LGBTQ+ Rsians fleeg Kreml’s anti-gay propaganda seek safe haven LA – Daily News

Contents:

• THE BT GAY CISG SPOTS LOS ANGEL
• QUEER NEIGHBORHOODS\NMY FAVORE ASPECT OF LOS ANGEL’ QUEER LIFE IS S ABILY TO ACODATE A VARIETY OF SUBCULTUR AND PASSNS DUE TO S ENORMO POPULATN AND WI NSTELLATNS OF NEIGHBORHOODS. WHILE QUEER LIFE IS CENTERED WT HOLLYWOOD, SILVER LAKE, AND DOWNTOWN, PULS THROUGHOUT THE CY BETIFUL, DIVERSE, AND CREATIV WAYS. YOU’LL NEED MORE THAN A FEW LIFETIM TO EXPERIENCE ALL, BUT HERE ARE A FEW STANDOUTS. \NWT HOLLYWOOD\NHOME TO OVER TWENTY GAY BARS WALKG DISTANCE, A PLETHORA OF QUEER-OWNED BS,  LA PRI FTIVAL AND PARA, OUTFT, A HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL, AND OVER A THIRD OF RINTS INTIFIYG AS LGBTQ+, THE CY OF WT HOLLYWOOD IS PATED WH RABOW STREET CROSSGS YEAR ROUND. IT’S NO WONR “WEHO” HAS BEEN A TOP LGBTQ+ WELG STATN SCE THE 1970S AND NTU TO DRAW TRAVELERS AND NEW RINTS OM AROUND THE WORLD. \NSILVER LAKE\NTHOUGH STONEWALL IS LARGELY CREDED WH CG THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT, LOS ANGEL HAS A FEW HISTORIL LGBTQ+ UPRISGS THAT PREDATE THE INN’S 1969 RTS, CLUDG THE BLACK CAT RAIDS AND PROTTS SILVER LAKE THAT TOOK PLACE 1967. THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS LONG BEEN AN EPICENTER FOR QUEER CULTURE— WAS HOME TO “AMERI’S FIRST CELEBRATED DRAG PERFORMER,” JULIAN ELTGE, THE 1910S/20S, THE MATTACHE SOCIETY (SAID TO BE AMERI’S FIRST GAY ORANIZATN, T. 1950), AS WELL AS A PREVALENT 80S LEATHER SCENE. THE NEIGHBORHOOD’S QUEER HEART STILL BEATS STRONGLY SPE GENTRIFITN AS MANY QUEER-OWNED BS NTUE TO THRIVE. \NDOWNTOWN LA\NDTLA HAS RECENTLY TABLISHED SELF AS AN UP-AND-G QUEER NEIGHBORHOOD SCE A HANDFUL OF QUEER-OWNED BS AND BARS OPENED 2015, BUT S QUEER HISTORY IS LONG AND STORIED, CLUDG SOME OF THE FIRST LGBTQ+ RTS THE UNTRY AT COOPER DO-NUTS 1959, AS WELL AS A LLECTN OF GAY-IENDLY HANGOUTS AND CISG LOL PERISHG SQUARE LLED “THE RUN” PREVALENT OM THE 20S TO THE 60S. THE LOFTY NEIGHBORHOOD EVEN PUTS ON ’S OWN PRI FTIVAL, DTLA PROUD, EVERY AUGT. \N \NBT PLAC TO STAY\NACE HOTEL DOWNTOWN LOS ANGEL\NTHERE ARE A HANDFUL OF NEW HOTELS SPRGG UP DOWNTOWN, BUT THE ACE REMAS ONE OF THE MOST QUEER-IENDLY, WH S PRI POOL PARTI, SOCIALS, AND S STUNNG PROGRAMMG AT THE 1927 GOTHIC-STYLE THEATRE AT ACE HOTEL, WHERE PERFORMERS LIKE SASCHA VELOUR, BIAN DEL R, KATYA ZAMOLODCHIKOVA, AND MANY MORE HAVE PERFORMED SOLO SHOWS TO SOLD OUT DIENC.\NPALIHOE WT HOLLYWOOD\NSTEPS AWAY OM THE REVELRY ON NEARBY SANTA MONI BOULEVARD, THE BOUTIQUE 37-ROOM PALIHOE WT HOLLYWOOD IS A TE REFUGE THE HEART OF ONE OF THE WORLDS LARGT GAYBORHOODS. THE HOTEL HAS HANDSOME TERRS, A SUN-DRENCHED ROOFTOP WH WI VIEWS OF LOS ANGEL, AS WELL AS AN ELEGANT BAR.\NAIRBNBS SILVER LAKE\NFEEL LIKE A LOL AND RENT A BUNGALOW SILVER LAKE. BIS THEIR FAIRLY CENTRAL LOTN THE CY BETWEEN DTLA AND WT HOLLYWOOD, YOU’LL BE CLOSE TO HIP STOR, QUEER HISTORY, AND LIVELY BARS LIKE AKBAR.\N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":3350112877},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":802,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":558,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":1200,"PTN":"CUTI. ","HEIGHT":802,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1200,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":802,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20790,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960}],"ID":1364395103},{"TYPE":"PARAGRAPH","NTENT":"QUEER-OWNED BS \NCUTI\NCUTI, A TWO-STORY FFEE SHOP AND MUNY CENTER EAST HOLLYWOOD MAY BE ONE OF THE ONLY BRICK-AND-MORTAR QUEER F THE STAT AND IS A GREAT PLACE TO MEET PEOPLE BEYOND THE BARS AND CLUBS OF THE GREATER LOS ANGEL AREA. THE BRIGHTLY L ART DE TERR ALSO HAS A FEW SHELV HOLDG A SMALL BUT POWERFUL LIBRARY OF QUEER THEORY AND LERATURE—THE SPACE ALSO HOSTS QUEER BOOK CLUBS, SOCIALS, AND OTHER EVENTS. \NCASA DEL CAMPO\NSILVER LAKE’S CASA DEL CAMPO HAS BEEN AROUND SCE 1962 AND HAS BEE A QUEER LANDMARK SCE WAS ONCE SURROUND BY BATH HO AND LEATHER BARS. BIS S HEARTY CAL-TEX MENU (AND HEAVY POUR MARGARAS) ’S KNOWN FOR S BARET THEATRE, THE CAVERN CLUB THEATER, WHICH PUTS ON MPY PLAYS, DRAG SHOWS, AND DANCE PERFORMANC. \NWILDFANG\NNEW YORK AND PORTALND AREN’T THE ONLY CI WH THE QUEER-OWNED FEMIST FASHN BRAND KNOWN AS WILDFANG. LOS ANGEL HAS S OWN BRICK-AND-MORTAR STORE THE HEART OF SILVER LAKE, ON THE BY SUNSET BOULEVARD. \N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":3084564421},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":802,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":558,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":1200,"PTN":"JUICY LEAF.","HEIGHT":802,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1200,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":802,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20792,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960}],"ID":2538401300},{"TYPE":"PARAGRAPH","NTENT":"THE JUICY LEAF\NWHILE VISG L.A., ’S HARD NOT TO FALL LOVE WH THE CTI, SUCCULENTS, AND OTHER LORFUL PLANTS LEAPG OM THE CY’S GARNS. HIGHLAND PARK’S QUEER-OWNED BOUTIQUE, THE JUICY LEAF, SELLS A BRIGHT ASSORTMENT OF UNIQUE PLANTS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE URBAN GARNER. \NCELEBRATN THEATER\NCELEBRATN THEATER, NOW BASED AT THE LEX HOLLYWOOD, WAS FOUND 1982 BY MATTACHE SOCIETY -FOUNR CHARL ROWLAND AND HAS SCE PUT TOGETHER S OF PERFORMANC CLUDG THE ORIGAL NAKED BOYS SGG! AND A CRILLY-ACCLAIMED PRODUCTN OF BOYS FROM OZ.\NWILL ROGERS STATE BEACH\NWHILE MUCH OF LOS ANGEL’S QUEER LIFE IS BASED WT HOLLYWOOD, SILVER LAKE, AND DTLA, THE WT SI NTAS A SIGNIFINT QUEER POPULATN (AND SOME TERTG QUEER HISTORY)—BUT NO CURRENT FULL TIME QUEER TABLISHMENTS OR BARS. THE AREA DO HOWEVER, HAVE ’S OWN “UNOFFICIAL” GAY BEACH, NICKNAMED “GGER ROGERS BEACH” NEAR LIFEGUARD STATN 26 ON THE WI SAND BEACH, JT A SHORT DRIVE NORTH OF SANTA MONI.\N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":2061450480},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":899,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":498,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":1200,"PTN":"VIEW OM GRIFFH PARK. ","HEIGHT":899,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1200,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":899,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20791,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960}],"ID":801422166},{"TYPE":"PARAGRAPH","NTENT":"ARTS & CULTURE \NONE NATNAL GAY & LBIAN ARCHIV AT THE USC LIBRARI\NTHE ONE ARCHIV AT USC HOLD THE LARGT LLECTN OF LGBTQ MATERIALS—BOOKS, PERDILS, CLOTHG, ARTWORKS, PHOTOGRAPHY, D RERDGS, VIOS, LETTERS, EPHEMERA, AND MUCH, MUCH MORE— THE WORLD. THE SPACE IS NAMED AFTER ONE MAGAZE, THE FIRST “NATNAL HOMOSEXUAL PERDIL” FOUND 1952. VIS TUDAY-SATURDAY AND BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THEIR SIBLG GALLERY SPACE WT HOLLYWOOD, ONE ARCHIV GALLERY AND MM, WHICH FEATUR TN IATIV AND THOUGHT PROVOKG EXHIBS. WHILE NOT ASSOCIATED WH ONE, WT HOLLYWOOD IS ALSO HOME TO THE  THE JUNE L. MAZER LBIAN ARCHIV.\NLACMA\NLOS ANGEL HAS AN CREDIBLE ASSORTMENT OF NTEMPORARY ART MMS HOSTG QUEER EXHIBS AND ARTISTS AND LOS ANGEL COUNTY MM OF ART IS NO EXCEPTN. HERE, MAPPLETHORP, HOCKNEYS, TOM OF FLANDS, EAKS, AND LIGONS HAVE CLEARED THE STAGE FOR CURRENT QUEER ARTISTS LIKE TERA LA TORRE, DEV GALDO, AND PL MPAGI SEPUYA TO SHOWSE THEIR NOVATIVE NTEMPORARY WORK. \NGRIFFH PARK\NAT 4,210 ACR (NEARLY FIVE CENTRAL PARKS!), GRIFFH PARK IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE LARGT MUNICIPAL PARKS WH URBAN WILRNS AREAS THE UNTRY. THE MASSIVE PARK IS HOME TO MORE THAN 53 OF STEEP HIKG TRAILS, THE AUTRY MM OF THE AMERIN WT, THE GEO GRIFFH OBSERVATORY, AND S VERY OWN MOUNTA LN, P-22. THE PARK WAS EVEN THE SETTG OF A “GAY-” MONSTRATN ANIZED 1970 BY THE GROUP THE GAY LIBERATN FRONT.\N \NQUEER NIGHTLIFE
• THE BT GAY BARS AND CLUBS LOS ANGEL
• KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIENDBARBIE’S BELOVED BEARD?FOR YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE QUTNED WHAT ROLE KEN REALLY PLAYS BARBIE’S LIFE. BUT THE TTH IS PLA SIGHT: KEN’S NOT BOYIEND MATERIAL. AT LEAST, NOT FOR BARBIE.BARRY LEVTFREELANCE WRERPUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2023 4:35AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/GETTYIT’S BARBIE WEEK AT THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, CELEBRATG THE DOLL’S POP-CULTURE HISTORY, OUR FAVORE BARBIE MEMORI, AND A CERTA MAJOR MOVIE. READ ALL OF OUR VERAGE HERE!“SHE’S EVERYTHG. HE’S JT KEN.” THAT’S THE TAGLE FOR THE WILDLY ANTICIPATED BARBIE MOVIE, DIRECTED BY GRETA GERWIG AND STARRG MARGOT ROBBIE AND RYAN GOSLG. THE IMPLITN IS CLEAR: COME FOR BARBIE, AND STAY FOR BARBIE… BUT KEN HAPPENS TO BE THERE TOO.KEN HAS LONG BEEN SEEN AS NOTHG BUT BARBIE’S HUMAN ACCSORY, BUT WASN’T ALWAYS THIS WAY FOR THE POOR MISUNRSTOOD DOLL. WHEN KEN WAS FIRST TRODUCED 1961, HIS FIRST MERCIAL TRIED TO POSN HIM AS BARBIE’S EQUAL AND, UNMISTAKABLY, BOYIEND. “GET BOTH BARBIE AND KEN AND SEE WHERE THE ROMANCE WILL LEAD!” THE MERCIAL PROMISED.SCE THEN, LIKE BARBIE, KEN HAS UNRGONE UNTLS TRANSFORMATNS AND FASHNS. BUT AS TIME WENT ON, KEN FOUND HIMSELF AN AFTERTHOUGHT. TOYMAKERS MATTEL NEVER GAVE HIM THE SAME KD OF BACKSTORI AS BARBIE—WHILE SHE’S HAD OVER 200 REERS, KEN HAS HAD JT SOME 40-ODD PROFSNS. (AN CREDIBLE AMOUNT OF JOBS FOR A PERSON, SURE. BUT FOR A DOLL? EMBARRASSG.) BARBIE HAS STARRED LOTS OF VIO GAM AND MORE THAN THREE DOZEN FILMS; KEN HAS HAD A MAJOR ROLE A MERE HANDFUL OF THEM. BUT THERE’S ONE KEY REASON WHY KEN IS ALWAYS LAGGG SIGNIFINTLY BEHD BARBIE AND 'S A LOT EPER THAN THE DOLL’S SEEMG LACK OF POPULARY: KEN HAS BEEN MISST. HE’S NOT BARBIE’S BOYIEND. HE’S BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.DPE MATTEL’S SISTENCE THAT BARBIE AND KEN ARE A HAPPY ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP, THERE’S PLENTY OF SPECULATN ABOUT KEN’S SEXUALY. EVEN IF HIS MAKERS CLAIM HIM TO BE STRAIGHT, THERE’S MOUNTG PROOF TO THE NTRARY. PERHAPS THE MOST DISPUTABLE EVINCE THAT KEN IS FACT BOTH A MEMBER OF THE QUEER MUNY AND BARBIE’S BTIE, NOT BOY TOY, OM A RATHER SURPRISG PLACE: 2010’S TOY STORY 3.IN TOY STORY 3, BARBIE AND KEN PLAY A SURPRISGLY LARGE ROLE. THEIR TRODUCTN TO THE FILM IS TGED WH ROMANTIC TENSN. WHEN THE PAIR MEET, THE FILM VOK A MON TROPE: A ROMANTIC NEEDLE DROP HS THE MOMENT THE LOVERS LOCK EY. IN THIS SE, ’S “DREAM WEAVER” BY GARY WRIGHT. AS FAR AS BARBIE AND KEN ARE NCERNED, THEY’RE THE ONLY ON THE ROOM. “I LOVE YOUR LEG WARMERS!” KEN TELLS BARBIE. “NICE AST,” SHE BANTERS, WH HEAVY EMPHASIS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE. BEFORE THGS GET TOO HEATED, THEY LOCK ARMS AND WALK OFF TOGETHER. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / GETTY LET’S BE HONT—SPE THE ROMANTIC OVERTON OF THE SCENE, THEIR BRIEF EXCHANGE TELLS EVERYTHG ABOUT HOW THEY SEE EACH OTHER. KEN DON’T MENTN ANYTHG ABOUT BARBIE’S BODY, STEAD HIGHLIGHTG HER LEG WARMERS. BUT BARBIE IS UNSUBTLY TRYG TO SCE KEN JT TWO WORDS. SHE’S AFTER KEN, BUT KEN IS AFTER SOMEONE WHOSE CLOTH HE N ADMIRE.SURE, LATER THE FILM, KEN AND BARBIE SAY “I LOVE YOU” TO EACH OTHER. AND THEY GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SAYG EACH WORD OF “I LOVE YOU”—SO SOMEONE DIFFERENT N SAY “LOVE” EACH TIME, AS KEN EXPLAS. HE MENTNS OFFHAND THAT HE HAS EVERYTHG EXCEPT SOMEONE TO SHARE WH. BARBIE AND KEN EVEN NUZZLE THEIR NOS TOGETHER. Y, THERE’S FELY LOVE BETWEEN IENDS—BUT THROUGH ALL, THERE’S NOT A HT OF SEXUAL CHEMISTRY.LOOK, I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THKG—SIR, THIS IS TOY STORY; WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU EXPECTG? IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER ROMANC THE ANCHISE—WOODY AND BO PEEP, AND JSE AND BUZZ—THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THERE’S REAL LOVE THERE BETWEEN THE SENTIENT TOYS. THEIR PASSN FOR ONE ANOTHER TRANSCENDS MORE THAN SIMPLY BEG TERTED EACH OTHER’S OUTFS. THE SAME NNOT BE SAID OF THE MATTEL DOLLS. THAT’S MA EVINT WHEN KEN FALLY GETS AN OPPORTUNY FOR TIMACY WH BARBIE. “THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS,” HE TELLS BARBIE WHEN THEY FALLY GO TO HIS DREAMHOE TOGETHER, HAVG PARENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD CLUTCHG THEIR PEARLS. BUT FEAR NOT: KEN SIMPLY TAK BARBIE TO… HIS WALK- WARDROBE. ANY SEMBLANCE OF ROMANCE MAK WAY FOR IENDSHIP, WHEN THE PAIR JUBILANTLY PESE KEN’S OUTFS. AND STEAD OF DOG SOMETHG WILD LIKE KISSG BARBIE, KEN PUTS ON A FASHN SHOW FOR HER STEAD. THE FILM WON’T SAY , BUT A POST-CREDS PUNCHLE ABOUT KEN’S HANDWRG, PLETE WH HEARTS AND STARS SURROUNDG HIS NAME, TELLS WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW.THE HEAVILY IMPLIED NATURE OF KEN’S GAYNS TOY STORY 3 HARKENS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD’S TRADNAL GAY BT IEND-TYPE CHARACTERS. IN THE HAYS CO ERA, EXPLIC REFERENC TO HOMOSEXUALY WEREN’T ALLOWED, SO CHARACTERS LIKE VAN BUREN (FRANKL PANGBORN) 1937’S EASY LIVG, KIP (DAVID WAYNE) 1949’S ADAM’S RIB, OR ADDISON (GEE SANRS) 1950’S ALL ABOUT EVE STEAD WERE IMBUED WH EFFEMATE CHARACTERISTICS, OFFERG A GLIMPSE OUTSI OF HETERONORMATIVY WHOUT EXPLICLY BEG QUEER.NONE OF THE CHARACTERS WERE THE SAME—SOME WERE TTY, OTHERS SWEET. SOME HAD ULTERR MOTIV, AND OTHERS OFFERED UNNDNAL SUPPORT. BUT EACH OF THE GAY BT IENDS WAS TRSILLY FED BY THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT IENDS. WE NEVER REALLY LEARNED MUCH ABOUT THEM AS DIVIDUALS. THEY LIVED ON THE MARGS, FLHG OUT THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS, HARDLY HAVG A PURPOSE WHOUT THEM; THAT PORTRAYAL REMAS TE TODAY. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS BY GETTY / WARNER BROS. DES LATER, 2010, THE GAY BT IEND WAS ALL THE RAGE; TEEN VOGUE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO PROCLAIM THE GBF AS THE SUMMER’S MT-HAVE ACCSORY. BUT UNLIKE THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY, TODAY’S CEMA, THE GBF IS ALLOWED TO BE OPENLY GAY. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY STILL BARELY REGISTER AS PEOPLE WH CHARACTER TRAS BEYOND THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS. IN MOVI LIKE MEAN GIRLS (2004), THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006), EASY A (2010), NO STRGS ATTACHED (2011), AND ISN’T IT ROMANTIC (2019), GAY IENDS EXIST ENTIRELY THE ORB OF THEIR FEMALE IENDS. IT’S SUCH A STRONG TROPE THAT EVEN PERSISTS QUEER ROMANTIC EDI: 2020’S HAPPIT SEASON FDS JOHN (DAN LEVY) OFFERG ADVICE AND SNARKY ONE-LERS TO HIS LBIAN BTIE LI OF MEANGFUL CHARACTER VELOPMENT.IN TOY STORY 3, THE SAME IS TE OF KEN. HIS EXISTENCE PENDS ON AND CIRCULAT AROUND BARBIE. IN BARBIE, KEN HAS FOUND SOMEONE WHO REALLY UNRSTANDS HIM. HE DON’T GET ALONG WH THE OTHER TOYS, WHO MOCK HIM FOR BEG A “GIRL'S TOY.” BUT BARBIE LOV FASHN, JT LIKE HE DO. “NO ONE APPRECIAT CLOTH HERE, BARBIE,” KEN LAMENTS TO BARBIE, ABOUT THE OTHER TOYS’ TREATMENT OF HIM. “NO ONE!” BUT BARBIE DO, AND FOR KEN, THAT’S LIFE-CHANGG.THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS WHY THE FILM WOULDN’T OUTRIGHTLY STATE THAT KEN IS HOMOSEXUAL. NOT ONLY DO DISNEY SELF HAVE A PLITED HISTORY WH QUEER CHARACTERS, BUT KEN AND BARBIE ARE ALSO THE PROPERTY OF MATTEL, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN STEADFAST ASSERTG KEN’S HETEROSEXUALY. THAT’S NEVER BEEN CLEARER THAN 1993 WHEN THE TOY PANY TRIED TO REIGNE KEN’S POPULARY MATTEL’S SOLUTN? EARRG MAGIC KEN. EARRG MAGIC KEN WAS A FIERCER, FELY MORE QUEER KEN THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS VERSN OF THE DOLL HAD BLEACHED BLON HAIR, A PURPLE LEATHER VT (!), A PK-PURPLE MH TOP (!!), AND OF URSE, AND EARRG THE “GAY EAR”. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL: AROUND KEN’S NECK WAS SOMETHG THAT ANY ACTIVE PARTICIPANT OF THE QUEER SCENE THE ’90S REGNIZED STANTLY—A CK RG (!!!).THE EARRG MAGIC KEN TURNED BARBIE’S BOYIEND TO AN OUT-AND-PROUD HOMOSEXUAL RAVER. MATTEL, OF URSE, VEHEMENTLY NIED ANY CLAIMS THAT KEN WAS GAY, LET ALONE THAT HE HAD SOMETHG AS PREPOSTERO AS A CK RG AROUND HIS NECK. AS LISA MCKENDALL, FORMER MANAGER OF MARKETG AND MUNITNS, SAID AN TERVIEW ABOUT THE DOLL, “WE’RE NOT THE BS OF PUTTG CK RGS TO THE HANDS OF LTLE GIRLS.”REGARDLS OF MATTEL’S TENTNS, ’S HARD TO NY WHAT THE EYE N SEE. DPE THE NAME, CK RGS AT THE TIME WERE ED AS A FASHN ACCSORY AND A SIGN OF FIANT QUEERNS AND SEX POSIVY. AS A RULT, GAY MEN BOUGHT THE DOLL DROV, AND SPE MATTEL ULTIMATELY RELLG THE DOLL AND WIPG AWAY ANY TRACE OF EARRG MAGIC KEN, WAS NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE KEN AS ANYTHG BUT THE GLOR HOMOSEXUAL HE WAS BORN TO BE OM THEN ON. MATTEL SPENT THE NEXT UPLE OF S TRYG TO RETA KEN’S MORE HETERONORMATIVE, MASCULE IMAGE, BUT THE VEIL WAS LIFTED, AND THERE WAS NO GOG BACK. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO/THE DAILY BEAST/PHOTOS BY GETTY/WARNER BROS. THOUGH MATTEL DON’T SEEM TO BE WILLG TO SAY KEN IS ACTUALLY GAY, THE KEN DOLLS OF RECENT YEARS SEEM TO REALLY LEAN TO KEN’S QUEERNS. THE YASSIFITN OF KEN IS CLEARLY UNRWAY. WHILE THERE IS NO WAY TO “DRS GAY,” THERE ARE SEVERAL DOLLS THAT SEEM TO SUGGT OTHERWISE, SUCH AS:FASHNISTA KEN #193, WHO LOOKS VERY EXCED TO TELL YOU ABOUT HIS NEW OBSSN, TROYE SIVAN;TRAVEL KEN DOLL, WHO HAS A SATCHEL PERFECT FOR BATHHO AND A PURPLE OVERNIGHT BAG THAT LERALLY PROCLAIMS HE’S “EXTRA;”KEN LOOKS DOLL, SERVG “I’M GONNA GIVE YOU A MAKEOVER”-TYPE REALNS WHILE SPORTG BLACK PLEATHER PANTS;THIS KEN, WHO WEARS THE LEAST HETEROSEXUAL DOUBLE NIM IMAGABLE.WHILE I HAVE A FEELG THE NEW BARBIE MOVIE WILL PUT THE WORK TO NVCE THAT KEN IS A HETERO DU WHO LOV NOTHG LIFE MORE THAN BARBIE HERSELF, THE WRG’S ALREADY ON THE WALL: KEN IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK.READ MORE OF OUR BARBIE VERAGE HERE. BARRY LEVT
• JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY
• LETTERS TO THE EDOR: I’M GAY AND DON’T WANT TO PATRONIZE BIGOTS. THANKS, SUPREME COURT

THE BT GAY CISG SPOTS LOS ANGEL

Los Angel has a long and rich history the LGBTQ+ muny, om one of the untry's earlit Pri monstratns at the Black Cat 1967; to the world’s first permted para advotg for gay rights 1970. Utterly breathtakg, this inic tablishment was crowned LOGO's "Bt Gay Bar the World, " makg a mt-see LA’s gay nightlife scene. When opened 1973, Jewel’s Catch One was the natn’s first black gay and lbian dis.

This historic Spanish flamen and tapas bar Sunset Boulevard, while not a gay venue per se, El Cid hosts some fabulo gay-themed shows that are not to be missed. A low-key, cise-y dive bar Mother Lo claims to be the olst gay bar Wt Hollywood.

Opened at 4th and Broadway May 2015, Precct scrib self as a "rock n roll gay bar" Downtown L. Home to over twenty gay bars walkg distance, a plethora of queer-owned bs, LA Pri Ftival and Para, Outft, a Halloween Carnival, and over a third of rints intifiyg as LGBTQ+, the Cy of Wt Hollywood is pated wh rabow street crossgs year round. Though Stonewall is largely creded wh cg the gay rights movement, Los Angel has a few historil LGBTQ+ uprisgs that predate the Inn’s 1969 rts, cludg The Black Cat raids and protts Silver Lake that took place 1967.

QUEER NEIGHBORHOODS\NMY FAVORE ASPECT OF LOS ANGEL’ QUEER LIFE IS S ABILY TO ACODATE A VARIETY OF SUBCULTUR AND PASSNS DUE TO S ENORMO POPULATN AND WI NSTELLATNS OF NEIGHBORHOODS. WHILE QUEER LIFE IS CENTERED WT HOLLYWOOD, SILVER LAKE, AND DOWNTOWN, PULS THROUGHOUT THE CY BETIFUL, DIVERSE, AND CREATIV WAYS. YOU’LL NEED MORE THAN A FEW LIFETIM TO EXPERIENCE ALL, BUT HERE ARE A FEW STANDOUTS. \NWT HOLLYWOOD\NHOME TO OVER TWENTY GAY BARS WALKG DISTANCE, A PLETHORA OF QUEER-OWNED BS,  LA PRI FTIVAL AND PARA, OUTFT, A HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL, AND OVER A THIRD OF RINTS INTIFIYG AS LGBTQ+, THE CY OF WT HOLLYWOOD IS PATED WH RABOW STREET CROSSGS YEAR ROUND. IT’S NO WONR “WEHO” HAS BEEN A TOP LGBTQ+ WELG STATN SCE THE 1970S AND NTU TO DRAW TRAVELERS AND NEW RINTS OM AROUND THE WORLD. \NSILVER LAKE\NTHOUGH STONEWALL IS LARGELY CREDED WH CG THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT, LOS ANGEL HAS A FEW HISTORIL LGBTQ+ UPRISGS THAT PREDATE THE INN’S 1969 RTS, CLUDG THE BLACK CAT RAIDS AND PROTTS SILVER LAKE THAT TOOK PLACE 1967. THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS LONG BEEN AN EPICENTER FOR QUEER CULTURE— WAS HOME TO “AMERI’S FIRST CELEBRATED DRAG PERFORMER,” JULIAN ELTGE, THE 1910S/20S, THE MATTACHE SOCIETY (SAID TO BE AMERI’S FIRST GAY ORANIZATN, T. 1950), AS WELL AS A PREVALENT 80S LEATHER SCENE. THE NEIGHBORHOOD’S QUEER HEART STILL BEATS STRONGLY SPE GENTRIFITN AS MANY QUEER-OWNED BS NTUE TO THRIVE. \NDOWNTOWN LA\NDTLA HAS RECENTLY TABLISHED SELF AS AN UP-AND-G QUEER NEIGHBORHOOD SCE A HANDFUL OF QUEER-OWNED BS AND BARS OPENED 2015, BUT S QUEER HISTORY IS LONG AND STORIED, CLUDG SOME OF THE FIRST LGBTQ+ RTS THE UNTRY AT COOPER DO-NUTS 1959, AS WELL AS A LLECTN OF GAY-IENDLY HANGOUTS AND CISG LOL PERISHG SQUARE LLED “THE RUN” PREVALENT OM THE 20S TO THE 60S. THE LOFTY NEIGHBORHOOD EVEN PUTS ON ’S OWN PRI FTIVAL, DTLA PROUD, EVERY AUGT. \N \NBT PLAC TO STAY\NACE HOTEL DOWNTOWN LOS ANGEL\NTHERE ARE A HANDFUL OF NEW HOTELS SPRGG UP DOWNTOWN, BUT THE ACE REMAS ONE OF THE MOST QUEER-IENDLY, WH S PRI POOL PARTI, SOCIALS, AND S STUNNG PROGRAMMG AT THE 1927 GOTHIC-STYLE THEATRE AT ACE HOTEL, WHERE PERFORMERS LIKE SASCHA VELOUR, BIAN DEL R, KATYA ZAMOLODCHIKOVA, AND MANY MORE HAVE PERFORMED SOLO SHOWS TO SOLD OUT DIENC.\NPALIHOE WT HOLLYWOOD\NSTEPS AWAY OM THE REVELRY ON NEARBY SANTA MONI BOULEVARD, THE BOUTIQUE 37-ROOM PALIHOE WT HOLLYWOOD IS A TE REFUGE THE HEART OF ONE OF THE WORLDS LARGT GAYBORHOODS. THE HOTEL HAS HANDSOME TERRS, A SUN-DRENCHED ROOFTOP WH WI VIEWS OF LOS ANGEL, AS WELL AS AN ELEGANT BAR.\NAIRBNBS SILVER LAKE\NFEEL LIKE A LOL AND RENT A BUNGALOW SILVER LAKE. BIS THEIR FAIRLY CENTRAL LOTN THE CY BETWEEN DTLA AND WT HOLLYWOOD, YOU’LL BE CLOSE TO HIP STOR, QUEER HISTORY, AND LIVELY BARS LIKE AKBAR.\N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":3350112877},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":802,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":558,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":1200,"PTN":"CUTI. ","HEIGHT":802,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1200,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":802,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20790,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960}],"ID":1364395103},{"TYPE":"PARAGRAPH","NTENT":"QUEER-OWNED BS \NCUTI\NCUTI, A TWO-STORY FFEE SHOP AND MUNY CENTER EAST HOLLYWOOD MAY BE ONE OF THE ONLY BRICK-AND-MORTAR QUEER F THE STAT AND IS A GREAT PLACE TO MEET PEOPLE BEYOND THE BARS AND CLUBS OF THE GREATER LOS ANGEL AREA. THE BRIGHTLY L ART DE TERR ALSO HAS A FEW SHELV HOLDG A SMALL BUT POWERFUL LIBRARY OF QUEER THEORY AND LERATURE—THE SPACE ALSO HOSTS QUEER BOOK CLUBS, SOCIALS, AND OTHER EVENTS. \NCASA DEL CAMPO\NSILVER LAKE’S CASA DEL CAMPO HAS BEEN AROUND SCE 1962 AND HAS BEE A QUEER LANDMARK SCE WAS ONCE SURROUND BY BATH HO AND LEATHER BARS. BIS S HEARTY CAL-TEX MENU (AND HEAVY POUR MARGARAS) ’S KNOWN FOR S BARET THEATRE, THE CAVERN CLUB THEATER, WHICH PUTS ON MPY PLAYS, DRAG SHOWS, AND DANCE PERFORMANC. \NWILDFANG\NNEW YORK AND PORTALND AREN’T THE ONLY CI WH THE QUEER-OWNED FEMIST FASHN BRAND KNOWN AS WILDFANG. LOS ANGEL HAS S OWN BRICK-AND-MORTAR STORE THE HEART OF SILVER LAKE, ON THE BY SUNSET BOULEVARD. \N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":3084564421},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":802,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":558,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":1200,"PTN":"JUICY LEAF.","HEIGHT":802,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1200,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":802,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20792,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960}],"ID":2538401300},{"TYPE":"PARAGRAPH","NTENT":"THE JUICY LEAF\NWHILE VISG L.A., ’S HARD NOT TO FALL LOVE WH THE CTI, SUCCULENTS, AND OTHER LORFUL PLANTS LEAPG OM THE CY’S GARNS. HIGHLAND PARK’S QUEER-OWNED BOUTIQUE, THE JUICY LEAF, SELLS A BRIGHT ASSORTMENT OF UNIQUE PLANTS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE URBAN GARNER. \NCELEBRATN THEATER\NCELEBRATN THEATER, NOW BASED AT THE LEX HOLLYWOOD, WAS FOUND 1982 BY MATTACHE SOCIETY -FOUNR CHARL ROWLAND AND HAS SCE PUT TOGETHER S OF PERFORMANC CLUDG THE ORIGAL NAKED BOYS SGG! AND A CRILLY-ACCLAIMED PRODUCTN OF BOYS FROM OZ.\NWILL ROGERS STATE BEACH\NWHILE MUCH OF LOS ANGEL’S QUEER LIFE IS BASED WT HOLLYWOOD, SILVER LAKE, AND DTLA, THE WT SI NTAS A SIGNIFINT QUEER POPULATN (AND SOME TERTG QUEER HISTORY)—BUT NO CURRENT FULL TIME QUEER TABLISHMENTS OR BARS. THE AREA DO HOWEVER, HAVE ’S OWN “UNOFFICIAL” GAY BEACH, NICKNAMED “GGER ROGERS BEACH” NEAR LIFEGUARD STATN 26 ON THE WI SAND BEACH, JT A SHORT DRIVE NORTH OF SANTA MONI.\N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":2061450480},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":899,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":498,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":1200,"PTN":"VIEW OM GRIFFH PARK. ","HEIGHT":899,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1200,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":899,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20791,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960}],"ID":801422166},{"TYPE":"PARAGRAPH","NTENT":"ARTS & CULTURE \NONE NATNAL GAY & LBIAN ARCHIV AT THE USC LIBRARI\NTHE ONE ARCHIV AT USC HOLD THE LARGT LLECTN OF LGBTQ MATERIALS—BOOKS, PERDILS, CLOTHG, ARTWORKS, PHOTOGRAPHY, D RERDGS, VIOS, LETTERS, EPHEMERA, AND MUCH, MUCH MORE— THE WORLD. THE SPACE IS NAMED AFTER ONE MAGAZE, THE FIRST “NATNAL HOMOSEXUAL PERDIL” FOUND 1952. VIS TUDAY-SATURDAY AND BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THEIR SIBLG GALLERY SPACE WT HOLLYWOOD, ONE ARCHIV GALLERY AND MM, WHICH FEATUR TN IATIV AND THOUGHT PROVOKG EXHIBS. WHILE NOT ASSOCIATED WH ONE, WT HOLLYWOOD IS ALSO HOME TO THE  THE JUNE L. MAZER LBIAN ARCHIV.\NLACMA\NLOS ANGEL HAS AN CREDIBLE ASSORTMENT OF NTEMPORARY ART MMS HOSTG QUEER EXHIBS AND ARTISTS AND LOS ANGEL COUNTY MM OF ART IS NO EXCEPTN. HERE, MAPPLETHORP, HOCKNEYS, TOM OF FLANDS, EAKS, AND LIGONS HAVE CLEARED THE STAGE FOR CURRENT QUEER ARTISTS LIKE TERA LA TORRE, DEV GALDO, AND PL MPAGI SEPUYA TO SHOWSE THEIR NOVATIVE NTEMPORARY WORK. \NGRIFFH PARK\NAT 4,210 ACR (NEARLY FIVE CENTRAL PARKS!), GRIFFH PARK IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE LARGT MUNICIPAL PARKS WH URBAN WILRNS AREAS THE UNTRY. THE MASSIVE PARK IS HOME TO MORE THAN 53 OF STEEP HIKG TRAILS, THE AUTRY MM OF THE AMERIN WT, THE GEO GRIFFH OBSERVATORY, AND S VERY OWN MOUNTA LN, P-22. THE PARK WAS EVEN THE SETTG OF A “GAY-” MONSTRATN ANIZED 1970 BY THE GROUP THE GAY LIBERATN FRONT.\N \NQUEER NIGHTLIFE

The neighborhood has long been an epicenter for queer culture— was home to “Ameri’s first celebrated drag performer, ” Julian Eltge, the 1910s/20s, the Mattache Society (said to be Ameri’s first gay oranizatn, t. DTLA has recently tablished self as an up-and-g queer neighborhood sce a handful of queer-owned bs and bars opened 2015, but s queer history is long and storied, cludg some of the first LGBTQ+ rts the untry at Cooper Do-Nuts 1959, as well as a llectn of gay-iendly hangouts and cisg lol Perishg Square lled “The Run” prevalent om the 20s to the 60s.

THE BT GAY BARS AND CLUBS LOS ANGEL

Steps away om the revelry on nearby Santa Moni Boulevard, the boutique 37-room Palihoe Wt Hollywood is a te refuge the heart of one of the worlds largt gayborhoods. The area do however, have ’s own “unofficial” gay beach, nicknamed “Gger Rogers Beach” near lifeguard statn 26 on the wi sand beach, jt a short drive north of Santa Moni. ONE Natnal Gay & Lbian Archiv at the USC Librari.

The space is named after ONE Magaze, the first “natnal homosexual perdil” found 1952. The park was even the settg of a “gay-” monstratn anized 1970 by the group The Gay Liberatn Front. What is Gay Life like LA?

Im nsirg movg to LA full time and although beg gay isn’t my only inty or most important factor, is important for me to fd other gays for iends and potential relatnships. I know WeHo is pretty damn gay, but outsi of that bubble.. What is gay life like LA?

KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIENDBARBIE’S BELOVED BEARD?FOR YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE QUTNED WHAT ROLE KEN REALLY PLAYS BARBIE’S LIFE. BUT THE TTH IS PLA SIGHT: KEN’S NOT BOYIEND MATERIAL. AT LEAST, NOT FOR BARBIE.BARRY LEVTFREELANCE WRERPUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2023 4:35AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/GETTYIT’S BARBIE WEEK AT THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, CELEBRATG THE DOLL’S POP-CULTURE HISTORY, OUR FAVORE BARBIE MEMORI, AND A CERTA MAJOR MOVIE. READ ALL OF OUR VERAGE HERE!“SHE’S EVERYTHG. HE’S JT KEN.” THAT’S THE TAGLE FOR THE WILDLY ANTICIPATED BARBIE MOVIE, DIRECTED BY GRETA GERWIG AND STARRG MARGOT ROBBIE AND RYAN GOSLG. THE IMPLITN IS CLEAR: COME FOR BARBIE, AND STAY FOR BARBIE… BUT KEN HAPPENS TO BE THERE TOO.KEN HAS LONG BEEN SEEN AS NOTHG BUT BARBIE’S HUMAN ACCSORY, BUT WASN’T ALWAYS THIS WAY FOR THE POOR MISUNRSTOOD DOLL. WHEN KEN WAS FIRST TRODUCED 1961, HIS FIRST MERCIAL TRIED TO POSN HIM AS BARBIE’S EQUAL AND, UNMISTAKABLY, BOYIEND. “GET BOTH BARBIE AND KEN AND SEE WHERE THE ROMANCE WILL LEAD!” THE MERCIAL PROMISED.SCE THEN, LIKE BARBIE, KEN HAS UNRGONE UNTLS TRANSFORMATNS AND FASHNS. BUT AS TIME WENT ON, KEN FOUND HIMSELF AN AFTERTHOUGHT. TOYMAKERS MATTEL NEVER GAVE HIM THE SAME KD OF BACKSTORI AS BARBIE—WHILE SHE’S HAD OVER 200 REERS, KEN HAS HAD JT SOME 40-ODD PROFSNS. (AN CREDIBLE AMOUNT OF JOBS FOR A PERSON, SURE. BUT FOR A DOLL? EMBARRASSG.) BARBIE HAS STARRED LOTS OF VIO GAM AND MORE THAN THREE DOZEN FILMS; KEN HAS HAD A MAJOR ROLE A MERE HANDFUL OF THEM. BUT THERE’S ONE KEY REASON WHY KEN IS ALWAYS LAGGG SIGNIFINTLY BEHD BARBIE AND 'S A LOT EPER THAN THE DOLL’S SEEMG LACK OF POPULARY: KEN HAS BEEN MISST. HE’S NOT BARBIE’S BOYIEND. HE’S BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.DPE MATTEL’S SISTENCE THAT BARBIE AND KEN ARE A HAPPY ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP, THERE’S PLENTY OF SPECULATN ABOUT KEN’S SEXUALY. EVEN IF HIS MAKERS CLAIM HIM TO BE STRAIGHT, THERE’S MOUNTG PROOF TO THE NTRARY. PERHAPS THE MOST DISPUTABLE EVINCE THAT KEN IS FACT BOTH A MEMBER OF THE QUEER MUNY AND BARBIE’S BTIE, NOT BOY TOY, OM A RATHER SURPRISG PLACE: 2010’S TOY STORY 3.IN TOY STORY 3, BARBIE AND KEN PLAY A SURPRISGLY LARGE ROLE. THEIR TRODUCTN TO THE FILM IS TGED WH ROMANTIC TENSN. WHEN THE PAIR MEET, THE FILM VOK A MON TROPE: A ROMANTIC NEEDLE DROP HS THE MOMENT THE LOVERS LOCK EY. IN THIS SE, ’S “DREAM WEAVER” BY GARY WRIGHT. AS FAR AS BARBIE AND KEN ARE NCERNED, THEY’RE THE ONLY ON THE ROOM. “I LOVE YOUR LEG WARMERS!” KEN TELLS BARBIE. “NICE AST,” SHE BANTERS, WH HEAVY EMPHASIS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE. BEFORE THGS GET TOO HEATED, THEY LOCK ARMS AND WALK OFF TOGETHER. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / GETTY LET’S BE HONT—SPE THE ROMANTIC OVERTON OF THE SCENE, THEIR BRIEF EXCHANGE TELLS EVERYTHG ABOUT HOW THEY SEE EACH OTHER. KEN DON’T MENTN ANYTHG ABOUT BARBIE’S BODY, STEAD HIGHLIGHTG HER LEG WARMERS. BUT BARBIE IS UNSUBTLY TRYG TO SCE KEN JT TWO WORDS. SHE’S AFTER KEN, BUT KEN IS AFTER SOMEONE WHOSE CLOTH HE N ADMIRE.SURE, LATER THE FILM, KEN AND BARBIE SAY “I LOVE YOU” TO EACH OTHER. AND THEY GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SAYG EACH WORD OF “I LOVE YOU”—SO SOMEONE DIFFERENT N SAY “LOVE” EACH TIME, AS KEN EXPLAS. HE MENTNS OFFHAND THAT HE HAS EVERYTHG EXCEPT SOMEONE TO SHARE WH. BARBIE AND KEN EVEN NUZZLE THEIR NOS TOGETHER. Y, THERE’S FELY LOVE BETWEEN IENDS—BUT THROUGH ALL, THERE’S NOT A HT OF SEXUAL CHEMISTRY.LOOK, I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THKG—SIR, THIS IS TOY STORY; WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU EXPECTG? IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER ROMANC THE ANCHISE—WOODY AND BO PEEP, AND JSE AND BUZZ—THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THERE’S REAL LOVE THERE BETWEEN THE SENTIENT TOYS. THEIR PASSN FOR ONE ANOTHER TRANSCENDS MORE THAN SIMPLY BEG TERTED EACH OTHER’S OUTFS. THE SAME NNOT BE SAID OF THE MATTEL DOLLS. THAT’S MA EVINT WHEN KEN FALLY GETS AN OPPORTUNY FOR TIMACY WH BARBIE. “THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS,” HE TELLS BARBIE WHEN THEY FALLY GO TO HIS DREAMHOE TOGETHER, HAVG PARENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD CLUTCHG THEIR PEARLS. BUT FEAR NOT: KEN SIMPLY TAK BARBIE TO… HIS WALK- WARDROBE. ANY SEMBLANCE OF ROMANCE MAK WAY FOR IENDSHIP, WHEN THE PAIR JUBILANTLY PESE KEN’S OUTFS. AND STEAD OF DOG SOMETHG WILD LIKE KISSG BARBIE, KEN PUTS ON A FASHN SHOW FOR HER STEAD. THE FILM WON’T SAY , BUT A POST-CREDS PUNCHLE ABOUT KEN’S HANDWRG, PLETE WH HEARTS AND STARS SURROUNDG HIS NAME, TELLS WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW.THE HEAVILY IMPLIED NATURE OF KEN’S GAYNS TOY STORY 3 HARKENS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD’S TRADNAL GAY BT IEND-TYPE CHARACTERS. IN THE HAYS CO ERA, EXPLIC REFERENC TO HOMOSEXUALY WEREN’T ALLOWED, SO CHARACTERS LIKE VAN BUREN (FRANKL PANGBORN) 1937’S EASY LIVG, KIP (DAVID WAYNE) 1949’S ADAM’S RIB, OR ADDISON (GEE SANRS) 1950’S ALL ABOUT EVE STEAD WERE IMBUED WH EFFEMATE CHARACTERISTICS, OFFERG A GLIMPSE OUTSI OF HETERONORMATIVY WHOUT EXPLICLY BEG QUEER.NONE OF THE CHARACTERS WERE THE SAME—SOME WERE TTY, OTHERS SWEET. SOME HAD ULTERR MOTIV, AND OTHERS OFFERED UNNDNAL SUPPORT. BUT EACH OF THE GAY BT IENDS WAS TRSILLY FED BY THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT IENDS. WE NEVER REALLY LEARNED MUCH ABOUT THEM AS DIVIDUALS. THEY LIVED ON THE MARGS, FLHG OUT THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS, HARDLY HAVG A PURPOSE WHOUT THEM; THAT PORTRAYAL REMAS TE TODAY. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS BY GETTY / WARNER BROS. DES LATER, 2010, THE GAY BT IEND WAS ALL THE RAGE; TEEN VOGUE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO PROCLAIM THE GBF AS THE SUMMER’S MT-HAVE ACCSORY. BUT UNLIKE THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY, TODAY’S CEMA, THE GBF IS ALLOWED TO BE OPENLY GAY. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY STILL BARELY REGISTER AS PEOPLE WH CHARACTER TRAS BEYOND THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS. IN MOVI LIKE MEAN GIRLS (2004), THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006), EASY A (2010), NO STRGS ATTACHED (2011), AND ISN’T IT ROMANTIC (2019), GAY IENDS EXIST ENTIRELY THE ORB OF THEIR FEMALE IENDS. IT’S SUCH A STRONG TROPE THAT EVEN PERSISTS QUEER ROMANTIC EDI: 2020’S HAPPIT SEASON FDS JOHN (DAN LEVY) OFFERG ADVICE AND SNARKY ONE-LERS TO HIS LBIAN BTIE LI OF MEANGFUL CHARACTER VELOPMENT.IN TOY STORY 3, THE SAME IS TE OF KEN. HIS EXISTENCE PENDS ON AND CIRCULAT AROUND BARBIE. IN BARBIE, KEN HAS FOUND SOMEONE WHO REALLY UNRSTANDS HIM. HE DON’T GET ALONG WH THE OTHER TOYS, WHO MOCK HIM FOR BEG A “GIRL'S TOY.” BUT BARBIE LOV FASHN, JT LIKE HE DO. “NO ONE APPRECIAT CLOTH HERE, BARBIE,” KEN LAMENTS TO BARBIE, ABOUT THE OTHER TOYS’ TREATMENT OF HIM. “NO ONE!” BUT BARBIE DO, AND FOR KEN, THAT’S LIFE-CHANGG.THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS WHY THE FILM WOULDN’T OUTRIGHTLY STATE THAT KEN IS HOMOSEXUAL. NOT ONLY DO DISNEY SELF HAVE A PLITED HISTORY WH QUEER CHARACTERS, BUT KEN AND BARBIE ARE ALSO THE PROPERTY OF MATTEL, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN STEADFAST ASSERTG KEN’S HETEROSEXUALY. THAT’S NEVER BEEN CLEARER THAN 1993 WHEN THE TOY PANY TRIED TO REIGNE KEN’S POPULARY MATTEL’S SOLUTN? EARRG MAGIC KEN. EARRG MAGIC KEN WAS A FIERCER, FELY MORE QUEER KEN THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS VERSN OF THE DOLL HAD BLEACHED BLON HAIR, A PURPLE LEATHER VT (!), A PK-PURPLE MH TOP (!!), AND OF URSE, AND EARRG THE “GAY EAR”. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL: AROUND KEN’S NECK WAS SOMETHG THAT ANY ACTIVE PARTICIPANT OF THE QUEER SCENE THE ’90S REGNIZED STANTLY—A CK RG (!!!).THE EARRG MAGIC KEN TURNED BARBIE’S BOYIEND TO AN OUT-AND-PROUD HOMOSEXUAL RAVER. MATTEL, OF URSE, VEHEMENTLY NIED ANY CLAIMS THAT KEN WAS GAY, LET ALONE THAT HE HAD SOMETHG AS PREPOSTERO AS A CK RG AROUND HIS NECK. AS LISA MCKENDALL, FORMER MANAGER OF MARKETG AND MUNITNS, SAID AN TERVIEW ABOUT THE DOLL, “WE’RE NOT THE BS OF PUTTG CK RGS TO THE HANDS OF LTLE GIRLS.”REGARDLS OF MATTEL’S TENTNS, ’S HARD TO NY WHAT THE EYE N SEE. DPE THE NAME, CK RGS AT THE TIME WERE ED AS A FASHN ACCSORY AND A SIGN OF FIANT QUEERNS AND SEX POSIVY. AS A RULT, GAY MEN BOUGHT THE DOLL DROV, AND SPE MATTEL ULTIMATELY RELLG THE DOLL AND WIPG AWAY ANY TRACE OF EARRG MAGIC KEN, WAS NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE KEN AS ANYTHG BUT THE GLOR HOMOSEXUAL HE WAS BORN TO BE OM THEN ON. MATTEL SPENT THE NEXT UPLE OF S TRYG TO RETA KEN’S MORE HETERONORMATIVE, MASCULE IMAGE, BUT THE VEIL WAS LIFTED, AND THERE WAS NO GOG BACK. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO/THE DAILY BEAST/PHOTOS BY GETTY/WARNER BROS. THOUGH MATTEL DON’T SEEM TO BE WILLG TO SAY KEN IS ACTUALLY GAY, THE KEN DOLLS OF RECENT YEARS SEEM TO REALLY LEAN TO KEN’S QUEERNS. THE YASSIFITN OF KEN IS CLEARLY UNRWAY. WHILE THERE IS NO WAY TO “DRS GAY,” THERE ARE SEVERAL DOLLS THAT SEEM TO SUGGT OTHERWISE, SUCH AS:FASHNISTA KEN #193, WHO LOOKS VERY EXCED TO TELL YOU ABOUT HIS NEW OBSSN, TROYE SIVAN;TRAVEL KEN DOLL, WHO HAS A SATCHEL PERFECT FOR BATHHO AND A PURPLE OVERNIGHT BAG THAT LERALLY PROCLAIMS HE’S “EXTRA;”KEN LOOKS DOLL, SERVG “I’M GONNA GIVE YOU A MAKEOVER”-TYPE REALNS WHILE SPORTG BLACK PLEATHER PANTS;THIS KEN, WHO WEARS THE LEAST HETEROSEXUAL DOUBLE NIM IMAGABLE.WHILE I HAVE A FEELG THE NEW BARBIE MOVIE WILL PUT THE WORK TO NVCE THAT KEN IS A HETERO DU WHO LOV NOTHG LIFE MORE THAN BARBIE HERSELF, THE WRG’S ALREADY ON THE WALL: KEN IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK.READ MORE OF OUR BARBIE VERAGE HERE. BARRY LEVT

I’ve noticed there are gay bars but they seem heavily ncentrated WeHo. I gus my qutn is, outsi of the Wt Hollywood gntlet, is the LA gay scene thrivg or tepid? LA is not really known as beg a “gay cy” the way that SF and NYC are, and although I’m not lookg to pare who is better, I am terted opns and/or people who have moved om NYC to LA.

Lafayette has a somewhat rocky history when to gay nightlife, jt the sense that bars and clubs have e and gone wh rapidy, and the scene n be equently flux so make sure to check advance to nfirm hours and tails for each bs.

Downtown's quirky and gay-iendly Blue Moon Saloon and Gut Hoe is a mt for Zy, Cajun, and Soul.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY

" Loted the downtown sectn of the cy, The Office, is a mastream but gay-iendly hangout wh ol art on the walls, several pool tabl, and an extensive list of cktails, beers, and we. An attractive and very popular downtown gay bar, Bolt Bar & Pat is a lively and vg spot wh a number of theme nights like a Sunday drag show and hosts tablished DJ's that get the dance floor thumpg.

LETTERS TO THE EDOR: I’M GAY AND DON’T WANT TO PATRONIZE BIGOTS. THANKS, SUPREME COURT

“There’s no greater reward than dog for the ltle Black gay boy who has someone to look up to now bee we didn’t have those people to look up to, ” says Phipps, reuntg a movg past experience where a preteen boy lled the duo his hero after seeg them perform. (Jason Armond / Los Angel Tim) (Jason Armond / Los Angel Tim) Through the Freaky Boiz’s high-energy live performanc and slick raps over stmentals sure to make you dance, they’re rvg their own lane hip-hop and treatg dienc to mic that highlights Black gay joy, datg adventur and wo and empowerg antiexploatn bops tailor-ma for the digal age like “Cash App. ”“They’re tryg to teach kids that beg gay is wrong and that’s phg 50 years backwards om the work of people who started the Pri para like Marsha P.