Activist Mary Morten and Jim Bennett’s newly launched production company, Focused Media LLC, was created to “produce socially relevant content … for underrepresented voices and to challenge preconceived notions,” according to Bennett. And on Oct. 1 at Boystown nightspot Sidetrack, attendees gathered to celebrate the upcoming second season of one of its projects, The Gay Agenda.
The Gay Agenda is a Web-based talk show featuring panelists Morten, Bennett, Shannon Downey and Tony Alvarado-Rivera (“La Tony”) discussing social issues and queer identity while critiquing the mainstream notion of the LGBT community existing as a monolith. Filming of the second season starts soon and will cover contemporary event topics such as the new show Transparent in addition to the panelists taking the show on the road.
With a diverse crowd noshing on Persian food from Noon O Kebab, the hilarious La Tony hosted a raffle that included prizes from local businesses Early to Bed, Women & Children First, SIR Spa and Cheetah Gym.
Attendees were entertained with a performance from RuPaul’s Drag Race season-six contestant Gia Gunn, best-of clips from the first season of The Gay Agenda and the introduction of a new panel member: trans activist Angelica Ross. “I hope to be a part of the movement to add everyone’s voices to the conversation,” said Ross after it was announced that The Gay Agenda would now be renamed to the more inclusive The Agenda.
Be sure to check out The Agenda on Facebook and YouTube.
—Angelique Smith