Tag: Calgary

Nestled in southeastern Washington, the charming town of Walla Walla is a destination that combines rich history, award-winning wines, and an emerging culinary scene. With its picturesque vineyards, welcoming small-town atmosphere, and impressive gastronomic offerings, Walla Walla is an ideal getaway for food and wine lovers alike. During my recent visit, I had the pleasure of experiencing some of the best this town has to offer, from cozy accommodations to must-visit dining spots and vineyards. What made this adventure even more fun was that I got to experience it with fellow LGBTQ content creators Matt of Michael & Matt, Mikah Meyer and Adam Dupuis.
My journey began at The GG, an elegant bed and breakfast in the heart of Walla Walla. This historic property exudes warmth and hospitality, offering a perfect blend of old-world charm and modern comforts.
The innkeeper took the time to give me a tour of the beautifully restored home, detailing its history and unique features. The decor strikes a perfect balance between classic elegance and contemporary convenience, with tastefully furnished rooms featuring plush bedding, vintage details, and modern amenities. In the evenings, guests can unwind in the...

The post Pride Journey Walla Walla: A Hidden Gem for LGBTQ Food, Wine, and Adventure Seekers appeared first on Gay LGBTQ Media and Press Network.

It was 30 years ago when Reba McEntire – music legend, gay icon, the epitome of country glamour – made Bobby Gentry’s "Fancy" her own. A feminist statement about a woman who turns to sex work to overcome childhood poverty, the story-song became synonymous with McEntire after her version surpassed the original on the country music charts. McEntire's remake was featured on her 1990 album Rumor Has It, her 17th studio album. It has resurfaced three decades later in an anniversary edition, featuring two new versions of "Fancy." One, a dance mix, was produced by DJ Dave Audé; the other is an acoustic live version.
On Zoom from her home just outside Nashville, McEntire greets me on my computer screen with her signature Southern charm and a full-face smile. Strands of her fire-red hair are being repositioned by an assistant’s floating hand. "I’m never my own glam squad," she says. "I have (makeup artist) Neil (Robison) here with me. We were up bright and early this morning gettin’ ready, and I have my team to make sure I am decent."
Even amid a pandemic, the sight of an undone Reba is ... well, let’s just say there’s a better chance of getting a reboot of her hit TV series Reba (she’s on board). Because no-frills Reba? "I wouldn’t do that to ya," she jokes.
During our conversation, the superstar reflected on how "Fancy" solidified her gay icon status, what impresses her most about drag queens who have performed the song, and why she doesn’t "judge the book by the cover" when it comes to the queerness of out country artists Orville Peck and Lil Nas X.
GayCalgary: What do you remember about the photoshoot and that whole look for the Rumor Has It cover?
Reba McEntire: I don’t remember much about the photoshoot except (that) it was Sandi Spika who did my clothes and my hair back in the, oh, late ’80s and ’90s, and then all the way up until I went to do Annie Get Your Gun in 2001. She did my clothes, my hair, and it was her idea to do the rip-off inspired by the Barbra Streisand photoshop album cover. So we did that and everybody loved it. Of course it was the last setup of the day because she had...

The post VIDEO INTERVIEW – Reba, Still Fancy: Country legend talks 30 years of drag queens doing ‘Fancy,’ gay country stars and ripping off Barbra Streisand appeared first on Gay LGBTQ Media and Press Network.

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That scene. You know the one: the one in Basic Instinct where Sharon Stone’s legs are open. It’s been talked about and talked about, and talked about some more. It’s been talked about so much in the years since it shook the world in 1992 that it has diminished the other non-crotch facets of Sharon Stone.
What nobody talks about anymore is her heart, her courage and her activism. As Stone pushed through the male-dominating Hollywood sphere of the 1990s to reach top-tier cinematic heights through her work in 1990’s Total Recall and then Basic Instinct, an Oscar nomination for  Casino solidifying her influential screen presence, she was giving a voice to the voiceless. She was speaking up for marginalized women. She was speaking up for the LGBTQ community. She was speaking up for herself.
And to this day, she still does.
Stone’s enduring affinity with the LGBTQ community might explain why working for the first time with Ryan Murphy, known for bringing actresses over 50 (Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, and now Stone) into his lavishly stylized queerverse of prestige TV, was so special. In Murphy’s dark dramedy Ratched for Netflix, an origins story of Nurse Ratched of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the 62-year-old actress portrays the deliciously insane Lenore Osgood, a rich, twice-widowed mother who’d rather spend time with her Capuchin monkey than her queer son (played by openly gay actor Brandon Flynn). The series also stars out actresses Sarah Paulson, as nurse Mildred Ratched, and Sex and the City star and political activist Cynthia Nixon, who portrays Gwendolyn Briggs, the press secretary for the Governor of California.
When I spoke with Stone recently by phone, she did talk about the show’s queerness. But it was the touching story of her late father, Joe, who took her gay friends under his wing, that you won’t forget.
GayCalgary: Where do you think your role as Lenore Osgood will rate on the "Things Queer People Love That I’ve Done" scale?
Sharon Stone: Right? (Laughs.) I have to say that it’s full of beauty and full of style and full of the immense tenderness that happens when we confront abuse. And because of the nature of what it is to live a queer life, I think all of that will be very moving.
 
GC: While watching Ratched, I was reflecting on your LGBTQ roles. There’s...

The post INTERVIEW – You Can Count on Sharon Stone: Screen icon on how “Basic Instinct” influenced her LGBTQ activism, acting with Ellen and what her dad meant to her gay friends appeared first on Gay LGBTQ Media and Press Network.