Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 500

ISSUE #500
COVER:
SPUNK
PHOTOGRAPHER:
STEVEN MENENDEZ
PUBLISHER MICHAEL TODD
MIKE@GETOUTMAG.COM
DESIGN AGOTA CORREA
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BY MIKE BAHR
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Courtney Act Spills Delicious Tea in New Memoir
Behind Courtney Act’s rise to global fame is a story of searching for
and finding oneself. The Drag Race season six star’s new memoir,
Caught in the Act, is a hilarious, often scandalous and at times
heartbreaking peek into her experiences in developing a greater
understanding of gender, sexuality and identity.
Courtney (male name: Shane Jenek)
writes about growing up in the ‘80s
and ‘90s and how her adolescent
angst was pitted against the love
of her traditionally wholesome
parents. She shares tales of the
thrill in discovering drag and
digs into the seedier side of
her adventures, including
dabbling in meth and
engaging in multiple
sexual encounters
with a broad
spectrum
of sexualities
and genders.
There’s lots of
Drag Race tea
spilled, too; like
her shaky
introduction to
Adore Delano and
oh, the time
RuPaul blocked
her on Twitter.
We caught up
with Courtney
from her home
in Sydney,
Australia.
PHOTO CREDIT: JOSEPH SINCLAIR

INTERVIEW
It is often said that
writing a memoir is
therapy for the author.
How true is that?
Courtney Act: Oh, yes,
writing Caught in the Act
was the deepest childhood
regression therapy ever!
For over a year, I sat
immersed in remembering
and writing about the
most informative events
of my life. It was incredibly
cathartic. Reflecting on old
memories helped to bring
a better understanding of
many of the incidents, but
with an adult perspective.
Like when you recount
the handsome, blonde
high school senior boy
that stopped the kids
from bullying you?
I didn’t realize the impact
that moment had on my
life until writing the book!
His standing up for me in
my time of need was often
a memory that circled
around in my brain, but
only popped up every once
in a while. I’m surprised
he made it into the book,
honestly, but it proves how
impactful that young boy’s
act of kindness was to me.
What did you learn about
yourself from writing
Caught in the Act?
When I was younger, I
was intoxicated by the
idea of fame and notoriety.
It filled a void for my
insecurity and shame and
my unexamined feelings
of gender, sexuality
and identity. As I have
matured, I have turned
more outward and have
begun to focus on how I
can be of service to the
world and improve the
lives of others. I want
to be that handsome,
blonde high school senior
that stood up for young
me. I have come to learn
that empathy does not
come from understanding
someone else’s story
and experience. It comes
from not being able to
understand, but still
believing what someone
tells you. Real allyship is
caring for people outside
of your bubble.
It’s incredible that a
young kid was able to
make such an impact on
someone’s life.
And that he understood
something that it took me
30 years to learn.
Some never learn.
Some never will, sadly.
I had a similar journey
with understanding my
own gender, sexuality
and identity. Initially, the
labels I adopted helped
me to find a place that
felt most right for me.
However, those labels
began to feel limiting. I
came to understand that
labels can’t describe
every human experience.
Whichever way my gender,
sexuality and identity
express themselves at a
particular time is me at that
moment, and it’s correct.
Has being a celebrity
helped or made the
process more difficult?
Being in the public eye
is not something I would
wish on anyone, unless
they have a dream of
being something bigger
than themselves. Like,
as Courtney Act, I want
a band and sequined
costumes and dancers…
and all that costs a lot
of money! You need
a big auditorium filled
with people to pay for
that shit. So, the loss of
anonymity is worth it for
me. But whenever I see
someone going on one
of the reality shows with
no purpose except to be
famous, I always want to
tell them, ‘Don’t do it! It’s
not worth it!’ There are
better ways than fame
to find happiness and
contentment. Invest in
friends and family and find
real purpose.
What have you gained
from reality TV fame?
I have a lot to be thankful
for. My friendships with
Bianca, Adore and
Darienne on Drag Race.
I love them. Also, winning
Celebrity Big Brother was
so epic and life changing.

PHOTO CREDIT: JOSEPH SINCLAIR

The Drag Race
phenomenon has really
exploded over the years.
Has it gotten to be too
much?
The Drag Race universe
has expanded beyond
anyone’s wildest
expectations. It can be
hard to keep up with these
days! But truthfully, I hope
it gets even bigger. I still
love watching the shows,
though I tend to focus on
the OG series, All Stars
and of course Down Under.
What are you most
nervous about people
discovering in Caught in
the Act?
I don’t know if I am
nervous, but I’m interested
to see what the fans do
with all the behind the
scenes Drag Race stories.
Has RuPaul unblocked
you yet?
Yes.
Is it true that you battled
your own identity crisis?
At one time, I was actually
quite competitive with
Courtney Act. The struggle
to understand who I am
beyond the status quo has
been one of the greatest
gifts of my life.
What do you hope fans
take away from reading
your book?
I hope they feel inspired
to radically express
themselves.
Do you have advice for
anyone considering a
career in drag?
Do drag because you have
a passion for it, because
it’s art and because you
crave a new creative
expression. And have fun
with it.
What is the worst part of
doing drag?
The physical pain of it
all. As I grow older, I’m
working hard to mitigate
the corsetry and prolonged
heel wearing.
What is the best part of
drag?
Taking drag off is one of
the best parts of getting
into drag. But that’s not
a real answer. The real
answer would be having
a platform to change
people’s minds.
What is your favorite
song to perform drag to?
“I Touch Myself” by the
Divinyls.
Which celebrity would
you most like to slide
into your DMs?
Lil Nas X.
Caught in the Act: A
Memoir by Shane Jenek,
aka Courtney Act, is
available now, wherever
books are sold, through
Pantera Press.

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Limited Run Through September 25 Only
“A BOATLOAD OF
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FUN.”
NY Theater Guide
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Nothing on Earth Could Come Between Them.
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MUSICAL ARRANGEMENTS BY
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CHOREOGRAPHED BY
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PLAYING @
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307 W 26TH ST, NEW YORK, NY
(212) 203-5435
DIRECTED BY
Tye Blue
FOR TICKETS &
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SPUNK @ THE MONSTER

A DIZZYING DECADE OF
On Thursday, September 22, Spunk will
celebrate their 10th Anniversary at the
Monster. We asked owners Luis Gomez and
Dan Tobey how they got to this milestone.
Hello, gents. how did spunk originate?
Luis started out as a gogo dancer in 2010
shortly after moving to NYC. He worked in
various clubs, including Splash, Urge, G
Lounge, Friends, Hombres and Adonis.
Although he was a popular dancer, Luis saw
himself more as a promoter and aspired to
have his own show, so he set out to find
a venue to make it happen. Initially, we
had a deal pending with the Web, a club in
midtown, but they closed unexpectedly and
the search continued. Through contacts
he had made as a dancer, Luis arranged
a meeting with the Monster. They agreed
to give him a shot with a single event on a
Wednesday night.
The first party was enough of a success that
they offered us every other Wednesday.
Holly Dae was moved from cashier to comic
relief host to make the event feel less like a
strip club and more like a party. It isn’t easy
to build something new in the competitive
nightlife scene of NYC. The first year was
tough, but Spunk had a philosophy that the
bar had to make money first, the dancers
and staff next, and if there was anything left
over, maybe we would get paid. Mostly, we
just kept feeding the business, with our eyes
on a long term goal.

Perseverance paid off after the first year when
the Monster offered to move us to a weekly
show on Thursday nights. By 2014, we also
landed another night at Pieces Bar, and in
2018, the Monster offered us Saturday nights
as well.
Why do you think Spunk has been a
success?
Gogo dancers are fun, drag queens are fun,
drinking and dancing is fun. Combining all of
those elements wasn’t anything shockingly
new, but the combination of performers that
were brought together had something special
about it. We sought to create the
friendliest gogo club in the city and
wanted everyone to feel welcome.
Spunk wasn’t built by us alone,
it was the hard work and talents
of so many people who put in
the effort. Hundreds of dancers
from all over the globe have
graced our stages. Drag hosts
have included Holly Dae, Honey
Davenport, Sherry Vine, CoCo
De’Ball, Prada G. Major, Brenda
Dharling, Trinity Beat, Olivia Lux,
Ari Kiki, Bootsie LeFaris, Inita D,
Kareem McJagger, Kendra Kinx,
Tammy Spanx, Pixie Aventura,
Jasmin Van Wales, Skyla Versai,
Jolina Jasmine, Jada Valenciaga, Egypt, Dusty
Ray Bottoms, Tiffany Anne Coke, Clarice
Hart and more. In addition, a strong stable of
fantastic DJs has created the signature Spunk
atmosphere with their immense talents.
Spunk has had other venues. Where are you
now?
Spunk has its permanent home at the Monster
every Thursday and Saturday night, as well as a
long running Sunday night party at Pieces Bar.
We also did a three year run at the Ice Palace
in Cherry Grove and Fairytail Lounge in HK.

What does the future hold?
In 2020, we were asked to
take over management of
the Monster to help navigate
through the pandemic. Dan
stepped into the role of GM,
which has given us even more
opportunities to create exciting
nightlife events. In 2021, we
started producing Curtains
Up!, a Broadway-themed live
singing and drag review, as
well as Music at the Monster,
a weekly live music event
centered around the legendary
piano bar on the main floor.
We are forever grateful for the
opportunities we have been
given and the people who
helped along the way. Here’s
to many more years of Spunk
events!
PHOTO CREDIT: STEVEN MENENDEZ