Arts & Entertainment
Gay dancers wow judges with anti-homophobia performance on French reality show
Apparently France not only has incredible talent, it has incredible heart, too.
Last week’s episode of “La France a un incroyable talent,” French television’s equivalent to “America’s Got Talent,” featured a routine by two male dancers that stunned the show’s judges and brought the cheering studio audience to its feet, as reported by LGBTQ Nation.
The two men, Guillaume and Arthur, took the stage for the November 19 episode of the reality competition show, introducing themselves as dancer/acrobats. When they were asked by singer Hélène Ségara, one of the show’s four judges, if they wanted to say anything before their performance, Arthur replied, “We’re going to present a number against homophobia,” eliciting applause from the audience.
Guillaume and Arthur then performed a slow and graceful routine, set to Jeff Buckley’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” intertwining their bodies through a flowing series of poses in a display of strength and acrobatic prowess, and ending with a tender kiss between them.
As the number concluded, the audience responded with cheers and a standing ovation in support of the dancers. Arthur was visibly moved to tears.
The comments from the judges were equally supportive.
Ségara said, “It was so beautiful and it was so tender at the same time… I think that with or without a message, I found it beautiful, and it felt good.”
Another judge, singer/actress Marianne James, said, “Two boys kissing on the lips is not something we often see on television, and that touched me deeply.” James was grand marshal of this year’s Paris Pride.
Comedian Éric Antoine, also a judge, commented, “Violence continues to rise, so there is a battle to be fought here.” Later, he also sent out a tweet saying, “This fight is unfortunately still necessary.”
Guillaume and Arthur – who, according to Australian website Qnews, have been a couple for four years – received a unanimous slate of “yes” votes from the show’s judges and will go on to compete in a future episode of “La France a un incroyable talent.”
You can watch their performance here.
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(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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