Movies, popcorn, and good times! The Fresno Reel Pride LGBT Film Festival was held last week, showcasing a variety of different films.

Starting from Sept. 18 and running until the 22; several movies were played each day in the Tower and Vistas Theatres. There was a genre for everyone; ranging from comedies to documentaries. For example, there was the dramedy Tucked, a movie about a drag queen who makes an important friend while dying of cancer. There was also the documentary Scream Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street, chronicling the experience of actor Mark Patton who was the star of A Nightmare on Elm Street: Freddy’s Revenge.

A viewer of Tucked, said it was a “good story” and described it as meaningful. The movie was liked by many as the whole theatre was roaring with laughter during the comedic bits, and completely silent during the tear-jerking moments.

This marked the film festival’s 30^th anniversary, making it one of the oldest LGBT film festivals in the country; it also has the achievement of being one of the biggest. Attending a screening makes it obvious why it has both achievements.

The film festival has friendly service as soon as one walks up to buy a ticket, and it continues during the entire night; with volunteers helping people out if they don’t know where to go. As soon as one steps into the lobby, they are surrounded by laughter and smiling faces; creating a welcoming environment for first-time attendees. Ivan Manriquez is one of these attendees.

Manriquez went to the screening of Scream Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street. He explained that he came to be a part of his community; which is what the film festival is all about. Even if one is not a part of the community; they are welcomed with opened arms. The Fresno Reel Pride LGBT Film Festival slogan is, “Films for Everyone.”

The Official RuPaul's Drag Race World Tour returns with an all new production for 2019! Mission leader Asia O'Hara is on a journey to save the universe with the help of her intergalactic queens including Detox, Kameron Michaels, Kim Chi, Naomi Smalls, Plastique, Vanessa Vanjie Mateo and Yvie Oddly! Presented by Voss Events in collaboration with World of Wonder and VH1.
 

THREE WINNERS - Each winner will receive a pair of tickets ($124 value)

Deadline to enter: September 12, 2019 at 11:59 pm

Can't wait to enter and win?! You can purchase tickets right now.

VIP Option also available for purchase: Enjoy a private meet and greet with the queens before the show! Includes a customized VIP Galaxy Pass and a seat in the first few rows. Guests must arrive by 6PM.

“This is the biggest, most elaborate production we have ever created,” says the show’s producer, Brandon Voss. “The music, sets, fashion, choreography and lighting are all a cosmic feast for the senses. Audiences will be in awe as their favorite queens come together on some incredible numbers.”

See GLORIA TREVI at the Save Mart Center, September 13th at 8pm!

GLORIA TREVI, the indisputable queen of Spanish-language music who never stops shaking up the industry with her incomparable, audacious and irreverent style, announced today her upcoming ‘Diosa De La Noche’ Tour across the United States alongside the Colombian pop phenomenon Karol G. Produced by Live Nation, the ‘Diosa De La Noche’ Tour will kick off September 13 in Fresno, CA and will visit 23 cities across the United States with shows in some of the most prestigious venues in the country. The ‘Diosa De La Noche’ Tour will be a memorable spectacle full of the intensity and excitement Gloria Trevi has accustomed us to.

Enter to WIN two tickets
Less than 30 seconds from click to entered. Enter by 11:59pm, 9/3/2019

One of the biggest surprises for this tour has been Gloria Trevi’s invitation to Latina star Karol G to join her as special guest, sharing the same message: ‘Life is short, but the night is long, let’s have fun! “A Goddess is authentic, goes after her dreams, and ignites those of others! With that in mind, Karol G, welcome to the Diosa De La Noche Tour! You Are Divine!” – Gloria Trevi

Tickets on Sale NOW

I received some exciting news last month which I want to share with all of you!

The International Book Awards announced the winners and the finalists of the 2019 INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS (IBA) on May 11, 2019. My novel, Diego’s Secret, is an Award-Winning Finalist in the LGTBQ Fiction category!

This news was especially gratifying to receive, as I never felt this book gained the attention that it so deserved. When I wrote the book, my intent was to reveal a love story between two opposites—extreme opposites, in this case.
Winston is a conservative wealthy white man and Diego is an undocumented Hispanic man born in Mexico. These two wonderful characters couldn’t be more opposite from one another. Like olive oil and balsamic vinegar, separately, they each have a purpose and together, they blend into something really wonderful.

After releasing the book, some accused me of having an agenda by writing it. They were absolutely right, I did. In all of my books I have wanted my characters to have to overcome some type of moral dilemma in their pursuit of love. I also want my readers to read something that is magical and yet, authentic. My hope is that each one of my books gives you a moment of pause, not for sympathy, but for empathy.
I was never attempting to change someone’s view on illegal immigration, but, rather, to show the reader this character’s personal story. I wanted people to experience the ‘feelings’ of the character, and his experience, like I do for the characters in all my books. Sadly, some didn’t want to feel it. Maybe Diego’s scenario is just too current for them.

We, as a nation, are polarized in some of our views and thoughts. Unfortunately, immigration is one of those polarizing points of view. Changing this is beyond my paygrade, but I can certainly take part in the conversation.

Just recently, I had someone leave me the following review: “B T Clark is one of today’s brightest and significant writers of gay genre novels. Taking taboo subjects and weaving words into some of the most beautiful novels of this generation.”
This review is exactly why I write the books that I write. I want to immerse you, the reader, into a story in which you can not only feel the pain as it is unfolding on the page, but also, experience the triumph of love winning out. In my latest release, Escaping Camp Roosevelt, I take on the issues of homelessness, sex work, addiction, and mental illness. These are dark issues—but real issues, woven into forgiveness, hope, and triumph.
Writing romance is beautiful. It allows the reader to see the dance that two people do when getting to know one another; including the butterflies they feel in their bellies with just the thought of the other person, as well as their fears of rejection and distorted thinking. We all have baggage. Life is rough, but isn’t it grand when love prevails!

A big thank you to all of you who have taken the time to read and appreciate Diego’s Secret. I can’t be more ecstatic over its latest recognition. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, now there is one more reason to read it.

There are a few things you already know about the unmistakable Tammie Brown. Like her overdrawn lips, video bytes of her clapping back at RuPaul, and quizzical one liners – “C'mon Teletubby, teleport us to Mars”! You may not know that this RuPaul’s Drag Race (RPDR) All-Stars Season One queen is a small-town Texas born boy named Keith Glen Schubert (the T is silent but more on that later). He is a fluent Spanish speaker and a Buddhist with a Wikipedia-like knowledge of cinema and Native American culture. While Tammie would snarl her iconic, Mommie Dearest-like lips at all those labels, she would like Fresno’s drag fans to know she will be bringing her own brand of weirdness to Fresno this Friday, May 17 to FAB nightclub and is ready to entertain the masses.

Having a chat with Tammie feels like a playlist on shuffle: First you're having a light chat with a friend then you're listening to a queer theory podcast with a guest professor, next song is all Faye Dunaway film quotes, then a few hits referencing lesser known artists and somehow relating those back to the trans-community found in indigenous cultures of the past. It's clear that Tammie is not only well-versed in many topics, she is curious and over-the-top and a one-of-a-kind artist and a gay man.

Wearing more than one identity at a time is a familiar tune for Brown. At 12-years-old, he was mesmerized by indigenous cultures that were being taught while enrolled in Mexico public schools. It was the stories about the “two-spirited” people, who were the shamans and respected wisdom keepers in their respective cultures, who would be referred to today as trans-women and trans-men, that struck a chord for young Brown. For Brown, this was an awakening moment. He gained confidence and empowerment to face some dark episodes of depression, self-acceptance, his eventual coming out, and going on to march to his own rhythm. It was that new confidence that led to the wry-witted Tammie that audiences got to know when she launched her career from a handful of incredibly memorable and shocking RPDR moments.

Today, the line between Keith and Tammie is blurred. She often stays in drag after performances and during some days. If you’re looking to recreate her signature curled lip look, Tammie’s current obsessions are the “Russian Red” lip color by Mac Cosmetics and her own custom, self-made lashes. Those are the same custom lashes that Tammie has made for the Linda Evangelista eyes of fellow RPDR star, Valentina.

The final aesthetic of Tammie’s look can be described as a palette of Joan Crawford, Charles Busch, Amy Sedaris, and Tootsie. If you are Millennial and need to Google those names (yes, that’s shade), the references don’t stop there. The list of known and unknown artists only gets longer when you begin to look at the inspiration and collaborators behind Tammie’s electro art-pop music. Inspired by Amanda Lear, you may have heard “Porta Potty Prostitute” from the “Little Bit about Tammie” album. If you were a Millennial and Emo, your skinny jeans may implode (shade again) when you find Tammie Brown featured in the Senses Fail’s music video for “Elevator to the Gallows”. Brown looks again to Lear in his upcoming album “Schubert” (remember the T is silent). Fresno audiences can expect to hear hits like “Porta Potty Prostitute” and “Lipsync Suicide” and may even hear debut songs from the Schubert album at Fab on Friday, May 17.

So get ready to “Shaka Buku” with Tammie at Fab this Friday. And don’t be ashamed to Google that reference either. You can find Tammie Brown’s music on all media platforms.

I was able to catch Avengers: Infinity War on opening night. The culmination of ten years of dedication to the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) was coming to a close. After being a fan of Marvel comics since I was six, this was another moment in my nerdy history that I would cherish. I smiled, laughed, cheered, and cried as the movie hit the ground running and never let up. By the end, after what I refer to as the “ashing” happened, I was thrilled. Beyond overjoyed that the film did not have a happy ending. Excited that the heroes did not win the day. Not because I was rooting for Thanos, but because it was something new. Something fresh. Something I craved because I had been denied it for so long. 

So often we are given things hand wrapped and tied off with neatly with a big bow and a thank you card. It is rare to see anything other than the guy winning over the girl, the bad guy going to jail or being killed, the wedding happening without a hitch, etc. It becomes repetitive and predictable. And if the point of stories is to give the reader and/or viewer something to get lost in, then the storyteller has effectively failed. Infinity War helped change that narrative. It helped us get lost in the woods.

As the credits rolled, I sat in my seat with a huge smile on my face,and one thing was different this time around; no one was clapping. Everyone in the theatre was devastated by the “ashing” and no one knew how to react (which is great by the way). The audience simply sat there stunned that over half the characters that had been introduced over the ten year run of the MCU were now gone. Fiction had finally hit too close to home. It had finally become real and it had finally taken more than we were willing to give.

During the desperation that was the entirety of Infinity War, one moment stood out to me almost over every other moment. When Scarlet Witch had been knocked down by Proxima Midnight and Black Widow declared “she’s not alone.” The camera panned up to see Natasha ready for action and Okoye coming to her aid. This fight would be three on one and I, as well as the rest of the audience, was ready for it. I have been here for Black Widow since she took down the security forces in Iron Man 2. Okoye was my instant favorite as Black Panther started. And seeing the amazing progress Scarlet Witch has made has given my heart a reason to swell with joy as the short fight went down.

There was no heart swelling during the all-women hero scene in Avengers Endgame. In fact, there was more cringe and eye-rolling than anything else. All in all, I understood the point the Russo Brothers were trying to make, I do however feel like the scene was simply unnecessary. At least the way it played out. Captain Marvel does not need backup. As the most powerful hero in the MCU to date, she is the most capable person to get through the endless sea of bad guys to help the Avengers win the day. That moment alone makes the scene difficult to get behind. There was no purpose for it. There was nothing about that scene that furthered the plot of the overall story. It was a moment of gratuitous feminism that was not needed.

I’m not suggesting that Scarlet Witch was weak and needed the saving, but in the scenario that was painted around her, she was actually in dire straights. After days of fighting off The First Order and its lesser minions, all while keeping Vision and the mind stone safe and alive, she is finally brought down by being blindsided. Captain Marvel simply had to use her powers to plow through the hoard of Outriders and Thanos. The sense of urgency was practically nonexistent. I am all for strong women being strong women, but in a contextual setting, I still need them to advance the plot. A hard thing to balance in the MCU in general. Most of the overpowered characters have been misused throughout the first three phases, but for some reason, Endgame went one step too far. Instead of focusing on the overall story, it focused on moments in the story.

The all-women hero scene was not horrible, but it was definitely done wrong. Instead of giving Captain Marvel the gauntlet, it would have been better served with Pepper Potts running the glove down the field. Pepper has ties to Tony and that relationship adds agency to the rest of the team to make sure she makes it to the van safely. She is one of the more vulnerable people in the fight and her personal connections make her someone you genuinely want to make it to the end. Captain Marvel could have been the first to come to her aid, but she should not have been the one to be supported by the other women. There really is no need for it. The difference between the Infinity War and Endgame scene is simply a necessity.

There was a lot going on in Endgame, almost too much to really sit in a moment too long. Where Infinity War is one two and a half hour long moment. It’s a story that drops you in the middle and whisks you away before the real end. Endgame is a messy epilogue to answer all of the questions one has had over the past decade. There was not enough time to fit it all in I felt. Then to add moments of pro-feminism onto that distracted from the story that was being told. At that point in the battle, you do not want Thanos to get the gauntlet. There is no time for superhero poses and one-liners. This is 4th and goal and it needed to stay that way. In Infinity War the moment mattered because it was part of the overall plot. You were invested in Scarlet Witch’s survival because she was a key piece in winning the war. She was the only one capable of destroying the mind stone, and as we see in the end, the only one powerful enough to hold off Thanos. Until then she is ash, Wanda’s life is something the viewers are invested in. With Captain Marvel being the most powerful person on the field, there is no stress about her safety because the viewer does not feel like she’ll actually be vulnerable.

The want and need for addition of strong women in these hero movies is warranted. My only concern is adding them for the sake of it and not for an actual purpose. These are expansive stories that can be told and include everyone, while not overlooking anyone group of people. Infinity War had it, Endgame did not. It’s as simple as that. Give me strong women with a purpose, not just strong women. Give me a story that shows strong women being awesome, not just strong women being awesome. There should always be a point. There should always be a reason for everything that is done in fiction. Nothing should be there to appease someone who might complain about the lack of diversity or lack of equality. If the moment is not there do not force it. All things have their place and sometimes less is more. I want a strong woman, but show me the respect of giving me a strong woman done well.

Editor's note: Welcome Tiffany! Can't wait to read your upcoming pieces.

What better way to start off Spring than with the introduction of my new book, Escaping Camp Roosevelt!

If you enjoyed my previous four books containing stories brimming with real emotions and real-life situations filled with realistic life challenges and where vibrant character experience personal growth, and, of course, love, you are going to love my new book! Escaping Camp Roosevelt is an emotional and touching story of two young men, who, for very different reasons, find themselves on the streets, struggling to survive in a homeless encampment. 

Eighteen-year-old Tucker Graves loves two things---his darling little sister and the thrill of playing baseball.  He never dreamt that he’d be homeless, but after a series of misfortunes, he, his mother and his sister find themselves living in a dilapidated homeless encampment called Camp Roosevelt.

Homeless for six years, Dancer has mastered the tricks of living on the streets as a sex worker.  The quiet, reclusive and calculating ways of this twenty-year-old help him to survive although he has learned to trust no one. When Tucker and Dancer meet, neither man can deny the attraction he feels for the other. Both men, struggling with their own emotional pain, question whether falling in love is even possible, especially when survival is on the line?

Above all else, Escaping Camp Roosevelt is about finding your truth, and the ability to forgive even when the wounds are deep.

Pre-Order your eBook of ESCAPING CAMP ROOSEVELT today!

One Book Can Make a Difference

2019 Tranz Ball, hosted by Imperial Dove Court Fresno on SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND - DOORS @ 5PM; DINNER @ 6PM; SHOW @ 7PM - at Fresno City College at 1101 E University Ave, Fresno, CA 93741 in the Old Administrative Building in the Sky Room. Admission is $15 in advance and $20 at the door; $10 for youth (18 years & under).

The theme for this year's event is Through The Looking Glass: An evening of Trans - Inspired Disney characters. Join us as we watch contestants compete for the titles of Mr. Tranz Fresno (Identifying as male), Ms. Tranz Fresno (Identifying as female), Tranz X Fresno (identifying as both masculine and feminine; androgynous), and a Junior Tranz Fresno Title (Youth 20 yrs and younger).

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