Billy Masters
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Photo by Disney/Mark Seliger.
“A lot of celebrities are expected to be at the Garden on Monday...This would be the first time Trump has appeared at a court in New York since being convicted of 34 felonies...You’d think Trump would be rooting for the Spurs, right? It’s what got him out of Vietnam.”
- Jimmy Kimmel has some fun with El Presidente’s expected appearance at Game Three of the Knicks/Spurs NBA Finals.
Picture it—West Hollywood, 2005. I was hosting LA Pride for the umpteenth time when controversy reared its ugly head. There were threats of protests over the choice of Grand Marshal, Paris Hilton. People felt the honor was being given out solely to capitalize on Hilton’s show “The Simple Life” and get mainstream media coverage (which is exactly what happened). The situation was slightly diffused by also naming Hilton’s mom Kathy as a Co-Marshal. And here we are, 20 years later, with Kathy Hilton being protested after being named Grand Marshal. The discussions started when Indigenous Pride LA cancelled their participation in the event due to Hilton’s connection with Donald Trump. “Many within our Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer, and Indigenous LGBTQPAI+ circles feel this year’s Grand Marshal choice does not align with the values, lived experiences, and spirit of Pride we seek to uplift.” I have so many questions—starting with when, oh when, will we stop adding letters to our community?
The protest picked up steam. Days before the event, Hilton withdrew. “I am honored to have been considered for this recognition and appreciative of the support I have received from members of the community that means a great deal to so many people. Pride is, and always will be, about celebrating and uplifting LGBTQ+ voices, experiences, and achievements.” The carefully crafted statement goes on to list her long association with various AIDS charities. And WeHo Pride replaced her with...NO ONE! “As Pride has always belonged to the community, after thoughtful discussions, the City of West Hollywood, the WeHo Pride production team, and Kathy Hilton have determined that the 2026 WeHo Pride Parade will not designate a Grand Marshal Icon honoree.”
In the aftermath, the iconic Lady Bunny weighed in: “May I suggest that next year, WeHo Pride actually take pride in their community and choose a local volunteer who’s toiled for years donating their time to a beloved LA charity?” Good idea—many cities have a Grand Marshal and Honorary (or Celebrity) Grand Marshal. While I’m mentioning Bunny, she had some concerns about my recent report on her being cancelled from a crocheting gig in Fort Lauderdale (look it up). She felt it was not clear when I said she once went after me on stage, that the incident was all in fun, which it was. And when I reported that she wanted Kamala Harris to be more liberal, that was incorrect—she wanted Kamala to be more progressive. Consider it cleared up. Make no mistake, I LOVE Bunny!
Pride conflicts are not isolated to the west coast. The Boston Public Library announced it would no longer be hosting a “Trans Period Pride” event. What is “Trans Period Pride”? I’m so glad you asked. According to the organization, “this event is for biologically female people who gender identify as male, who still menstruate. This is not for trans women (born male).” And we wonder why some members of the heterosexual community get confused! The event at the BPL was not cancelled. It was moved to another venue that is not “city-owned”. It gets better. “Catered dinner will be provided and free period underwear will be given to all attendees!” I’m speechless.
Turning my attention to a non-menstruating queer group, the cast issues with now-defunct “Queer Eye” are back in the news. The unemployed Karamo Brown finally spoke out, exclusively to “People” magazine (in return for a cover, no doubt). As had been rumored, the final straw came when Brown’s mom was in the control room during a taping and heard several of his costars criticizing him (Van Ness, France and Porowski were in the conversation). “The thing I know is the tears I saw in my mother’s eyes. She kept repeating, ‘I thought they were your friends.’ It made me realize I can no longer stay silent about how often I was made to feel like an outsider.” Karamo also reveals that a sexual harassment complaint was filed during the first days of the show when he was “fun and flirty” with a costar. He claims the complaint came from a third party and was resolved (but insiders say that is not exactly what happened). Karamo adds, “I think we all deserve a bit of grace for how we handled ourselves and one another. We were just doing our best. It may not have felt like that in the moment, but it’s very clear to me now.”
Some people work together and create real friendships. Take Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe. They got extremely close during their time on and off-Broadway in “Merrily We Roll Along” in 2023 and 2024 (which earned them each a Tony Award). They both went on to do other Broadway projects (Groff in “Just In Time” and Radcliffe in “Every Brilliant Thing”). But they are reuniting for a film project. Radcliffe was already signed for “Trust the Man”, which is termed as a “Vietnam War thriller”. And now, Groff has signed on to costar.
This column comes moments after the Tony Awards. I intentionally left this paragraph blank in hopes that something truly noteworthy would happen. Given the host, I knew there was a chance P!NK would plummet from the rafters during one of her inevitable aerial stunts. And sure enough, she flew in—as Peter Pan singing, “I’m Flying!” She was helped down by former Tony host, Neil Patrick Harris, who cheekily said, “Haven’t you heard? The flying twinks are all vampires now.” She then segued into an all-star opening called “Leading Lady Marmalade”, joined by numerous hunks, starlets, “dolls”, and various Broadway luminaries...and Lea Michele. P!nk certainly proved she had the pipes (and the gams). I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the hot blond guy helping winners from stage right. And, for the love of God, could Paul Rudd have straightened Alden Ehrenreich’s tie before his speech? If the point of the Tonys is to drive tourism to Broadway, I’d say mission accomplished.
The Tony Award-winning musical “Chicago” is known for stunt casting—usually centered around the role of Roxie Hart. People from Christie Brinkley to Pamela Anderson have left their mark on the role (eventually, perhaps P!nk). Occasionally the part of Billy Flynn is assumed by such luminaries as Usher, George Hamilton, Taye Diggs, Mark Ballas, Colman Domingo, and even Jerry Springer. The next Billy Flynn will be another member of our community. Starting on June 22nd, Matteo Lane joins the cast (you’ll be forgiven for thinking he’d play Mary Sunshine). As with most of these other people, this will mark Matteo’s Broadway debut.
The Chicago Shakespeare Theater is presenting the North American premiere of the stage version of “Brokeback Mountain”. I reviewed the West End world premiere of this play back in 2023 when it starred Lucas Hedges and Mike Faist. I thoroughly enjoyed it (which is saying something, since I loathed the film). This production stars Harrison Ball and Jack Cameron Kay and runs through June 28th. You can get more info at ChicagoShakes.com.
This week’s “Ask Billy” question came from Mark in Boston. “I just heard that gay porn star Drake Von was arrested for attempting to strangle his partner in Las Vegas. Is it true? And could you post his mugshot?”
TMZ first reported that Von (real name Dawson Bacon) was arrested in Las Vegas on June 3rd. When the accuser was identified, we learned she’s a female named Quinn! She claims to have blacked out after Von “restricted her breathing”. She says he slammed her to the ground and told her to get on her knees and beg if she really wanted her phone back (sounds like he confused her with one of his on-screen sexual partners). Somehow, she escaped and called 911. A video of Von’s arrest has emerged. While an officer cuffs him and places him in the back of the patrol car, they casually discuss their favorite performers at the EDC—an electronic dance music festival that took place in Vegas weeks earlier. Drake was charged with felony domestic battery by strangulation, felony coercion constituting domestic violence, and misdemeanor domestic battery. He was held on a bond of $25,246. After being released, Drake said, “All allegations are false, charges will be dropped, and it was all a misunderstanding.” He later said, “I’m very good mentally. This was all a publicity stunt.” Giving credence to the “publicity stunt” angle is a photo Quinn posted of herself bent over and dressed as a cop with Von behind her in an orange jump suit. Have we all been had? Check out the photos and videos on BillyMasters.com.
When someone is able to pull the wool over Harvey Levin’s eyes, it’s time for me to end yet another column. At least I had the good sense to be skeptical! For more in-depth reporting, check out BillyMasters.com—the site that’s got a whole lotta allegations but not a single conviction. If you need me to run a background check on anyone, drop a note to [email protected] and I promise to get back to you before Drake Von is named Grand Marshal of some city’s Pride Parade! Until next time, remember, one man’s filth is another man’s bible.
- Jimmy Kimmel has some fun with El Presidente’s expected appearance at Game Three of the Knicks/Spurs NBA Finals.
Picture it—West Hollywood, 2005. I was hosting LA Pride for the umpteenth time when controversy reared its ugly head. There were threats of protests over the choice of Grand Marshal, Paris Hilton. People felt the honor was being given out solely to capitalize on Hilton’s show “The Simple Life” and get mainstream media coverage (which is exactly what happened). The situation was slightly diffused by also naming Hilton’s mom Kathy as a Co-Marshal. And here we are, 20 years later, with Kathy Hilton being protested after being named Grand Marshal. The discussions started when Indigenous Pride LA cancelled their participation in the event due to Hilton’s connection with Donald Trump. “Many within our Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer, and Indigenous LGBTQPAI+ circles feel this year’s Grand Marshal choice does not align with the values, lived experiences, and spirit of Pride we seek to uplift.” I have so many questions—starting with when, oh when, will we stop adding letters to our community?
The protest picked up steam. Days before the event, Hilton withdrew. “I am honored to have been considered for this recognition and appreciative of the support I have received from members of the community that means a great deal to so many people. Pride is, and always will be, about celebrating and uplifting LGBTQ+ voices, experiences, and achievements.” The carefully crafted statement goes on to list her long association with various AIDS charities. And WeHo Pride replaced her with...NO ONE! “As Pride has always belonged to the community, after thoughtful discussions, the City of West Hollywood, the WeHo Pride production team, and Kathy Hilton have determined that the 2026 WeHo Pride Parade will not designate a Grand Marshal Icon honoree.”
In the aftermath, the iconic Lady Bunny weighed in: “May I suggest that next year, WeHo Pride actually take pride in their community and choose a local volunteer who’s toiled for years donating their time to a beloved LA charity?” Good idea—many cities have a Grand Marshal and Honorary (or Celebrity) Grand Marshal. While I’m mentioning Bunny, she had some concerns about my recent report on her being cancelled from a crocheting gig in Fort Lauderdale (look it up). She felt it was not clear when I said she once went after me on stage, that the incident was all in fun, which it was. And when I reported that she wanted Kamala Harris to be more liberal, that was incorrect—she wanted Kamala to be more progressive. Consider it cleared up. Make no mistake, I LOVE Bunny!
Pride conflicts are not isolated to the west coast. The Boston Public Library announced it would no longer be hosting a “Trans Period Pride” event. What is “Trans Period Pride”? I’m so glad you asked. According to the organization, “this event is for biologically female people who gender identify as male, who still menstruate. This is not for trans women (born male).” And we wonder why some members of the heterosexual community get confused! The event at the BPL was not cancelled. It was moved to another venue that is not “city-owned”. It gets better. “Catered dinner will be provided and free period underwear will be given to all attendees!” I’m speechless.
Turning my attention to a non-menstruating queer group, the cast issues with now-defunct “Queer Eye” are back in the news. The unemployed Karamo Brown finally spoke out, exclusively to “People” magazine (in return for a cover, no doubt). As had been rumored, the final straw came when Brown’s mom was in the control room during a taping and heard several of his costars criticizing him (Van Ness, France and Porowski were in the conversation). “The thing I know is the tears I saw in my mother’s eyes. She kept repeating, ‘I thought they were your friends.’ It made me realize I can no longer stay silent about how often I was made to feel like an outsider.” Karamo also reveals that a sexual harassment complaint was filed during the first days of the show when he was “fun and flirty” with a costar. He claims the complaint came from a third party and was resolved (but insiders say that is not exactly what happened). Karamo adds, “I think we all deserve a bit of grace for how we handled ourselves and one another. We were just doing our best. It may not have felt like that in the moment, but it’s very clear to me now.”
Some people work together and create real friendships. Take Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe. They got extremely close during their time on and off-Broadway in “Merrily We Roll Along” in 2023 and 2024 (which earned them each a Tony Award). They both went on to do other Broadway projects (Groff in “Just In Time” and Radcliffe in “Every Brilliant Thing”). But they are reuniting for a film project. Radcliffe was already signed for “Trust the Man”, which is termed as a “Vietnam War thriller”. And now, Groff has signed on to costar.
This column comes moments after the Tony Awards. I intentionally left this paragraph blank in hopes that something truly noteworthy would happen. Given the host, I knew there was a chance P!NK would plummet from the rafters during one of her inevitable aerial stunts. And sure enough, she flew in—as Peter Pan singing, “I’m Flying!” She was helped down by former Tony host, Neil Patrick Harris, who cheekily said, “Haven’t you heard? The flying twinks are all vampires now.” She then segued into an all-star opening called “Leading Lady Marmalade”, joined by numerous hunks, starlets, “dolls”, and various Broadway luminaries...and Lea Michele. P!nk certainly proved she had the pipes (and the gams). I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the hot blond guy helping winners from stage right. And, for the love of God, could Paul Rudd have straightened Alden Ehrenreich’s tie before his speech? If the point of the Tonys is to drive tourism to Broadway, I’d say mission accomplished.
The Tony Award-winning musical “Chicago” is known for stunt casting—usually centered around the role of Roxie Hart. People from Christie Brinkley to Pamela Anderson have left their mark on the role (eventually, perhaps P!nk). Occasionally the part of Billy Flynn is assumed by such luminaries as Usher, George Hamilton, Taye Diggs, Mark Ballas, Colman Domingo, and even Jerry Springer. The next Billy Flynn will be another member of our community. Starting on June 22nd, Matteo Lane joins the cast (you’ll be forgiven for thinking he’d play Mary Sunshine). As with most of these other people, this will mark Matteo’s Broadway debut.
The Chicago Shakespeare Theater is presenting the North American premiere of the stage version of “Brokeback Mountain”. I reviewed the West End world premiere of this play back in 2023 when it starred Lucas Hedges and Mike Faist. I thoroughly enjoyed it (which is saying something, since I loathed the film). This production stars Harrison Ball and Jack Cameron Kay and runs through June 28th. You can get more info at ChicagoShakes.com.
This week’s “Ask Billy” question came from Mark in Boston. “I just heard that gay porn star Drake Von was arrested for attempting to strangle his partner in Las Vegas. Is it true? And could you post his mugshot?”
TMZ first reported that Von (real name Dawson Bacon) was arrested in Las Vegas on June 3rd. When the accuser was identified, we learned she’s a female named Quinn! She claims to have blacked out after Von “restricted her breathing”. She says he slammed her to the ground and told her to get on her knees and beg if she really wanted her phone back (sounds like he confused her with one of his on-screen sexual partners). Somehow, she escaped and called 911. A video of Von’s arrest has emerged. While an officer cuffs him and places him in the back of the patrol car, they casually discuss their favorite performers at the EDC—an electronic dance music festival that took place in Vegas weeks earlier. Drake was charged with felony domestic battery by strangulation, felony coercion constituting domestic violence, and misdemeanor domestic battery. He was held on a bond of $25,246. After being released, Drake said, “All allegations are false, charges will be dropped, and it was all a misunderstanding.” He later said, “I’m very good mentally. This was all a publicity stunt.” Giving credence to the “publicity stunt” angle is a photo Quinn posted of herself bent over and dressed as a cop with Von behind her in an orange jump suit. Have we all been had? Check out the photos and videos on BillyMasters.com.
When someone is able to pull the wool over Harvey Levin’s eyes, it’s time for me to end yet another column. At least I had the good sense to be skeptical! For more in-depth reporting, check out BillyMasters.com—the site that’s got a whole lotta allegations but not a single conviction. If you need me to run a background check on anyone, drop a note to [email protected] and I promise to get back to you before Drake Von is named Grand Marshal of some city’s Pride Parade! Until next time, remember, one man’s filth is another man’s bible.
