OUT August 2014

MARIA BUSTILLOS IN THIS ISSUE: Writer, “The Fabulous E.J Johnson,” page 58 Provenance: Long Beach, Calif. Twitter Handle: @MariaBustillos Behind the Story: Any Angeleno would be as thrilled as I was to visit the magnificent home of Magic and Cookie Johnson, high above Los Angeles on a brilliant spring day. RIGOBERTO› GONZALEZ IN THIS ISSUE: Writer, “From a Revolution Come Revolutionaries,” page 42 Provenance: Bakersfield, Calif. Twitter Handle: @MariposaBoy Other Gig: I just completed the third book in the Mariposa Club YA series, and I’m writing another YA book, Mariquita, about an effeminate 10-year-old who’s sent off to live with his eccentric auntie, a very masculine woman. RICHARD PHIBBS IN THIS ISSUE: Photographer, “249,” page 62 Provenance: Calgary, Canada Instagram Handle: @RichardPhibbs Other Gig: I take portraits of shelter animals…

FATHERS AND SONS Having made his reputation playing complicated, often self-destructive male archetypes such as Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull and Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II, Robert De Niro has added a very different role to his resume—only this one is drawn from his life. Executive editor Jerry Portwood’s revealing interview with the actor (“Me and My Gay Dad,” June/July 2014) showed a softer side of De Niro few had seen before. As Julie Miller wrote on VanityFair.com, “In a wonderful new interview with Out Magazine, the acting legend becomes so emotional when discussing his late father that at times he can’t quite get words out over the lump in his throat.” Miller was not alone. Out’s story, in which De Niro talked about his relationship with his…

QUOTED! “I am just living my truth. Tons of people have come out in their own ways. This was just mine. If people want to call that courageous, I appreciate that, but I just did what I had to do and what I thought was right.” —St. Louis Rams defensive end (and our cover star) Michael Sam on his recent coming out. For more on Sam, go to page 62. THIS OLD LETTER FROM AYN RAND TO CAT FANCY ! CLOSET RAID! We asked E.J. Johnson to show us his four favorite things from his wardrobe. Here’s what he sent us. (See more Johnson on page 58.) JOAN RIVERS’S LIST OF POSSIBLE NAMES FOR HER AND RAY J’S SEX TAPE Dry Hard On Golden Shower I Am…

At this point, inquiring about the motives behind James Franco’s queer fixation is as played out as a 50 Shades pun. But something feels different when posing the question to actor, writer, and director Scott Haze, Franco’s serial collaborator and friend of 15 years, who knows firsthand what it’s like to be close to Hollywood’s busiest bromance champion. “Some of the most prolific people in the artistic community have been gay,” Haze offers. Which is to say that, from Haze’s perspective, Franco’s artistic predilections don’t necessarily stem from queer desire so much as a need to emulate his tireless heroes, who “happened to be homosexual.” That’s another thing Haze and Franco share: identification with LGBT artists known for compulsive creation. “Arthur Rimbaud had sex with men,” Haze says of his…

1. The Wicked Allure of The Dog A revealing new doc chronicles the true story behind Dog Day Afternoon. Sometimes a movie becomes so iconic that you forget real people lived and breathed its narrative. Dog Day Afternoon is such a movie. Starring Al Pacino as a man who attempts to rob a bank to pay for his lover’s gender confirmation surgery, the 1975 classic blew open a closet door in mainstream cinema. Pacino’s character, Sonny, was based on John Wojtowicz, a puzzling figure who served six years in prison for his own attempted robbery, which led to a 14-hour, live broadcast hostage situation in 1972. Now, four decades later, Wojtowicz’s story is being told again in The Dog, an astonishing, rollicking new documentary in which he reveals himself to…

’Tis the season of garden parties and weddings, and with big fancy affairs comes the responsibility of wearing a suit. That doesn’t mean repurposing that same safe gray number you wear to the office—special occasions call for special measures. Luckily, the panoply of chic options on display in recent summer collections leaves plenty of room for whimsy. Whether you choose to rock a Tom Wolfe-style all-white getup from Bottega Veneta, flaunt the funky mixed patterns of Gucci, or channel the classic preppiness of Tommy Hilfiger, go with a lightweight fabric; it’ll keep you feeling as cool as you look. And don’t be afraid to lose the tie, or even the shirt. A tank top or tee paired with a suit is the perfect choice for a barbecue—a comfortable, casual ensemble…