Tom Ford speaks, gets $20 Million

At the recent Cannes Film Festival, Tom Ford announced his intention to make his next feature, Nocturnal Animals, and Focus stepped in with $20 million of confidence-building cash. The fashion designer/filmmaker’s last movie, A Single Man, earned strong reviews and Oscar nominations, which is exactly the kind of film Universal’s Focus division loves to make, so this is a no-brainer for everyone. Ford will produce, direct and adapt the screenplay from Austin Wright’s 1993 novel, Tony and Susan, and the project is slated to star Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal. As of right now, the plot is bare bones, revolving around a woman receiving her ex-husband’s first novel in the mail, which then sets her on her own path of self-discovery. Vague-ish, true, but you never show your hand too early. More news as it develops, but for now, just know that it’s pretty good to be Tom Ford.

Where will Fun Home land next?

Forgive the breathless nature of our enthusiasm for the Tony Award-winning Fun Home, but Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir turned stage musical is as sweetly intoxicating as a show gets, and we can’t help hoping for more success. So here’s some speculation, the kind where we hope that just talking about it makes it come true. There is rumor, hinted at by director Sam Gold, of expanding Home’s theater audience and opening it in London’s West End next, a fairly routine move when an acclaimed musical takes home the top prize. But for theater-deprived audiences in smaller towns, it’s the movie that counts. The producers, for their part, are being cagey about a film, standard practice when you’re fielding offers. “There’s definitely been interest in a film,” they’ve been reported as saying, before adding more non-specific words about being “open to anything” and wanting “to do what’s best for (the show).” So, OK, sure, none of this is official news. It’s more like people talking around an idea of news, which is how non-news eventually becomes news in Hollywood. Now we wait and hope it does just that.

Kristen Stewart’s Long Halftime Walk

Let’s not get too excited about Kristen Stewart. The Millenials aren’t as into labels and the “event” nature of coming out as generations that paved the road before. And good for them, because that’s freedom. So is K-Stew dating a woman now? It very well looks like it, and her mother has flip-flopped on talking about it in public. Is she bisexual? Probably. Maybe. Who knows. It only matters for our purposes because now we get to talk about her career as an actor in the same way we talk about Amber Heard, an entertainment figure whose life involves same-sex relationships from time to time. Good for us, then, that Stewart’s post-Twilight is turning out so well. She’s shaken the Internet’s fanboy disdain for that series and is currently getting rave reviews for her role in the acclaimed arthouse film Clouds of Sils Maria, with Juliette Binoche. Stewart’s currently shooting Ang Lee’s latest, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, a dramatic comedy about soldiers spending their last few days before returning to Iraq. It co-stars Vin Diesel, Garrett Hedlund, Steve Martin, Pitch Perfect’s Ben Platt, and the somewhat reclusive Chris Tucker. The lesson of the moment, then, is this: the work is what lasts, boyfriends and girlfriends (or both) come and go.

Out In The Night coming to Logo

Last year, we reported on Out In The Night a disturbing documentary from director Blair Dorosh-Walther that was, then, making the rounds of LGBT film festivals. It’s the story of four black lesbian friends – Renata Hill, Patreese Johnson, Terrain Dandridge, and Venice Brown – who were attacked by a man in New York’s Greenwich Village, and who then wasted no time defending themselves. It was a violent incident and, for their self-defense efforts, the women were tried and sentenced to between three and 11 years in prison. Meanwhile, they were slandered in racist media reports as “bloodthirsty” and a “gang.” Now their story will reach a national audience when Logo Documentary Films presents the film on June 22 as part of an ongoing series of queer docs. The cable channel is to be praised for selecting this hard-hitting, difficult subject matter over lighter, feel-good fare, especially when the cause of LGBT equality is, marriage or no marriage, still as vital as ever. Set that DVR. 

Tyler Glenn is the kickass lead singer and keyboardist for Neon Trees. He’s also a gay rock star, having come out publicly in April 2014. Tyler was kind enough to speak with Gay Vegas ahead of his band’s upcoming show.

It’s widely known that you’re a Mormon and you have this song called “Voices in the Hall”, which is just beautiful. Like tabernacle, choir-type. Were you in the Mormon choir? Did that influence you?

Yeah, I was in church choir all through growing up. I definitely participated in the music side of church. It was really cool.

What’s “Voices in the Hall” about for you? 

Growing up and being closeted until I was 30, there were a lot of relationships and there were two in particular in my twenties that I wasn’t able to really openly talk about. So that song’s about those two in particular. But it’s mostly just the pain of hiding yourself and the pain of carrying on a world inside of your head most of the time. Because for me that’s how it was. Since then obviously the song has taken on new meaning because I lead a more open life, but prior to that there were painful moments that I wasn’t even able to divulge to anyone.

Has The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reached out to you at all? Have you heard from the Mormon Church? Do you know if their views on the LGBT community are changing?

I’ve heard and worked with a lot of church members. I still live in Salt Lake City most of the time. When I’m home I’ve gotten more and more involved in local events and local meetings where we’re kind of trying to mend and trying to heal a lot of the wounds between the Mormon Church and the LGBT community here locally.

I’m the keynote speaker in October actually for Equality Utah and we’re going to try to bring more and more attention to the fact that there’s a lot of families that are being torn apart because of religious oppression. While I still have fond memories of being raised Mormon and still have a lot of ties to the Mormon Church, there’s obviously things that I want to see changed. And it’s been slow here just because it takes a little longer because of the prevalence of religion here, but I think the small steps that we’ve made are huge steps for Utah. I’m excited about it and I think it’s encouraging. More and more there’s been talk about welcoming LGBT members back to the Church and trying to mend some of that stuff that went on around Prop 8, which was obviously wrong and sort of devastating.

There are a lot of LGBT youth that struggle with acceptance, depression and even thoughts of suicide. Artists like you who choose to share their orientation with the world send a hopeful message to our generation. What message would you send to those in our LGBT community who are struggling?

On my worst days, I still think about the idea of how easy it would be to run away from everything. My biggest piece of advice is the adventure really starts when you accept the things about you that you cannot change. But finding a great guy or girl, or coming out or whatever you think will make you whole or things better, that won’t ultimately do that until it’s you that you love and you that you’re happy with. If it helps at all, I’m someone that’s accomplished so many of my dreams and been on such a wild adventure and even I feel those feelings of hopelessness. Surround yourself with great music and what moves you and inspires you, and people that will do that too. And drink water, and get on a bike or take a walk and get a new perspective. 

Have you seen an increase of LGBT support for Neon Trees since you’ve come out? 

Yes, and it’s very nice to see that. I didn’t come out, of course, for the audience attention, but to see the community backing my choice and also enjoying the music and the performances makes me happy. There’s definitely more of a gay audience at the meet and greets, which is fun.

Have you ever done drag before? Have you or would you ever let one of your band members, like Elaine Bradley, be in charge of your overall drag look?

I have done drag on three separate occasions, but they were all for Halloween events. I looked really hot and I was absolutely in shock because I did not consider the idea of me being a physically attractive woman. I don’t think I’d let Elaine be in charge of my look as a girl – we just have different taste.

What artist can you totally get down to that your fans may be surprised to hear?

I’m sure there’s a lot that people would be surprised I like, only because sometimes it seems we get pigeonholed for our look and style of our music. I’m sure people wouldn’t think I love heavier music like Glassjaw, At The Drive In, and Refused. Those are some of my favorite artists.

Who has been your biggest inspiration in life?

That’s so difficult. Too many inspirations come to mind. I’ll answer it by saying anyone that’s pushed buttons, blurred lines and stuck to their guns while keeping their moral code intact. My mother comes to mind, Klaus Nomi comes to mind, Lady Gaga comes to mind, Morrissey comes to mind, etc.

You have a new single out now called, “Songs I can’t listen to.” Is there a particular song or artist that reminds you of one of your past relationships?

A lot of Ryan Adams.

You have a show coming up at The Cosmopolitan. Tell us a little bit about that.

The tour is going to be a lot of us playing songs from our first album that we kind of stopped playing, so that’s going to be fun for fans. I just think it’s going to be a more fan-centric show. Our tour last year was really heavy on theatrics and color, which is a very fun aspect of the band, but I think this tour is going to be more personal, which I think is a fun experience for fans that have been seeing us for the last six years. So I’m excited about it.

What is one of your favorite Vegas shows? 

I loved Michael Jackson ONE. I really enjoyed Evil Dead The Musical – I sat in the bloody spray zone too. And I saw Britney’s show and had a blast.

What is one of your favorite casinos / hotels?

MGM is a fun hotel with a group of friends – I like to be on the Stay Well floor. I really like The Cosmopolitan – the vegan shake at Holsteins is amazing and their buffet is quality and fun. And I love The Wynn – their suites are heavenly and their buffet is the only other one besides Cosmo that I’ll eat at. But I really enjoy staying at Vdara for a non-casino feel. It’s really comfortable and quiet, but in a great area with lots of luxe accommodations.

Where did you pick up  the copy of Gay Vegas Magazine you tweeted last year?

The Garage.

Would you ever do a Pride event, like Vegas Pride?

We did a Pride in Chicago, which was really fun. Yeah, I think we’re totally open to that. That would be awesome!

Tyler, what moment in your career did you say to yourself, “It happened”? 

I don’t think there was a specific moment. Getting signed was fine, but it was still a very long time before we put a record out. When we did, I think it was more just like getting to hold that first album in our hands. And then we went on a massive tour. We started playing on the TV shows, the late night shows. That was just one after another. That was the moment for me where it got a little overwhelming, and then I was going through a lot mentally to sort of stay balanced. 

The moment that’s felt the most proud I think is just being able to talk about my experience onstage last summer. At every show just getting to talk about coming out and getting to talk about feeling like myself for the first time onstage. Before there were times where it just kind of felt either like an act or like a version of myself but not maybe the whole part that I wanted to display. 

I think it’s all just been a culmination, and the fact that we can still do this, I know it sounds sort of cliché, I just enjoy it. That’s how I feel like I know we’ve made it. Just being able to still do it.

Neon Trees will be performing on June 12 at 8 p.m. at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. You can buy tickets at cosmopolitanlasvegas.com. Visit Neon Trees website fameisdead.com

I’m a dyslexic introvert who is queer. I’ve always felt as if I’ve been on the outside looking in. Growing up in a less than supportive environment, art was an escape for me. I would spend hours hidden away somewhere painting or drawing the world I wanted to live in. This was a masculine world filled with soldiers, cowboys, and adventure.

I clearly remember the day I was introduced to the idea that art could be porn and porn could be art. While I was attending Parsons at the tender age of 18, I was working in the West Village. On my way to work one afternoon, I passed a card shop that sold gay-themed cards and tchotchkes. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a postcard that turned out to be Robert Mapplethorpe’s “Man in a Polyester Suit.” The image is of a light polyester clad torso with a huge black dick hanging out. This image is still seared into my brain. It’s like it went from my retinas directly to my nervous system. Art school gave me a high-minded way of thinking about art. I held a notion that I wanted my paintings to be timeless. I didn’t want them to have objects or props that would date them, or make them illustrations. I wanted to paint about what it is to be human in an emotional sense – in a way that transcended time. I wanted to express the divine feeling I felt when I looked at great masters’ works. The postcard was not part of this ideal, though it haunted me. I don’t know if it was fear or shame, or maybe that it was considered porn – I wasn’t brave enough to know how important that image was yet. By 2002, my exploration through sex had become the place where I felt like part of the human race. The place where I’m part of something bigger than myself. Though I wasn’t conscious of it at the time, I began to express this in my art. I painted a series of genitalia as portraits. I ended up doing 20 of them. Half women, half men. They were well-received at a show in San Francisco. My internal world started blossoming out into my external world. I now paint people and things from my life that visually stimulate me. I try not to intellectualize it too much. I feel my subconscious needs to be as much a part as the conscious for the images to stay authentic.

I applaud curators such as Laura Henkel for being brave enough to see the importance of sexually driven art. Her annual competition “12 Inches of Sin” draws top-notch artists from across the globe. This shows me that there is a worldwide hunger to create and consume such art. The language of love is universal.

Suzanne M Shifflett is displaying her work through August at the “12 Inches of Sin” exhibition at Sin City Gallery in Las Vegas. 

Gay men love them some Britney Spears, and recently the pop diva proved she’s worthy of that love. She shared a special message with a couple on their wedding day – a couple she helped get together.

David Krawsek and Woody Arenas first met in 2013 at Britney’s opening night performance of “Piece of Me” in Las Vegas. In keeping with that theme, they decided to return to the Axis Theater at Planet Hollywood on April 24 to have their wedding before seeing Britney perform once again. Well she was not about to let the event go unnoticed – she sent them a video message for their champagne toast.

“Hi, David and Woody. I’m so excited to have you back at my show where the two of you met on the first night on opening in 2013. I’m honored to be a part of your love story. Congratulations and all the best for an amazing life together.”

Before presenting the couple with the message, Britney had already loaned them costumes for the mannequins that would flank them as they got married – her flight attendant uniform from “Toxic” and her lion tamer outfit from “Circus”. 

To add more Vegas flair to the wedding, the two had Roland August, the minister from Katy Perry’s “Waking Up in Vegas” video, marry them.

Afterwards Britney invited Krawsek and Arenas for a backstage meet-and-greet following the show. They, of course, took a photo with Britney, and even had her sign their marriage certificate.

Why the over-the-top Britney love? Well it’s Arenas who’s the big fan, and his smart hubby wanted to make him happy. “Happy husband, happy life,” Krawsek told Mashable. “She could do no wrong in his eyes.”

She certainly got it right that night. Britney later tweeted the following:

“So happy #PieceOfMe brought these two handsome gentlemen together! Congrats on your special day!”

Congratulations indeed!