THE FIGHT SOCAL’S LGBTQ MONTHLY MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2018

FEBRUARY 2018 | THE FIGHT 1

2 THE FIGHT | www.thefightmag.com

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THECONTENTS 

ON THE COVER 

MATT “BEARRACUDA” CONSOLA, 

CHRISTEENE 

COVER PHOTO, TOC PHOTO 

AND FEATURE PHOTO BY 

DUSTI CUNNINGHAM 

FEATURES 

16 A CRISIS OF HATE 

A TREND IN RISING VIOLENCE 

22 IT’S RAINING BEARS 

INTERNATIONAL BEAR CONVERGENCE 

24 LOVE ACTUALLY 

LOVE STORY GOES VIRAL 

26 PICTURE PERFECT 

MATT “BEARRACUDA” CONSOLA AND CHRISTEENE 

28 CHAMPION OF SISTERHOOD 

THE DINAH WELCOMES MADAME GANDHI 

30 LIFE IS A HIGHWAY 

EASTSIDERS’ KIT WILLIAMSON AND JOHN HALBACH 

34 OPENLY BOB 

COMEDIAN BOB SMITH, RIP 

38 SEXUAL HEALING 

BAD DRAGON’S DEREK YOUNG 

40 WE ARE ALL ONE 

REVEREND JESSE BRUNE-HORAN 

43 ADVANCING SOCIAL CHANGE 

THE ONE ARCHIVES FOUNDATION 

DEPARTMENTS 

09 THE LETTERS READERS RESPOND 

10 THE TALK ADAM RIPPON 

12 THE STATE NEW ATTACK 

14 THE CITY VICCKY GUTIERREZ, RIP 

18 THE ROSTOW REPORT FAMILY VALUES 

21 THE TRANSACTION THE OSCARS 

36 THE SHARE LOCAL RECOVERY 

41 THE EPIDEMIC NEW TEST 

42 THE ART LOCAL ARTISTS 

44 THE EVENT OUT & ABOUT 

48 THE CALENDAR THINGS TO DO 

50 THE FINAL FIGHT LAST WORD 


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THEEDITOR 

A new survey commissioned by the 

LGBT media-advocacy group GLAAD 

and conducted by The Harris Poll 

found that fewer non-LGBT adults 

reported being comfortable with their 

LGBT peers than in previous years, 

reports The Daily Beast. 

This marks the first time in the 

four-year history of the “Accelerating 

Acceptance” report that GLAAD 

has witnessed a decline in LGBT 

acceptance. 

“This year, the acceptance pendulum 

abruptly stopped and swung 

in the opposite direction,” GLAAD 

President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis 

wrote in the 2018 report, noting the 

sharp contrast between this year’s results 

and the last three years of watching 

Americans report being “more 

comfortable with LGBTQ people and 

more supportive of LGBTQ issues.” 

The annual GLAAD survey asks non- 

LGBT Americans to describe how comfortable 

they are in several scenarios 

involving LGBT people, like learning that 

a doctor is LGBT, witnessing a same-sex 

couple holding hands, or worshipping 

alongside an LGBT person at church. 

This year’s version, conducted in 

November 2017, found “a decline 

with people’s comfort year-overyear,” 

not just in a few of the scenarios, 

but “in every LGBTQ situation.” 

“This change can be seen as a 

dangerous repercussion in the tenor 


>> IN THIS ISSUE


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THELETTERS 

>> FROM OUR READERS WRITE TO THE EDITOR Email: editor@thefightmag.com 

Fax: (213) 281-9648. Letters may be shortened due to space requirements. 


THETALK 

>> WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

HEALTH AND SEX BELONG TOGETHER 

Healthysexuals 

LOVE 

SHARING 

Talk about your sexual health. #NoFilter 

VISIT 

AND TALK TO A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER 

HEALTHYSEXUAL, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc. © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. UNBC3907 01/17 


THESTATE 

>> NEWS BRIEFS


THECITY 

>> BY PAULO MURILLO

In adults with HIV on ART who have diarrhea not caused by an infection 

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or a parasite). Before starting you on Mytesi, your healthcare provider will first be sure 

that you do not have infectious diarrhea. Otherwise, there is a risk you would not receive 

the right medicine and your infection could get worse. In clinical studies, the most 

common side effects that occurred more often than with placebo were upper respiratory 

tract (sinus, nose, and throat) infection (5.7%), bronchitis (3.9%), cough (3.5%), 

flatulence (3.1%), and increased bilirubin (3.1%). 

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IMPORTANT PATIENT INFORMATION 

This is only a summary. See complete Prescribing 

Information at Mytesi.com or by calling 

1-844-722-8256. This does not take the place 

of talking with your doctor about your medical 

condition or treatment. 

What Is Mytesi? 

Mytesi is a prescription medicine used to improve 

symptoms of noninfectious diarrhea (diarrhea not 

caused by a bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection) in 

adults living with HIV/AIDS on ART. 

Do Not Take Mytesi if you have diarrhea caused by 

an infection. Before you start Mytesi, your doctor and 

you should make sure your diarrhea is not caused by 

an infection (such as bacteria, virus, or parasite). 

Possible Side Effects of Mytesi Include: 

• Upper respiratory tract infection (sinus, nose, and 

throat infection) 

• Bronchitis (swelling in the tubes that carry air to 

and from your lungs) 

• Cough 

• Flatulence (gas) 

• Increased bilirubin (a waste product when red blood 

cells break down) 

For a full list of side effects, please talk to your doctor. 

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that 

bothers you or does not go away. 

You are encouraged to report negative side 

effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit 

www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. 

Should I Take Mytesi If I Am: 

Pregnant or Planning to Become Pregnant? 

• Studies in animals show that Mytesi could 

harm an unborn baby or affect the ability to 

become pregnant 

• There are no studies in pregnant women 

taking Mytesi 

• This drug should only be used during pregnancy 

if clearly needed 

A Nursing Mother? 

• It is not known whether Mytesi is passed through 

human breast milk 

• If you are nursing, you should tell your doctor before 

starting Mytesi 

• Your doctor will help you to decide whether to stop 

nursing or to stop taking Mytesi 

Under 18 or Over 65 Years of Age? 

• Mytesi has not been studied in children under 

18 years of age 

• Mytesi studies did not include many people over 

the age of 65. So it is not clear if this age group will 

respond differently. Talk to your doctor to find out if 

Mytesi is right for you 

What Should I Know About Taking Mytesi 

With Other Medicines? 

If you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter 

medicine, herbal supplements, or vitamins, tell your 

doctor before starting Mytesi. 

What If I Have More Questions About Mytesi? 

For more information, please see the full Prescribing 

Information at Mytesi.com or speak to your doctor 

or pharmacist. 

To report side effects or make a product complaint or 

for additional information, call 1-844-722-8256. 

Please see complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com. 

NP-390-12 

RELIEF, PURE AND SIMPLE 

Rx Only 

Manufactured by Patheon, Inc. 

for Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. San Francisco, CA 

94105 Copyright © Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 

Mytesi comes from the Croton lechleri tree 

harvested in South America. 


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THEROSTOWREPORT 

BYE BYE 

BAD BILLS? 

I can’t stand listening to 

Sarah Huckabee Sanders. 

I just can’t stand it. Will you 

scream with me once or 

twice before we get started 

here? (She’s on TV with the 

sound off as I write to you.) 

And what’s with the weird 

eye shadow? That’s how we 

applied our makeup for prom 

night when we were fifteen. 

Okay then. As another year 

begins, so does another set of 

legislative sessions around the 

country. Usually we suck it up 

and gird ourselves for battle 

once January rolls around, 

but it looks as if right wing 

lawmakers might be a little 

less aggressive this year. As 

the Gray Lady put it in a recent 

headline: “Wary, Weary Or 

Both, Southern Lawmakers 

Tone Down Culture Wars.” 

Of the 1,300 bills already 

introduced in Virginia’s new 

legislature, for example, you 

won’t find a bathroom bill or a 

religious freedom measure. 

One reason for the trend 

is political. Obviously, Virginia 

just became a lot more blue 

last November, and other 

places in the country are moving 

in the same direction. 

Then there’s the “weary” 

part of the picture; many of 

these GOP legislatures have 

trotted out divisive proposals 

to no avail year after year and 

everyone is getting tired of it. 

Next, there’s the business 

aspect. Fortune 500 corporations 

have been some of the 

unsung heroes in the fight for 

GLBT civil rights. From signing 

on to Friend of the Court briefs 

in major cases, to lobbying 

state and federal government, 

the vast majority of America’s 

top businesses have advocated 

for equal treatment and 

fought discrimination for years. 

Look at the competition for 

Amazon’s second headquarters. 

Do you think Amazon is 

going to settle down in a city 

or a state that encourages 

SARAH 

HUCKABEE 

SANDERS 

discrimination? Do you see any 

Mississippi cities on the HQ2 

short list? No! These economic 

activists for equality are a 

crucial flank in our strategic 

configuration, and it seems that 

politicians on the right are starting 

to think twice about their 

states’ antigay reputations. 

(Sidebar: The High Court decided 

not to accept review of 

Mississippi’s antigay religious 

“freedom” law, most likely 

due to the fact that no one has 

yet been ensnared in its insidious 

grip.) 

Finally, a lot of people are 

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THETRANSACTION 

>> DANIELA VEGA

INTERNATIONAL BEAR CONVERGENCE


LOVE 

>> COVER INTERVIEW

THE BEDROOM

COVER INTERVIEW

LEO HERRERA, COLUMBINE DEMERS, BRENDEN SCHUCART

KEVIN WEILER

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LIFE IS A 

HIGHWAY 

EastSiders’ Kit Williamson 

and John Halbach on working 

together and being in a 

relationship, spending 

time on the road 

and sexual 

health. 

BY MARK ARIEL 

Kit Williamson’s acclaimed LGBT 

series EastSiders has returned for 

a six-episode third season after 

two Daytime Emmy nominations 

and overwhelming crowdfunding support, 

with special guest stars including 

Constance Wu, Wilson Cruz, Stephen 

Guarino, Traci Lords, and Willam Belli. 

Following the cross-country misadventures 

of Cal (Williamson) and Thom 

(Van Hansis), the highly anticipated new 

season is available worldwide from Wolfe 

Video on DVD and digital platforms including 

Amazon Video, Google Play, iTunes, 

WolfeOnDemand.com and more. 

In an interview with THE FIGHT 

Williamson and his husband, Eastsiders’ 

co-star John Halbach talk about working 

together and being in a relationship, spending 

time on the road and sexual health. 

Looking back over the past 5 years—since 

the beginning of “EastSiders”—what moments 

stand out for you in particular? 


VAN HANSIS (L), 

KIT WILLIAMSON, 

EASTSIDERS 

Kit Williamson: Getting picked up for 

DVD distribution by Wolfe Video, raising 

$153,000 in our second Kickstarter 

campaign and having season 2 came out 

on Netflix all definitely stick out as highs. 

There have been so many times when 

people took a chance on us and helped the 

show move to the next level. Conversely, 

there have been a lot of times when people 

did not honor their word and endangered 

the show—on our budget level there’s 

not a large margin of error, and we’ve had 

some close call moments with crew members 

and post-production vendors. 

John Halbach: The highest points 

have definitely been both times the show 

has come to Netflix, most recently with 

Season 3 debuting there on January 1st 

of this year. It’s such a huge platform and 

people are willing to try watching something 

new there. Netflix doesn’t release 

viewership numbers, but based upon 

social media engagement we can tell that 

they have increased our audience im- 


BEN CORY JONES


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FEBRUARY 2018 | THE FIGHT 37 

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THEEPIDEMIC 

>> NEW HIV TEST

THEART 

>> LGBTQ ARTISTS

THE ONE ARCHIVES FOUNDATION

PHOTOS BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM

FEBRUARY 2018 | THE FIGHT 45 

OCTOBER 2017 | THE FIGHT 45

THEEVENT 

>> PHOTOS BY ABRAHAM RAMOS

PHOTOS BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM

THECALENDAR 

>> THINGS TO DO


THEFINALFIGHT 

>> MATT PALAZZOLO

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THE FIGHT SOCAL’S LGBTQ MONTHLY MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2018

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