Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 371 – June 13, 2018

A Doll’s House
BY IAN-MICHAEL BERGERON
@ianmichaelinwonderland
After J and I agreed to
live dorm-style in a single
bedroom (just until another
room in said apartment
opened up), we decided to
go furniture shopping.
We’d both ordered full-size
beds—yes, this room was so
big that two full-size beds
fit comfortably—and two
standing clothing racks,
since one tiny closet was
definitely not enough for the
both of us. So, we were on
a hunt for… well, everything
else.
We went to my favorite spot
in Chelsea—the three-story
Marshall’s/TJ Maxx/Bed
Bath & Beyond. We filled
our carts with everything
we wanted, with the other’s
approval.
He found shelving units to
mount to the walls, a record
player (for what records, I
wasn’t sure), a purple quilt
(we’d decided to decorate
the grey room with lavender
and yellow), purple sheets,
Ralph Lauren pillows and
yellow-cherry-blossom-treeprinted
curtains.
My cart was filled with
Ian-Michael essentials—
expensive candles
(somewhat affordable now
that they’d made their way
to TJ Maxx), a set of La Perla
lavender pajamas (hey, they
matched our color theme,
and who the hell is stupid
enough to sell a NEW set
of $398 La Perla pajamas
for $60?!) and a collector’s
edition of Clue (the rope
piece was actual rope, how
could I say no?).
I was having so much fun—
until I realized that I wanted
to be doing this
with AJ. AJ’s lease ended
the month before mine, and
I’d suggested we move in
together—we’d been dating
for a year at that point. He
avoided the subject until
he found someone else to
move in with, and we had
a fight about the fact that
I didn’t have a key to the
apartment I spent most
nights in, not to mention a
drawer so I didn’t have to
keep schlepping a hair dryer
and my special conditioner
to and fro.
Beyond that, we’d barely
had sex in six months. I’m
not vain, but I do find myself
attractive, and in my mid-
20s I felt like I should be in
my sexual peak. Instead,
I was in a mostly-sexless
relationship with a boy
terrified of moving in with
me, or even giving me the
key to his heart—
err, apartment.
Key to his
apartment.
“Do you like
this?” J asked,
snapping me
back to reality.
He held up a
set of two wine
glasses: They
said “Mr. Right”
and “Mrs. Right,”
respectively.
He smiled that
adorable gaptoothed
smile,
and blushed
when I smiled
too.
“Sure—throw it
onto the pile.”
We had so much
stuff that we had
to take a cab
back to the
new apartment.
With no beds in sight,
we put the bags in the
corners of the bedroom,
went into the living room
and slept together on the
leather couch. We slept
feet-to-face, but I could
still feel him, his heat, his
closeness. I wondered why
he wanted wine glasses that
said “Mr. Right” and “Mrs.
Right.” I wondered if AJ
would ever get something
like that with me, for fun
or… otherwise. I wondered
why my boyfriend made me
feel so unwanted.
By then, J was snoring, and
soon enough I drifted off
to sleep myself, dreaming
of a life I didn’t live and a
boyfriend who might not
exist.
PHOTO BY STEVE BRENNAN

BY EILEEN SHAPIRO
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT
CHRIS FREDERICK:
PRIDE OF NEW
YORK PRIDE
Chris Frederick, Managing
Director of NYC LGBTQ Pride,
is one of the busiest men on
the planet. He is not only
putting the finishing touches
on this year’s Pride festivities
but is also preparing for next
year’s WorldPride, to be held
in NYC for the very first time.
Each year Frederick is kind
enough to fill us in as to the
events and Pride scheduling
to be held the two weeks
prior to Pride Day on June
24. This year there will be
several new events as well as
very popular past events, and
Frederick advised us about all
of them.
PHOTO CREDIT KEVIN TACHMAN
Heritage of Pride is a nonprofit
organization that
plans and produces New
York Pride to commemorate
the Stonewall Riots and the
beginning of modern day gay
rights. This year marks the
25th anniversary of PrideFest.

“By managing you, HIV,
I can devote all my time
and energy to my son.”
Malina - Bronx, NY
Living with HIV since 2010.
HIV
TREATMENT
WORKS
Yes, I am living with HIV, but it does not define me. I was able to move forward after my
diagnosis with the support of my family and a great network of friends. They gave me
the strength to start treatment right away and focus on my health. Taking those steps has
made all the difference. Today, I’m living well with an undetectable viral load. My continued
success inspires me to give back to my community by helping break HIV stigma every
chance I get.
Get in care. Stay in care. Live well.
cdc.gov/HIVTreatmentWorks

What can we look forward to this year?
OMG, so many events. We are really trying
to lay the groundwork for what WorldPride
will look like next year. So a lot of the new
events that we are trying to get off the
ground will set the foundation for what
2019 will look like.
WorldPride is going to be crazy!
Yeah, we are expecting in additional one
million people in 2019. When Madrid had
WorldPride, they had an additional one
million people, and we’re expecting that
number or higher.
It’s New York—I would think even
higher.
Who knows, I mean...we’ll see. We are
excited to have the opportunity to host it.
A lot of stuff we are planning this year is all
about that.
Let’s start from the beginning. What
date does the celebration begin this
year?
We are telling people the official dates are
June 14 to the 24th.
Let’s start with June 14th then.
So first we have a first for us. We are
launching the human rights conference.
The thought is we have to have a human
rights conference in preparation for
WorldPride. As a WorldPride city, you
have to have a conference. It’s something
that we have been wanting to do for a
long time. So we are going to start it as
a one-day event on June 14. It will be
hosted at the SUNY Global Center on
55th Street, with some amazing partners
like SUNY. The next is our annual Pride
Luminary Brunch. We’ve been doing that
for about seven years now. That is our
business brunch celebrating leaders that
have impacted workplace equality. We
are partnering with the Gay and Lesbian
Chamber of Commerce for that event.
This has always been a great success and
is a great way to kick off Pride week. That’s
Sunday, June 17, from noon to 4 p.m. at
the David Burke Kitchen.
And then?
Then you have Monday, which includes
Out Cinema, which we have been doing
for three years. That’s in partnership with
New Fest, which is the LGBT film festival
in New York City at the SVA Theater on
23rd in Chelsea. Out Cinema is actually
going to be extended to be a multi-day
film event where each night will have
different films. There’s a film called “Ideal
Home”; that premieres on Monday. It
stars Paul Rudd, Steve Coogan and Alison
Pill. Tuesday is a film called “Antonio
Lopez 1970: Sex, Fashion and Disco,” and
Wednesday is a film called “From Selma
To Stonewall: Are We There Yet?” This is
a nice roster of well-rounded films that
we think is important for the community
to see, and we’re excited to be able to
expand it to a multi-night format. Then
you have our Family Movie Night, which
takes place on Tuesday night, and that we
have been doing for seven years now. It’s
free, and we’ll be doing it on Christopher
Street Pier. It starts around 6:30 and ends
around 11 o’clock. We will be showing
Disney’s original animated “Beauty and
the Beast.”
Next?
Next there is a new event for us, which
is called Savor Pride. This is an event
we are partnered with God’s Love We
Deliver. They are an non-profit within the
metro area that focuses on LGBT and
allied hunger relief. They will be working
with us to create this event that centers
around several different chefs that will
come together to create one single menu
centered around a barbecue. You have
Amanda Freitag from Food Network’s
“Chopped”; Michael Anthony, who is
the executive chef of Gramercy Tavern;
Zach Young, who is on Cooking Channel’s
“Unique Sweets”; Lazarus Lynch, who is
from Food Network’s “Comfort Nation”;
and Jake Cohen, who is kind of a culinary
Instagram blogger. We are really excited
to confirm this new event. That’s going to
be a great new fundraiser for God’s Love
We Deliver, and it will be on Thursday
night from 6 to 10 p.m. Next we have
the Rally. The Rally is back into the main
weekend. It’s going to be on Friday night
from 5 to 7, and it’s one of my longestrunning
events; it has been happening
since 1969. This year we have a lot of
various speakers that are really amazing;
however, we aren’t quite prepared to
announce them yet. The great thing
about it is this year it will be out in front
of Stonewall. It will be a really important
location as we go into the next couple
of years and beyond. It will take the Rally
back to its roots and back into the streets.
So we’re excited.

Then you have a new one for us called
Cosplay & Pride. It’s a boat cruise that
boards at six and cruises at seven. It’s a
three-hour cruise in New York Harbor.
We are partnered with FlameCon, run
by the LGBTQ nonprofit Geeks OUT.
Lastly, on Friday, we have Fantasy, which
is going into its fourth year and has a
leather theme this year. It’s at Slate and
features DJ Eddie Elias and DJ Jared
Conner from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
What’s next?
Then we get into the two busiest days,
Saturday and Sunday. Saturday we
have the VIP Rooftop Party, which is
going into its eighth year, at Hudson
Terrace from 2 to 10 p.m. It features DJs
Boris, Dani Toto and J Warren. The VIP
Rooftop party is going to be crazy—it
sells out every year. Then at the same
time we have Teaze HER, which is our
female event, that happens at the
DL on DeLancey Street, and it goes
from 5 p.m. to midnight. It’s our sole
women-focused event that is kind of
a dance party. Then we have the first
day of Pride Island, which is going to
be huge. We reformatted the Dance
on the Pier last year to be named Pride
Island. It had a lot of success, so we are
continuing to build on the momentum
of that event. We have some really
amazing acts on Saturday: Sasha Velour,
DJ Dawson, Big Freedia. That is at our
new home at Pier 97; we’ve made a shift
to there. Then we have the Masterbeat
Party at night at Hammerstein Ballroom.
Lastly, we have Youth Pride, which is
our second-annual youth event. It’s
dedicated to LGBTQ teens and allies.
That’s on 14th Street and Westside
Highway and goes from 12 to 6. There
will be a mix of entertainers and drag
acts and DJs during the course of the
day. That’s a pretty huge event, and
we’re excited to bring that back.
And Sunday?
Then we finally have the ending of that.
The March is the largest LGBTQ March
in the world. Last year it ran 9 1/2 hours
long. We’re excited to change the
location and the route this year. One
of the reasons for that is we are really
trying to prepare our events going
into WorldPride, so we are going to be
revising the location. We will be going
uptown instead of downtown, which
is great, because the first Pride March
actually went uptown. We are honoring
the roots of our historic movement
and where it came from. I think that
uptown can definitely accommodate
more people. Like I said, we’re seeing
an additional million people expected
for next year, so we’re hoping that the
increase in attendance can be handled
by the uptown community rather than
the downtown community. Then we
have Pride Fest, which is changing
location as well to kind of accompany
the March. Pride Fest will actually be
running parallel to the March, so it runs
from Waverly on University Place all the
way up to 13th Street. It will be right
next to the March, which is great. We
have Ross Matthews hosting, which
is a huge win for us, because he is so
popular with the community. He is such
a huge figure on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
Also, we will have a performance from
Alex Noel from “Glee,” and who is
currently starring on Broadway. Pride
Fest will run from 11 to 6, and it is our
free street experience where people
can come and see other non-profit
and LGBT businesses. Finally, we have
our Femme Fatale, which is our female
event that takes place at Hudson
Terrace, and then the last day of Pride
Island.
That’s a big one.
It’s going to be epic, and as I’m sure
you’ve heard, it’s already sold out. We
have DJ Grind, DJ Ralphi Rosario, DJ
Corey Craig and a special performance
from Kylie Minogue. So that’s it. Just a
couple events!
You must be going crazy.
After doing this job for nine years, you
kind of know how to handle your stress
and how to handle the things that are
thrown your way.

Cover: Junior Vasquez
Photo Credit: PeterLauPhotography.com
Cover Design: Carlos Aguayo
ISSUE 371 - JUNE 13 2018
PUBLISHER
MIKE TODD
MIKE@GETOUTMAG.COM
(646) 761-3325
DESIGN
AGOTA CORREA
AGOTA@GETOUTMAG.COM
NATIONAL ADVERTISNG REPRESENTATIVE
RIVENDELL MEDIA
(908) 232-2021
CONTRIBUTORS
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT
EILEEN SHAPIRO
IAN-MICHAEL BERGERON

BY CHRISTIAN ARASA
JUNIOR IS
BRUTALLY
PROUD
The Legendary DJ Returns to NYC This Pride
With a career spanning three decades, Junior Vasquez is the epitome
of NYC’s house music underground. He has produced hit records for
artists like Madonna, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Prince, the
Pet Shop Boys, Cher and Kristine
W, but it was his late-night, earlymorning
parties that New Yawkers
hold near and dear to their hearts.
His residencies at Sound Factory,
Tunnel, Arena, Twilo and Earth
were the stomping ground for
NYC’s hipsters, including DJ Lina,
Dan Darlington, Peter Napoli,
Amanda Louise, Jason Walker,
Darren Kawa and Kevin Aviance,
all of whom will be performing at
the Brütally Proud 2018 Concrete
Jungle party at PlayStation Theatre,
along with Junior, bringing that
old-school NYC magic to Pride.
JUNIOR VASQUEZ
What are you Brutally Proud of these days?
Rebuilding and strengthening my relationship with my family. Also,
buying my first home with land.

Brian had his HIV under control
with medication. But smoking with
HIV caused him to have serious
health problems, including a
stroke, a blood clot in his lungs
and surgery on an artery in his
neck. Smoking makes living with
HIV much worse. You can quit.
CALL 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
#CDCTips
HIV alone
didn’t cause the
clogged artery
in my neck.
Smoking with
HIV did.
Brian, age 45, California

Your last appearance at Space Ibiza was phenomenal. How did it feel
to return to the booth?
I had taken a year and a half off while I had both of my knees replaced,
so I had to get over a physical hurdle as well as a mental one from not
being behind the decks for so long. It was very special and exciting. Plus,
I could walk up the stairs instead of having to take the elevator!
What can fans expect to hear at PlayStation?
Rare Junior classics and lots of new remixes, all catered to the Brüt boys.
There’s nothing like Pride. I remember my first Pier Dance party. It was
hard, because I had never played an outdoor venue. The sound bounced
everywhere, so it was like I had to have six sets of ears. Also, Pride brings
a lot of people who don’t normally go to my late-night parties, so it tests
my skill level. I don’t have to worry about it this year, as Brüt boys know
how to party. We are going to celebrate like never before!
DJ LINA
What are you brutally proud of these days?
I am brutally proud of my inner strength and love.
What will you be serving for the opening dish at Brüt?
Every set is special, but this one is Pride weekend, honey, so it is extra. I’ll
be serving the sounds of early ‘90s Sound Factory. It’s a legendary sound
that is often imitated, but never duplicated.
Are you excited to be working with Junior?
I have mad love for my brothrix. Junior sets my tone on the daily. Back in
the not-so-distant past, he would have me rockin’ the runway with breeze.
He’d be in the booth, and I’d be on the floor, and the flashlights would hit
all the queens and we would be playing off of each other. Ah, no one could
touch us! My love for Junior is endless.
Do you have a special message for fans?
Live happily proud everyday, my people.

KEVIN AVIANCE
What are you brutally proud
of these days?
I’m proud of the now. I’m proud
to still be here, up in pumps and
turning 50.
Do you have big plans for Pride?
You better believe I’m gonna turn
this Brüt mutha OUT.
Do you have a lot of fun Junior memories from the past?
Child, from what I remember, it was very YAAaaaaasssssss!
JASON WALKER
What are you brutally proud of these
days?
People standing up for what they
believe in. We are not letting the
state of the world take a backseat.
We’re getting involved and trying to
make change happen.
You have a long history of working
with Junior.
Junior gave me my start in this business. We did so much great work
together that I’m immensely proud of and so grateful for.
Do you have a favorite moment with Junior?
One of my fondest memories with Junior was right after we released our first
record, “My Life.” I performed Splash, and Junior came to the show, which, if
you know Junior at all, is very unlike him. He came to support, and he stood
right in front, and I remember that being surreal. It was already surreal that
he and I were even working together, so to see him in the front as I sang our
music was otherworldly.
Are you planning anything special for Pride?
I’m planning everything special for Pride! I’m gonna let you have it all at Brüt
on the 23rd.
The Brütally Proud 2018 Concrete Jungle party takes place Saturday, June
23, at PlayStation Theatre (1515 Broadway). Tickets at Brutparty.com.

20% OFF
Nails & Waxing
● NAILS
● WAXING & TRIMMING
● MASSAGE
● BODY-SCRUB (TABLE SHOWER)
NEW YORK, NY 10011
(BTWN 6TH & 7TH AVE.)
SUCCESSFUL
MEN'S
SPA
HOURS:
MON - SAT 10:30AM - 11:30PM
SUN 11AM-11PM
SPA HOURS
11AM-10PM
212 - 989 - 1012‬
15 Christopher St. NY, NY 10014

THE REASON
TO CHOOSE
UTOPIA SPA:
•Relaxing atmosphere
•Professional skills
•Clean and hygienic
•Respectful and friendly
30mins $40 60mins $60
Free cold drinks
Free shower
Value packages are available!
Massage - Waxing - Trimming
Table shower - Body scrub
Like Nowhere,
You’ve Ever Been!
www.UtopiaSpaNYC.com
965 Lexington Ave
2FL @ 70th Street
Tel: 212 -879 -0402
Hours: 10:30AM-11:00PM
Trains: 6, F, Q

classifieds >> BY GET OUT! Magazine
APPAREL & GIFTS
Luxury Male Sex Dolls
Available At SiliconWives.
com Looking for a literal
‘boy toy’ in your life? Try
one of our luxury male sex
dolls out. These full-size realistic
dolls are the last sex
toy you’ll ever need. Shop
Now and save 15% with discount
code: GETOUTMAG.
www.siliconwives.com/collections/male-sex-dolls
Jackson Men’s Clothing - Adult
Store: 88-10 Roosevelt Ave 2nd
Fl Jackson Heights, NY
REAL ESTATE
CABIN FOR SALE IN VERY
GAY FRIENDLY GATED
COMMUNITY IN BUCKS
COUNTY PA. 2 BEDROOM 1
BATH, OUTDOOR SHOWER,
LARGE SCREENED IN PORCH
AND DECK, FIREPLACE.
BEAUTIFUL WOODS,
PRIVATE, NEAR LAKE FOR
FISHING/KAYAKING. 1 HR 45
MINUTE DRIVE FROM NYC
TO PARADISE! CALL 347-731-
6678 FOR MORE INFO
DONATE & VOLUNTEER
GMHC - Visit gmhc.org
HEALTH & BEAUTY
EXPERT GROOMER!
M4M Intimate Grooming
& Waxing services.
Customized and Personalized.
All body types
and ages are welcome
to the safe zone.
Phone: 1(419) 455-6545
W e b s i t e :
alexspot.setmore.com
SHOWS / TV
WATCH: JIMMY STAR SHOW
with Ron Russel on Roku
GET OUT! TO
BRUNCH
Lips Drag Dining - 227 E. 56th
St - (212) 675-7710
GET A JOB
Private Men’s Club
Porter & Attendant
WANTED
227 E. 56 street
212-888-1884
Please call Alex or Robert
To advertise in the
classifieds, visit:
www.GETOUTMAG.com/MYAD
and submit your ad or
send an email to
mike@getoutmag.com
with details. Price
starts at $10/week.
MEDICAL
LEGAL HELP
GET A HAIRCUT
BEAUTY
PICK UP A FREE COPY OF GETOUT
IN THE NEWSRACKS
AROUND GRAND CENTRAL

“THE RUNAWAY HIT OF
THE OFF-BROADWAY SEASON”
– THEATERMANIA
a new play by S. ASHER GELMAN
the climax is just the beginning
afterglowtheplay.com

BY CHRISTOPHER CANGUS
THE PIANO BAR AT
TOWNHOUSE IS,
WITHOUT A DOUBT,
ONE OF THE CITIES
GREATEST GAY
TREASURES. “WE
FEATURE SOME OF THE
TOP PIANO PLAYERS IN
NEW YORK,” GLEAMS
CO-OWNER PAUL
GALLUCCIO.
EVERY WEEKDAY
STARTING AT 6PM
(8PM ON WEEKENDS),
A GAGGLE OF
SOPHISTICATED GAY
MEN GATHER ROUND
THE PIANO TO SING
NUMBERS FROM
SHOWS LIKE HELLO
DOLLY, RENT AND
PHANTOM OF THE
OPERA. ON OPEN
MIC NIGHTS, CABARET
AND EVEN BROADWAY
PERFORMERS JOIN IN
ON THE FUN.
IN CELEBRATION OF
PRIDE WEEK AND
THIRTY YEARS IN
BUSINESS, TOWNHOUSE
IS PULLING OUT
ALL THE STOPS ON
WEDNESDAY, JUNE
20 AT 8PM. THAT’S
WHEN BROADWAY
ROYALTY AND MASTER
IMPERSONATOR
CHRISTINE PEDI
PERFORMS HER GREAT
DAMES CABARET SHOW
— FEATURING SONGS
ABOUT AND MADE
FAMOUS BY THE GREAT
LADIES OF THE STAGE,
SCREEN AND BEYOND
— LIVE AND FOR FREE!

TOWNHOUSE
PRESENTS ‘GREAT DAMES’ THIS PRIDE
WE’RE SO EXCITED FOR
YOUR GREAT DAMES
CABARET SHOW AT
TOWNHOUSE. WHAT DO
YOU HAVE PLANNED?
CHRISTINE PEDI: PLENTY
OF LOUD, FAST AND
FUNNY SHOW TUNES
AND COMEDY WITH,
OF COURSE, LOTS OF
IMPRESSIONS.
IMPRESSIONS, OF
COURSE! YOU’RE
KNOWN FOR
IMPERSONATING SOME
OF THE GREATEST ICONS
IN SHOW BIZ. WHO WILL
YOU BE CHANNELING AT
TOWNHOUSE?
CHRISTINE PEDI: WELL,
A GIRL CAN’T GIVE
AWAY TOO MANY OF
HER SECRETS BUT YOU
CAN COUNT ON SOME
JOAN RIVERS, BARBRA
STREISAND, LIZA,
BERNADETTE, ANGELA
LANSBURY, AND AN
ASSORTMENT OF
OTHER LEGENDS.
HOW DID YOU
DEVELOP YOUR GIFT OF
IMPERSONATION?
CHRISTINE PEDI: IT
STARTED WITH
FORBIDDEN
BROADWAY. I
NEEDED TO DEVELOP
IMPRESSIONS FOR
THAT SHOW AND WITH
YEARS AND YEARS OF
MULTIPLE EDITIONS,
I WAS CALLED UPON
TO DO MORE AND
MORE IMPRESSIONS.
I DEVELOPED A
SHORTHAND FOR IT.
BUT NOT EVERYONE
COMES EASY! SOME
OF THEM REALLY DO
REQUIRE A LOT OF
WORK. OTHERS JUST
SHOW UP.
HAVE ANY OF THE
LEGENDS THAT YOU
IMPERSONATE SEEN
YOUR SHOW?
CHRISTINE PEDI:
BACK IN THE DAY
OF FORBIDDEN
BROADWAY, CELEBS
WOULD OFTEN COME
TO THE SHOW. PATTI
LUPONE, ELAINE PAGE,
CAROL CHANNING,
AND MANY OF THE
CAST MEMBERS
FROM BROADWAY
PRODUCTIONS WOULD
COME TO SEE THEIR
SHOW SPOOFED.
WHICH
IMPERSONATIONS ARE
YOU MOST PROUD OF?
CHRISTINE PEDI: MY
BARBRA STREISAND
HAS GOTTEN MUCH
BETTER OVER THE
YEARS. I ENJOY DOING
HER A LOT LATELY.
OF COURSE THERE’S
LIZA. WHO DOESN’T
LOVE LIZA? AND
BERNADETTE AND
ANGELA LANSBURY ARE
CROWD FAVORITES. I
DID JOAN RIVERS ON
THE HOWARD STERN
SHOW AND I WAS SO
VERY FLATTERED WHEN
HE SAID HE CONSIDERS
IT GOOD ENOUGH TO
HOLD SÉANCES WITH
JOAN IN HEAVEN.
WHAT DOES THIS
SEASON OF PRIDE MEAN
TO YOU?
CHRISTINE PEDI: LOVE,
EQUALITY, FAMILY
AND THE JOY OF
CAMARADERIE. DO
YOU KNOW THIS
WILL BE MY FIRST
ENCOUNTER WITH
THE TOWNHOUSE!
I’VE HEARD SO
MUCH ABOUT THE
MARVELOUS PIANO
FROM ALL OF MY
BROADWAY FRIENDS.
I DON’T KNOW HOW
I’VE NEVER MANAGED
TO EVEN SNEAK IN.
WELL, THAT CHANGES
THIS PRIDE. I KNOW
THIS WILL BE A SHOW
I’LL NEVER FORGET. I
HOPE ALL THE SHOW
TUNE-LOVING BOYS
OUT THERE WILL SWING
ON BY!
CHRISTINE PEDI PERFORMS “GREAT DAMES” AT
TOWNHOUSE (236 EAST 58TH ST) ON WEDNESDAY,
JUNE 20TH AT 8PM. NO COVER/TWO DRINKS MINIMUM.
VISIT TOWNHOUSENY.COM

BY EILEEN SHAPIRO
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT
MICHAEL MUSTO
A JOURNEY INTO MADNESS WITH THE ‘VAMP BIKERS
TRES’ PARTY AT THE TOWNHOUSE
Securing a leading role in the cult
film “Vamp Bikers Tres,” prolific and
revolutionary journalist Michael Musto
surprised director Eric Rivas and the cast
with his professional and superb acting
ability, as Hedda Hopper. In honor of
the film being chosen and picked up for
distribution by Orchard, a subsidiary of
Sony, Musto is celebrating with a wild
party at the Townhouse on Tuesday, June
12, from 8 to 10 p.m.
ANDREW WERNER PHOTOGRAPHY
The film is a journey into temporary
madness with vampires, zombies, witches,
God and Coney Island. The movie also
stars Lillo Brancato, Michael Alig and
Screamin Rachael. Although many still can’t
tell you the exact plot of the film, all agree
it’s definitely something to experience.
So congrats on the film.
I’ve heard that Sony has
picked up the distribution
of “Vamp Bikers Tres.”
It’s called the Orchard,
which is a Sony-owned
distribution company that
does only the major films,
and I really almost plotz on
the ground when I heard
that they picked it up. So
this is major, because this
is a trilogy of films, it’s a
cult trilogy, much more so
than “Lord of the Rings.”
It has a director’s vision. It
has Eric’s imprint on it. He
has a lot of personal pizzazz
and went with it. I still don’t
understand the plot that
much, but I went along
with it too. He appreciated
the way I learned my lines
and put a lot of energy
into playing the role. I play
Hedda Hopper, a mad
doctor, and I get to be
sarcastic, campy. I modeled
it a little on Dr. Frank-N-
Furter in “The Rocky Horror
Picture Show.”
I understand from Eric that
you turned out to be the
surprise shining star of the
show.
I’m mainly known as a
writer, but I have performed
my whole life. Way back
in school I was in all the
school’s shows. I had a
band in the 1980s called
The Must. It was like a
white male version of Diana
Ross. I love anything on the
stage, so this gave me the
opportunity to just run wild,
and they encouraged me to
have fun with it. I had good
chemistry with Michael
Alig and Lillo Brancato and
Screamin Rachael. I mean,
the cast is really a who’s
who of I-don’t-know-what.
I’m the only one without a
criminal record, myself and
Screamin Rachael.
I have interviewed
everyone in a major role in
the movie, and I was a bit
intimidated to speak with
Michael Alig.
I get that. I was friends with
him and sort of part of that
scene. I was a critic of that
scene. I couldn’t pretend
that I didn’t know him or
want anything to do with
him, but we did kind of have
fun with the material. I think
it helped him to focus. He
actually did a pretty good
acting job, Michael Alig.

I brought Markus Kelle in;
I recommended him. He’s
very funny in it. Kayvon
Zand is in the film as well.
So there are all these
hilarious cameos. It’s the
kind of movie that maybe
people watch while doing
mushrooms or something.
Maybe drugs aren’t even
necessary if you watch it.
So I’ve heard. Tell me
about the party you’re
hosting.
The Townhouse
approached me
to throw a party,
so I thought here
is the perfect
opportunity to
have a premiere
party for “Vamp
Bikers,” which is
coming out on
Amazon on June
21. So on Tuesday,
June 12, from
8 to 10, we are
inviting people
to drop by and
have some hors
d’oeuvres, wine
and champagne,
and hang out.
And some
mushrooms?
You have to
bring your own
mushrooms. A
piano player
will be tinkling
some tunes, and
maybe we can get
Screamin Rachael
to sing a song,
or Randy Jones.
I always loved
The Townhouse.
Let’s say it use
to be kind of a
hustler bar. But I think
all of the hustlers moved
online, and the older men
didn’t get the memo, so
they still go there saying,
“What happened to those
young guys?” But the
good thing is now there
are young people there as
well; there are all types of
people who go there now.
It has just evolved into
a nice hang out bar. It’s
really a fun place to just sit
around, with some piano
tinkling, schmooze, have a
drink. It’s elegant, like an
old townhouse. It’s really
very plush looking, so it’s
different from your usual
dive that gays go to.
I know the bar actually. It’s
beautiful and upscale.
It really is gorgeous. I
always like to go there on
an off night. It’s always a
good time.
Will you be performing?
I’m sure I could be coerced
into singing, “Rock-a-bye
Your Baby” or “We Are the
World,” or anything. I could
do all the parts. I might
even get you to get up and
sing.
Aside from this, what are
you up to?
Well, I just got over a case
of restless leg syndrome.
There’s an article in the
New York Post that I
wrote about it. Basically
it’s something I never
even heard of, but you
can’t sit still. I couldn’t sit
still, I couldn’t sleep. It
was a nightmare. I took
magnesium, and
I ate a lot of
broccoli, and it
went away. It’s
a real thing that
people get. I
mean, I’m always
restless anyway,
but I literally
could not sit still
for two seconds.
I couldn’t sit
through a movie
or anything.
Thankfully I cured
it, and I’m back to
living my life now.
Speaking of
movies, will
you be doing
“Cocktails and
Classics” again?
We’re waiting.
I hope so. I’m
game. You know
me, I say yes to
anything.
You really do.
I have the
recording with
Aaron Paul also.
Yes, they want
to do a photo
shoot.
Do I have to be naked?
Yes, and I guarantee you
if you’re naked I will get
you on the cover of Get
Out!
People will be like, “You’re
not going to believe this—
you’ve got to get that
magazine!”

Whether you’re gay,
straight, bi, asexual or
somewhere in the middle,
cheating happens.
One thing I do as an
LGBTQ counselor is talk
to gay couples about their
relationship agreement
and what they would do
to protect their health
if it were broken. For
example, some people
may want to know if their
partner(s) had sex with
someone else, whereas
others might only want to
know if it was emotional, if
they didn’t use a condom,
if it was a mutual friend or
if it was happening a lot.
Not everyone wants to
know all the same things,
and not everyone wants
to be told the same way.
The point of a good
agreement is to make
sure everyone is
protected against STI
and HIV transmission,
which happens a lot
within relationships if
someone makes a mistake
and doesn’t tell their
partner(s). We plan for a
lot of potential
THOMAS
TALKS
ABOUT:
catastrophes, like losing a
job, an apartment, a loved
one or even a house fire.
But, we don’t plan for if
cheating occurs in our
relationships. Ask yourself:
If your partner(s) cheated,
what would you want to
be told, and how? Then
tell your partner(s). Make
a plan for how you’d
respond and how you’d
take care of yourself, then
if it happens, you don’t
have to think on your feet;
you can be rational. The
feeling of being cheated
on hurts, but you can still
protect your health by
planning for if cheating
happens before cheating
happens. Whether you
talk about it or not, it
might happen. So, isn’t
it better to have a plan
ready to go, just in case?
The other morning
my boyfriend went
to shower, and I went
through his phone. I got
on his social media and
saw he’d been sending
pics back and forth
with a few guys, but I
don’t know if it was just
dirty talk and pics or
more. I’m afraid to say
anything…
That sucks, and I’m sorry,
but it doesn’t sound
like you have all the
information. You have to
fess up to going through
his phone and ask him
about it. Spend some
time thinking before
about what you want and
what this means to you.
CHEATING
Are flirty messages and
photos a deal breaker?
Or are you worried about
more? In the future, have
an honest conversation
before—snooping never
leads to anything good.
I cheated, and it’s killing
me. I love my boyfriend
(three years) very
much, but it happened
one night when I was
drinking, and I don’t
know what to do. I
don’t blame the alcohol,
it was my decision, but
I know his heart will be
broken if I tell him. I’ll
never do it again, but
I feel like I have to tell
him.
I understand “it’s killing”
you, and you want to tell
him. But, it sounds like
you want to tell him so
you can feel better about
it. I think you need to ask
yourself honestly: Would
he want to know if you
fucked up one time? I’m
not saying this is a free
pass, but if it really was a
one-time thing, and there
was no potential risk (you
used protection), then
maybe you don’t have to.
I’m not excusing cheating,
but if your main reason
for telling him is because
you feel guilty, then you
need to reexamine your
motives. It isn’t fair to
make him feel bad so
you can feel better. If you
didn’t use protection,
you have to tell him—no
excuses. You can’t put his
health at risk because of
your mistake.
Sex/Love/Relationship advice? Send your questions to: ThomasTalksAbout@gmail.com
@ThomasWhitfield84