THE FIGHT SOCAL’S MONTHLY LGBTQ MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2017

NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 1

2 THE FIGHT | www.thefightmag.com

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6 THE FIGHT | www.thefightmag.com
NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 3

••• photo attached to email
THECONTENTS
ON THE COVER
ERIC PROMANI (L),
LEO PAPARELLA,
GREG PROMANI (R)
COVER PHOTO BY
ALLYSON LAQUIAN
PHOTO ON THIS PAGE BY
KELLY ELAINE
FEATURES
16 PRIDE RECOVERY LA
NOW OPEN IN WEST HOLLYWOOD
22 SMART HEALTH LA
HIGH QUALITY PRIMARY CARE
24 HEARTTHROBS & HOUNDS
CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER MIKE RUIZ
20 PALM SPRINGS PRIDE
PARTY IN THE DESERT
26 ZERO SHAME
ICONIQUE’S LEO PAPARELLA
30 CREATING CHANGE
IRAQI WAR VETERAN ROB SMITH
34 BOND WITH BABY
WORKING WITH LGBTQ FAMILIES
36 CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
GAY COMING-OF-AGE DRAMA
38 CUTIES COFFEE
LGBTQ ESPRESSO BAR
40 RISING STAR
PRODUCER, WRITER BEN CORY JONES
44 REVERSING GENDER ROLES
CLOTHED WOMEN, NUDE MEN CAMPAIGN
46 HANKEY’S TOYS
SPICING UP YOUR SEX LIFE
DEPARTMENTS
09 THE LETTERS READERS RESPOND
10 THE TALK TOM DALEY
12 THE STATE GENDER RECOGNITION
14 THE CITY EQUALITY AWARDS
18 THE ROSTOW REPORT SUPREME COURT NEWS
21 THE TRANSACTION JOB FAIR
23 THE EPIDEMIC NEW HIV THERAPY
28 THE SHARE LOCAL RECOVERY
32 THE ART LOCAL ARTISTS
48 THE CALENDAR THINGS TO DO
51 THE FINAL FIGHT LAST WORD
4 THE FIGHT | www.thefightmag.com

Introducing Pride Recovery LA
The exclusively LGBTQ treatment center in California
• LGBTQ people are nearly 30% more likely than members of
the general population to suffer from addiction.
• The LGBTQ population are 60% more likely to relapse following
addiction treatment in traditional recovery programs.
• The same trauma that the LGBTQ commity faces in everyday life – the trauma
that lurks beneath the addiction – is replicated in traditional treatment
because traditional treatment is a microcosm of the world at large.
• LGBTQ-specific treatment transforms the dangerous environment clients
face every day and gives them the safety to work through their shame
and create connections and community.
That’s why we need LGBTQ-specific treatment, not only for drug/alcohol addiction,
but for all substance and behavior addictions. At Pride Recovery LA, we’re here to
address shame and build pride. Pride in Self. Pride in Sobriety. Pride in Community.
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NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 5

THEEDITOR
This month, in an interview with
Timothy Ray—producer and writer
Ben Cory Jones (HBO’s Insecure)
talks about being black and gay in
Hollywood, the Harvey Weinstein
scandal and finding your passion
(“Rising Star,” page 40).
“I think this town—Hollywood—is
still having issues when it comes to
people of color. I find that I end up
having to navigate sticky terrain about
being a black person than being a
gay person. Hollywood is still trying
to understand its relationship with
people of color. It’s less about sexual
advances and inappropriate behavior.
It’s more about educating people
about the stereotypes they have
about gay people or black people,”
says Jones.
“A personal mission of mine is to
explore the interiors and emotional
lives of black gay men. The shift in
making our stories visible comes
from us,” states Jones.
“It takes people like us who are in
the culture who have these experiences,
who are these people, to write
and tell our stories. It also requires
more black gay people to be out. To
be public. To be advocates.”
>> IN THIS ISSUE

HEALTH AND SEX BELONG TOGETHER
Healthysexuals
LOVE
SHARING
Talk about your sexual health. #NoFilter
VISIT
AND TALK TO A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER
HEALTHYSEXUAL, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc. © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. UNBC3907 01/17
NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 7

8 THE FIGHT | www.thefightmag.com

THELETTERS
>> FROM OUR READERS WRITE TO THE EDITOR Email: editor@thefightmag.com
Fax: (213) 281-9648. Letters may be shortened due to space requirements.
NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 9

THETALK
LOVE IS LOVE
“I think love is love and we
have no control over that... I
think people should be allowed
to marry.”
—Dolly Parton in a TV interview in
Australia. The country is polling citizens on
whether its Parliament should vote yes or
no for same-sex marriage.
>> WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 11

THESTATE
>> NEWS BRIEFS

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A concierge approach
to treatment at all
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Our mission is to
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and behaviors that
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they so deserve. We focus on
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psychological needs of transitioning
clients
SUBSTANCE ABUSE/ADDICTION
Medically Supervised Detox
SEXUAL HEALTH
Case Management and Sober Coaching
HIV/AIDS counseling and education
Informed Placement and/or Support in Sober Healthy sex therapy and education
Communities
Healthy Relationships and
Boundaries
DISORDERED EATING,
THINKING AND BEHAVIORS
SELF-ADVOCACY SUPPORT
Nutritionist/Meal Planning
Legal/Rights (Personal, Family, Marital)
Cessation Coaching
Workplace Discrimination Advocacy
Personal Training/Fitness Training
TRAUMA THERAPY
EMDR/DBT
Somatic Experiencing
Hypnotherapy
Contact our support team 24 hours, 7 days a week at (323) 714-8113
Visit: livetreatmentvip.com/lgbtq-specific/
NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 13

THECITY
>> BY PAULO MURILLO

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NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 15

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NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 17

THEROSTOWREPORT
IT’S NOW
OR NEVER
I know I tend to fixate on
Supreme Court news, but
you know what? It’s exciting,
it’s complicated and it can be
scary...an irresistible combination
(kind of like Scandinavian
noir on Netflix). Our big
Masterpiece Cakeshop case
is officially scheduled for
oral arguments on Tuesday,
December 5, so we’ll see
what we will see.
By the way, I’ve read that
Neil Gorsuch is so obnoxious,
he may even be alienating his
conservative colleagues on
the Court. Would that they
decide to tip the balance on an
important issue out of sheer
spite. I know that’s not likely,
but there are other scenarios
in which his fellow justices
could stall or disrupt his various
vanity projects. Seriously!
Even Chief Justice Roberts
reportedly can’t stand the
pomposity of the man.
I know I’ve mentioned a few
of the petitions we’re watching.
These, of course, are cases
that have been appealed to
the High Court, but (unlike the
Masterpiece Cakeshop lawsuit)
not yet accepted or denied.
One of these petitions was
lodged by a Washington florist,
who claims, like the Colorado
Masterpiece Cakeshop
baker, that she has a constitutional
right to ignore state
anti-discrimination laws based
on freedom of religion and
freedom of speech. The good
news is that at this late date
it seems the Court will not
be accepting review. That’s
excellent, because while baker
Jack Philips has a pretty terrible
case (for reasons I won’t
repeat again!) the florist had
a slightly better argument (for
reasons I won’t drag you into).
Let’s just say that it’s good
that she appears to be out of
the legal picture.
I’ve already mentioned the
big Title VII discrimination case,
the one that pits a Georgia
GOVERNOR
ROY COOPER
lesbian against the hospital
where she worked. This case,
or one like it, could lead to the
most important High Court
ruling we can imagine—one
that confirms sexual orientation
is on par with race and religion
as a protected, and morally
neutral, minority status.
Then there’s Ash Whitaker,
the transgender high school
student who won his Title IX
discrimination case before
the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Seventh Circuit earlier this
year. Recall that the Supreme
Court accepted review of
a similar case last session,
before sending it back to
the Fourth Circuit on something
of a technicality after
the election. Will they take
this suit instead, or are they
>> BY ANN ROSTOW

IT’S NOW OR NEVER • HANGING BY A THREAD • CONSENTING ADULT TAR HEELS • THE MIRROR UNIVERSE

TRANSGENDER
& GENDER
NON-CONFORMING
VOLUNTEERS
WANTED FOR
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What does the study involve?
• Six visits over a one-year period, during which
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• Routine HIV and STI testing
• Referrals to care and other services (if needed)
Eligibility Requirements
• 18 years or older
• Identify as transgender or gender non-conforming
• Sexually active and HIV-negative
By participating, you’ll help to advance
important HIV prevention research.
INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING?
Contact Chloe: 323-993-8919 or copalo@lalgbtcenter.org
20 THE FIGHT | www.thefightmag.com

THETRANSACTION
>> ANDREW FITZIMONS

KEVIN WEILER

THEEPIDEMIC
>> NEW HIV THERAPY

MIKE RUIZ

NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 25

COVER INTERVIEW

LEO HERRERA, COLUMBINE DEMERS, BRENDEN SCHUCART

THESHARE
THIS PAGE IS SPONSORED BY
>> BY PAULO MURILLO

original tshirts
visit us at
hellothello.com
NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 29

ROB SMITH

LEO HERRERA, COLUMBINE DEMERS, BRENDEN SCHUCART

THEART
>> LGBTQ ARTISTS

NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 33

BOND
>> ROB SMITH

FAMILIES IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY

IRIS BAINUM-HOULE AND VIRGINIA BAUMAN

GOTHAM AWARDS
NOMINATIONS
INCLUDING
3BEST PICTURE
“A KNOCKOUT! CASTS A BEAUTIFULLY
EROTIC, SENSUAL SPELL.”
-Chris Nashawaty, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
“RAVISHING FILMMAKING AND
PIERCING WISDOM.”
-Justin Chang, LOS ANGELES TIMES
“TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET AND
ARMIE HAMMER SHOWCASE SOME OF
THE RICHEST CHEMISTRY I’VE EVER
WITNESSED IN A MOVIE. IT’S SUBLIME.”
-Matthew Jacobs, HUFFINGTON POST
A FILM BY LUCA GUADAGNINO
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ARMIE HAMMER TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET MICHAEL STUHLBARG
AMIRA CASAR ESTHER GARREL
SONY PICTURES CLASSICS PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH MEMENTO FILMS INTERNATIONAL AND RT FEATURES IN ASSOCIATION WITH M.Y.R.A. ENTERTAINMENT A FRENESY FILM LA CINÉFACTURE CO-PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH MORATO PANE S.P.A. FARAM 1957 S.P.A. ARMANDO DE ANGELIS S.R.L. CINEFINANCE ITALIA S.R.L.
A FILM MUSIC
PURSUANT TO THE TAX CREDIT RULES IN ASSOCIATION WITH WATER’S END PRODUCTIONS BY LUCA GUADAGNINO” CALL ME BY YOUR NAME” ARMIE HAMMER TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET MICHAEL STUHLBARG AMIRA CASAR ESTHER GARREL VICTOIRE DU BOIS SUPERVISOR ROBIN URDANG “THE MYSTERY OF LOVE” & “VISIONS OF GIDEON”
WRITTEN &
PERFORMED BY SUFJAN STEVENS CASTING BY STELLA SAVINO DESIGNER COSTUME GIULIA PIERSANTI PRODUCTION
EXECUTIVE
DESIGNER SAMUEL DESHORS CINEMATOGRAPHY SAYOMBHU MUKDEEPROM EDITOR WALTER FASANO PRODUCERS DEREK SIMONDS TOM DOLBY MARGARETHE BAILLOU FRANCESCO MELZI D’ERIL NAIMA ABED NICHOLAS KAISER SOPHIE MAS
LOURENÇO SANT’ANNA PRODUCED BY PETER SPEARS LUCA GUADAGNINO EMILIE GEORGES RODRIGO TEIXEIRA MARCO MORABITO JAMES IVORY HOWARD ROSENMAN
BASED ON THE NOVEL BY ANDRÉ ACIMAN SCREENPLAY BY JAMES IVORY
DIRECTED BY LUCA GUADAGNINO
OPENS FRIDAY,
NOVEMBER 24
WEST LOS ANGELES
at W. Pico & Westwood (310) 470-0492
landmarktheatres.com
VIEW THE TRAILER AT WWW.CALLMEBYYOURNAME.COM
THE FIGHT MAGAZINE WED 11/01
HALF PAGE VERTICAL (3.56" x 9.93")
HOLLYWOOD
at Sunset & Vine (323) 464-4226
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NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 37

IRIS BAINUM-HOULE AND VIRGINIA BAUMAN

NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 39
OCTOBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 39

BEN CORY JONES

NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 41

BEN CORY JONES

11.11.17 • THE ROOFTOP • 9PM
The Standard, Downtown LA | 550 S Flower at 6th St.
Presented by
Hosted by
EMERGING LEADERS COUNCIL
NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 43

REVERSING
>> GAY LONELINESS

Campaign showing
clothed women and nude
men—a statement about
how women are often presented
as disembodied sex
objects in clothing ads.
Women’s clothing brand Suistudio USA has a series
of ads that reverse common gender roles, reports
LGBTQ Nation at lgbtqnation.com.
The “Not Dressing Men” campaign shows women
clothed and looking at the camera, while male models are naked
and don’t have faces.
The campaign is a statement about how women are often presented
as disembodied sex objects in clothing ads.
“There is nothing wrong with sex, the naked human body, and
the inclusion of that in a campaign. Sex is a big part of fashion,”
Suistudio USA vice president Kristina Barricelli told UpWorthy.
“The problem is that in recent history, we haven’t seen a naked
man objectified in the background. How strange! Why not?”
NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 45

GAY MR. LONELINESS HANKEY

Is there a difference
between your
LGBTQ clientele and
your heterosexual
clientele?
We sell to a very wide variety
of customers. Many gay
males, gay females, female
dommes, male subs, trans,
CD, heterosexual
males & females,
couples (especially
strapon),
leather, bears. I
would say that our
largest group of
customers are gay
males and typically
more experienced,
they know what they
want and are familiar
with how much they can
handle. They can read
our dimensions
and understand
that they can
take a 10” circumference but not an
11.24” circumference. Our heterosexual
clientele will typically buy our smaller
toys and are typically females. We have
started releasing many of our toys in
multiple sizes so that we can appeal to
many different tastes, understanding
that many people, no matter what their
sexual orientation, just can’t take large
toys. We now offer many “small” toys
which are still relatively large but typically
able to be used by almost anyone.
What are the best sellers?
All of our toys sell well, in particular
our El Rey, Seahorse, Boss Hogg,
Anaconda, Big Daddy, Cutler X (a
real lifecasting), Centaur, Chode and
surprisingly our massive Goliath all
sell very well. Most of our best sellers
were masterpieces created by our designer
Rey. It really depends on what
a person wants though, sometimes
someone just wants a long thin toy or
a short fat toy, lots of texture or very
smooth. In all cases we have just
about everything anyone might be
looking for.
Is there anything we
haven’t asked you that you
would like to share with
our readers?
Well...I would just like to
encourage the readers to visit our
site mrhankeystoys.com, take
a look around and see if their is
anything that might appeal to
them. We have a ton of exciting
new designs and products coming
out later this year and all next year.
We try to release a new toy every
1-1.5 months so remember to always
check back. Also, subscribe! We
don’t send email blasts or clog inboxes
with spam, we don’t share or sell email
addresses. We do send an email each
time we release a new product and we
also send occasional discount codes.
We welcome suggestions from anyone
and would love to hear feedback.
Anyone can contact me, Mr. Hankey, at
support@mrhankeystoys.com—Hope
to help people spice up their sex lives
for years to cum and thanks to all of our
dedicated fans and customers!
For more info visit mrhankeystoys.com.
NOVEMBER OCTOBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 47

THECALENDAR
>> THINGS TO DO

DON’T
SETTLE
FOR
LESS!
MrHankeysToys.com
NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 49

THEFINALFIGHT
>> CHECHNYA’S ANTI-GAY PURGE

ONLINE NOW!
Prty SEXY
Paranoid, Desperate and Horny Looking 4 Same…
A hungry bottom, can party all night and always available. HIV STATUS: UNKNOWN
CALL: 323-463-7001
VISIT: friendsgettingoff.org
Friends Getting Off provides free drug counseling for gay and bisexual men who use
methamphetamine. The program combines group counseling with an intervention
that gives rewards for negative urine samples. Participation is 8 weeks followed by a
16 week support group and one follow-up assessment.
1419 North La Brea Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90028
A clinic of Friends Community Center, a division of Friends Research Institute, Inc.
This project is supported by funds received from the County of Los Angeles Department
of Public Health, Division of HIV and STD Programs and the City of West Hollywood.
NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 51

52 THE FIGHT | www.thefightmag.com