far he’s come, not only behind the wheel, but personally as well. “I was always a fun, happy kind of person,” he said. “Everyone knew me as the life of the party. But now that I am 100 per cent comfortable with myself, my limitations are endless.”
PRODUCTION – 06 May 2021, Lower Saxony, Emstek: Katrin Kruse (l), employee at the NSTOB blood donation service of the German Red Cross (DRK), takes blood from donor Sebastian Haske. In 2021, the German Red Cross will celebrate a special anniversary – it will be 100 years old. Photo: Hauke-Christian Dittrich/dpa (Photo by Hauke-Christian Dittrich/picture alliance via Getty Images)
To celebrate World Blood Donor Day on Monday, 14 June, the UK government improved the NHS blood-donationsafety checklist to include gay and bisexual men. The new changes to the NHS blood-donation eligibility will be based on health, travel, and sexual behaviour. If a prospective blood donor has had the same sexual partner for the past three months they will be eligible to donate blood regardless of gender. Previously, NHS Blood and Transplant assigned a higher risk to queer men donors and it is now moving towards a more individualised assessment of donors rather than focusing on a social group or population.
“Patient safety is at the heart of everything we do,” Ella Poppitt, the chief nurse for blood donation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said in a press statement. “This change is about switching around how we assess the risk of exposure to a sexual infection, so it is more tailored to the individual. . . . We are asking all blood, plasma and platelet donors to please consider the new questions alongside the existing health and travel questions before their appointment, and to re-schedule if they do not meet the changed criteria to donate right now. We want donation to be a positive experience and we are looking forward to welcoming donors as we move forward with these changes.”
Kid Rock during a visit to the White House – Photo: The White House.
Rapper, songwriter and musician Kid Rock has doubled down on the anti-gay slur that earned him criticism earlier this month.
On June 5, Rock was caught on tape by the tabloid news outlet TMZ hurling homophobic slurs at fans during a recent show in Tennessee.
Gazing into one fan’s phone, Rock can be heard yelling, “F–k your iPhone, yeah!” in the video clip. He then turns to the crowd and yelled, “You f–king f—-ts with your iPhones out!”
Rock was barraged with criticism on social media from people offended by the homophobic slur. But just as the controversy appeared to be dying down, the 50-year-old musician put his foot in his mouth again, reports the New York Post.
“If Kid Rock using the word f—-t offends you, good chance you are one,” he tweeted, attributing the statement to his real name, Bob Ritchie. He added: “Either way, I know he has a lot of love for his gay friends and I will have a talk with him. Have a nice day.”
“Someone with gay friends wouldn’t use that word as an insult,” wrote one of Rock’s critics. “Enjoy the continued loss of fans and income.”
“Cool can you also ask him to write decent music someday?” quipped another, highlighting Rock’s referencing of himself in the third person.
“I am not gay, but my child is. & that term doesn’t offend me as much as it cuts my heart,” tweeted another. “[I]t’s hateful rhetoric, a hate-filled term. You know it. Trying to spin it as ‘cute’ is even uglier.”
I am not gay, but my child is. & that term doesn’t offend me as much as it cuts my heart
it’s hateful rhetoric a hate-filled term you know it
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Up until late last week when the first trailer dropped, so little was known about HBO Max’s upcoming Gossip Girl revival that leaked photos of the show’s catering menu were considered breaking news. “Oh my God,” says star Jordan Alexander, laughing at images posted by DeuxMoi and then widely circulated around Twitter. “Yeah, main plot points,” she jokes. “They eat salmon.”
Talking over Zoom from her temporary apartment in Bushwick, Alexander is enjoying a rare morning off from set, eating her own, non-Craft service provided meal of macaroni and cheese “jazzed up” with spinach and mushrooms. But there’s no need to dwell on that: With just a few weeks to go before the show’s July 8 premiere, Alexander can finally start to talk about the highly anticipated — and tightly guarded — show.
“[When I first auditioned] it was given to me under a fake name, both the character and the show,” recounts the formerly Toronto-based actor. “I mean, I knew that it was Gossip Girl because they told me, but it was very, very under wraps. I just knew that [my character] was wealthy and popular and that was the extent of it.” Here’s what we (and Alexander) know now: On the newest retelling of the lives of the Upper East Side’s elite, she plays Julien Calloway, a social media influencer and Queen Bee of the NYC prep school set, who welcomes new girl Zoya Lott, played by Whitney Peak, into the fold. Gossip-fueled chaos (cheating scandals, online rumors, general drama) ensues.
White bra by Calvin Klein.Ojulowo Mei
“I did follow some influencers already, so I’m familiar with that world — from a distance, obviously,” Alexander says of stepping into the role. “Julien’s an influencer in a different kind of way, in the sense that she really already had ‘it.’ It wasn’t like she got there by being an influencer. She became an influencer because everyone was looking at her already.” Julien may be used to being the center of attention, but the spotlight (see: pictures of on-set menus) to the degree of Gossip Girl is still new to Alexander. Yet, she knows that falling prey to imposter syndrome is simply a waste of time. “I was on this whole journey for the past two years before this happened of really specifically trying to steer my life in a direction that I wanted it to go,” she says. “I felt like getting Gossip Girl was the culmination of all of that work… I felt like it was this spiritual response from the universe being like, ‘I see you and there you go.’ I’d already kind of dismantled the part of my brain that would be like, ‘Oh my God, you don’t deserve this,’ or ‘This is too much and you can’t handle it.’ It’s wasted energy.”
She’s also had plenty of time to process it all — Alexander first auditioned for the role in February of 2020, was cast in August, and has been filming since October, thanks to COVID delays and restrictions. Thankfully, she notes, the cast immediately bonded, forming a tight-knit crew. While their characters might not get along, by Thanksgiving the actors were all spending the holiday together in a cabin upstate. “Whitney actually messaged me to have a call when I was still in Toronto [before filming], and for me, seeing a young, Black woman, immediately I’m like, ‘Bestie,’” she says. “There’s definitely a bond there. And then, we all got together and it just gelled and jammed, and it was good.”
Returning back to high school, however, wasn’t as easy of a transition — especially for Alexander, who attended a new school for the last six years of her education. “They were a lot of different things,” she says. “One year I went to this really wealthy school, but then another I went to a not-so-wealthy high school. When you go to a lot of different places, you kind of become different iterations of yourself. I really believe that stability is an illusion, and I feel like after the COVID situation, we’re all kind of like, ‘Whoa. Yeah.’ That was my whole existence, where I was not bonded or tied to these things that create stability for me. My sense of self comes from within, but it took a while. I would say I probably had established it by about grade 11, because then I went to this really wealthy school in a very predominantly white neighborhood, and my response to that was not in the least to try and fit in or anything like that. I was like, ‘Cool. I don’t fit in here. I love that.’”
Sweater by YETUNDEPhoto by Ojulowo Mei
The new iteration of Gossip Girl, she notes, will include all the high-stakes glamour and drama you miss from the original series, while better portraying the diverse, real-life people you’d meet in New York City. “It’s so camp,” she says. “It’s extravagant in every way possible, but they have also very carefully created this world where you are totally adrift in the fantasy and the campiness, but you are subtly being confronted with these issues … I feel like that’s what good art does. It creates a palatable way to move society forward.” For Gossip Girl viewers, that means a more diverse cast and storylines that delve into LGBTQ+ relationships.
“I have a juicy piece that there is something coming for the girls and the gays,” says Alexander, who identifies as queer and is currently dating model and activist Shane Homan. “When it comes out, I will talk about why I love it so much, but obviously right now it’s pretty under wraps. But I got to see a clip of it, I was like, ‘That was so good. That was so well done. That was so realistic.’ So be excited for that. And then more of that, because we’re just getting started really.”
This June also marks the first Pride that Alexander will spend in New York City, having spent the last few years performing (she’s also an accomplished musician) at Toronto’s parade. Though her time to explore New York has been limited due to long hours on set, she’s already gotten a taste of the city’s gay culture that has her excited for more. “The drag here is next level,” she says. “I went to this outside thing, and these drag queens were f*cking killing it, on literal concrete — don’t care, down on the knees going. But yeah, the park by my house, they had a Trans Day of Visibility performance, and there was music and drag performance and it was like, ‘Wow.’ I was like, ‘Oh my God.’”
Photo by Ojulowo Mei
Photo by Ojulowo Mei
It’s the kind of reaction that she hopes to have with her own music, which is currently on the back burner as she focuses on Gossip Girl — “I like to be very, very gentle with myself, so I’m not trying to put too, too much on my plate” — but still a very important part of her creative output. “I feel like if a drag queen would perform my music, that is what’s up,” she says. On theme with the unofficial summer of pop-punk, she’s also been working on music that she describes as “very 2000s” and “Blink-182 inspired.”
Based on that teaser alone, there’ll hopefully be much more to come on the music front from Alexander, but for now, she’s savoring these last moments of anonymity before the lines between her and the uber-popular Julien Calloway become blurred. “My life isn’t that different right now,” she says. For now, the only barometer of her burgeoning mega-fame is very Gossip Girl 2.0: Instagram followers. “When I first got to New York, I think I had like 5,000 Instagram followers, and then it jumped to about 20,000, and that was crazy,” she says. And the ultimate sign of an international star being born: she’s started to get “Come to Brazil” comments. “Yeah,” she says, laughing. “I have two fan accounts from Brazil.”
Styling by Livia Rose Johnson. Special thanks to Polaroid.
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