Chris Azzopardi
Q&A: Indigo Girls on Pandemic Life, Trump-Era Inequality & How Pride Can Help Heal Country's Divisions
The day before I got on a call with Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, famously known as the Indigo Girls, the longtime folk-rock duo and LGBTQ activists were playing a set for fans during a Facebook Live concert. They had planned on performing in public [...]
Q&A: Tori Amos Talks Bad Days, Memorable Mornings & Wearing Your Big Boy Boots
In her second book, "Resistance: A Songwriter's Story of Hope, Change, and Courage," flaming piano queen Tori Amos shares her personal stories against a world-in-crisis backdrop and discusses how they've shaped songs from her three-decade career. [...]
Q&A: Janelle Monáe Talks 'Too On the Nose' Pandemic, LGBTQ Representation & Pride Plans
I really hadn't planned on telling queer powerhouse singer-actress-activist Janelle Monáe that I made food for my boyfriend the night before I got on Zoom with her. That afternoon, Monáe was feeling it all. This global pandemic, the [...]
They Sold Gay Porn. Now, Their Daughter Tells Their Story.
Gay porn is not what straight, religious-conservative married couple Barry and Karen Mason thought they'd become known for. But for over 35 years, they owned a bookstore that sold videos like "Confessions of a Two Dick Slut" and "Meat Me at the [...]
Patti LuPone on 'Hollywood,' Her Basement Videos & Why 'Ladies Who Lunch' Will Never Be the Same
In Ryan Murphy's "Hollywood," the wife becomes the boss, the "black screenwriter" is simply a screenwriter, and the gay leading man is just himself. Naturally, it stars Broadway icon Patti LuPone, who, in conversations like the one we had recently, [...]
Melissa Etheridge Has Chosen Hope for 'Beautiful Change' Over Fear in Uncertain Times
Throughout her dynamic three-decade career, Melissa Etheridge has beat cancer and weathered the devastating emotional toll of the AIDS crisis. Having overcome her own battles, the music legend consequently became a beacon of strength, resilience [...]
Q&A: Sean Hayes on Playing a Woman in Earnest and the Definitive End of 'Will & Grace'
Under any other conditions, it might seem strange to tell Sean Hayes what I'm wearing. Given that Hayes dons a plush robe to play a do-nothing cisgender woman named Susan O'Connell – hence the movie's name, "Lazy Susan" – it makes some sense that I [...]
Q&A: Brandy Clark Talks Being Gay in Country Music, Coming Out and Politics
So, about doing an LGBTQ press interview such as this one: coveted out country music singer-songwriter Brandy Clark is really into it. "This is exciting for me," she tells me one recent afternoon. To be clear, Clark, who's been carrying the torch [...]
Wilson Cruz Talks 'Visible,' His Groundbreaking Gay Role & Its Legacy
The first openly gay actor to play an openly gay series regular in a leading role on TV, Wilson Cruz has witnessed firsthand the changing tides of TV representation. Cruz paved the way for shows such as "Will & Grace" and "Ellen" with his [...]
Jake Shears Talks New Scissor-Sounding 'Meltdown,' His Next Dance Album and Judith Light
Chill vibes permeated his 2018 self-titled solo album, but Jake Shears feels like dancing again. Shears' latest single "Meltdown" is a club banger with shared Scissor Sisters disco DNA – which is exactly the point. Because even though the band has [...]
The Madness of Martha Wash: Disco Queen Talks New Album, Snatching Gays & Sylvester Memories
On her new album, "Love & Conflict," Martha Wash is far removed from her disco days, when she became known as half of The Weather Girls. With the late Izora Rhodes-Armstead, the duo began their career as Two Tons O' Fun. They shot to stardom in [...]
Q&A: Meghan Trainor on LGBTQ-Influenced Body Confidence & Tipping Drag Queens with Sam Smith's Money
It's not necessarily all about that bass. It's also all about that time Sam Smith – yes, that Sam Smith – slipped Meghan Trainor some singles so she could tip some Meghan Trainor drag queens. Because even before Trainor captured adoration from the [...]