the pride
⚫
10.01.2023 – 10.31.2023 May 2024
WWW.THEPRIDELA.COM
LOS ANGELES 1
THE LOS ANGELES LGBT NEWSPAPER
Accents OwnerFaces Steven Hanna Reflects on Burbank Mayor Backlash Over Playful Decades Long Legacy Video, Cites Critics Anti-LGBTQ+ Bias
For 37Konstantine years, all in good fun. He went on to reveal that a reposted the video and garnered over 8 million Mayor secretly recorded video was made during views. Accents Jewelry the event and subsequently shared with a In response to the video, the Libs of TikTok Anthony Defends prominent hate group. account claimed that children were present has transcended In a post on his Instagram account, Anthony at the event. Mayor Anthony disputed this Actions Amid stated, “For several days, extremist right-wing assertion, stating that “actually, there weren’t mere commerce, Controversy Over organizations, including Fox News, have any children at this private 21+ event. But of spread misleading information to fuel fear, course, lying is totally on brand for you.” Video discrimination, and hate. I will always be a While the account correctly pointed out that evolving into a proud supporter of the LGBTQ+ community individuals aged 15 and older were permitted and drag performers.” to attend, the event’s organizer, the Santa you about it. There is no reason to involve all vibrant community, By Dolores Quintana He added, “On a busy Saturday filled with Clarita Valley Democrats, released a statement of the other people who were not at a public Burbank Mayor Konstantine Anthony is various independent gatherings, I attended clarifying that no individuals under the age of event, not at a government-sponsored event. It afacingcrucible of criticism from conservatives following the Santa Clarita Valley Democrats’ private 18 were in attendance. wasn’t even in the city of Burbank.” the circulation of a videoand showing him being fundraiser for their organization. Notably, Mayor Anthony reiterated this point during In a statement released on Tuesday, the creativity, spanked by a drag queen during an event there were no officially endorsed candidates a City Council meeting and expressed his Santa Clarita Valley Democrats voiced their weekend of September aonhas the sanctuary for10. Anthony or state and federal political figures present. concern that the video’s circulation had led to support for Mayor Anthony and strongly responded that some of his critics are The event was open to young adults ages 15 city officials receiving “some of the most vile denounced the sensationalized and inaccurate motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ bias and that the and above. However, there were no attendees hate speech that I have ever seen.” cherished moments. portrayal of their event for political purposes incident was harmless. below 18. Additionally, no children were Anthony encouraged those with concerns In the video, posted Wisenuts podcast, Founder Stevenby the Hanna’s legacy Mayor Anthony is seen spanked by resonates far beyond thebeing store’s physical a drag artist, by the Village People’s space, as hisbacked commitment to mentoring “Macho Man.” Anthony described the events and nurturing aspiring designers has as “shenanigans” emphasized it was seeded dreamsandand shared that wisdom
spanning decades. With mixed emotions, the store announced its closure in February. Beloved Accents clientele have until April 30th to acquire exquisite pieces at unbeatable prices as a token of their appreciation. Hanna was born in a nurturing family surrounded by old country relatives. From the age of 12, surfing encapsulated his childhood and in the 60s, he went to college to major in art, all of which laid the groundwork for idealistic values that stayed true to him throughout his life. With his sculpting background, he acquired an apprenticeship position at Venice Lapidary Guild where he learned how to carve wax that would be cast in silver and gold, and to carve the stones that he would set into jewelry designs. Hanna started his own business in By Dolores Quintana 1973 by taking in special order rings, doing craft shows, and to The premiere of “Lil Naswholesaling X: Long Live boutiquesat and department stores. Film He Montero” the Toronto International found working alongside othersetback creative Festival (TIFF) faced a momentary on minds rewarding, he threat. proceeded to Saturday night due to asobomb conceptualize an idea a communityJudy Lung, TIFF’s Vicefor President of Public based retail store. Affairs and Communications, confirmed to “Not thatToronto muchviadifferent the CTV News a written from statement family of neighbors that that the festival was alertedand to anfriends investigation gravitated to my home the at canals “in the vicinity of the red in carpet” Roy
present.” While not specifying the particular hate group in question, it is possible that Anthony was referring to the Twitter account, now known as X, called “Libs of TikTok,” which where I lived throughout the 70s,” he
said. Hanna started taking business courses at UCLA in the 80s while looking for the right location for a unique retail store that catered to his target market. “It was interesting in being exposed to the basic principles of business, especially how they related to my personal struggles working with larger companies, and how much of it did not relate with ownthevalues. I found Thomson Hall,my where documentary wasmy set longtime interest in the philosophies and to be screened. religions from the east standard and enlightened Lung stated, “Our security authors who integrated ancient wisdom measures remained in place during this time, with modern living in the west, to be and the screening commenced with a slight more relevant to my creative business delay. To our knowledge, this was a general practices,” he said. threat not directed film or the artist.” In and 1987, Hannaat the opened Accents Jewelry Design on Main Street near the Venice and Santa Monica boundary line where he featured his work alongside other designers, some of which he knew from his early craft fair circuit and trade shows. “The unique handmade jewelry, personal services offered and affordable prices kept people coming back,” he said. “I was so passionate about bringing together my purpose and everything I had learned toward establishing relationships and taking care of all their
about his actions to communicate with him directly via email at kanthony@burbankca. gov. He stated, “If you want to talk to me about what happened over the weekend, send jewelry needs … me even if it meant me an email. Send an email. I will going talk to
downtown or to my bench workers shop before I opened the store in the morning.” Three years later, Hanna started a weekly workshop teaching the lost wax jewelry making technique and the workshops have continued to this day. He eventually moved Accents to the corner of Ashland and Main Street in 1993, a location that favored more foot A spokesperson for the Toronto police traffic. informed CTV News Toronto like that the threat “I started recruiting minded students my to weekly workshop to had been from conveyed the festival’s private work as apprentice designers and today security by a passerby. “Out of an abundance my dream has come true as the store of caution, the Toronto police and the private
that promoted fear, homophobia, transphobia, and bigotry. The Democrats reaffirmed their commitment to the LGBTQ+ community and drag performers, refusing to engage with what supports sixto of us jewelry they referred as “fake outrage.”designers,”
Hanna said. With training help from Accents Supervising Manager Johanna Torell, Hanna said they instill in each designer the importance of personal service and community by which Accents is known. “We all honor the creative apprentice designers that came before them, who are now successful designers,” Hanna said. swept the scene and cleared it within security the store embarking close 20As minutes,” noted is Constable Victor to Kwong. soon, Hanna will deeply miss Toronto police also clarified thatthe the sense threat of community that has surrounded had a general nature and did not specifically Accents its inception. target any since individual or entity.
Bomb Threat Temporarily Halts “Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero” Premiere at TIFF World Premiere of Documentary Was Screened After 20-Minute Delay
BACK OR UNFILES
TAXES?
ALL FORMS • ALL TYPES • ALL STATES SAMUEL B. MOSES, CPA
(310) 395-9922
100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1753 • Santa Monica 90401