w e ’ r e c e l e b r at i n g P r i d e M o n t h !
Where to go and what to do to get the most out of your summer, p. 31
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ENJOY RESPONSIBLY
in this issue San Antonio Current
Issue 18_26 /// June 27-July 3, 2018
over the next two summer months
Publisher: Michael Wagner Editor-in-Chief: Greg Jefferson
The Hot Five
Editorial
The concerts you have to hit this summer
Senior Editors: Bryan Rindfuss, Jessica Elizarraras Art Director: Carlos Aguilar Food & Nightlife Editor: Jessica Elizarraras Staff Writers: Chris Conde, Sanford Nowlin Digital Content Editor: Sarah Martinez Contributors: Alexis Alvarez , Ron Bechtol, Erik Casarez, James Courtney, Callie Enlow, Jose Garza, Dan R. Goddard, Alejandra Lopez Gonzalez, Lance Higdon, Steven G. Kellman, Hannah Lorence, Michelle C. Lorentzen, Abby Mangel, Kiko Martínez, Jeremy Martin, Kelly Merka Nelson, M. Solis, Gary Sweeney, J.D. Swerzenski, Kelsey Valadez, Erin Winch Editorial Interns: Tehua Cruz, Alex Czaja, Alisa Pierce, Megan Rodriguez, Lori Salazar, Camille Sauers, Victoria Wilson
Summer Escapes: Kids’ Edition Whether it’s camps, attractions or parks, a wealth of entertainment options await
45 Food
Advertising
Sales Director: Mallory Jochen Senior Multimedia Account Executive: Sarah Estrada Account Executive: Trey Hogan, Krystal Little, April Miller Sales + Events Coordinator: Tarah Martinez
The Big Spoon
Food is Political. Full Stop.
Marketing and Events
49 Music
Marketing and Events Director: Cassandra Yardeni Events Manager: Chelsea Bourque Sales + Events Coordinator: Tarah Martinez Marketing and Events Interns: Julia Aguillon, Charo Nagafuchi, Frankie Parra, Sergio Ramirez
Support Queer Art
7 LGBTQ-Identifying San Antonio Acts You Should Pay Attention To
Creative Services
Creative Services Manager: Tina Corbeil Graphic Designer: Samantha Serna Graphic Design Interns: Marla Mattila, Sara Jane Filippini, Noemi Solis, Rachel Villacorta
Circulation
Circulation Manager: Justin Giles
Business
Operations Manager: Sarah Estrada Business Support Specialist: Samantha Lopez
Euclid Media Group
Chief Executive Officer: Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers: Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP of Digital Services: Stacy Volhein Creative Director: Tom Carlson Digital Operations Coordinator: Jaime Monzon Senior Marketing and Events Director: Cassandra Yardeni www.euclidmediagroup.com National Advertising: Voice Media Group 1-888-278-9866, vmgadvertising.com San Antonio Current 915 Dallas San Antonio, Texas 78215 sacurrent.com
Music Top Picks
51 Feature
Rey of Light
Rey Lopez lights up drag in San Antonio
09 News
Locked down
Advocates raise questions about access to legal help, food and health care at ICE’s detention sites just outside of S.A.
Glitter Political
The San Antonio Current is published by Euclid Media Group
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San Antonio Distribution – The Current is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. Get listed 1. Visit sacurrent.com 2. Click “Calendar” and then “Submit an Event” 3. Follow the steps to submit your event details Please allow 48 hours for review and approval. Event submissions are not accepted by phone. Copyright - The entire contents of the San Antonio Current are copyright 2018 by Euclid Media Group LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher does not assume any liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials, or other content. Any submission must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All editorial, advertising, and business correspondence should be mailed to the address listed above. Subscriptions - Additional copies or back issues may be purchased at the Current offices for $1. Six-month domestic subscriptions may be purchased for $75; one-year subscriptions for $125.
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Julian Ledezma
Sofia Sepulveda: San Antonio’s Progressive Wonder Woman ‘Not with a Bang but a Whimper’: The Texas Supreme Court shuts down the city’s ‘evergreen’ lawsuit against the fire union
16 Calendar 22 Arts
Beyond the Rainbow
‘We Are’ blurs boundaries to paint a diverse portrait of San Antonio’s LGBTQIA community
25 Screens
Gender Roles
8 transgender characters in cinema who broke the mold
About a Boy
A Kid Like Jake is a sensitive but safe story about a gender-expansive child and his parents
31 Summer Guide Cool Treats
Where to cool off this summer
Pleasant Patios
Where to brave the heat in style
Cold Ones
Six ways to kickoff your summer with a crisp beer
Dog Days
San Antonio’s pet-friendly eateries, parks and patios
Cinema Solstice
Have a happy time at the movie theater
On The Cover: We celebrate Pride Month with a bundle of stories on newsmakers, activists and artists in San Antonio’s LGBTQIA community. We also give you the lowdown on where to go and what to do in SA this summer.
St. Sucia zine co-founder Natasha Hernandz photographed by Carlos Aguilar; art direction Carlos Aguilar sacurrent.com | June 27-July 3, 2018 | CURRENT 5
6 CURRENT | June 27-July 3, 2018 | sacurrent.com
Motito 1.5 oz Tito’s Handmade Vodka 6-10 mint leaves 0.75 oz simple syrup or 2 tsp of sugar 0.75 oz freshly squeezed lime juice 1.5 oz soda water Gently crush mint leaves between your fingers and add to a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, simple syrup or sugar, and fresh lime juice. Shake well, and pour everything including the ice into a glass. Top with soda water. Garnish with mint sprig and lime wedge.
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6/12/18 1:35 PM
Friday, June 29 • Noon – 1:00 pm
Lunch & Learn Join us for a panel discussion with five of the service members featured in Kimberly Hopkins’ photo series, MILITARY LGBTQ PRIDE STRONG. The panelists will share their personal stories and experiences in a conversation moderated by Maj. Gen. Juan G. Ayala, USMC (Retired), Director, City of San Antonio Office of Military Affairs EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. A free boxed lunch will be provided to the first 80 attendees! A survey of contemporary LGBTQI+ artists of San Antonio exhibiting multidisciplinary works in recognition of Pride Month FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Curated by Sarah Castillo of Lady Base Gallery Featured Artists: Agosto Cuellar, Anel I. Flores, Gustavo A. Garcia, Kimberly Hopkins, Julián Pablo Ledezma, Michael Martínez, Antonia Celeste Padilla, Kristy Perez, Debora Kuetzpal Vasquez, Jose Villalobos, David Zamora Casas, Juan Zavala Castro
Exhibition Dates: May 17, 2018 – July 13, 2018 Culture Commons Gallery 115 Plaza de Armas, San Antonio, TX 78205 Mon-Fri | 8am – 5pm #getcreativesa | getcreativesanantonio.com | 8 210-206-ARTS CURRENT | June 27-July 3, 2018 | sacurrent.com
Kimberly Hopkins. Faces of the Military. 2018.
Advocates raise questions about access to legal help, food and health care at ICE’s detention site near S.A. BY SANFORD NOWLIN
F
rom Interstate 35, the farming community of Pearsall’s most visible landmarks are the Hungry Farmer Steakhouse, an H-E-B that resembles a red barn and a hunting superstore surrounded by an armada of deer blinds. But the small town an hour southwest of San Antonio is also home to the South Texas Detention Complex, one of the largest centers U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses to hold undocumented immigrants. The for-profit site typically houses around 1,700 inmates — a number equal to a fifth of Pearsall’s overall population. With its razor-wire fences and windowless concrete walls, STDC looks from the outside like a high-security prison. That’s by design, experts say, pointing out that the center is emblematic of the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy, which aims to use detention as a deterrent to asylum seekers. “Detention is intended to break people’s wills, so they will accept a deportation order,” said Kathrine Russell, a staff attorney with San Antonio-based immigrant legal services provider RAICES, which represents clients at the South Texas Detention Facility. Russell recently saw how well STDC served that purpose when an El Salvadoran client told her she’d rather return home and face her abusive spouse than spend any more time locked up. Even as the woman’s case for asylum moved past an important legal
hurdle, she said she couldn’t face months in lockdown waiting for it to finish. While the Trump administration says it’s stopped its policy of separating children from parents detained at border crossings, a recent report by Human Rights First documented numerous detainee complaints against ICE detention facilities, including the one in Pearsall. Officials with GEO Group Inc., the corporation that runs the for-profit South Texas complex, disputed the report, saying it strives to “deliver high quality services.” ICE officials did not provide comment by deadline, nor would they allow the Current to tour STDC.
Cutting Off Access A frequent complaint about the Pearsall site is lack of space for detainees to meet with lawyers or others facilitating their asylum requests. At present, there are just four such rooms, or one for every 425 inmates. That means attorneys often face waits of two, four and even six hours to meet clients. What’s more, the rooms lack phones, so legal representatives can’t remotely access translation services they need to speak to detainees not fluent in English or Spanish. As a result, migrants — many of whom spend months at the facility — face a harder time getting the legal representation and documents essential to pleading their cases, said Sara Ramey, executive director for the San Antonio-based Migrant Center for Human Rights. “When it comes to asylum, denial rates are significantly higher if you don’t have legal help,” Ramey said.
Will Work for Food While the Human Rights First report doesn’t include allegations of physical abuse at South Texas Detention Complex, detainees frequently complain they’re not served enough food during meals. As result, many
news
Locked Down
Sanford Nowlin
end up taking kitchen jobs that pay $3 a day — well below the $7.25-a-hour minimum wage — so they can purchase additional food at the commissary, Ramey added. GEO’s end-run around minimum-wage rules in its immigrant facilities is that it considers those who do labor “volunteers” rather than employees. However, Washington State’s attorney general last year sued the company over that practice at its Tacoma facility, arguing it violates state minimum wage laws. In its written statement, GEO denied the findings in the Human Rights First report. “On a daily basis, our dedicated employees deliver high quality services that comply with performance-based standards set by the Federal government and adhere to guidelines set by leading third-party accreditation agencies,” spokesman Pablo Paez wrote. “Members of our team strive to treat all of those entrusted to our care with compassion, dignity and respect.”
Questionable Care
Even so, STDC was cited in another recent study, this one by Human Rights Watch, which documents the high number of recent deaths at ICE detention facilities. In 2016, Wenceslau Esmerio Campo, a Brazilian detainee who tried to make STDC staff aware of his cardiovascular problems, died of cardiac arrest while in custody, according to the document. HRW’s panel of medical experts found that multiple delays between Campos first reporting chest pain and the arrival of an ambulance “may have significantly decreased any chances the hospital doctors had of saving his life.” GEO said it cannot comment on individual cases but added that it “delivers highquality around-the-clock medical care” that complies with federal and third-party accreditation guidelines. Additionally, it pointed out, direct medical care in the facility is supplied by ICE, not GEO employees. But Dr. Marc Stern, an assistant affiliate professor of Public Health at the University of Washington who served on the HRW panel, said the death should raise red flags, both for ICE and GEO. “Based on this, someone should be taking a closer look,” said Stern, an expert on health care in corrections facilities. “It may be an isolated case, but it could be something larger.” While no fan of for-profit prisons such as those run by GEO, Stern said the problems with care inside ICE’s detention facilities are bigger than one company’s profit motive. As more stringent immigration policing has kicked into high gear, there’s been little to guarantee detainee safety. “The problem isn’t privatization. It’s inadequate funding and inadequate oversight,” he said. “Overall, we’re talking about a broken system.”
Find more news coverage every day at sacurrent.com
news | Glitter Political Sofia Sepulveda
San Antonio’s Progressive Wonder Woman BY JADE ESTEBAN ESTRADA
S
ofia Sepulveda remembers the day Mexican presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio was assassinated at a campaign rally in 1994. The PRI politician’s hopeful speeches promoting Mexico’s economic reformation inspired a 17-year-old Sepulveda to get involved. Colosio’s words planted a seed that would flourish in 2010 after she heard Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders speak on MSNBC. Under the influence of both politicians, she decided to invest her time in local political activism. It’s a few minutes past 10:00 a.m. when I spot Sepulveda, now 41, sitting by the front steps of City Hall. Her back is to me. With one hand, she gracefully cups her long, brown hair behind her neck and pulls it down over her shoulder, Selena-style. Though the statuesque beauty would tower over a sea of prime-time telenovela ingénues, she’d certainly blend in. When I extend my hand to greet her, she vetoes the gesture. “I hug,” she says with a surprisingly thick Mexican accent. From the day she was born, her relationship status with the United States could best be described as “it’s complicated.” She was born in Laredo but raised across the border in Nuevo Laredo. Her parents, both Mexican citizens, hoped that by having their children on U.S. soil, it would provide better opportunities for them in the future. It certainly added to Sepulveda’s unique story. When she got her first job after high school, her father would tease her about being “the only American working illegally in Mexico.” Sepulveda, who is a trans woman, never identified as a gay man. “I always identified as a girl,” she says. Did you pass as a girl? I ask. “I didn’t mean to. That was just who I was.” To help pay the bills, Sepulveda’s mother, a strict Catholic, sold Avon beauty products door-to-door. One day, when she was in her early teens, Sepulveda got busted putting on makeup from the forbidden Avon stash. “Do you want to be one of those freaks?” her mother scolded. Her dad, who was quietly more accepting, would buy her “girly dresses” for
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Halloween instead of the humdrum “Superman costume. I wanted to be Wonder Woman,” she recalls. As she block-walks for progressive candidates as one of the city’s more visible activists, she feels a family connection. “Every time I knock on a door, I feel like I’m with [my mother] in spirit.” As we sit down at Fratello’s Centro Citta Italian Restaurant, she recounts how her father quit his job to care for his ailing wife, but that her mother passed away in 1992. “We did a lot of praying when my mom was sick,” she rues. “Nothing happened.” Sepulveda, who’s now an atheist, says that when her mother died, her family went from being an upper middle-class family to struggling to make ends meet. After moving to San Antonio, she attended a Sunday night show at The Saint and witnessed a performance by the late Erika Andrews. “That was the first time I saw what transgender was,” she recalls. A friend took her to see a doctor and she soon began hormone treatments. The friend lived at the Spanish Key Apartments, which Sepulveda remembers as a safe haven with “nothing but trans girls.” When it came time for her to perform, as she believed was expected of trans women, she realized something. “I feel that I’m a bad dancer for being Latina,” she says laughingly. Her James Avery bracelet jingles as she brushes her hair back. “It just wasn’t my cup of tea.” She says her experience isn’t “just as a transgender woman, it’s as a human person.” So, she traded The Saint for Sanders. “Money, health care... everything he was talking about, I was feeling!” she says. She told her then-boyfriend that she’d campaign for Sanders if he decided to run in the 2016 presidential election. Her boyfriend replied, “Who’s gonna vote for an old, angry, white Jew?” She replays the scene enthusiastically. “I said, ‘I will!’ Bernie basically made Burlington, Vermont, a mecca for trans people,” she told him. Although she admits that her accent can get in the way of her message when she gets “angry or frustrated” and
Jade Esteban Estrada
“all the words get smashed together,” she’s crystal clear that she will not be endorsing Gina Ortiz Jones, the Democratic nominee for Texas’ 23th Congressional District race. “She’s a lesbian. She’s a woman,” she says. “But she has nothing else to offer.” She also believes that some voters assume that Sanders’ revolution and its activists are part of the Democratic Party. “We are not,” she says firmly. “We’re trying to change it.” Her activism for health care for all is unwavering. About six years ago, Sepulveda “got a scratch” while visiting Mexico. When she returned home, she was diagnosed with MRSA. She didn’t have insurance, and it was before the Affordable Care Act. After she was treated and began recovering, she received a medical bill for $15,000. Not knowing how she would pay it, she came to the conclusion that she probably wasn’t the only person with this problem. She started showing up at rallies and left-leaning political meetings, and studying the economic side of the debates. After a while, she started to form an opinion about the Democratic Party. It seemed to her that Democrats were just as guilty of not effectively
representing the working class as Republicans. She thought, “When did we become that abused woman [the working class] that we are ok that our husband [the Democrats] is an ass? They give us platitudes but they don’t give us solutions.” She criticizes former President Barack Obama for being too “polite and poised,” and for not fully supporting marriage equality from the start. “He didn’t want to be the angry black man that everyone’s afraid of,” she says. “There’s nothing wrong with being an angry black man or an angry brown woman after what they’ve done to us. It’s not like we don’t have a reason to be angry.” Are you an angry brown woman? I ask. With a gentle smile, she nods her head. “I am an angry brown woman.” Dressed in a flattering, pink power suit, Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales and her staff begin to set up tables right next to us for what seems to be a large lunch meeting, signaling the end of my time with Sepulveda, who’s off to a Paid Sick Time rally. I never asked you about President Trump, I suddenly remember. She shakes her head. “He’s not worth mentioning.”
sacurrent.com | June 27-July 3, 2018 | CURRENT
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news | Their Town
‘Not with a Bang but a Whimper’
The Texas Supreme Court shuts down the city’s ‘evergreen’ lawsuit against the fire union BY GREG JEFFERSON
S
ince late 2014, City Manager Sheryl Sculley, two mayors and most of the members of two city councils clung to a legal strategy they believed would get them out of a costly provision in the firefighters’ labor contract – the evergreen clause. To hijack a line from T.S. Eliot, the city’s legal challenge effectively ended last week not with a bang but a whimper. The Texas Supreme Court, where city officials believed they would get their most sympathetic hearing, declined to hear their case. Here’s what Sculley and company accomplished by suing the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association in November 2014, nearly two months after the firefighters’ contract expired: They radicalized an already combative fire union, they ran up
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more than $1.2 million in legal bills – and that’s about it. In the meantime, the union won at state court and again on appeal. The response from city officials boiled down to “whatever.” Losses in the lower courts weren’t surprising, they said. From the beginning, their strategy depended on conservative supreme court justices saying “screw you” to organized labor and striking down the evergreen clause. Who knows? Maybe that’s what the justices would’ve said if they’d considered the city’s lawsuit worthy of their time. Anyway, it seemed like a good idea at the time both to city officials and their friends in San Antonio’s chambers of commerce. When the news broke late last week, the city fired off a news release
in which Sculley tried to salvage something out of what was clearly a huge defeat. “The union has used the 10-year evergreen clause to avoid having the conversation about whether their benefits are sustainable and affordable to taxpayers,” she said. “Now that the legal challenge is over, there is no reason for the union not to come to the table. We remain ready and willing to negotiate.” In late May, Sculley told the Current: “If the city loses, we have what we have now: a 10-year evergreen clause that continues the union’s unsustainable benefits.” A quick recap: The evergreen clause keeps firefighters’ labor contract in effect for 10 years after its expiration – so through 2024. The city’s legal argument was that the clause drives
up costs for the city, in effect creating a public debt and violating the Texas constitution. The budget argument is that firefighters’ rich compensation package – they don’t pay premiums for their health insurance, for example – will eventually crowd out other the city’s other basic services such as street repairs and parks. It was a complicated argument to begin with. In fact, to anyone not used to legal contortions, it looked like a stretch. But it became just plain awkward three years ago when, with then-Mayor Ivy Taylor pressing for a deal with the police union, the city reached an agreement with the San Antonio Police Officers Association that preserved – after trimming – the cops’ evergreen clause, also the target of a city lawsuit. To any outsider paying attention, it looked like the city was OK with the police union’s evergreen clause even as it shouted that the same deal for the firefighters violated the Texas constitution. But the city largely shrugged off this inconsistency and stuck to its hardline, refusing to waver or to use the lawsuit as a bargaining chip with the union. The city’s stance pumped more toxins into a political environment already poisoned by the union’s attacks on Sculley. With the bad blood flowing in both directions, the fire union officials spent part of the winter and early spring collecting signatures for three bad city charter amendments. They succeeded, and the proposals will go on the November ballot. One proposed amendment would require the city to take labor-contract disputes to arbitration instead of court. Another would make it easier to put city ordinances to a public referendum. The third would cap how much the city managers who follow Sculley can earn and force them to step down after eight years. In the run-up to election day, expect to hear a lot from the union about the city’s failed lawsuit and all the taxpayers’ money spent on lawyers. And who knows when the union, its leaders still angry and their members’ current level of benefit safe through 2024, will make their way to the bargaining table. As a trusted political observer told me last week, “The city has lost leverage, and [the firefighters] are now driving the bus.”
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PRESENTS
A CELEBRATION OF PRIDE FEATURING LOCAL MUSIC AND ARTISTS BROUGHT TO YOU BY SAN ANTONIO’S FIRST LGBTQ NON-PROFIT CLINIC
THURSDAY, JUNE 28 | 7P-12A F E AT U R I N G C H R I S CO N D E AMEA | PINK LECHE | DELAO HOSTED BY WAYNE HOLTZ 2911 N St. Marys
NO COVER + DRINK SPECIALS PRIZE GIVEAWAYS + LOCAL ARTISTS
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the country and starring in the Josephine Theatre’s production of The Rocky Horror Show, Royale returns to the Alamo City bringing along her impeccable lip-syncing and Beyoncé-inspired dance moves. $10-$25, 10:30pm & midnight, Heat Nightclub, 1500 N. Main Ave., (210) 386-4537, reylopezentertainment.com. — Marco Aquino
ex-husbands to failed diets and everything in between. Along with her stand-up performance, Land also sings some original songs that fit in nicely with her humor. In one of her ditties, which she is using to promote her 40-city comedy tour, Land asks fans to come to her show because she knows “You don’t have anything better to do / I’m no Kevin Hart but
FRI | 06/29
WED | 06/27
FI LM
MOONRISE KINGDOM 5
COMEDY + MUSIC
HEATHER LAND 5
Courtesy of Latrice Royale
WED | 06/27 DRAG
friends tell me I’m a real hoot.” In another, she jumps on the keyboards and sings about her kid’s kindergarten graduation (“So much potential / No more fat Crayons”). $33.25$53.25, 7pm, The Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire. com. – Kiko Martinez
For the fourth installment of this summer’s Wes Fest — a celebration of Wes Anderson’s entire directorial catalog via free, outdoor screenings, and also one of Slab Cinema’s best ideas ever — you can catch Anderson’s seventh feature, 2012’s Moonrise Kingdom, in the lush confines of the San Antonio Botanical Garden. A bright spot even in a particularly dazzling oeuvre, Moonrise Kingdom is an urgent comingof-age tale rife with young love, stubborn pride, and familial/social dysfunction. The movie, centered on troubled, 12-year-old protagonists Sam Shakusky and Suzy Bishop (played to admirable effect by young actors
Comedian/musician Heather Land has made herself social-media famous over the last few years with her viral videos featuring herself talking about everyday stuff while using the “Big Eyes Big Mouth” Snapchat filter that makes everyone look like a character from the web series Annoying Orange. With over 300 million views on her Snapchat platform, the single mom of two from Tennessee (southern twang included) says she has found the “funny out of the frustrating” and invites audiences to experience her life through her self-deprecating, sarcastic style of comedy – from Courtesy of Heather Land
LATRICE ROYALE J
Known to be “large and in charge,” Latrice “mutha fuckin’” Royale is one queen you don’t wanna mess with. As evidenced by her extended stay in a Florida jail back in 2007, the season four RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant will cut a bitch. But don’t let her intimidating figure and questionable past fool you: Royale is actually one of the most lovable queens in RPDR herstory. Although it’s clear she’s not here to play, this fan favorite is also known for her boisterous laughter and even has a candy bar named after her. On Wednesday, Rey Lopez Entertainment welcomes the drag star for two shows at Heat with support from the RLE Showgirls. After taking her one-woman show, Here’s to Life, across
BURLESQUE
THE PASTIE POPS BIG GAY BURLESQUE SHOW
Boasting seven, scantily clad years of “bumping and grinding all over the city of San Antonio,” a win for Best Burlesque Troupe in our 2017 Best of San Antonio readers’ poll and a recent step up to the big-time stage at the Aztec, the eclectic, LGBT-centric, body-positive Pastie Pops have plenty to be proud of this Pride month. Fiercely inclusive and refreshingly funny, the Pops currently comprise founding members Jasper St. James (The Big & Tall That Bares It All), Camille Toe (The One You Want to Pick) and Vixy Van Hellen (The Bare Bottom of Bexar County) along with later arrivals Mary Annette (The Doll with No Strings Attached), Elle Du Jour (The Contemporary Tease) and Lucy Lips (The Mermaid Queen of Texas). A Pride month favorite, the troupe’s annual Big Gay Burlesque Show turns the glitter, feathers, fringe and sequins up to 11 for an evening of neo-boylesque, classic tease and comedy showcasing an array of special guests, including Houston-based JD Hickcock, Austinites Queertini Time (pictured), Amarillo’s Nox Falls and the Alamo City’s own Mustang Ryder. $25-$50, 8pm, The Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — Bryan Rindfuss
THU | 06/28 Courtesy of Queertini Time
THE MAGIK THEATRE PRESENTS
@EMPIRE
JUNE 29-JULY 1
JULY 10
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JULY 25
AUGUST 20
AUGUST 21
SEPTEMBER 11
Courtesy of Focus Features
Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward), poignantly paints these young lovers, in all their tortured impulsiveness and directionless obsession, as somehow wiser (or at least happier) than the adults around them. In the world of Moonrise Kingdom, the adults’ desperate resignation to their own dissatisfaction is posited as a fate worse than death or dismemberment. This cinematic gem also features Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Jason Schwartzman. Free, gates at 6:30pm, film at dusk, San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Pl., (210) 536-1400, wesandersonfilmfestival.com. — James Courtney
calendar
the two poets, covering a variety of literacy and literary topics, preceded by a solo lecture from Quintanilla in which he discusses his own work. It promises to be an engaging evening of discussion that, appropriate for our Tricentennial reflections, highlights the current state of literary thought and work in San Antonio. Seating for this free event is limited, and these two esteemed poets can draw a crowd. Free, 6:30-7:30pm (doors at 6pm), San Antonio Museum of Art, John L. Santikos Auditorium, 200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100, samuseum.org. — JC
academic and spiritual currents. The British Crowley, who lived a robust and far-flung life from 1875 to 1947, was no mere ponderer of the world’s mysteries, either. He was an adventurer, a world traveler, a mountaineer and a great appreciator of world cultures, in addition to his work as a sought-after mystic, novelist and poet. Needless to say, dude was quite the personality. In a special, limited engagement show this weekend, that personality and some of the man’s strange but provocative visions of the world will be on full display, as solo
FRI | 06/29 SAT | 06/30 THEATER
MAGICK: AN EVENING WITH ALEISTER CROWLEY 5
Aleister Crowley, simultaneously one of the most adored and reviled figures in the realms of esoteric philosophy and occultism, was a consummate dabbler with a fiercely penetrating mind and an uncanny ability for interesting (if not always useful) thought and writing outside of the margins of mainstream
Courtesy of The Overtime Theatre
theater artist and regular Current contributor Jade Esteban Estrada explores Crowley’s life and legacy through a mixture of song, dance and stand-up comedy. $15, 10:30pm, The Overtime Theater, 5409 Bandera Road, Suite 205, (210) 557-7562, theovertimetheater.org. — JC
SAT | 06/30
FRI | 06/29
SPECIAL EVEN T
CABEZUDOS PARADE
WORDS
AN EVENING WITH POET LAUREATES OCTAVIO QUINTANILLA AND JENNY BROWNE 5
It is not often, unfortunately, that we have to say “get there early or you won’t get a seat” about a poetry event. That’s totally the case, however, with this week’s talk at the San Antonio Museum of Art that boasts outgoing Poet Laureate of San Antonio and 2017 Poet Laureate of Texas Jenny Browne and new San Antonio Poet Laureate Dr. Octavio Quintanilla (pictured). This special event will feature a sit-down dialogue between
Courtesy of Octavio Quintanilla
Cabezudos, literally translated as “big-headed,” are popular in Spanish festivals and fiestas of all kinds. These over-sized, cartoonish noggins, which are made from papier maché, are usually worn as a part of a full costume, depicting religious, cultural and even archetypal figures. This weekend, as a part of a summer full of events around the city aimed at celebrating San Antonio’s Spanish roots, you will have the chance to appreciate some of these quirky cabezudos during a parade and party at the Pearl. Renowned Catalonian folk artists Ventura & Hosta Cartons, in town for a two-week residency at the Southwest School of Art,
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calendar will be putting on the cabezudos portion of this affair. After the conclusion of the Tricentennial-inspired Cabezudos Parade, revelers are in for another treat in the form of a live performance by Volcán, a positively exuberant 13-piece nuevo orquesta Latina, and one of our favorite musical acts in town. The parade begins at the Pearl Farmer’s Market and concludes at Pearl Park, where the live music goes down. Free, 10am-1pm, The Historic Pearl, 303 Pearl Pkwy., (210) 212-7260, atpearl.com. — JC
Courtesy of Trixie Mattel
SUN | 07/1 DRAG
TRIXIE MATTEL: NOW WITH MOVING PARTS
Created by Milwaukee native Brian Michael Firkus as a means of “laughing through the pain” of a childhood riddled by alcoholism and verbal abuse, the over-the-top drag persona Trixie Mattel traffics in the sort of twisted camp “Pope of Trash” John Waters must surely find amusing. Looking simultaneously sweet and psychotic in costumes and makeup one might rightfully describe as Barbie on bath salts, Mattel first reached the masses on the seventh season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, where her early dismissal from the reality competition series sparked the fan-fueled hashtag #Justice4Trixie. Although Mattel triumphantly returned to season seven just four episodes after sashaying away, her justice truly arrived late last summer when she snatched the crown on the third season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. But drag is just one aspect of Mattel’s fine-tuned talents. Evidenced by her collaborations with fellow RPDR season seven star Katya Zamolodchikova (namely the YouTube series UNHhhh and Viceland’s The Trixie and Katya Show), Mattel’s got a gift for dark, dry humor that’s on vivid display in her one-woman shows such as Ages 3 and Up. As Billboard Pride reported last month, fans mistakenly took that ironic title literally and brought young kids to a show that involves a bit about Mattel giving her father a rim job. (“But you know what, they’ve got to learn at some point,” Mattel told the audience.) But original music is an even more important component of her act. Playing guitar and singing since the age of 13, Mattel grew up in rural Wisconsin on Johnny Cash and Conway Twitty and dove deeper into country music during college. Miles away from
PRIDE
PRIDE BIGGER THAN TEXAS FESTIVAL Organizers at Pride San Antonio have announced an all-star lineup of performers for the Pride Bigger Than Texas Festival on June 30 in Crockett Park. Three of the acts on the slate are veterans of The Voice, NBC’s singing competition. Performers announced so far include the following. Angel Bonilla: Earlier this year, Bonilla became the first transgender contestant on The Voice. She is originally from Laguna, Philippines, and currently lives in Los Angeles where she pursues her singing career. “As early as five years old, I already knew that I am a girl trapped in a boy’s body,” she told host Carson Daly during her first appearance on the show. “Growing up in a very conservative family, it was very difficult for my father.” Bonilla was eliminated from the competition before the finals but continues performing around the country. Bidi Bidi Banda: Austin’s all-star Selena tribute band is making its second appearance at the Pride SA festival. The band is fronted by Stephanie Bergara, who has Selena’s name tattooed across her forearm in red. Bidi Bidi Banda’s interpretation of Selena’s greatest hits has propelled it into national prominence, with the group now performing across the country at gigs like Mandalay Bay House of Blues in Las Vegas, Slim’s in San Francisco and Union Club in Los Angeles. Stephanie’s Child: The drag queen trio known as Stephanie’s Child (pictured) features the voices of Jan Sport, Lagoona Bloo and Rosé. The three were featured on The Voice opposite Jessie J on the season 13 finale. Winner of Best Cabaret and nominated for Best Group at the 2017 New York Nightlife Awards, the group performed the National Anthem at the 2017 LGBT Winter Gala, honoring Betty Buckley. Each member of Stephanie’s Child is a celebrity in her own right. Jan Sport was named one of the “Insanely Beautiful Drag Queens You’ll Wanna Follow On Instagram” by Buzzfeed. Lagoona Bloo was nominated for Best Vocalist at the New York Nightlife Awards. Rosé — a recent win-
SAT | 06/30
Courtesy of Stephanie’s Child
ner of Lady Liberty, New York’s largest drag competition — was called “a razor-tongued tigress with slayage in her blood” by Out.com. Nedra Belle: When Chris Weaver took the stage for a blind audition on The Voice, the judges had no idea what he was about to unleash. Weaver, who performs in New York as Nedra Belle, took the judges by storm as he let loose with a soulful rendition of “Try a Little Tenderness.” Weaver, who performed on The Voice as himself, was eliminated during the playoff rounds. However he was asked to return to perform in the show’s finale last December where he performed “Bang Bang” as Nedra Belle. Sandra Valls: Comedienne Sandra Valls, a native of Laredo who now lives in Los Angeles, has been featured in two Showtime specials, The Latin Divas of Comedy, and Pride: The Gay and Lesbian Comedy Slam. Curve Magazine has called Valls “one of the top badass comics to watch for.” Valls makes frequent appearances in San Antonio where she has performed as part of the Queer Queens of Qomedy Tour. $10, 11am-7pm, Crockett Park, 1300 N Main Ave., pridesanantonio.org. — Sam Sanchez
a follow-up to Ages 3 and Up and a tour in support of One Stone, Mattel’s new show Now With Moving Parts (named after the album’s lead single) has been winning over fans with an unusual blend of stand-up, storytelling, original songs and covers — including a live mashup of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” and Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8r Boi.” $38-$53, 8pm, The Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com. — BR
Courtesy of Columbia Pictures Corporation
the manufactured, club-geared output associated with many a Drag Race alum, Mattel’s folksy debut album Two Birds narrates “the life of a recently heartbroken cross-dresser” (the video for “Mama Don’t Make Me Put on the Dress Again” sums it up succinctly). Strategically timed to coincide with the All Stars finale, Mattel’s sophomore effort One Stone dropped on March 16 to great acclaim and shot to Number One on the iTunes chart. Speaking to Rolling Stone — which described One Stone as “earnest and stellar” — Mattel confessed, “I was happy to win All Stars, but I got back to my room, took my wig off, turned on my phone, went to iTunes and looked at the charts ... That is the win for me.” Functioning as both
TUE | 07/3
script by Budd Schulberg and direction by Elia Kazan cause critics to draw comparisons, apt or otherwise, with Kazan’s situation as a “friendly witness” in the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings, although it’s possible to read that angst in more ways than one. Featuring Leonard Bernstein’s only original film score, the film (which screens as part of Texas Public Radio’s Cinema Tuesdays series) won eight Oscars and has been drafted into the National Film Registry. $10-$15 suggested donation, 7:30pm, Santikos Bijou, 4522 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 6148977, tprcinema.org. — Michael Barrett
FILM
ON THE WATERFRONT
Routinely hailed as one of American cinema’s great dramas, 1954’s On the Waterfront intersects many important careers. Marlon Brando gives one of his defining performances (in a career marked by them) as the lost but likable ex-boxer and dockworker Terry Malloy, who’s just starting to realize that he made a bad decision years ago. He “coulda been a contender” but he settled for being “a nothing,” and now his resentment, the love a good woman (Eva Marie Saint) and the encouragement of a priest (Karl Malden) is helping him bring down a corrupt union represented by Rod Steiger and Lee J. Cobb. Inevitably, the sacurrent.com | June 27-July 3, 2018 | CURRENT 19
FREEDOMFEST Market Square Presents
FREE & OPEN to the public
Starts daily at 12pm
Jun 30 TO
Jul 8
On-Site Jul 6
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT FOOD BOOTHS FOOD TRUCKS KID ACTIVITIES
20 CURRENT | June 27-July 3, 2018 | sacurrent.com
calendar THEATER
River City Stories Written, designed and directed by Mellissa Marlowe and billed as “the almost completely true memoir of a San Antonio girl,” Jump-Start’s new production wanders down a nostalgic path as it revisits cherished or changed locales such as the unassuming music mainstays of Casbeer’s and Los Padrinos as well as the OG incarnations of the long-running Mexican eatery El Mirador, stopped-intime diner Earl Abel’s and legendary punk-rock dive Taco Land. $10-$12, 8pm Friday-Saturday, 3pm Sunday; Jump-Start Theater, 710 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 227-5867. Stay Golden! Directed by Jose DeHoyos and written by Dave Cortez, Killer Productions’ Stay Golden! A Golden Girls Parody revives classic moments from the beloved sitcom. But there’s a twist: The female roles will be played by actors in drag. $10-$20, 7pm & 9pm Friday; Woodlawn Pointe, 702 Donaldson Ave., (210) 480-5786. The Wizard of Oz Rick Sanchez directs the Woodlawn’s production of Frank Gabrielson’s iconic musical following Dorothy Gale and her beloved dog Toto on a surreal adventure down the Yellow Brick Road accompanied by newfound friends the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow. $18-$30, 7:30pm Friday-Saturday, 3pm Sunday; Woodlawn Theatre, 1920 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 267-8388. COMEDY
Bobby Lee A cast member of Madtv from 2001 to 2008 with memorable roles in Pineapple Express and Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Bobby Lee — to hear him tell it — is still, like most good standup comics it seems, a massive disappointment to his parents. Lee’s onstage imitations of his father are almost always variations on a single theme: that Lee is an unfunny loser. The caricature, hilarious as it is, is completely wrong. While impressions of immigrant parents are probably the most well-tread trope amongst Asian-American comics, San Diego native Lee’s hyperactive act, which focuses at least as much on his relationship problems and his life as a recovering addict as it does his Korean-born father, is personal, relatable, and — sorry dad — damn funny. $22.50, 8pm & 10:15pm Friday-Saturday, 8pm Sunday; Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, 618 NW Loop 410, (210) 541-8805. Breaking Bad Comedy Show Best known as DEA agent Steven Gomez from Breaking Bad, actor, politician and stand-up Steven Michael Quezada headlines a night of comedy with support from Emmy-winning Que Locos creator Mike Robles and some
of San Antonio’s finest comedic talents. $20-$30, 8pm Friday; Josephine Theater, 339 W. Josephine St., (210) 395-4500. SPECIAL EVENTS
Shawn Benét’s MadHouse Web House plays host to a wild night of Halloween-inspired drag antics featuring performances by Felony Dodger from the drag reality series The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, recent arrivals Anne Thrope, January Winters, Britni Lebosavich, Gypsy Rose and The Puberty Sisters, plus longtem MadHouse “patients” Shawn Benét, Mystere Lopez, Paradox Rei, Kitty Buick, Natasha Bendnfeel and Nova Cain. $10$13, 10pm-2am Friday; Web House, 320 Blanco Road, (210) 531-0100. South Texas Tease Burlesque Festival Stars and Garters Burlesque all-stars Suki Jones, Black Orchid, Pystol Whips and Giselle J’Adore welcome special guest performers Victoria Viking, Coco Simone, Magdalena Sin, Godiva Morte, Minx Hijunks, Little Bo Peek, Amelie Ahmose and Miss Chevious for an inaugural festival featuring a Sip Shop and Selfie event with local artisans (free, 8-10pm Friday, Red Cat and Co., 2202 Broadway); the Puro Pride edition of Drag King Revolt (free, 10pm-midnight Friday, La Botánica, 2911 N. St. Mary’s St.); a Work Your Network Luncheon benefiting Dress For Success ($20, 11am Saturday, Dignowity Meats, 1701 E. Houston St.); a fully staged, “sultry summer showcase” with a pinup contest ($17-$25, 8-11pm Saturday, Magick Theater, 420 S. Alamo St.); and a Wake, Shake and Vibrate Self Love Workshop (free, 10am-noon Sunday, Love Shack Boutique, 1580 Babcock Road). PRI DE
Peace Love & Pride Judge Ron Rangel officiates this fourth annual wedding ceremony open to all couples who arrive with a marriage license from the State of Texas. Free, 3-3:30pm Saturday; Crockett Park, 1300 N. Main Ave. Pride Bigger Than Texas Parade Grand Marshaled by Sheriff Javier Salazar and Del Rio Mayor Bruno “Ralphy” Lozano and featuring festive floats, marching units and local dignitaries, this year’s Pride Bigger Than Texas Parade kicks off with a Krystal Kelly Running of the Queens High Heel Race (8:45pm) before stepping off along the Main Strip. Free, 9pm Saturday; Main Strip, 1416-1503 N. Main Ave. Pride on the Strip Block Party The Main Strip keeps the Pride party going into the wee hours with a block party featuring beats by DJ Thiago De Oliveira. Free, 6pm-2am Saturday; Main Strip, 1416-1503 N. Main Ave., (210) 227-2789.
Jungle Boogie Nights
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El Greco! Velázquez! Goya! SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM of ART 200 West Jones Avenue | San Antonio, TX
samuseum.org Carlos and Malú Alvarez Caption: Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664); Saint Isabel of Portugal (detail), ca. 1635; Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid P01239; © Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid.
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CURRENT | June 27-July 3, 2018 | sacurrent.com
arts
Beyond the Rainbow ‘We Are’ blurs boundaries to paint a diverse portrait of San Antonio’s LGBTQIA community BY MARCO AQUINO
W
hat a difference 21 years can make. In 1997, then-mayor Howard Peak led city council to a vote that would disqualify the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center and two of its sponsored orgaan artist myself, it was important to create safe nizations, the San Antonio Lesbian and Gay spaces for artists, and that’s been my intention Media Project and VÁN, from city funding due from the beginning,” Castillo said. to its social-justice work and political leanings. In “Show of Force,” Michael Martinez presFast-forward to June 2018, and city council ents a 30-foot rainbow Pride flag interwoven has unanimously voted to accept a nearwith the transgender Pride flag comprising $20,000 dollar donation from the local pink and light-blue colors. Hanging from the LGBTQIA community to defray the costs of ceiling at the center of the gallery, the work installing a rainbow crosswalk at the corner offers a striking view for gallery viewers below. of Evergreen and Main, the heart of the city’s As a gender-nonconforming person of color, so-called “gayborhood.” Martinez creates work that confronts issues Even more astonishing is a first-of-its-kind of identity. “I find there is a lack of communiart exhibition presented by San Antonio’s cation with folks who are of a non-cisgender Department of Arts & Culture titled “We Are” persuasion,” Martinez said. “So often when in recognition of Pride Month. Pride month comes around, we are dominatAs the San Antonio LGBTQIA community ed by [images of] Absolut Vodka and other gains greater visibility and makes strides in corporations, when, in reality, the architects equality, artists continue to play an importof the Pride movement were trans women of ant role in documenting the struggles and color. So, this is my way of everyday experiences of this opening the door to that still-vulnerable community. conversation.” The city’s embrace of public “We Are” In “Nonconforming,” art projects and art exhibiFree photographer Julián Pablo tions within the LGBTQIA 8am-5pm Mon-Fri through Ledezma presents a series community are a far cry from July 13 of photographs depicting the 1980s and ’90s when such some of San Antonio’s proposals were unthinkable. Culture Commons Gallery biggest drag icons — from Curated by Lady Base Gal115 Plaza de Armas a comical portrait of drag lery founder Sarah Castillo, (210) 206-2787 performer and comedian “We Are” gathers 12 local Tencha la Jefa watering multidisciplinary LGBTQIA getcreativesanantonio.com her lawn to a more somber artists who are also writers, portrait of the late drag star activists, entrepreneurs Erica Andrews. Ledezma, who specializes in and educators, and whose impact can be drag photography and is a frequent Current felt on the local community. From the more contributor, revealed what it is about the art established community figures such as David form that attracts him so much. “I was raised Zamora Casas to emerging artists like Jose by women, and only women,” Ledezma said. Villalobos and Juan Zavala Castro, the artists “So I celebrate femininity … They taught me in “We Are” paint a diverse picture of the San to be strong and valiant.” Antonio LGBTQIA community. Among the most personal and revealing During a recent panel discussion held in artworks in “We Are” is Antonia Padilla’s conjunction with the exhibition, several of the series of Polaroid self-portraits, “Becoming participating artists, along with Castillo, gathAntonia.” Taken over a 30-year-period, the ered to discuss their work and their experience series documents Padilla’s transition as a working as LGBTQIA artists. For Castillo, whose transgender woman and reveals intimate gallery provides an outlet for women and moments as the artist poses for the camera LGBTQIA artists, the exhibition is an extension inside her home. Here, the promise of privacy of the work she does as a gallery owner. “Being
Michael Cirlos
Michael Cirlos
From top: artist Jose Villalobos, and Antonia Padilla
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and instant gratification afforded by Polaroid cameras in the 1980s provides an outlet for Padilla’s exploration of gender identity and sexuality. “The work I have here on the wall was my means of discovering myself and validating myself,” Padilla said. “I’m a resistor, and I will not conform.” In “We Have Always Been,” artist Jose Villalobos presents a horse saddle fabulously lined with layers of fringe around its outer ends. Villalobos, who was born in El Paso and lived in the border town of Juárez, deconstructs symbols of masculinity adopted by Mexican Americans living along the border. Raised within a religious, conservative family, Villalobos creates work that encapsulates the conflict many gay men feel as they struggle to come to terms with their identity. Villalobos’ creative output blurs lines between fashion, performance art and visual art as he repurposes Western attire and accessories associated with masculinity. Much like Martinez, Villalobos also expressed his goal of bringing greater visibility toward an often-silenced LGBTQIA community. “We have always existed,” a defiant Villalobos explained. “We have always been and will always be.”
Find more artsmore coverage Find news every day at sacurrent.com
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CURRENT | June 27-July 3, 2018 | sacurrent.com
8 transgender characters in cinema who broke the mold BY KIKO MARTINEZ
A
lthough we don’t know whether Jake Wheeler, the fouryear-old title character in the family drama A Kid Like Jake, will grow up to be a transgender adult just because he likes to wear pink tutus and
play with The Little Mermaid toys, we do know the subject matter resonated strongly with the film’s transgender director Silas Howard. In past interviews, Howard has said he’s not sure he would label A Kid Like Jake a “trans film,”
IFC Films
but the LGBTQ community has embraced the movie for taking a first step in exploring the idea of gender nonconformity within a child.
A Kid Like Jake opens at the Santikos Bijou Theater on June 29. Until then, here are eight transgender characters everyone should seek out.
IFC Films
Brandon Teena Actress Hilary Swank won her first Oscar for her role as Brandon in the 1999 biographical drama Boys Don’t Cry. Brandon was raped and murdered after his assailants found out he was trans.
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Motion Film Group
Michael/Vanessa In the 2011 drama Gun Hill Road, transgender actress Harmony Santana plays the transgender daughter of an ex-con (Esai Morales) who must come to terms with his son’s transition.
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Bree Osbourne Actress Felicity Huffman earned an Oscar nomination for her role in the 2005 dramedy Transamerica as Bree, a preoperative transgender woman who learns she has a 17-year-old son.
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Fox Searchlight Pictures
Miramax
Dil Filmmaker Neil Jordan’s 1992 thriller The Crying Game earned actor Jaye Davidson an Oscar nomination for playing Dil, a transgender woman pursued romantically by her late boyfriend’s captor during a conflict in Northern Ireland.
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Marina Vidal Winner of the Best Foreign Language Oscar in 2018, Chile’s A Fantastic Woman stars transgender actress Danielle Vega as Marina, a transgender woman mourning the death of her older boyfriend and butting heads with his family for not acknowledging her.
y
screens
Gender Roles
Focus Features
Lili Elbe Actor Eddie Redmayne earned an Oscar nomination in the 2015 biopic The Danish Girl for his portrayal of Lili, a transgender woman who became one of the first recipients of sex reassignment surgery.
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New Yorker Films
Elvira Weishaup The 1978 German psychological drama In a Year of 13 Moons follows Elvira, a lonely transgender woman who revisits the tragedies of her past, during the last five days of her life.
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Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics
La Agrado Winner of the Best Foreign Language Oscar in 2000, Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar’s All About My Mother features a transgender woman named La Agrado, who delivers a humorous monologue about the plastic surgery she’s undergone.
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Find more news Find more every day at film stories sacurrent.com
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CURRENT | June 27-July 3, 2018 | sacurrent.com
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screens
“10,000 Years of Love and Resistance”
IFC Films
About a Boy
A Kid Like Jake is a sensitive but safe story about a gender-expansive child and his parents BY KIKO MARTINEZ
A
lex and Greg Wheeler (Claire Danes and Jim Parsons) are like any other parents of a four-year-old child. They want their son Jake (Leo James Davis) to get a good education, have friends, be happy and express himself creatively in any way he sees fit. They come to a defining moment in their lives when they receive advice from Jake’s preschool principal (Octavia Spencer): when applying for private schools for the following year, they should include in their admissions essay a few anecdotes about their son’s vast imagination and interest in “gender-expansive play.” That might help him land a spot in the competitive New York City school system. The fact that Jake likes to play with dolls, watch Disney princess movies and has his heart set on dressing up as Rapunzel for Halloween never struck the Wheelers as a trait they should call attention to. But they realize it’s something they have to confront now that he’s older. The Wheelers (Greg is a therapist and Alex is a stay-at-home mom and former lawyer) want to protect him from the cruel world. And they don’t “want to send him to kindergarten labeled.” Adapted from his own stage play of
the same name, playwright and firsttime screenwriter Daniel Pearle and director Silas Howard (TV’s Transparent), who is a transgender man himself, find a way to let the compassionate narrative triumph by the film’s end. However, they miss sharing a perspective that would’ve allowed the story to resonate even more – the viewpoint of the title character is missing. As Pearle and Howard tell the story, A Kid Like Jake should have instead been called Parents with a Kid Like Jake since it’s the adults who are always deliberating, arguing and worrying without giving Jake time to project any actual emotion himself. It’s obviously a purposeful decision (in the play, Jake is an unseen character), but it’s flawed, especially for the screen. Instead of allowing Jake to question things like any inquisitive boy would, the Wheelers talk about what it’s like for them to hear him question things. Instead of getting to the root of who Jake actually is, we’re spoon-fed information about his personality. Luckily, Danes, Parsons, Spencer and Anne Dowd, who plays Alex’s slightly overbearing mother, give strong performances in a handful of scenes where adult discussions about Jake’s well-being feel genuine. The most realistic scene takes place when Alex and Greg go out to dinner with friends and the banter between them shifts from cordial to uncomfortable when the subject of Jake’s “creative roleplaying” comes up. Watching adults complicate an already complicated situation is good theater, but what A Kid Like Jake needed more of childlike wonderment. With it, it could have been a film with deeper impact, not just a conversation starter.
An exhibition and multi-disciplinary rebuttal to the Tricentennial of love, identity, family and mental and physical health in recognition of the ´ Ybarra Frausto and his lifetime partner 50-year spiritual union of Dr. Tomas Mr. Dudley Brooks: Organized by curator David Zamora Casas.
Sat., July 21, 6-9 pm: Opening Reception with music by Los Nahuatlatos and performances by Dr. Rita Urquijo-Ruiz & Giomara Bazaldua. Sat., Aug. 4, 2-4pm: “Geographies of Love,” a panel discussion with
Joyous Windrider Jimenez, Julian Pablo Ledesma, Bianca Alvarez, y mas.
Sat., Sept. 1, 6-8 pm: Closing reception & “LGBTQ+ Poetry Reading” featuring Jo Reyes-Boitel, Natasha Hernandez, Isabel Ann Castro, & Franque Michelle Bains. 2803 Fredericksburg Road San Antonio, TX 78201 bihlhausarts.org 210-383-9723
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HEALTHY KIDS NEEDED FOR A STUDY ON BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
We are conducting a study on brain development, using MRI to study the structure and function of the brain. There is NO radiation in MRI. To be in the study, the child should: Be between the ages of 8-17 years old, have not received a psychiatric diagnosis & have a parent without a psychiatric diagnosis.
Children will be: - Given pictures of their brain - Given a certificate from the University acknowledging their successful time volunteering in research - Given the gratification of knowing their participation may help other kids who are seriously ill - Paid for their participation
If you are interested in participating in this research,
Please Call (210) 450-8362 OR BDstudySA@uthscsa.edu
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Summer Guide Anthony Willett
S.A.Vortooth
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JAPANESE STYLE GASTROPUB D A I LY H A P P Y H O U R + LATE NIGHT KITCHEN m o n d ay- s u n d ay: 4 p m - 2 a m 7 7 0 1 B r o a d w ay S t. # 1 2 4 hanzoBar.com
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Jess Elizarraras
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HOT CHICKEN WING EATING COMPETITION SAT JULY 14, 2018 AT 5PM
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Summer Guide
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Summer Guide Courtesy of A24
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S CULTURE
tickets
L O C A L C U LT U R E T I C K E T S . C O M
COCKTAIL: THE EVENT
WHISKEY BUSINESS
FRI, JULY. 27 • The Doseum
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COLLECTION QUATRE BY LEIGHTON W
SAN ANTONIO MUSIC SHOWCASE
SAT, SEP. 15 • BRICK at Blue Star
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CARLOS RODRIGUEZ: BENDITA
FLAMENCO TABLAO: CARLOS RODRIGUEZ AND CHEF JOHNNY HERNANDEZ*
8:30 – 10 p.m.
Pearl Amphitheatre
Join us for an evening of dancing under the stars! Madrid-based Carlos Rodriguez, famed Spanish dancer, choreographer, artistic director, and co-founder of Nueva Ballet Español, will perform — along with his eight-person company of musicians and dancers — Bendita, which brilliantly blends original flamenco music with Spanish dance styles ranging from Fandangos to Rumbas. Free Event.
6 – 9 p.m.
Pearl Stable
Pearl Stable will be transformed into a Spanishinspired “tablao” to showcase dynamic entertainment and great culinary fare. Madrid is home to renowned flamenco tablaos including Café de Chinitas and Casa Patas. *Ticketed event, visit atpearl.com for more information
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THE BIG SPOON
Food is Political. Full Stop. BY JESS ELIZARRARAS
O
ne of the loudest criticisms The Big Spoon column and I have faced since launching earlier this spring has been about “making food political.” It happens in columns about prices, for example, and about not going back to Paula Deen’s restaurant (or Dean as her supporters would like her name to be spelled). Here’s the thing: Food is political and denying that is likely our biggest mistake. Here’s a quick list of questions you can ask yourself before eating breakfast/lunch/dinner that will help you decide if food is political: Are you growing your own food? Are you using heirloom seeds? Are you using organic pesticides? Are you composting your own scraps? Are you pulling the carrots from the ground yourself? Are you buying organic and do you know Olé_Current_Ad_June_25.pdf
1
6/25/18
food
Jess Elizarraras
what qualifies as organic under USDA guidelines? What is your stance on immigration? Do you know who picks your strawberries and how much he/she is paid daily per pound picked? Do you know what living conditions the people who pick your vegetables live in? Are you buying coffee from a coffee shop that sources its own beans directly from whatever Colombian/Ethiopian lot? Are you picking up Starbucks before or after their anti-biased training? Are you vegan? Are you vegetarian? Are you buying grass-fed beef? Are you buying free-range eggs? Do you know what qualifies as free-range under USDA guidelines? Do your children go to public school? Do they pay for their own lunch? Do you know what they’re eating and where the food comes from? Do you shop at a farmers market? What percentage of your produce/proteins comes from local farmers? Do you know where your pork comes from? Do you know if your favorite restaurant uses straws? Does your favorite restaurant offer biodegradable food packaging? Who owns your favorite restaurant? Do the restaurants you frequent have Hu-
man Resource departments where employees can report sexual harassment? If there’s no HR department, where can employees turn to report any incidents of harassment? Is Mario Batali still profiting from Eataly? Does John Besh still profit from Lüke, Shaya? Who is Ken Friedman and why does he want a comeback? Where do your oysters come from? Where do your crawfish come from? How much money do servers earn? How much money do cooks earn? How much money do dishwashers earn? Does the current immigration climate make it hard for restaurants to staff their kitchens? Can paid sick leave work in San Antonio? What resources do service industry workers have for mental health? Who would benefit from paid sick leave in San Antonio? Who writes food reviews for your favorite magazine? When was the Mushroom Council established and what do they do? When was the National Dairy Council formed and what is their mission? Which farmers markets accept Texas EBT and SNAP? What can Texas EBT/SNAP/WIC recipients buy with their benefits? What can’t they buy? How does the San Antonio Food Bank distribute food and when? Can bakeries discriminate against the LGBTQ community when trying to purchase a wedding cake? Can restaurant owners ask Sarah Sanders/ Stephen Miller/Kirstjen Nielsen to leave their establishments? Was Anthony Bourdain’s food and travel show political? Do you need a food permit to sell water? Food – who gets to eat it, who doesn’t and what sort – is political. Most of the answers lie in a grey area that allows us to choose what we eat, when we eat it and why – if we’re lucky enough. The Big Spoon will continue to treat food as a political subject until these questions are answered.
Contact the author: flavor@sacurrent.com
,
Find more news every day at sacurrent.com Find more food & drink news at sacurrent.com
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Wayne Holtz Photographer, choreographer, podcast host, performer and queer icon in San Antonio, no boundaries can impede Wayne Holtz’s creative reach. For the last two years, Holtz has managed to become one of the most recognized acts in the DIY scene in San Antonio, pulling audiences into his sexually-charged art-pop performances. Holtz puts on a show, and you will leave forever changed from one of them.
Jaime Monzon
Support Queer Art
7 LGBTQ-Identifying San Antonio Acts You Should Pay Attention To
AMEA p 2017 was the year of AMEA, for sure. Enchanting crowds with her laid back neo-soul croons, Ayanna Moriah-Eliza Allen has been a refreshing R&B addition to the Alamo City’s DIY-indie rock-heavy scene. Releasing her first EP in 2016, AMEA exudes this perpetual chill and humble vibe, which only pulls audiences deeper into her energy. If your soul needs cleansing, get to an AMEA show stat.
BY CHRIS CONDE
J
ust because an artist is gay, does that make their art gay? Not necessarily, but the acknowledgement of LGBTQ folk in art spaces is important for our LGBTQ community. As a rapper who happens to be gay, some of my songs discuss the LGBTQ experience and some don’t, but being acknowledged as a queer person in this genre helps destroy the stigmas surrounding our community. Queer folk exist everywhere. We are a community not bound to any one artistic medium, religion, language or dialect. Our art may share certain themes, but we are all still individuals with unique expressions and perspectives on life. In the month of Pride, we want to celebrate those perspectives by highlighting a few artists and bands who have members that identify as LGBTQ. Feliza Salazar of Verismilitude 5 Gracing the cover of the Current just a few weeks ago, Verisimilitude have been making a name for themselves in the 12 years they’ve been slaying stages in San Antonio. And for all three of the members still being in their early 20’s, that’s saying a lot. Drummer Feliza Salazar, an identifying member of the LGBTQ community, is arguably one of the most technical drummers in scene, punctuating the group’s music with weird time signatures and grooves that land perfectly in the pocket.
Pink Leche J Eric Cavazos is no stranger to the music scene here in the Alamo City. Gaining traction in SA after gracing the stage at Maverick Music Festival in 2015, Cavazos douses audiences in waves of bass-heavy indie dance tracks he’s dubbed “queer bass.” Always decked out in some elaborate, free-flowing, neon reflective costume, Pink Leche shows are as visual an experience as they are an audible one. Alyson Alonzo What can we say about this crooning, beat-looping songstress from the South Side? She’s a badass bish with badass beats with a voice that commands the attention of whatever venue she’s performing in. From receiving standing ovations with Youth Orchestras of San Antonio, to slaying audiences at Maverick Music Festival, Alonzo has continued to
Chris Conde
Sophie Elizabet
Natalia Glenn One the many dope aspects of writing about music for a living is discovering the new up and coming artists who force you to stop and say, “Oh wait, hold on, oh wow.” This is exactly what happened when I was turned on to Natalia Glenn, a poet, rapper, producer and R&B singer that is becoming my favorite new San Antonio artist. 16 Pysche Combining indie rock, alt-rock, and singer-songwriter elements, 16 Psyche, who have a few members who identify as LGBTQ, sounds like a combination of Circa Survive and Ani Difranco. And while that may sound confusing, the result is pretty cohesive.
Find more music coverage Find more news every day at sacurrent.com
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sacurrent.com | June 27-July 3, 2018 | CURRENT 53
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Serv ing S an A n tonio f or14 ye a rs strong! Photo credit: casey chacon
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music | music Picks Find more music coverage every day at sacurrent.com TRICOT + SALSA Thursday, June 28
Art Credit
NEW BREED BRASS BAND · FRIDAY, JUNE 29
Here’s a brassy and jazzy show that’s liable to cook as hot as the San Anto summer itself. New Breed Jazz Band, a nine-piece jazz fusion outfit from the Big Easy, will bring its heady blends of old and new to town this weekend. A jazz band with roots in the city streets and championed by all the old heads, New Breed Jazz Band fuses the more traditional elements of its sound with aspects of funk, soul, rock and hip-hop for a kinetic and breathless experience that seems readymade to keep a crowd grooving. In the live setting, which is exactly where this band has so honed its chops, show-goers will find themselves rapt, engulfed in the sizzling and swerving sounds that can only be conjured by such a large group of talented jazz musicians as adventurous as they are steeped in tradition. $10-$45, 8pm, Sam’s Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — JC
If you are a Japanese band that calls itself Salsa, it is only right that you bring your act to San Antonio, a place where salsa is practically its own spirituality, as often as you can. The deliciously named trio brings its punk/new-wave-tinged brand of indie rock to SA this week for the second time in the past few years. Fellow Japanese rock outfit Tricot, offering up its angular and massive take on mathy pop-rock, will join Salsa on this bill. Rounding out the well-curated lineup are locals Verisimilitude and Booty Feet, which play mind-melting instrumental psych-rock (with elements of mathrock technicality) and groove-heavy indie pop-rock, respectively. $10-$15, 8pm, Limelight, 2718 N. St. Mary’s St., ticketfly.com. — JC
6PRIDE NIGHT Thursday, June 28
Here’s the thing: when La Botanica throws a free Pride Night bash, you go to it – simple as that. The bar/ vegan eatery has worked hard to hone its reputation as a place of fierce inclusivity, a business with a true social consciousness, and a welcoming meeting place for revolutionaries, the marginalized and LGBTQIA+ citizens. For its Pride Night this year, brought to you by Alamo Area Resource Center (San Antonio’s first nonprofit LGBTQ clinic) and hosted by local indie pop icon Wayne E. Holtz, the venue will present several rad (and representative) musical acts. Aside from a performance from Holtz, the show will feature the queer-bass/ electro-pop stylings of Pink Leche, the forward-thinking and highly artistic R&B of AMEA, and the altrap onslaught of Chris Conde (full disclosure: Conde writes about music for the Current). The special evening will also feature prize giveaways, non-musical performances and drink specials. Free, 7pm, La Botanica, 2911 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 716-0702, vivalabotanica.com. — James Courtney Art Credit
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FINAL WEEK TO
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music | music Picks JONATHAN TYLER & THE NORTHERN LIGHTS Saturday, June 30
Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights play blues and Americana rock, and have a knack for emotive depth and crunchy, rootsy hooks. His gritty sound and his gently raspy voice catapulted him to fame, from his launching pad in Dallas, in the form of an Atlantic Records deal, spots on the nation’s biggest festival bills, and musical features in a bunch of TV shows. These days, Tyler is signed with Thirty Tigers and reeling a bit from the heights he and his band achieved so fast. But Tyler’s latest album, 2015’s Holy Smokes, is certainly his finest work yet, dialing up a traditional blues feel even in the midst of a hardedged rock onslaught that barely sounds like Americana, despite smacking of heartland America through and through. $12-$15, 7pm, John T. Floore Country Store, 14492 Old Bandera Rd, Helotes, (210) 695-8827 – JC
MORTUARY DRAPE + VOLAHN + LA SANCHE Sunday, July 1
Hell’s coming to the Limelight, at least in the form of a pummeling black metal package tour. Formed in the mid-’80s, Italy’s Mortuary Drape have built a cult following by being one of the volatile scene’s longest-surviving outfits – and, to be honest, their deliciously over-the-top band photos probably didn’t hurt either. While the Drape’s speedy, riff-based sound harkens back to vintage thrash, its presentation is all about exulting the Dark One. Expect to see black cowls, corpse paint and upside-down crosses in abundance. Tour mates Volahn’s prickly guitar tone and blurred tempos evoke a more contemporary black metal sound. And bandleader Edward Ramirez, a key figure in California’s Black Twilight Circle of bands, draws inspiration not from Beelzebub but Aztec and Mayan mythology, so there’s that. Local act La Sanche’s blackened take on death metal will open the evening on an appropriately ominous tone. $17-$20, 8pm, Limelight, 2718 N. St. Mary’s St., thelimelightsa.com. – Sanford Nowlin
Amanda McCarver
SLIGHTLY STOOPID · SATURDAY, JUNE 30
It’s been almost three decades since Sublime signed high-schoolers Slightly Stoopid to their Skunk Records imprint, and the San Diego band has made an impressively long run for a self-described “folk/rock/reggae/blue/hip-hop/funk/metal/punk” group whose content almost exclusively concerns itself with weed. For a chance to relieve your high-school stoner days (or if those days are still goin’ for ya), check these dudes out. $30-$729, 6pm, Whitewater Amphitheater, 11860 FM 360, New Braunfels, (830) 964-3800 – Chris Conde
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music | calendar WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27
The Chris Calderon Quartet Local jazz musician and trumpeter Chris Calderon performs originals with his quartet. $10. Jazz, TX, 8:30-11:30pm. Chris Cuevas Project Adriel Cuevas, Zeke Galvan and Chris Villanueva of the Chris Cuevas Project will perform blues, soul and jazz. Free. Sancho’s Cantina, 6:30-8:30pm. Ruben V Intimate rock and blues performance. Free. Sancho’s Cantina, 9-11pm.
THURSDAY, JUNE 28 The Dirty River Dixie Band Traditional jazz band hailing from San Antonio. $10. Jazz, TX, 8:30-11:30pm. Judas Priestex A Texas, female-fronted Judas Priest
ring Texas country musician Cory Morrow. $23.10$770.44. Whitewater Amphitheater, 8pm-midnight
Shotgun Rider Country duo Logan Samford and Anthony Enriquez, hailing from the Texas panhandle, currently touring the Texas/Oklahoma country circuit to promote their fourth release, Sunlight EP. $10. John T. Floores, 9pm. Spies Like Us, The Lucky Odds Ska band Spies Like Us and Rockabilly group the Lucky Odds are performing live at the Bang Bang Bar. Free. The Bang Bang Bar, 9pm-2am. The Texases Covering hits from Willie Nelson, George Strait, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Alan Jackson and more, Vinyl Ranch DJ sets, electrified honky tonk, Garrett T. Capps & The Three Timers
tribute, this lineup formed in 2016 to bring the clas-
and Big Cedar Fever western swing. Featuring Vin-
sic heavy metal songs of Judas Priest to the metal
tage pop-up shop, dance contests and more. RSVP
maniacs alongside Maiden Killers, a tribute to the
for free entry. Free. Paper Tiger, 7pm-1am.
Di’anno years. $5-$30. Sam’s Burger Joint, 7pm. King William Jazz Collective The King William Jazz Collective brings you the best of jazz from some of the finest musicians in San Antonio and founder
SATURDAY, JUNE 30 Dan Rocha Jr. Soul and R&B musician Dan Rocha Jr. performs originals. Free. 12:30-2pm & 4-6pm.
and music director Bill King. $5. Luna, 8pm.
Max Stalling Stalling’s Texas country style is modern
Shiner Sessions with Vincent Neil Emerson The
with a vintage feel creating a dynamic live show
Rustic’s Shiner Sessions is hosting country-blues artist Vincent Neil Emerson for a live performance. Free. The Rustic, 8:30-10pm. Starlito Best known for the 2005 song “Grey Goose”, which featured artists Young Jeezy and Yo Gotti. His second single, released in 2007, was “Champagne Crazy”, featuring then labelmate Lil Wayne.
that’s as smart, charming and as listenable as it is danceable. $12. Gruene Hall, 9pm. The Next, Blood N Beer Austin punk band The Next, four-piece rock ‘n’ roll band Blood N Beer and oneman punk/ska/metal band Haven’t Decided. $5. Bond’s 007 Rock Bar, 7pm-1:30am. Otonana Trio Returning to the U.S. to visit their fans
His third radio single was “I Go Ham” and would
and perform their signature party-funk dance tunes.
later also feature the Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane.
Come see band members Kentaro, Kaz and Hikari
$20-$40. Paper Tiger, 7-11pm.
to support their new album. Imagine Books and
FRIDAY, JUNE 29
Records, 8pm. Puro Pinche Tropical ft. Superfonicos Puro Pinche is
Austin Meade Rocker Austin Meade, inspired by rock
hosting Superfonicos, a Afro-Colombian soul and funk
‘n’ roll greats and red dirt legends, Austin Meade
group, for a live concert at the Paper Tiger. The event
blends bluesy guitars and deliberate vocals to
will feature tropical drink specials and tunes from DJ
deliver a familiar, yet fresh, sound in a four-piece package. Meade will be performing songs from
Steven Lee Moya. $15. Paper Tiger, 9pm-1am. Summer Music Series Enjoy live music and Chef
his latest EP “Heartbreak Coming.” Free. The
Jason Dady’s barbecue at Alamo BBQ Company.
Rustic, 9:30-11pm.
The event will also feature chefs Nef Hernandez,
The Black Dahlia Murder, Whitechapel Black metal bands the Black Dahlia Murder and Whitechapel are performing live at Vibes Event Center. This
Robin Howard, Ryan Dela Garza, and Jeff Wood. Free. Alamo BBQ Company, 7-9pm. The Next- 40th Anniversary Punk Rock invasion
event will have an assortment of new and up-and-
Bond’s is hosting a high-energy, true punk rock leg-
coming metal/rock bands from around the world.
acy performance by The Next from San Antonio’s
$25. Vibes Event Center, 3pm-2am.
first wave of punk. The band morphed with the
Canciones: Sounds of Spain and South Texas Canciones Free concert series dedicated to Texas music from a South Texas sensibility. During Olé San
Bond’s 007 Rock Bar, 7pm-1:30am. Wayne Wilson Country and Americana music sung by Texan Wayne Wilson live on the outside patio at the
their music alongside South Texas favorites. Kicking
Quarry Hofbrau. Free. Quarry Hofbrau, 10pm-1am.
Azul Barrientos and Barcelona-based quartet Las
SUNDAY, JULY 1
Migas. Free. Pearl Park, 5:30-8:30pm.
Mountebank Garage pop/indie rock band hailing
Floyd Domino’s All-Stars Grammy Award-winning
down from Austin for the first time takes the stage
pianist Floyd Domino leads a group of first-class
with 80s synth pop duo Mr. Pidge and Mirame.
Austin Swing musicians, performing a repertoire that
Paper Tiger, 8 pm-midnight
ranges from Fats Waller to Ray Charles, with lots of Count Basie in the book. $5. Jazz, TX, 5:30-7:30pm.
SACURRENT.COM
times, releasing their new single “13Problems.” $5.
Antonio, visiting artists from Spain will showcase off the series, Pearl Park welcomes Mexican artist
Check us out at:
MONDAY, JULY 2
Josh Abbott Band & Pat Green w/ Cory Morrow The
Swing Nite with Brian & the Blackouts Local trio knock-
Whitewater Amphitheater presents country sensa-
ing out solid music, using telecasters an upright bass
tions Josh Abbot Band and Pat Green, guest-star-
and drums. $7-$10. Sam’s Burger Joint, 7pm. sacurrent.com | June 27-July 3, 2018 | CURRENT 61
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When I started dating my husband, he told me he had a low libido. I said I could deal with that. We waited several months before having sex, and then after we started, it was infrequent and impersonal. There was some slow improvement over the three years we dated. Then we got married, and suddenly he had no libido at all. He blamed health problems and assured me he was trying to address them. Despite being diagnosed and successfully treated for multiple physical and mental health issues over time, things only got worse. After four years of marriage, the relationship has become strictly platonic. I can’t even start a conversation about intimacy without him getting irritated. After we married, he also decided he no longer wanted children, and I eventually convinced myself it was probably for the best, given his health. We built our dream home, adopted a pet, and built an outwardly successful life together. I was, if not happy, at least complacent. Until I ran into an ex-boyfriend at a party. We split many years ago on good terms. We ended up talking about how important it is to him to have a biological child – something we talked about a lot when we were dating – and we got physically close, and that got me thinking about how much I missed sex with him. Ever since, I’ve been thinking about him. I think he was hinting that he wants me back, and right now that sounds like the answer to all my problems. But if not, I don’t want to leave my hubby and lose the decent life we built together. Plus, my leaving would hurt my husband’s feelings, his health, and his finances. I also worry that people would blame me because it will look like I left because things were tough. Can I follow up and clarify with my ex before I break it off with my husband, or is that too much like cheating? Is it selfish of me to even consider leaving at this point? I’m a 30-year-old woman, so I don’t have a lot of time left to decide about children. Indecisively Married Dame On Nearing Exit Here’s something I’ve never seen in my inbox: a letter from someone explaining how sex with their partner was infrequent, impersonal, uninspired, unimaginative, etc. at first but – holy moly – the sex got a fuck of a lot better after the wedding! Now, maybe that happens – maybe that happened for you, dear reader (if so, please write in) – but I can’t imagine it happens often. So, boys and girls and enbies, if the sex isn’t good at or very near the beginning, the passage of time and/or muttering of vows isn’t going to fix it. If sex is important to you – if you wouldn’t be content in a companionate marriage and/or don’t want to wind up in
divorce court one day – hold out for someone with whom you click sexually. Okay, IMDONE, either your husband married you under false pretenses – putting out/in just enough to convince you to marry him and only pretending to want kids – or his goodfaith efforts to resolve his health issues didn’t help (at least where sex is concerned) and he changed his mind about being a dad (perhaps because he doesn’t feel healthy enough to do the work of parenting). Either way, you’re free to go. Even if the sex was good and your husband wanted 30 kids, you’d still be free to go. Whether or not you stay, IMDONE, you should explore your options before making up your mind. So go ahead and call your ex and ask him if he’d like to get coffee with you – in a public place and shortly before an appointment you can’t cancel. Your ex may have been hinting about wanting to get back together, or he may not want to get back together and was engaged in what he thought was a little harmless/nostalgic flirtation – harmless because he knows you’re married and presumably unavailable. There’s only one way to find out what your ex wants or doesn’t want, and that’s by asking your ex. So ask. And while that convo could be regarded as pre-cheating or cheating-prep or even cheating-adjacent, it isn’t cheating. You married someone who unilaterally changed the terms and conditions of your marriage – no sex, no kids – and you have an absolute right to think through your options. And a husband who won’t even discuss intimacy with you can’t ask you to refrain from contemplating or even discussing intimacy with one of those options. Whether you have that convo with your ex or not, IMDONE, you need to ask yourself if you want to stay in this marriage. You’re only 30 and you wanted and still want kids. Ex-boyfriend or no ex-boyfriend, you can leave your husband – and you can leave him without abandoning him. You can still be there for him emotionally, you can offer what help you can financially, and you can help him secure health insurance. Finally, IMDONE, you frame your choice as the husband or the ex – one or the other – but there is another option. It’s the longest of long shots, I realize, but I’m going to toss it out there anyway: one or the other or both. Your husband would have to agree to an open relationship, and your ex-boyfriend – if, again, he’s interested at all – would have to agree to it, too. Good luck.
mail@savagelove.net @FakeDanSavage on Twitter www.ITMFA.org
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“A Changing Business”– one letter makes all the difference. ACROSS 1 There are 10 million in a joule 5 Cookout unit 10 Nos. on checks 14 Free of slack 15 First word of a counting rhyme 16 Sidesplitting show 17 Gyro meat from a roadside cart? 19 Lowdown 20 Sports car engine type 21 Got together 23 Seat in Parliament? 25 Thomas who drew Santa Claus 26 The Tritons of the NCAA 30 David ___, founder and former CEO of Salon 33 Owns 36 “Don’t pick me” 38 Redeemable ticket 40 “Blue screen of death” event 41 Addresses represented by URLs 42 Seat of the Dutch government, with “The” 43 Singer with the autobiography “Out of Sync” 45 Company with an early console 46 Bent pipe shape 47 Stick in the microwave 49 Israel’s first U.N. delegate Abba 50 Bus. major’s course
52 Coffee dispenser 54 Really fail 58 Prolific author Asimov 62 Financial record, for short 63 Like some mushrooms, ravioli, and wontons a la “Rangoon”? 66 Seagoing (abbr.) 67 “So ___ to the guy ...” 68 Prefix with phobia or bat 69 Ann Landers’s sister 70 Big name in car racks 71 New restaurant logo in a June 2018 promotion (and inspiration for the theme answers) DOWN 1 Roswell visitors, for short 2 “Lay It Down” ‘80s rockers 3 Hindu spiritual guide 4 Ending for hip or dump 5 2018 Oscar winner for Original Screenplay 6 5-Down costar Lil ___ Howery 7 ___ the last minute 8 Original Skittles flavor 9 Beirut’s country 10 Pisces follower 11 Be aware of unnecessary chatter? 12 Soybean stuff 13 Four-letter word with eight sides?
18 Recede gradually 22 Powdered green tea leaves 24 Grammy winner Carey 26 “I surrender!” 27 Reef makeup 28 Baby bear owned by a hardware company? 29 Part of DVD 31 Run out, as a subscription 32 Guinea-___ (West African nation) 34 Honda subdivision 35 Knitter’s coil 37 Atomic Blonde star Charlize 39 Not like in the least 44 Charity event 48 Three-part vacuum tube 51 Feline 53 Bouncer’s letters? 54 Archer agent Kane 55 Words after call or hail 56 Be effusive 57 Actress Summer of “Firefly” 59 Antioxidant-rich berry 60 Half an M? 61 L.B.J. biographer Robert 64 Rapper ___ Uzi Vert 65 Drew’s predecessor on The Price is Right ANSWER ON PAGE 19
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BENEFITING:
etc FREE WILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZNY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your best ideas and soundest decisions will materialize as if by magic while you’re lounging around doing nothing in a worry-free environment. So please make sure you have an abundance of relaxed slack and unhurried grace. Treat yourself to record-setting levels of comfort and self-care. Do whatever’s necessary for you to feel as safe as you have ever felt. I realize these prescriptions might ostensibly clash with your fiery Aries nature. But if you meditate on them for even two minutes, I bet you’ll agree they’re exquisitely appropriate for you right now. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “It is always what is under pressure in us, especially under pressure of concealment – that explodes in poetry.” Taurus poet Adrienne Rich wrote that in an essay about the poet Emily Dickinson. She was describing the process of tapping into potent but buried feelings so as to create beautiful works of literature. I’m hoping to persuade you to take a comparable approach: to give voice to what’s under pressure inside you, but in a graceful and constructive way that has positive results. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Introductory offers are expiring. The bracing thrills of novelty must ripen into the cool enjoyments of maturity. It’s time to finish the dress rehearsals so the actual show can begin. You’ve got to start turning big, bright fantasies into crisp, no-nonsense realities. In light of these shifting conditions, I suspect you can no longer use your good intentions as leverage, but must deliver more tangible signs of commitment. Please don’t take this as a criticism, but the cosmic machinery in your vicinity needs some actual oil, not just your witty stories about the oil and the cosmic machinery. CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the coming weeks, you will have an excellent chance to dramatically decrease your Wimp Quotient. As the perilously passive parts of your niceness toughen up, I bet you will encounter brisk possibilities that were previously off-limits or invisible to you. To ensure you remain in top shape for this delightful development, I think you should avoid entertainment that stimulates fear and pessimism. Instead of watching the latest flurry of demoralizing stories on Netflix, spend quality time summoning memories of the times in your life when you were unbeatable. For extra credit, pump your fist ten times each day as you growl, “Victory is mine!” LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): It’s not so bad to temporarily lose your bearings. What’s bad is not capitalizing on the disruption that caused you
to lose your bearings. So I propose that you regard the fresh commotion as a blessing. Use it as motivation to initiate radical changes. For example, escape the illusions and deceptions that caused you to lose your bearings. Explore unruly emotions that may be at the root of the superpowers you will fully develop in the future. Transform yourself into a brave self-healer who is newly receptive to a host of medicinal clues that were not previously accessible. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Here’s my list of demands: 1. Avoid hanging out with people who are unreceptive to your influence. 2. Avoid hanging out with people whose influence on you is mediocre or dispiriting. 3. Hang out with people who are receptive to your influence and whose influence on you is healthy and stimulating. 4. Influence the hell out of the people who are receptive to your influence. Be a generous catalyst for them. Nudge them to surpass the limits they would benefit from surpassing. 5. Allow yourself to be deeply moved by people whose influence on you is healthy and stimulating. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.” Activist author Audre Lorde said that, and now, in accordance with your current astrological and psychological needs, I’m offering it to you. I realize it’s a flamboyant, even extreme, declaration, but in my opinion, that’s what is most likely to motivate you to do the right thing. Here’s another splashy prompt, courtesy of philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre: “We only become what we are by the radical and deep-seated refusal of that which others have made us.”
portant in the cosmic scheme of things.” Jenna, my girlfriend when I was 19, was perhaps touting a similar principle when, after teasing and tormenting me for two hours, she scrawled on my bathroom mirror in lipstick, “Sometimes you enjoy life better if you don’t understand it.” Then there’s my Zen punk friend Arturo, who says that life’s goodies are more likely to flow your way if you “hope for nothing and are open to everything.” According to my analysis of the astrological rhythms, these messages will help you make the most of the bewildering but succulent opportunities that are now arriving in your vicinity. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In accordance with the astrological beacons, I have selected two pieces of advice to serve as your guiding meditations during the next seven weeks. You might want to write them on a piece of paper that you will carry in your wallet or pocket. Here’s the first, from businessman Alan Cohen: “Only those who ask for more can get more, and only those who know there is more, ask.” Here’s the second, from writer G. K. Chesterton: “We need to be happy in this wonderland without once being merely comfortable.” AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Ecologists in Mexico City investigated why certain sparrows
and finches use humans’ discarded cigarette butts in building their nests. They found that cellulose acetate, a chemical in the butts, protects the nests by repelling parasitic mites. Is there a metaphorical lesson you might draw from the birds’ ingenious adaptation, Aquarius? Could you find good use for what might seem to be dross or debris? My analysis of the astrological omens says that this possibility is worth meditating on. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I suspect that sometime soon you will come into possession of an enchanted potion or pixie dust or a pouch full of magic beans – or the equivalent. If and when that occurs, consider the following protocols: 1. Before you use your new treasure, say a prayer to your higher self, requesting that you will be guided to use it in such a way as to make yourself wiser and kinder. 2. When you use it, be sure it harms no one. 3. Express gratitude for it before and during and after using it. 4. Use it in such a way that it benefits at least one other person or creature in addition to you. 5. See if you can use it to generate the arrival or more pixie dust or magical beans or enchanted potion in the future. 6. When you use it, focus on wielding it to get exactly what you want, not what you sort of want or temporarily want.
THIS MODERN WORLD BY TOM TOMORROW
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): André René Roussimoff, also known as André the Giant, was a French actor and professional wrestler. He was 7 feet, 4 inches tall and weighed 520 pounds. As you might imagine, he ate and drank extravagantly. On one festive occasion, he quaffed 119 bottles of beer in six hours. Judging from your current astrological indicators, Scorpio, I suspect you may be ready for a binge like that. JUST KIDDING! I sincerely hope you won’t indulge in such wasteful forms of “pleasure.” The coming days should be a time when you engage in a focused pursuit of uplifting and healthy modes of bliss. The point is to seek gusto and amusement that enhance your body, mind, and soul. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): On her 90th birthday, my Great-Aunt Zosia told me, “The best gift you can give your ego is to make it see it’s both totally insignificant and totally imsacurrent.com | June 27-July 3, 2018 | CURRENT 65
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