Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 493

week in pictures >> BY WILSONMODELS / wilsonmodels.blogspot.com
LECHE @ HUSH THURSDAY'S

BY EILEEN SHAPIRO
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT
MELISSA
ETHERIDGE
A “ONE WOMAN BAND” ON A “ONE WAY OUT” TOUR
@THE CITY WINERY IN NEWYORK
My Window” and “Ain’t
It Heavy”. Melissa has
been recognized for her
confessional lyrics and raspy
vocals, giving her soul to
touch the hearts of others.
Her most recent album, One
Way Out, was released last
year.
Iconic multi-Grammy winner
Melissa Etheridge will be
capturing the hearts of
fans and followers during
four intimate shows at
New York’s chic City
Winery. Available dates at
the moment are Monday
May 30, Tuesday May 31,
Thursday June 2, and Friday
June 3, all shows beginning
at 8 PM.
Melissa’s unconquerable
spirit stormed the ramparts
of success in 1988 with the
release of her self titled
album, which included
the song “Bring Me Some
Water”, and she followed
that with hits like “I’m
the Only One”, “Come to
Considered one of the
most quintessential female
singers of our time, Melissa
is also a celebrated activist,
announcing her sexual
identity when it wasn’t
cool to do so. After being
diagnosed with breast
cancer, she appeared on
the 2005 Grammys despite
having lost her hair from
chemotherapy. In the
process, she gave hope to
others who are afflicted with
the disease.
Each of Melissa’s City
Winery shows will be unique
unto itself. She will be
performing a very rare series
of intimate showcases, as
she explained during our
conversation.

INTERVIEW
Hello, Melissa. You
must be so excited
to be out on the road
now.
Being on the road is so
wonderful. It’s so nice
to see people again. It’s
so nice to see people
enjoying each other.
I think we don’t know
how important it is for
us to get together and
celebrate things like
music together and be
entertained.
I think we’re learning…
We’re learning the hard
way. Yeah.
What are some of the
things fans can look
forward to seeing in
your concerts?
This is a really special
show that I’m doing
there. It’s really unique.
The City Winery has
always wanted me to
come in and do multiple
shows for them because
it’s such a great little
performance space. So,
during the pandemic,
I really worked on
my one-woman band
thing. I’m doing all
this looping and I play
all the stuff myself
and create all these
background musical
loops. It’s what I did
during the pandemic. I
had Etheridge TV [a live
streaming platform] and
I would do five shows a
week. So this is a way
for me to actually get in
front of an audience and
do it. This is a rare thing.
I’m doing it here and
then I do another week
in Boston, and that’s all
I’m doing. so I’m really
happy about that.
So this will be a kind
of intimate, unplugged
thing?
Yeah. It’s unplugged
and there will be a lot
of me just playing the
guitar and singing. But
then there will be a
lot of tracks that I’ve
been building up live
on stage. If you don’t
know what that is, it
can be very musical. It’s
really exciting. But it is
very unplugged, so it’s
just me and the musical
instruments around me.
And other than that,
you’re out on tour with
a live band?
Yeah. The rest of the
tour is rock and roll. So
this is very intimate and
unique, and I probably
won’t be doing anything
like this again for quite
a while.
PHOTO CREDIT: ELIZABETH MIRANDA

Have you had your
ultimate stage fantasy?
Are you just talking
about stages or things
happening on the stage?
It’s your fantasy and
you can go wherever
you want with it.
Then that ultimate
fantasy probably hasn’t
happened. Do you know
what? I’m always looking
for unique opportunities.
I think more than the
stages, I think it’s about
the audience. Just how
connected they wanna
be or what they are
expecting, and that
I’ve found all over the
world in different places.
And New York City is
definitely one of those
places. You guys love
your music, you love rock
and roll, it’s just always
such a pleasure playing
in New York City.
There is no place like
New York. Will we be
lucky enough to hear
some new music from
you in the near future?
Oh, yeah. I’ll probably
play...Well, I don’t know
if it’s going to be new
music that you’ve never
heard, but man, my
catalog‘s deep. There’s
a lot of songs. I will
definitely be doing a
different show every
night. I’ve got to do
“Come to My Window”
every-night because
that’s the song…and
probably a few other hits.
But other than that, it’s
wide open as to what
I’m going to play. I’ll do
a different thing every
night.
Which night is the
best? I’m gonna come
to that one!
It will be the night you
come–that will absolutely
be the best. Each night
will be amazing. Usually,
my weekend nights are
a little bit more ruckus
in that people are more
willing to drink a little bit
more and stay up a little
later. But that doesn’t
mean that if you come
during the week, it’s
going to be any less. It’s
probably just going to be
more song-focused.
When you write a song,
what comes first. the
lyrics or the music?
That’s funny…that is
probably the most
asked question ever. It’s
because people want
to know, and you know
what? There is no answer.
There is no formula. No
“I sit down and make
the music and then I
make the words”. It is
always different. It always
starts from inspiration.
Inspiration can be an
idea about the song, it
can be lyrics, a couple of
lines come first and then
I think “Maybe I’ll put
something around that”.
It’s a feeling. As an artist,
you learn to recognize
the feeling. And then,
you like the energy in
it and you follow it.
Sometimes it’s music.

PHOTO CREDIT: ELIZABETH MIRANDA
Sometimes I’ll just be
playing around with the
guitar and something
comes out, and I think,
“Oh, I like that”. Then
you go from there. So
it’s always different, but
it’s always the inspiration
that comes first.
Is there anything that
you haven’t done that
you still want to do?
Yeah…sure…lots of stuff.
There’s lots of things
coming down the road.
I’m writing a book right
now. Oh, yeah, I’ve had
a few things happen in
my life that I kind of want
to talk about. They will
hopefully be inspiring.
And then there’s always
Broadway. I’d love to do
Broadway. We’re working
on that.
The last time we spoke,
you had not yet been
to Fire Island.
I have not. My wife says,
“Honey, of all the people
in the world, you should
go”, but I’ve never gone.
My wife says, “They’re
going to take away your
gay card“ because I’ve
never been there. Maybe
this is the time.
If I could ask you any
question on the planet,
what might it be?
Wow…That’s funny
because I have been
asked just about every
question in the whole
wide world. How do I
feel about my favorite
football team trading one
of my favorite players
today?
I like that question.
I’m saddened to see
one of the great wide
receivers, Tyreek Hill,
being traded to another
AFC team, Miami. But
I truly believe that our
quarterback, Patrick
Mahomes, is one of the
greatest quarterbacks
ever and that the Chiefs
will still rise to the
occasion. I’ll see them in
the playoffs. That’s my
answer.
Is there anything else
that you want to add?
You know what, I would
just like to emphasize
that even if you’ve seen
me before, especially if
you’ve seen me before,
you’re going to really
want to try to get to the
City Winery because
it’s a unique thing that I
won’t ever do much of,
and it’s going to be a real
special, intimate show.

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TOP 10
CURRENT
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
BIG ENERGY (REMIX) LATTO
MARIAH CAREY & DJ KHALED
SWEETEST PIE MEGAN THEE
STALLION & DUA LIPA
TWISTED MIND PURPLE DISCO
MACHINE & AGNES
CALL ME GABRY PONTE,
R3HAB & TIMMY TRUMPET
TELL IT TO MY HEART
MEDUZA FEAT. HOZIER
BOYS DON’T CRY
ANITTA
IN DA GETTO
J BALVIN & SKRILLEXJONES
USED TO KNOW ME
CHARLI XCX
LOVE AGAIN
CHANEY
THE MOTTO
TIESTO & AVA MAX
DJ
NICKY
FLASHBACKS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
TITANIUM (FUTURERAVE REMIX)
DAVID GUETTA & SIA
GROOVEJET (IF THIS AIN’T LOVE)
(PURPLE DISCO MACHINE REMIX) SPILLER
& SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR
GIMME! GIMME! GIMME!
(A MAN AFTER MIDNIGHT)(RALPHI ROSA-
RIO EDIT) CHER
I FEEL LOVE (ROLLO & SISTER BLISS
MONSTER MIX) DONNA SUMMER
PUSH IT
LOTUS, SALT-N-PEPA & SPYZER
TOCA’S MIRACLE
FRAGMA
WE BELONG TOGETHER (RE-
CONSTRUCTION CLUB EDIT) MARIAH C.
FROZEN (VICTOR CALDERONE
CLUB MIX) MADONNA
CAN’T GET BLUE MONDAY OUT
OF MY HEAD KYLIE MINOGUE
WAITING FOR TONIGHT (NICKY
BOOM BOX’S SPANGLISH MIX)
JENNIFER LOPEZ
WEEKLY APPEARANCES:
Mon -Queen4Queen & Drag Wars at Pieces 8pm-close
Tue -2Stupid Queens & Moore Lefleur at Pieces 8pm-close
Thur -Spunk at Monster 10pm-close I Fri -Industry 10pm-close
Sat -Sinful Saturdays w/Bootsie Lefaris at Pieces 10pm-close
Sun -Skinny Brunch w/Jasmine Rice Labeija & Brita Filter at Hardware 4pm-10pm

week in pictures >> BY WILSONMODELS / wilsonmodels.blogspot.com
COCKPIT @ THE Q
ISSUE #493
MELISSA
ETHERIDGE
PHOTO CREDIT:
Elizabeth Miranda
PUBLISHER MICHAEL TODD
MIKE@GETOUTMAG.COM
DESIGN AGOTA CORREA
AGOTA@GETOUTMAG.COM
CELEBRITY INTERVIEWER EILEEN SHAPIRO
@EILEENSHAPIRO3
NYC’S NIGHTLIFE AWARD WINNING BLOGGER/
WRITER & INTERVIEWER JIM SILVESTRI
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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BY JIM SILVESTRI
On Point With:
YOUNG YET SEASONED, KRYSTAL VERSACE
IS PART OF THE NEW “BRITISH INVASION”!
The youngest ever drag artist to win
a season of the RuPaul’s Drag Race
franchise, the then-19-year-old (now 20)
star of “Drag Race UK” Season 3, Krystal
Versace, is finally ready to meet her
adoring fans in public, care of her very first
world tour. Get ready, NYC! [Cover photo:
Scotti Bennett]
Interview >>>
Thanks for talking to us
today, Krystal! So, now
that some time has passed,
are you able to just enjoy
your Drag Race fame and
success or is everything
still so surreal and crazy?
Thanks for having me…Yeah,
it’s still very surreal. It’s been
very much an up and down
roller coaster. As Ru says,
“With a lot of power comes
a lot of responsibilities,” and
I have chosen to take the
harder route around things to
get the result I dreamed of.
I’m very excited for what’s to
come.
The level of looks and the
skill set you showcased
on your season were really
extraordinary, especially
when you factor in how
young you
were. Are there
any specific
sources you get
your fashion
inspiration
from?
I always have
known what looks
good on me.
I’ve always had
a clear vision of
my style and how I want to
present myself. I don’t have
one place where I get my
inspiration, but I get very
inspired by the people around
me.
You appeared in the “Drag
Performance” edition for
Charli XCX’s “Good Ones”
music video. What was that
experience like and are you
inspired now to put out
any original music of your
own?
It was a very exciting
experience, as I love Charli’s
take on music. You will have
to keep your eyes peeled, as
maybe something will come
up in the future.
Did you have a favorite
moment from your season
of Drag Race UK and are
you still in regular contact
with your castmates?
Yeah, we all keep in contact.
We have a WhatsApp group
where we all chat and try to
support each others’ shows
when we can. One of my
favorite moments on the
show was being praised by
RuPaul! Plus, lip syncing with
Vanity–even though I was in
the bottom.
You’re touring with Voss
Events’ “Drag Race UK:
British Invasion,” coming
to the U.S. in May, That
show also stars fellow UK
queens Baga Chipz, Divina
de Campo, Blu Hydrangea,
Tayce, A’Whora, Lawrence
Chaney and Cheryl Hole.
“Drag Race: UK vs. The
World” stars Lemon,
Pangina Heals and Janey
Jacké are along for the ride
as well. What do you all
have in store for us?
I personally can’t wait.
This is my first tour, and to
be working with Voss and
traveling the U.S. is quite
major. The cast is an amazing
bunch of girls, and I can’t
wait to tour with them all. And
obviously I’m going to bring
something new…we like to
constantly switch it up here.
Read full interview on Thotyssey.com | Follow @krystalversace

The “British
Invasion” comes
to New York’s
Terminal 5 on May
22nd. Have you ever
been here before…
and are there any
particular New York
queens that you
enjoy?
I’ve never been to
the U.S., so all of
this is very new to
me. I mean, I can’t
wait to meet them
all. For me, it’s a
total adventure, and
I’m ready to make
my stamp on the Big
Apple.
What else is coming
up for you that you
can share?
I’m currently creating
a sick show of my
own. That’s all you’re
getting for now.
Finally: What’s a
song or number
you can’t wait to
perform for the first
time?
I won’t be giving too
much away, as I have
major stuff coming for
my own show in the
summer. But anything
with a bangin’ beat
has my name all
over it.
Thanks, Krystal, and
belated congrats!
Thank you, Jeff!
getoutmag.com week in pictures
>> BY WILSONMODELS / wilsonmodels.blogspot.com
RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE SEASON 14 FINALE VIEWING PARTY
@ THE EDGE

PHOTO CREDIT: IG: @LOUGOPHOTO
Interview >>>
BY JIM SILVESTRI
Hola, Lala! How’s April treating
you?
Lala Wiggy: Really well so far.
I’ve been so busy. I didn’t even
realize that May is already right
around the corner!
Same! I really enjoyed your live
singing performances in the
“Lady Liberty” competition at
the Q this past season.
Thank you! Lady Liberty was
an amazing experience. I have
to admit that my first time doing
the competition, I was extremely
intimidated because I look at
Lady Liberty as the Drag Race of
the club competition scene; only
the best of the best can be found
there. So, going in, I wore all my
good shit and sang my best, most
rehearsed song, lol! I’m mainly a
live singing queen, so I’m glad I
chose to stay true to that for the
competition.
Tell us how Lala came to be.
Lala specifically was actually
LALA WIGGY IS
TAKING OVER NYC!
Florida-born drag performer Lala Wiggy is
gagging all the children with her luscious live
vocals and fabulous fashions. With a popular
weekly and a bunch of new showcases on
the way after just half a year of being a New
Yorker, she will make sure we will all be
Getting Wiggy With It pretty soon!
born out of my thesis in
college. Our final (and
biggest) assignment was
to write, produce, direct,
and costume our own
20-minute one-person
show. So I decided to
write about the biggest
struggle I’ve faced with
my identity. Times are
moving toward a more
“progressive” direction,
but when I was younger, I
got a lot of hate for being
gay. Then, as times went on and I
was in high school and especially
in college, the issue was no
longer that I was gay, it was that
I was too gay. I’m too feminine or
too into Lady Gaga, lol.
So I wrote a one person show
about Miss Lala Wiggy (Of
course, I got the name from
my grandmother telling all her
grandchildren that girls have
lalas and boys have wiggys), a
drag queen who was walking
home from her gig when she
was sexually harassed on the
sidewalk and beaten up. The play
begins as she walks in, but by the
end, her solution is to just run for
Mayor of NYC.
Drag was a way of no longer
getting the critique from my
professors that I am too gay
onstage, but rather to get some
actual feedback based on the
quality of work I put on.
You’ve been hosting karaoke
at Ñaño Ecuadorian Kitchen
in Hell’s Kitchen, more or less
since lockdown ended.
Read full interview on Thotyssey.com | Follow @lalawiggy
Yes! The gig came about
because I was Chicky Gorgina’s
guest on Halloween at her “Gorg
Brunch” there. I met the owner
of the restaurant, Abel Castro,
and I just dropped the idea for a
karaoke night in his lap. Then, a
few days later, he called me and
went through with the gig! I love
performing there, honestly–it’s
an intimate space, but the vibe
is excellent. Plus, I am able to
really connect with my audience
that way. Karaoke is my way of
basically hanging out with my
friends and my audience and
getting to know them…especially
since there is no stage separating
me from them, lol!
In May, you will be starring in
your very own stage show at
the Triad Theater called “Killer
Queen!”
This is actually the third
installment of my live cabaret
series at the Triad. I produce and
headline the show, so it’s become
my love child. It’s Saturday, May
7th. Doors at 9pm, showtime at
9:30. Official after party at Ñaño!
To close, the All-Winners cast
of Drag Race All-Stars has
recently been announced. Who
are you rooting for?
Jinkx, of course! Not only is
Season 5 my favorite season
(Season 3 being a close second),
but she is a Broadway-trained
singer like myself. So, it has to
be her!
Thanks, Lala!

BY EILEEN SHAPIRO
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT
PEPPERMINT
IS “THE RENAISSANCE QUEEN,” FROM
THE GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS TO HULU’S FILM “FIRE ISLAND”
A pioneering actor, singer, activist, and reality star,
Peppermint is a true renaissance queen.
Peppermint is celebrating the release of her new album,
“Moments of Weakness: Letters to My Lovers”, on April
22 via PEG Records/Warner Music Group/ADA. It is the
second in a trilogy of releases regarding the three stages
of Peppermint’s most recent relationship. She is also set
to host the 2022 GLAAD Media Awards, as well as being
nominated in the Outstanding Online Journalism category.
She can also be seen larger than life in the up-and-coming
Hulu original romcom “Fire Island” on June 3, alongside
comedian Margaret Cho. She has a few secrets as well...
Peppermint rose to dazzling heights as the first trans
contestant to appear on the award winning RuPaul’s Drag
Race (season 9), where she emerged as a runner-up. She
also became the first openly trans woman to play a lead
on Broadway, in Head Over Heels. Currently, she can
be seen on OUTtv’s Translation, a roundtable talk series
with former contestants of Drag Race. She continues
to perform sold out shows and is one of New York’s
nightlife’s most prominent figures.
INTERVIEW
HELLO, PEPPERMINT.
CONGRATULATIONS
ON ALL THE PROJECTS
YOU ARE DOING AT
THE MOMENT. YOUR
NEW RECORD HAS
JUST COME OUT…SO
PLEASE CONTINUE THE
TRILOGY?
It came out April
22. This one is a
continuation of the
trilogy. The first album
was about the beginning
of the relationship and
this album is basically
about the middle of
the relationship, where
things are going good
but then something
starts to change. So I
called it the beginning
of the beginning of the
end of the relationship.
It’s very interesting
because the first
album is obviously
very sweet and sort
of happy because it’s
the beginning of the
relationship. And even
though all of them are
definitely a nod to the
‘90s and early 2000
R&B music, this album
is very much straight
R&B. A lot of times, R&B
is about singing about
relationships, those
“Woe is me” type songs,
so this gives me the
chance to really lean into
that style. And I really
enjoy it.

I HEARD THE SONG
YOU DID WITH
JEROME BELL. VERY
COOL.
Yeah, ”Broken Home.” I
love that song so much.
It’s just a very different
style of music than I’ve
been doing prior to
this, and I was just so
happy to be able to
sing with Jerome. Oh,
my gosh, his voice is
ridiculous.
YOU WERE ASKED
TO HOST THIS YEARS
GLAAD AWARDS.
HOW DID THAT COME
ABOUT?
I’m super excited.
I’ve actually been to
a couple of GLAAD
Awards over the
years, and I’ve always
been a supporter of
GLAAD and closely
connected to them.
They called me this
year and asked me if
I would host. This is
right after they told me
that I was nominated,
so obviously, I said
yes. I have hosted a
GLAAD Awards before,
when they were in
San Francisco in 2019.
But that was a San
Francisco event and
it’s usually smaller. So
this will be a great
opportunity to see
some Broadway folks
and to be presented
as New York City
comes back from the
pandemic and be part
of a bigger and larger
presentation.
PHOTO CREDIT: ROBERT FRASHURE

People are used to
seeing me in a beersoaked
stage bar or
nightclub, but not a lot
of people in New York
are used to seeing me
in a fancy environment.
So I’m excited to be
able to show that side
to folks in New York.
ARE YOU NERVOUS?
Not yet. We still have a
few weeks, and I’m sure
it will settle in.
CONGRATULATIONS
ON BEING
NOMINATED AND
HOSTING AND ALSO
CONGRATULATIONS
ON THE FIRE ISLAND
MOVIE. THAT’S
REALLY EXCITING.
Oh, my gosh, i’m so
excited about this film.
it kind of happened by
happenstance. They
called me and asked if
I would come and do a
couple of scenes. And
obviously, I said yes. I
was just so impressed
by the cast. I wasn’t
there for every scene,
so I didn’t get to meet
every person, but Fire
Island is such a key part
of gay life and queer
life, especially in New
York and certainly in
the northeast. Even if
you haven’t been to
New York, you have
certainly heard stories
of Fire Island. I have
a girlfriend who lives
in Dublin and who is
the show hostess at
a popular bar called
the George, and she’s
been hosting me every
single time I’ve been
to Dublin. But the first
time she and I ever
met was on Fire Island
because she takes
annual trips to New
York and doesn’t even
go to the city. Just
Fire Island. So it’s so
much a part of so many
people’s lives, it’s high
time that there is a film
about Fire Island.
WHAT KIND OF ROLE
DO YOU PLAY?
I basically play myself.
We are at the Ice
Palace and there is a
drag show and I am
the entertainment.
I come and do the
show. Not to give too
many things away, but
two characters in the
movie have a little bit
of a connection and I’m
responsible for helping
that connection. I’m
sort of like the drag
fairy godmother or the
drag Cupid.
ASIDE FROM ALL
THESE EXCITING
THINGS, WHAT OTHER
PROJECTS ARE YOU
WORKING ON?
I’m right in the middle
of packing feverishly
to head to Canada
because I’m about to
film season two of Call
Me Mother. It’s a drag
reality competition. I
am one of the judges.
It’s a series that I think
some people may not
have seen, even though
we’re in season two.
It’s probably still new
to some people, which
is great because there
is an opportunity for
everybody to go and
binge watch season
one. It has folks in
drag, nonbinary, drag
kings etc. and we
divide them into three
houses and each house
has a mother. At the
end of each episode,
the mother of the
house that’s in the
bottom has to send
one of her own drag
children home. It gets
quite emotional and
quite tense.
BEING A RUPAUL
SUPERSTAR AND
HAVING BEEN
JUDGED, HOW DOES
IT FEEL ON THE
OTHER END?
It actually feels good.
I do think even before
going on Drag Race
I certainly had been
performing here for
many, many years. I’m
not considered new
by any means, and
so this allows me to
sort of use my drag
performances and
all the experiences
that I’ve had over the
decades to benefit
some people that
are newer to drag. I
would’ve loved to have
a drag queen who
had been on TV and
also did Broadway to
mentor me. Hopefully,
they will value that.
IS THERE ANYTHING I
LEFT OUT ?
That is pretty much
all the projects I’m
doing, although I
have a super secret
sort of tribute project
that I’m working on.
I can’t really say too
much about it, but for
anyone who knows me,
it’s the opportunity for
me to pay tribute to
my favorite artist.

BEEFY GO-GO BEARS, HOT DADDIES, CUBS, PUPS, SEXY
BEARS, BEARDED BOYS, LEATHERMEN, MUSCLEMEN,
CIRCUIT BOYS AND ALL THEIR ADMIRERS GATHER FOR A
MIX OF HIGH ENERGY BEATS WITH A LONDON
UNDERGROUND TWIST