Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 433 August 28, 2019

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ISSUE #433
AUGUST 28 2019
COVER: TINA BURNER
HAIR: CHELSEA PIERS
DRESS: ANTHONY
MANFERDONIA
PHOTO CREDIT: JMA
PUBLISHER MICHAEL TODD
MIKE@GETOUTMAG.COM
DESIGN AGOTA CORREA
AGOTA@GETOUTMAG.COM
CONTRIBUTOR THOMAS WHITFIELD
THOMASTALKSABOUT@GMAIL.COM
CONTRIBUTOR IAN-MICHAEL BERGERON
@IANMICHAELINWONDERLAND
CELEBRITY INTERVIEWER EILEEN SHAPIRO
@EILEENSHAPIRO3
NIGHTLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER WILSONMODELS
JEASO86@HOTMAIL.COM
The publications of MJT/GOOTH ENTERTAINMENT, getoutmag.com or any
other related print or Web publications or social media accounts, their images,
quotations or articles should not be construed to be an indication of the sexual
orientation of anyone portrayed therein.
All Content © Copyright 2019
MJT/GOOTH ENTERTAINMENT
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GET OUT OF THE HOUSE ENTERTAINMENT EST. 2009

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TO PREVENT HIV
PrEP is a safe, daily pill that reduces
your risk of HIV. Use condoms to
protect against other sexually
transmitted infections.
PrEP is available regardless of your
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Talk to your doctor or visit nyc.gov/health
and search "PrEP."
Health
Health
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Mayor
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Commissioner
Bill de Blasio
Mayor
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Commissioner

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BY EILEEN SHAPIRO
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT
Tina Burner
Queen of Comedy
TINA BURNER DRESS: FLORENCE D’LEE PHOTO: JMA
Undoubtedly one of the funniest queens on the Fire Island and
New York nightlife scene, Tina Burner is always working. In
September she will be relinquishing her title of Miss Fire Island
and presenting the treasured crown to a new winner.
A favorite on Fire Island, she’s bold, brave, unfiltered and
extremely funny. Currently working on a new one-woman show
amongst a full schedule of work, I was able to share questions
and answers with her.

HAIR: IN2GR8TION DRESS: DAVID DALRYMPLE PHOTO: JMA
INTERVIEW
What has it been like
holding the title of Miss
Fire Island this year, and
are you sad or excited to
be giving it up?
It’s been an honor to be
part of such a legacy, and
considering it’s a beauty
pageant, it was nice to feel
pretty. All good things must
come to an end, but I can
still fall asleep staring at my
crown on a shelf.

HAIR: IN2GR8TION DRESS: DAVID DALRYMPLE PHOTO:JMA

Do you remember the emotions
that you experienced when you
found out that you had won?
Since this was my third time doing it,
my only emotion was thinking, “It’s
about fucking time!”
What other titles do you hold, and
what are the titles you hope to
hold in the future?
I’m a former Miss Hell’s Kitchen,
Miss Cherries and Miss Industry,
to name a few. And I’m currently
competing at nationals for Miss
Comedy Queen!
What inspired you to first do drag,
and why are you influenced by
Tina Turner?
I wanted to do a job where I can
drink and dress as a woman. Have
you seen my legs?! Tina Turner
is one of the strongest women;
to overcome so many things and
rise to the top is something I find
inspirational.
Are you currently working on any
projects that you would like to
talk about?
I’m currently writing my second
one-woman show called “Kristian
Mingle” where I’m going to spill all
the tea about my past relationships.
So buckle up buttercup, it’s going to
be a bumpy ride.
Where and when can people
see Tina Burner?
MONDAY 11 p.m.
SHOWS at Industry
WEDNESDAY 11 p.m.
Gurlesque at Barracuda
THURSDAY 11 p.m.
Star Search at Barracuda NYC, the
longest-running drag competition
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
Brunch at Maria Pia
SATURDAY 8 p.m.
Hardware
FRIDAY 11 p.m.
Gurlesque at Cherry’s Fire Island
(until the summer season is over)
SUNDAYS 5 p.m.
Shipwreck Sundays
(until the summer season is over)
If you could have me ask you any
question, what would it be and how
would you answer it?
“How do you tuck away such an enormous
penis?” “I actually only have one leg…”
What is your ultimate dream?
To not die with a face on.
HAIR: IN2GR8TION DRESS: FLORENCE D’LEE PHOTO: YASMIN DELANO

BY IAN-MICHAEL BERGERON
@ianmichaelinwonderland
Last week I was in Iowa for my friend
Jacob’s wedding.
I met Jacob my freshman year while
attending Coe College. Jacob went
to the University of Iowa, a 30-minute
drive away, and was working at the
Abercrombie & Fitch in Coral Ridge Mall
when I started in the fall of 2008.
(The store is now gone, as is the one in
Jordan Creek that I worked at through
my high school years. Everything
changes.)
We weren’t quick
friends, I imagine,
because he was in
the closet. I told
everyone, “If he says
he’s straight, then
he’s straight—and
there’s nothing more
to be said about
it.” Of course, I
suspected (as they
did) that there was
much more to be
said about it, but
knew that he would
say it when he saw
fit.
And he did, a few
years later, after I’d
left Abercrombie
& Fitch to be a
manager at a Joann
Fabrics (which has
since moved to a bigger location down
the street. Everything changes). When
my fiancé left me in 2011, Jacob was
there for me, always there to listen,
always there to make sure I didn’t drink
too much (“too much,” I’ll admit, is
open to interpretation). We’d go out to
Studio 13, the gay bar in Iowa City (a
younger crowd than Cedar Rapids Basix,
now called “Belle’s Basix” after drag
queen Pretty Belle bought it. Everything
changes).
Iowa brought back all kinds of nostalgia,
stories that I couldn’t possibly fit into 500
words here. I’ll focus on Jacob’s afterparty.
After we watched him tie the knot,
Nostalgia
after eating delicious food and drinking
delicious drinks, after dancing away, my
boyfriend James and I made our way
back to our hotel to change. I kept on the
black lace Diane Von Furstenberg shirt I’d
bought for the occasion, pairing it with
leather shorts and flip flops instead of the
matching lace pants and leather shoes.
(Short-shorts and flip-flops were my go-to
in college. Not everything changes.)
It was the alleyway next to the bar that
brought me back. The wall had a mural
on brick, faces and flowers—had it
always had that, I
wondered, or was
this too something
new? I couldn’t
remember; I’d
never paid enough
attention to the wall.
I didn’t spend so
many evenings in
that alleyway to gaze
at street art. I did
so to get away and
think.
After drinking
too many drinks
and talking to too
many people, I’d
end up here to
have a cigarette
and think. I guess
I thought myself
deep, smoking
and thinking in my
private little alcove.
Often, whether from
chemical imbalance or just too much
vodka, I’d go there to cry.
I remember once, upon finding out that
said ex fiancé had slept with one of my
best friends, I ran out of the bar and
sobbed in the alleyway. Said best friend
followed me out: He never did give me
an explanation, just kissed me and took
me back to his apartment.
I stood in the alleyway thinking of all
my nights there, all the things I thought
there, all the boys I cried over. Maybe
everything does change. I certainly have.
Visiting home was a good reminder
of this: where I came from, but more
importantly, how far I’ve come.

691 Tenth Avenue Off West 47 th Street NYC
Across from Hell’s Kitchen Park
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BY JOHN STEIN
JUSTIN UTLEY
REVEALS HIS BEAUTIFUL SCARS
PHOTO CREDIT: RYAN BAKERINK
THE OUT SINGER
PERFORMS SONGS FROM
HIS UPCOMING ALBUM IN
NYC
“At this point in my musical
journey, the gloves are off,”
declares OUTMusic Awardwinning
singer-songwriter Justin
Utley. “There was a time for
playing it safe, but I’ve come to
a space where I am no longer
satisfied with the status quo,
musically and personally. I don’t want to spend time placating
and catering to the willful ignorance and self-induced biases
of people, especially to those who have the power to spark
change and shape a better life for LGBTQ youth.”
Utley, a former devout Mormon who was forced to undergo
two years of faith-based conversion therapy—even taking
medications prescribed to help suppress his “homosexual
urges”—is about to release his next album, “Scars.” It is being
called one of the most heartfelt, brutally honest, thoughtprovoking
and vulnerable collection of songs ever produced
by the out singer, depicting his experience with discrimination,
religious bullying, suicide and his own internal homophobia.
He performs tracks from the album, including his current
hit single, “Survivors,” at Triad Theatre in NYC on Saturday,
September 14.

INTERVIEW
It’s been a wild summer for you.
This summer has been exceptional.
We’ve seen incredible progress to ban
conversion therapy across the United
States and beyond. It’s a movement
that has built tremendous momentum,
and it’s important to me. I’ve been able
to participate in many discussions and
fundraisers across the country, and
have met some of the most tireless and
dedicated volunteers in the process.
They inspire me a lot. Combine that
with releasing one of the most exciting
and heartfelt projects I’ve worked on.
The album releases September 10,
and it’s been getting a lot of hype,
not just for its important messaging
on surviving conversion therapy but
also for its sound.
I began working with a new producer
and songwriter named Taylor Hartley
two years ago. He’s a Utah native and
has been through the same religious
experience as me. He has a fantastic
ear for dance and pop, and when
we started collaborating, it became
apparent that we had a pretty incredible
and unique combination. He’s pushed
me lyrically, vocally and musically, and
it’s been exciting to explore this new
side of my sandbox I didn’t realize I
had. Even the more somber songs on
“Scars” are intense and have a quicker
tempo. I’ve really focused on keeping
this album anthemic and pop-driven. It’s
been a refreshing change for me.
What impact has your experience
with conversion therapy had on your
life?
It created hurdles of trust and intimacy
on multiple levels. I’ve met and even
dated other men who have been
through it, too, and years later, they’re
still unable to have a normal relationship
since anything that would have included
being gay as part of their identity has
been vilified, stripped of its integrity,
broken down and compartmentalized as
a condition. Years later, I am still trying
to come off one of the medications I
was prescribed. We’ve tried switching
the medication, and it does not go
well. So, every day I take a pill that is
a reminder of the lie I was legally sold
by an unregulated, religiously biased,
licensed therapist.

Have you left the Mormon church?
Yes, but my sexuality had little to do with me leaving my
Mormon faith, to be honest. It was a catalyst to me digging
deeper into its problematic history that had been purposely
hidden from me; challenging the statements of those who
claimed they had authority to speak directly for God; and
even just simply asking “why,” and never getting a clear,
honest answer or explanation instead of
excuses or convoluted justifications. Love
is of God, and God is love. If religious
teachings or policies don’t fall within that,
then it’s not of God. Scriptures included.
Besides your
music, what
fulfills you
today?
I’m working
closely with
a number of
organizations and
mental health
professionals
to provide
a significant
resource for
survivors of
conversion
therapy, in the
many different
places they may
be in life. It’s
something that I
know would have
helped me in my
journey, so I hope
it will be a source
of hope and
healing to many
others out there.
Do you remain a person of faith?
I am a humanist. I believe that the power
of God is in each of us. We have the power
to create, change, build and destroy. It
isn’t up to someone in the sky to help
people in need. It’s up to us. We have that
capability. It’s just a matter of discovering it,
ignoring the noise of people who want to
control where our attention and money go,
and to start using our lives for something
good, instead of standing by, watching in
complicity.
JUSTIN UTLEY PERFORMS TRIAD THEATRE IN NYC (158 W 72ND STREET) ON
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, AT 9 P.M. TICKETS AT TRIADNYC.COM. HIS NEW
ALBUM, “SCARS,” RELEASES SEPTEMBER 10. VISIT JUSTIN UTLEY’S WEBSITE
AT JUSTINUTLEY.COM. FOLLOW HIM ON INSTAGRAM @JUSTINUTLEY AND
FACEBOOK @JUSTINUTLEYMUSIC.

THOMAS
TALKS
ABOUT: THE OTHER
I started taking PrEP a
couple weeks ago. I’m
still using condoms.
I’ve heard some rumors
about how long you
have to take it before
it’s effective, but I’m
unsure and don’t want
to screw it up. The side
effects also haven’t
been awesome, but I’m
dealing with them and
hoping they go away. I
guess I’m still deciding
if I want to continue
taking it or not. I’m
also still scared about
the potential for HIV,
like, it’s scary. I feel
conflicted about it all,
and now I see these
ads about some lawsuit
and I don’t want to hurt
my body. What should I
do? -Male, Gay, 22
You’ve started a new
medication, and you’re
concerned about the
long-term effects on
your body. This is one
of the reasons that
people are required to
go to their doctor for
check-ups every three
months. We don’t
know the long-term
consequences, that’s
true. PrEP can take up
to 28 days to reach
full effectiveness in a
person’s body; however,
there are other dosing
strategies available,
like intermittent PrEP
use, that have similar
effectiveness when
done properly. There is
also some research that
shows PrEP use leads
to decreases in sexual
anxiety (fears around
HIV transmission), and
it is recommended
that people on
PrEP continue using
condoms; it’s intended
to be a backup (not
that everyone views it
that way). Talk to your
provider about your
concerns. If you’re using
condoms consistently,
PrEP might be overkill.
WTF is everyone’s
problem with PrEP?!
I’m seriously starting
to get pissed off. I hear
people making fun of
guys on PrEP all the
time now, and I’m sick
of it. Since when is
taking care of my health
a bad thing? It’s even
starting to come from
my sexual partners, like
them questioning if I’m
a good person to have
sex with because I’m on
PrEP. I honestly never
LITTLE BLUE PILL
had this problem when
I wasn’t using condoms,
but now I’m not using
condoms and on PrEP
and there is an issue.
I’m not sure if I have a
question or just venting.
FRUSTRATED! -Male,
Gay, 32
There is growing
literature around PrEP
stigma, or negative
thoughts and views
associated with PrEP
use. People who
experience more PrEP
stigma are less likely
to begin taking PrEP,
or even stop taking
it. Ultimately, those
who are making fun
of you for taking it are
stigmatizing the use
and contributing to the
spread of HIV. You’re
not alone in feeling
like people are talking
about you or saying
negative things about
PrEP. I agree with you,
it’s a sexual health
behavior and should be
taken seriously. If I were
you, I’d try to remind
yourself why you’re on
it, what the benefits are
for you and don’t focus
on what those around
you say. You can be an
advocate for PrEP use
if you want, but it’s also
not your job to make
sure everyone agrees
with you.
Sex/Love/Relationship advice? Send your questions to: ThomasTalksAbout@gmail.com
@ThomasWhitfield84