If you found a magic lamp and were granted three wishes, what would you wish for? World peace? (Who are you, Mother Teresea?) To feed the hungry? (Who are you, Bono?) To become the most powerful man in the world? (Who are you, Hilary Clinton?) If you’re an 8-year-old gay boy named Shannon, you’d wish for a flying car, a fur jacket… and a planet full of unicorns. Thus is the genesis of Planet Unicorn.

The creation of queer viral videographer Mike Rose, the animated web series Planet Unicorn features the non-adventures of three gay unicorns: Feathers, Cadillac, and the aptly named Tom Cruise (Voiced by Drew Droege, Mike Rose, and Tyler Spiers, respectively). Those accustomed to most gay-themed web content may be surprised to find Planet Unicorn is completely devoid of sexual situations. Remember, a prepubescent gay boy dreamed up this world. The result is a series of benign morality tales lacking deep plots or traditional jokes. The humor is rooted in the sincere, faggoty delivery of the characters dialogue. It’s a ‘must see’ for any homo stoner with internet access. And keep your cyber-eyes peeled for Rose and Spier’s newest project Cleveland’s Next Top Model.

www.planetunicorn.tv

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Sperm banks, invitro, adoption—today’s women have found ways to have kids without a husband. Both heterosexual women and their lesbian counterparts raise children as single women by choice. Or, lesbian women pool their children in domestic households with two mothers. What has happened to the endangered male species? Do we just want him for his sperm? Is there a role for a father in this scenario? What about the gay male who wants a family?
Stretch your imagination, and meet the Walker* family—Lequetia*, Mom, 46, Marcus*, Dad, 48, Shelby*, daughter, 19 and Jack*, son, 15. Sounds like your all-American nuclear family, right? Well, kind of, sort of but not really. Mom, Dad and daughter are gay and their son is heterosexual. As unconventional as they are happy, the Walker family have lived in a Glendale cottage for eight years where each gets his/her own space and also gather around the TV and eat dinner together.
Lequetia and Marcus’s history date back to college where they first met and became close friends. They hooked up again after college. “I was living at home with my sister, and we got into a fight. I wanted to commit suicide, I was so upset. I called Marcus. And he offered me his place to stay. We became very close,” Lequetia told me. After they were living together, the issue of children soon came up. “I always wanted kids. We knew we were both gay. He did not want kids at first. Then, both of his parents died, and he started considering how important family was to him since he did not really have one,” she said. Lequetia convinced him to change his political views on children. “He used to say, ‘The world is too messed up for a kid,’ to which I replied, ‘The world is always going to be messed up, but family is important.’”
The most obvious question to ask when you live with the father of your children and he is your friend, is whether or not he gets jealous over the women you date and vice versa? Admittedly, jealousy rears its ugly head at times in the Walker household, although the reasons are similar to a heterosexual family dynamic. “Either you think somebody is not good enough or you get less attention or you don’t like the person,” Lequetia said. “Now, we have reached a point where we can talk about it.”
Like in heterosexual families, the key relationship that holds the family together is Lequetia and Marcus. “He used to be my best friend but since a recent death in the family, we have evolved into a co-parenting super team,” she said. “I don’t think there’s anything we can’t get done together.”
In addition to the discussion of birds and bees, this gay family had to have a coming out discussion. “The children were exposed to their gay aunts and they were also exposed to our gay friends. We did not come out to them until the Matthew Shepard movie, The Laramie Story. When we did, we found that they had already known. They said, ‘You don’t act like other parents. We see how other parents act, and we see you are different.’ They were cool,” Lequetia told me.
Unlike society at large, Jack, the son of the Walker family, is in the minority, being heterosexual. He has shown resilience, said Lecretia. “I don’t think he is affected in a bad way. I think he is allowed to be himself. His sister was really cool in high school so he could ride n the coattails of her coolness. He’s a funny person in his own right. “ As Lucretia believes gayness is in the genes, and Marcus did not want to impose gayness on any of his children, the kids have been raised to be who they are. They are both comfortable with their sexuality.
And what do the nosy neighbors think of your situation? “In the beginning, I don’t think they knew even though I had a shaved head. We rented the place and originally sent a family foto in which we looked like the Cleavers. In person we looked queer. They started off friendly at first and I’m not sure if the animosity started when we made it clear we didn’t like how they disrespected the entire neighborhood or when they just saw our open displays of affection.”
Although Lecretia still feels her life is not fulfilled because she has not met the love of her life, she is dating and the kids have learned to give her her own space. “Having company was awkward at first. They knocked on the door. Now they give me my space. The kids are harder on me and who I am dating that Marcus,” she says. “My therapist says the kids are more protective of their mother.”
All, in all Lequetia considers raising her family her greatest accomplishment. “We have raised great kids. Can gay people raise great kids? Yes!”

Hot Young Designer Alex Acosta talks this season’s fashion and his new clothing line.

“Spring is the new beginning,” explains Alex Acosta. He should know. Last Friday, the Miami born wunderkind’s clothing company Crash Culture premiered its 2008 Spring line at the 6th Annual Project: Ethos, Los Angeles’ hot red carpet fashion event. The line, entitled Tabu, has generated a high level of buzz for the 21 year old fashionista and earned him the position of one of Los Angeles most prominent up and coming designers. Recently Alex sat down with us to lead us through the ins and outs of this year’s spring fashion:

Real Gay L.A.: Could you please explain to us the trends for this season?

Alex Acosta: In nature, spring is when everything comes back to life. Spring is where fashion starts and it should always be innovative. A lot of the fashion that I’m seeing is a reinvention of the ‘80’s. There’s a lot of bright colors: magenta, bright pink, yellows. [Designers] are also using metallics, which I’ve not seen used in spring in a while. They’ve kept to a minimal color pallette using blacks, whites, and neutrals and adding a splash of color with their metallics. They’ve been using a lot of different materials: plastic chains, mesh tops, soft patent leathers. I appreciate that. People know that spring typically uses enamel, bangles, gold, and florals. I’m bored of that.

What staples should gay Angelenos invest in for Spring?

Every gay male should have at least two or three pairs of jeans: a light wash and a dark wash and maybe a medium one. My favorite brands are G Star and Diesel. G Star is very militant, they use rivet, army cuts, different silhouettes that make men look like men and women look like they are soldiers: very powerful people. I really like skinny jeans. A guy in a jean that fits him and shows the outline of his legs and body looks so much better than those drastic boot cuts. Not to put down any label, but True Religion needs to make more skinny jeans. A guy should have a pair of boots, sandals, and sneakers. For tops: a blazer, a jacket, a hoodie, a couple t-shirts, and maybe a couple of button ups. I like layering, so if you have those things you can do many different styles.

Any stores you’d recommend?

I’m very fond of shops on Melrose. Its different than shopping at a mall. That’s where you find the one of a kind stuff. It involves searching, but once you found it, you know you’ve found it. I also think its important for every one to visit a designer store. Go to Cavalli, go to Versace. You don’t have to buy anything. Just look at what’s out there and what those people are creating. That’s where you get the inspiration to dress yourself.

Where did you get the inspiration for your Tabu line?

The inspiration was nautical. In nature, the ocean goes through many changes: stormy weather, sunshine, shades of blue, greens, and tans. My uncle was a fisherman in Miami. Unfortunately he passed away from a brain tumor. He’s one of the reasons I did this line. He led me to this great appreciation for the ocean. No matter what happened in life you could go to the ocean and listen to those waves crashing.

What Spring trends can be seen in your new line?

There was a lot of recreating, like with the bomber jacket that I displayed. I made it with a metallic color instead of a satin or matte color. I also played with fits. I had the anti-fit pant: baggy at top and tapered at the bottom. This goes back to the skinny pant. Its okay if a guys not comfortable with a pant sticking to his thighs, as long as the calf kinda shows. You gotta show off the leg a little.

Any other Project: Ethos designers we should keep an eye out for this season?

Keep an eye out for SBG Designs. I definitely liked their jewelry. And the LL t-shirt line.Their graphics were really awesome.

Ideally, how would you like to see Los Angeles male fashion change over the next year?

I want Los Angeles male fashion to move forward. Women are in such a higher level of fashion than we are. I get so upset when I go shopping and I see the same thing over and over. It’s the same cuts, same pinstripes, same everything. I hope I’ve changed the male fashion at least a little bit. Men don’t have to be boring to get dressed. You can have a little spunk, whether its throwing a hot pink bandanna with your black outfit. Be different.

SEE THE FULL TABU LINE

- Photos of the Tabu fashion line. ]]> http://www.realgayla.com/2008/03/10/spring-the-rebirth-of-fashion/feed/ http://www.realgayla.com/2008/03/04/supreme-court-decides-freedom-to-marry-in-california/ http://www.realgayla.com/2008/03/04/supreme-court-decides-freedom-to-marry-in-california/#comments Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:11:56 +0000 Matt Falber http://www.realgayla.com/2008/03/04/supreme-court-decides-freedom-to-marry-in-california/ Today the California Supreme Court begins their hearings regarding same-sex marriage.

Watch history unfold live here.

Stef Tovar and Johnny Clark in “On An Average Day.” Photo by Tommy Dunn.

While some have used the term “dramedy” to define playwright John Klovenbach’s tense and moody depiction of two estranged brothers wrestling with the ghosts of their mutual past, such a description is inadequate. Not to say there isn’t humor in the play – there’s a great deal of it. But there is humor in even the darkest situations, and it’s tough to get much darker than this piece. Ron Klier directs with taut restraint, even managing to pull off an expertly staged fight scene in a very narrow space. Stef Tovar plays a dangerously distant Jack to Johnny Clark’s endearingly psychotic Bobby. As the brothers approach each other from opposite ends across the desert of their 18 year estrangement, Klovenbach employs Pinter-esque dialogue and Palahniuk-like aggressive realism to depict this fraternal rapprochement. Set in the squalid family home, now inhabited only by Bobby who, along with the house, is moldering as a result of increasing madness, the play opens with Jack finding Bobby mulling his inevitable conviction of assault on an unsuspecting man looking to hire him for “odd jobs.” Jack, however, is not there to save Bobby from his certain incarceration, but rather seeks refuge from a family life he has no template for living. As the brothers talk and reminisce, it is revealed that their mother died early and their emotionally absent father left them not too long after. Still haunted by the past, the characters navigate the troubled waters of recollection as they search desperately to understand themselves through each other. With an excellently designed set, strong performances, and sure-footed direction, this play grips as well as it surprises. The only drawback is a rather patronizing lighting design, that seems to indicate that the designer didn’t believe the audience would recognize significant dialogue when they heard it. Other than that, this is modern drama that, like any situation, has a few laughs.

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3.5 of 5 stars

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“On An Average Day” by John Klovenbach plays at The Elephant Theater Lab, 6324 Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood until March 22nd. For tickets call 232-860-3283.