SGN Jan 27, 2023

DRAG SHOW CELEBRATES NEXT

The International Imperial Court System (IICS) is one of the world’s largest and oldest LGBTQ organizations, second only to the Metropolitan Community Church. It was founded by José “Mama José” Sarria in San Francisco in 1965. Now it has chapters all over the United States, as well as in Canada and Mexico, running fundraisers and bestowing titles of nobility to community leaders. Seattle established its own court in 1971, soon after Portland, and that history was evident on Sunday. The age range was broad, and a good portion of the crowd was nobility of some sort, most of them present to perform in honor of the new candidates. They were dressed finely, but they weren’t all in regalia from head to toe, as if — for some of the veteran members — they weren’t there to prove something so much as show support for friends.

Formal honors were still in order. Seattle’s own DonaTella Howe, a frequent performer at the Tractor Tavern, brought in her co-host Ladie Chablis to the tune of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing,” and the pair’s banter kept the audience smiling between the sets.

Emperor Rainier 46 Robert Haggard finally got his chance to present Ladie Chablis with an umbrella bearing her image, with a lip sync of a cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” With Chablis, Haggard reigned over the Seattle Empire during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and oversaw part of its first forays into digital shows as a result.

Local darling Gaysha Starr, radiant as always, strutted in meticulous time to the beat of Taylor Dayne’s “Tell It to My Heart,” and she made it look easy. Starr acted as Grand Marshal for 2022’s Seattle Pride Parade, and also performed at last year’s Pride ASIA.

Reigning Mr. Gay Washington Leo Mane brought a gorgeous red and black outfit, laced up in the back, with big sleeves to compliment his sweeping dance moves to Rihanna’s “Disturbia.” Imperial Miss Gay Washington Moltyn Decadence took the Rihanna path as well, using “Birthday Cake,” and yet another dark outfit — a shiny, black catsuit — as part of the night’s theme of a coven.

Supreme of Hearts Ali B. Paradisco followed with Beyoncé’s “Black Parade,” and then reigning Imperial Queen of the Seas Victoria Joy with Donna Missal’s “Keep Lying.” Devin Rockafella served the crowd “Fever” by Adam Lambert with a dashing two-in-one vest and tailcoat. Finally, reigning Mr. Gay Seattle Dean the Vampire King shook things up with some gothic metal, namely “Love You to Death” by Type O Negative.

With tribute paid, the candidates were finally unveiled through their own performances. Kix Dball, running for Emperor, rocked the house with a rendition of the ever-popular “Baby Shark,” in the only acceptable attire, a shark costume. After Skyy Martini Ice, running for Empress, helped rid the audience of that earworm, both candidates joined the hosts onstage to begin their campaigns in earnest.

When asked why they wanted to run for the title of Rainier 48, Dball said, “To start, this organization and its chapters mean the world to me. They gave me my husband.

The work that we do out in the community is amazing, and I would like to build upon that foundation and continue the beautiful history of this organization, raising money, helping the community, making new connections, making this organization bigger, better — just keep it going, building higher and higher.”

“I joined this organization about six years ago,” Ice said. “And I so admired and enjoyed the work that this organization does. I saw what they do for the community, in addition to everything that not only the Court of Seattle does but also the International Court System all across the United States — also into Canada and Mexico — all they work that they do, everything they give back to the community.

“When I first joined this organization, I was just a court member,” she continued. “I jumped right in and came up with a lot of great fundraisers. It was also during the pandemic. I stepped up as Ms. Gay Seattle, along with my Chablis here. And we just had a wonderful time doing the best we

[could] through the pandemic, making sure the court stayed on the forefront, doing fundraisers, volunteering with Northwest Harvest — who is also very near and dear to my heart.”

Ice’s platform as Ms. Gay Seattle, she noted, was about combating food insecurity in Seattle and across Washington state, and she promised that focus would continue through her reign as empress if elected.

Emperor Rainier 44 and 47 Paul Paradisco and Olympia’s 51st Empress Londyn Bradshaw closed the show with their own numbers, Paul with a cover of Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero,” and Bradshaw with Beyoncé’s “Summer Renaissance.”

Voting for the candidates will open on Sunday, February 12 at the Ray Gun Lounge on Capitol Hill, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can find out more about the Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle and its events at https://www. imperialcourtofseattle.org.

Local News

Big changes coming to Seattle City Council

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Big changes are coming at the Seattle City Council, as a number of councilmembers announce plans not to seek reelection.

Perhaps the biggest change will be the departure of socialist councilmember Kshama Sawant. In a January 19 press conference, Sawant said that instead of running for another term on the City Council, she would devote her considerable energy to a new organization, Workers Strike Back.

“It is time to build a fighting mass movement nationally, to widen and strengthen the class struggle,” Sawant said in an email to her supporters.

“Workers Strike Back will be launched in early March in cities around the country. Events are being organized in Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis, New York City, Durham, Oakland, Boston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Madison, Houston, and beyond.”

First elected in 2013, upsetting four-term incumbent Richard Conlin, Sawant championed legislation increasing Seattle’s minimum wage to $15 per hour. She was reelected in 2015 and 2019, and survived a 2020 recall attempt sponsored by downtown business interests.

In her email to supporters, she recalled her “historic victories, including a $15/hour minimum wage, the Amazon tax, and landmark renters’ rights [measures].”

Business owner and community advocate Joy Hollingsworth, a Central District business owner and community advocate, had already announced she will run for the District 3 seat now held by Sawant. With Sawant’s departure, many more hopefuls are expected to enter the race.

District 3 encompasses Capitol Hill, parts of First Hill, and the Central District, as well as wealthier areas along Lake Washington.

Another departing City Councilmember is Lisa Herbold, who represents West Seattle’s District 1. Herbold was first elected in

2015, after serving for many years as an aide to veteran City Councilmember Nick Licata, and was reelected in 2019. During her time on the Council, Herbold often found herself opposing both Sawant and more conservative councilmembers.

In an email to her supporters, Herbold noted that campaigns by one or more candidates to her left mayb create an opportunity for a conservative candidate to win.

“Above my love of public service to the constituents of District 1, I don’t want the council to lose a progressive voice on the council,” Herbold wrote, explaining her decision to sit out the 2023 election. Herbold said in an interview she doesn’t have a specific candidate in mind to run in her place,

and she was announcing her retirement early to give potential candidates time to decide.

Conservative Councilmember Alex Pedersen also announced that he would not seek reelection. He was elected to represent District 4 in 2019, and leaves after only one term. District 4 includes Wallingford, Roosevelt, and the University District.

“Striving to serve the public as a voice of reason during tumultuous times has been an honor, but I am not a career politician,” Pedersen said in a statement. He added that his family “will need [him] more than City Hall, and they are looking forward to having [him] back.”

During his time on the council, Pedersen has consistently voted for local business

interests, and opposed increases in taxes and levies. He was also a strong supporter of Seattle police during the demonstrations following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

“In the year ahead, my office plans to focus on safety, including community safety and transportation safety, as well as preventing economic, physical, and cultural displacement and ensuring fiscal responsibility so the people’s tax dollars are invested as effectively as possible,” Pedersen said.

City Council incumbent Andrew Lewis has announced he will be a candidate for reelection. Lewis represents District 7, including Downtown, Magnolia, Queen Anne, Belltown, and Uptown.

Arts & Entertainment

Billy Porter and his style

by Tim Nasson Special to the SGN

The Tony, Emmy and Grammy winner Billy Porter needs no introduction, especially to the many fans of his character Pray Tell on Ryan Murphy’s hit TV series Pose

Now, Porter will star as a Super Bowl half-time show choreographer, opposite Oscar winners Sally Field, Rita Moreno, and Jane Fonda, and Tony winner Lilly Tomlin, in the feel-good comedy 80 for Brady,” an homage to popular quarterback Tom Brady, opening exclusively in theaters on February 10.

Porter rocketed to superstardom when he originated the role of Lola in the Tonywinning Broadway musical Kinky Boots just over ten years ago. But show business was always in his blood.

“I started singing in church at a very young age,” he said. “By fifth grade, the bullying had stopped, and in middle school, I got involved with theater. I dreamed about being on Broadway and becoming the male Whitney Houston.”

Porter knew he was onto something when he won $100,000 on Star Search in 1992, but he never expected success would come easy.

“I took all of the necessary steps to prepare myself for a career in show business,” he said. “There have been moments of frustration, but no one is entitled to anything.”

“I’ve practiced acting every day for decades,” he added. “I went to Carnegie Mellon. I went to graduate school at UCLA. To this day, I still take singing lessons. I have the patience of Job. My best advice for anyone who wants to become a professional is to practice — even when no one is looking.”

How did Porter prepare himself for a trajectory in acting and a career in fashion? “I decided at a very young age to dress for the job I wanted, not the job I have,” he explained.

“The Oscar dress,” which made Porter a viral sensation, wasn’t something that “just happened.” In 2013, while Porter was in Chicago doing previews of Kinky Boots, he met with fans at the stage door after every performance. “It was right at the time when social media was taking off, especially Instagram photos, and I was dressing geek chic.

“When I looked at the news the day after the first performance, I saw pictures of myself, and I looked like a bag lady. From that moment on, I dressed up every day. After every show, before I went out the stage door to go home, I dressed up.”

From then on, any candid photos that people did take of Porter were not only flattering but trend-setting.

“For three years, while I was on Broadway with Kinky Boots, I dressed up after every performance, just to go out to the car to go home.”

In 2019, just a year before the pandemic hit, Porter started to gain attention for some of the most fabulous outfits that have ever adorned any human. At the Grammy Awards, he wore an embroidered suit and pink cape. That same year, at the Academy Awards, he wore the famous black fitted tuxedo and velvet gown created by Christian Siriano, accompanied by six-inch Rick Owens boots.

The gender-fluid outfits worn by Porter that are now famous the world over were not intended to be labeled. “All of the outfits I have worn aligned with the roles I was playing. The term ‘nonbinary’ never occurred to me.”

And now Billy Porter has become an inspiration for celebs such as Harry Styles, who posed on the cover of Vogue last year in a Gucci dress. “You said that, not me,” Porter insists.

“I have a calling,” he admits. “It is funneled through artistry.

Arts & Entertainment

HEARTS

continued from cover

“I’m very excited,” performer Jonathan Betchtel said before the show began. “We’re still getting our feet about us, but it’s going well.” Audience members might recognize Betchtel as the often over-the-top de facto host of the evening. His energetic charm immediately sets the stage, as he introduces his co-stars and warms up the crowd for a fun and raunchy evening.

Of course, Betchtel is just one part of a talented team that works hard to pull off unique shows every Wednesday through Sunday. “It’s very fun,” Betchtel said. “There’s a team of us: one choreographer, Faye Pink, and then there’s a writer and director. I get to make all the weird things on stage and then get to make an ass of myself every night, which is fun.”

Betchtel has been working at Can Can for the last 17 years. Even though he’s a stage veteran, he admits he still feels anxious about a new show. “I’m excited about it, and nervous,” he admitted. “I’m just excited to see what goes well.”

From an audience member’s viewpoint, the show went perfectly. House of Hearts transports viewers to a magical fairytale land. The performers often rely on imagination in place of stage props, which only added to the innocent whimsy and carefree vibes the show carries.

The theme can be interpreted as proLGBTQ+. The message of the three-act production was summed up in the finale by the reformed antagonist, Queen Astral, played by Richard Peacock. “Legalize love,” Peacock announced to boisterous cheers.

The show centers around a magical fantasy kingdom wherein love expressed in any form other than adoration of the self-obsessed queen is forbidden. Through campy musical numbers and erotic dances,

the queen’s daughter falls in love with the silly jester, Puck. While not to be taken too seriously, the show does leave viewers with a sense of inspiration and hope that even in the drab real world, love can conquer hatred.

Audience members seemed thrilled by the musical numbers, multiple costume changes, and impressive covers of classic pop songs. Crowd favorites included “Poison,” “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “Imagine,” and “What’s New Pussycat.” The per-

formers made these classic songs their own. Peacock’s portrayal of the evil queen was an instant hit, with each appearance leading to delighted whispers.

Of course, the Can Can experience is not complete without fully experiencing the menu. Each new show comes with a fresh menu of clever creations from the dedicated kitchen artists behind the scenes. One of the best items was the croissant beignets, a new concoction that was somehow per-

fectly flaky and fluffy, served with a delicious choice of both caramel and berry sauces, the perfect sweet treat to enjoy during such a sweet show.

If you’re looking for a pre-Valentine’s date night, you can’t go wrong with Can Can. Come for the charming show, stay for the amazing food, and who knows, you might just learn something new to show your partner at home.

Arts & Entertainment

Seattle Opera’s Samson and Delilah tantalizes

by Sharon Cumberland SGN Contributing Writer

SAMSON AND DELILAH IN CONCERT

Music by Camille Saint-Saëns Libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire McCaw Hall, January 20, 2023

Seattle Opera treated its audience to a fabulous premiere last Friday — full of drama, destruction, and salvation — in Camille Saint-Saëns’ thrilling opera, Samson and Delilah. Two brilliant young singers, mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges (Lakewood, WA) and tenor Younghoon Lee (Seoul, Korea), made their Seattle Opera debuts, respectively, as the Philistine temptress Delilah and the Hebrew hero Samson, whose long hair is the source of his power.

In this biblical story, Delilah withholds her charms until Samson tells his secret, then she cuts his hair as he sleeps, stealing his strength to serve the Philistine god Dagon. The Hebrews are defeated and Samson is captured, blinded, and enslaved. As the Philistines celebrate their triumph in a wild bacchanal, Samson asks the God of Israel to return his power long enough to pull Dagon’s temple down on the Philistines, killing them all.

The audience was able to see the singers — who also included a Seattle Opera favorite, bass baritone Greer Grimsley as Dagon’s high priest — up close and personal in a concert performance that trades full sets and costumes for an on-stage orchestra and chorus. In this exciting performance mode, the audience watches the orchestra play as the chorus performs on elevated risers behind them and soloists perform in front, flowing on and off the downstage area as the music and action progress. It moves like a river of story rather than the customary scenic drama. I found it to be a wonderful and fresh way to experience an opera in its most essential form, as if everyone in the opera house gets to sit in the front row.

Conductor Ludovic Morlot led members of the Seattle Symphony and the Seattle Opera chorus in Saint-Saëns’ luscious music — which was undulating in Delilah’s love scenes and wildly dramatic in the famous bacchanal sequence, when the followers of Dagon perform a frenetic, erotic

dance in the temple to celebrate the downfall of Samson and the Hebrews.

The staged version of this latter moment in the opera is usually a frenzied, sexy dance by the corps de ballet, but in the concert version, attendees can watch the amazing artistry of the orchestra as the music takes a central performing role, flowing directly over the audience rather than up from the pit. There’s a lot to be said for the power of sinuous, pulsating music to choreograph a crazy dance in your imagination — not to mention the energetic efficiency of the conductor as he bends from one section to the other, beating time and describing emotions with his arms.

Bridges was the star of the show (what vamp isn’t?), with her beautiful voice and fabulous gowns: erotically persuasive in seduction, haughty and powerful in triumph. Lee was a tormented Samson who knows he can’t resist Delilah, and suffers from anticipatory guilt. The librettist, Ferdinand Lemaire, never allows his hero to revel in his strength but only to writhe in

the guilt of the weakness he feels for Delilah. It makes for a less interesting hero than a cocky powerhouse brought low, because the fall is anticipated. But Lee’s passionate performance in appealing to God for Samson’s redemption was entirely committed and convincing.

General Director Christina Scheppelmann, in her post-performance Q&A, gave an excellent rationale for presenting operas in concert along with a regular program of fully staged productions. It’s an opportunity to showcase works the audience hasn’t seen recently, if ever, and to bring rising stars to town, like Bridges and Lee.

This production of Samson and Delilah was given after only four days of rehearsals — as opposed to the three to four months a fully staged performance requires. The orchestra, chorus, and singers had been learning and practicing their parts in advance, but the time it takes to bring the program together in concert mode is so efficient that Seattle Opera has the opportunity to bring new, neglected, or rarely seen

works to Seattle audiences. This production demonstrated both the wisdom and the powerful success of such a strategy.

At the conclusion of Samson and Delilah on Friday, the audience gave the orchestra and singers a standing ovation, moved by the drama of the music — which ends with the temple of Dagon collapsing — and the thrill of seeing the orchestra perform as equal members of the cast onstage. Of course we opera-lovers love the big productions that define “operatic,” but a concert performance like this one — as well as the wonderful community operas Seattle Opera has brought to smaller stages in the past — is a great way to present new and neglected works to the public. Bravo, Director Scheppelmann and the Seattle Opera company!

Next up at Seattle Opera: A Thousand Splendid Suns, a fully produced world premier based on the novel by Khaled Hosseini with music by Sheila Silver and libretto by Stephen Kitsakos, February 25 through March 11, 2023, at McCaw Hall.

Unforgettables: Cinematic milestones with Sara Michelle

On its 30th anniversary, Joe Dante’s timeless Matinee remains one of the best movies about movies ever made

by Sara Michelle Fetters SGN Staff Writer

I cannot say Joe Dante is the only filmmaker who could have made Matinee. I do believe he is one of a scant few who could have made it great. Dante brings an affectionate grace to the material that’s apparent right from the start, during the presentation of the faux trailer featuring larger-than-life filmmaker Lawrence Woolsey (a perfectly cast John Goodman) discussing his latest highconcept, low-budget creature feature Mant

Yet the director isn’t above lacing this nostalgic warmth with hints of melancholy and regret. This makes the world Dante creates intimately authentic. This isn’t a melodramatic peek in the cultural rearview mirror. Instead, Matinee uses its 1962 Key West, Florida, setting during the Cuban Missile Crisis to showcase characters caught up in events far beyond their control but who still attempt to make the best of them.

They love. They laugh. They shriek. They cry. They persevere. Most of all, they live. Because they do, Dante’s wryly comedic drama ends up so enchantingly timeless that over the last three decades, it has quietly become one of the greatest movies about making movies ever made.

Not bad for a small, initially dismissed oddity that was a box office disappointment for Universal Pictures when it was released in January 1993. The studio had no idea what to do with Matinee (something Dante frequently admits when interviewed). The original trailers were a tonal mishmash that oversold the silly “monster movie” facets of the narrative and minimized the Cuban Missile Crisis and the teenage coming-ofage elements. They made it look broad and cartoonish, with Goodman as the P.T. Barnum–style ringmaster lording over it all.

None of that is true. Dante gives his teenage protagonists — lonely military brat Gene Loomis (Simon Fenton), his new friend Stan (Omri Katz), budding hippie

Sandra (Lisa Jakub), and vivacious heartbreaker Sherry (Kellie Martin) — the center ring. They are the ones who drive events forward, not Goodman’s William Castle–like showman Woolsey. Their lives intersect with his, and everyone learns valuable lessons they’ll take with them into an uncertain future, with an understanding that each day is to be treasured, and every moment — even the difficult ones — is a gift worth celebrating.

It all resonates because Dante refuses to get oversentimental or allow the comedy to become cartoonish. Key West even becomes a character, as vital a member of the ensemble as each actor. No one overplays their hand. There aren’t any moments where anyone is seen winking at the camera or trying to call attention to how inherently silly the various elements fueling much of Charlie Haas’s excellent screenplay may be. This includes the movie within the movie, Mant. In lesser hands, this goofy knockoff would be more Airplane! or Scary Movie than it is an affectionate Tarantula meets Them! meets The Fly homage. It’s clear Dante instructed his cast and crew to treat this bit of silliness with the same sort of respect and sincerity filmmakers like

Howard Hawks, Ray Harryhausen, and Gordon Douglas insisted upon when crafting similar genre fare in the 1950s. Because this “fake” flick feels real, it makes the reactions of the raucous members of the audience seeing it for the first time equally authentic.

But this is the secondary story. The central plot revolves around Gene, a horror fanatic new to Key West who, just as he’s trying to settle in at a new school for what feels like the hundredth time, sees his dad shipped off to Cuba as part of the naval blockade encircling the island. With his mom (Lucinda Jenney) trying to hold it together as best she can, the teen retreats to the local theater and ends up making friends with Woolsey on the eve of his new film’s world premiere.

Goodman is magnificent, delivering a multilayered, surprisingly understated performance that ranks as one of the celebrated actor’s best. A perfectly cast Cathy Moriarty is a constant delight, while Dante regulars John Sayles, Dick Miller, William Schallert, Kevin McCarthy, and especially a hysterically befuddled Robert Picardo populate key supporting roles. Particularly wonderful is The Thing from Another World star Robert Cornthwaite, who pops up in Mant as a

scientist, and I’m filled with joy every time I watch the film and he’s on the screen making beautiful music out of the purposefully corny pseudoscientific dialogue.

Back in 1993, I could see that Dante was telling a story that was as much about what was happening in the world then as he was looking back at the Cuban Missile Crisis and what it was like to live under the constant worry that nuclear annihilation was right around the corner. Then was now, now was then, and much like Lawrence Woolsey, Dante was craftily holding up a mirror in front of his audience, knowing what they’d see would be far more thrilling than even the most extravagant nightmare he could invent. Now, with society still reeling from COVID-19, the mirror Matinee holds up to its audience hasn’t dulled in the slightest. Love. Laugh. Shriek. Cry. Make every second count. Most of all, live. The life lessons Dante was imparting 30 years ago are as vital now as they ever were then, making Matinee a modern classic ripe for rediscovery.

Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Matinee is available on Blu-ray and DVD and to purchase digitally on multiple platforms.

Books

So When Are You Having Kids? good for all readers

by Terri Schlichenmeyer Special to the SGN

SO WHEN ARE YOU HAVING KIDS?

JORDAN DAVIDSON

© 2022 Sounds True, distributed by Macmillan

$28.99

356 pages

Chances are that if you hear a screaming baby, you have one of two reactions: you cringe and look for an exit, or you notice and shrug. Either way, So When Are You Having Kids? is a book for you.

It’s the thorniest of decisions, “one of the biggest...you’ll ever make...” It’s personal, but even strangers want to know: the questions start in your twenties and end when you’ve acquiesced or aged, although having kids is not a given or a thing-by-committee. So how do you quiet the busybodies and make the right decision for yourself?

First, says author Jordan Davidson, ask yourself if you even want children, and after you’ve looked inward, “it’s worth looking outward” at expectations, culture, and things that “shape our understanding of parenthood...” Ask around, to see why others had children — but don’t be surprised if you get clichés. Throw out the idea that children fulfill you or that they’ll take care of you when you’re old. Know that genetics, religion, and your parents’ parenting styles will affect you, and that if you’re Queer or Black, there’ll be other factors involved in having and raising a child.

Should you decide to do it, you may still have reservations.

Don’t give in to the romance of having kids — it’s hard work, and costly in both money and time. Remember that perceptions of good parenting have “shifted over time” and that having a childhood exactly like yours probably won’t be an option for your kids. If you have a partner, communicate your thoughts,

Molly Horan rewrites a classic

hopes, and preferences about the division of household labor and childcare.

Finally, decide how you’re going to become a parent. Will you give birth, choose IVF, adopt, foster, or kick the decision down the road?

Says Davidson, the mere ability to ask these questions and decide “is in many ways a privilege.”

There are many, many parenting books on miles of shelves, and a number on being childless, but Davidson pulls the two together with thoughtfulness, candor, inclusiveness, and a refreshing lack of judgment. This is a book that doesn’t promise answers, though: it’s meant to give readers — whether they want kids, don’t, or are ambivalent — a balanced look at myths, truths, pros, cons, and rarely considered points in order to make an informed decision. It also, perhaps most importantly, offers comforting reminders that there is no right or wrong, no matter what Mom says.

by Lindsey Anderson SGN Staff Writer

With so many amazing contemporary Queer authors, it can be easy to forget that Queer people have been writing stories for generations. Writers like Emily Dickinson and Virginia Woolf penned classic works that have withstood the test of time. However, they often had to disguise their Queer characters and themes to sell books at a time when homosexuality was treated as a crime. Today, LGBTQ+ authors can write openly and honestly about Queer characters and experiences. Still, author Molly Horan was inspired by the works of great Queer writers from the past, and decided to do something different when coming up with ideas for a debut novel. She wanted to do something new — by repurposing something old.

Recycling with Earnest

“I, as an author, am more interested in character development and dialogue than plot, so I found that I wanted to steal a plot from someone else,” she explained. “So, I took a look at things that were in the public domain…

“I’ve always really loved Oscar Wilde’s work. The Importance of Being Earnest was the first play my high school did when I was a freshman, so I wanted to [update] an Oscar Wilde story… with teen characters and Queer characters.”

Horan decided to make a new — and Queer — retelling of the classic farce and so created Epically Earnest. Of course, to update the story to fit the 2020s, she had to change a lot of the original setting and premise, which readers took notice of. “The honest Goodreads reviewers say I did drop a lot of the plot of the main story,” Horan said. “The Importance of Being Earnest, in the end, [is] a farce, and I think that is hard to translate into a novel form, although I’m sure some authors have done it well.”

While bringing Earnest into the 21st century led to a lot of creative changes for Horan, one thing that wasn’t a stretch was making the story Gay. “As far as doing a Queer adaptation, all Oscar Wilde stuff already has the Queer vibe, so that was pretty easy,” she said with a laugh.

One update to the original story Horan enjoyed adding was viral videos and meme culture. “Once I got the idea to do an adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest, the biggest idea after the Queer retelling is that the main character was part of one of the first viral videos,” she said. Studying internet culture has always been an interest of Horan’s, and she was very excited to include it in her debut novel.

Books

“That came from my early twenties, when I worked in web media writing about memes. I was an intern at Buzzfeed for a while, I was an intern at Mashable for a while, and then my first real grown-up job was at a site called Know Your Meme, so I have that background in having watched and looked at how videos go viral for years and years. I saw a lot of memes with small children or babies, and I wondered, ‘What would it be like to grow up and become a teenager and realize that a good portion of the internet-using world has seen your face?’ So that was where that came from.”

No more coming-out stories

With the backdrop of growing up in the digital age, Epically Earnest follows teens exploring their identities. The main characters struggle with finding their places in their families, their school, and the greater internet-loving world. One thing they don’t struggle with, however, is their sexualities.

“It was really important to me, for a bunch of reasons, that this [not be] a coming-out story,” Horan said. “All of the characters are very out and very comfortable. And of course I know that is not possible in a lot of places in the country, but it’s set in a corner of New York City where I think that would be pretty feasible.”

The story reads as a cozy look into the life of modern teens, without the trauma that can often accompany growing up Queer. “All the characters have a myriad of insecurities, as all humans do, but none of them are tied to their sexuality,” Horan said. So she chose not to include plotlines around coming out or Queer trauma.

“I think that is just because that [ease] has largely been my experience as a person, which is incredibly lucky,” she said. “I came out as Bi in high school and college to my friends, and by my twenties, I was writing about it. I have been in very accepting communities.

“Also, I’ve had two relationships in my whole life, and they have both been with men, so I haven’t faced the same day-today prejudices someone in a same-sex relationship would. My experience as a Queer person has just been taking a lot of joy in that identity. So that is what I wanted to be reflected in my book, and all I could reflect from firsthand experience.”

There are many books for teens who are looking to read more about the struggles people can face growing up as a part of the LGBTQ+ community, but Epically Earnest is not one. The book is pure fun. “I hope they laugh. I hope that it’s funny,” Horan said of readers. “Of all the reader feedback, I have gratified [by] any comments that say it was nice to read a Queer book where the characters weren’t in danger.

“Again, they’re navigating relationships, they’re navigating stress, there are worries about not being accepted in family and friend circles, but that doesn’t stem from their queerness. So, I hope that’s something readers get out of it.”

Queerness, like the original plot of Earnest, is used more as a backdrop to telling the bigger stories. “The main character, Janie, and her parents accept her. She has a good relationship with her parents. The only tension that arises — and it’s dispelled pretty quickly — is… over her looking for her biological family or not. It does not stem from [her] Queer identity. Gwen’s parent… wants Gwen to date other wealthy people, but it is implied that she doesn’t care if it is a wealthy young man or a wealthy young woman. She is [classist], not homophobic. “I… felt I have the expertise to explore a lot of things, [but] the potential tension or rejection that a lot of Queer people face is just not something I explore in the book.”

I Have Seven Dogs

While Epically Earnest is a fun retelling of a classic by a Queer author, Horan’s second project is much more personal. “I would say that that is probably the most

autobiographical project I have ever written,” she said of her second book, I Have Seven Dogs. Unlike Epically Earnest, it is aimed at young readers. “It is a picture book about a girl who is not allowed to have a dog, so she kind of de facto adopts the dogs in her neighborhood,” Horan said. The story is loosely based on her dogless childhood. “I, as a kid, was not allowed to have a dog, desperately wanted a dog, and grew up in a neighborhood where there were a lot of dogs in yards, either [behind] electric fences or tied up. I would walk with my grandfather, and we would go in and pet all the dogs, and I just felt like, ‘Okay, these are all my dogs now.’”

Even though I Have Seven Dogs is Horan’s second book to hit shelves, she wrote and sold it first. “The weird way that

publishing works is that my picture book sold first. So, [it] was the first book I ever sold, back in 2020. It just takes a long time for a picture book to come to fruition.

“But I studied children’s book writing in grad school, and I have always loved picture books. Whenever I go to a bookstore, I’ll still gravitate towards the table — even though I really don’t have any children that young in my life to buy books for — just to see what’s out there, and they’re always so beautiful and touching, so I was excited to write one.”

Even though Horan has a passion for picture books, she still plans on writing more YA and Queer stories for readers of all ages, and her future projects will also explore LGBTQ+ identities. “I am currently working on a new YA novel that is

about a teenager who is the stage manager in her high school drama department,” she said. “She feels like she isn’t listened to … so she begins to use a kind of TikTok-like app to give advice anonymously. So, this… takes off in her school, but nobody knows it’s her.

“She’s Ace, and she’s starting her first romantic relationship and trying to figure out what that means for her as an Asexual person. Ace representation in YA is increasing. There have been a lot of great recent books.”

For readers looking to revisit a Queer classic, Epically Earnest is out now and will be featured as our book of the week in the SGN Book Club. Read along with us on Instagram!

Moving through infidelity when you live together

Dear Izzy,

I think my partner might be cheating on me. We’ve been together for a little over five years. He’s started staying out late with coworkers. Says he’s just getting drinks, but sometimes he doesn’t get back home until 2:00. And on his days off, we don’t really see each other, even though we live together. He’s spending more time with his coworkers at shows or bars or something. When I try to make friends, he gets jealous. I’m starting to feel like I only exist to the one person I love inside our apartment. Like I’m not even real to him when he’s not looking right at me. Not sure if I can afford to move out, and I don’t really have a support system in the city. What do I do?

— Ghost Boy

Dear Ghost Boy,

Let me start by saying I am so sorry you are in this situation. Especially with someone you have spent half a decade with! This experience sounds difficult, and my heart hurts for you.

But to be unabashedly honest, it sounds like you already know the answer to your question. As Taylor Swift once said, “If it feels like a trap, you’re already in one.”

This might be hard to hear, but I feel like you know in your gut that he isn’t the person for you. Not only is he being shady as shit and mistreating you, but it also seems like he is also trying to isolate you, which is a huge red flag.

Isolation, jealousy, and gaslighting are common tactics that abusers use to exert power over their partners. And for many in situations like yours, where you can’t afford to leave and don’t have anywhere to go, it works.

Because of this, my first advice is to confide in someone IRL and make an exit plan: a colleague, casual friend, or your favorite librarian. Hopefully, there is someone whose couch you can crash on should you decide you no longer feel safe in your home.

I also want to mention that free and confidential help is available 24/7 at the National Domestic Violence Hotline (800799-7233) or by texting START to 88788. Your safety is the priority.

Next, I recommend starting to get out of the house. One of the scariest parts of being in an abusive relationship is that sometimes you don’t know you are in one until too late. Bring your work to a coffee shop, and find a new class or activity where you can meet other people in your community.

If this is anxiety inducing to you, I understand. Because of the pandemic, we have become so isolated, especially if you work from home, and it’s hard to take

by Isabel Mata SGN Contributing Writer

Ask Izzy is a biweekly advice column about relationships, mental health, and sexuality. Written by Isabel Mata — a Seattle-based lifestyle writer, podcast host, and mental health advocate — Ask Izzy offers tangible expert advice so all readers can have stronger relationships, better sex, and healthier mindsets. Looking for some more guidance? Submit your question to info@sgn.org with the subject line: Ask Izzy Submission.

yourself out of that comfort zone. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Start small — you might surprise yourself with how much you missed meeting new people.

What resonated with me so much about your question is the line “I’m starting to feel like I only exist to the one person I love inside our apartment.” I was in a similar situation a few years back, and things felt bleak. For months while I was in that relationship, my self-worth got so low that I just stopped getting out of bed. The people we love hold so much power in the fact that their words carry weight. If they make you feel like nothing, then you must be nothing, right? WRONG.

In therapy recently, my therapist and I were talking about relationships, both platonic and romantic, and she asked me to define the characteristics of a friend. A simple task, yet daunting! I said, “A friend should be supportive, kind, caring, and trustworthy.” Correct, she said! Huzzah, I won therapy!

She didn’t laugh. Instead, she said that there are 12 characteristics that make up a friend.

Here they are:

• Sharing of common interests

• Kindness

• Caring

• Support

• Mutual understanding

• Commitment

• Loyalty

• Honesty

• Trust

• Equality

• Ability to self-discipline

• Conflict resolution

According to my therapist, the more characteristics the people in your life check off, the better friends they are. The fewer they check off… well, you get it. Probably not someone you want in your life. Now, looking at that list, where does your partner fall? Based on your message, it seems to me that they aren’t showing loyalty, honesty, trust, support, caring, or even kindness. That is 50% of the things on the list.

Hopefully I am not the first person to tell you this, but as a human being on this earth,

you are entitled to a friend or partner that encompasses all the characteristics on that list. Given, of course, that you are reciprocating.

While I believe that most relationships can be repaired through hard work and lots of couples therapy, I think in your case, you can do better. It’s clear to me from your message that you deserve so much more.

But given your living situation, this breakup might take a bit of time. My advice is to move into another room, if available, buy a lock for that door, and start saving your money to move out as soon as you can. If you can’t do that, have your partner sleep on the couch. And no sex whatsoever. Set boundaries and stick to them.

You have a journey ahead of you, and ending a five-year relationship with someone you live with is not going to be an easy task. But you are strong, and I have absolute faith that you will come out of this with more love for yourself than ever before, which will ultimately let you attract someone you actually deserve. You can do this!

race, and America

by Jack Hilovsky

SGN Contributing Writer

This past Martin Luther King holiday, I spent time reflecting on MLK’S legacy and that of another great African American thinker and cultural influence, the author James Baldwin. I sat down and read the Montgomery Bus Boycott speech given by MLK in 1955, followed by the final chapter of Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, a book published in 1963, which opens with a short letter to his 14-year-old nephew James commemorating the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

I was an infant when President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. After these victories, many thought that an era marked by constructive change would lead to better relations between the races.

But this was not to be. The mass nonviolent protests in Selma, Montgomery, and Birmingham, which were so effective in forcing national legislation to curb racial strife in the South, did little, in the absence of further change, to quell the hostility seething in the North and elsewhere. As riots broke out in Detroit, Watts, and my hometown of Cleveland in the summers of 1966 and 1967, followed by MLK’s assassination in 1968, the progress made in race relations began to backslide.

Reading James Baldwin, I was impressed with his argument for how we might move forward as a society to heal the divide between Blacks and whites. He didn’t advocate for militancy or burning down the house, though he understood the historic anger and pain the Black community had every right to feel. Baldwin argued that the only way to achieve racial equality is through love. He believed that love “takes off the masks” of superiority white people wear to hide our own insecurities and failings. He added that once whites stop projecting our fear and longing onto African Americans, we will be free from our own self-imposed tyranny, and thus Blacks will be free too.

Interestingly, Baldwin put the onus on African Americans, as a people, to decide whether to love or hate. He went on to predict that if the African American community withdrew from white society, the country was doomed. However, if Blacks approached the white community with love, forcing them to confront their misdeeds, the nation would be saved.

Baldwin understood the hesitancy of his own community to take this radical step, especially after the sins of slavery, Jim Crow, discrimination, and segregation. The only solution, Baldwin asserted, is for whites and Blacks to work together, which requires both parties to acknowledge uncomfortable truths and grieve for their pasts, how their ancestors were treated, and how their ancestors treated others.

There has been integration and upward mobility for some since the successes of the civil rights era, but 60 years later, inequality in health care, housing, education and job opportunity persists. I’ve discovered that people have very different approaches to remedying the wrongs that continue to plague our country when it comes to racial reconciliation. Some people, including myself, believe in governmental action. Others insist that it must occur on an individualized, person-to-person level, in line with the old adage that government programs cannot solve every problem. For example, following the murder of George Floyd, many of us for the first time felt compelled to look inside, at our own racist underpinnings.

On a recent weekend, I saw the new Tom Hanks film, A Man Called Otto. The title character, played by Hanks, is a curmudgeon, a misanthrope, and not very likable — until you learn his story. Filmed in drab, snowy, gray Pittsburgh, the film comes alive not with a glamorous locale but the warmth and authenticity of Otto’s neighbors. The multiracial supporting cast is kooky, quirky, and somewhat cartoonish, but they are characters you might know if you grew up in the industrial Midwest like I did.

Penny-pinching Otto is a control freak who believes there is a right way to do every-

thing — and most people are doing it wrong — whether it’s recycling waste, parking a car, or walking the dog. During the first part of the film, nobody gets special treatment from Otto. But gradually Marisol, the Mexican mom who brings him homemade spicy cookies and other savory delights, weasels her way into Otto’s heart. And a Black couple, longtime friends of Otto and his deceased wife, provide an opportunity for him to reconcile with his past and future.

Maybe if more of us chose to engage with people who are different from us, whether due to age, race, or socioeconomic status, we might learn more about the importance of coming together and discover we have more in common than we think. By sharing our hearts — and our cooking — we might learn we can bridge a divide that appeared impossible to mend.

Maybe it requires some to do a bit of “self-educating,” and for others the willingness to offer another chance. We might transcend our imperfect, and yes, brutal history through either political action or individual acts of kindness. Maybe the solution is “both/and.”

Jack Hilovsky is an author, actor, dancer, and blogger who has made his home in Seattle since 1986. His first book, RJ, Farrah and Me: A Young Man’s Gay Odyssey from the Inside Out, was published in June 2022. It can be found at Elliott Bay Book Company, Madison Books, Nook & Cranny, and University Bookstore, among other local booksellers.

National News

National news highlights

by Daniel Lindsley SGN Staff Writer

Drag queens stake out state congress

Drag queens in full makeup gathered with their allies in Jefferson City, Missouri, on Tuesday last week to protest bills regulating Trans kids’ bodies. Such bills were under consideration during a House committee hearing at the time, and included a ban on Trans kids in girls’ sports teams, gender-affirming care, and public drag shows.

TransParent leader Dieta Pepsi told the group of a hundred at the protest, “As a Trans woman, I will not be erased. As a drag queen, I will not be erased. As a human being, I will not be erased.”

Meanwhile, inside the building, Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft told the House, “The science is clear. I’m not saying that men are superior to women, but genetically men have better bone mass. They generally have stronger muscle mass. They’re generally faster. They’re generally stronger.”

Many doctors, as well as the American Medical Association, have warned against laws targeting LGBTQ youth and gender-affirming care in particular.

Republican Rep. Brian Seitz admitted that he had not read the guidelines on Trans athletes set out by the High School Activities Association, and that he has “no idea what intersex is.” Yet his proposals would require parents to sign affidavits each year about their kids’ sexes, with noncompliant schools risking total loss of state funding and lawsuits.

ATLANTA

continued from cover

down, but activists and journalists who were on the scene have questioned that version of events. Protestors and skeptics are currently demanding an independent investigation into the murder. According to the GBI, the incident was not recorded on body cameras.

Tortuguita was part of a movement called “Stop Cop City,” which is protesting the Atlanta Police Foundation’s $90 million, 381-acre police training facility set to be constructed in the Weelaunee Forest. The Public Safety Training Center, nicknamed “Cop City” by its opponents, is designed to train police in urban crowd control. Its plans include a bomb detonation range, several shooting ranges, and a replica city to run drills to train for urban warfare.

Cop City would be the largest police facility in the United States after its construction. Among public outcry over the nature of the facility, environmentalists have decried its construction in the heart of old growth forest, saying cutting down that many trees would be an environmental disaster.

The protestors had built a community of forest defenders in the Weelaunee over the course of the last year. Tortuguita’s death occurred during a raid by police to clear protestor tents from the forest. 25 campsites were removed. Seven individuals were arrested and charged with domestic terrorism and criminal trespass, with other charges pending.

On social media, the activist was lauded by friends and comrades as being kind, calm, and positive. After their death, members of the community submitted memories of them for the vigil, some of which were posted @stopcopcity on Instagram.

“I remember Tortuguita as one of the softest and most generous people in the woods,”

reads one post. “[A] perpetually positive presence, ready with a smile and anything else they could offer to brighten your day.”

“They died as they lived,” said a statement by activist Jonah Mundy in another post, “fighting for a better world and defending the forest from destruction in the name of a fascist militarized police force.”

Roughly 300 people gathered for Tortuguita’s vigil, Saturday, January 21, they were remembered for their work as a medic and as an extremely caring individual. Violent protest broke out an hour into the peaceful demonstration. The ensuing property damage included damage to a police vehicle. Police made six protests.

“Violence and unlawful destruction of property are not acts of protest,” tweeted Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in the wake of the riot. “They are crimes that will not be tolerated in Georgia and will be prosecuted fully.”

David Peisner, a reporter for The Bitter Southerner who had spoken with Tortuguita when covering the protest in December of 2022, noted the emphasis they had put on nonviolent actions.

In the article Little Turtle’s War, published January 20, Peisner quotes Tortuguita as saying, “We win through nonviolence. We’re not going to beat them at violence. But we can beat them in public opinion, in the courts, even.” Peisner’s account and the accounts of other protestors seem to directly contradict the narrative painted by the Atlanta Police Foundation.

Vigils for Tortuguita took place in Atlanta, Asheville, Durham, Olympia, Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Portland, among other cities. The “Justice For Tortuguita” movement has gained some momentum online. So far, there is no word of an independent investigation into their death.

New York Republican denies drag involvement

Amid Rep. George Santos’s ducking and weaving around questions about his background (such as the unfounded story of his mother being a victim of the attack on the World Trade Center), the New York Republican is facing other stories about his past.

Fifty-eight-year-old Brazilian performer Eula Rochard said she befriended Santos

in 2005, at the first Gay Pride parade in the Rio de Janeiro suburb of Niteroi. She also said that Santos competed in a drag pageant three years later.

Rochard said that Santos’ drag name was Kitara Ravache, and that “he’s changed a lot, but he was always a liar. He was always such a dreamer.”

And she’s not the only one: another person from the area, who asked not to

be named, said Santos even aspired to be Miss Gay Rio de Janeiro. Santos has called the drag claims “categorically false” on Twitter, but it’s no secret that he’s Gay. He’s the first openly Gay Republican to win a House seat in Congress as a non-incumbent, though he’s used his seat to back Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

National/International News

Johnson & Johnson to discontinue HIV vaccine trial

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

Johnson & Johnson will discontinue its latest HIV vaccine trial, the company said, after deciding that its formula was proving ineffective.

Johnson & Johnson’s research arm, Janssen, partnered with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) on the trials.

A spokesperson for NIAID said, “It’s not the outcome we had hoped for, unfortunately. The development of a safe and effective HIV vaccine has been a considerable scientific challenge, but we will learn from this study and continue forward.”

Mitchell Warren, director of the prevention advocacy organization AVAC, commented: “We always hope that efficacy trials will show positive results that lead to new prevention options… [but] the hard truth is the science of HIV vaccine development is extremely challenging.”

Scientists say that developing and HIV vaccine is especially challenging because the virus mutates rapidly, allowing it to evade the body’s immune system. As a retrovirus, it can hide in cellular DNA and remain latent even in patients taking antivirals. This makes it impossible for the human immune system to locate the virus.

In the Janssen/NIAID study, 3,900 Gay men and Transgender individuals received the HIV vaccine or a placebo. All participants had previously declined to take PrEP. The study was due to end in early 2024.

The latest attempt at a vaccine showed some efficiency in earlier trials, but results were not good enough for Johnson & Johnson to consider releasing it to the market.

Dr. Penny Heaton of Janssen said of the latest trial failure, “We are disappointed with this outcome and stand in solidarity with the people and communities vulnerable to and affected by HIV.

International news highlights

by Daniel Lindsley SGN Staff Writer

Church of England apology

“hollow and cruel”

In the same collective breath, the Church of England on Friday refused to marry same-sex couples in its churches, and issued a formal apology to LGBTQ people, for its historical treatment of the community.

“We want to apologize for the ways in which the Church of England has treated LGBTQI+ people — both those who worship in our churches and those who do not,” the bishops said. “For the time we have rejected or excluded you, and those you love, we are deeply sorry. The occasions on which you have received a hostile and homophobic response in our churches are shameful, and for this we repent.”

Jayne Ozanne, a prominent advocate for greater LGBTQ inclusion in the church, wasn’t impressed.

“We’ve had apology after apology after apology, and this one frankly, sounds hollow and cruel,” Ozanne wrote on Twitter. “Because if you apologize and then carry on with the abuse, it is akin to domestic abuse. The fact that the bishops don’t see that is what angers me.”

“Though there have been significant advances in prevention since the beginning of the global epidemic, 1.5 million people acquired HIV in 2021 alone, underscoring the high unmet need for new options and why we have long worked

Fortunately, PrEP is highly effective at preventing HIV infection. Experts believe that long-lasting injectable or implantable PrEP might prove to be a significant step in ending HIV transmission.

Pope Francis:

“Being homosexual isn’t a crime”

In an interview with the Associated Press, Pope Francis explained that Catholic bishops that support laws criminalizing homosexuality or otherwise discriminate against Queer people should be, in a sense, more welcoming.

While he still referred to homosexuality as a “sin,” his comments were his first on such discriminatory laws, which he declared “unjust.” He said the Catholic Church should work to put an end to them.

“It must do this,” he said. “It must do this.”

“These bishops have to have a process of conversion,” he said, and should apply “tenderness, please, as God has for each one of us.”

“We are all children of God, and God loves us as we are and for the strength that each of us fights for our dignity,” he added.

“It’s not a crime,” he said of homosexuality. “Yes, but it’s a sin. Fine, but first let’s distinguish between a sin and a crime. It’s also a sin to lack charity with one another.” The Catholic Church still, as of a decree in 2021, refuses to bless same-sex unions.

Episode 46: Nate Gowdy

Lindsey gives Ash a rundown of how old they truly are and Ash does a pretty solid Randy Newman impression in this politically charged episode. The duo also discuss West Virginia's proposed ban on Trans identities in public and so much more. Special guest and SGN alum Nate Gowdy chats with Ash about his book on the Jan. 6 Insurrection! Check out Nate's work at www.nategowdy.com or find him on Instagram @nategowdy

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