FREE Black & Latino Gay Travel & Entertainment Guide May/June 2007 Vol. 3 Issue 3 About THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR A conversation with Alex Flex on the CocoDorm controversy Cities and Maps Alabama Birmingham/Mobile/Montgomery ........................ 19 Arizona Phoenix ................................................................... 19 California Los Angeles ............................................................ 19 San Diego ............................................................... 22 San Francisco ......................................................... 23 Oakland ................................................................... 25 Colorado Denver ..................................................................... 25 District of Columbia Washington, D.C. ................................................... 25 Florida Fort Lauderdale ...................................................... 27 Hollywood .............................................................. 36 Jacksonville ............................................................ 36 Key West ................................................................. 36 Miami ...................................................................... 36 Orlando ................................................................... 39 Tallahassee ............................................................. 39 Tampa ..................................................................... 39 Georgia Atlanta ..................................................................... 40 Illinois Chicago ................................................................... 42 Indiana Indianapolis ............................................................ 44 NORMAN WAKEFIELD Louisiana New Orleans ........................................................... 44 Features Maryland Chi Chiz, Black Gay Family at the Center of the World Baltimore ................................................................ 44 by Taylor Siluwé ......................................................... 2 Michigan Detroit ..................................................................... 45 Frank Leon Roberts The House of Prodigy ....................................... 4 Minnesota 2007 Ballroom Review ..................................... 6 Minneapolis ............................................................ 45 The Newest Face, Double Duo ........................ 7 Mississippi House of Icon Ball 2007 ................................... 8 Jackson ................................................................... 45 MLK Atlanta Weekend ...................................... 9 Missouri St Louis ................................................................... 46 Music Reviews by TPROmix ................................................................ 10 Nevada Las Vegas ................................................................ 46 About The House Next Door. A Conversation with Alex New York Flex on the CocoDorm Controversy New York City .......................................................... 47 by Taylor Siluwé ......................................................... 12 North Carolina Black Prides & Events ................................................ 15 Charlotte/Winston-Salem/ Greensboro/Asheville ............................................ 49 Cover Model Norman Wakefield............................... 30 Ohio CREW Cincinnati/Cleveland/Columbus ............................ 50 Publisher - Flava Works, Inc Pennsylvania Philadelphia ............................................................ 50 Creative Director - Dan Nelson Pittsburgh ............................................................... 51 Contributors - Lenox Magee, Frank Leon Roberts, Rhode Island Taylor Siluwé, TPROmix Providence .............................................................. 51 South Carolina CONTACT US Greenville ............................................................... 51 Flava Works, Inc., 2610 North Miami Avenue Tennessee Miami, FL 33127-4438 Memphis/Nashville ................................................ 51 Phone: 877-FLAVALIFE (877-352-8254) Texas Fax: 866-935-7275 Austin ...................................................................... 51 Subscriptions - To order subscriptions, change your Dallas, Fort Worth ................................................... 52 address or ask about an existing subscription, call Houston .................................................................. 52 toll free Phone: 877-FLAVALIFE (877-352-8254) Virginia Web Site - www.FlavaLife.com Richmond ................................................................ 53 Washington Advertising - For rates and deadlines call Seattle ..................................................................... 53 Phone: 877-FLAVALIFE (877-352-8254), e-mail sales@ flavalife.com or visit www.FlavaLife.com Wisconsin Superior/Milwaukee ............................................... 53 Puerto Rico FlavaLife (ISSN1557-2668) is published bimonthly by Flava Works, San Juan ................................................................. 54 Inc. The entire contents of FlavaLife magazine are copyright © 2007 by Flava Works, Inc. and may not be reproduced in any man- Mexico ner, either whole or in part, without written permission from the Puerto Vallarta ........................................................ 54 publisher. All rights reserved. St Croix ........................................................................ 54 FLAVALIFE Some love it like crack. Others hate it with a locked Caribbean style) brought his following don’t want their kids exposed to certain things, seemed sweet and intriguing. I hope he doesn’t questionable passion. But everyone goes at from a former legendary Black Gay hang-out, “You know, when you moved here there were get into any trouble. But if he does though, I one time or another, because, well … it’s the Keller’s. And then Curtis—a gangly and gregari- dicks in the store-front windows. Now you hope he does it with me. Black Gay Cheers. It’s that homey, down to ous, quick-witted bartender and also part-time wanna bitch about it?” earth haven where everybody knows your drag performer known as Rachel Harmony—ab- As for the regular clientele, young and old, name—and, for that matter, your pain as well. sconded from Two Potato just down the block I wondered if any of that drama spilled into Chi Mark had this to say. “They come after work, and became one of Chi Chiz first bartenders, Chiz, and asked if they had any problems with enjoy the happy hour, eat, have their friends In the relatively short time since it opened, Chi bringing his loyal customers with him. After the neighbors. “A little bit,” Mark said. “Our around them, they gossip and chit-chat and it’s Chiz has become ground-zero for the Black Gay that, Chi Chiz was off and running and it hasn’t customers stay inside; those kids are outside just like their extended family. A lot of people community. Though there are other establish- stopped since. all day. Even though some of our customers come here from other places and they don’t ments throughout New York and even across mingle with them, the Village has always been have their own families close by so they kinda the Hudson in Jersey, Chi Chiz is the hub of “I remember the first time I met Curtis. He had this way. But now, because the kids are mostly adopt a bar family.” our ultra-diverse community. Known for it’s green hair,” Ronelle said. “He was so worried Black and Hispanic, they’re making big waves addictive fire-cracker hot wings, two-for-one that we were gonna tell him that he had to dye about it. It’s ridiculous. But it doesn’t really af- After the interview, I went back upstairs to the happy hours extending from 5 to 9pm (and all it back. But then he walked in and saw my hair fect us. And the police respect us.” bar. The walls were lined with Chi Chiz latest day on Sunday), karaoke nights, card games, and said, ‘Oh, thank God!’” monthly art exhibit, this one from a talented pool tournaments and—last but not least—it’s “At least now, in the beginning it wasn’t easy,” local Black Gay artist named Derrick Bell. The endless parade of hot boy flesh. It is the first Was your hair always purple? I asked. Ronelle added. “It’s a lot better now. We crowd had grown. Beyoncé blared from the thought we knew everything in the beginning. speakers. Four guys squabbled in a back corner destination for travelers looking for Black Gay “At that time it was pink, but I changed it like 6 We learned by experience I guess.” over their Spades game. So much color and di- flavor in the city that never sleeps—a city, which months after we opened.” versity surrounded me. A possible millionaire arguably, sits at the center of the world. Then I remembered a rumor—Is it true that Will, “Curtis and I had a lot of fun back then,” Mark in a slick Armani suit sipping a brown cocktail from Will & Grace, lives upstairs over the bar? “We’ve been here eight and a half years,” said added with a sparkle in his eye, because Cur- stood to my right … while a possible street hus- Ronelle, co-owner of Chi Chiz, “We opened tis has since passed away. “He came in all full “He lived next door for a little awhile,” Mark tler—a young, brooding, sexy thing with pants June 28th, 1998.” With a shock of purple hair and life and energy, joking around behind the said, “He rented it while he was doing a play.” sagging so low I spied his perfectly round, down one side of her face, she gives off ex- bar; those long arms of his were always