The nts d me mo define t tha Pride
Meet
MATTHEW
CAMP star of gay movie Getting Go SMACK MY WITCH UP! Disney’s evil ladies get a GT makeover
Michael Cashman The story of a true gay hero
0
3 Jared Leto & Matthew McConaughey talk Dallas Buyers Club OF RS S YEAYTIME GA
PREACHING GAY HATE THE RISE OF EVANGELICAL MISSIONARIES
Shawn Ashmore on McKellen and X-Men Darren Hayes on the return of Kate Bush Latrice Royale on prison and Drag Race JUNE 2014 UK £4.30 THE ORIGINAL GAY MAGAZINE
Denise Pearson / Sam Bailey / Megan Mullally / Ashley Roberts / Elaine Paige
go for it!
[06/14]
Editor DARREN SCOTT Assistant Editor RYAN BUTCHER Staff Writer BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH Outgoing Assistant Editor LEE DALLOWAY Design & Art Direction MARK KING Style and Grooming LLOYD-SCOTT TYLER Music BOB HENDERSON Editor-at-large JOHN MARRS Columnists PJ BRENNAN, BENJAMIN COHEN, THE GUYLINER, EDD KIMBER, ALAN ROSENTHAL, PAUL THORN, MICHELLE VISAGE, MIKEY WALSH Contributors LANDIS SMITHERS, JOE MCCORMICK, CHAD SELLS, SIMON BUTTON, RICHARD BARBER, ANDREW WILLIAMS, DARREN HAYES, MATT PEAKE, LUKE SMITH, TIM MITCHELL, MIKE HIRD, MILO WAKELIN, JUSTIN MYERS, TOM JONES, PERRY JUBY, JOSHUA HAMMOND, LIAM LESLIE, DARRELL LARKIN, DOMINIC HOLBROOK, NICK VERELL, FRANCESCA MCPHERSON, ALEX MANSFIELD, KEVIN HOLDSWORTH, JORDAN WEBB, NEILA PROBLEMO Pug-at-large TOBY
[40]
Thanks to OLLIE CHARLES (Peccadillo), EMMA ELWOOD (LD Communications), CHLOE ADAMS and MONICA MACASIEB (Fox), GEMMA COX and NATACHA CLARKE (Disney), NICK FIVEASH (Nick Fiveash PR), DOMINIC COLLETT (Sky), DAN DEACON (Deacon Communications), BETH HEATH NETHERTON (Impressive PR), KAREN DUFFY (Atlantic Books), NATASHA BOUTON (All Starr Management), ALLAN ANDERSON (PositivelyUK), TOMMY DICKINSON (University of Manchester), JONNY BENJAMIN (Finding Mike), MARION CLUNE (Manchesterford PR) Production & Distribution Manager ALEXANDER SMITH Marketing & Advertising Designer LUKE BENJAMIN IT & Digital Management FERNANDO SAFONT Magazine Marketing Executive LLOYD PHILLIPS Management Accountant ARNAUD SEGUIN GT Advertising Sales KEITH MCDONNELL 020 7424 7406
[email protected] &ODVVLÀHG$GYHUWLVLQJ6DOHV ASH ALLIBHAI 020 7424 7451
[email protected] Escort Advertising Sales RAJ VALENTINO 020 7424 7457
[email protected] Editorial 020 7424 7400 Fax 020 7424 7401 Sales/Distribution 020 7424 7400 Fax 020 7424 7401 Editorial e-mail
[email protected] Advertising e-mail
[email protected] Website gaytimes.co.uk Postal address GT, Spectrum House, Unit M, 32-34 Gordon House Road, London, NW5 1LP Newstrade distribution: Conde Nast and National Magazine Distributors Limited, Unit 3, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE Tel: 01895 433 600 Newstrade enquiries:
[email protected] Subscriptions UK 0844 856 0637 Subscriptions e-mail
[email protected] Subscriptions Overseas 01795 414 896 Printed in the UK by: Wyndeham Group Disclaimer: All copyrights and trademarks are recognised PUBLISHED BY MILLIVRES PROWLER LTD Non-executive Chairman CHRIS GRAHAM-BELL Managing Director SIMON TOPHAM Media & Marketing Director KIM WATSON Operations Director ROBERT HANWELL Financial Director ANTHONY MARTIN
Email
[email protected] Facebook gaytimes Twitter @gaytimesmag Instagram gaytimesmag Snapchat gaytimesmag
© 2014 GAY TIMES All rights reserved ISSN: 0950-6101 The mention or appearance or likeness of any person or organisation in articles or advertising in GAY TIMES is not to be taken as any indication of the sexual, social or political orientation of such persons or organisations. “What next? No pavement? No shop?” No responsibility can be assumed for any unsolicited materials, and submission is construed as permission to publish without further correspondence and the fee payable (if any) at our usual rates. Advertisers are advised that all copy is their sole responsibility under the Trades Protections Act and must comply with the British Code of Advertising Practice. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers.
6
[64]
[32] gaytimes.co.uk
[contents] [57]
[100] first
features
08 18 20 22 26
40 Getting Go: Matthew Camp 50 X-Men: Shawn Ashmore 570DOLÀFHQW :LFNHG4XHHQV 64 Dallas Buyers Club: McConaughey and Leto 68 Elaine Paige: Petite actress
Fitty at the front Mikey Walsh Latrice Royale Michelle Visage Sweetie, Darling?
news 28 30 32 35 36
Criminalising homosexuality News debate 30 Things: Pride Ben Cohen Heroes: Michael Cashman
[50]
style 73 Festival chic 80 Home style
entertainment 86 Music: Denise Pearson 90 Music: Darren Hayes 94 Print: Damon Galgut 100 Screen: Megan Mullally 103 Geek 104 Tech
real life 1075HDGHU·VOLYHV 108 The Guyliner 111 PJ Brennan 112 Depression 118 Home life 120 Edd Kimber 121 Alan Rosenthal 122 Fitness 125 HIV
travel 127 Letter from… 128 Halkidiki 130 Marrakesh
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR How annoying. Well, it’s quite a lot more than just annoying actually, but swearing here wouldn’t be big or clever now, would it? The Northern Ireland Assembly has yet again rejected a motion calling for same-sex marriage. Sigh. It’s maddening that equal marriage is STILL being denied to people – be it this close to home (that’s London, in case you didn’t know) or indeed anywhere, and so soon after so many celebrations in England and Wales. And it’s not that I even want to get married, as I’m sure I’ve made clear in the past. It’s not ‘just’ about that particular drum that many feel has been banged to the point of boredom, but I do want the same equal rights as everyone else. And two of our features this month particularly hammer that point home to me – in one, the sheer ludicrousness of the hate that’s being ‘preached’ against gay people across the world. In another, the incredible fight that Michael Cashman has engaged in for the last four decades on our behalf. One feature is terrifying, the other humbling. In another, we take a look at the moments that have defined various Pride events over the years – again, it’s incredibly humbling. And that’s why it’s annoying, that’s why it’s maddening that these ridiculous dinosaurs from yesteryear can STILL be permitted to deny human beings the right to be treated equally. I do want to swear, I’m particularly good at it. Instead I’ll just think happy thoughts... One of those will be that people in Northern Ireland (and everywhere else) will be able to look at our new regular marriage coverage – yes, we’ve put pets, parents and partners together, at last – and feel it finally applies to them as well. Q Darren Scott @darren_scott
E SSU E I T NEX AL
S ON JUNE 11 GT433 JUN 2014 COVER IMAGE LANDIS SMITHERS
gaytimes.co.uk
7
IMAGES MOI SOFISM
[06/14]
GUYS GONE WILD
Recognise Ukrainian pop boys Kazaky? They appeared – fiercely, in heels – in Madonna’s Girl Gone Wild video. With three albums and nine singles under their belts (they don’t need belts for these skin-tight trews), the (now) trio are back, back, back with a new single this month. Flawless. Q kazaky.com
8
gaytimes.co.uk
[first]
gaytimes.co.uk
9
[first] “It was originally going to be called
the album cover so many times
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,
for websites – Amazon weren’t too
but for legal reasons with Disney we
happy.” You might know the band
had to scrap it,” says Dru Wakely,
from their hit E4 series, their top
one third of The Midnight Beast. “So
ten eponymous album from 2012, or
we had to create our own word –
you might be one of the 14 million
Swaggerliciousyolohelladopeness.”
people who’ve watched their
We’re sat with the band in a South
videos on YouTube – yes, really,
London cafe to talk their new album
14 million. But if you don’t know
Shtick Heads, and while we’re
the pop-rap comedy group yet
trying to pick our favourite – hey,
(where’ve you been?), you’re going
the boys cater for a lot of tastes
to want to check out their corking
– they’re talking about the many
new album. And hey, pissing off
people they’ve rubbed the wrong
Disney and Amazon? Everyone
way to get to this point in their
loves a bad boy, right? Q
young careers. Bandmate Stefan
Shtick Heads is released 2 June. Check out gaytimes.co.uk for the full exclusive interview with TMB at the end of May. themidnightbeast.com, @midnightbeastuk
Abingdon laughs: “We just piss a lot of people off. We had to change
ouch!
[06/14]
UNLEASH THE BEAST
10
gaytimes.co.uk
marvel-ous
[06/14]
IN A GALAXY NOT SO FAR, FAR AWAY... 12
When Chris Pratt isn’t posting topless selfies while wearing tiny pants – and hey, after that much weight loss, who can blame him? – he’s busy starring in Marvel’s upcoming summer blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy. Chris plays Peter Quill, otherwise known as Star-Lord, alongside pro-wrassler Dave Bautista and the, ahem, vocal talents of Vin Diesel. Oh, Bradley Cooper is in it too, but he’s also lending his voice – and to a genetically-engineered Raccoon, no less. This might mean no gratuitous torso shots from Bradley, but with Chris looking this good, we might just have a new Hollywood crush. Actually, Bradley, we need to talk... it’s not you... Q Guardians of the Galaxy will be coming to a cinema near you on 1 August
gaytimes.co.uk
[first] Atennnnnshun! Sure, we’re nearly half way through the year, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to buy a calendar, does it? Especially when it’s a bunch of lads from the Royal Marines quite literally going commando. And all while raising money for charity, to boot. Proceeds from this go towards the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund, which helps military families in need. Fit, muscular guys in the buff and all for a good cause? OK, sod it, we’ll take a dozen. Q The 2014 Go Commando calendar is available from gocommando.org.uk, at MXVW
%DUJDLQ
SPEED DATE
gaytimes.co.uk
From 11 May Dust off your leather jackets – one of our all time favourite rock goddesses DQGERQDÀGHJD\ icon Courtney Love ÀQDOO\UHWXUQVWRWKH UK. The original wild child will play nine dates, startLQJDW/RQGRQ·V 6KHSKHUG·V%XVK seetickets.com Q
17 May Haterz gonna hate, but not on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. With more than 200 events taking place across the UK DORQHWKHUH·VSOHQW\ opportunity to stand up and be proud. dayagainsthomophobia.org Q
From 17 May Mothers, lock up \RXUVRQV5X3DXO·V right-hand woman DQG*7·VYHU\RZQ Michelle Visage will be turning things up when she hits JRRGRO·%OLJKW\ 6KH·VLQ*ODVJRZ ÀUVWIROORZHGE\ Manchester and London. michellevisage.com Q
From 24 May English Wine Week is a time to celebrate all things red, white and rosé. Whether LW·VDYLQH\DUGWRXU or you just fancy sinking a bottle or WZRWKHUH·VSOHQW\ going on to treat your tastebuds. englishwineweek. co.uk Q
Until 31 May Pride season is just around the corner, but if you want to go to one of the best in the country – Manchester – you can bag a four-day weekend ticket now for just £18. Hurry up, though, price goes up from 1 June. manchesterpride.com Q
13
island life
Keep on survivin’ Being stranded on a desert island with a bunch of guys might sound like paradise to some, but for 25-year-old Dean Smith, a gay hairdresser from London, it was OLWHUDOO\DÀJKWIRU survival. Dean and 12 others from across the country were marooned on a remote island by Bear Grylls. Covered in thick jungle and swamp, they had only a handful of NQLYHVDQGDGD\·V survival training to see them through
for a month. The rest was up to them. Recording their experiences themselves with camera equipment, the footage has been whittled down into &KDQQHO·VQHZ series The Island; a raw, exhilarating tale of survival about what it really means to be masculine in 2014. And as Dean exclusively tells GT, for him, that was about proving wrong the stereotype WKDWJD\VFDQ·WEH men... Q
----------
“
I needed to prove this point that it doesn’t matter what sexuality you are, what your preference is, what you do for a living, how much tan you use... it doesn’t matter. We’re all the same, we all bleed red and we’re all the same people. ----------
”
I’m not Gandhi, but if I can “change a small majority of straight guys who assume or judge you right away because of who you are, then I’ve done my job.
”
----------
“
If these blokes all from different walks of life that I’ve never met before don’t care that I’m gay, why should anyone else care? It’s not a big thing. ----------
”
Catch The Island with Bear Grylls on Channel 4, Mondays from 9pm
She’s baaaaaaack Almost 15 years since Miss Saigon packed her bags and left London’s West End, but this powerful production is back, returning to the Prince Edward Theatre this month, bigger and better than ever. With Jon Jon Briones as The Engineer, Eva Noblezada as Kim and the devilishly handsome Alistair Brammer – who first caught our eye in Les Misérables – as Chris, we can’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon in the West End than with sleazy bar girls, a sing-along love story and a whole lot of eye candy. Since premiering way back in 1981, Miss Saigon has won more than 40 awards. While the accolades speak for themselves, this backstage rehearsal shot should be enough to whet your appetite. Qmiss-saigon.com 14
gaytimes.co.uk
IMAGE MISS SAIGON BY ROBIN SAVAGE
[first]
[06/14]
SUBSCRIBE TO GT TODAY EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBER COVERS
Too steamy for the shops!
TAKE OUT A PRINT SUBSCRIPTION TODAY TO GET YOURS!
VISIT WWW.GTSUB.CO.UK & ENTER GTSUBSCOVER *OFFER ENDS 12/12/2014
art attack
[06/14]
He’s caught the eye of Stephen Fry, been featured in The Independent and set Twitter on fire with his unique brand of gayactivist painting tackling bigots and homophobes. Now, GT talks to 24-yearold Conor Collins, the classically handsome face leading a new generation of gay artists WORDS DOMINIC HOLBROOK
“I paint pictures and things like that, but does that then make me an artist?” Manchester’s Conor Collin’s asks us contemplatively. “If I stand up and tell a few jokes, am I a stand-up comedian or am I someone who tells jokes?” It’s a surprisingly humble self-assessment from someone whose work has been touted for the National Art Prize and Saatchi Shortlist. The 24-year-old first started painting while in his second year of studying opera. “The most annoying thing was that during my second year, I was like ‘oh fuck… I don’t want to be an opera singer,” he explains, “I want to be a painter!” And despite only putting brush to canvas for three years, Conor’s already been hotly tipped as ‘one to watch’ in 2014. His recent portrait of Tom 16
Daley – ingeniously composed of homophobic tweets from the day the Olympic diver came out – set the Twittersphere a-buzz and has been celebrated by a who’s who of gay celebs, like Stephen Fry and even Mr Daley himself. “You can’t paint a sociological painting without showing the dark side of society,” Conor tells us. “Tom Daley is stunning, and that makes the painting beautiful, because he’s a very good looking guy. So there’s a nice side to show with the words from the dark side of Britain. The side that, when he came out, said things like ‘you fag homo, you’ve lost a fan.’” Conor’s other works make an equally-powerful statement. Another one of his paintings depicts our, ahem, ol’ pal Vladimir
Putin (boo! hiss!) using prominent names of the LGBT community – particularly ones who’ve shaped the modern world as we know it. Then, in protest against Russia’s, well, y’know, Conor decided to censor his own work, painting over the names that made up the portrait one by one. What Conor had left was a scarred, blank canvas and a stark message to Mr Putin that despite his ruthless oppression of our kind, if you discriminate against the LGBT community then you’re left with nothing. Absolutely nothing. “It was done out of a bit of anger really,” Conor admits. “Well, a lot of anger, if I’m honest. And it was the right time to do it with the Winter Olympics being in Russia. If they weren’t, I think there would’ve been gaytimes.co.uk
[first]
less press publicity around their horribly homophobic legislation. “I wanted to show that we’re part of society as we know it and, if you try to remove us, it’s just a scar that’s left. It was a bit of an activist piece. I’m trying, generally, to be a bit more politically alert, really. But I couldn’t not paint it. I just had to paint it. If someone had tried paying me £100 not to paint it, I just wouldn’t have taken the money and painted it anyway. “It was quite therapeutic to get rid of the painting, though, because I hated seeing his face on the canvas with a passion. It’s a terrible thing to hate someone like that, but I hate him because he has the power change things for the better, and he doesn’t.” As well as Olympic heroes and Russian autocrats, Conor’s work gaytimes.co.uk
Tom Daley is stunning and that makes a beautiful painting, so there’s a nice side to show with the words from the dark side of Britain
has also been influenced by iconic figures such as Quentin Crisp. “He’s the biggest inspiration for me as an artist. I love his work and his witticisms. His view of the world was that if you’re open and honest about everything that makes you fantastic and wonderful, and also about everything that makes you grumpy and miserable, and show it on the outside, then you have style and sincerity. I try to do that with my paintings. So I had to paint him. I’m very happy that’s hanging in an embassy in London.” This isn’t to say that that the artistic process is easy, though. “You have to market your stuff,” says Conor. “You have to tweet it, stick it on Tumblr, Instagram; you have to do everything, constantly pushing it out there, because you
can’t just be an excellent painter. You have to be a business person as well. Especially if you want to reach your goals.” Which are? “I’d like to be the Bold washing powder of art,” he says with a wry smile on his face. “In every home, just nice enough, everyone’s got one and everyone can enjoy it. “I had someone say to me ‘Conor, you’ll be the jack of all trades and the master of none’. But I’m like ‘No, I’ve been in opera, I’ve been an Irish dancer, and now I’m a painter’ Why can’t I do it all?” With the drive, ambition and talent that this young man has, we have no doubt that he certainly can. Q For more, visit conartworks.com, @conartworks
17
[mikey walsh]
Ever have one of those days when you just hate everything? I’m allowed to do that, right? Honestly, I spend so much of my life living in fear of ever upsetting someone. Some days I think it’s totally healthy to just knock the fear of bad karma on the head and embrace it with a healthy loathing for everything. I hate the gym. They say that exercise releases endorphins, and makes us feel happy and full of energy… Well, I must not be human. All the gym gets from me is tears, tantrums and a self-hatred that takes hours – and a bag of Percy Pigs – to shake off. I hate gym junkies… You guys are just way too beautiful! You cruise through your leg, arm and arse days and make your casual gym announcements online, like it was as easy as eating a Kinder egg. Those new Disney Princess ones by the way, I am ADDICTED. OK I admit it, you guys ROCK at this kind of self-discipline, and I’m a chocolate-loving, couch-sitting, TV-hogging, pizza-loving, onesiewearing slob. 18
THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF GYPSY BOY
And you know, I’ve actually been a member of the gym for more than a year; I go there three times a week and I STILL look like a naked rag doll. This might be due to me having the same gym routine as Angela Lansbury in her Positive Moves workout video, but still. I just wish having a great body was as easy as casting a spell. Kinda like how Mumm-Ra used to do it in ThunderCats. A few evil words and he went from crone to DADDY… I can only wish. Another thing I hate are those ‘see, we care’ kind of posts you see on Twitter: such as ‘ill people who can be saved with 100,000 retweets’. Yesterday someone posted a picture of a girl crying on Jeremy Kyle. The caption was: ‘This girl is crying because she thinks she is ugly, let’s give this endless retweets to show her she isn’t’. I mean, seriously? Yes, the poor girl did have a Grotbags perm, but it was kinda cool, and she wasn’t even tagged in the picture anyway, so would NEVER have known about it, or had the chance to even say, ‘cheers guys, maybe you’re right’.
A healthy venting of your spleen is like a gay man’s chicken soup. But not all the time. Don’t let other people’s stupid ways turn you into a bitch
@thatbloodymikey
column
[first]
By the way, by the time this appeared in my timeline, it had reached 78,000 retweets! While I’m on the subject of Twitter, I hate users who endlessly retweet compliments. Hashtag – it makes you look like a cunt. I hate when someone thinks it’s totally fair to respond to a lovely message, just by ‘favouriting’ it. To me, that star symbol is a way to say ‘this conversation is OVER’. I hate Katie Hopkins and the attention she gets for being a bigoted horror. She’s doing it ‘cos it gets her attention, publicity and, yes, lots of money. I hate even more that I’m even mentioning her here. Do yourself a HUGE favour if you’re on Twitter, block her and you will be free of ever seeing her vile rants retweeted or argued in your timeline, ever again. I hate the double standards of gay mafia bullshit in the media. Bullying, favouritism, hierarchy, unsupportive of others – it’s like living in the first act of Heathers… The war shouldn’t be in our own community, assholes! The last thing I just can’t stand are victims. Not actual victims of tragic events, but people that constantly blame the world and everyone else for their own failings. There’s nothing that makes my skin crawl more than hearing someone who’s an absolute shit of a human being, blame it all on being abused in some way. What a load of absolute crap. You know what? This actually felt damn good to do, and I’m only scratching the surface! There’s obviously some evil bastard lurking in me today that needs to be suppressed… maybe I should actually go and kill him at the gym. A healthy venting of your spleen is like a gay man’s chicken soup. But not all the time. Don’t let other people’s stupid ways turn you into a bitch. Get it off your chest, then out, and do something that makes you feel good. Be good to yourself – ‘all T, all shade’. Q gaytimes.co.uk
So if a guy tells you he is HIV negative, he could be wrong. Get your FREE condom sampler pack while stocks last:
StartsWithMe.org.uk
startswithme
@startswith_me
BY ROYALE APPOINTMENT WORDS LEE DALLOWAY IMAGE GREG BAILEY
20
gaytimes.co.uk
[first]
The unforgettable Latrice Royale stormed through the fourth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race like a whirlwind of fabulous. Bursting with positivity, wit and warmth both on and off stage, we find out what life’s been like post-Drag Race
gaytimes.co.uk
I
t’s been more than 20 years since Timothy Wilcots was dared by friends to enter a drag competition and Latrice Royale was unleashed on an unsuspecting but thankful world. Immediately a staple on the Florida queen scene, it wasn’t always so obvious that a star was born from Latrice’s grand entrance. “It was not cute, by any stretch of the matter,” says Latrice, laughing. “My friends said that I should enter an amateur show one Halloween. I did and I lost, ‘cos I was a mess, honey. But I felt I could win. So I went back the next week, got a dress, some shoes and the hair, and I did win. Now you can’t get me off the stage!” The seeds were sown for Latrice’s love of performing with a youth spent singing in church choirs and taking part in musical theatre. When the wigs and lashes came into play, the two tied together perfectly, and Latrice went on to win countless crowns and titles in Florida. But it was her decision to enter RuPaul’s Drag Race that upped her game to an international level. While describing the entire experience as “amazing” and undoubtedly life-changing, the massive glare of the show’s spotlight is something you can never truly prepare for. “I went in with the intentions of just being an open book and being myself; sticking to who I was and maintaining my values,” she remarks. “I didn’t wanna put on any airs. I never wanted to lose my identity for a TV show, but I was not prepared for some of it.” Television, particularly reality television, needs big characters and drama. And Latrice knew that the past wouldn’t remain history. “In the preliminaries of getting onto the show they do a lot of digging. That’s how they know who to cast. They know a lot about you already, which is good and bad, do you know what I
mean? I wasn’t ready to relive some of the things that I had to deal with, things I’d suppressed for so long.” Latrice’s past included an estranged father and a spell in jail, something she decided to be open about during the time on Drag Race. “I was concerned that I wouldn’t make it on the show because of that,” she reflects. “They were like, ‘you have to deal with this now; this is the time.’ So, I wanted this to be a part of what I let the world know, ‘cos I wanted people to see that you can turn your life around. I think both they and I thought it was gonna be a positive thing. And I was ready.” While the exact details of what happened are unclear, she’s been quoted as saying, “All I’ll say is, you don’t wanna have prescription pills on you if you don’t have a prescription. It was a mistake, I learned from it, and I won’t do it again.” Latrice faced the demons from what she describes as “my darkest day” and did so with bravery and integrity. “It was kind of like therapy, because in dealing with it, you grow. You let it go. I don’t have that scarlet letter anymore.” Although the past can still come to bite you in the most unlikeliest places. “Canada still won’t let me in!” Huh? “I know! Canada is shady,” she says, collapsing into trademark giggles and adding a delicious “mmmmmmm hmmmmm”. But there are plenty of other countries Latrice has travelled to, including a frenzied stop in the UK where Brit Drag Racers went crazy for the Royale sass. She’s also been truly inspired by some of the places she’s strut her stuff. “What really sticks out most to me is my trip to South Africa. That was really life changing. To see a different side of the art, a different perspective, and those girls over there who are coming up in the ranks and are inspired by the US. I was there for the Mixed Gay
21
[first] Western Pageant, and there were a lot of young contestants, like 16, doing drag and they have so much support from their families. I didn’t expect that in South Africa.” One person that inspires Latrice personally is a little closer to home. “I get a lot of my strength from my Mum. My mother was a very strong woman and she instilled those qualities in me as a young child. To always keep pushing, never let obstacles get in your way, and never use excuses for failure. Block out the haters. Success is the best revenge and all you can do is keep blossoming and flourishing.” Latrice finished fourth in Drag Race, but has become one of the most successful and prolific contestants the show’s ever produced. Not content with making appearances all over the world, her latest music video Weight is doing the business online and there’s even a one-woman show in the works. After being ordained as a minister, Latrice also has a sidegig performing weddings. “I just did a wedding in San Francisco… what you say?” Latrice turns to her boyfriend, who cheekily comments that Latrice is marrying everyone except him, to gales of laughter around the room. “My friend wanted me to marry him, so I got my licence and he was the first one I did. It was really beautiful. The two families, the tradition of what marriage is and what a wedding is, just with the fact that it was a man and a man didn’t matter. it was the same. It’s not ‘gay marriage’ it’s just marriage!” she remarks emphatically. “I topped it all off with a little performance at the reception. I turned it up. I gave them the whole package deal.” When we get married we want star of stage, screen and music, “Latrice Motherfucking Royale” performing our ceremony. She’s a brand! “And that’s how you do it, honey!” Q
life’s a drag
[06/14]
Question What
steps did you take to get to your place and what kept you smiling during your journey?! From @LAMEASSDUNES
e l e h iM c isage V
Hi babies! I have so much to share with you this month, I don’t even know where to begin! First things first, didn’t I tell you that I was gonna go IN on these bitches this season on RuPaul’s Drag Race? I get my fair share of Twitter agg from some fans of the show, believe me, I’m not complaining – all publicity is good publicity. But what really blows me away is just how many people are beginning to see that ALLLLLLL my critiques come from a place of love. It just so happens that in order to get to the place of love, I take a shortcut through the place of bitch. Makes it more punchy and increases the chances of creating a catchy merch slogan. If y’all follow me on Twitter, you’ll know by now that I’m going to be a published author! (If you don’t follow me on Twitter then you need to make that happen). Yes bitches, not only does she read, now she writes as
Answer+RQH\,·YH so much more to do EHIRUH,OHDYHWKLV Earth. There was QHYHUDQ\WKLQJHOVH ,ZDQWHGLQOLIHPRUH WKDQWRHQWHUWDLQ,ZDV JLYHQJLIWVWRVKDUH whether people want to hear them or not! ,I\RXDUHQ·WVPLOLQJ LW·VQRWULJKW
