Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 306 – March 8, 2017

BY EILEEN SHAPIRO
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT
The spectacular and
abundantly talented,
popular and admired Queen
Peppermint will be taking
the stage on March 11 at The
Imperial Court of New York’s
Night of a Thousand Gowns.
Aside from being one of
New York’s most well-liked
performers, Peppermint can
dance, sing and lip sync. I
met her for the very first time
at Miss Fire Island and was
so impressed by her artistry
that I had to run over and
talk to her immediately. On
behalf of Get Out! magazine,
I would like to congratulate
her on being selected to
compete this season on
“RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and
I wish her the very best of
luck. It’s well deserved.
Watch RuPaul’s
Drag Race
Season 9
Season Premier
Friday March 24
at 8pm on VH 1
PEPPERMINT
Photo credit: logotv.com
Peppermint, what
involvement do you have
with The Imperial Court
of New York?
I am actually not in the
court, but I’m a big fan.
One of my mentors was
empress of the court,
Coco LaChine.
So you’re performing this
year?
I’m going and performing.
Will you be doing
anything special for the
evening?
I’ll be doing a little bit of
old and new. I’ll be doing
some original songs and
also something new.
Even more important,
what will you be
wearing?
I have to wear a thousand
gowns. I’m actually putting
the feelers out, looking
for some designers,
and hopefully I’ll have
something gorgeous
and long and glamorous,
befitting of an evening
with the court.
I’m sure that you will do
a fabulous job of that. Do
you attend every year?
No, I’ve only gone three
times. There’s always
something going on at
the same time. There was
always a conflict. I’ve been
trying to get to perform
there for years. This is the
first time that we got it
together to make it work.
Well, I’m very excited
that you’re going to
perform this year.
What does Night of a
Thousand Gowns mean
to you?
The Imperial Court is
extremely important. I
think that it embodies
some of the key principles
that I like to bring into
drag, which are obviously
glamour, and gowns, but
also charity. It’s a charity
organization, and they get
together and do Night
of a Thousand Gowns,
in addition to other
wonderful fundraising
events, in an effort to raise
money to improve the
quality of life for LBGTQ
and LBGTQ youth. They
are extremely active in our
community. They really
put their money where
their mouth is. Literally!
They walk the walk, and
they talk the talk. They do
the work. That’s important
to me. I was extremely
excited when they asked
me to do it this year.

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BY EILEEN SHAPIRO
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT
Linda Clifford, former
Miss New York State,
actress and singer of
R&B, jazz and house, will
be performing at Night
of a Thousand Gowns
on March 11 at the New
York Marriott Marquis.
Known for such hits as
“If My Friends Could See
Me Now,” “Runaway
Love” and “I’m Yours,”
Linda Clifford was born
in New York and began
her career singing on a
local television station
as a child. She has had a
large following since the
‘70s and has worked over
the years with artists
such as Curtis Mayfield
and Luther Vandross.
She is currently working
on some new projects,
which she was kind
enough to tell Get Out!
about when sharing
some questions and
answers.
What does being asked
to perform at Night of a
Thousand Gowns mean
to you?
I’m thrilled and honored
to have been invited to
this incredible event. I
love the idea of being so
close to royalty at an event
that has been celebrated
Linda
Clifford
for 30 years, each year
more grand than the year
before.
What do you have
planned for the night?
My plan is to entertain with
every ounce of my being
and hope that all will have
a fabulous time.
Is there something that
stands out during your
career that was either
funny or very special to
you?
Surely, standing next to
Dick Clark as I am about
to perform on American
Bandstand for the first
time, and him asking me
for the most exciting thing
that had happened so
far in my career. OMG!
I grew up watching that
show, learning to dance
from that show, learning
music from that show, and
listening to him talk to
me every week! This was
indeed the most exciting
thing ever and a day I’ll
never forget.
You have worked with
many fabulous artists.
Who did you enjoy
working with the most?
There are so many
fabulous people I’ve
been fortunate enough to
work with. I could never
narrow it down to just
one. I will name a few for
you: Isaac Hayes, Luther
Vandross, Rita Moreno,
Shirley MacLaine, Teddy
Pendergrass and Curtis
Mayfield. Truly some
amazing folks to spend
time with.
After you received the
title of Miss New York,
you began acting. Why
did you leave acting to
concentrate on singing?
Singing has always been
my first love! If I could
sing in films, on Broadway,
anywhere, I would be
happy. I didn’t see the
opportunity in film at that
time that I saw in touring
with a band, so I did
what any girl would do. I
kissed mommy and daddy
goodbye and went on
tour.
Are you currently
working on any new
projects at the moment?
New projects, funny
you should ask! I am
collecting songs for a
new CD, rehearsing for an
upcoming tour with a new
show, which will feature
the music of Miss Nancy
Wilson, as well as songs
from the Great American
Songbook, and of course
all of my own hits. It’s
important to keep busy,
and I love what I do!

BY EILEEN SHAPIRO
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT
Sarah
Dash
On March 11, singer,
actress and songwriter
Sarah Dash will be
performing at Night of
a Thousand Gowns.
Dash has had a most
impressive career,
having started singing
with Patti LaBelle and
The Bluebelles. Dash
was also fortunate
enough to have toured
with The Rolling
Stones, and later with
Keith Richards & The
X-Pensive Winos.
As well as having a
prestigious solo singing
career, she also has
done backup vocals
for artists such as Bo
Diddley.
Dash took a
break to write her
autobiography titled
“Dash of Diva,” and
then released a ballad
from a full-length
gospel album called
“I’m Still Here.” She is
currently considering
going back into the
studio.
Are you excited to
be a part of Night of
a Thousand Gowns?
What will you be
performing?
Yes, I am very excited
to be a part of NOATG!
I will be performing
“Lucky Tonight,” “Lady
Marmalade” and “Sinner
Man.”
What was it like
working with Patti
LaBelle and the Rolling
Stones?
Working and singing
in the group Labelle,
which included singer
Patti LaBelle, was where
my development and
training as a singer and
entertainer came from,
and was the highlight
in my career. The next
highlight was working
with The Rolling Stones.
Before we morphed
into Labelle, we were
called Patti LaBelle
and The Bluebells. We
toured on The Stones’
first American and
Canadian tour. I sang
on Rolling Stones’ CD
“Steel Wheels,” singing
backups with Bernard
Fowler and Lisa Fischer.
Is it true that you
toured with Keith
Richards? What were
the highlights of that
tour?
Then later I was blessed
with the opportunity
to record and tour with
Keith Richards and The
X-Pensive Winos, Keith’s
first solo CD. Singing/
covering on Winos tour
duets with Keith on
“Make No Mistake,”
“Time Is on My Side”
and “Shelter” was a
highlight indeed!

You have done a great
deal of charity work, as
well as a tribute to civil
rights. Can you tell us
about that?
I’ve done a great deal
of charity work, raising
funds for the homeless,
doing fundraisers with
NJ LGBT, standing with
civil rights for women
NOW membership and
with Evoluer House in
Philadelphia. I’m also on
the advocacy board with
The Grammys for rights
of artists around the
world.
Is there a song or
musical passage that
never fails to make
you emotional?
Yes, there is a song
that I wrote called “I’m
Still Here.”
Do you have any
new projects on the
horizon?
Yes, there are new
projects on the
horizon. I’m in talks
with my manager and
producers about going
back in the studio.

3 DAYS OF MUSIC, DANCING &
COMMUNITY.
FRIDAY, JUNE 23
Patti LaBelle
Deborah Cox
DJ Lina
SATURDAY, JUNE 24
Tegan and Sara
Years & Years · Róisín Murphy · Gallant
Dimitri From Paris · Occupy The Disco
SUNDAY, JUNE 25
To Be Announced
Chus & Ceballos
Cindel · Scott Martin
FOR MORE DETAILS, VISIT NYCPRIDE.ORG

week in pictures >> BY MIKHAIL TORICH
MANSTER @ THE MONSTER

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CONTRIBUTORS
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT EILEEN SHAPIRO
IAN-MICHAEL BERGERON
ISSUE 306 - MARCH 8, 2017
Covers by Wilsonmodels
Pixie Aventura & Joseph Oster
Cover shot at Therapy Bar
NOATG Cover Shot at Metropolitan Room
Center: President Emperor XV Fantasia (Mark Costanzo)
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stories / GET OUT! MAGAZINE >> GETOUTMAG.COM
PART TWO
The Lawyer
BY IAN-MICHAEL BERGERON
@ianmichaelinwonderland
After barely talking for
a year, J messaged me
and asked if he could take
me out for dinner for my
25th birthday. I was still
embarrassed, but accepted
the chance to start over.
I showed up at Koi on 40th
Street, wearing a sequin
t-shirt and leather shorts.
We caught up
and ate the
most
amazing sushi I’ve ever had,
not to mention a few lychee
martinis. By the end of the
meal, I was feeling good.
“Let’s go to Flannery’s,” he
suggested after paying the
bill. “It’s my favorite bar.”
We took a taxi to 14th
Street and went inside, the
skinny guy behind it smiling
wide. “Hey J! And you
must be Ian-Michael.”
I blushed. “Uhm.”
“I told him I’d be bringing
you around for a birthday
drink,” J explained.
So we had a birthday drink.
And a regular bought us
shots. And then we had
another drink. I went to the
bathroom to pee, and while
I was at the urinal I heard
someone come in. “Ian-
Michael,” the regular’s
feminine voice rang out. I
slowly turned my head to
the side, mid-pee. “Uh.
Hello.”
“He talks about you a
lot, you know,” she said,
standing in the doorway.
I finished peeing and
zipped. “He does?”
“Yes,” she went on as I
washed my hands. “Do you
like him?”
“Romantically? I don’t
know. We’re still getting to
know each other, I guess.”
Missed part
one? Read it on
getoutmag.com!
sure what to say, excited
but nervous. The regular
bought us another round
of shots, and J bought us
another round of drinks,
which I drank—quickly.
By the time we left, I
was wasted. “Want me
to get you an Uber?” he
asked. I shook my head
no, stumbling along.
“We can get you a taxi if
you prefer?” I shook my
head again. My head was
spinning: No way was I
getting on anything that
moved. “Do you want to
come back to my place?”
I nodded eagerly. He lived
just around the corner and
up three flights of stairs.
I ran into the bedroom,
stripped to my underwear
and collapsed onto the
bed. My stomach churned:
I knew if I moved, I’d throw
up.
J came into the room,
saw me in my underwear,
and curled up behind me.
I felt the vomit, right in
my throat. I pushed him
away. “Are you OK?” he
asked me. I couldn’t open
my mouth to speak: I
knew if I did, I’d throw up
all over his sheets. I just
shook my head. “Are you
uncomfortable? Should
I sleep on the couch?” I
shook my head no again,
still unable to speak. He
got up, and didn’t return
before I passed out.
PHOTO BY STEVE BRENNAN
“Well, he’s been talking
about you for a long time.”
I went back to the bar, not
I woke and rolled over to a
note: “Decided to spend
the weekend in Paris.” He
was gone. I blew it, again.

BY JAMES WELLS
MANAGER, THERAPY
A Peek at Pixie
New York City’s sensational Latin queen, Pixie Aventura, is renowned for both her
incredible dance skills and impeccable lip-sync abilities. Since living here in the
Big Apple, I have watched her grow into one of this city’s hottest chicas in heels.
Working with her every Wednesday at a little show called The Help at Therapy, I
get to see firsthand just how loved and respected she is by her weekly (and evergrowing)
fan base.
Hey guurl! Great show!
How do you feel after
stepping off that stage
not one, but TWO
encores later?
Well, definitely tired!
Haha! To tell you the truth,
I’m not even thinking
about it when it happens.
I’m going 60 mph on a
30 mph street. It’s the
audience that keeps
me going, and if they’re
having fun, I’m willing to
do anything.
You’ve built such a
strong following here in
New York. What would
you say accounts for
some of your success
in this competitive
industry?
Definitely smart, hard
work. I’ve been fortunate
enough to get many
opportunities, but I’ve
also specifically picked
and chosen all of them.
I have to think of myself
and be mindful of being
able to give 100% versus
stretching myself out too
thin. I’m also not afraid to
make fun of myself. I want
to laugh with you and let
the drama go somewhere
else. But don’t try me; if
you come without being
called, I will hang up that
phone, slam the door, lock
up the library and hand
you the invoice.
Okrrr! How long have
you been doing drag
now?
That’s always a hard
question. Technically I’ve
been doing drag since
2005 in college. I was one
of the founding divas of
the biannual drag show
at Otterbein University
(Otterbein College back
then). It was fundraiser
for many different
organizations, including
Alopecia Foundation,
Equity Fights AIDS and
the Columbus LGBT Youth
Center. When I moved to
NYC my mindset was not
to pursue drag but rather
only acting. Roads led me
back to drag, and I started
it up again around 2011. I
consider my professional
drag career to be six years,
but 12 years in the making.
Well, this career path is
definitely working for
you, babe. You hand
design a lot of your
own looks. What are
some of your biggest
inspirations?
There are many nights
when I can’t sleep, and
I look up clothes and
designers and I download
any picture that catches
my eye. I let those inspire
me. Being in hardperformance
shows, I also
have to be mindful of
outfits that would allow
me to

perform to the best of
my abilities. It’s hard for
me to able to go out with
a specific, intricate look,
because I usually am in
drag for work. But overall I
end up creating something
for myself, or from a nice
little Asian fairy, Yuhua
Hamasaki. I ask a lot out
of her. I do love Zac Posen
and Alexander McQueen.
Their designs range from
beauty and structure to
dark and chaos.
McQueen is LEGENDARY!
Speaking of queens, who
are some of your favorite
queens to work with here
in New York?
Well, I have to say, for the
most part I enjoy working
with all my drag girls, but
there are two that come
to mind immediately. The
first one is my gurl Bob the
Drag Queen, my co-creator
for The Help. To this day
we can get together and
make something fierce
happen after a long time
of not seeing each other.
Then my other sis happens
to be my current co-host
at The Help, Monet X
Change. We have too
much fun at the show, kikiing
or just talking shit. We
should only be so lucky to
have a job we truly enjoy.
I hear ya; it is truly a
blessing to be able to
go into work loving what
you do. What advice
would you offer to other
girls out there who want
to rise to the level of
success that you have?
FOCUS ON YOURSELF!
There’s a big difference
between throwing shade
at other drag queens and
talking pointless crap
about other queens. I
believe that drag has no
definition; all are welcome.
As an artist, in general, you
will never stop growing,
so there shouldn’t be time
to focus on other people’s
“flaws,” because you’re
not perfect either. Don’t be
jaded because someone
else has a gig and you
don’t. They earned it
just like you’ll earn your
own successes. The best
community comes from
enjoying everyone’s
differences with a dash
from the shade tree. Isn’t
that a thought for current
events?
Haha, AGREED. So
what’s next for Pixie
Aventura?
I truly try to focus on the
present. I feel as a society
we want to figure out
what the future holds, but
once that arrives, so much
time has passed by. That’s
sort of where I am. I know
what my passions are and
what makes me happy;
therefore, I try to enjoy the
present. There’s always so
much going on anyways.
There are certain numbers
or looks that I have never
planned for, and then I’m
excited and surprised
when they come out of
nowhere.
As far as what’s next
for me, I can only
say I will continue
to push myself
to new places.
My persona of
Pixie Aventura
has allowed
me to open
new doors
in different
fields, and
that’s what
I’m excited
for. Even if
drag isn’t my
peak as a
performer,
it has
become
a very
essential
learning
tool for the
rest of my
life.
Well, I’m excited to
see where you go and
what’s in store for you.
You’re honestly one of
my favorite people in
the world. See you next
Wednesday!
Pixie performs Sundays
at Barracuda, Tuesdays at
Hardware, Wednesdays
at Therapy, Thursdays at
Industry and Fridays at the
Laurie Beechman Theatre.
Pixie Aventura on
Facebook
@pixieaventura on
Instagram
James Wells on
Facebook
@sirjameswells on
Instagram
A New York favorite,
Therapy opens at 5
pm everyday with
food, happy hour,
and drag shows all
week long.

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BY EILEEN SHAPIRO
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT
PABLO FRANCISCO
REALLY FUNNY is the only way to describe
comedian Pablo Francisco. I laughed the entire
time that we spoke, and several hours later, I’m
still laughing!
Francisco has a long history of credits, beginning
in the 1990s, when he first appeared on MADtv,
and then procured his own half-hour special
on Comedy Central. He has appeared on “The
Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” “Last Comic
Standing,” “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,”
“Tonight With Trevor Noah,” “VH1’s ILLustrated,”
and the list continues.
Francisco is known for his impersonations of
Chris Rock, Kermit the Frog, Mr. Magoo, George
Clooney, Ricky Martin, Dennis Hopper, Jimi
Hendrix and a host of others. As a matter of
fact, I got one of the best impersonations of
Trump ever during our conversation.
He is currently on tour throughout the country
and should not be missed if you really want a
good laugh!
You will be appearing
at The Paramount
in Huntington, Long
Island, this Friday.
What can audiences
expect?
Well, we’re going
to start the party at
the Pablo show. It’s
the perfect place to
go to bring a date,
because the lights go
down. I’m able to do
all the talking. We’re
going to make fun of
everyone from Dog
the Bounty Hunter to
Mark Wahlberg. Steve
Kramer is going to
be opening up the
show. We’re going to
basically try out some
new material that we
got for this one-hour
special that we have
coming up. It’s called
“They Put it Out There.”
It’s about making fun
of people in a good
way. And it’s making
fun of everything we
see out there now, from
the Kardashians all the
way to Bruce Jenner
changing his gender.
Do you get political?
No, not really. It’s like
a vicious circle. We’re
trying to do the Trump

thing: “Hello, I’m
Donald Trump, she
said that, and she said
this.” It’s fun to watch,
but if it’s anything
political, it would be
like Martin Luther King
[impersonating King’s
voice]: “I have a dream;
I have a wet dream.”
Yeah, we get a little
political, but not too.
What happens if
you’re out there live
and no one laughs?
Then it must be the
electricity went out,
or someone said the
N-word, or someone
just got shot. I’ve
been pretty lucky so
far. I’ve been having
a good outcome. If
it does happen, then
we say, “Thank you.
Goodnight.” We’ll hit
the fire alarm.
Were you born funny?
People encouraged
that. I had friends across
the street who would
make fun of my parents,
and then I’d make
fun of their parents. It
started as a hobby, then
the crowd got a little
drunker, and we started
being selective about
what kind of openers we
had, but it all depends
on how the crowd is.
I’ve been on a good roll
so far. Hopefully I can
continue it.
What comedians
inspire you?
I like Carlos Mencia,
Joe Rogan. I like Joan
Rivers, and I would also
say Richard Pryor. Those
are my top hitters.
What do you enjoy
most about being live?
You’re feeling the
energy from the crowd.
The more laughter,
the more energy. We
all become one; we
become one big bond.
That’s what’s great
about it. You get to
speak your mind, and
people listen, and that’s
fabulous.
Is there anything that
you would like to
promote for yourself?
Tell me about your
special.
It’s going to be a
special; it’s going to
be stand-up comedy
with some cartoons in
it. It would be like a
cartoon Dave Chapelle
show. Basically we’re
going to hit everything
from the Internet, the
Plavix pharmaceutical
commercials. I’ll just tell
everyone to start the
party at the Pablo show.
You can email me at my
Twitter and fill in some
requests. I’ll be at the
Comedy Jukebox, if you
want. Start the party,
get your buzz on at the
Pablo show!

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