Arts & Entertainment
Lucian Piane apologizes for Twitter meltdown, blames ‘marijuana psychosis’


(Photo via Wikimedia Commons.)
Lucian Piane has apologized for his anti-SemiticĀ and racist Twitter rants calling them a symptom of “marijuana psychosis.”
Piane, 36, posted a series of offensive tweets in October and November including, “If Jews stopped the Holocaust victim shit we would all get along” and “If black people stopped being so ashamed of themselves we could call them n*****s and they would laugh. Backwards shit.”
The music producer and songwriter also attacked his longtime collaborator RuPaul calling him the āwisest n****rā he knows.”
In an Instagram post,Ā PianeĀ apologized for the tweets claiming that UCLA doctors diagnosed him with “marijuana psychosis” during that period. Piane says that he ingested 800mg of cannabis edibles to treat “full body pain” and “terrible fatigue.”
According to Piane, his illness caused him to withdraw as a judge on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and prevented him from working for almost a year.
“I am sorry to have hurt anyone along the way,” Piane writes.
Theater
āAndy Warhol in Iranā a charming look at intersection of art, politics
Mosaic production plumbs kidnapping plot of iconic artist for humor

āAndy Warhol in Iranā
Through July 6
Mosaic Theater Company at Atlas Performing Arts Center
1333 H St., N.E., WDC
$70
Mosaictheater.org
Behind the blasƩ veneer, Andy Warhol was more curious than people knew. Particularly when it came to money. He kept a close eye on how the ultra-rich lived, what fellow artists were being paid and who was paying them, and, of course, all the new and more saleable ways of making and selling art.
In playwright Brent Askariās āAndy Warhol in Iran,ā now playing at Mosaic Theater Company, Warhol (Alex Mills) is brought outside of his usual area of interest when he lands face to face with a young revolutionary. While Warhol could be artistically revolutionary, he didnāt connect with the idea of forgoing the pursuit of money and fame for the infinitely more difficult task of achieving social justice.
The 90-minute play is not fully factual, but rather inspired by Warholās real life 1976 trip to Tehran to make portraits of the royal Pahlavi family in the waning days of their reign, with a focus on Farah Diba, the Shahās elegant wife and Iranās last empress.
The action unfolds in a Tehran hotel suite boasting a glorious view of the snowcapped Alborz Mountains not far from Iranās vibrant and bustling capital. Itās here, disguised as room service, that Farhad (played by Nathan Mohebbi) gains entrance to Warholās rooms, seeking to kidnap the pop art star to garner attention for the university studentsā movement.
Warhol meets the armed intruder with a sort of wide-eyed wonderment, flummoxed why he has been selected for abduction. Warhol canāt understand why a young man like Farhad wouldnāt prefer to be paid a big ransom on the spot, or be cast as a star in one of the Warhol Factory flicks.
When Farhad replies itās because Warhol is the most decadent artist in the world, Warhol mistakenly takes it for the ultimate compliment. After all, his biggest successes had been connected to celebrity and consumerism (think Campbell’s Soup Cans. 1962).
For Warhol, decadence is aspirational. He made portraits of financiers, movie stars, and jet setters. In fact, heād been obsessed with the lives of the rich and famous since he was a small kid in Pittsburgh thumbing through Photoplay Magazine while bed bound with Saint Vitus Dance.
Accompanying Warhol to Tehran (unseen) are his business manager Fred Hughes, and Bob Colacello, editor of Interview magazine. Together, they make a merry trio of gay social climbers. These kinds of trips were a boon to the artist. Not only did they solidify a new strata of high society contacts, but were also superbly lucrative, thickly padding the painterās pockets.
While in Iran, Warhol wanted only to view Farahās vast world-class collection of jewels, sample the caviar on tap, and get his Polaroids. Then heād fly first class back to New York and transfer the images to silk screen and sell the portraits to the Persian royals at a hefty price. He didnāt foresee any obstacles along the way.
Serge Seidenās direction is spot on. Heās rendered a wonderfully even two-hander with a pair of terrifically cast actors. And Seiden plumbs the piece for humor mostly drawn from the absurdity of the situation without missing any of the serious bits.
As Warhol, out actor Mills is instantly recognizable as the eccentric artist. Heās wearing the button-down shirt, jeans, blazer, glasses, and, of course the famed shock of white hair wig (here a little more Karen than Andy). His portrayal is better than an imitation. He gives a bit of the fey and confused, but has also infuses him with a certain dynamism.
The energy works well with the intensity of Mohebbiās would-be kidnapper Farhad. And while it isnāt a romance, itās not impossible to think that Warhol might fall for a handsome male captor.
The connection between art and politics is almost always interesting; and though not a super deep dive into the era or the life of an artist, āAndy Warhol in Iranā is a compelling, charming, and sometimes funny glimpse into that intersection.
Books
Two new books on dining out LGBTQ-style
Visit nightclubs, hamburger joints, and a bathhouse that feeds customers

āWhat is Queer Food? How We Served a Revolutionā
By John Birdsall
c.2025, W.W. Norton
$29.99/304 pages
āDining Out: First Dates, Defiant Nights, and Last Call Disco Fries at Americaās Gay Restaurantsā
By Erik Piepenburg
c.2025, Grand Central
$30/352 pages
You thought a long time about who sits where.
Compatibility is key for a good dinner party, so place cards were the first consideration; you have at least one left-hander on your guest list, and you figured his comfort into your seating chart. You want the conversation to flow, which is music to your ears. And you did a good job but, as youāll see with these two great books on dining LGBTQ-style, itās sometimes not who sits where, but whose recipes were used.
When you first pick upĀ āWhat is Queer Food?ā by John Birdsall,Ā you might miss the subtitle: āHow We Served a Revolution.ā Itās that second part thatās important.

Starting with a basic gay and lesbian history of America, Birdsall shows how influential and (in)famous 20th century queer folk set aside the cruelty and discrimination they received, in order to live their lives. They couldnāt speak about those things, he says, but they āsat down togetherā and they ate.
That suggested āa queer common purpose,ā says Birdsall. āThis is how who we are, dahling, This is how we feed our own. This is how we stay alive.ā
Readers who love to cook, bake or entertain, collect cookbooks, or use a fork will want this book. Its stories are nicely served, theyāre addicting, and they may send you in search of cookbooks you didnāt know existed.
Sometimes, though, you donāt want to be stuck in the kitchen, you want someone else to bring the grub.Ā āDining Outā by Erik PiepenburgĀ is an often-nostalgic, lively look at LGBTQ-friendly places to grab a meal ā both now and in the past.

In his introduction, Piepenburg admits that heās a journalist, ānot a historian or an academic,ā which colors this book, but not negatively. Indeed, his journeys to āgay restaurantsā ā even his generous and wide-ranging definitions of the term ā happily influence how he presents his narrative about eateries and other establishments that have fed protesters, nourished budding romances, and offered audacious inclusion.
Here, there are modern tales of drag lunches and lesbian-friendly automats that offered ācheap foodā nearly a century ago. Youāll visit nightclubs, hamburger joints, and a bathhouse that feeds customers on holidays. Stepping back, youāll read about AIDS activism at gay-friendly establishments, and mostly gay neighborhood watering holes. Go underground at a basement bar; keep tripping and meet proprietors, managers, customers and performers. Then take a peek into the future, as Piepenburg sees it.
The locales profiled in āDining Outā may surprise you because of where they can be found; some of the hot-spots practically beg for a road trip.
After reading this book, youāll feel welcome at any of them.
If these books donāt shed enough light on queer food, then head to your favorite bookstore or library and ask for help finding more. The booksellers and librarians there will put cookbooks and history books directly in your hands, and theyāll help you find more on the history and culture of the food you eat. Grab them and youāll agree, theyāre pretty tasty reads.
The Blade may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via this post.
Television
āWhite Lotus,ā āSeverance,ā āAndorā lead Dorian TV Awards noms
āVoters have a special affinity for stories of self-discoveryā

As the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences wrapped up the voting for nominations in its annual race for the Emmy Awards this week, much of Hollywood (and countless fans with favorite contenders of their own) was buzzing with speculation about who and what will be included when the final slate of nominees is announced on July 15 ā but just in time for Pride Month, GALECA (The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics) has stolen a bit of its thunder.
The second largest entertainment journalists group in the world, GALECA is made up of 560 members who, as the groupās press release proudly states, āwrite and work for some of the most respected and buzz-worthy media outlets in the U.S. and beyond.ā Last week, the organization announced its list of nominees for the 16th Annual Dorian TV Awards, representing the āqueer eyeāsā choices for the best in television and streaming, among both mainstream and LGBTQ content ā and the list of contenders includes an exciting mix of A-listers, icons, and up-and-coming stars. This yearās performance and tribute categories ā all of which are non-gendered ā recognize such established talent as BeyoncĆ©, Jean Smart, Colin Farrell, Colman Domingo, Michelle Williams, Pedro Pascal, Natasha Lyonne, Uzo Aduba, Bella Ramsey, Noah Wyle, and current flavor-of-the-day ādaddyā Walton Goggins, alongside such lesser-known names as Ncuti Gatwa, Katherine LaNasa, Owen Cooper, and (as GALECA puts it) āthe actress who simply calls herself Holmes.ā
For those unfamiliar with GALECA, itās not just an organization that gets together to give out awards – though it presents Dorians for film, television, and theater at separate times during the year, its stated mission is to āremind society that the world values the informed LGBTQ perspective on all things entertainment.ā A nonprofit organization, they advocate for better pay, access, and respect for entertainment journalists (especially from underrepresented demographics), and provide scholarships for LGBTQ journalism students.
As for this yearās nominated shows, thereās an equally exciting mix of competitors. In the Best Drama categories, three critical and popular hits ā the surreal and unpredictable Apple TV+ office drama āSeverance,ā the unabashedly anti-fascist and queer-inclusive Disney Plus āStar Warsā prequel series āAndor,ā and HBO/Max’s irresistibly provocative hotel drama āThe White Lotusā ā are in the race with six Dorian nominations each, while two others – gritty medical drama āThe Pittā and video-game-inspired sci-fi zombie saga āThe Last of Usā ā are close behind them with five each.
In the comedy department: HBO/Max’s āHacks,ā already a two-time Dorian winner in the Best Comedy category, leads the pack with its own six nods, and the same streamer’s upbeat dramedy āSomebody Somewhereā grabbed four, while ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” (another two-time winner) pulled in three. Other contenders include the colorful new Apple TV+ Hollywood satire āThe Studioā and season two of āThe Rehearsal,ā creator-star Nathan Fielderās hard-to-categorize HBO/Max offbeat āsocietal experimentā that endeavors to teach āaverage folksā how to deal with various wildly-hypothetical life problems.
According to GALECA Executive Director Diane Anderson-Minshall: āBy loving-up series like āHacks,ā āSomebody Somewhere,ā and even āThe Rehearsalā and āAndorā ā a sci-fi story of the beginnings of a major rebellion ā Dorian Award voters once again have shown they have a special affinity for stories of self-discovery and pushing for more. Like generations of LGBTQ+ people who took on the battle for the right to be who they are, these nominated programs underscore that solidarity, morality, and justice arenāt just for superheroes, but can be found in small daily actions.ā
The same empathy for underdogs can be perceived behind one of GALECAās other awards, the unique Best Unsung Series category, which amplifies shows its members believe deserve greater attention. This yearās contenders include quirky queer creator Julio Torresā wickedly inventive and amusingly absurd HBO satire āFantasmasā and the final season of Paramount+ās controversial-but-popular supernatural drama āEvil,ā as well as Huluās irreverent āEnglish Teacherā (from queer creator/star Brian Jordan Alvarez) and Amazon Primeās āOvercompensating,ā about a former high school jock and closeted college freshman, inspired by the college experiences of creator and star, social media and internet comedian Benito Skinner, who also received a Dorian nod for his acting in the show.
Of course, thereās also a category for the Best LGBTQ Series, which singles out television content of particular relevance to queer viewers. This year, crossover titles āHacks,ā āSomebody Somewhere,ā and āOvercompensatingā are nominated here, too, alongside the third season of Netflixās beloved YA romance āHeartstopperā and the campy Disney+ Marvel spinoff āAgatha All Along,ā which also scored a nod in the Musical Performance category for āThe Ballad of the Witchās Road.ā
Speaking of camp, the Dorians would not be complete without GALECA’s most irreverent award. In the category of Campiest TV Show, āAgathaā is (surprisingly, perhaps) not among the nominees; however, Huluās exceptionally queer throwback sitcom āMid-Century Modern,ā which features stars Nathan Lane, Nathan Lee Graham and Matt Bomer as three gay besties who retire to Palm Springs together most deservedly is. The show ā touted as a āgay āGolden Girlsāā ā also earned a posthumous Supporting Performance nod for beloved TV and Broadway legend Linda Lavin, who passed away before the series wrapped production late in 2024. Its competitors are Peacockās deliciously dramatic Alan Cumming-led reality show āThe Traitors,ā Ryan Murphyās over-the-top seafaring medical drama āDoctor Odyssey,ā the aforementioned āOvercompensating,ā and MTVās eternal GALECA darling āRuPaul’s Drag Race.ā
Among other award categories: Best TV Movie or Miniseries, which includes nominees like Netflixās āRebel Ridgeā and HBO/Maxās āThe Penguinā; Best Documentary and Best LGBTQ Documentary, both of which include HBO/Maxās heartfelt āPee-wee as Himselfā; Most Visually Striking Show, which highlights the design aesthetic of shows like āAndorā and āAgathaā; and Best Animated Show, which pits longtime favorites like āThe Simpsonsā and āBobās Burgersā against newer contenders like āHarley Quinnā and āBig Mouth.ā
Finally, there are also some āhonoraryā awards to recognize the career-long impact and influence of their winners: the Wilde āWitā Award, the TV Icon Award, and the LGBTQIA+ TV Trailblazer Award, each of which includes a host of groundbreaking talents among its nominees.
Clearly, though the Dorians donāt get the same glam treatment as many of the industryās more āmainstreamā award ceremonies, they have the impeccable taste one naturally expects from a panel of queer experts, and chances are good that ā as is often the case – their choices will serve as a preview for what happens when the Emmys finally roll out their own red carpet.
Winners will be announced Tuesday July 8 at 8am PST. A full list of nominees is below.
2025 DORIAN TV AWARD NOMINATIONSāFULL LIST
BEST TV DRAMA
Andor (Disney+)
The Last of Us (HBO/Max)
The Pitt (Max)
Severance (Apple TV+)
The White Lotus (HBO/Max)
BEST TV COMEDY
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Hacks (HBO/Max)
The Rehearsal (HBO/Max)
Somebody Somewhere (HBO/Max)
The Studio (Apple TV+)
BEST LGBTQ TV SHOW
Agatha All Along (Disney+)
Hacks (HBO/Max)
Heartstopper (Netflix)
Overcompensating (Amazon Prime)
Somebody Somewhere (HBO/Max)
BEST TV MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Adolescence (Netflix)
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (Peacock)
Dying for Sex (FX on Hulu)
The Penguin (HBO/Max)
Rebel Ridge (Netflix)
BEST WRITTEN TV SHOW
Andor (Disney+)
Hacks (Max)
The Pitt (Max)
Severance (Apple TV+)
The White Lotus (HBO/Max)
BEST UNSUNG TV SHOW
English Teacher (FX on Hulu)
Evil (Paramount+)
Fantasmas (HBO/Max)
Mid-Century Modern (Hulu)
Overcompensating (Amazon Prime)
BEST NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE TV SHOW
Threesome (ViaPlay)
My Brilliant Friend (HBO/Max)
One Hundred Years of Solitude (Netflix) (tie)
Elite (Netflix) (tie)
Pachinko (Apple TV+)
Squid Game (Netflix)
BEST LGBTQ NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE TV SHOW
Becoming Karl Lagerfeld (Hulu)
The Boyfriend (Netflix)
Elite (Netflix)
The Secret of the River (Netflix)
When No One Sees Us (HBO/Max)
BEST TV PERFORMANCEāDRAMA
Colin Farrell, The Penguin (HBO/Max)
Stephen Graham, Adolescence (Netflix)
Cooper Koch, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (Netflix)
Diego Luna, Andor (Disney+)
Cristin Milioti, The Penguin (HBO/Max)
Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us (HBO/Max)
Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us (HBO/Max)
Adam Scott, Severance (Apple TV+)
Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex (FX on Hulu)
Noah Wyle, The Pitt (HBO/Max)
BEST SUPPORTING TV PERFORMANCEāDRAMA
Owen Cooper, Adolescence (Netflix)
Carrie Coon, The White Lotus (HBO/Max)
Taylor Dearden, The Pitt (HBO/Max)
Erin Doherty, Adolescence (Netflix)
Walton Goggins, The White Lotus (HBO/Max)
Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt (HBO/Max)
Genevieve O’Reilly, Andor (Disney+)
Parker Posey, The White Lotus (HBO/Max)
Jenny Slate, Dying for Sex (FX on Hulu)
Tramell Tillman, Severance (Apple TV+)
BEST TV PERFORMANCEāCOMEDY
Uzo Aduba, The Residence (Netflix)
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear (FX on Hulu)
Bridget Everett, Somebody Somewhere (HBO/Max)
Nathan Fielder, The Rehearsal (HBO/Max)
Kathryn Hahn, Agatha All Along (Disney+)
Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face (Peacock)
Seth Rogen, The Studio (Apple TV+)
Benito Skinner, Overcompensating (Amazon Prime)
Jean Smart, Hacks (HBO/Max)
BEST SUPPORTING TV PERFORMANCEāCOMEDY
Ike Barinholtz, The Studio (Apple TV+)
Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons (Netflix)
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks (HBO/Max)
Holmes, Overcompensating (Amazon Prime)
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Kathryn Hahn, The Studio (Apple TV+)
Jeff Hiller, Somebody Somewhere (HBO/Max)
Linda Lavin, Mid-Century Modern (Hulu)
Catherine O’Hara, The Studio (Apple TV+)
Meg Stalter, Hacks (HBO/Max)
BEST TV MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
BeyoncĆ©, “Cowboy Carter” medley, Ravens vs. Texans Halftime Show (Netflix)
Doechii, āCatfish” / “Denial Is a River,” 67th Annual Grammy Awards (CBS)
Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, āThe Wizard of Ozā / āWickedā medley, 97th Academy Awards (ABC)
Kathryn Hahn, Patti LuPone, Ali Ahn, Sasheer Zamata, “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road,ā Agatha All Along (Disney+)
Kendrick Lamar, āSquabble Up,ā āHumble,ā etc., Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show (Fox)
BEST TV DOCUMENTARY OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Deaf President Now! (Apple TV+)
Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes (Max)
Pee Wee as Himself (HBO/Max)
The Rehearsal (HBO/Max)
SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night (NBC)
BEST LGBTQ TV DOCUMENTARY OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution (PBS)
Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara (Hulu)
Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution (Netflix)
Pee Wee as Himself (HBO/Max)
Queer Planet (Peacock)
BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS SHOW
(Talk show or news/information program)
The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
Hot Ones (YouTube)
Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney (Netflix)
Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO/Max)
BEST REALITY SHOW
The Amazing Race (CBS)
The Great British Baking Show (Netflix)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Traitors (Peacock)
BEST GENRE TV SHOW
Agatha All Along (Disney+)
Andor (Disney+)
Black Mirror (Netflix)
The Last of Us (HBO/Max)
Severance (Apple TV+)
BEST ANIMATED SHOW
Big Mouth (Netflix)
Bob’s Burgers (Fox)
Harley Quinn (HBO/Max)
The Simpsons (Fox)
Star Trek: Lower Decks (Paramount+)
MOST VISUALLY STRIKING TV SHOW
Adolescence (Netflix)
Agatha All Along (Disney+)
Andor (Disney+)
Severance (Apple TV+)
The White Lotus (HBO/Max)
CAMPIEST TV SHOW
Doctor Odyssey (ABC)
Mid-Century Modern (Hulu)
Overcompensating (Amazon Prime)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV)
The Traitors (Peacock)
WILDE WIT AWARD
Quinta Brunson
Alan Cumming
Hannah Einbinder
Cole Escola
Nathan Fielder
GALECA TV ICON AWARD
Gillian Anderson
Angela Bassett
Alan Cumming
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Jean Smart
GALECA LGBTQIA+ TV TRAILBLAZER AWARD
Jonathan Bailey
Greg Berlanti
Ncuti Gatwa
Bella Ramsey
Mike White
Bowen Yang
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