ISSUE 31
C E L E B R AT I N G
VOLUME 50
48 YEARS
F R I D AY
IN
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PRINT S E AT T L E ’ S L G B T Q I A + N E W S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T W E E K LY S I N C E 19 74
A HUMAN VIRUS, NOT A GAY VIRUS Community leaders convene to address MPV misinformation, course of action
by A.V. Eichenbaum SGN Managing Editor Representatives of Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community met with state government officials at the LGBTQ Center on Wednesday, August 3, to address growing concerns about the monkeypox virus (MPV) and the harmful misinformation being spread about its transmission nationwide.
see MPV page 5
Photo by A.V. Eichenbaum
Seattle Starbucks workers win nation’s first bargaining victory
Employer makes concessions to laid-off workers
Queer-owned bookstore victim of break-in, vandalism
Photo courtesy of Starbucks Worker Solidarity @VentiSolidarity / Twitter
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Workers at two Seattle stores set to be closed by the corporation have won concessions from their employer. According to Starbucks Workers United (SBWU), the union that represents them, “this marks the first successful agreement our union has negotiated with the company.” On July 11, Starbucks announced it would close five Seattle-area stores for
“safety reasons.” Two of those stores — the Olive Way and the 505 Union Station locations — were already unionized, and the others had ongoing union organizing. SBWU charged that the closures were merely a union-busting tactic that the corporation had used in other parts of the country as well. The union filed an unfair labor practices complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the federal agency charged with enforcing US labor laws.
see CONCESSIONS page 6
Photo by Lindsey Anderson
by Lindsey Anderson SGN Staff Writer On Saturday, July 28, Capitol Hill’s newest bookstore received a harsh welcome to the neighborhood. In the early hours of the morning, Nook & Cranny Books was vandalized and broken into by unidentified suspects. Hours later, store owner Maren Comendant discovered the damage. “I got in around 7:30 on Saturday to open the store, and the first thing I noticed when I pulled up
was that the… benches in front were gone. I was confused by that,” she said. “Then I came in and looked out the window and saw that they were propped up against the telephone pole over there, just randomly.” The metal benches that were permanently installed in front of the store had been ripped out of the ground with such force that some of the brick from the sidewalk was also missing. The vandals did not take the benches far, however.
see BREAK-IN page 7
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Obituary
Nick Garrison, 1974–2022
A remembrance by a few of his friends & collaborators Actor, singer, director, and writer Nick Garrison passed away unexpectedly while walking a favorite scenic trail in Bothell, shortly before being discovered on the morning of Tuesday, July 26, 2022. A tremendous talent, Nick embraced Seattle as his creative community, and in turn, his community dearly embraced him back. His work was seen in Seattle’s largest professional theatres, such as the 5th Avenue, Seattle Rep, and ACT, but also in more intimate venues like Empty Space, Re-bar, and Annex. Nick garnered national and international acclaim for his portrayal of Hedwig in Hedwig in the Angry Inch, which he played in Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, and throughout the UK. Nick’s creative life was varied and prolific. But rather than list his many accomplishments, we’ve gathered reflections from a few of his creative collaborators about what made him such a remarkable person and artist.
(Clockwise from top) Nick Garrison in The Love Markets – Photo courtesy of Von Piglet Productions, in Ian Bell's Brown Derby Series - Carrie – Photo by Doug McLaughlin, at Village Theatre by Victoria Lahti, and as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Photo by Howard Petrella
Allison Narver Director/AD emeritus, Empty Space Theatre, Annex Theatre “Some of the most golden moments of my life were spent making theater with Nick. He knew the deep truth in contradiction. Be it ecstasy in sorrow or the deadly serious act of comedy, he understood that being alive is a kind of exquisite torture far too important to be taken seriously. Nothing was off limits — he was a whirling dervish of creativity, fearlessness, and passion. He expected the same from his collaborators. He made me feel braver and smarter than I am. He made it easy to do, because I knew he was holding my hand the whole way.” Ian Bell Director, Ian Bell’s Brown Derby Series “Rightly, there’s a high premium on laughter. Genuine laughter is rare and special, and feels as wonderful to elicit as it is to experience. The sheer volume of this kind of laughter that Nick put into the world could only be measured in cubic tons. Nick could always find honesty in his comedy — fully committing to his character’s objective while simultaneously revealing its complete folly. As an early member of the Brown Derby Series, performing in over 29 shows I directed, Nick contributed to the legacy of the series, and the laughter he brought lives on in my heart.”
Andrew Tasakos (aka Bitsy Bates) Fellow performer and friend “We met in the cast of Dirty Little Showtunes (Re-bar, 1997). I remember hearing him sing and I was like, ‘Who the hell is this kid? I MUST BE HIS FRIEND!’ And it was so. We worked on many shows together, mainly in the Brown Derby Series, and he helped take my drag technique to new levels. We talked recently about ‘our style of drag’ and that neither of us would last 10 seconds on RuPaul’s Drag Race. We were actors first, who happened to excel at dress and wig-wearing. I often fantasized about doing another show with him. I’m heartbroken that possibility is gone.” Imogen Love Director, actor, collaborator ”Nick’s uncanny ability to channel women made him an unsung standard bearer for true gender fluidity. Kevin Mesher, Nicole Sarrocco, and I wrote the role ‘Momma’ in Deflowered in the Attic (Re-bar, 1999) specifically for Nick, because no other actor of any gender could so fully capture her. His appreciation of, and empathy with, women was rare and beautiful among men of his generation; his Hedwig, while presenting as female, was laced with glamorous masculinity as part of his many-layered (and deeply sweaty) performance.”
Sarah Rudinoff Collaborator, co-star “Nick was like my artistic husband. In fact, when we first worked together on Hedwig and the Angry Inch, I was playing his husband, Yitzhak. I watched him transform not only himself but the audience each night. It felt more like a religious experience than a play. And isn’t that what everyone is looking for in art and spiritual practices, to be so emotionally inspired that it shifts them inside? Nick had the craft, the sensitivity, the talent, and the ineffable power to do that, and that is why he is and will always be beloved.” Angie Louise Singer-songwriter, actor, bandleader, The Love Markets “Nick inspired me to dig deeper. With him as my muse, anything seemed possible — why not create a show for the two of us that never had to close? His generosity of spirit and boundless capacity for intimacy, his commitment to each moment, his sheer brilliance — he was the singing partner and bandmate of my dreams, whether we were playing a packed house or my empty living room. Nick empowered me to find my voice as a songwriter. By believing in me and by simply being who he was, this dearest of friends changed my life.”
Ross Whippo Former technical director, Re-bar “Nick opened up my world. I was a young, inexperienced theatre technician looking for my next gig, and Nick grabbed me by the hand and pulled me through the seedy backalley entrance of Re-bar. He introduced me to a marvelous collection of weirdos who quickly became the family I hadn’t realized I needed. He took a chance on me, saw something I didn’t, and generously made me a part of the magic. I spent the next four months (during the Hedwig and the Angry Inch 2004 remount) trussing him up in a corset over the bar toilet, and I wouldn’t trade a minute of it.” Chris Jeffries Composer, writer, pianist “I’m dwelling on the little, hilarious things: How shocked my dad was that the mother in Deflowered in the Attic was actually a man. The way he said, ‘I have an excellent memory, and I love sherry’ in Valley of the Dolls. Hours planning improbable productions of weird late Tennessee Williams plays. Watching Three Sisters and counting the times Sandy Dennis touched her face. Just spending time with Nick was gold. Thoreau said: ‘To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.’”
Nick will be deeply missed by the many people he touched and inspired with his talent, passion, and love. He is survived by his mother, Mary; his siblings Lisa, Laura, and Jeff; and his beloved nieces and nephews.
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Local News
Photo by A.V. Eichenbaum
MPV
continued from cover “Today was an opportunity to bring people together, and also to hear and listen to conversations and concerns that are in multiple communities,” Washington’s secretary of health, Dr. Umair Shah, told the SGN. “Anyone can get MPV,” said the Washington Department of Health’s director of community relations and equity, Naisha Williams, “regardless of gender or sexual identity.”
At press time, over 6,000 cases of MPV have been reported in the United States, which has declared a public health emergency. According to the state’s DOH, 144 of Washington’s 166 reported cases were in King County, and the majority of people who tested positive in King County live in central Seattle. While men who have sex with men have been the primary focus of outreach and the largest group of people affected, MPV is not a sexually transmitted disease. It can
be spread to anyone of any gender or sexual orientation through close and prolonged skin-to-skin contact. This includes cuddling, kissing, hugging, and even contact with clothing and bedding. Stigma and equity “This has been a very difficult time for all of us, and I want to say that the LGBTQ+ community has been really challenged, because there has been a lot of stigmatizing and a lot of real concerns that are both founded and related to perception,” said Dr.
Tareco Timothy receives an MPV vaccination at the Northwell Health Immediate Care Center at Fire Island-Cherry Grove in New York on July 15, 2022 – Photo by Eduardo Munoz / Reuters
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Shah, addressing those assembled at the LGBTQ Center. In attendance were representatives from Seattle’s LGBTQ Center, Entre Hermanos, Taking B(l)ack Pride, Swedish Medical, UTOPIA Washington, the Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network, and the Washington State LGBTQ Commission, as well as members of the state DOH and the Region 10 director of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, Ingrid Ulrey. Martha Zuniga, Entre Hermanos’ deputy director, was first of the community leaders to speak. “My concerns are about the equity of resources available for people of color. My community — the Latinx community — has, I think, 33% of the cases already.” This statistic holds true in San Francisco — where MPV has affected only 15% of the population, but 30% of those infected are members of the Latinx community — but currently does not reflect Seattle’s data. “Another concern for me is the stigma and the way the information has been handled,” said Zuniga. Stigmatization of the LGBTQ+ community was a major concern of attendees, many of whom pointed to the government’s mishandling of HIV in the 1980s, the ramifications of which are still felt today. “I totally agree,” said Dr. Tao KwanGett, chief science officer of the state DOH. “One of the worse things we can do is to propagate stigma… Clearly, the outbreak is not under control, and the worst thing we can do is to make people embarrassed to talk about MPV, to not seek healthcare… We’re very conscious that we can’t repeat some of the mistakes made at the beginning of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.” “We want to be very clear that we are allocating vaccine resources for folks who are disproportionately affected, especially for communities of color,” said Williams.
see MPV page 6
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Local News
CONCESSIONS continued from cover
Meanwhile, workers at the two unionized stores had the right under federal law to negotiate with Starbucks over the effects of the closures. According to the union, negotiations took some 15 straight hours but resulted in major concessions from the company. The agreement ensures that all workers • will be able to transfer to nearby stores, • with no gap in their schedules or any lost hours, and • will have the right of first refusal to return if their stores were reopened or a new store opens nearby. In other good news for Starbucks workers, the NLRB dismissed a complaint by the company that union sympathizers in Arizona had used “disturbing” and “aggressive” tactics, including “blocking entrances and exits” and “surrounding a store and pounding on the windows to physically intimidate and bully partners inside.” “Partners” is the current Starbucks euphemism for their employees. The NLRB concluded that “there was insufficient evidence presented to demonstrate that the participants… prevented employees or members of the public from entering or exiting,” and “the investigation revealed that no demonstrators touched any
Photo courtesy of Starbucks Worker Solidarity @VentiSolidarity / Twitter
employees or customers, or their vehicles.” To date, exactly 200 Starbucks stores have voted to unionize. The 200th came on July 22, when workers at the University
Circle store in Cleveland, Ohio, voted 11-9 to be represented by SBWU. The store was the fourth in Cleveland to vote for a union. According to the union, more than 300
Starbucks stores have filed petitions to unionize nationwide, and at stores where elections have already been held, more than 80% have successfully become unionized.
Photo by A.V. Eichenbaum
Community solutions Many members of the assembly offered potential solutions and recommended
courses of action that worked before. J. Manny Santiago, executive director of the Washington State LGBTQ Commission, suggested hosting community panels, citing their effectiveness during the height of the COVID pandemic. “We can record [panels] with your questions, with your concerns, with your particular communities in mind, so we can address that, and have that as a tool available for everybody to use,” said Santiago. “The Department of Health is huge. It deals with all health, and we can be a little more intentional — more focused — when it comes to our communities.” Mattie Mooney, co-founder of Taking B(l)ack Pride and senior coordinator of Transgender health at Swedish Medical, said the messaging should focus on transmission through skin-to-skin contact instead of sex. “What are all the ways you can have close contact with folks?” they reminded the assembly. “What are all the ways you can come in contact with open sores? That’s what we need to be talking about, rather than having this hyperfocus on sex, [implying] we’re all just having orgies in the street.”
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MPV
continued from page 5 “I want to emphasize here, that this disease, MPV, is a human disease. It’s not a Gay disease,” said Diana Krishna, community care program coordinator at UTOPIA Washington. “And what we are hearing from health organizations and health agencies [is that] they’re sending us messages that this is a Gay disease, specifically focusing on gender-diverse folks.” Ulrey, the first openly Gay person appointed to her position, told the SGN in an email that the issue is “near and dear” to her. “Aggressively responding to the monkeypox outbreak is a critical priority for HHS, and we have launched a rapid and comprehensive response, significantly increasing vaccine supply and distribution, expanding access to tests, making treatments available for free, and educating the public on steps to reduce the risk of infection.”
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Whatever the message, translating it to be fully accessible by non-English speakers is crucial, said UTOPIA Washington’s community care program manager, Falia Sipili. “There’s a lot of nonprofits that work with a lot of marginalized communities, and what really counts as misinformation in the past year was the lack of translated material.” The takeaway This meeting was the first step in community-organized activism against MPV. Solutions are still in the works for properly disseminating information and destigmatizing discussion around the virus, but the message going forward is clear. “We cannot allow hMPXV [monkeypox, MPV] to become yet another opportunity for shame, stigma, and discrimination against LGBTQ+ communities,” Bekah Telew, co-executive director of Seattle’s LGBTQ Center said in a statement to the SGN. “This meeting demonstrated that the secretary of health and our public health officials are prioritizing the opportunity to be responsive to and learn about the needs and concerns of LGBTQ+ communities as it responds to the hMPXV outbreak.
“LGBTQ+ communities are strongest when we work together, and we hope that this meeting results in centering the needs of those in our communities who are most disproportionately impacted by hMPXV and who also experience the most barriers to health equity.” “I know that we are all tired because of COVID-19,” Dr. Shah told the SGN. “I also know that, in public health, our work is never done. Whether it’s day, night, weekends, or holidays, we’re always recognizing that the next challenge is lurking behind the next corner. MPV shows us that that corner is already here… Everything we’ve learned from COVID-19 should help us, not hinder us, in being able to respond to another emerging virus.” This story is still developing. As more information about MPV comes out, information about prevention, affected communities, and vaccine availability may change. For up-to-date information, visit http://www.doh.wa.gov/you-and-yourfamily/illness-and-disease-z/monkeypox.
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BREAK-IN
continued from cover As Comendant noted, they were just propped up against a pole across the street. “I noticed all this stuff over here was on the floor, and the screen on the window was missing,” Comendant recalled. “So, I checked the electronics, and they knew right where I was hiding them. That’s all they took, the POS iPad, my laptop, the speakers, the wireless speakers we had, anything they could resell.” The one thing the robbers left behind? Books. “Speaking from experience, there is a low resale value on books,” Comendant said. Based on the state of the store following the robbery, Comendant does not think it was related to the vandalization of the benches out front but rather a very unlucky coincidence. Whereas the latter did cause minor property damage, the robbery hardly left a mess. “Luckily, they jimmied the window. They didn’t even damage the screen. They just slid it over, jimmied the window, climbed in, and closed the window behind them, like a gentleman,” she said. “Then they ordered $60 worth of Denny’s pancakes on my laptop, so we know they’re a class act.” The robbers could not figure out how to get into the cash till, so they only walked away with a small haul of electronic devices. However, even though the store was spared broken windows and the loss of cash, plenty of damage has still been done. The nightmare continues “I didn’t truly start panicking until that DoorDash order came in, and I realized that he had access to everything on my laptop. Everything,” Comendant said. “Any saved passwords, any saved credit cards, any old tax returns that have my Social Security card number on them. He has everything.” The last few days have been dedicated to damage control, as Comendant has had to file police reports and insurance claims and take a detailed look into her accounts to ensure that her identity has not been compromised. “I had to freeze all accounts and flag my credit just in case. It sucks.”
Despite it all, the worst part of the breakin is that it occurred just a month after Nook & Cranny opened. “I’ve had breakins to my car and my house before, and it always feels a little violating. In this case, we’re so new, you know? And this has been hard. There’s been a lot of stuff in my personal life… on top of opening a new business, which is hard on its own… The universe needs to cut me a break here. That would be nice, and it’s not. It’s not.” Adding the stress of a break-in to the
already-stressful first year of opening a business has been a lot for Comendant. Now she is feeling even more overwhelmed than before. “It’s rough, and there’s a lot of ripple effects from something like this,” she said. “Aside from having to freeze all my accounts, having to replace all electronics, the card reader here, which works perfectly fine, I have to buy a new one, because it’s not compatible. I can’t unpair it from the old iPad without having it here. So, stuff like that. It’s just a lot.”
How to help Nook & Cranny Now that a few days have passed since the incident, Comendant is getting back on her feet. “I’m doing better than Saturday, for sure. I was pretty pissed when I first found out,” she said. “The people who do that kind of shit, well, maybe they do realize the ramifications, but I like to think they don’t. Otherwise, they would be robbing a Walgreens, you know. It’s a bummer for sure. It could have been worse, but it still sucks.” Comendant is considering starting a small crowd-funding effort to help the store in case the money from the insurance claim doesn’t come through. But in the meantime, she says the best thing the community can do to help Nook & Cranny is to come in and buy books. “Come in and buy stuff, because that’s what’s going to keep us afloat. It seems obvious, but that really is the biggest help. Just come in and buy books, please,” she said. “To be perfectly honest, I can’t afford to replace all this at the moment, because we are just starting and struggling. Please come by, say hi, because that’s why I like doing this, and please buy books. That will help.” For the most part, the community has already come together to voice their support for Nook & Cranny after the incident. “It’s shitty. It’s like ‘Welcome to the neighborhood, let’s break into your store,’ but everyone has rallied for sure,” Comendant said. “I put up a sign that said ‘Closed due to break-in, thank you for understanding,’ and someone wrote, ‘I’m so sorry to hear that, we’ll be back.’ Everyone has been very sweet.” As for the robbers and vandals, Comendant has a special book recommendation for them, as she does for everyone who visits the store. “What do they need to read? Probably a book on respect,” she said, laughing as she thumbed through her collection. “I do have his address; I could drop a book off for him. That would be hilarious.” “Oh, I have the perfect book. This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen. I recommend this to everyone. It’s about a small fish who steals a big fish’s hat and then tries to get away with it, because he thinks the hat looks better on him, and he gets his comeuppance in the end. It’s a trilogy. A hat trilogy about karma. Don’t steal people’s hats — or their laptops.” Nook & Cranny is at 324 15th Ave. E. on Capitol Hill.
Photos by Lindsey Anderson
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Arts & Entertainment
Meet the minds behind She Devil of the China Seas, Seattle’s upcoming pulp piracy play
The cast of She Devil of the China Seas: Anna Saephan, Kristine Ota, Van Lang Pham, and Aaron Jin, in front of Eloisa Cardona – Photo courtesy of Pork Filled Productions
But the play has also educated the cast, who have been enthusiastic about the production. “It’s an absolute joy to see everyone work,” Harrington said. “When I’m not actively working with them on the stage in a rehearsal space, they’re all running their lines, they’re all reviewing their notes. They are all bringing their A-game.” And in addition to representation and a “kickass story,” “it’s tremendously fun to work with such a larger-than-life character,” Tang said. “All the larger-than-life characters you’ve got — the Indiana Joneses, the Captain Kirks, even in Star Wars — all of them tend to be either white or male. To have one that’s Asian and a woman, it’s kind of fun.” With their enthusiasm, the cast has overcome tough challenges, like intensive classes on stage combat by the Society of American Fight Directors. “There are very few Asian American actors who have that [training],” Tang said. “And now we have a double handful of people who’ve been trained that way, who can be used for that sort of thing, either with Pork Filled or for other shows.” While the story itself isn’t explicitly Queer, Harrington said there is certainly Queer representation in the cast and crew, and Tang promised some Queer elements in his planned sequels, assuming this one is successful. “What’s really cool and really inspiring about telling this story,” Harrington said, “is that it’s a story that comes from our diaspora, [one] we can take ownership of, and be able to ask ourselves and each other, ‘OK, how do we want to tell one of our stories, in our community?’ “There’s something really rewarding about that.”
by Daniel Lindsley SGN Staff Writer From August 9 to 27, the Theater Off Jackson will take audiences on a pulp fantasy pirating adventure in She Devil of the China Seas, a two-act play by Pork Filled Productions, written and produced by Roger Tang and directed by Kiefer Harrington. Based on the story of a historical pirate queen, it will follow Zhang Tse (Kristine Ota) as she claws her way out of poverty and hunts down the sorceress Moh Tse (Eloisa Cardona) to become one of the most fearsome pirate lords of the 19th century, with a fleet rivaling the European and imperial Chinese navies. “Basically, it’s a kickass story,” Tang said over Zoom about why he chose to adapt it. Zhang Tse had never been prominently featured in the West (barring cameos in Doctor Who and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise), so Tang filled the gap himself, armed with over four decades of experience and his love for Marvel comics. “Any resemblance to Marvel’s Red Sonja is purely intentional,” Tang said. He also listed Conan as a big influence. As for Harrington, he has 15 years of experience in theater, but She Devil is a big step from his previous directing roles. He codirected two other plays in Seattle, and more elsewhere, but this project will be his first one as a solo director, and his first time directing such a huge cast (14 people and 17 characters). Like many theater nerds, Harrington traces his roots back to high school productions. “I did the acting thing and thoroughly enjoyed it... And I knew that I wanted to do theater in some way, shape, or form,” he said over Zoom, Back then, most of the Asian Americans he’d known who’d gone to Broadway as actors were “born and bred” into the scene, some having started acting classes as early as three years old. “If I want to stick out, especially as someone who’s not white,” Harrington said, speaking of that time, “I have to work twice as hard for half the recognition.” Harrington then discovered the “business side” of showbiz while working at a box
office, and after a mentor tipped him off about Ithaca College’s programs, he went on to graduate there with a BS in theater arts management. Tang and Harrington have been working with a majority Asian American cast, as part
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(r)The She Devil (Kristine Ota) and her sister, Yi Her (Anna Saephan) – Photo courtesy of Pork Filled Productions
of what Tang described as a “grassroots” tradition that treats theater as a means of political organization. She Devil will serve to add more Asian American representation to the stage, and to show audiences a story that has remained obscure in the West.
You can find out more about She Devil of the China Seas at https://porkfilled. com/wp/she-devil-page. Standard tickets are $25, with VIP reserved seating and a free drink for $50. Accessibility tickets are $10. Any comic book writer in the area who worked on either Red Sonja or Conan is invited to attend for free.
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Film
Traumatizing They/Them is an LGBTQ+ summer camp slasher nightmare by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN Staff Writer They/Them Peacock I’ve seen a lot of bad movies in 2022. I have not watched any that made me so angry I wanted to start throwing things at the screen. Until now. They/Them is a traumatizing nightmare. Terrific premise. Exemplary cast. Talented, Oscar-nominated screenwriter making his directorial debut. All the elements for a wonderful little LGBTQ+-themed summer camp horror film are in place. But Gladiator, The Aviator, and Hugo scribe John Logan drops the ball, crafting an infuriating mess of a topical slasher that’s so misbegotten it comes perilously close to being insulting. Logan does lay a foundation built on a clever idea. Whistler Camp is a conversion summer camp for LGBTQ+ teens. It is run by Owen Whistler (Kevin Bacon) and his wife Cora (Carrie Preston) and is staffed by former attendees who feel it is their mission to lead other homosexuals toward heterosexual normalcy. This year’s crop of arrivals includes the usual group of Gay, Lesbian, and Trans campers, with Nonbinary Jordan (Theo Germaine) and their “they/ them” pronouns the one individual causing Owen to reconsider his usual physical and psychological tactics. Basically, this is a But I’m a Cheerleader or The Miseducation of Cameron Post retread, only crossed with Friday the 13th or The Burning to give events some additional kick. Not only does Logan depict the abhorrent terrors of conversion therapy, but he also adds a masked killer into the mix. This mystery person has an agenda, and it’s one Jordan and the rest of the campers must figure out unless they want to become a part of the growing body count. But to do that, they’ll also have to endure Owen’s increasingly inhumane rehabilitation techniques, making things more of a lose-lose situation for the kids with each passing second.
Cooper Koch, Anna Lore, Monique Kim, Quei Tann, Austin Crute, Darwin del Fabro, and Theo Germaine in They/Them – Photo courtesy of Peacock
It’s great having Bacon back in a summer camp slasher, and he certainly knows how to make the insidious most of every second of his screen time. The supporting cast of campers is also a suitably diverse bunch, with Germaine unsurprisingly making the most lasting impression. Other standouts include Quei Tann, Monique Kim, Anna Lore, Austin Crute, and Cooper Koch. One member of the ensemble who didn’t do much for me was Darwin del Fabro, but this has more to do with how their character is written than the actual performance. But as going into greater detail on this
topic would be a massive spoiler, I’ll just leave things there for now. Same with Anna Chlumsky’s turn as the camp’s inquisitive medic, Molly. I believe the idea that Logan is going for is that the reasons behind the camp and what Owen and his staff are doing to the kids is far more grotesque than any of the brutal murders. As such, a lot of time is spent dwelling on the dehumanization of the campers, using methods ranging from the passive aggressive to the regressively heteronormative, from Stepford-ish reconditioning to violent physical abuse.
But it all becomes a hellish blur. Logan dwells on this disquieting nastiness in a manner that borders on cruel. He appears to take great relish in depicting every sadistic act. It’s exhausting — and only gets worse as the film goes along. There’s a rancid twist roughly around the midway point that almost makes it feel like Logan is trying to say that the campers are responsible for how they are being treated. If Bacon didn’t do such a superb job making Owen’s malevolence crystal clear, I’d even go so far as to forgive viewers if they thought he was supposed to be looked at as something of a flawed antihero and not a monstrous force of unforgivable evil. Then there is the reveal of the killer and the laundry list of the whys fueling their actions. I had it pegged early on who this masked menace was going to be, but I kept hoping my suspicions were going to be proven wrong. This reveal is infuriating, not because a character like this can’t be a murderer, but because their reasons for choosing homicide as their retort to societal ills feed into tropes that are reprehensibly regressive. Representation matters. But good intentions are not everything, and they can sometimes lead creators down paths that are even more despicable than pure exploitation ever wandered along even during the genre’s 1970s–80s heyday (The Little Girl Who Lived Down the Lane, I Spit on Your Grave, The Last House on the Left, Sleepaway Camp). There are choices Logan makes with the material and characters that are so downright infuriating that just thinking about certain scenes makes my blood boil. Again, I do have to be vague, as I know many will still give this film a look, so I don’t want to inadvertently reveal any of its secrets. But in his attempt to broaden horizons and give a voice to a diverse group of LGBTQ+ characters while still staying true to the mechanics of the slasher genre, Logan ends up enforcing more ugly stereotypes than he deconstructs or subverts. They/Them hits like a punch to the face that’s been coupled with a kick to the groin and augmented by a knife shoved straight into the viewer’s back, and the longer it went on, the more I began to wish it didn’t exist in the first place.
Monique Kim and Anna Lore in They/Them – Photo courtesy of Peacock
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Episode 30: Isabel Mata Lindsey & Ash share their post-Pride summer shenanigans, talk SGN's summer book club, and give priceless fashion advice. This week's special guest is advice columnist and podcaster Isabel Mata! Find her at www.isabelmata.com
BI-WEEKLY! FIND US WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO PODCASTS! 10
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C E L E B R AT I N G 4 8 Y E A R S!
For more information w w w. nwblackpride.org
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Film
Riding the inexcusably dumb Bullet Train to its final destination is a waste of time
Brad Pitt in Bullet Train – Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures
by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN Staff Writer Bullet Train Theaters An anonymous thief (Brad Pitt) — codename “Ladybug” — is riding the bullet train to Kyoto for what his handler promised was nothing more than a simple snatch-and-grab. He was supposed to board at the head of the line, covertly grab a silver briefcase, and then get off at the next stop. There was nothing more to it. And for a guy who wanted an easy task for his first job back since going into therapy, it didn’t get any easier than this. Not so fast. Turns out there are at least three assassins on the train, two of which — Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) — are protecting both the case and the son of a powerful yakuza boss known only as “The White Death.” But there’s also a mysterious young woman (Joey King) toying with an angry father (Andrew Koji), whose only child was cruelly thrown off a roof and is now in the hospital fighting for his life. Suffice it to say, Ladybug does not get off the train with the case. Granted, if he had, then Bullet Train would not exist. Based on the book by Kotaro Isaka, this R-rated action-comedy juggles a variety of eccentric characters (most of whom are killers) and a multitude of subplots (each connected back to The White Death) and is seen almost entirely from Ladybug’s increasingly perplexed point of view. Director David Leitch (Atomic Blonde) stages a handful of excellent fight sequences, all of them during the opening hour of his 126-minute film. As pleasant as that may sound, I cannot say I had a good time watching this. Leitch’s latest might be a step up from Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, but frustratingly, it isn’t a big one. It’s as if the director watched Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Doug Liman’s Go, Guy Ritchie’s Snatch, and Joe Carnahan’s Smokin’ Aces and thought he’d try to use Isaka’s source material as the base ingredient in a stew that would be an homage to all of those 1990s and early 2000s crowd-pleasers. Problem is, Leitch shows zero abil-
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ity to balance snarky, acid-laced comedy with a hard-boiled slice of brutally violent action. He retreats into over-the-top clownish theatrics that worked fine (more or less) in Deadpool 2 but feels decidedly out of place in this context. There are far too many instances where the humor stops the narrative cold in its tracks, and there are moments where certain reveals, surprise cameos, and goofy antics aren’t just dumb, they’re borderline inexcusable. Pitt, a veteran of his fair share of motion pictures similar to this one, most notably Snatch and The Mexican, knows what he’s doing, and I can’t help but think Bullet Train would have been unwatchable without him. His dry sense of humor and aweshucks, woe-is-me hangdog demeanor is undeniably charming, and his athleticism during some of the crazier fights remains reasonably impressive. The other plus is the back-and-forth between Taylor-Johnson and Henry. They’re wonderful, and their easygoing camaraderie elevates every scene they appear in together,
no matter how ludicrous the dialogue or ponderous the exposition. Watching the pair, I honestly began to daydream about a completely different adventure altogether: a fastpaced travelogue of Tangerine and Lemon going on their murderous assignments while discussing everything from Thomas & Friends to what they’re going to have later for dinner to which methods they’ll utilize to complete each assassination they’ve been contracted to handle. As niceties go, that’s all I’ve got. Most of the jokes are insufferable. The balance between comedy, drama, and action is out of whack. Leitch’s staging becomes increasingly frenzied and frazzled as the train speeds closer to its final destination, and whereas fights were once cleanly staged and edited so that every punch made an impact and each kick generated bone-crushing force, by the time the climax rolls around, it all becomes a maddening visual blur. The finale is the point at which veteran actor Hiroyuki Sanada confidently strolls into this chaotic maelstrom. But instead of allow-
ing the action maestro to showcase his full set of skills in all their glory, Leitch shoots and edits his actions in a way that makes this impossible. He changes speeds and angles like a second-rate Zack Snyder and cuts the entire sequence together as if he were attempting his best Michael Bay impersonation. It makes Leitch feel like a plagiaristic impersonator, and it’s hard to believe this is the same guy who helped craft John Wick and is a key member of the creative team that made that franchise a smashing success. I’d say more, but I don’t have the energy. Even with its massive international ensemble of familiar faces — including the likes of Sandra Bullock, Bad Bunny, Masi Oka, Logan Lerman, Zazie Beetz, and Michael Shannon — the longer Bullet Train kept running down the track, the less I cared about what was happening. This is one high-octane rollercoaster I’d rather not have climbed aboard in the first place, and if I’d had paid for a ticket, I’d have wanted to go back and ask for a refund when the ride finally came to an end.
Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Bullet Train – Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures
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Film
Mayhem and madness fuel a surrealistically discombobulating Hypochondriac
Zach Villa and Devon Graye in Hypochondriac – Photo courtesy of XYZ Films
by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN Staff Writer HYPOCHONDRIAC Theaters / PVOD I have no idea what to make of writerdirector Addison Heimann’s psychological horror yarn Hypochondriac. The film is a surreal, WTF descent into the early stages of mental illness. It is also an unhinged character study of a young man dealing with the lasting emotional damage caused by watching a mother succumb to madness and a father’s seeming unwillingness to do anything about it other than to lock his wife away inside a psychiatric institution. But that’s not all that’s going on. There is a running gag involving the medical industry not so much misdiagnosing patients as underdiagnosing them to save time, minimize cost, and apparently create repeat customers. There’s also stuff involving relationships and the difficulties of accepting supposed loved ones for who they are, faults and all, no matter what the circumstance. There are even bits concerning how service industry jobs can take endanger their employees’ health and safety. It’s a lot, and Heimann doesn’t exactly go out of his way to juggle it all cleanly or with precision. Instead, he’s channeling his inner Richard Kelly. This is like a twentysomething, LGBTQ+ Donnie Darko, complete with psychedelic conversations with prescient creatures wearing animal suits. Only in this case, instead of a terrifying bunny, we have a streamlined figure in a wolf costume who is either a figment of the main character’s imagination or a supernatural demon intent on becoming his best friend. Will (Zach Villa) works as a potter in a small, upscale boutique. He is in a committed relationship with Luke (Devon Graye), and even with their differences, both young men are virtually certain what they’re feeling for one another is nothing less than love. But Will is hiding a few things about himself from his boyfriend. Almost two decades prior, when he was still a small boy, Will’s mother (Marlene Forte) suffered some sort of breakdown and almost strangled him to
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Zach Villa in Hypochondriac – Photo courtesy of XYZ Films
death. His father (Chris Doubek) had her committed to an asylum and then proceeded to never speak about what happened ever again. Now Will avoids his mother like the plague, worried that if he were to talk to her — let alone be in her presence — he’ll begin to have similar psychotic episodes that could ruin his life and lead him to commit unspeakable acts of violence. Heimann sends things spiraling into chaos relatively early on. A series of unexplainable occurrences lead Will to find his arms locking up to the point he cannot use them with any consistency. He starts to have visions. He begins to wonder if his mother truly can see into the future and does intimately know about the evils that lurk inside the hearts of men. Most of all, Will begins to question everything about himself and the reality his life is built on, even his relationship with Luke,
while a strange figure dressed as a bloodthirsty wolf gives him questionable advice, the veracity of which he’s never sure of. Needless to say, these metaphorical discombobulations will not work for everyone. Will’s slide into perplexed uncertainty happens very quickly, and his relationship with Luke is outlined in minimalistic brushstrokes. The visual aesthetic designed by Heimann and cinematographer Dustin Supencheck is purposefully phantasmagoric, while Mike Hugo cuts the picture together in a manner that only augments the optical bedlam. It’s a lot to take in, and I imagine there will be those who tune out long before Will begins to make anything close to sense of his situation. Be that as it may, there’s something about Hypochondriac that grabbed a hold of me and refused to let go. Will actively looks for help. He isn’t slinking into a corner and hid-
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ing. This is a man who witnessed what happened to his mother and does not want to see his life derailed as hers was. Moreover, he wants his relationship with Luke to succeed, and he’s willing to fight any way he has to for that to happen. Heimann wrote the film as a response to his own mental breakdown, as a form of catharsis, and I can’t say I find this revelation surprising. His feature-length debut is messy and unfocused, much of it playing like some frenzied nightmare sprung straight out of a fracturing subconscious desperately clinging to some semblance of sanity. But Hypochondriac has heart and it has soul, and even if Will’s journey to self-actualization remains unfinished, I still found going on this trek alongside him — and his wolf — hypnotically worthwhile.
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Film
Ambitious Prey is a marvelously entertaining action spectacle
Dakota Beavers and Amber Midthunder in Prey – Photo courtesy of Hulu
by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN Staff Writer PREY Hulu Prey is going to go down as one of 2022’s most entertaining motion pictures. It’s also one of the more unexpected titles in recent memory to hold that designation. Why? It’s another attempt to resurrect the Predator franchise, a series that started with brawny, two-fisted pugnaciousness in 1987 with John McTiernan (Die Hard) at the helm and star Arnold Schwarzenegger leading the way, only to be followed up by a series of sequels and spinoffs of varying quality, including 2004’s Alien vs. Predator, 2010’s Predators, and 2018’s The Predator. But instead of trying to recapture McTiernan and Schwarzenegger’s lighting-ina-bottle magic, savvy 10 Cloverfield Lane director Dan Trachtenberg eschews cheap nostalgia or any of the series’ more familiar tropes and goes in an entirely different direction: backward. In this case, 300 years backward, setting his story of the interstellar hunter visiting Earth for a deadly safari in the year 1719 in the Northern Great Plains. Working closely with screenwriter Patrick Aison, Trachtenberg has crafted a gutwrenching thrill ride of survival and fortitude. The story follows a small community of Comanche, who are cognizant of the bewildering new threat of French trappers invading their ancestral lands and slaughtering large herds of buffalo solely for their hides, leaving the carcasses to rot in the blazing sun. Young female warrior Naru (Amber Midthunder) does not believe this is the only danger her people should be wary of. She’s discovered tracks in the forest unlike anything she’s ever encountered, prompting her to warn her mentor and friend Taabe (Dakota Beavers) that the tribe is in grave danger. Naru realizes it is not only the Comanche who are doing the hunting. Instead, they are also being hunted, and this near-invisible intruder is out to make trophies of them all. Stripping things down to the essential components breathes new life into the series. For the first time since the late, great Kevin Peter Hall originated the character, the Predator (menacingly portrayed by former NCAA basketball star Dane DiLiegro) is scary again. His imposing physicality and lithe athleticism are merged with
a lethally cunning viciousness that gives the creature a startling majesty, an almost supernatural quality that fits the early 18thcentury time period beautifully. This melds nicely within the world the Comanche inhabit. This is a harsh environment in which blood is shed daily and sacrifices for the good of the community are routine. Arrows and hatchets are the weapons at hand, while the flint and steel muskets of the French trappers have a chilling mysticism that rips through flesh and bone. Building a fire takes patience and skill, and every member of the tribe must learn how each plant and creature fits into the natural world. Juxtapose this against the Predator, a figure of almost supernatural power who can seemingly vanish at will, utilize weapons far beyond anything the Comanche have at their disposal, and dispatch a rampaging bear with only its hands. It hunts for sport and has no compunction about toying with its victim like a mountain cat teasing a scurrying rabbit before finally closing in for the kill. There’s a fight between Naru and some
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Amber Midthunder in Prey – Photo courtesy of Hulu
of the more narrow-minded male members of her tribe that, while well staged and choreographed, didn’t feel entirely believable. I also didn’t buy the way a large contingent of French trappers is eventually introduced into the story. While their appearance is decently foreshadowed, there are so gosh-darn many of them, they become faceless clay pigeons in a shooting gallery for the Predator to pick off one at a time in rapid succession. These nitpicks are thankfully minor and mostly inconsequential. Trachtenberg takes big swings with confidence, embracing his sequel’s R rating but never overdoing the blood and guts. Each death involving any of the Comanche, no matter how well we get to know them, is a massive shock to the system, and each step in Naru’s journey leads her to a final confrontation I couldn’t wait to see play out. The almost exclusively Indigenous cast is uniformly excellent, with Midthunder and Beavers unsurprisingly stealing the show. The raw, primordially pugnacious score by composer Sarah Schachner (The Lazarus Effect) accompanies the action splen-
didly, while also honoring Alan Silvestri’s memorable Predator themes. The stunt choreography is some of the year’s best, with both Naru’s penultimate clash and her climactic smackdown with the Predator so spectacularly staged that I couldn’t contain my wide-eyed glee. The sequel is also stunningly shot by cinematographer Jeff Cutter (Office Christmas Party), so it’s a shame his lush widescreen visuals will only be seen at home and not in theaters, as they richly deserve to be. That’s the biggest, and really only travesty about Prey. Trachtenberg has delivered a Predator adventure we’ve been waiting almost four decades to experience. His take on the character and its evolving mythology is ambitious, authentic, and most of all clever. He has delivered an action-horror masterwork that deserves the big-screen treatment. And while I’m happy people will get the opportunity to experience the film in the safety of their homes, not giving it at least a minimal theatrical exhibition as well is a befuddling shame.
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Books
Book Eaters a yummy summer read by Terri Schlichenmeyer Special to the SGN THE BOOK EATERS SUNYI DEAN © 2022 Tor $26.99 304 pages
Image courtesy of Tor
As a child, Devon Fairweather’s days were spent on Yorkshire moors near her family’s mansion, exploring the woods, and playing with her older brother, Ramsey. She didn’t worry about school, because she was a book eater: both nourishment and knowledge came from pages of literature and nonfiction. She particularly loved the taste of fairy tales. She’d been a fearless child, secure in the knowledge that princesses like her were rare and never punished as long as they kept quiet, married twice, bore two children, then gracefully withdrew. Devon’s brothers — and there were many — became knights or rulers of their family’s quadrant. Other children — those unfortunate offspring born
with a mind eater’s curled proboscis — were whisked away at birth to became dragons, because they couldn’t be trusted not to kill. That was the way it was. Like everything in the family, it was as it’d always been, just as it was expected that princesses would relinquish their children — forcibly, if necessary. Devon had lost her firstborn this way, and she vowed that it wouldn’t happen again. So when her second-born cried with a telltale curled tongue and her husband prepared to send the baby to the knights, Devon weighed her options: find someone in the Ravenscar family to give the boy curing medicine; hunt for him biweekly, until he could hunt for himself; or let the family have her son. Or she could run, as she’d done for three years now, as knights and dragons watched for her constantly and circled her everywhere. And her boy was always hungry. As he grew, so did the danger, and there’d be no happily ever after... Princesses, knights, and dragons, oh my! They’re there in the novel The Book Eaters, plus everything else you want in
a dark fable — tattered cities, menacing thickets, evil step-relatives, monsters — all of which makes this a fairy tale that definitely isn’t for five-year-olds. It’s probably not even the kind of book a sensitive soul would want to read before bedtime; the very idea of a world parallel to ours full of thick-browed dragons and exhausted princesses could either keep you awake or give you nightmares. It wouldn’t help that you’d be happily plagued by multiple I-didn’t-see-that-coming plotlines and a modern-not-modern heroine who fights misogyny, child-snatching, and being someone’s lunch. And how wonderful is author Sunyi Dean’s prose? Well, on the first page, she shoves readers into a dank apartment above a car repair business, and we can practically smell the rubber of new tires. Indeed, it’s gut-punch storytelling that shouts at the imagination. No, sorry, this ain’t the Brothers Grimm. It’s much better: dark and tasty. You’ll be obsessed with The Book Eaters. In fact, you’ll devour it.
Geek out at Outsider Comics
by Lindsey Anderson SGN Staff Writer Geek culture is as innate to Seattle as the rain, with superfans of all kinds flocking to the city. While Seattle is full of many unique bookstores, it can be hard to find one that caters to every nerd’s specific interests. But geeky Queers have no fear, we have found the ultimate one-stop shop for all nerdy needs: Outsider Comics. “A community touchstone” “Ideally, on our best day, it’s a community touchstone,” store employee Monty Rozema said of the comic store and “geek boutique.” “We have lots of regulars who come in. We like to have a lot of conversations with folks that can be anywhere from ten minutes to an hour. That’s our vibe. We like to collect people’s stuff that they’re boosting on our little freebies shelf. We like to create a community atmosphere. We always invite people to sit down and read, even if they’re not going to buy anything.” Rozema has been working at the store for a little over a year and fell in love with Outsider Comics for many of the same reasons customers have. “I love comics, and I respect the ethos of the store. Creating a space for people to enjoy comics and graphic arts culture with other Queer people, with people of color, with women, in a space that doesn’t feel like some guy’s creepy basement. Do you know what I mean? Comics is a wonderful culture that is all-inclusive, but comic shops are not so much, so we’re trying to change that.”
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Photos by Lindsey Anderson
At its core, Outsider Comics is a haven for anyone who has felt left out or misunderstood in the comic world. The founders set out to create a safe space for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC people, and other comic fans who have felt alienated by more mainstream comic stores. “From what I know, part of the reason the store was founded was that there were so many Queer nerds in Seattle who felt like they didn’t have a comic spot that was their spot, especially now that Comics Dungeon is gone. There was a community need, and the owners were like, hey, we can do that, let’s be that for people,” Rozema explained. What’s hot this summer Because Outsider Comics has LGBTQ+ and BIPOC readers in mind, the store features several displays of comics specifically centered around both communities. “But it’s also everywhere,” Rozema said. “We have this shelf where we put exclusively LGBT stuff, but then we have it mixed in with the rest of the content around the store. This is some of our LGBT stuff, but by no means all of it.” LGBTQ+ comics have also been some of the best sellers in the store this year, Rozema explained. “Since [Green Lantern: Far
Sector] came out earlier this year, everyone has been… raving about it. It’s a new take …by N.K. Jemisin, the very prolific sci-fi writer, so that one is very popular with people,” they said. “[Mañana] has also been popular since we got it in. It’s an anthology of Latinxinspired utopian tales — like happy future sci-fi instead of scary future sci-fi — and we have it in English and Spanish, which is cool. That’s been pretty popular with people, especially bilingual families.” Outsider Comics sells titles for readers of all ages. One of the most popular books for younger readers has also been an LGBTQ+ story. “[Magic Boy] has been popular with kids, which is super awesome. It’s a Trans take on the magical-girl genre of anime, like Sailor Moon and that kind of stuff, but it’s about a middle school-aged Trans boy who discovers that he has matrilineal magic-girl heritage, so he is a ‘magical girl.’ But he’s not a girl, so it’s about him dealing with that. It’s cool. I’ve found younger people connect with that one.” More than just a comic book store What makes Outsider Comics unique is that it has more than just comic books.
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“We’re a comic book store, but we also are a boutique and have a lot of gift stuff,” Rozema said. “If you look around, you’ll notice we have a ton of clothes. They’re very popular with people, especially because this brand, New Works, which has a lot of the big, loud patterns with the color blocks, is based out of LA, and [it’s] a cool, sustainable, arts-based, women-owned company that doesn’t have a lot of outlet stores across the country. We get people coming into the store specifically to buy the clothes from this brand.” Outsider Comics also hosts events. “We did a lot more before COVID,” Rozema admitted. “We used to host game nights, like an Intro to D&D. We’re trying to get back into that, but since COVID, our biggest events have been author signings, which happen more on demand.” Last month the store hosted local authors Dorian Alexander and Jeremy Raab, who wrote Heretics of the Fathomless Realms. In September, the store is looking forward to welcoming Shea Fontana, author of the DC Super Hero Girls series. “We also participate in Free Comic Book Day, our biggest event of the year. People love that one!” Rozema said. That brings even more foot traffic to the store and often encourages new comic readers to dive in. For those who might have missed Free Comic Book Day in early May, Outsider Comics is still full of great reads, many of which are under $10. The store tries to keep a diverse collection, so that there’s always something for everyone, no matter what they’re into. “We have a good mix of graphic novels, comics, YA, traditional, niche, indie/local, manga… we try to do a little bit of everything,” Rozema said. “So, for instance, we don’t have the most comprehensive new floppy comics wall in Seattle. Other comic stores have that niche taken care of, so instead, we try to give people a little taste of a lot of different options of what comics can be for them. Some people love manga, some people love one-shot graphic novels, and some people love heroes, so we try to bring a little bit of everything.” Outsider Comics is a haven for all of Seattle’s nerds — with a little something for everybody! Whether you’re looking to get into a new genre, pick up a beautiful graphic novel, or maybe update your wardrobe, a trip to Outsider Comics is never dull. Outsider Comics and Geek Boutique is at 223 N. 36th St. in Fremont, Seattle and online at http://www.outsidercomics.com.
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Travel
I’m here and I’m Queer — in Boston
Photos by Georgia Skerritt
by Georgia Skerritt SGN Intern Even with only two full days to explore it, and even in the suffocatingly humid 95-degree heat, Boston became one of my favorite cities after going there for the first time on a recent trip to visit friends back East last month. Boasting all the East Coast charm of NYC without as much of the chaos, Boston is a city that feels sure of itself. Its Queer culture is everywhere you look: LBGTQIA+ Pride flags dot streets and storefronts by the dozens, and most cultural and social locations attract diverse crowds that include many Queer folks. Given Massachusetts’ history as one of bluest and most Queer-friendly states in the US, the ubiquity of Boston’s Queer culture is no surprise. With her election to the state’s House of Representatives in 1974, Elaine Noble became the first openly Gay statelevel elected official in the US. In 1983, Gerry Studds became the first openly Gay member of Congress. In 2003, Massachusetts was also the first state to legalize same-sex marriage. As a result, Queer culture in Boston today is openly accepted and widespread. If being Queer in Boston doesn’t feel like a big deal, that’s because it isn’t. For any travelers — Queer or not — looking for an engaging destination with a diverse and open-minded population, Boston is not to be missed. Here are a few of my favorite spots around town.
ists, the Boston Common doesn’t need too long an introduction. Often called “the Boston Commons” or “the Common,” it was founded in 1634 and is the oldest city park in the US. Visitors can find shade under the trees or visit Frog Pond, a small wading pool that offers much-needed relief from the incessant summer heat.
students from nearby Berklee College of Music had all cozied up for a drink or meal. The place feels like a typical American sports bar in all the right ways, while also functioning as a community hub for families, tourists, bachelors, and Queer people alike. It’s not an overtly Queer or alternative space, but Plant Pub offers an accurate glimpse into Boston’s contemporary alternative culture (as well as great food and beer).
Given Massachusetts’ history as one of bluest Bukowski Tavern, 50 Dalton St. and most Queer-friendly states in the US, Of all the places I got to visit in Boston, Bukowski Tavern was my favorite. the ubiquity of Boston’s Queer culture is no surprise. Located in the Back Bay neighborhood, Farther on, immediately after passing through the gates of the adjoining Public Garden, pedestrians are faced with a tall (and incredibly beautiful) statue of George Washington. Aesthetically speaking, the monument is worth a photo or two. Beyond, flowerbeds line paved walkways that lead visitors to a footbridge over a pond famous for the popular Swan Boats that cruise the water. A quick detour to the left leads you to the bench where Matt Damon and Robin Williams shared one of their most memorable scenes in Good Will Hunting. Boston Common and the Public Garden won’t be a long stop on your journey, but a quick visit is well worth it for anyone wanting a moment of relaxation or a fun peoplewatching opportunity.
Boston Common and Public Garden, Beacon Hill Because it’s one of the most heavily trafficked destinations for sightseers and tour-
Revere Beach, Revere If you plan to visit Boston during the spring or summer months and know that tree shade and wading pools won’t cut it for you, head to Revere Beach. Just 20 minutes
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from the city center, it’s a fast and cheap beach-day alternative to Cape Cod. A trip to Boston doesn’t feel complete without at least seeing the ocean — it is the East Coast after all — but the cost of a day trip to the Cape can add up quickly (one adult round-trip ferry ticket to Provincetown is between $108 and $118). Revere Beach,
on the other hand, is completely accessible by public transport; on the MBTA (aka “the T”), just take the northbound Blue Line to the Wonderland stop and walk two blocks to the water (one ride is $2.40). My tip: head to the north end of the beach. Large crowds tend to gather at the southern end, where there are more food vendors and souvenir stands, while the northern end is much calmer and more refreshing, with just a few residents, students, artists, and Queer people relaxing in the evening sun. Plant Pub, 61 Brookline Ave. Finding Plant Pub was more serendipitous than anything else, but I’m happy that my friends and I stumbled across it. The concept is simple: a fresh take on the classic American pub scene, with a menu that’s entirely plant-based. What surprised me the most was the diversity of its clientele, considering its location kitty-corner to Fenway Park. Families, sports fans, young professionals, and music
which is home to multiple universities and hosts many creative and cultural points of interest, Bukowski attracts a young and diverse Queer crowd with its engaging mix of rock, grunge, and indie music. This place feels like a hidden gem because of its inconspicuous location at the bottom of a large and unassuming public parking lot, and because of its travel guides and blog postings. If you’re looking for good drinks (bonus: they have Seattle Cider!), alternative music, and a fluid, diverse crowd, make a stop at Bukowski Tavern. (Most beers and ciders are $7 to $9. Bukowski is cash only but has an ATM inside.) Bukowski is a prime example of how understated and yet ubiquitous Boston’s Queer community is. One of my favorite things about the city is that Queer culture is more widespread and commonplace than in other cities I’ve visited. I didn’t sense any very clear-cut “gayborhoods” in Boston, because LGBTQIA+ life and culture are mixed in with everything else and therefore can be found anywhere you bother to look for them.
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Op-Ed
Feeling like a fraud
How impostor syndrome affects marginalized communities
Photo by Min An / Pexels
by Benny Loy SGN Contributing Writer I glanced at my fellow panelists’ tall stack of publications, their copies piled into a makeshift book stand, with their most recent accomplishment propped up front and center. Glossy hardcovers boldly displayed their name, physical proof that they belonged there as one of the many professionals speaking at this convention. Then side-eyeing my two publications on display, I nudged the flimsy little printout of the cover of my soon-to-be-released work. My self-doubt turned to a roiling boil, and I tried desperately to hide the steam. I’m not smart enough, talented enough, or accomplished enough. My being here is pure luck. Except, I did belong there. The convention director had invited me, and I was moderating a panel I had proposed. Two of the guests of honor liked the topic so much that they decided to sign up to be my fellow speakers. The topic was impostor syndrome. Impostor syndrome, or impostor phenomenon (IP), is a combination of fear of failure and self-doubt; people with severe cases cannot recognize their achievements and competency when they compare themselves to others. Instead of attributing their successes to merit, they will believe themselves frauds or the beneficiaries of pure luck. In turn, they worry that it’s only a matter of time until one of their “betters” realizes and exposes them.
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For many people, being vulnerable about how they struggle with IP is a daunting task; being honest about finding it difficult to feel like an authentic member of your community can heighten the fear of exposure. IP is often associated with creatives and high-level professionals, but what is not commonly known is how it affects those who are marginalized. People who have historically been outcast by our society based on race, gender identity, or sexual orientation have higher rates of IP. Drs. Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes initially identified the phenomenon in 1978 to describe high-achieving women’s reports of feeling fraudulent. In 2021, Kira C. Rideout sampled college students at California State University, who were asked to complete the Impostor Phenomenon Test (Clance 1985) and answer a questionnaire about their sexual and gender identities. The results were that those who reported that their sexual identity was other than heterosexual were more likely to score higher (the higher the score, the more severe the case of IP). So what can you do about it? Many studies on IP have proved that marginalized people in our society often struggle to feel worthy. So what do we do about it? If this were G.I. Joe, I’d say, “Knowing is half the battle.” Learning about it is the first thing you can do if you believe you are experiencing impostor syndrome. I’d rec-
Members of the LGBTQ+ community strive to spread pride and love but sometimes forget to apportion a little to themselves. ommend taking the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Test. This will not only tell you how severe your self-doubt may be but give you some serious food for thought, with prompts like “When people praise me for something I’ve accomplished, I’m afraid I won’t be able to live up to their expectations of me in the future.” Personally, when I took the test, I received a score of 83. (A score higher than 80 means “intense impostorism.”) I was not surprised. Luckily, I have spent much time thinking about my fear of failure, and even though I still have these feelings, I have learned how to mitigate how they affect my daily life. By nature of one’s identity, society’s biases have socialized some to think less of themselves. For example, members of the LGBTQ+ community often feel pressure to hide who they are. The shame and fear of exposure that those still in the closet experience could be compared to IP, if not outright called a form of it. So once you have given how IP may affect your life some thought, the next step is to learn how to recognize these feelings as they arise. Catch yourself when you start negatively comparing your work to others,
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and before tumbling down the rabbit hole of thinking everyone else has it more figured out than you, consider taking a colleague’s perspective. It’s safe to say they have also not felt competent enough at one point or another, yet here they are. Has a friend or colleague ever praised you? Have they decided to include you in an activity or project? If so, think about if you were in their position. What motive would you have to give praise or include someone if you didn’t think highly of them? Trust that most people are being genuine with you. Vulnerability is the next essential factor here. Let someone know you’re struggling, someone who can remind you that you’re worthy is a valuable resource. Allow yourself the grace to be open about what’s going on in your head and ask for reassurance. Members of the LGBTQ+ community strive to spread pride and love but sometimes forget to apportion a little to themselves. Your friends adore you. You deserve that promotion. You are more than capable of passing that test with flying colors. Marginalization be damned — you are far from a fraud.
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National & International News
National news highlights
SCOTUS plaintiff Jim Obergefell officially on the ballot in November Seeks seat in Ohio General Assembly
by Daniel Lindsley SGN Contributing Writer
Photo by Elizabeth Frantz / Reuters
Delay on pro-Gay marriage bill risks loss of support, supporters say Reuters reported on August 1 that the Senate will likely delay a vote on protecting Gay marriage until September to make way for a $430 billion bill addressing climate change and drug pricing. Supporters of the Respect for Marriage Act, which has been spearheaded by Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin (the chamber’s first openly Gay member), say such a delay could cost votes as pressure builds on Republican lawmakers to oppose it. At least 10 Republicans would need to support the bill for it to succeed. Reuters added that Republican voters aren’t as strongly opposed to Gay marriage as they used to be, and so far, five Republican senators have announced their support of the bill. The bill passed the House in July with 47 Republicans in support. Reuters also put the news in the context of rising inflation, dwindling support for the Biden administration, and the risk such things might pose to the Democratic majority in the House and Senate. Oklahoma requires yearly affidavit on students’ biological sex NBC News reported on July 29 that Oklahoma public schools have started to require student athletes of all ages to fill out “biological sex affidavits,” a document that has parents swear on an oath with a notary present that their child is biologically male or female. The development follows Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt’s signing in March of a ban on Trans student athletes’ participation in teams that match their gender identity. Erin Matson, executive director of the abortion rights group Reproaction, tweeted a photo of one such affidavit. “This has nothing to do with encouraging girls to be athletes,” she wrote. “This is totalitarianism. It is the white nationalist agenda. The anti-LGBTQ agenda. The anti-abortion agenda. It is all the same agenda.” Of the 13 states to enact bills against Trans student athletes, Oklahoma is the only so far to require a new affidavit each school year, completed by a parent or guardian for minors, or by the student if they are 18 or older. Another Twitter user wrote, “With a notary requirement — this is not ONLY incredibly transphobic but is going to have the impact of preventing lower-socioeconomic-status kids from participating.”
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Jim Obergefell – Photo by Nick Cammett / AP
by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff in the historic 2015 US Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage nationally, will be on the ballot in Ohio this November. Obergefell ran unopposed in the August 2 Democratic primary for a General Assembly seat representing a swath of Ohio’s Lake Erie coastline in Erie and Ottawa Counties. His opponent will be the incumbent Republican, D.J. Swearingen. Unlike many of his Republican colleagues, Swearingen, a Sandusky attorney, has centered his campaign on what he calls “kitchen table” issues rather than bizarre conspiracy theories. Obergefell also is playing down ideology and stressing inclusiveness and unity.
“It really just all comes down to: Can’t we all just get along and treat each other like human beings? Can’t we be decent people?” Obergefell told the Democratic Women of Erie County at a recent campaign event. “And we all deserve to be part of ‘We the People.’” The race marks Obergefell’s first foray into electoral politics. He may face tough going. GOP mapmakers redrew the 89th House District that Obergefell hopes to represent, and the district now leans nearly 57% Republican, according to Dave’s Redistricting App, a political mapmaking website. That should favor Swearingen in a state that Donald Trump carried twice by wide margins, and where Republicans control every branch of government. On the other hand, Obergefell is the
best-known state legislative candidate on Ohio’s 2022 ballot and among its top legislative fundraisers so far, having outraised Swearingen more than 4 to 1, according to campaign finance reports. Because of his stature as an LGBTQ civil rights icon, Obergefell has drawn support and funds from national progressive groups — including the LGBTQ Victory Fund, the Human Rights Campaign, and Democracy for America — as well as instate donors. Obergefell said he believes his party can reach moderate Republicans and independents with their message of inclusiveness if voters “see the Democratic Party being obvious, being clear, being direct on what they believe in and what they will fight to protect and support.”
International news highlights by Daniel Lindsley SGN Contributing Writer Colombian kissathon supports accosted Gay couple The BBC reported on August 1 that hundreds participated in a kissathon in Colombia on July 31, to show support for Gay couple who were driven from a park after kissing in public. Bogotá mayor Claudia López Hernández condemned the attack, which was perpetrated six years after same-sex marriage was legalized in the country. The protest was organized after a video of the incident was shared on social media. Couples kissed among rainbow flags, music, and signs reading “Kisses are signs of affection, not a crime” in the Engativá neighborhood of Bogotá. The couple reported the incident, which is being investigated, according to David Alonzo, the official in charge
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Santiago Maldonado and Jorge Esteban Farias, the couple who were attacked, take part in the kiss-a-thon – Photo courtesy of Reuters
of sexual diversity in the city. Mayor Hernández, Bogotá’s first openly Gay mayor, swore on Twitter that she would “fight until equality is the norm.” Australian rugby players bench themselves over rainbow jerseys The BBC reported on July 31 that rainbow Pride jerseys are still an issue with Australian rugby players, since seven on the National Rugby League’s (NRL) Manly Warringah Sea Eagles boycotted a match on “religious and cultural” grounds after being given the garments. Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler apologized afterward: “Instead of enhancing tolerance and acceptance, we may have hindered this.” The seven players were told not to even attend the game for security rea-
sons after public backlash. Ian Roberts, the first male professional athlete to come out as Gay during their career, said he was “heartbroken” at the boycott, and NRL women’s star Karina Brown said it left her “enraged” and “frustrated.” Some church leaders, fans, and players defended the boycott. New Zealand Warriors player Shaun Johnson said, “Each to their own... if we’re asked to respect the pride community, then we should also respect the Christian or religious community.” The BBC noted that this wasn’t the first time Australian players had missed games over rainbow jerseys. Others have been sacked or banned for homophobic comments, and fans have been no better, harassing women athletes over photos.
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