Arts & Entertainment
Karamo Brown deletes Twitter after calling Sean Spicer a ‘good guy’
The ‘Queer Eye’ star went on a blocking spree against LGBTQ activists
“Queer Eye” star Karamo Brown has deleted his Twitter account after coming under fire for calling Sean Spicer “a good guy.”
Brown and Spicer will compete on season 28 of “Dancing with the Stars.” In an interview with “Access Hollywood,” Brown refers to the controversial former Trump White House press secretary as āa good guy; a really sweet guy.ā
āActually, no lemme tell you something. Um, Sean Spicer and I have been talking. Yeah, like, literally, I was most excited to meet him because, like the thing is that people would look at us and think that weāre polar opposites but Iām a big believer that if you can talk to someone and meet in the middle that you can learn about each other and help each other both grow. So we have been chatting all day today. Like, heās a good guy, a really sweet guy. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Karamo from ‘Queer Eye’ saying Sean Spicer is a nice guy. I know. I know.ā
Hereās Karamo Brown calling Sean Spicer āa good guy; a really sweet guyā cause whatās morality, really? pic.twitter.com/WQVgfVVkFc
ā Īvan Ross Katz (@evanrosskatz) August 21, 2019
On Twitter, Brown addressed a fan who said they were “disappointed” Brown was “lending his celebrity” to the show with Spicer’s involvement.
āFirst, I have no say who is on the cast and didnāt find out till this morning that he is on!ā Brown tweeted. āBut Iāll tell you thisā¦ Iām excited to sit down w/ him and engage in respectful conversations. Only way things get better is if we try to educate those who have different POV than us.ā
Some people didn’t agree with Brown’s cordial response to Spicer and questioned Brown on Twitter.
Famous queer activists sure do love to turn their backs on the community the moment it benefits them and plays to their privilege (why yes, this IS a subtweet about Karamo Brown agreeing to be on DWTS with Sean Spicer)
ā Lisa Ann Paul (@lapshaffer) August 22, 2019
This is so misguided of ā¦@Karamoā©. We are long past the point of listening and āmeeting in the middleā. This is NOT about politics, itās about morals and truth. We know who he is and what he has done. Playing nice only enables them and rewards them. https://t.co/VOmxg74qTO
ā Scott Nevins (@ScottNevins) August 22, 2019
Karamo Brown is out here trying to pitch a spin-off, āQueer Eye For The Fascist Guyā. pic.twitter.com/WJczq6QzQQ
ā – curtis wiley – (@Curtis_Wiley) August 22, 2019
Journalist Evan Ross Katz tweeted the “Access Hollywood” clip and Brown replied accusing Katz of trying to “flame the fire and get a reaction.”
“I honestly can’t stand people like you who post things like thisā¦just to flame the fire and get a reaction,” Brown posted in a since-deleted tweet. “We [the cast of ‘Queer Eye’] fight harder than your ass ever has for people of color and members of the LGBTQIA community.”
Seems like @Karamo deleted his tweet to @evanrosskatz posting a video of him calling Sean Spicer a nice guy. I got you. Absurd: pic.twitter.com/GmFf4dazBF
ā Eliel Cruz (@elielcruz) August 22, 2019
Brown continued on a blocking spree of Twitter users who disagreed with his comments on Spicer. Many of the people he blocked included people in the LGBTQ community and LGBTQ activists.
I was pretty bummed when @Karamo Brown advocated for Sean Spicer, but Iām fucking livid that heās blocking LGBT+ people who disagree with him…
ā John Zuiker (@Johnzuiker) August 22, 2019
After what heās said about @seanspicer and the fact that heās blocked folks for calling him out on it, itās an honor and a privilege to be blocked by @Karamo Brown.
ā noah michelson (@noahmichelson) August 23, 2019
If youāre considering getting an āemotional or mental makeoverā from this piece of work, reconsider. pic.twitter.com/gC1Afi6cjd
Katz said in a statement to Newsweek, “Interesting is the word I’ll use to see [Brown] throw out support for Spicer while blocking those (many from within his own community) that wish to hold him accountable for normalizing, if not bolstering, this effort to give Spicer a redemptive platform, one which he most certainly does not deserve.”
Brown also blocked LGBTQ activist Eliel Cruz and activist and drag performer Marti Gould Cummings.
“The reason I called out Karamo is because as a member of the LGBTQIA community we have to stand against the workings of [the Trump] administration and the people who are complicit to its actions,” Cummings told Newsweek. “LGBTQIA people are in the crosshairs of this administration and giving a platform to someone who directly worked to spread this agenda is unacceptable. Taking a real stand should outweigh a few episodes on TV and a check.”
Brown’s Twitter account appears to be deleted but it’s unclear if his account has been permanently deleted or just deactivated.
Arts & Entertainment
āPride in the 202ā is coming with the 2024 Pride Pils can
DC Brau reveals design of its 7th Annual Pride Pils Can and announces upcoming Pride Pils Launch Party, Hosted by Right Proper Brewing Company
DC Brau, D.C.ās original craft brewery, reveals the design of its 7th annual Pride Pils can and announces the celebratory Pride Pils launch event. In support of The Blade Foundation and SMYAL, DC Brau partnered with Right Proper Brewing Company and Red Bear Brewing Co. and local artist Chord Bezerra of District Co-Op to design this year’s can.
The can design will be showcased at Right Proper Brewing Company (624 T St., N.W.) in Shaw on Wednesday, May 29, from 5-8 p.m. Guests will be the first to enjoy the newly minted 2024 Pride Pils can. The event is free but guests can RSVP HERE.
The art, designed by Bezerra, was created to show pride in the 202. D.C. Pride started in 1975 as a small LGBTQ block party. This one-day event grew into a major festival, reflecting the community’s fight for visibility and equality. Today, Capital Pride stands as a vibrant testament to the LGBTQ rights movement in the nation’s capital. In addition to the design being featured on DC Brauās 2024 Pride Pils can, supporters can purchase āHail To The Queenā merchandise, including T-shirts, sweatshirts, stickers, and more from District Co-Op.
Since launching Pride Pils in 2017, DC Brau has donated more than $55,000 to The Blade Foundation and SMYAL, selling more than 97,500 Pride Pils cans.
About DC Brau: DC Brau Brewery was founded in 2011 and is Washington D.C.’s leading craft brewery, producing a variety of high-quality beers that are distributed locally and throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. DC Brau’s commitment to quality and innovation has earned it numerous accolades, including multiple gold medals at domestic and international beer festivals. For additional information, please visit www.dcbrau.com.
About Red Bear Brewing: Red Bear Brewing Co is an LGBT owned West Coast style brew pub located in the NoMa neighborhood of Washington DC. Red Bear strives to promote diversity to the craft brewing community across the board with our inclusive taproom, company culture and delicious beer, beverage and food offerings. www.redbear.beer.
About Right Proper Brewing Co: For more information visit www.rightproperbrewing.com
About The Washington Blade: The Washington Blade was founded in 1969 and is known as the ānewspaper of recordā for the LGBTQ community both locally and nationally. For more information, visit washingtonblade.com and follow on Facebook (@WashingtonBlade) & Twitter/Instagram (@WashBlade).
About District CoOp: District CoOp is a collection of artists celebrating design, diversity and the culture of D.C. Weāre all about supporting and empowering local artists and creating a brand for the people by the people. All designs are available in both menās and womenās and as a tank or crew. Follow us on Instagram (@District_CoOp) or Facebook (@DistrictCoOp).
About SMYAL: SMYAL (Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders) supports and empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in the Washington, DC, metropolitan region. Through youth leadership, SMYAL creates opportunities for LGBTQ youth to build self-confidence, develop critical life skills, and engage their peers and community through service and advocacy. Committed to social change, SMYAL builds, sustains, and advocates for programs, policies, and services that LGBTQ youth need as they grow into adulthood. To learn more, visit SMYAL.org
Books
āMean Boysā raises questions of life, death, and belonging
New memoir wanders but enjoy the whiplash
āMean Boys: A Personal Historyā
By Geoffrey Mak
c.2024, BloomsburyĀ
$28.99/267 pages
It’s how a pleasant conversation is fed, with give and take, back and forth, wandering casually and naturally, a bit of one subject easing into the next with no preamble. It’s communication you can enjoy, like what you’ll find inside “Mean Boys” by Geoffrey Mak.
Sometimes, a conversation ends up exactly where it started.
Take, for instance, Shakespeare’s āKing Lear,ā which leads Mak to think about his life and his inability to “cull the appropriate narratives out of nonsense.” Part of that problem, he says, was that his living arrangements weren’t consistent. He sometimes “never really knew where I was living,” whether it was Berlin or California, in a studio or high-end accommodations. The parties, the jokes, the internet consumption were as varied as the homes and sometimes, “it didn’t really matter.” Sometimes, you have to accept things and just “move on.”
When he was 12 years old, Mak’s father left his corporate job, saying that he was “called by God” to become a minister. It created a lot of resentment for Mak, for the lack of respect his father got, and because his parents were “passionately anti-gay.ā He moved as far away from home as he could, and he blocked all communication with his parents for years, until he realized that “By hating my father, I ended up hating myself, too.”
And then there was club life which, in Mak’s descriptions, doesn’t sound much different in Berghain (Germany) as it is in New York. He says he “threw myself into night life,” in New York Houses, in places that gave “a skinny Chinese kid from the suburbs… rules I still live by,” on random dance floors, and in Pornceptual. Eventually this, drugs, work, politics, pandemic, basically everything and life in general led to a mental crisis, and Mak sought help.
“I don’t know why I’m telling you all this,” Mak says at one point. “Sometimes life was bad, and sometimes it wasn’t, and sometimes it just was.”
Though there are times when this book feels like having a heart-to-heart with an interesting new acquaintance, “Mean Boys” can make you squirm. For sure, it’s not a beach read or something you’ll breeze through in a weekend.
No, author Geoffrey Mak jumps from one random topic to another with enough frequency to make you pay close to attention to his words, lest you miss something. That won’t leave you whiplashed; instead, you’re pulled into the often-dissipated melee just enough to feel almost involved with it ā but with a distinct sense that you’re being held at arms’ length, too. That some stories have no definitive timeline or geographical stamp ā making it hard to find solid ground ā also adds to the slight loss of equilibrium here, like walking on slippery river rocks.
Surprisingly, that’s not entirely unpleasant but readers will want to know that the ending in “Mean Boys” could leave their heads swirling with a dozen thoughts on life, belonging, and death. If you like depth in your memoirs, you’ll like that ā and this.
The Blade may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via this post.
Digital Media
āOur Queer Lifeā chronicles diversity of the LGBTQ experience
Series fosters understanding and empathy among viewers
WEST HOLLYWOOD ā In the bustling lanes of digital storytelling, where narratives burst and fade with rapid clicks, Matt Cullenās documentary series āOur Queer Lifeā emerges as a poignant chronicle of the LGBTQ+ communityās diverse experiences.
With 200,000 subscribers on YouTube, Cullenās series stands out not just for its breadth of voicesāfrom celebrities to street hustlersābut for the depth with which it explores the moving lived realities of queer individuals.
Cullen took time out of his busy schedule to give The Blade an exclusive interview about his fledgling hit series.
Born and raised in Northern California, Cullenās early life in a supportive, albeit traditional, family environment shaped his sensitive approach towards storytelling. A curious and open child who loved musical theatre, Cullen always had a passion for interesting stories and how they are told.
Cullen worried about coming out to his family, but said that he is eternally grateful that the nerve-wracking experience involving a letter left on the kitchen table for his parents to find, fortunately ended in acceptance and love, with his parents ultimately embracing his truth warmly.
āIt was a scary big step,ā Cullen reflected. āComing out to my family or my really close friends was scary because I was worried if they didnāt accept me, I would not know how to handle thatā¦ It was more about accepting myself and embracing who I was and saying, this is my life now. ā
Cullen said that he knows that the familial support he received as a newly out high school senior contrasted sharply with the narratives of many he would later spotlight in his series, providing him with a profound appreciation for his own comparatively smoother journey.
āThe stories that I tell are very heavy,ā Cullen said. āBut I still feel so inspired and motivated by the determination of these people to keep living and to keep going in spite of everything. Their drive and their willingness to live for themselves and nobody else leaves me invigorated and inspired.ā
Cullen, who initially pursued acting after college in New York, found himself dissatisfied with the roles and scripts that came his way. āI felt like I was just regurgitating somebody elseās words,ā he shared, highlighting his discomfort with being constantly typecast as over-the-top gay characters.
The turning point for Cullen came during the COVID-19 pandemic.. Trapped in his apartment, feeling isolated and longing for interaction, he envisioned a new creative outlet. āI felt like I needed to talk to new people,ā Cullen said. āI was craving a deep connection with strangers, and I wanted to hear new stories. That deep desire was what the impetus for the series.ā
The combination of Cullenās artistic empathy mixed with his own feelings of entrapment led him to think about how difficult life must be for other queer individuals stuck in societal ecosystems that inherently reject their queerness.
āI thought about a lot of fundamentalist religious groups and how difficult it is for people to be gay there,ā Cullen remarked, pinpointing the acute need for representation from these underrepresented groups.
Cullenās first interview was with Rob, a man Cullen had found through a Facebook group and who had left the Jehovahās Witness community to live authentically.
āI am still so grateful that Rob felt comfortable to be the first to share his story with me,ā Cullen said.
Robās story provided a raw, unfiltered look at the challenges of adapting to the outside world after leaving a controlled religious environment. He discussed not only the doctrinal and social shackles he escaped but also the practical challenges of integrating into society, like finding employment without real-world skills.
This encounter didnāt just enrich Cullenās series; it set a precedent for the type of stories he wanted to featureāstories of struggle, resilience, and the search for identity. Each episode aims to foster understanding and empathy among viewers, broadening their perspectives on the complexities of queer life in various contexts.
āOur Queer Lifeā thrives on its intimate portrayal of its subjects. Each episode delves into the hurdles and triumphs of individuals within the LGBTQ+ community, aiming to destigmatize topics like sex work and address the misrepresentation of trans people. Through his conversations, Cullen not only exposes the challenges faced by his subjects but also celebrates their resilience and humanity.
Mousie, who had lived through unimaginable challenges, from serving multiple prison terms to surviving on the streets of North Hollywood, became one of the earliest and most influential subjects of Cullenās series. Her willingness to open up about her life provided āOur Queer Lifeā with a narrative that encapsulated the struggles and resilience of a marginalized individual fighting for survival and dignity.
During their first meeting, Mousie shared her journey with Cullen, detailing her life in a $67/month apartment and her experiences as an intravenous drug user and sex worker. This episode alone drew over 300,000 viewers, resonating deeply with audiences and humanizing a community often relegated to the shadows of society. Cullen revisited Mousie a year later, further exploring her day-to-day experiences and struggles, adding layers to her story that emphasized her humanity over her hardships.
Mousieās influence extended beyond the screen; her relationship with Cullen grew into a deep, familial bond. In her final days, confined to a hospital bed, she expressed her heartfelt connection to Cullen, telling him, āI was her brother and that we had great things to do together.ā Her passing was a profound loss for Cullen, who felt her spirit continued to guide his work, inspiring him to pursue stories with even greater dedication.
Reflecting on Mousieās role in shaping āOur Queer Life,ā Cullen credits her with helping him gain the credibility and trust necessary to navigate the complex landscapes of street life and sex work. āMousie was the one who broke this for me,ā Cullen remarked, acknowledging how a TikTok video of her story garnered 30,000 views and messages from viewers expressing how deeply they related to her experiences. This response marked a turning point for the series, illustrating the power of storytelling in building connections and fostering understanding.
āI feel like she is still with me in everything that I do,ā Cullen said. āShe told me before she died that I was her brotherā¦I can literally feel her.ā
As āOur Queer Lifeā continues to grow, so does its creator. Cullen remains hands-on, involved in every aspect of production from filming to editing, driven by a personal touch that resonates deeply with his audience. While he contemplates the future of the series, possibly on larger platforms like Max, his priority remains the authentic representation of his subjectsā lives.
āI will always refuse to do anything exploitative where we donāt ask about (the subjectās) lives and their desires,ā Cullen said, underscoring his commitment to creating real and nonexploitative narratives. āI want every person who clicks on a video to leave that episode feeling a connection and relating to them.ā
The series is quickly becoming a vital part of the cultural conversation, reaching people across the globe and fostering understanding and empathy among its viewers. For many, it provides the first intimate look at lives they might otherwise never encounter, bridging gaps and building connections.
In a world where divisions run deep, Matt Cullenās āOur Queer Lifeā offers a beacon of unity, celebrating the shared human experiences of love, struggle, and resilience. Through his lens, viewers are reminded that despite our vast differences, the desires for acceptance, health, and happiness are universal.