Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 372 – June 20, 2018

It was 1998, and I was 

in 8th grade, when I 

decided to start coming 

out to my small town in 

the middle of Michigan. 

In the Midwest you don’t 

come out to individuals, 

close friends or family 

members; the news 

travels fast—you come 

out to the entire town, 

overnight. 

No one was surprised. 

A few years back I had 

begun dressing goth, 

and in 5th grade proudly 

proclaimed my love 

for Alanis Morissette, 

whom I still adore to 

this day. Before coming 

out I’d been plagued 

with fear that my father 

would disown me, and I 

would literally become 

the next Matthew 

Shepard. None of those 

things happened. To 

be honest, I ended up 

having it pretty easy, 

aside from having food 

thrown at me in the 

lunchroom, being yelled 

at in the hallway and 

a few words scratched 

into my locker, which 

of course were spelled 

wrong. 

THOMAS 

TALKS 

ABOUT: 

Here we are, 20 years 

later, and LGBTQ 

populations still don’t 

have it easy, and in a 

lot of cases it’s worse. 

With the gain in visibility 

comes the rise of hate 

crimes, reportedly an 

increase of 5% yearly 

against the LGBTQ 

community. And 40% of 

homeless youth identify 

as LGBTQ. Families 

are still kicking their 

children out because 

of their sexuality and 

gender identity, leaving 

our LGBTQ brothers 

and sisters to make new 

families, their chosen 

families. 

I just moved to NYC 

from Utah, and I don’t 

know anyone. I want 

to make friends, but 

everyone seems to just 

want to hook up. What 

do I do? - Male, Gay, 

19 

Welcome to the city! I 

think what you’re going 

through is something 

that most go through 

when they move here. 

You’re the new face, and 

everyone wants a piece. 

You didn’t mention what 

you do for work or if 

you’re a student, but I’d 

recommend getting a 

social job (something in 

a restaurant or bar) in a 

gay part of town. You’ll 

meet a ton of coworkers 

that are LGBTQ, or 

friendly straights, and 

tons of patrons. That’s 

COMING OUT 

what I did when I moved 

here, and I met mostly 

great people. I’d shy 

away from apps for 

making friends, but if 

you go that route, be 

clear you’re “looking for 

friends”—and mean it. 

Hookups can become 

friends, but it’s not 

always the case. 

I haven’t come out to 

my family. My friends 

think I’m weak and 

should. I’m afraid 

they will cut me off 

financially, and I need 

them. Do I have to 

come out? - Male, Gay, 

mid-20s 

No one can make you 

come out, and you don’t 

say if you “want” to. If 

it’s something you want 

to do, then do it. You’re 

in your mid-20s; you 

can support yourself 

one way or another. 

But, that’s a choice you 

have to make, and it 

might require making 

some lifestyle changes. 

Everyone has a different 

timeline, and only you 

can say what’s right for 

yourself. There are a 

variety of reasons to 

come out or stay in the 

closet, and there is no 

“right answer,” but you 

have to make sure you’re 

safe either way. Make 

a pros and cons list, 

accept that for now and 

reassess later. Write to 

me again if you decide 

you want to come out 

and need some tips! 

Sex/Love/ReLationShip advice? Send youR queStionS to: thomaStaLkSabout@gmaiL.com 

@thomaSWhitfieLd84

TOBACCO 

IS TOXIC 

THIS 

LIFE IS 

NON- 

TOXIC

BY EILEEN SHAPIRO 

CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT 

Pop star and fashion 

mogul Aaron Paul will 

be performing his songs, 

including his new hit 

“Pop Star,” at Pride Fest 

this year on June 24. The 

vivacious performer will 

be struttin’ his stuff in 

several venues prior to 

Pride and will be available 

for a meet and greet after 

each. 

I caught up with Aaron 

and had him answer some 

questions regarding his 

music, Pride and the 

release of his brand new 

book. 

MUSIC VIDEO LINK 

www.youtube.com 

/watch?v=EoartUOuEck 

Website: 

www.AaronPaul.Dance 

Facebook: /aaronpaulmusic 

Twitter: @APaulMusic 

Instagram: @AaronPaulMusic 

Soundcloud: /aaronpaulofficial 

PHOTO CREDITS: www.billyhess.com 

Styling & Make up by Mark De Alwis 

Jewelry by Morra Designs Jewelry 

AARON PAUL 

to Perform at Pride Fest 

What does it mean to you 

to perform at Pride Fest in 

NYC? 

Well, it really is a big deal 

for me, as I’m sure as with all 

the other artists that I will be 

sharing the stage with. Pride is 

such a NYC institution and is 

also one of the biggest, mostattended 

events in the city 

events calendar. Thousands 

of people attend Pride, and 

not just only members of 

the LGBT community. These 

days you see actual families 

participating and observing 

the event with their young 

children. This tells us that 

Pride registers truly within us 

all. All the different colors of 

the spectrum and community 

should have Pride! It’s such 

a fun, vibrant, colorful event, 

and I’ve been asked to 

perform as part of this year’s 

Pride Fest for the first time in 

my career. So I plan to really 

bring it on that stage and 

deliver a performance that will 

get everyone into the spirit 

and meaning of Pride. That 

means I’ve gotta go shopping 

for some new shit to wear. 

You’ve just come out with a 

new record. Tell us about it. 

Yes, the first single and music 

video “Popstar” from my new 

album “Dance” is coming this 

summer 2018. It’s such a fun, 

funky, cheeky song. And my 

second collaboration is with 

UK pop/rock musician Simon 

Bradshaw of WeatheredMan. 

We just recently had a hit in 

the UK with our duet together, 

“Hand in My Pocket.” 

“Popstar” is, I think, one of 

my best songs ever, cause it 

really just speaks about me. 

I never really take myself too 

seriously, so this time I get 

to poke fun at myself on this 

record. I have been a pop star 

for almost most of my life, 

so I think I’m allowed to joke 

and laugh publicly at myself 

at this stage of my career. “I 

wear makeup and women’s 

clothes”—some of my lyrics in 

the song, LOL! 

And you’ve released a new 

book. 

Yes, “I Don’t Care: Lessons 

in Life, Love, Music and Boy 

Bands,” co-written with NYC 

journalist and LGBTQ activist 

Nathan James, who really is 

just a superb writer. It’s my 

pride and joy and life story, 

and we spent a little over a 

year writing it together. It’s 

just a witty account of my life 

journey so far and gives the 

reader a full insight about the 

music business, from my past 

being in a boy band, Worlds 

Apart, being discovered 

by and working with Simon 

Cowell, and finally making my 

mark as a legit solo artist in my 

own right this present day. The 

book is like a guide for anyone 

wishing to have a career in the 

entertainment industry, with 

all the positive and negative 

stuff you can run into. It also 

speaks about living in one’s 

truth and accepting who you 

are, a message for everyone 

to learn. 

Read the full interview 

online at getoutmag.com!

Get Out! Magazine 

Invites You to Join 

Us for Pride Fest 

- BOOTH C 6 - 

In celebration of this year’s Pride Fest 

New York City, and in preparation for 

next year’s World Pride—held for the 

first time in Manhattan—we would like 

to invite you to visit our booth, where 

you can find a massive amount of both 

new and past issues of the most colorful 

magazine on the planet. 

Cover: Karyn White 

Photography by Shandon 

Youngclaus - Los Angeles 

Cover: Kylie Minogue 

Cover Photography by 

Steve Schofield (c) Darenote Ltd 

Get Out! captures the hottest 

eye candy, the best bar and club 

events, useful information and 

rare interviews with the most 

illuminated celebrities and 

artists on the globe, having 

featured exclusive interviews with 

the likes of Diana Ross, Dionne 

Warwick, Cyndi Lauper, Jennifer 

Hudson, Lisa Stansfield, Kim 

Wilde, Sofi Tukker, Deborah Cox, 

Toni Braxton, Melissa Etheridge, 

and many, many others. 

Get Out! will be hosting an extravaganza 

at Pride Fest, featuring DJ Ian Ford 

spinning the hottest dance tunes as well 

as performances from special guests. 

Our guests include Revolushn, the 

drummer from Devo, Dave Kendrick 

(“Whip It”); England’s Jason 

Prince from the TV show “London 

Calling”; the UK’s Sam Stevens, 

Ricky Rebel, The FMs, Aaron Paul 

and more. 

They are set to perform at the cafe 

behind our booth and will all be available 

for meet and greets throughout the day. 

There will be lots more surprises and 

giveaways, so please stop by, say hello, 

grab some rare issues and dance to the 

music. 

Located at University Place 

between 13th Street & Waverly 

Place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

during the NYC march. 

ISSUE 372 - JUNE 20 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 


EILEEN SHAPIRO 

IAN-MICHAEL BERGERON 

ADVERTISE 

WITH 

___________________ 

ANUNCIA 

EN 

The right price, the right distribution, the right size, 

the right quality, the right quantity, the right service 

24/7 - everything is just right! Call us to get the best 

prices in the tri-state area. 

CALL TODAY & GET OUR 

SPECIAL WELCOME OFFER! 

MIKE TODD 

(646) 761-3325 

mike@getoutmag.com 

The publications of MJT/GOOTH Magazine, getoutmag.com or any related 

print or Web publications or social media accounts, their images, quotations or 

articles, should not be construed to be an indication of the sexual orientation 

of anyone portrayed therein. 

All content © 2016 MJT/GOOTH Entertainment LLC. 

MJT/GOOTH Entertainment LLC 

47-16 67 St. Woodside, NY 11377 

GETOUTMAG.COM 

@getoutmag

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stories GET OUT! MAGAZINE >> GETOUTMAG.COM 

What inspired you to create 

this film about the foster 

care system? 

The foster care system has 

failed so many. Some are 

separated from their siblings, 

others are bounced around 

never knowing where their 

lives will be uprooted and too 

many are further abused in 

a system that is supposed to 

protect them. 

The film conveys a mostly 

serious tone. Was there any 

scene that was emotionally 

or physically difficult to 

film? 

Yes, Linda was a difficult 

character to embody, because 

she dealt with her pain 

internally. Linda wanted you 

to feel her soul through her 

silence. 

In addition to directing and 

writing the film, you are 

also one of the lead actors 

in it. Tell me about the 

experience of balancing out 

the three. 

I believe wearing many 

hats may present itself as a 

challenge, but that is part of 

the life of an indie filmmaker. 

I also worked with a very 

reliable team, which is always 

a blessing. What worked for 

me in “MOTH” was to film 

the majority of Linda (my 

character’s) monologues first. 

They were emotionally dark, 

so I wanted to make sure that 

was conveyed in the most 

effective way possible. 

DIRECTOR/WRITER 

NANCY VAZQUEZ 

TALKS TO LOVARI 

ABOUT HER LATEST 

FILM, “MATTERS OF 

THE HEART 

(M.O.T.H.),” 

RECENTLY SCREENED 

AT CITYPLEX 12 

IN NEWARK AND 

VARIOUS U.S. FILM 

FESTIVALS.

“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



KYLIE 

MINOGUE 

THE ‘GOLDEN’ 

IMPOSSIBLE 

PRINCESS 

DOES NEW 

YORK PRIDE 

One of the most vibrant, effervescent and indemand 

female vocalists on the planet, Kylie 

Minogue, will be headlining New York Pride this 

year on the heels of the release of her newest 

album, “Golden,” via BMG. Tickets for her Pride 

performance sold out in record time, as well as 

her show at The Bowery Ballroom the following 

day, which were sold out within just 10 minutes. 

New York City is completely exhilarated at 

the Australian-born singer and actress’ arrival. 

Her career began with her role as Charlene 

Robinson on the ever-popular Australian 

soap, “Neighbours.” The Princess of Pop, as 

she is often recognized, is the highest-selling 

Australian artist of all time, according to the 

Australian Recording Industry Association. 

Minogue’s signature single is “Can’t Get You 

Out of My Head,” named “Catchiest Song 

Ever” by Yahoo! Music. However, she has also 

celebrated great success with tracks such as 

“The Loco-Motion,” “I Should Be So Lucky,” 

“Love At First Sight,” “Especially for You,” 

“Better the Devil You Know,” “2 Hearts”, “All 

The Lovers,” and the single ‘Dancing’ went #1 

on the Billboard Dance Club Cart. 

Her new release, “Golden,” is a Nashvilleflavored, 

storytelling, musical extravaganza, 

something very different for the usually danceoriented 

pop goddess—and she wears it very 

well. Filled with sparkly, glittered guitars and 

salacious costumes, the videos that accompany 

the new album are also fabulous. 

I was fortunate enough to be able to speak with 

Minogue about the album and her upcoming 

Pride concert. She was vivacious, candid and a 

lot of fun.

I am in love with your new album, “Golden,” 

and I particularly love the sparkling guitar in the 

“Dancing” video. 

Thank you so much. When we shot that video I had to 

masquerade as an actual guitarist. I don’t play guitar. 

I tried to wear a lot of sparkle and dazzle so no one 

would really notice my faux guitar playing. 

Well, you certainly fooled me. 

Thank you. 

What made you decide to go with a country and 

western flavor on this release? 

It was a suggestion from my A&R at my label. He was 

a guy I’ve previously worked with, and we go back a 

long way. Actually, I’ve had a lot of success in the past, 

so any advice from him I listen to. We started in the 

studio in 2017, and he suggested a country element 

or an influence. I immediately said sure, because I love 

to try new things and because I trust him, but I didn’t 

know what he meant. 

PHOTO BY LEO LAVORO

To try and cut a long story short, I asked the producers if 

they knew what he means, and they said not really, so let’s 

write a song. So we just kind of did more of the type of 

music that people would’ve expected without any country 

influence. Then the suggestion was to go to Nashville, which 

made it all make sense. I now understand how right he was, 

how it really made the project fresh for me. I mean, it’s not a 

new genre—pop would’ve been country or country would’ve 

been pop depending on the proportions—but it was new 

and fresh for me. I think it allowed me to focus more on 

melody and storytelling. 

It is very different than anything I’ve heard you do, and I 

really like it. I feel like country is big in the UK now. 

Well, I’m learning that it’s big everywhere to a certain group 

of people. If you love it—and it seems to be that people 

love it—they love it passionately. But now that I’ve had that 

experience at writing songs like that and delivering songs 

like that vocally and lyrically, I can hear something that might 

be labeled as not having country influence, but I think I did 

a good one. I’m not sure where I will go next, but I certainly 

won’t forget the lesson that I’ve learned making that one. 

So you’re doing New York Pride, which is a really big deal. 

Yeah, and it’s becoming more and more real. I’ve not done 

it before, so it’s going to be a double whammy. It’s my first 

time experiencing Pride, and I’m performing at Pride. I 

imagine I’m going to be pretty overwhelmed, very excited, a 

tad nervous, and I’m looking forward to a huge audience. 

The show was already sold out, and that usually doesn’t 

happen as fast as it did. 

Really? 

Yes, really! So no pressure. 

Oh, wow! Oh, OK. 

Then you are following Pride with a performance the 

night after at the Bowery Ballroom. 

We managed to kind of hustle that at the last minute. So for 

Pride we will be in the time that I’ve been given, trying to 

put in some of the new stuff, and obviously the known stuff, 

as much as we can within a half hour. Then the next night is 

a show pretty much like the one we did in Europe when we 

launched it. It’s like an album showcase with a couple little 

surprises. And I think that one has sold out as well. 

It sold out within 10 minutes. 

It’s a small audience, totally intimate, and it’s just a lot of fun 

for me to go from one extreme to the other. 

There will be thousands at Pride. 

I looked at some examples online, and it looked pretty 

amazing seeing the skyline and the lights from all the 

buildings. It looks like it’s going to be a sensation. I can’t 

wait.

BY DANIEL MARANDOLA 

CHELSEA BAR 

PROUDLY SUPPORTS 

THE COMMUNITY YEAR ROUND 

REBAR is defined 

as a structural bar that 

gives strength to concrete. 

REBAR Chelsea has made 

it their mission to be the 

neighborhood bar that gives 

strength to the LGBTQ 

community. From early on 

they brought the community 

together to raise money for 

those in need through various 

creative fundraisers, events and 

shows. 

Shortly after opening in 

2017 REBAR hosted several 

teams from Broadway Bares: 

Broadway Cares/Equity 

Fights Aids. Then in late 

summer REBAR partnered 

with two other Chelsea 

businesses, BARBA Men’s 

Grooming and Antonio 

Cedeno Presents, to host 

the La Isla Bonita to benefit 

those affected by Hurricane 

Maria. The community effort, 

featuring some of nightlife’s 

biggest name drag queens 

and performers, all of whom 

donated their time and talent, 

raised over $10,000, which 

was matched by APPLE, and 

brought the total to $20,000. 

Owner Franco DiLuzio notes, 

“It’s great to see how the gay 

community came together, 

both business professionals and 

nightlife personalities for such 

an amazing cause.” 

Shortly thereafter, Sherry 

Pie and I approached 

REBAR with a new concept 

for a Monday night show. 

MARQUEE MONDAY debuted 

in October 2017, Sherry and 

I wanted the show to not 

only be entertaining but also 

to give back. The owners of 

REBAR loved the idea that 

the audience tips from the 

last number of each show 

would be used to raise money 

for a different charity each 

month. I am incredibly proud 

to share that, since October, 

we’ve raised over $9,000 for 

LGBTQ organizations such 

as SAGE, Ali Forney Center, 

Callen Lorde, Voices 4 

Chechnya, RFTCA, and 

AIDS Walk. We even used 

the month of December to 

not only raise money for the 

Ali Forney Center but to also 

do a weekly coat drive, 

In May 2018, Sherry Pie started 

hosting a recurring event, LOVE 

LAB, which raises money for 

the Research Foundation to 

Cure Aids (RFTCA). LOVE LAB 

is a dating game and bachelor 

auction hosted by Sherry, with 

DJ Matty Glitterati. Sherry 

added “we raised $1000 at 

Marquee and $2000 at the 

event, where a bachelor is 

auctioned for a date sponsored 

by local business such as ELMO, 

MNSTR Cycle and TRIAD 

Theater.” 

It’s not just entertainment 

and events that are part of 

REBARS approach. They 

also offered their space to 

many great causes, hosting 

a calendar launch to support 

Rainbow Railroad, an LGBTQ 

editorial photo shoot, featuring 

transsexual women of color, 

and most recently they hosted 

VIVA GLAM, an event with 

MAC Cosmetics to raise funds 

for AIDS Walk. 

I am incredibly proud of the 

work we do at REBAR. Pairing 

the help of the community 

and others in nightlife, REBAR, 

brings generous patrons and 

important causes together 

and has raised over $30,000 

for different charities and 

organizations. As we approach 

PRIDE, a time to come together 

to celebrate our wonderful 

LGBTQ community and all the 

beauty within it, it is important 

to remember that we mustn’t 

forget about our community 

the other 11 months of the 

year. While honoring those who 

have struggled to help get us 

through this fight, we should 

also set an ongoing platform 

for love and support for the 

community as REBAR has done 

this past year. Imagine if all of 

the parties in NYC did just one 

song a night for a charity, like 

Sherry and I do at REBAR, how 

much we could be giving back 

as a nightlife community. As 

Tina Burner famously says, “We 

Are Stronger As A Community 

Than We Are As A Nation.” 

MARQUEE MONDAYS 

8p - midnight each week. 

Hosts Daniel Marandola, 

Sherry Pie and DJ Eugene 

Edo. 

REBAR - 225 W 19th St 

(between 7&8th Avenues)

IF YOU WANT A 

SINGING CAREER, 

STAY AWAY FROM 

SECONDHAND SMOKE. 

Ellie, Age 57 

Her partner, Karen 

Florida 

Ellie’s severe asthma attacks were triggered by secondhand 

smoke at work. She and her partner have to live with 

its effects forever. If you or someone you know wants 

free help to quit smoking, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW. 

#CDCTips



PHOTO BY THE BOUDOIR DIVAS SAN DIEGO , CA 

KARYN WHITE 

SUPERWOMAN IS BACK BY STORM 

Karyn White—superstar, sensation, 

singer, actress, producer and real 

estate mogul—is living proof that 

“Superwoman” is alive and well and 

ready to rock the world with the 

vengeance of an orgasmic tsunami 

with her new music and self-produced 

film, “Gale and the Storm.” 

The movie closely mirrors her own 

life and her mysterious departure 

from the music industry. White 

captures the lead role. The film is a 

compelling story about Gale Storm’s 

return to the industry and her journey 

celebrating her learning to love music 

once again. The film, directed by 

Derrick Muhammad, is a feel-good 

presentation offering the audience a 

belief in living out a dream. 

White, twice a Grammy nominee, an 

Image award winner, known for her 

platinum self-titled album, produced 

by Babyface and L.A. Reid, and the 

iconic three singles off the record: 

“The Way You Love Me,” “Secret 

Rendezvous” “Make Him Do Right,” 

Do Unto Me,” and “Superwoman.” 

Her duet with Babyface, “Love Saw 

It,” a sultry, romantic composition, 

was nominated in the Best R&B/ 

Urban Contemporary New Artist 

category at the 1989 Soul Train 

Music Awards. Her follow-up album 

was produced by Jimmy Jam and 

Terry Lewis and featured the single 

“Romantic,” which rose to #1 on the 

U.S. Billboard 100. Soon after, she 

vanished from the industry to raise 

a family. She later tried her hand at 

acting and won a recurring role on 

the BET television series “Beauty and 

the Baller.” 

I spoke with White, who has an 

extraordinary spirit and a majestic 

energy. Her heartfelt candidness and 

witty commentary accentuated her 

vibrant personality.


You’ve had a very interesting career. 

Tell me about it. 

Your brand-new movie is set to release in 

September. Tell me about the lead role that 

you portray. 

My character Gale Storm, is a force of nature. 

She’s a legendary funk singer who walked away 

from the music business. She had some bitter 

feelings with her lover and her label, so she just 

said “screw it.” Then 7 years later, she hooks up 

with this revolutionary music producer who tries 

to get her back in the game. 


He kind of coaches her to get 

back. He starts out with her 

working with a group, and 

eventually she falls back in 

love with music. Then they 

agree to do music her way 

and on her terms. It’s closely 

based on my life. It’s a great 

feel-good story, a good 

comeback story. I play the 

lead, Gale Storm, and there’s 

a soundtrack that goes along 

with it. I was so excited when 

I heard the music of Childish 

Gambino (aka Donald Glover), 

“Awaken My Love.” The 

album was very funky. Here is 

the young & talented rapper/ 

singer paying homage to the 

funk, he also won a Grammy 

for his smash hit “Stay Woke.” 

He went back to the treasure 

chest of funk music and 

grabbed what was abandoned 

I was inspired to start my 

mission to bring funk, r&b and 

soul back. If you were to go 

see me live, most people are 

kind of surprised, because of 

the energy I bring on stage, I 

got a little James Brown, Tina 

Turner—because that’s the era 

of music that I really love. So 

when we did the soundtrack, 

we recorded six songs in two 

days. It was an incredible feet 

while filming.


SCENES FROM “GALE AND THE STORM” 

WITH ACTRESS KARYN WHITE & 

DIRECTOR / ACTOR DERRICK MUHAMMAD 

PHOTOS BY GALE AND THE STORM 

The movie was shot in Sacramento, it’s 

an ultra low budget film, we used two 

award winning student film makers from 

Morehouse College in Atlanta. The 

production of the movie is pretty raw and 

edgy, I co-wrote, executive produced, 

and was the music supervisor, and I used 

a few other artist on the cd as well as 

Including Jay King, Founder and member 

of Club Nouveau. Before “Gale and The 

Storm,” I had been acting before that. I 

was on a sitcom on BET network called 

“Beauty and the Baller.” So I got the 

acting bug and decided that instead of 

me waiting for somebody to give me the 

perfect role, that I would create it. That’s 

the “Superwoman” in Gale Storm! 

Even before you said it was based on 

your life, I was going to say that it 

sounded like a real-life story. 

Oh yeah, exactly. It’s definitely based on 

my life, because when I stepped away, 

I’m kicking myself in the butt. Who would 

let me do that? I was going through a 

really dark period for me. I had just lost 

my mother, I had just lost my relationship 

with the love of my life, Terry Lewis. … 

Since I was a kid I was very driven. They 

called me Karyn White in elementary 

school. I knew I was going to be 

a star, and I knew I had that drive 

and dedication to what I was going 

to be. My work ethic was amazing. 

Now that I look back on my life, I 

think that I definitely went through 

a depression. The fact that I would 

even stop singing—now that I’m 

seeing how hard it is getting back, 

why did I quit? I ask myself, why did 

you walk away? I never really said, 

“Oh, I’m going to quit music.” Time 

kind of happened, and then more 

time happened, and I felt like music 

had moved on. I kind of felt I lost 

confidence in myself.

Then it turned into, “OK, I’m raising my 

daughter.” It was kind of, I want to be with 

my daughter. Then I was flipping homes. Then 

my daughter graduated, and now what was I 

going to do? The great thing is I don’t regret 

the business part. With people that are in the 

arts, they feel like when they aren’t doing music, 

they feel like they are nothing, and that they 

can’t do anything else. I really found out that I 

could. There was more to me than music. I was 

designing and flipping homes and saving homes 

in Sacramento. It was very lucrative for me, and 

I found that I did love it, because it was creative. 

Also, I had to become more of an entrepreneur, 

understanding business. So coming back into the 

industry I had all the things that prepared me for 

today, because the landscape is so different. 

Yes, I know. A lot of artists are coming back 

now, like Billy Idol and Adam Ant and Doctor 

Dre. The people in the ‘80s have raised their 

kids and want to have fun again. 

Yes, the real artists. That’s what was so unique 

about the ‘80s. There was such diversity. That’s 

what I miss in today’s music. Everybody kind of 

sounds the same, and I don’t like that. I don’t 

even know who is who. 

You have a very special voice, as in the duet 

you did with Babyface. 

Yes, that was “Love Saw It.” 

It was relevant and romantic and sexy. 

Those were the good old days, working with all 

of those producers: LA and Babyface and Jimmy 

and Terry. These are the people that started my 

career. When I look back, I see how hard it is 

now. There’s something about youth and how 

you kind of take things for granted. When your 

first single goes gold and platinum, it’s really 

kind of hard to gauge how tough it is when you 

start out on top. I had an album released in 2012 

called “Carpe Diem,” and it was incredible. But 

it was released on my own label, and I got to see 

how tough it was. I’ve gone on this journey, and 

I’m definitely excited about the music industry 

where we can do things on our own terms and 

reach our fan base, but I’m not going to lie, it’s 

really hard work. I am up for the challenge. My 

voice is preserved and sounds better, and I’m 

really excited about the future. I’m definitely 

looking forward to doing more projects. This is 

the first film that we are going to release, and 

I’m going to be releasing more films, especially 

things that are dealing with black people and 

arts and music. I’m just excited about the 

landscape of today.

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BY IAN-MICHAEL BERGERON 

@ianmichaelinwonderland 

TOP FAG 

I don’t often write about 

my childhood, but this 

Pride month has me feeling 

nostalgic. 

I remember the first 

person I ever came out 

to, my freshman year of 

high school. Actually, I 

remember the first person 

I THOUGHT I came out to: 

Her name was Jenn, and 

she was a cheerleader. 

She wasn’t your 

typical bouncy blonde 

cheerleader—she was the 

cool cheerleader, a junior 

with dark hair and darker 

eyeliner, who traded her 

cheerleader uniform for 

Green Day t-shirts and 

Converse on days there 

wasn’t a game. 

I say I THOUGHT I came 

out to her because I didn’t 

actually say the words “I’m 

gay.” After a weekend of 

watching stupid movies and 

eating McDonalds (small 

town Iowa life—actually, 

that’s exactly what I do 

now in New York), she 

was driving me home 

when I brought up a gay 

senior who’d just come 

out. “I don’t understand 

why everyone is making 

such a big deal out of it,” 

I murmured, my jet blue/ 

black dyed hair gleaming in 

her rearview mirror. “Who 

cares if someone is gay? 

Let people be who they 

are, and leave them alone.” 

“I totally agree,” she said, 

smiling. 

What I understood was 

that I’d implied “I’m gay” 

and she said “I’m fine with 

you being gay.” What she 

heard was “I’m feminine 

but comfortable with my 

heterosexuality and also 

others’ homosexuality” 

and she said “That’s 

so cool that you’re so 

comfortable.” 

And so, the next day at 

school, a cheerleader 

named Charity cornered 

me at my locker. “Do 

you like girls?” she 

asked pointedly, chewing 

spearmint gum with her 

mouth open. 

I froze. Did Jenn tell 

everyone I told her I was 

gay? “What?” 

“Ugh, never mind. What 

I’m asking is: Do you like 

Jenn?” 

“...Yes?” 

“OK, well, Jenn likes you 

too, so you should ask her 

out.” Oh. Oh, no. 

I went bright red, but 

Charity didn’t notice, 

already skipping away to 

let Jenn know she’d told 

me. 

In first period English, I 

couldn’t focus on Daisy 

Buchanan and Jay Gatsby; 

all I could think about was 

Jenn. I figured I had three 

options: 1. I go out with 

her,

everyone stops teasing 

me for being feminine, 

but I’ll hurt the first 

person I’d ever trusted 

with my secret; 2. I don’t 

go out with the hot older 

cheerleader, and everyone 

teases me relentlessly, 

because now they’ll 

KNOW I’m gay; or 3. I take 

this as my opportunity to 

come out. 

Option 1 hurt Jenn the 

most. Option 2 hurt me 

the most. Option 3 would 

hurt us both, a little, but 

was the best choice 

to avoid casualties. 

So, I came 

out. A little 

embarrassed, 

Jenn supported 

me, helping 

me pick out 

a rainbow 

wristband at 

hot topic. This 

is how I told 

the world (or, 

rather, Knoxville 

High School, which 

I guess was my 

world then): 

“Listen up: You 

were all right. 

I’m Gay. Read 

my wrist, and 

don’t ask 

me about it 

again.” 

After coming 

out, all the 

straight boys 

stopped bullying 

me: What fun is 

it calling someone 

a fag when their 

response is “Guilty as 

charged”? But I faced a 

new bully: Jordan. 

Jordan was an out gay 

junior, one who’d never 

paid me any attention until 

I came out. Jordan was 

blonde, wore Abercrombie 

and Armani Exchange, and 

was popular. I’d looked up 

to him, honestly: Even in 

a small town, with enough 

confidence, a gay boy can 

be popular. 

But Jordan didn’t want to 

share the spotlight. One 

day, rainbow wristband 

intact, I found a letter 

slipped into my locker: 

“Listen up, I know you 

want to be me, but you’ll 

never be me. You’ll always 

just be a wannabe poser. 

I’m the top fag at Knoxville 

High School.

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BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat 

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HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do 

not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, 

as they will need to check your health regularly for several months. 

ABOUT BIKTARVY 

BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used 

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medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain 

requirements. 

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that 

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Tell your healthcare provider all your medical conditions, 

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• Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection. 

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. 

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have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. 

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: 

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BIKTARVY can cause serious side effects, including: 

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• Changes in your immune system. 

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. 

• Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious 

but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare 

provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being 

more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast 

breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands 

and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. 

• Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell 

your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin 

or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, 

light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, 

or stomach-area pain. 

• The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were 

diarrhea (6%), nausea (5%), and headache (5%). 

These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare 

provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY. 

Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health 

before and during treatment with BIKTARVY. 

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Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more. 

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Version date: February 2018 

© 2018 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0026 05/18



SAM STEVENS 

COMES TO PRIDE FEST 

In what promises to be a 

triumphant celebration, UK popromance 

artist Sam Stevens, the 

so called James Bond of the 

music world, will be touring 

New York as a prelude for his 

Pride Fest performance. We 

can look forward to the premier 

of his new single, “Grand 

Illusion,” set for release on June 

25, as well as his two latest 

singles: “Don’t Cry” and My Kind 

of Crazy.” 

He can be seen live on June 19 

at Boxers HK and at Caffeine 

Underground on June 22 before 

his Pride Fest performance on 

June 24 at the Cafe. He will also 

be available for a meet and greet 

after each performance. 

What does it mean to 

you personally being 

chosen to perform at 

New York Pride Fest? 

It goes without saying 

that it’s an honor to 

perform at NY Pride, 

but absolutely not from 

a “me me me!” point 

of view. My personal 

pride in being asked to 

perform is not an ego 

thing at all, but more in a 

“little old me from some 

little old town in little old 

England” being given the 

opportunity to show my 

support and love for the 

New York gay community, 

NY Pride as an iconic 

force for positivity, as 

well as support for the 

history of the NY gay 

scene, the struggles of 

the Mattachine Society, 

DOB, ONE Inc and then 

what happened to NYC 

clubs like Stonewall. The 

oppression and violence 

that the gay community 

suffered for decades by 

small-minded people, 

the police, governments, 

homophobes and 

people in general must 

have been an incredible 

amount of pressure to 

bear at times. But all 

those involved paved 

the way through great 

hardship to what any 

LGBT individual and 

community can now 

enjoy. None of this would 

be possible without the 

sacrifice of those who 

came before us, so it’s 

fitting we give praise 

and celebrate in any and 

every way we can. Love is 

a VERY powerful thing.

You’re set to perform 

in several gay venues 

in New York as a 

prelude for Pride. 

During your meet 

and greets, what will 

you tell your fans is 

the highlight of your 

career thus far? 

“Set to perform,” LOL! 

Put that way, it sounds 

like I’ll be oiled up, 

fluffed and putting on 

quite a show! “Hey, 

I’m very open minded, 

Mr. Demille,” and 

anything’s possible! But, 

alas, I’ll just be singing 

a few tunes to make 

the audience swoon 

a bit, LOL. Anyone 

wants to meet a tall, 

blonde, English guy 

and hear a few stories, 

they’re very welcome. 

I adore meeting new, 

interesting people, and 

I must say they’ll have 

to excuse me asking 

and being interested 

in their daily lives. New 

York is a brand-new 

experience for me. New 

Yorkers are infinitely 

fascinating to me. I’m 

sure there’ll be a few 

new songs written 

about the colorful 

characters I meet in 

NYC. 

I think my “Prince” 

story is still astounding 

when I think about it. 

But there are many, 

many highlights to 

come, and not just in 

my hair, so here’s a 

sincere invitation to 

everyone: Come join 

me and let’s make some 

new ones, some really 

fun memories. 

How did you get the 

name, “The James 

Bond of the Music 

World”? 

I use a little fun 

anecdote when on 

stage: “I’ve been 

tagged ‘The James 

Bond of the Music 

World,’ and whilst, yes, 

I’m English, contrary 

to popular belief I’m 

not part of the secret 

service, and it’s not 

because I’m particularly 

good looking, but 

I WILL steal your 

girlfriend and smash up 

your car.” LOL! Most 

people who’ve seen 

the show and have 

heard that a few times 

now roll their eyes and 

yawn. 

Truth of the matter 

is that an incredibly 

warm, funny, bonkers 

journalist I first met 

sitting over a dirty 

martini in Camden 

Town, London, said I 

was an English charmer 

with a mischievous 

edge, “just like James 

Bond.” She coined the 

phrase, and it stuck. 

Interestingly, that was 

December time, and 

it’s given me a palette 

of all kinds of imagery 

and ideas to work with. 

I just want some of his 

fantastic gadgets now. 

You have a new single 

to be released June 

25, the day after 

Pride. Tell us about 

it and what it is 

regarding. 

“Grand Illusion” is my 

Bond theme. I would 

ask every single person 

reading this, if you ever 

wanted to do yourself 

a BIG favor, get it, stick 

it on, turn it up LOUD 

and wait for the first 

power chords! it’ll blow 

your f’king head off! 

It’s about overcoming 

people, those who want 

to bring you down and 

think they’re the better 

of you, but no, you’re 

smarter and you’re the 

illusionist and creator 

of your own destiny. A 

cool, powerful destiny.

Who do you feel is 

your strongest gay 

musical influence, if 

any, and why? 

So, so many gay and 

bi people, let alone 

musicians, have an 

innate sensitivity and 

creativity. We look at 

life differently. We’re 

fragile but strong. 

We’re terrified and 

bold. We’re passionate 

and insecure, a 

real dichotomy and 

contradiction. This 

gives us a broader 

outlook on life and 

experience than 

muggles. Freddie 

Mercury’s power and 

passion; David Bowie’s 

incredible invention, 

sense of theatre and 

fun; the strength 

and vulnerability you 

hear in Dusty’s vocal 

performance; and of 

course Mr. George 

Michael. Gosh, I just 

felt a tear well up even 

mentioning his name. 

Listen to George’s 

lyrical content, and the 

absolute beauty of his 

voice, and the shape 

of his songwriting. For 

my mind, there is no 

better emotional and 

beautiful pop singer 

and songwriter. 

Tell us about the 

projects you are 

currently engaged in 

creating. 

Are you from the IRS? 

LOL! I’m working 

with a great NYC 

songwriter called Mike 

Greenly, sprinkling a 

little “twinkle” on a 

few of his songs. I’m 

actually sitting in the 

studio at the moment 

working on a track of 

his called “Common 

Ground,” which is 

about acknowledging 

differences but finding 

love and compassion 

to bring us together. 

We need more love 

and compassion.

You have an 

overwhelming 

reputation of writing 

and singing romantic 

songs. How’d that 

come about? 

What, how did the 

reputation come about, 

or how come I write 

romantic songs? 

I’m what they 

call a hapless 

romantic— 

many LGBT 

people are. The 

crave for love, 

connection and 

acceptance runs 

deep and is at 

the core of us. 

Tell me about 

“Extraordinary 

People.” 

I wrote this 

track called 


People.” It’s 

emotional. It 

was written 

about two dear 

friends of mine, 

Matt and Jason, 

both great DJs 

at some of the 

best gay nights 

in London. 

Beautiful 

people. So, 

here’s the story. 

Are you sitting 

comfortably? 

I met Jason Prince at this 

recording studio, and we 

chatted about the two 

of them and how they’d 

been together for some 

time through thick and 

thin and adored each 

other. One session at the 

studio I noticed Jason 

had a t-shirt on, and 

without prying too much, 

I asked, “Jason, what’s 

that HUGE scar on your 

arm, mate?” At first I 

thought it was a scar 

from surgery. He said, 

“Oh, I was attacked.” 

He was violently beaten 

up and stabbed, almost 

killing him. I asked 

about it, and he told 

me about not just this 

event where he was 

subjected to a nasty, 

violent homophobic 

attack, but of many, 

many, many occasions 

where he and Matt 

had been beaten up, 

abused physically and 

verbally, refused entry 

into places, humiliated 

and almost murdered 

just for being gay and 

being together. He was 

fine with talking about it 

(people do tell me their 

secrets), and whilst it 

obviously had physically 

scarred him, Jason is an 

incredibly positive and 

lovely person who I think 

the world of. His stories 

about what he and Matt 

endured to be together 

at the hands of bigots, 

homophobes and the 

violence they meted 

out was shocking, but 

an inspiration. 

I went straight 

home and in 30 

minutes I wrote 


People” for 

Jason and Matt 

as a celebration 

of their courage 

and love for 

eachother. 

“We’re still 

here to testify, 

we survived, 

this ordinary 

world, ‘cos we’re 

extraordinary 

people, 

extraordinary 

people, you and 

I...” 

I’d like to 

dedicate 

this track to 

EVERYONE who 

comes to NY 

Pride, to share 

in the coming 

together to 

celebrate who we 

are and how we 

got here and as 

an indication that love 

conquers all. It really 

does. 

What’s new on the 

horizon for you? 

Love, lots of love, lots 

of smiling and laughing, 

lots of food and drink 

and meeting new people 

and creating lots of new 

sounds and ideas to 

share and bring people 

together. Happy Pride 

everyone!

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stories GET OUT! MAGAZINE >> GETOUTMAG.COM 

DIRECTOR C. 

FITZ TALKS 

TO LOVARI 

ABOUT THE 

DOCUMENTARY 

JEWEL’S 

CATCH ONE, 

DISTRIBUTED 

BY ACADEMY 

AWARD 

NOMINEE AVA 

DUVERNAY’S 

“ARRAY”, 

AVAILABLE ON 

NETFLIX. 

The idea to document 

both the beloved club 

and its owner was a 

perfect pairing. What 

initially inspired you to 

embark on this project? 

I was directing a shorter 

piece for the LA LGBTQ 

center Award Gala. They 

were honoring Jewel as a 

local community leader. 

Each year I donated my 

time to this charity and 

the first time I met Jewel 

and learned of the history 

behind the legendary 

Catch One and all the 

lives she and this story had 

touched I knew the film 

needed be made. I call it a 

type of unwritten textbook 

that everyone should read/ 

see and be witness to the 

amount of work that went 

into holding on to this 

legendary space for over 

4 decades and Jewel’s 

activism and service to her 

community. It amazed me 

the amount of people that 

were touched by Catch 

One and how it became 

a home for not only the 

Black LGBTQ community, 

but all walks of life that 

have been through those 

doors. 

In addition to being a 

female African American 

LGBT business owner, 

facing obstacles that 

were unfortunately very 

prevalent in the 1970s 

and 1980s, there are 

many other things that 

Jewel accomplished 

as well (opening up a 

health center; self-taught 

construction skills; 

fundraising; dj’ing). Of all 

of these admirable feats, 

which one surprised you 

the most? 

One of the most admirable 

and inspirational ‘feats’ 

would be Jewel going 

back to school and 

starting a new career at 

age 56! Jewel wanted 

to continue serving her 

community outside the 

walls of CATCH ONE and 

went back to school to 

study Traditional Chinese 

Medicine. Opening her 

own clinic “The Village 

Health Foundation,” which 

she still works in today, 

is just an outstanding life 

of service. It shows us all 

(and our film’s audience) 

that you should follow your 

dreams at every age and 

follow your heart to realize 

your passions! 

You had hours of footage 

to choose from. As a 

viewer, I am impressed 

with how seamlessly 

you touched upon so 

many issues within the 

duration of the film - 

female entrepreneurship, 

racism, the AIDS crisis, 

homophobia, LGBT 

rights, friendships, 

relationships, and music. 

How was the editing 

process for you and your 

team? 

Thank you Lovari. It is 

quite the massive group of 

stories and history to tell 

in one film and I wanted to 

take great care in telling it 

right, as well as, design the 

soundtrack and frames in 

a style that would do this 

film justice and entertain 

audiences of all kinds, 

so that took time. It was 

important that this history 

was represented and 

not lost. I was especially 

touched by the AIDS Crisis 

stories and how many 

people were affected, still 

affected, and how fearless 

Jewel was during a very 

scary time for us. 

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARRAY

I feel this chapter in the film is 

a very powerful one that tells 

a story FOR so many to our 

future. With all our research 

and collection of photos, 

original and archival footage 

crafting the four decades into 

an 85-minute documentary took 

about 2 years. The hardest part 

for me was cutting the footage 

and stories for time. However, 

it was an amazing process and 

we had a tiny amazing crew 

of researchers, producers and 

editors that helped me make 

the 8 year journey the film it 

is today. Being distributed by 

Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY, and on 

Netflix, is a wonderful part of 

finishing this film. 

There is so much amazing 

music in Jewel’s Catch One, 

and fantastic interviews 

with some of the greatest 

artists of the disco era. In 

addition, you have one of 

the greatest actors of the 

modern era, Sharon Stone, 

who frequented the club and 

tells of her experiences with 

it. Interestingly enough, she 

is one of the music sponsors 

of the film. Tell me how that 

came about! 

Yes, Sharon Stone coming 

on board to participate 

and support the film was a 

wonderful gift! Her voice as 

a global advocate to raise 

awareness about AIDS and 

AIDS research (as well as a 

patron on some nights) helped 

tell the story of what a safespace 

Catch One had become 

for so many, and her interviews 

shed light on the importance of 

Jewel’s work in the Los Angeles 

Black LGBTQ community 

during the AIDS Crisis, plus how 

important everyone’s individual 

work (and giving back) can help 

us all from a global perspective. 

We are grateful for all of her 

support! 

IDINA MENZEL 

Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre/ 

Laura Pels Theatre 

111 West 46th Street 

212.719.1300 

roundabouttheatre.org 

PHOTO BY JESSE DITTMAR

©2018 Target Brands, Inc. The Bullseye Design is a registered trademark of Target Brands, Inc. C-000802-08-003

Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 372 – June 20, 2018

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