THE FIGHT SOCAL'S LGBTQ MONTHLY MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019 | THE FIGHT 1

2 THE FIGHT | www.thefightmag.com

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THECONTENTS 

ON THE COVER 

& ON THIS PAGE 

OLLYWOOD 

COVER PHOTO, CONTENTS PHOTO 

& FEATURE PHOTO 

BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM 

FEATURES 

16 TRANS LIVES MATTER 

RALLY IN SUPPORT OF 

TRANS WOMEN 

22 FINDING YOUR PURPOSE 

SOCAL CLUB’S DEREK HAWKIN 

24 HE CAME, HE SAW, 

HE CONQUERED 

AN INTERVIEW WITH 

OLLYWOOD 

28 HAVING BABIES 

HRC FERTILITY’S 

DR. DIANA CHAIKIN 

30 MENTAL HEALTH & 

SUBSTANCE ABUSE 

WE ARE MUCH MORE 

THAN A DIAGNOSIS 

34 NEVER GIVE UP 

CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY 

PETER PERKOWSKI 

36 STAND BY ME 

STRAIGHT, MUSLIM COMEDIAN 

MONA SHAIKH 

38 MESS YOUR HAIR UP 

STEWART TAYLOR 

RELEASES NEW SINGLE 

DEPARTMENTS 

10 THE TALK 

12 THE NATION 

14 THE CITY 

20 THE ROSTOW REPORT 

32 THE SHARE 

40 THE ART 

41 THE PROFILE 

42 THE EVENT 

44 THE CALENDAR 


WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK 

A safe space for gay, bi and trans youth 

PEP is an emergency medication that 

can stop HIV infection when taken 

within 72 hours of exposure. 

in South L.A. 

At Men’s Health Foundation, we offer 

same-day PEP appointments and 

free or low-cost medication. 

Call our 24-hour PrEP/PEP hotline 

at 310-721-0255 to learn more. 

EMPOWERMENT. 

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Call us to learn more: 323-905-5675. 

8601 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, 90003 / Walk-in hours: Monday-Friday, 12-8PM / @SoCalClubLA SEPTEMBER 2019 / SoCalClubLA.org 

| THE FIGHT 7

THEEDITOR 

>> IN THIS ISSUE

WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK 

PEP is an emergency medication that 

can stop HIV infection when taken 

within 72 hours of exposure. 

At Men’s Health Foundation, we offer 

same-day PEP appointments and 

free or low-cost medication. 

Call our 24-hour PrEP/PEP hotline 

at 310-721-0255 to learn more. 

9201 W. Sunset Blvd. Suite 812, 

Los Angeles, Ca. 90069 

@MensHealthFound 

MensHealthFound.org 


THETALK 

>> WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF THE LOS ANGELES LGBT CENTER 

JOIN US FOR a showcase of music, comedy, storytelling and performance 

commemorating a half-century of struggles and historic victories of 

the Center and the entire LGBT community. 

FEATURING 

Sia Rufus Wainwright Lily Tomlin Kathy Griffin 

Jane Fonda 

Tig Notaro 

Nico Santos 

Ty Herndon 

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Theatre Saturday 

september 

lalgbtcenter.org/gala 

SPONSORED BY: 


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You You are are a beautiful soul that deserves to to be be heard heard and and accepted. accepted. 

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We at Hillside want you to have a safe, to inclusive be space to do so. 

This You 

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MONA SHAIKH

The #March4TransEquality weekend will 

begin Friday night September 27, 2019 

with the Torch Award Ceremony 

honoring TGNC/NB leaders for 

their more than 15 years of 

national service. 

The ceremony will take place at the Crystal 

Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. Recently, 

the #March4Transequality was recognized 

by The United States Library of Congress 

for the website for inclusion in the library’s 

historic collection of internet materials 

related to the LGBTQ+ Politics & Political 

Candidates Web Archives. 

Registration for the National Trans Visibility March is suggested, but not 

required. Donations from all in any amount are welcome. Donations of 

at least $25 will receive a National Trans Visibility March t-shirt and other 

items. The Torch Awards are a separate, ticketed event. For more 

information, register for the NTVM or purchase tickets to The Torch 

Awards please go to transmarchondc.org. Make your pledge today 

with the National Transgender Community and become a partner 

in the first visible #March4TransEquality historic movement to 

come to our nation’s capital! 

DONATE: transmarchondc.org/donate/ 

SPONSOR: transmarchondc.org/sponsorship/ 


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THEROSTOWREPORT 

>> BY ANN ROSTOW

Insta 

>> TOUCHING ANECDOTE • BREAKING THE NEWS • JUDGE NOT • THE BEAT GOES ON

COVER INTERVIEW

DEREK HAWKINS

OLLYWOOD

COVER FEATURE

COVER FEATURE

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Saturday, Oct. 12, Irvine 

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THANK YOU, SPONSORS 

OCRA raises awareness and funds to provide critical services for 

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HAVING 

BABIES 

Dr. 

Diana Chavkin, is a boardcertified 

fertility specialist 

who helps people build 

families. Having struggled 

with her own infertility, sheknows the 

value of a compassionate, transparent and 

effective medical team. She sees patients 

at HRC Fertility in West Los Angeles. 

In an interview with THE FIGHT Dr. 

Chavkin talks about fertility options for 

LGBTQ+ people. 

What general points you would 

consider most important to know 

when considering parenthood as an 

LGBTQ+ person or couple? 

It’s important to think about having a 

child as early as possible since fertility 

declines with age. Anyone considering 

taking hormones to alter their voice or 

appearance should consider the impact 

that it might have on their fertility and so 

should consider early fertility preservation 

in the form of either sperm freezing, egg 

freezing or embryo freezing. 

If an assigned male person is going to 

take estrogen that may alter their sperm 

production, freezing sperm in advance 

would be wise. 

Same goes for testosterone for an 

assigned female person. This will likely 

impair their ability to ovulate, so preserving 

fertility with egg freezing would be wise. 

Be your own advocate. Don’t wait for a 

referral. And make sure you are comfortable 

first and foremost with your doctor…at 

my office I make sure to see my 

patients every time they come in. For all 

patients this is an emotional journey. 

HRC Fertility’s Dr. Diana Chaikin on 

fertility options for LGBTQ+ people. 

BY GREY CROUCH 

DR. DIANA 

CHAVKIN, 

HRC FERTILITY 

There have been vast advancements 

in the field of conception options for 

HIV+ individuals. Could you explain 

the risks and precautions for IVF and 

other birthing methods as a seroconverted 

parent? 

HIV can affect hormone production like 

estrogen and progesterone which can 

sometimes affect one’s ability to become 

pregnant particularly if CD4 counts are low. 

CD4 cells (also known as CD4+ T cells) 

are white blood cells that fight infection. ... 

As HIV infection progresses, the number 

of these cells declines. When the CD4 

count drops below 200, a person is diagnosed 

with AIDS. A normal range for CD4 

cells is about 500-1,500. 

Risks are, of course, related to the concern 

for possible infection of a child. This 

is actually mostly theoretical however 

since the risks are very low as long as the 

viral load is low and a person is compliant 

with their medications. There are also 

precautions taken in the IVF laboratory for 

HIV + patients. 

However, due to the potential increased 

fertility issues that may ensue, it’s important 

to think about fertility perhaps earlier 

than they might otherwise.” 

Where do you see the future in research 

and availability for LGBTQ+ 

people exploring the option to 

HAVE A CHILD? Is there anything 

we haven’t asked that you would 

like to share? 

Reciprocal IVF is very common for 

same-sex women interested in playing 

a part in the conceiving process. This is 

where one woman has her eggs retrieved 

and is the genetic mother. But then the 

embryo that is created is transferred to 

the other woman who carries the child. 

Donor sperm could be used in that case. 

There is also extensive research on trying 

to retrieve eggs from tissue that would 

allow us to get hundreds or thousands of 

eggs from a piece of tissue rather than 

having to do an egg harvest. 

All of the technology, all the education, 

all the advancements that we have are to 

help people become parents if they want 

to. To not make it accessible to a group of 

people who absolutely need our help in 

the process, seems crazy to me. 

For more information, visit Dr. Chavkin’s next 

free seminar: Thursday, September 26, 2019 

6:30pm–8:00pm, at HRC West LA, 11500 West 

Olympic Boulevard, Suite 504, West Los 

Angeles, CA 90064. 


A FREE EVENT 

RODEO SCHOOL 

OPEN TO ALL 

STARTS AT 10AM 

REGISTRATION 

FOR CONTESTANTS 

BEGINS AT 6PM 

WWW.NGRA.COM 

HRC Fertility 

is passionate about 

helping the LGBTQ 

community achieve 

your dreams of 

parenthood. 

Have A Question? 

(818) 788-7288 

Call one of our expert 

staff specialists. 

@HRCFertilityEncinoWestlake 

@HRCFertilityWestLosAngeles 

@hrc_fertility_encino 

# 

#ivfsupport #ivfcommunity 

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www.havingbabies.com 


We are much more than a 

diagnosis. Doing your research, 

finding proper treatment and 

enjoying your life more fully. 

BY JAMES GUAY, LMFT 

Many of us have witnessed or 

experienced firsthand some 

form of mental illness and/ 

or addiction. While this kind 

of psychological and emotional pain is 

common enough for us to have some 

level of familiarity with it, it’s even more 

common in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, 

transgender and queer community. Why 

is this and what can be done about it? 

Nick, in the late 1990’s, had HIV for over 

a decade and was one of the unlucky ones 

where the life-saving protease-inhibitors 

didn’t work for him. The first day I met him, 

he was in the hospital from AIDS-related 

wasting syndrome and was having his feet 

rubbed by a well-known politician. He was 

a force to be reckoned with, articulate and 

had been involved in politics as a gay activist 

fighting stigma around HIV and AIDS. 

To withstand the long days and late nights 

fighting for his community he used methamphetamine 

to keep up his energy and reduce 

his depression. Nick had been diagnosed as 

having a triple diagnosis (HIV, an addiction to 

speed and a mental illness). 

While the above is a composite of several 

of my first clients (to protect their confidentiality), 

it’s an example of the resiliency, 

strength and pain that we have felt as a community 

for decades. Mental illness and addiction 

are not intrinsic to being LGBTQ but they 

are a natural result of living in a society that 

is sometimes intolerant and even hateful toward 

us. Thankfully, we are much more than 

a diagnosis. We try to survive, thrive and do 

the best we can under sometimes enormous 

pressures for us to be different than who we 

are. THE FIGHT is real. 


PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS 

According to a 2015 national survey conducted 

by the Substance Abuse and Mental 

Health Services Administration lesbian, gay 

or bisexual adults have a much higher rate 

of substance use and mental health issues 

than the heterosexual population. One of their 

findings, for example, was that 39.1 percent of 

LGB adults used illicit drugs in the past year 

when compared with 17.1 percent of the heterosexual 

population. Also, 37.4 sexual minority 

adults had any mental illness as compared 

with 17.1 percent of the heterosexual adult 

“YOU DESERVE TO 

LEARN HEALTHIER 

COPING STRATEGIES, 

HEAL OLD WOUNDS, 

LEARN MORE ABOUT 

YOURSELF AND HOW 

TO BETTER NAVIGATE 

A SOMETIMES 

HOSTILE WORLD.” 

population. These numbers break out even 

further as it relates to age, race and ethnicity. 

Rates for mental health issues and addiction 

are also staggering for the transgender community. 

According to the 2015 US Transgender 

Survey Report, 39% of respondents experienced 

serious psychological distress in the 

month before taking the survey with 40% 

having attempted suicide in their lifetime, almost 

nine times the rate of the US population. 

Transgender women of color face the most 

pervasive forms of discrimination that have a 

direct impact on their health and well-being. 

There are multiple reasons why there’s a 

higher prevalence of substance use and addictions 

in our LGBTQ Community. The obvious 

overarching explanation is minority stress 

experienced with being scapegoated by society 

for our differences. We have been demeaned, 

devalued, ridiculed, patronized, blamed, incessantly 

criticized, and have also experience 

cultural sexual shaming for our very beingness. 

These are all qualities of an abusive relationship 

that we’ve been forced to experience first-hand 

or as a byproduct of being an oppressed minority. 

Who wouldn’t feel depressed, anxious or 

have a myriad of other mental health issues as 

a result of being in a toxic relationship that you 

can’t fully insulate yourself from and is ongoing? 

When we want to feel relief, a sense of 

belonging, pleasure, or confidence we can 

turn to a temporary fix outside of ourselves, 

drugs. Illegal and prescription drugs can be 

used in ways that medicate and/or increase 

our psychological/emotional distress. At their 

best, they can give a temporary reprieve from 

what ails us in order to look more deeply at 

the underlying causes, to treat these. They can 

show us a window into what’s possible so that 

we can have this without them. At their worst, 

they can become a nightmare that adds additional 

shame, isolation and self-rejection. 

TREATMENT APPROACHES 

So what is the best treatment approach for 

dual diagnosis in the LGBTQ Community? 

One size definitely does NOT fit all when 

it comes to our needs as a community. 

There are several options when it comes to 

treatment of addictions: support groups, outpatient 

treatment, inpatient treatment, detox 

and residential care. Which one will work 

best really depends on finding the right fit 

with where someone is at and the particular 

treatment programs involved. 

While the twelve-step recovery program 

works great for many and certainly has the largest 

amount of groups of any treatment program, 

others find it further perpetuates their shame 

or is overall unhelpful (some estimates of its 

effectiveness are as low as 5%—8% of those 

who participate). There are also other treatment 

approaches that work better for some: like Harm 

Reduction, SMART Recovery, LifeRing Secular 

Recovery, and Moderation Management. 

Similarly to recovery programs, there are 

also many approaches to providing psychotherapy 

including: Cognitive-Behavioral 

Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, 

Humanistic Therapy, Narrative Therapy and 

Hakomi Therapy. However, the single most 

important factor of effective psychotherapy is 

not the treatment approach but the relationship 

between therapist and client. This 

transformational relationship can provide 

the safety, support, validation and guidance 

that’s too often missing for LGBTQ people. 

Being a good consumer of mental health and 

addiction services means doing your research. 

Unfortunately, all too often I see conversion 

therapists masquerading by “specializing with 

the LGBTQ community,” but would rather 

change the client to becoming cis-gender and 

straight, something that has been deemed ineffective, 

harmful and dangerous by mental health 

and medical professional associations. 

Lastly, finding a therapist and/or treatment 

program requires these services to not only 

be LGBTQ-friendly but actually knowledgable, 

in order to get the most effective care. 

It’s not your job to pay for a service but then 

end up spending too much time educating 

them about what it means to be LGBTQ. You 

deserve to learn healthier coping strategies, 

heal old wounds, learn more about yourself 

and how to better navigate a sometimes 

hostile world. You deserve to thrive, love and 

enjoy your life more fully. 

James Guay, Licensed Marriage 

and Family Therapist (#39252), has 

provided individual and couples 

counseling in private practice 

since 1999. A former elite Gymnast and life-long 

lover of nature, he focuses his social justice 

activism for the LGBTQ population. Digital 

content available at: www.livingmorefully.com. 

Instagram: @jamesguaylmft 


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COVER INTERVIEW

PETER PERKOWSKI

MONA SHAIKH

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THEART 

>> LGBTQ ARTISTS

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>> MOSAIC WELLNESS

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Everyone is welcome. 

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and discover our special LGBT itinerary covering destinations over all 

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LENNIE ROMAN 

GENERAL 

MANAGER 

“As the new general manager of 

NEW CENTURY HONDA GLENDALE, 

I would like to extend a very warm 

welcome to my brothers and sisters 

in the LGBTQ community. If you’re in 

the market for a new car but dread the 

hassle of the typical macho “hard sell” 

sales approach—please consider us. 

We will help you find the car of your 

dreams within your budget.” 

—Lennie Roman, GM, 

New Century Honda Glendale 

JOSE NAVARRO 

INTERNET SALES 

TONY LOPEZ 

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MANAGER 

Call: 833-707-2506 

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THE FIGHT SOCAL'S LGBTQ MONTHLY MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2019

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