Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 414 April 17, 2019
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DOWNTOWN URBAN ARTS FESTIVAL -<br />
CECE PENISTON AT JOE’S PUB
BY EILEEN SHAPIRO<br />
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT<br />
Danny Wood and Jessie Chris:<br />
‘Bodyguard’<br />
New Kids on the Block member Danny Wood and Billboard’s Country<br />
Artist to Watch Jessie Chris have collaborated on an emotional and<br />
touching anti-bullying duet titled “Bodyguard.”<br />
Inspired by country singer and anti-bullying activist Jessie Chris’ music<br />
videos and anti-bullying speeches that she has given at schools, Wood<br />
composed and created a sensitive and compelling story performed<br />
together by the two. “I watched a music video and saw some anti-bullying<br />
speeches Jessie had given at schools,” Wood says. “I just started writing<br />
notes down on a pad of paper. It went from a pad on my desk to my<br />
guitar, and it turned into this song.”<br />
The 21-year-old Chris has made it her mission to visit 100 schools across<br />
America to speak to kids about bullying, while healing from her own<br />
bullying issues. Coming from Massachusetts and desiring to become a<br />
country singer made her different than the rest, causing her to be bullied.<br />
She struggled with her own self confidence, and now finds strength in<br />
those experiences.<br />
New Kids on the Block just released a brand-new anthemic song and<br />
video tributing boy bands, and celebrating their own 30 years of success,<br />
called “Boys in the Band.” The video also features cameos from Bell Biv<br />
DeVoe, NSYNC’s Lance Bass and Debbie Gibson.<br />
Members Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre, Jonathan Knight, Jordan<br />
Knight and of course Danny Wood will embark on a massive “Mixed<br />
Tape” tour visiting 53 cities beginning May 2 and ending in Hollywood,<br />
Florida, July 14. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com.<br />
INTERVIEW<br />
Danny, how did Jessie inspire you—<br />
actually, how did you even find her?<br />
Danny: I know her manager, Jeff. He<br />
sent me a few of her songs and then<br />
links to watch her speak at the schools<br />
with her anti-bullying campaign. I was<br />
inspired; she’s so young and talented<br />
and already giving back to kids like<br />
that, which was pretty fantastic. I<br />
thought, “Wow.” I started writing down<br />
some notes, listening to her speak<br />
and wrote the song. We recorded it<br />
and then did a video the same day. So<br />
I’m really proud of it, and I hope that<br />
people enjoy it and that it helps some<br />
people.
Danny, did you feel that inspired<br />
that you felt compelled to create<br />
this song, and why?<br />
Danny: Yeah, I mean, I watched<br />
her speak, and her speaking at the<br />
schools hit me personally. Obviously<br />
everyone has an experience being<br />
bullied. I mean, for me, it was when<br />
I was younger in school. But also I<br />
have three kids that are between the<br />
ages of 20 and 26, and I had to advise<br />
them with social media bullying and<br />
all of that. It hit home right away.<br />
Jessie, what exactly have you been<br />
doing to combat bullying that<br />
inspired Danny to write this song?<br />
Jessie: I’ve been visiting schools in<br />
my free time for about four years<br />
now just having the kids hear my<br />
story, because I dealt with bullying.<br />
I wrote a children’s book about it,<br />
so I read my book, do some songs<br />
and hopefully help some kids who<br />
are struggling. About a year and a<br />
half ago I made a goal to visit 100<br />
schools in one year.<br />
I completed that<br />
goal, and now I still<br />
visit schools when<br />
I have time. It’s just<br />
something I like to<br />
do to help others<br />
when I have the<br />
time.<br />
Jessie, do you<br />
feel that you were<br />
bullied as a child,<br />
and if so, how so?<br />
Jessie: For me, a<br />
big reason why I<br />
was bullied was<br />
because I was a bit<br />
different. Growing<br />
up in Massachusetts<br />
I knew when I was<br />
little that I wanted to<br />
sing country music,<br />
and so kids in my<br />
school made fun<br />
of me for it. I got<br />
cyber bullied a lot. I used to even<br />
get pushed against the lockers just<br />
because I was different. It really took a<br />
toll on my self-confidence afterwards.<br />
So once I regained that selfconfidence<br />
I felt that it was important<br />
to talk to these kids in school. I don’t<br />
have an older sibling. I am the oldest<br />
sibling; I have two younger brothers.<br />
So I think some of these kids need<br />
kind of like an older sibling figure to<br />
share their story with and help them<br />
through it.<br />
PHOTO CREDIT: JEFF GULKO<br />
Danny, the idea of a “bodyguard”<br />
in regard to bullying is a genius<br />
idea. What prompted it?<br />
Danny: I don’t know exactly how that<br />
came to me, but looking back on<br />
writing this song, it’s obvious that<br />
Jessie is a bodyguard to a lot of these<br />
kids. I mean, she is openly speaking<br />
about her experience, and that’s the<br />
best way to get through to these kids,<br />
speaking from experience. Definitely<br />
she inspired it.
As a New Kid on the Block you<br />
have an influence with kids.<br />
On your tour that you will be<br />
beginning in May, have you had<br />
any plans to perform this song<br />
with Jessie during that time?<br />
Danny: Probably not. The New Kids<br />
thing is a whole different world.<br />
This is my solo stuff, and I do it<br />
with Jessie, so I kind of keep them<br />
separate. We have to keep our<br />
show moving. People are there to<br />
see the New Kids—not to see me,<br />
but rather the whole group. So<br />
I’m going to keep the two things<br />
separate, and hopefully me and<br />
Jessie will be able to perform the<br />
song soon.<br />
If I could ask you any question in<br />
the world, what would you want<br />
me to ask you?<br />
Jessie: That’s a cool question. Now<br />
I’m trying to think; that was a really<br />
thought-provoking question. I guess<br />
I would say, “What’s your favorite<br />
color?” because nobody’s asked me<br />
that. I would say pink.<br />
OK, Danny, what’s your favorite<br />
color?<br />
Danny: I don’t really have one.<br />
If either one of you could make a<br />
statement to kids who are being<br />
bullied, what would you say?<br />
Jessie: To the kids that are the<br />
bullies I would say that if there is<br />
something going on in your life<br />
that’s making you angry or upset,<br />
you shouldn’t take that out on<br />
other kids. Also, when you bully<br />
other kids you have no idea what<br />
is going on in their personal life,<br />
and you have no idea how much<br />
harder that bullying can make their<br />
life. So just be cautious of other<br />
people’s feelings, and if you think<br />
about the golden rule we learn in<br />
kindergarten, to treat others the way<br />
you want to be treated, if we really<br />
just live by that, the world would be<br />
a totally different place.<br />
Danny, what about to the kids<br />
that are being bullies?<br />
Danny: I would first tell them that if<br />
it’s in school or social media, I live<br />
by just posting and getting out. I<br />
don’t read any of the comments.<br />
I kind of make it a one-way<br />
conversation, because it’s a lot<br />
easier to deal with. At school I<br />
would tell them that school doesn’t<br />
last forever, and they’ll eventually be<br />
out, and all those bullies usually end<br />
up being not so successful. From my<br />
own experience, when I go back to<br />
Boston and run into people that I<br />
went to school with, if they were one<br />
of the bullies they are definitely not<br />
so successful. So what goes around<br />
comes around.<br />
If you could have your ultimate<br />
stage fantasy, what would need<br />
to happen, and for Danny, you<br />
probably have had it already—so<br />
what was it?<br />
Danny: For me already, anything<br />
I’ve ever dreamt of happened. We<br />
got to play Fenway Park twice, and<br />
for five guys from Boston that’s the<br />
ultimate goal, to be able to play<br />
there. We did it a couple years<br />
ago, so I’m good. I don’t have any<br />
fantasies or wish list or bucket list or<br />
anything like that. I’ve done it all.<br />
Jessie: I would say for me just<br />
playing somewhere at home like<br />
Fenway Park or Gillette Stadium<br />
would just really be a dream come<br />
true, because that’s where I grew<br />
up, going to concerts and wishing<br />
I could be on that stage. So I think<br />
my ultimate stage fantasy would be<br />
performing at Gillette Stadium with<br />
glitter and confetti everywhere.
5 0 0 W 4 8 T H S T .<br />
N Y , N Y 1 0 0 3 6<br />
Cover: Paul Montoya<br />
Photo by WILSONMODELS<br />
ISSUE <strong>414</strong> - APRIL <strong>17</strong> <strong>2019</strong><br />
PUBLISHER<br />
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CONTRIBUTORS<br />
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IAN-MICHAEL BERGERON<br />
THOMAS WHITFIELD<br />
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THOMAS<br />
TALKS<br />
I’ve always been<br />
afraid of HIV, but it’s<br />
gotten so bad that<br />
I’ve basically stopped<br />
having sex. Please<br />
help me! Every single<br />
time I have sex with<br />
someone, I ask him<br />
about his HIV status,<br />
when he was tested<br />
last, and I ALWAYS<br />
use condoms. But<br />
afterwards, I freak<br />
out, even if it was<br />
just oral sex. I get<br />
really paranoid that<br />
something went<br />
wrong. Sometimes I<br />
don’t even enjoy the<br />
sex I’m having, because<br />
I’m scared while we’re<br />
doing it. How can I get<br />
over this? My friends<br />
say to just relax and<br />
forget about it. - Male,<br />
Gay, 26<br />
It’s great that you’re<br />
being so vigilant about<br />
your sexual health, but<br />
it’s also stopping you<br />
from enjoying your<br />
sexuality. Where’s the<br />
happy medium? You’re<br />
already doing a lot of<br />
things that I recommend<br />
ABOUT: FEAR OF HIV<br />
to my patients who<br />
have similar fears. But,<br />
there are a few other<br />
things you might want to<br />
consider.<br />
First, challenge the<br />
thoughts you’re having<br />
that keep screaming<br />
you’re at-risk. Those<br />
thoughts are what’s<br />
causing you to stress out<br />
and have anxiety. For<br />
most of my clients, these<br />
thoughts include tons<br />
of “what ifs.” Remind<br />
yourself that you’ve<br />
taken the steps you<br />
know to be necessary<br />
and question your “what<br />
ifs.” Educate yourself on<br />
HIV, how it’s transmitted<br />
and how it’s treated.<br />
Assuming you haven’t<br />
had recent dental<br />
work, your chances of<br />
acquiring HIV from oral<br />
sex are very low. It may<br />
also relax you to know<br />
that although you may<br />
prefer to stay HIVnegative,<br />
becoming HIVpositive<br />
is not a death<br />
sentence anymore. You<br />
can be HIV-positive and<br />
still live a very happy and<br />
healthy life.<br />
Second, PrEP might be<br />
a good option for you.<br />
Last month, I published<br />
a study in the Journal<br />
of Sex Research that<br />
showed a statistically<br />
significant decrease<br />
in sexual anxiety once<br />
gay men began taking<br />
PrEP. This medication<br />
may offer another layer<br />
of protection for you<br />
that might calm your<br />
anxieties. However,<br />
there’s a catch. Based on<br />
what you’ve said about<br />
your sexual behaviors<br />
and risk-prevention<br />
techniques, you<br />
don’t seem like you’d<br />
actually meet objective<br />
qualifications for uptake.<br />
This doesn’t mean a<br />
doctor won’t prescribe<br />
it for you, but you may<br />
want to weigh the pros<br />
and cons yourself.<br />
Third, accidents happen.<br />
Be prepared. For most<br />
sexually active adults,<br />
accidents happen when<br />
it comes to sex. Maybe<br />
a condom is forgotten,<br />
a condom breaks, or<br />
someone lies about their<br />
status (although research<br />
shows this is rare). Find<br />
out where you can<br />
access post-exposure<br />
prophylaxis (PEP). It’s<br />
a set of pills that you<br />
take daily for about a<br />
month that prevents HIV<br />
infection, should you be<br />
exposed. You have to<br />
start taking it within 72<br />
hours of the exposure,<br />
the sooner the better.<br />
It’s available at most<br />
emergency rooms.<br />
There are tons of places<br />
in NYC where you can<br />
get tested for HIV and<br />
STIs at low or no cost.<br />
Make getting tested<br />
a regular part of your<br />
sexual health practice.<br />
You’re in control and<br />
doing a great job.<br />
Sex/Love/Relationship advice? Send your questions to: ThomasTalksAbout@gmail.com<br />
@ThomasWhitfield84
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stories / GET OUT! MAGAZINE >> GETOUTMAG.COM<br />
BY IAN-MICHAEL BERGERON<br />
@ianmichaelinwonderland<br />
When I woke up on my<br />
last birthday, James was<br />
already up, doing yoga<br />
(or meditating? Or do you<br />
meditate while you yoga?<br />
Hell if I know.) in the corner<br />
of the room. He stopped<br />
when he heard me sit up.<br />
“Good morning,” he said,<br />
sitting on the bed with me.<br />
“I have a present for you.”<br />
“I don’t need any more<br />
presents,” I smiled,<br />
wiping the sleep from my<br />
eyes. The night before<br />
we’d gone to see Book of<br />
Mormon at the Eugene<br />
O’Neill Theater, his treat.<br />
“Just one more,” he<br />
said, taking a few of his<br />
books off the bookshelf<br />
and retrieving a hidden<br />
blue box.<br />
I knew instantly from its<br />
long, rectangular shape that<br />
it was a jewelry box. I didn’t<br />
know what it could be: I<br />
hadn’t insinuated there was<br />
anything I wanted. My mind<br />
buzzed as he brought the<br />
box to the bed: silver letters<br />
proclaimed “Swarovski”<br />
across the top.<br />
“I really don’t need anything<br />
else,” I insisted. “Between<br />
this and the show, it must<br />
have cost—“<br />
“I got it because I wanted<br />
to,” he said calmly, offering<br />
the box.<br />
It was a Swarovski crystal<br />
tennis bracelet. I had<br />
mentioned something<br />
about this: an ad for cheap<br />
diamond tennis bracelets<br />
was on my Instagram feed,<br />
and I mentioned how much<br />
I liked tennis bracelets. “But<br />
the metal can’t be silver or<br />
anything that can tarnish,”<br />
I’d said about the bracelets<br />
in question.<br />
“I know it’s not<br />
diamonds,” he said, “but<br />
the metal is rhodium, so it<br />
won’t tarnish or scratch.”<br />
I extended my wrist,<br />
letting him fasten the<br />
clasp for me.<br />
Sitting there, wearing<br />
the most beautiful thing I<br />
owned with bedhead and<br />
terrible breath, I realized<br />
it was the first piece of<br />
jewelry I’d ever been<br />
given by a partner, except<br />
for a ring when I was<br />
proposed to in 2011.<br />
When I was 16, my dad<br />
took me to a gay novelty<br />
shop, where I bought a<br />
set of stainless steel rings<br />
with rainbow jewels in<br />
them. I gave one to Bill,<br />
my first love, and kept<br />
the other for myself. (I<br />
still have it.) I remember<br />
pretending he had given<br />
it to me, even telling<br />
Swarovski<br />
Crystals<br />
are a Gay’s<br />
Best Friend<br />
PHOTO: STEVE<br />
BRENNAN<br />
WEARING:<br />
SWAROVSKI<br />
BRACELET,<br />
VALENTINO TOP<br />
people he had, because<br />
I wanted to feel special.<br />
One of my favorite movies<br />
growing up was “Some<br />
Like It Hot”: I longed for<br />
someone to fall madly in<br />
love with me and give me<br />
something pretty. I knew it<br />
was materialistic—I blame<br />
Marilyn for that—but I<br />
loved the fantasy anyway.<br />
And this: this sparkling,<br />
thoughtful gift that<br />
spawned from a comment<br />
I’d made offhandedly<br />
months ago... I felt special.<br />
“I remember the first piece<br />
of jewelry your father gave<br />
me,” my mom told me<br />
later over the phone. “It<br />
showed a certain amount<br />
of investment in the<br />
relationship. I still have it.”<br />
Back in bed, I leaned<br />
forward and kissed James,<br />
desperately wishing I tasted<br />
like peppermint. “I love it,”<br />
I said. “It’s perfect.”
PAUL MONTOYA<br />
What inspired you to become<br />
an actor?<br />
I was born in a small Caribbean<br />
island with a lot of limitations,<br />
especially culturally, as there<br />
weren’t many outlets for artists.<br />
Fortunately, my mom instilled in<br />
me the importance of the arts.<br />
She was an actress herself,<br />
and whenever possible she had<br />
me take part in her plays. She<br />
showed me the world<br />
through a different set<br />
of eyes. She showed<br />
me that magical<br />
feeling of being able to<br />
portray anyone and convey<br />
emotions to an audience. My<br />
mom has always been a huge<br />
inspiration for me.<br />
What projects are you working<br />
on right now?<br />
I continue working with Repertorio<br />
Español’s play El Coronel<br />
No Tiene Quien Le Escriba,<br />
and I just started a new project<br />
for a gay-themed play called<br />
“La Posteridad De Las Ratas<br />
(Buscando a Copi)” which will<br />
be playing at FUERZAfest, the<br />
first LGBTQ+ Latino arts festival<br />
in the northeast (May 8 to 19).<br />
You have been traveling quite<br />
a bit the past few years. How<br />
has that inspired you?<br />
I would say travel is my second<br />
passion, and these last few<br />
years I’ve tried to pursue it as<br />
much as possible; life is too<br />
short, and we only have one<br />
to enjoy, and there are millions<br />
of things to discover and experience.<br />
I love “getting lost” in<br />
another country, tasting different<br />
flavors and experiencing new<br />
cultures. I set myself a goal to<br />
see the Seven Wonders of the<br />
World—well, eight, including<br />
the pyramids—in the next two<br />
years. I’ve already visited three.<br />
What are your plans for World<br />
Pride month? What events<br />
will you be going to?<br />
I’m super excited for World<br />
Pride. There are so many<br />
events and parties to enjoy! I invite<br />
everyone, especially theater<br />
fans, to Repertorio Español,<br />
which will be featuring the play<br />
“Smiley” (LGBTQ+ comedy).<br />
Also, Teatro SEA will be featuring<br />
their micro theater project,<br />
celebrating love and pride. And,<br />
obviously, I will be going to THE<br />
party everyone will be talking<br />
about for years to come: Alegria<br />
World Pride <strong>2019</strong>at the beautiful<br />
Avant Gardner with three amazing<br />
theme parties and some of<br />
the best international DJs. I will<br />
see you there!<br />
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BY EILEEN SHAPIRO<br />
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT<br />
With more dazzling royalty<br />
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Buckingham Palace, The Imperial<br />
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extravaganza, Night of a Thousand<br />
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The most lavish gowns and sparkling<br />
jewels paraded the red carpet while<br />
celebrity photographers, including<br />
<strong>Get</strong> <strong>Out</strong>!’s own Wilsonmodels (Jeff<br />
Eason), captured and kept alive the air<br />
of magnificence forever.<br />
I was honored to be accompanied<br />
by my fabulous friend, the infamous<br />
Michael Musto, star journalist, TV<br />
personality, TRAX record recording<br />
artist, actor, film sensation, author<br />
and the most popular, sought after,<br />
diversity activist on the planet of<br />
Manhattan.<br />
Featured guest performer Debby<br />
Holiday, a Billboard Top 10,<br />
internationally popular singersongwriter<br />
and dance chart sensation,<br />
rocked the house. When asked what<br />
the honor of being chosen to perform<br />
meant, she replied, “For me, it means<br />
honoring diversity, it means honoring<br />
people getting together and doing<br />
something all in one space and<br />
helping so many others, and having a<br />
great time while doing it.”<br />
She went on to say, “This is a<br />
community I very much cherish.”<br />
Holiday has new music out called<br />
“Free 2 Be,” which is half dance and<br />
half rock n’ roll. According to Holiday,<br />
the message of the song is: “You<br />
are free to be whatever the hell you<br />
want to, whatever makes you happy,<br />
whatever makes you feel good.”<br />
Night of a<br />
Thousand<br />
Gowns<br />
Guests were also treated to the court’s<br />
rendition of “Little Shop of Horrors”<br />
by Skyla Versai, a drag veteran of the<br />
famous Lips Restaurant, and a special<br />
performance by seasoned Broadway<br />
dancers staged by Broadway Cares/<br />
Equity Fights AIDS.<br />
Needless to say, the dinner was<br />
over the top, the goodie bags were<br />
loaded with diamonds and jewels<br />
and the silent auction was inundated<br />
with sensational items, with all<br />
the proceeds going toward the<br />
beneficiaries.<br />
We said goodbye to Empress XXXII<br />
Gayle Banter and Emperor XVII and<br />
Regent Emperor XXVII Rob Hunter<br />
de Woofs and welcomed the new<br />
Empress Imperial Crown Princess<br />
Royale Chuleta Devine and the new<br />
Emperor Imperial Crown Prince<br />
Royale Antonio T. Ventura to the<br />
throne. Queen Mother of New York<br />
Absolute Empress Coco Lachine made<br />
a glittering appearance as well. When<br />
the new empress was asked what her<br />
new title meant to her, she answered,<br />
“Right now it hasn’t sunk in for me.”<br />
The new emperor exclaimed, “I’m<br />
overwhelmed!”<br />
It was a marvelous production, a night<br />
of love, caring and bursts of color<br />
and eclectic magnificence. <strong>Get</strong> <strong>Out</strong>!<br />
magazine was proud as always to be<br />
included as a sponsor, and to support<br />
“Night of a Thousand Gowns.”
week in pictures >> BY WILSONMODELS / wilsonmodels.blogspot.com<br />
NIGHT OF 1000 GOWNS @ MARRIOTT MARQUIS