The Word of Reba
- April 21, 2015 - 2:51pm
Even by phone, Reba McEntire makes you feel right at home. “Thanks for the visit; I’ve enjoyed visitin’ with you!” the singer drawls, wrapping up our conversation as if I’d just stopped by for buttered grits and a cup of hot coffee.
A music, television, film and theater superstar with a trove of prestigious awards, Reba is enormously famous, but talking to her, you wouldn’t know it. She comes across more like a friend. Fancy? Not so much. And she certainly won’t let her rabid gay following down – she has delighted in a friendship with the LGBT community since the beginning of her 40-year career.
Now, as she releases her 27th studio album, Love Somebody, the country icon’s ready to take some serious stands.
In our chat, Reba stresses the importance of gay marriage, how “sad” it is to know that some country artists feel they can’t come out, and her message to parents who can’t accept a child who’s not straight.
You grew up in a town with, like, 16 people and lots of cows. I imagine there weren’t a lot of gay people in Chockie, Oklahoma.
Nope, nope. Not at all that I know of, or in high school. I guess in college was the first time I was around any gay people, and they became my friends first and then I found out they were gay, so there ya go! Didn’t change my opinion of ’em; I still liked ’em a lot.
One was a very dear friend of mine who helped me a lot with my singing and my music, and he was just a super sweet, gentle man who loved music with all his heart. I’m pretty sure that was my first introduction, the first time I met anyone who was gay.
As a longtime ally, how important are LGBT equality and same-sex marriage rights to you?
Very important. I just went to my first gay wedding a couple of months ago in California for Michael and Steven, my two great friends. They’ve been together for 20 years! I thought that it was not fair, and I didn’t understand why they couldn’t get married. It wasn’t because they just wanted to get married. If one of them had gotten injured and gone to the hospital, the other one couldn’t make decisions for them. It’s very upsetting. It’s not only for convenience or for romantic reasons – it’s for practicality. For practical reasons! I get a kick out of what Dolly said: “Why shouldn’t they get married and be as miserable as the rest of us?” (Laughs)
You don’t seem so miserable in your marriage, though.
No, not at all. But I don’t understand why people have a problem with it. I’m a very spiritual person, but I don’t judge. I try not to; I’m only human. To each his own, and everybody is different. God did not make us all the same. So, I just pray for an open mind and a loving heart, and I think that’s all I can do.
In your four decades as a country musician, how much progress do you think the genre has made when it comes to embracing LGBT fans with open arms?
Well, I’ve always embraced gay and lesbian fans with both arms. I have a huge gay following!
Absolutely. But country music as a whole – do you see progress when it comes to LGBT equality?
Yeah, I do. There are more (artists) speaking out about it, but I can’t really speak for anyone else other than myself.
If Reba, Wynonna and Dolly drag queens were to compete, how would you mentor the Reba queen to ensure her victory?
Good lands – that’s a hard question! Because Wynonna is such a character! I love her with all my heart. Dolly is bigger than life, and I love her with all my heart. So I’d say, get out there and work your tail off!
Throughout the years, there’s been some pretty darn good Rebas. I’m sure you’ve encountered some yourself.
Totally, absolutely! I’ve had a Reba impersonator in my (touring) show before, and David (Lowman aka Coti Collins) came off the stage one night and he said he’d done such a good job of impersonating me in the song “Fancy” that the limo driver opened the door for him.
Have you ever been mistaken for a fake Reba?
Not that I know of!
Female country artists aren’t getting the same radio airplay as their male counterparts these days. Why aren’t the ladies getting a fair shake?
It goes cyclical. It’s always in phases, and it’ll come back around. In my 40-year career I’ve seen it go from very contemporary country music to very traditional, and then it goes back to contemporary and then you can’t get a male song recorded or a male on the radio, and then you can’t get a female song recorded or a female on the radio.
It’s gonna come back. It’s been the good ol’ boy season right now, but it’ll change. It’ll go back to more romantic, more females. But we’ve gotta promote these younger females coming on. I’m with ya. There’s a bunch that have been lost in the shuffle – female singers – that I don’t know they’ll get a second chance, but they’re out there. We just need to get them on the radio and get them out to the public to listen to.
Who comes to mind?
Brandy Clark. My gosh, that girl! I’ve got three or four songs of hers on my new album. She’s got great material. I mean, Miranda’s recorded them. All the girls have recorded her songs.
I have to know: When’s the big hair coming back?
(Laughs) I can’t get (my stylist) Brett Freedman to get it that high anymore! My good friend Shane Tarleton is always saying, “Get that big hair out. Jack it up to Jesus!”
Is that your real hair?
Yeah, it’s my real hair now. I did wear wigs when I did Annie Get Your Gun, and then on one tour where we went from Reba in 1974 to present Reba, I did wear the big wigs and had my short hair at the end. And I’ve done it on vacation, ya know. You go from the swimming pool to getting ready for dinner in 30 minutes when you’re wearing wigs! They’re great!
Redheads sometimes get a lot of flak when they’re young. As a redhead in a small town, what was it like for you? Did you ever feel like an outsider?
No, absolutely not. I loved my red hair. My mom was a redhead, so I felt she gave me her red hair. I’ve always been very, very proud of it.
And people didn’t treat you any differently because of it?
Oh, I didn’t care!
What has made you gravitate toward themes of empowerment, then?
Because I think they’re important. To be encouraging. These songs are encouraging; they’re encouraging to folks. Every song I sing has a message, and it might not be for me and I might not have experienced what’s going on in the song, but I think it’s for somebody who needs to hear it. I’ve had people come up to me before saying, “You have no idea how so-and-so song changed my life. It helped me through a bad situation.” God knows what he’s doing. He gives me the gut feeling to say yes to this song, yes to that song. And it might not have anything to do with my career, my lifestyle, but he’s got somebody down the road who needs to hear it.
Would you consider recording a country song inspired by a gay person’s story?
It just depends on the song. If it touches my heart, absolutely.
Your daughter-in-law, Kelly Clarkson, told me recently that she didn’t care if one of her kids turned out to be gay. And then you actually backed her on that on Facebook, posting “amen!” on the article. As a grandparent, and a parent yourself, what kind of message do you hope to send by affirming your open-mindedness when it comes to loving and caring for a child regardless of sexual orientation?
What a child needs when they’re growing up is support and love, mainly love. Love can go a long, long ways whether they’re gay or not. All the troubles and the problems and the obstacles that they are going to face in their lives are going to be astronomical, especially in their very young, inexperienced minds. And if they do happen to be gay, that’s going to be a harder hurdle to get over. What a parent needs to do more than anything is jump in there with love and support. You made ’em. They’re a gift from God. Love ’em as they are.
With Billy Gilman, Ty Herndon and Brandy Clark, there’s been a recent wave of country musicians coming out. What are your thoughts on these artists taking that step and coming out publicly?
It’s really, really sad what they’re living with before they decide to come out. And then why they decide to come out, and how they deal with it after they’ve come out – the pressure society puts upon them, their families and what they put upon them, whether they accept it or they don’t. You know, my new album is called Love Somebody … I wish it’d been called Love Everybody. You gotta love people for who they are. Accept them, and then go on with life.
Love Everybody – the title of the next album.
I’m gonna work on that!
Hoosier Hullabaloo
- April 18, 2015 - 8:56am
The words “NCAA” and “moral high ground” seldom share the same sentence. Yet that lofty peak is exactly where college sport’s most influential body found itself recently, on the flat terrain of Indiana.
The reason was political. The Hoosier State – “The Crossroads of America,” according to its official motto – had just passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Gov. Mike Pence wasted little time signing the bill, which would allow businesses and individuals to claim religion as a defense in discrimination lawsuits. Because sexual orientation is not protected under Indiana law, LGBT people could be refused services, or suffer other forms of mistreatment.
Indiana also happens to be the crossroads of many athletic events and organizations. The National Collegiate Athletic Association is headquartered there; so is the National Federation of State High School Associations. It’s the site of the annual Big Ten football championship game, through at least 2021. It’s home to NFL and NBA teams, as well as America’s most famous 500-mile automobile race.
Although sports and politics seldom mix, the sports world reacted quickly, and vehemently, to the governor’s signature.
In sports, timing is everything. Part of the reason for the nearly instant reaction is that just a few days after the legislation was passed, Indianapolis would host college basketball’s men’s Final Four tournament. The eyes of the nation would be fixed on a city in which, apparently, gay hoops fans – or players, coaches, staff members, sportswriters, and anyone else associated with the event – could now be denied service.
What’s more, the women’s Final Four is scheduled for the same city next year.
Mark Emmert – president of the NCAA, which has a $1-a-year lease in Indianapolis that runs through 2060 (!) – issued a statement almost immediately. He said his organization would examine how the law “might affect future events, as well as our workforce.”
Emmert added, “The NCAA national office and our members are deeply committed to providing an inclusive environment for all our events. We are especially concerned about how this legislation could affect our student-athletes and employees. We will work diligently to assure student-athletes competing in, and visitors attending, next week’s men’s Final Four in Indianapolis are not impacted negatively by this bill.”
Jim Buzinski had a front-row view of the Hoosier hullabaloo. The co-founder of OutSports, a website founded in 1999 that has become the go-to site for LGBT sports news and commentary, he was both surprised and impressed by the quick reaction of athletes and organizations.
“It wasn’t just the NCAA,” Buzinski said. “Charles Barkley spoke out too, on the eve of the biggest college (basketball) event.” The former NBA star – now an opinionated and controversial television analyst –forcefully declared that Indiana should no longer host any major sporting events.
The timing of the Final Four was an important “trigger” in the quick sports world reaction, Buzinski noted. That trigger was pulled a year earlier, when Arizona passed its own Religious Freedom Restoration Act. As it became clear that the National Football League might remove the state from consideration as a Super Bowl host (no idle threat; the NFL moved the game from Tempe to the Rose Bowl in 1993, because the state never established an official Martin Luther King holiday) Gov. Jan Brewer refused to sign the bill.
“It seemed pretty spontaneous,” Buzinski said of the opposition to Indiana’s legislation. “There were no LGBT sports groups saying, ‘We have to make this an issue.’ People pay attention when sports figures speak up. The media asked questions, and it took off from there.”
Individuals acted too. University of Southern California athletic director Pat Haden chose not to attend a college football playoff meeting in Indianapolis. “I am the proud father of a gay son,” he tweeted. “#EmbraceDiversity.”
After a disastrous appearance by Gov. Pence on a Sunday talk show, the Indiana legislature went from defense to offense. It passed a revised version of the law, which prohibits businesses from using it in court as a refusal to offer services based on sexual orientation. (However, sexual orientation is still not a protected category in Indiana law.)
“The Final Four was a line in the sand they didn’t want to cross,” Buzinski said. “They didn’t want people talking about it when the games began. The situation was getting untenable. Once the revised bill was signed, they were off the hook.”
The issue is quiet – for now. But it won’t go away. Without specific mention of sexual orientation in Indiana’s anti-discrimination statutes, LGBT people in the state still lack legal protection.
That means NCAA employees – plus anyone associated with the Indianapolis Colts, Indiana Pacers and Indy 500 – must remain wary of the “Crossroads of America.”
Update: Nevada transgender student ‘bathroom bill’ defeated
- April 15, 2015 - 5:11pm
Update: AB 375 has been defeated.
On April 10, Nevada’s Assembly Judiciary Committee passed a bill that proposes the segregation of transgender students in public schools into separate bathrooms and locker rooms. It’s now up to the full Assembly to determine if the bill should move forward.
Those who support the bill affirm it is a necessary safety measure against predatory behavior and ‘pretend’ transgender students. Its opponents, however, call it discriminatory and point to the likelihood of increased assaults on these students due to singling them out. What’s more, they say it is illegal under federal law.
Only Democrats voted against Assembly Bill 375. It survived thanks to a committee dominated by Republicans.
Assemblywoman Victoria Dooling, R-Las Vegas, who sponsored the bill, says it’s needed because more and more schools allow transgender students to use the bathroom of their identified genders.
These students will use this advantage to “gain entrance into bathrooms and locker rooms of the opposite gender to stalk and sexually abuse others," read Dooling from a letter by a Nevada physician, whom she would not name, this according to the Reno Gazette-Journal.
On the other side of the argument was assemblyman James Ohrenschall, D-Las Vegas, who said the bill would "lead to more bullying", as it would identify students who may very well not be known to be transgender.
AB 375 would mandate that locker rooms and bathrooms "only be used by persons of that biological sex" and requires transgender students in public schools to use unisex or faculty bathrooms. The separate restrooms must be "the best available accommodations" that a school can provide.
But the legalities around the bill make its future doubtful.
According to Title IX, sex discrimination is prohibited in schools that receive federal funds. Should the bill pass and be found to violate Title IX, Nevada public schools would “be at risk of losing federal funding, federal lawsuits and investigation by the Equal Opportunity Commission”, the Reno Gazette-Journal cites Vanessa Spinazola, legislative and advocacy director for the ACLU of Nevada, as saying.
The bill is sure to be a subject of continued heated debate before it goes up to the full Assembly.
Getting Froot-y
- April 10, 2015 - 1:28pm
“This line is so sketchy!” says Marina Lambrini Diamandis (better known by her stage name, Marina and the Diamonds). But despite the fallible international phone connection, the Welsh indie-pop artist’s refreshing truthfulness is not impeded as she promotes her latest album, FROOT.
Marina can be heard loud and clear while serving major dish on a variety of hot topics: lesbian rumors, Katy Perry parties, interviews she calls “complete shit” and what she thinks of artists who pander to the gay community (Hint: “It’s insulting”).
So, your new album, Marina: I cried.
Noooo! (Laughs)
Was the experience of creating the music as emotional of an experience for you?
Yeah. I mean, maybe in a less intense way because I was writing it for over 18 months. With everything (I’m) very kind of exposed, but particularly so with this one.
How did you end up making an album that’s very much about self-confidence and loving yourself first?
I can’t really tell you. There’s not an answer for the way I got to that point. The relationship you have with yourself – you can’t really orchestrate that or make that happen. It’s more than just a point you get to in your life. It was very gradual. Obviously, I must’ve got to a point where I was inspired enough to write about it for songs like “Happy,” but that was quite late in (the recording stage), so songs like “Immortal” and “Gold” were written on the way to getting to that point, if that makes sense.
So you were working yourself out as you went along?
Yeah, totally.
The album really resonates with me in a way that I think will also resonate with a lot of people in the LGBT community.
A lot of the reason I think I have a gay fan base is because a lot of the themes, and the core of the songs, are usually stemming from something to do with identity or acceptance. I know that I always felt like that and I don’t anymore. FROOT definitely focuses on that, but I suppose, yeah, it is a lot about letting go of certain things. Anyone who feels rejection, prejudice or discrimination in some way would connect to that.
When we spoke in 2012, you were reluctant to gush too much about your gay fan base. At the time you said, “I don't want to be a cliché pop star saying, ‘I love my gays!’” When does talking about one’s gay fan base become a cliché?
It’s not that it’s a cliché – it’s more that, perhaps, I was cynical about it. I felt that people in pop use that to express themselves in that way for calculated means because they know the gay fan base is extremely loyal and extremely expressive and is a tastemaker demographic. You know what I mean? It’s like, “Oh, god.” It’s insulting to both sides.
I kind of feel the same way now, because, yeah, of course I have a really strong gay fan base, and the fact is that it is a really enjoyable factor for me to have a really strong demographic because it makes the shows a lot more fun, for one, and because they are really expressive. But all types of people should be appreciated. I’m sure the gays would back me up on that! (Laughs)
Do you think the appreciation of one’s following can morph into pandering?
On Twitter, I don’t really like it when I see loads of messages from an artist saying (talks in baby voice) “I love you guys! I love you guys! I love you guys!” because I don’t think there’s any kind of intelligence in that. Also, how can you be genuine and say that so many times? Maybe that’s when it becomes pandering, when you’re dumbing down your fan base.
You’ve opened up for some big names, including Coldplay and Katy Perry. What is the extent of your interactions with these people when you’re on tour with them? Did Katy invite you to hang out with her?
(Laughs) She did actually! She invited me to a Fourth of July celebration; it was really nice. She looks after her supports nicely, but I didn’t hang out with her personally loads. And then with Coldplay – Chris (Martin) came and said hi a few times, but just as much as you’re busy, they’re busy. I do promo, and Coldplay has to do god knows what. I mean, they have bloody kids to look after! To be honest, even with the supports that I’ve had, you don’t really get to talk to each other that much. Sometimes you might get to hang out, but it’s pretty common to not really see each other that much.
Could you see yourself working with Katy at some point?
You never know! With collaborations, I’ve been very picky in that I’ve only ever done one, so I’m kind of looking forward to doing more. Now that I’ve done this album and created what I want, I feel much more open to doing other stuff.
FROOT has more in common musically with your debut than its follow up, Electra Heart. It’s very DIY, less mainstream pop. Why the change?
Because I felt like this is the essence of who I am as an artist. Pre getting signed, that was the music I was creating, and it’s not like “this is the real me.” It’s more that I feel like with Electra Heart it was very conceptual and I wholeheartedly embraced working with big writers and big producers in American pop to further my fan base and to expose me to a lot of new people. I did that because you literally can’t get on the radio in any other way.
So, for me, doing another album like that again would not make sense because I didn’t enjoy the experience of trying to try to fit into this mold. I felt that, though there were so many really enjoyable parts to Electra Heart, particularly with the visuals that we were creating, there were also parts – the everyday stuff, the kind of interviews that I was having to do, and the perception that people had of me – that I just felt really uncomfortable. With this one, I just wanted to try it on my own.
What about the interviews during the Electra Heart period made you feel uncomfortable?
Just uncomfortable in that they were complete shit. Actually, I have to say, for whatever reason, except the ones that were for gay publications, it seemed like everything was very surface layer because of the music that I was making. Like, “You’re making pop songs, so of course you’re this kind of person.”
I'm guessing you won’t be returning to mainstream pop in that way, then.
Umm, probably not. Not for myself, no.
There are many theories about FROOT on the Internet. One is that this is allegedly your coming out album.
(Laughs) No, sorry, it is not. It certainly isn’t.
Are you aware of how many lesbians wish you were gay, though?
Actually, I’m not. Interesting! I’m afraid to disappoint.
The other is that the double Os in FROOT are actually a pair of tits.
(Laughs) I’m happy to back that rumor!
Was that really the intention?
(Laughs) No – it’s just that I liked the double O because it looks almost a bit synthetic and playful. It gave (the album) a playful edge, so that’s why the two Os happened. But also, when we came to design the logo, I actually liked it from a design aspect, because when you interlink the Os you can form a little diamond.
Plus, spelling it “fruit” is so boring.
It’s too serious.
Grace Jones, Diane Sawyer talking to Bruce Jenner, Almodovar's Silencio
- April 9, 2015 - 9:18am
Grace Jones – The Musical Of My Life comes to the BBC
Gay icon Grace Jones has spent decades doing exactly as she pleases, always with a somewhat menacing smile on her face, and this has proven to be the key to her success. She modeled, she sang, she actressed, she posed in nightclubs and she dated Dolph Lundgren, never once with anything less than absolute command of space. This would make her the perfect subject for a documentary, and now thanks to the BBC she will be. Director Sophie Fiennes (The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology, the weirdly entertaining documentary about philosopher Slavoj Žižek) is handling duties behind the camera. How will she capture the everything-ness of her subject? The BBC explains it this way, describing the project as an "observational portrait" and "a multi-narrative journey through the private and public realms of the legendary singer and performer.” We accept – and wait – for 2016 to roll around and deliver.
It’s really happening: Diane Sawyer talks to Bruce Jenner
Speculation and tragic car accidents and fodder for hack stand-up comics: that’s been life for Bruce Jenner recently. The legendary Olympic athlete-turned-reality show stepfather for a bunch of sisters named Kardashian, without even really meaning to, has become an object of fascination to tabloids and, finally, to the LGBT community, as speculation over Jenner’s possible transgender identity has reached a feverish pitch. Well, now, it’s assumed, the questions will be laid to rest as Jenner’s interview with Diane Sawyer – reportedly taped in February – will air on ABC as a two-hour special on April 24. We don’t know what will be said, but it’s clear from the 120-minute slot, that it’s something, and maybe it’ll finally make Jamie Foxx aim his bad jokes elsewhere.
Almodovar’s Silencio due to make noise
Spain’s most well-known filmmaker, Pedro Almodovar, recently gave fans a taste of his old, irreverent self with the frantic, silly, I’m So Excited! But it seems like that brief detour into goofy, dirty comedy was only a palate cleanser, because with Silencio, the director is returning to serious drama and his preferred “female universe.” Details are few and far between, plot-wise, but the film seems to revolve around a woman named Julieta – played by Spanish actresses Adriana Ugarte and Emma Suarez as the character’s younger and older versions, respectively – and the ebb and flow of satisfaction and success in her life. Almodovar is known for casting his films from a stable of his favorite actors over and over, and dedicated followers will notice the likes of Dario Grandinetti (Talk to Her) and longtime Almodovar staple Rossy de Palma (Women On the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) in the cast. But this time around, those are the only repeat names, and the cast is filled with new (to this director, at least) faces and names. Maybe he’s building a new team for 2016?
Professional sports’ LGBT heroes are Out to Win
In a world where Michael Sam comes out before he makes it to the NFL, no matter the consequences, it’s easy to forget that not so long ago, his decision would have been unthinkable. Athletes in professional sports have long paid the price of silence, usually waiting until their most active years were behind them before coming out. This is history we shouldn’t forget, and now Out to Win, the latest documentary from director Malcolm Ingram (Small Town Gay Bar, Continental), is making the festival rounds. The stories of people like Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, David Kopay, Jason Collins, Billy Bean and John Amaechi, all speaking about their careers first-hand, are collected in this moving portrait of the last non-religious American job where coming out as LGBT can cost everything. Cable and DVD and streaming will happen soon enough, but if you’re near a good indie film fest, be sure to give it your support.
The Long Ride
- April 9, 2015 - 8:28am
Scott Eastwood has already provided a generous hunk of swoon-worthy shirtlessness, but the model-turned-actor is just getting started. In his first lead role as Luke Collins in the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ The Longest Ride, Clint’s sexy son makes you feel all the feels as a bull rider pursuing a hard-won girl (and, for good measure, flashing his now-famous abs).
During our recent interview, the 29-year-old talked about winning over the gay world as a full-time stud, identifying with his father’s Libertarian beliefs on LGBT equality, his Martin Luther King man crush, and keeping his thoughts (and other stuff) in check during sex scenes.
Scott, you were obviously blessed with good genes, and people have taken note of that, many of them in the gay community. At this point in your career, how aware are you that gay men enjoy you?
Now I am – you’re bringing it to my attention! I love it. I don’t discriminate against any fans. Fans are fans, and gay men are great. I support gay marriage and the whole bit. I think everybody should be able to be with who they want to be with. My dad is the same way. He’s a total Libertarian – everyone leave everyone alone. Everyone live their own private life. And why does everyone gotta be all up in arms about it?
Your dad put it best when he spoke about gay marriage: “I don’t give a fuck about who wants to get married to anybody else! Why not?!”
I’d give the same fucking quote – that’s perfect. I’m a firm believer that everyone’s human. We’re only on this planet for a short period of time, and we should all just be as kind as we can to other people because, in life, all you really have is how you affect people, in a negative way or a positive way.
How did you learn to embrace that mentality?
My mom – and my dad too – was really a firm believer (of it), and really compassionate and selfless. She’s such a firm believer that in life you gotta be compassionate. Everyone’s from different walks of life and everyone has their own reality, and to be uncompassionate is not very human.
You were a model for so long –
I wasn’t really a model for that long. People say that, but they don’t really know. I mean, I did a couple of modeling jobs, but I never really pursued that. I was like, “Oh well, that’s not really for me. I’m gonna do something different.”
Why wasn’t modeling for you?
I didn’t find it creative enough. It was cool, though. It paid some bills when I was in college as a struggling, broke actor.
Your body, however, is breaking barriers. I read a web comment recently that said, “Even I, as a Gold Star lesbian, look at this guy and state categorically, ‘A-hummina-hummina-hummina.’” What’s it like to know you can have that effect on even the lesbian community?
(Laughs) That’s awesome! I mean, I don’t really know what I’ve done that’s worthy of it.
You’ve taken your shirt off a few times, so there’s that.
(Laughs) Yup!
The hat, the Levis, the boots. You rock that look like you were born a cowboy.
There’s probably a little bit of cowboy in me somewhere.
When it comes to gay roles, could you see yourself playing one? Is it too soon to get you in a Brokeback Mountain remake?
Oh my gosh – that’s funny! (Laughs) To me, it’s all about the script and the director. I’m very director-driven and material-oriented, so if it’s a great script and a great director, then yeah.
What do you look for in a great script and a great director?
Ohh. That’s hard to put into effect. It’s gotta have that je ne sais quoi, as they say. You don’t know why it’s amazing but it is.
What about this Nicholas Sparks movie stuck out to you when you read the script?
Well, for one, I love (director) George Tillman, Jr. – his films are great. I loved Men of Honor. I thought it was a fantastic movie. I thought that movie was an old ’90s drama, which don’t exist anymore. I was really so excited to work with him. I thought it was a very unorthodox choice to have him direct a Nicholas Sparks movie. And then geez – what else? The script was great.
The name of the movie, The Longest Ride, really lends itself to a porn spinoff down the line, don’t you think?
That would be amazing. That’d be so funny if that happened. And why not?!
Your sex scene in this movie wasn’t your first.
I’ve had a few. I’ve had about four or five.
What’s the trick to shooting a sexy sex scene?
Keeping your thoughts sort of... controlled.
In addition to keeping other things “controlled.”
(Laughs) I’m only one man! I can only do what I can do. But I think it’s sexy. I mean, being in a shower with a beautiful, sexy woman – I was turned on! I had fun!
In The Longest Ride or during every sex scene you’ve done?
(Laughs) Some more than others.
You’ve shown full butt before, and in The Longest Ride, you graciously give us a glimpse. With this movie, how was it determined how much butt would be in the shot?
(Laughs) For me, I didn’t really care. The butt thing – to me, this was a really classy story and a really classy movie, so I didn’t care about showing a little butt in there. That’s part of it. Sex scenes – you see a little bit of action, right? And that’s what makes a good sex scene. Not too much. You don’t wanna give it all away. You gotta leave something to the imagination.
Has your father seen the movie?
He hasn’t.
How do you feel about him seeing those scenes?
I’m really proud of the film, and I hope he enjoys it. It’s not all the time you do a film you’re really proud of.
When you’re in a movie about love and relationships and sex, people are interested in your own personal experiences.
(Laughs)
How do you deal with those kinds of questions? Are you an open book?
Partially. I don’t give everything away. You gotta have your private life too. But I’m not shy. I love women.
Well, then, barn sex – yay or nay?
I mean, why not?!
On Twitter recently you said your man crush is your dad. Who are some of your other man crushes?
People who have the balls to change the world. Guys like Martin Luther King, who said things at a time when they weren’t acceptable. People who are out doing great things. Guys like Enric Sala who are saving the world. The Pristine Seas project. People who are working toward curing cancer, or working with kids – that’s really great stuff to me.
What are or have been some of the challenges of creating a career independent of your father?
That people take me seriously. I’ve been doing it for 12 years, and I always say Hollywood is like high school. If you’re not the cool kid, you’re the outcast. And nobody really cares and people don’t take you seriously. I was never the cool kid. Definitely not the cool kid. And so I split. I split LA. I lived in San Diego. And there’s been a couple of moments I thought about throwing in the towel, for sure. I once heard from Mel Gibson. His advice was, “Just stick around and keep plugging away at it. Keep your head down and keep working hard.”
With so much attention on your shirtlessness, is there more pressure to prove yourself beyond the hunky exterior?
I don’t really think about it like that. I don’t spend a lot of time on it. There’d be a lot of wasted time if I let that consume my thoughts. I just keep my head down and do the best I can.
HBO doing "Battle of the Sexes," Suffragette City, Chuck Palahniuk's Lullaby
- April 7, 2015 - 4:21pm
HBO to host a ‘Battle of The Sexes’
If you were around and paying attention in 1973, you may remember that plenty of otherwise reasonable adults were still skeptical about the talent of female athletes. In fact, it was such a strange time in history – “Women’s Lib,” as it was called then, was a hot-button issue – that there came to be a tennis match known as “The Battle of the Sexes” that would transfix the entire country. Bobby Riggs, the 55-year-old Wimbledon champ, would play against the Number 2-ranked, 29-year-old star Billie Jean King. And he would lose. And it was a sensation, sparking debate and heated misogynistic weirdness as far as the eye could see. Now, thanks to producers Elizabeth Banks and Tom Hanks, an untitled HBO film starring Banks as King, will recreate that pop-culture storm. David Auburn (Proof) will write the script, and Paul Giamatti has been cast as Riggs. Can’t wait.
Meryl, Carey and Helena go to Suffragette City
Coming for the end of the year and awards-movie season is a film seemingly designed to be nominated for a whole variety of statuettes: Suffragette, a fictionalized account of the struggle involved in getting women the vote. The period drama, from director Sarah Gavron with a script from Abi Morgan (Shame, The Iron Lady), stars Carey Mulligan as a working mother who realizes she must become an activist and fight for the vote to make her life better. Helena Bonham Carter co-stars, along with Ben Whishaw and Brendan Gleeson. Also, Meryl Streep will star as historical figure Emmeline Pankhurst, the women’s rights activist. It will be that rare thing at the movies: a historical film about the early heroines of feminism, especially interesting since it will be the first major theatrical film to include this subject matter since 1964’s Mary Poppins. That’s right, Mary Poppins. Other than that, there are very few representations outside of HBO’s 2004 film Iron-Jawed Angels. Clearly, it’s well past high time.
Chuck Palahniuk’s sinister little Lullaby
Writer Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club, has a new novel coming, his fifth one – the sweetly titled Lullaby – and it’s already been optioned for a film adaptation. Of course, knowing Palahniuk’s preferred dark tone, this lullaby will offer nothing even approaching sweet dreams. The book, picked up by filmmakers Andy Mingo and Josh Leake, involves a reporter investigating a series of sudden infant deaths, including that of his own child. He suspects that a regional African chant known as a “culling song” may, in fact, be the supernatural source of the deaths. Then he learns that the song has the power to kill just about anyone. In other words, fun all around from a gay author who’s never felt the need to make anyone feel good about, well, anything. Now, when is that movie going to happen?
Looking for more Daniel Franzese
As of this writing, the future of HBO’s Looking is uncertain. Having finished two seasons now, and in a ratings trough, there might not be a third season to explore the low-key lives of this San Francisco crew. Gay audiences, it seems, are unhappy with fictional gay lives that don’t precisely mirror their own, and with narratives that meander a bit (OK, fine, whatever, a lot). Anyway, a cancellation would be a shame, especially since this season introduced a jolt of energy with big, joyful Daniel Franzese (Mean Girls). We’ll be annoyed if the show goes away, and with it one of TV’s only bears. But if this is, indeed, the last of Looking, Franzese’s got a couple indie films in production where fans can eventually find him again. One of them is called Vows and Rites, from filmmaker Matthew Ehlers, co-starring Rose McGowan, about a wedding that collides with a funeral. The other one, about which there’s even less information, is called Mind Puppets, co-starring Vinnie Jones, from first-time filmmaker Juan Curi. Start checking your local film festival line-ups. That’s where the independent film world warms up its talent.
Josh Groban Bears All
- April 6, 2015 - 2:29pm
It all began with the bears.
“I’m like, ‘Are you a baseball team?’” says Josh Groban, recalling an early-career encounter with a man who informed the crooner about his growing number of gay bear fans.
Nearly 15 years later, members of the LGBT community – even the non-hairy ones – are still feeling struck and soothed by Groban’s elastic range. Stages is yet another swoon-worthy set from the singer. His first collection of songs from musicals, Groban takes on some of Broadway’s best for the album, which includes “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from Carousel and The Phantom of the Opera showstopper “All I Ask Of You,” a duet with Kelly Clarkson.
While discussing the release during a recent interview, the 34-year-old also highlighted the significance of performing with the Washington, D.C. Gay Men’s Chorus during Obama’s 2009 presidential inauguration, the validation his younger “awkward” self felt after being named “Sexiest Newcomer” and how Ryan Gosling put the singer’s sexuality to the test.
I was fortunate enough to see you during the summer of 2014 in Toronto for Rufus Wainwright’s If I Loved You: Gentlemen Prefer Broadway – An Evening of Love Duets, where you got your gay on.
(Laughs). I’ll always put my gay on for Rufus.
During an interview you did regarding that performance, Rufus referred to you as a “dreamboat.” At this point in your career, are you used to that kind of attention from gay men?
Yeah, it’s happened from time to time. Look, when Rufus Wainwright is complimenting you, musically or otherwise, it’s a great honor. Something that was surprising to me that happened when I first got signed at 19, 20 years old: I was at some kind of shop, and I was walking around with someone – it was probably my girlfriend – and this guy comes up to me and goes, “Hey, I just want you to know, the bears love you.” I’m like, “Excuse me? What?” And I didn’t know what that meant! I’m like, “Are you a baseball team?”
How did you figure out what type of bears he was referring to?
I think some Googling had to take place. And it was like, “Oh. Ohhhh!” (Laughs)
And you’re like, “Not the bears in the forest.”
Yeah, and not the Chicago Bears.
If you could duet on a love song with any man, who would it be and why?
If I could sing with any man, it would probably be Brian Stokes Mitchell. I love his voice, and I grew up listening to his voice. There’s such a warm tone to the way he sings, and he’s just such a great actor and a really great guy. We would do a killer “Pretty Women” (from Sweeney Todd), I think.
You’re from L.A., and you went to arts schools, including Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. I imagine you’ve been immersed in the gay community for much of your life. Did you find a lot of gay people gravitating to you at a young age?
Like you said, I went to a wonderful arts camp at Interlochen. I went to a great arts high school in Los Angeles – L.A. County High School for the Arts – and grew up in Los Angeles and with a wonderful arts background, and I got to meet all sorts of people. Many of my friends were gay at these places – at camp, at school.
The wonderful thing I found about the arts and the arts connection was, I had come from a situation where I had a hard time making friends at school and I was bullied, and I finally went to school where everybody had the same inspiration for the arts, everybody had the same passion. It was the first situation where I had felt that everybody was friends with everybody, and everybody felt the most comfortable being themselves at these places. And so, for me, the arts were the first scenario where I found a connective tissue between everybody.
When you look back, did that closeness to the queer community ever make you question your own sexuality?
No, not at all. It wasn’t in any way, shape or form about my own life or my own sexuality – it was about understanding and accepting everybody, and being friends regardless of that. I think that’s also what the straight community needs to understand – that it’s about friendship and alliance. It’s not about questioning yourself or anything like that – it’s about the togetherness of it. I think the wonderful thing about the arts is that I grew up in a community where I felt there was acceptance and friendship regardless of our own personal lives.
And co-starring with Ryan Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love – that didn’t challenge your heterosexuality?
(Laughs) Listen, if I was gonna be gay, that would’ve been the moment. That was probably my greatest test, and I failed.
You came out as “not gay” on Twitter a couple years ago. How do you feel about people speculating about your sexuality?
Honestly, if I were gay, I would have had no problem saying it from day one. It’s such a thing when people speculate. I would have nothing to hide if that were the case. People have speculated, have wanted to speculate – whatever, fine. I’m not gay, but if I were, I don’t view it as a bad thing. If I were, I’d say, “OK, fine, speculate all you want and let’s talk about it.”
It’s not like you’re in a community where that wouldn’t be accepted.
Exactly. I’ve grown up with gay friends; my parents have had great gay friends. I come from such an open-minded family background. I am so lucky to have the parents that I have and to have grown up with the environment of “accept and be accepted” and “love and be loved,” so when that kind of talk comes up, I think to myself, “All right, I’m happy to say what is and isn’t true,” but at the same time, I don’t see why that’s like, “Ohhhh.” Like that would be an insult. I don’t get that. If that were the case, I would just say it and it would be no big deal. That’s the thing that bugs me more than anything, though – that the mention of it would be considered provocative when, really, in this day and age it shouldn’t be.
Assuming you selected the songs on Stages because they have relevance in your own life, which ones mean the most to you?
There are actually a couple of songs that really have nostalgic memories for me. “All I Ask Of You” from Phantom was the first song that I ever sang professionally to get a record deal, so when I found myself at Abbey Road, singing that song and with Kelly (Clarkson), it was just like, “Oh, man!” Very rarely do I ever pat myself on the back or give myself a high five – I’m always kind of self-critical and moving forward – but it was one of those moments where I was listening to that orchestra and having memories of the 17-year-old kid in the ill-fitting tuxedo that first sang that song, and I’m like, “You know what, go you. You did it.”
A song like “Bring Him Home” is a song you can’t help but hear and think about what’s going on now in the world, and how many people are hoping and praying the same things today. The wonderful thing I’ve found about these songs is there’s so much relevance and poignancy to them today, regardless of the show that they’re in, and that was a wonderful discovery. One of the things that really dictated what we chose and what we didn’t choose was if they could live independently on their own.
You obviously have theater aspirations. What’s your dream Broadway role?
I’m a Sondheim nut. I like his stuff because it allows for really operatic singing without dancing. I’m a terrible dancer. So, for me, I would love to do something like Sweeney Todd or Sunday in the Park with George. I was introduced to Chess when I was 24 or 25 – I did it for the Actors’ Fund on Broadway – and I’ve always thought that show got a bum rap. Just the music alone can go toe to toe with the great musicals. I think it deserves, at some point, a chance. Maybe a different kind of direction, a different kind of vision, but that would be another dream role.
You’d like to star in it?
Absolutely. I mean, there are a bunch of roles that I think would be fun. It’s really been a timing issue. It would be a dream come true to do something on the Broadway stage. With album and touring life, and when you have a record deal, you have to satisfy commitments. It’s just a matter of taking the time to do it right.
Your girlfriend, Kat Dennings, recently appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
She crushed it!
When’s it your turn to guest judge?
(Laughs) She got me into that show! I mean, RuPaul’s incredible. The influence she’s had on everybody is just amazing, and then you see the competition. The episode that Kat did – I took Shakespeare class, like I was in very heavy Shakespeare instruction when I was young and in theater school, and so watching them put on Shakespeare was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen in my life. It was a wee bit of a train wreck, and I think Ru knew that, but it was really funny to watch.
And yeah, you never know. I would be happy to be a judge on it, but I think I would be so impressed with the fashion that I don’t think I would know how to critique it. I’d be like, “Wow! I could not walk in those heels; congratulations to you! That is amazing! Well done! Ginger Minj – I salute you!”
I like to imagine you doing karaoke. You’re out with friends, and you’re probably drinking. What’s your go-to karaoke number?
I hate to brag, but it’s a really unfair advantage. I kind of crush karaoke. The thing about karaoke is it makes everybody a ham. I’ll go in there, peruse the little binder, and just hang back with the tambourine for a few songs and then go straight into “We Are the Champions” and “I like big butts and I cannot lie… .” It just goes into all out ’80s and ’90s hip-hop and hair metal, and that’s basically a night for me. I remember I was singing “November Rain” and the guy came in to tell us we were out of time, and he heard me singing it. Instead of telling us to leave, he brought us free nachos.
On your list of accomplishments, where does that time in 2002 rank, when People Magazine named you “Sexiest Newcomer”?
Oh, somewhere floating in the middle, I’d say. When you talk about high fives to your younger self, when you read something like that, you think about every girl who rolled their eyes when you’d go up and say hi to them, and then you’re all like, “Good job!” If I could go back and tell that young kid, “You’re gonna be People Magazine’s ‘Sexiest,’ he would’ve had a lot easier of a time.” Those awkward times give you character, though, I think.
And then you think, “If only I knew then what I know now.”
I don’t think you ever wanna peak in high school either. I don’t think you want to have your most confidence when you’re 15 or 16 years old, or you turn into Al Bundy. It’s good to go through the 15-, 16-year-old period where you don’t have your shit together, where you feel like you do need to figure out what your identity is, where you need to figure out where your walls should be and where your confidence needs to lie. If I didn’t have that period where I didn’t fit in and I didn’t make the team, then, truly, I don’t think I would’ve had as much of a desire to really find my true self in my 20s.
Knowing how far you’ve come into yourself, it must be really rewarding to see you’re a source of inspiration for people now, many of them gay. Is there a story you can recall from someone who’s LGBT who was affected by your music?
Oh, it’s every concert. I’ll meet people backstage and it’s always so wonderful for me. When you get to really look somebody in the eye and see that your song has helped somebody through a hard time or kept them from harming themselves or made them not feel so alone, it gives you perspective and it gives you a reason to do what you do. Without fail, during almost every show that I’ve done, I’ve met somebody from the LGBT community backstage that has said that my music in their own life has played a huge part in (helping them) feel a part of this universe and be confident in who they are, and also able to express themselves. I always try to find songs and sing songs that try to express those beliefs and those values, so it’s always very gratifying when somebody shares those stories with me.
You notably sang with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. during President Obama’s Inaugural Opening Ceremony in January 2009. What was it like being a part of such a big moment in LGBT history?
Those steps and that environment were about equal rights in the African-American community 50, 60 years ago, and to be able to represent the LGBT community and one of the great equal rights issues of our times – and share that moment proudly on those steps – was a tremendous honor for me. I was so thrilled that this administration had the wherewithal to understand the importance of it, and to do that musically – it’s one of my favorite things that I have done of all time.
Kauai Adventures
- April 6, 2015 - 11:13am
Nobody on Kauai will give you a hard time for simply lazing on one of the island’s gorgeous beaches every waking hour of your vacation. Still, you may find it impossible to resist the countless opportunities for outdoor adventure on this lush, mountainous and least populated of Hawaii’s four major islands. Whether you venture out sea-kayaking, helicopter-touring, ziplining, hiking, or canyoneering, you won’t likely regret packing an activity or two into each of your days on what’s typically nicknamed the “Garden Island.”
For the ultimate hiking and beachcombing, many visitors to Kauai (gohawaii.com/en/Kauai) head for the Na Pali Coast, which is on the northwestern tip of the island, just beyond the picturesque village of Hanalei (the setting for such films as South Pacific and Indiana Jones). The eastern side of Kauai is dominated by the waterfalls of the Wailua River Valley, the southern end by Poipu's breathtaking beaches and upscale resorts, and the western side by gargantuan Waimea Canyon – there's unparalleled beauty wherever you look.
Touring Kauai by helicopter affords visitors one of the most memorable opportunities to see the entire island, and especially the remote and formidable Na Pali Coast. Several companies offer these tours. Island Helicopters (islandhelicopters.com) is especially fun because they offer an 85-minute island excursion that includes stopping and walking around the base of 400-foot Manawaiopuna Falls, which appeared prominently in the opening scenes of Jurassic Park. This extremely informative, mesmerizing tour then circles the entire island, its capable pilots zipping in and out of tight valleys and even, weather permitting, the crater of extinct Kawaikini Peak, the island’s highest point.
Another exhilarating way to view part of the island is by striking out for an afternoon of high-wire action with Koloa Zipline (koloazipline.com), which operates an eight-line course in the verdant mountains near Poipu resort. You can opt for a classic or “Flying Kauaian” style harness (the latter is plenty more fun and well worth the $20 surcharge). As you sail above the treetops on some of the longest zip lines in Kauai (one stretches for a full half-mile), you’ll be treated to plenty of thrills.
If you're in good shape and game for an independent adventure, you can always hike into the Na Pali highlands via the famed 11-mile Kalalau Trail. To hike the entire trail, which is steep and rugged in places, you must obtain a permit and camp overnight, as it’s not possible to cover the entire trail in a day. However, day hikers can easily venture in the first couple of miles to Hanakapiai Beach. And without a permit you can also climb up to Hanakapiai Falls, or continue for another few miles to Hanakoa campground.
Less demanding options for sightseeing include driving to the viewpoints at Waimea Canyon State Park – they don't call this the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" without good reason. The 10-mile-long canyon is 3,000 feet deep and is one of Hawaii's best photo ops. If you have a few hours, drive all the way to visitor center at Waimea Canyon’s Kokee State Park to pick up a trail map, and then embark on the stunning hike along the Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls, which affords visitors an incredible perspective on the canyon.
You'll find beautiful beaches all around the island, some of them drawing heavily among Kauai’s many LGBT residents and visitors. The easiest to reach is Lydgate State Park, just south of Kapaa off the Kuhio Highway – walk south from the parking area for the gay-popular section. Donkey Beach, off Kuhio Highway a bit north of Kapaa, is enjoyable both for sunbathing or swimming, and it draws a mix of gays and straights. Just keep in mind that the surf can be intense, so exercise caution. You'll see the parked cars on the side of the road as you head north out of Kapaa, between mileposts 11 and 12 – from here just follow the trail down to the water. Nudity is permitted at this beach as well as at 3,000-foot Secret Beach (aka Kauapea Beach), another favorite of LGBT folks that’s up north near Kilauea Lighthouse (it’s a bit hard to find, however, so ask locals for directions).
In recent years, quite a few sophisticated, urbane restaurants have opened on the island, making it a genuine favorite among foodies. One of the best is Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Kauai Grill (kauaigrill.com), the refined restaurant inside the stunning St. Regis Princeville resort. If you dine here, consider visiting the terrace bar just off the lobby before your meal; this open-air perch is the place to watch the sun fall over Hanalei Bay. With friendly, solicitous service and superb food – hamachi sashimi with shiitakes and a yuzu-soy glaze, roasted Kona lobster with glazed chestnuts and pepper butter – it’s the ideal special-occasion dining destination.
Another exceptional choice for a superb, exquisitely prepared locavore-driven cuisine is RumFire Poipu Beach (sheraton-kauai.com), which enjoys a dazzling setting on a promontory overlooking the sea at the Sheraton Kaui – try the fried Brussels sprouts with Portuguese sausage and spiced macadamia nuts, or local butterfish with a plank-grilled salmon with purple potatoes and cherry-tomato jam. This romantic restaurant is also well-regarded for its extensive cocktail menu and well-chosen wine list. Other Poipu culinary highlights include the Kauai outposts of two restaurant brands that have become legendary in Hawaii: Merriman's (merrimanshawaii.com), which serves farm-fresh, healthful regional cuisine, and Eating House 1849 (eatinghouse1849.com), the terrific plantation-inspired restaurant operated by renowned Hawaiian chef Roy Yamaguchi.
Up north, charmingly laid-back Hanalei is home to the Hanalei Taro & Juice Co. (hanaleitaro.com), a humble food truck (with a covered seating area) in the center of town that serves delicious and authentic Hawaiian specialties, such as Kalua pork tacos and laulau chicken, plus luscious and healthy taro-based fruit smoothies. Hanalei Coffee Roasters (hanaleicoffeeandteacompany.com) serves some of the best java on the island. And hip and sophisticated Bar Acuda (restaurantbaracuda.com) turns out delicious Mediterranean fare – it’s owned by talented chef Jim Moffat, who ran some of San Francisco’s hottest eateries in the ‘90s before moving to Hawaii. House-cured chorizo, roasted squid with chili oil and fresh lemon, and seared local ono fish with shaved fennel and a blood-orange reduction are among the delicacies here.
Kauai has no shortage spots specializing in tasty short-order fare and tempting snacks, including Papalani Gelato (papalanigelato.com) in Poipu, and Jo Jo's Anuenue Shave Ice in Waimea. Just north of Poipu, the Koloa Fish Market prepares super-fresh plate lunches and bento boxes to go (try the ahi poke bento) – they're perfect for a picnic. In Lihue, dive-y Hamura’s Saimin is worth stopping by to sample hearty renditions of ramen-like saimin, a beloved traditional Hawaiian dish. Don’t pass up the lilikoi (passion fruit) chiffon pie for dessert.
If you're driving through Kapaa, stop for a meal at Art Café Hemingway (artcafehemingway.com), which is run by a charming Eastern European couple, features beautiful artwork, and serves high-quality coffees and deftly prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner fare. Cozy and bustling Verde (verdehawaii.com) is a fun little Mexican restaurant in Kapaa, serving tasty blackened-mahimahi tacos and garlic-shrimp tacos.
Kauai has few nightspots, but just about anywhere on the island you’ll be greeted warmly – and there’s pretty good chance of bumping into “family” at most places. One spot that many LGBT folks frequent, especially during the "gay nights" held the first Saturday of each month, is Nawiliwili Tavern, near the Kauai Marriott. Also in Lihue, in a shopping center with the island’s only bowling alley, Rob’s Good Times Grill (kauaisportsbarandgrill.com) is Kauai’s favorite sports bar – it’s not exactly a gay hotspot, but it is friendly and fun.
Kauai has a nice range of accommodations in all prices ranges, from posh resorts to gay-friendly B&Bs. Poipu, on the south shore, has the greatest concentration of distinguished lodgings, including the aforementioned Sheraton Kauai (sheraton-kauai.com), which hugs a spectacular point on the ocean, and has a great pool where you can also rent private bungalows for the day, a stunning beach that’s famed for snorkeling, and the outstanding restaurant RumFire. The Sheraton’s prime setting has also made it a favorite resort for gay weddings.
The Grand Hyatt Kauai (kauai.hyatt.com) ranks among Kauai’s most sumptuous full-service resorts - rooms have smart, contemporary furnishings and such cushy amenities as iHome stereos and beverage chillers. The Hyatt is also home to the superb Anara Spa – set amid lush gardens and waterfalls – as well as a top-notch golf course and several excellent restaurants.
If you wish to be close to Waimea Canyon, consider the charming and historic Waimea Planation Cottages (coasthotels.com), whose 61 private bungalows were built in the early 1900s for workers of a local sugarcane mill. They’re situated around relaxing, tree-shaded grounds that fringe the ocean. It’s a great option if you’re seeking a laid-back, old-school Hawaii experience, but with comfy accommodations that include well-equipped kitchens, private lanais, and vintage plantation-style furnishings. Also impressive and with a central location near the airport, the Kauai Marriott Resort (marriott.com) has the largest pool in the state and spreads across 800 handsomely landscaped acres and a fabulous beachfront. It’s a favorite option of LGBT families, given all the kid-friendly resort activities and amenities.
Up the coast toward the north shore, lushly and secluded Mahina Kai B&B (mahinakai.com) is a lovely getaway and the island’s only gay-exclusive lodging. The five rooms are beautifully – and distinctly – furnished, and the surrounding Japanese-inspired gardens and lagoon pool are the perfect places to relax and de-stress. There’s a fine, uncrowded beach within walking distance.
And finally, on the north shore and with unparalleled views of Hanalei and the Na Pali coast, the ultra-swanky St. Regis Princeville (stregisprinceville.com) enjoys one of the most majestic locations in Hawaii. You enter this gorgeous property through a top-floor lobby – it’s situated high on a bluff over the ocean – where you’ll also find the inviting Halelea Spa and access to celebrated Kauai Grill and St. Regis Bar. Cushy rooms with panoramic views seemingly tumble down a hillside to the beachfront, where you can tan your hide around a large pool and open-air restaurant, or saunter out onto the beach. The surrounding Princeville resort is also home to the world-class Makai Golf Club, a number of condominium rentals, and another terrific lodging option, the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas (westinprinceville.com).
Dinah Vegas
- April 4, 2015 - 9:39am
The ladies are heating up Las Vegas. The countdown is on until Dinah Vegas weekend – THE ultimate lesbian party. Produced by Girl Bar in association with Total Rewards by Caesars Entertainment, in just four years the event has quickly become a highlight of lesbian life in the city.
Gay Vegas had the pleasure of chatting with Sandy Sachs, producer of Dinah Vegas.
So how did Girl Bar start? How did this come to be?
We [she and business partner Robin Gans] were managing a gay men’s video bar called Revolver and we kind of noticed that there just really wasn’t anything to do for lesbians. So we started a night in the back bar – it was a small area. And women just started coming out of the woodwork, and we started to call it Girl Bar.
And then in 1990 the then owner of Studio One, which eventually became my club – The Factory –, Scott Forbes, came over and said, “Hey, why don’t you come and do a lesbian night at my club, Studio One, in the back part of the club called The Backlot?” So in November of 1990 we took a chance and we did Girl Bar at The Backlot and the rest is history. We were there for 20 years.
And now Girl Bar is encompassing so many different things and different markets. You’ve brought Girl Bar to Las Vegas.
Right, we started at Krave. We were there right when Krave first opened. We did the smaller lounge there. We were at Krave for almost three years doing Girl Bar on Saturday nights for lesbians in Las Vegas.
You also started Dinah Vegas. When did that begin?
Four years ago. We’d been in Palm Springs doing our event there. We’d been there for 21 years. We had a partner and we split from our partner. We then became competitors and we kind of realized that Palm Springs felt like a one horse town. I said, “We’re never going to get anywhere. Why don’t we move and go somewhere a little more exciting?”
Caesars actually approached us and said, “Why don’t you do the event with us in Las Vegas?” So this is going to be our fourth year there. We decided to roll the dice, as they say in Vegas, and take a chance and move an event that we had started back in 1991 in Palm Springs and got notoriety from in Palm Springs. It was a little risky, but we really thought it was the right time. Timing in life is everything and it was just time for something new and a little more exciting. And Vegas, to be honest with you, has way more to offer than Palm Springs.
So there are two events?
Our ex partner still runs an event there [Palm Springs]. We changed the weekends as well so that if girls wanted to do both weekends they could.
Do you pull a lot of out-of-towners, locals, or a pretty good mixture of both?
We pull a mixture of everybody. What’s great is that we actually have a very nice pull from the international community. We have a lot of Canadians, Australians, Germans, people from the UK. We actually have French, Russians. A little bit from South America.
And then we have a great national base. Our national base is even increasing. The local girls, they can still drive – it’s a little bit further. Local for us, California. Especially at the pool party on Saturday, we get a lot of the local girls.
What can one expect from the Dinah Vegas weekend extravaganza?
It’s going to be absolutely fun-packed. We’ve got some of the best venues in Vegas secured for the girls.
That’s the part that’s really great, because normally these women would really have nowhere to go on the weekend and to have great venues like Elton John’s FIZZ at Caesars and the Chateau club under the Eiffel Tower – they would never go there on their own.
We work with these clubs and they’ve been terrific with us and working with some of the pricing so that we don’t break the girls’ pocketbooks.
It’s just going to be an amazing weekend. Fun and fun and hot women from all over the world.
Ticket sales are way ahead of last year so we’re very excited.
On that note, what does one need to do to purchase tickets?
You just go to www.dinahshoreweekend.com and basically it’s all laid out for you. You can buy weekend passes to the event. We don’t sell individual tickets. If you don’t want to do the whole package we’ve got a weekend pass for three events and then we’ve got a VIP pass that gets you the whole weekend – basically by doing that you save like 50 bucks from the door price if you were to attend every event. If you want to do the VIP package, new for this year we’re going to do our VIP cocktail party on The High Roller. So we’ve got two pods – they’ll roll the bars in. It’s open bar and they’ll get to see the sites of Vegas at night. It’ll be spectacular.
That sounds fabulous.
Yeah, and we’ve secured special room rates at Flamingo and Planet Hollywood.
And what do partygoers have to do for those special room rates?
They have to book our package.
That’s another really great thing about having moved to Vegas – is that because there’s so many hotel rooms and so many hotels, we’re able to secure really great rates.
You have so much more to work with in Las Vegas.
Exactly. You know we haven’t really had the same curriculum practically any year. We keep getting bigger.
There’s just always new stuff. It really just feels like it keeps it fresh every year.
What an awesome thing that Caesars Entertainment actually reached out to you and wanted to do this event to bring more LGBT people to Las Vegas. That really says something.
Right, and they were really smart. The LGBT market is a brand loyal market and they know that. I can assure you that a lot of our people who go back to Vegas on their own are more likely to stay at a Caesars’ property because they’re just brand loyal.
Those looking to take part in the fun better clear April 23-26 on their calendars. For more information on Dinah Vegas 2015 and to book your tickets and stay, visit dinahshoreweekend.com.