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Author Mike Ciriaco

  • Mike Ciriaco

 

San Diego vs. Los Angeles: Brothers from Another Mother

We all know that one family. Two brothers, raised by the same parents, only a year or two apart in age, but they couldn’t be more diametrically opposite in personality. The elder is ambitious and driven, obsessed with his actor/model career (no matter how deluded). The younger, by contrast, is laid-back; he’s concerned with chilling on the beach and hitting the skate park with his friends. Where do these personality differences stem from?

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Hot List 2014: Bryan Petroff and Douglas Quint Are a Bicoastal Dessert Duo

In the summer of 2009, Manhattanites Bryan Petroff and Douglas Quint rented themselves an old-fashioned ice cream truck to dispense their unique brand of soft serve topped with a generous dollop of kitsch. They quickly became cultural icons in the Big Apple, and now the bicoastal dessert duo sets up shop in DTLA and will be publishing their own cookbook. Petroff spoke with Frontiers about their growing ice cream empire. 

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Hot List 2014: Oliver Luke Alpuche and Zachary Beus are Bringing LGBT Back to DTLA

It’s said the best way to gentrify a neighborhood is to move in the gays. Over the past decade, Downtown Los Angeles has enjoyed a renaissance, in no small part thanks to the growing LGBT presence revitalizing the once-dilapidated urban wasteland. Recognizing DTLA’s burgeoning queer community, Oliver Luke Alpuche and Zachary Beus will be opening Redline, a gay video bar and lounge this fall on 6th Street. 

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Hot List 2014: Todd Glass' Near-Death Experience at 45 Opens the Closet Door

With a generation of LGBT tweens coming out  just as they hit the cusp of puberty, it’s interesting to see a man in his 40s do the same, but after suffering a heart attack onstage, Todd Glass had an epiphany.

“Here I am, 45 years old, possibly at death’s door, surrounded by friends—and I still can’t be honest about who I am,” says Glass. “How the fuck did I get here?”

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Hot List 2014: Robert Garcia Made History as the First Gay Mayor of Long Beach

Robert Garcia made Long Beach history back in 2009 when he was simultaneously the youngest and the first gay politician to be elected to City Council. During his tenure as a councilmember, the Peruvian politician supported local unions, reduced the business license tax for artists and initiated the city’s first Latin-American Parade. This year he broke an even bigger boundary when he was voted in as the first gay mayor in the history of Long Beach. Despite his double minority status (triple if you count him within that coveted youth populace), Garcia represents every citizen under his purview equally, no matter their age, race or sexual orientation.

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Hot List 2014: Jason Collins, America's First Openly Gay Professional Male Athlete

A Northridge native, Jason Collins grew up to become a gay professional athlete on a national level. His career highlights include going All-American while playing for Stanford in 2000-01, then graduating to the NBA where Collins played for the New Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, and the Washington Wizards, most recently returning to the Brooklyn iteration of the Nets. 

Arguably Collins’ greatest accomplishment occurred in April 2013 when he publicly came out as gay, becoming the first active male athlete from one of the four major North American professional sports teams to do so. Collins' announcement was lauded by colleagues within the NBA, including basketball superstar Kobe Bryant and NBA commissioner David Stern, as well other high-profile individuals such as Barack and Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton. Even corporate sponsor Nike praised Collins for having a little sugar in his sneakers.  

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Hot List 2014: EJ Johnson Makes A Name for Himself in the World of Fashion

EJ Johnson, the son of L.A. Lakers legend Magic Johnson scored a three-pointer in the headlines last year when TMZ recorded him holding hands with another young man.True to form, the longtime HIV/AIDS activist fully embraced his son’s decision to come out publicly.

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The Power of 'Out'

On October 11, 1987, the gay community basked in the light of our queer culture when half a million protestors participated in the March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. LGBT leaders Rob Eichberg and Los Angeles' own Jean O'Leary decided to commemorate the event's anniversary by founding National Coming Out Day, a holiday promoting a safe world for LGBT individuals to live truthfully and openly. In honor of this year's National Coming Out Day, Frontiers shines a spotlight on 100 of the most influential openly gay individuals throughout history. Read more...

San Diego Pride Celebrates the Freedom to Love and Marry

San Diego has a lot to be proud of this summer. The SoCal city's 39th Annual LGBT Pride Festival and Parade celebrates the theme “Freedom to Love and Marry” and runs July 12-14, mere weeks after the Supreme Court officially squashed both Prop. 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act. As a result, same-sex marriages are not only legal in California but are also recognized on a federal level. This monumental judicial decision is arguably the most important milestone in American gay history since the Stonewall Riots of 1969, the very event Pride commemorates. Read more...

Shop ‘Til You Drop

Image is everything in Los Angeles, and with summer looming on the horizon, the need to look your best at upcoming pool parties and BBQs is increasing exponentially. While everyone wants to sport the trendiest threads, not every wallet is crammed with disposable income. To aid in the quest of dressing your best for less, Frontiers has compiled a few shopping tips.

Keep It Tight
To paraphrase gay writer Camper English, if you look good naked, you look good in whatever you wear. Let’s face it, the less flab you have jiggling off your body, the less clothing you’ll need to buy to hide it. Especially with the summer months around the bend, you’re going to want to wear as little as possible once the SoCal heat starts to beat down. While clothing can be expensive, jogging is always free. Read more...