This past summer celebrity stylist Jason Bolden tied the knot with Adair Curtis, and afterwards they threw a post-wedding bash on the rooftop of the Surrey Hotel. Monday’s episode of La La’s Full Court Life showcased the wedding, which was attended by La La Anthony, Gabrielle Union, trainer Jeanette Jenkins, among others. We talked to La La’s BFFS, out lesbians Po Johnson and Dice Dixon about the episode and about the ceremony (their first gay one), and their views on marriage and dating.
AfterEllen.com: La La and Gabrielle Union both tell us that this is the first same sex wedding they have ever been to. How many have you been to? Po Johnson: That was actually my first same-sex wedding and it was beautiful! Dice Dixon: Surprising enough that was also my first same sex wedding as well. I had no idea what to expect or what to wear. [laughs] Everything turned out so nice and I really enjoyed myself that day. It was something great to witness and be a part of.
AE: In the last episode, Charlamagne warned La La that some people may have a problem with her being seen at a same sex ceremony. Do you think there was an element of truth to what he said? PJ: I don’t think there was any disrespect there. He was speaking his opinion, and it definitely has some truth to it. But La has been surrounded by our community for a while. We’re her family and friends. So anyone who is a La La fan I would hope embraces her love for equality and same sex partnerships. Love is love – you can’t gender specify that. DD: Not at all. Of course everyone at the wedding was very supportive because they were friends and family of Jason and Adair. There was also great feedback from social media after the episode aired. I think they loved my cousin La even more after seeing that episode. We live in a society now where the gay and lesbian community is more accepted. It’s 2013, and gay marriage is legalized in several states. It’s not the 1950s or ’60s where mom and dad sleep in separate beds and your family sent you away to a clinic to cure you of being gay, because they thought it was a sickness that could be cured. It’s a different day and age now. AE: What was your favorite part of Jason and Adair’s wedding celebration? Also, did Jeanette Jenkins bring a date? PJ: My favorite part of the wedding was the end of Adair’s speech. He was getting super emotional and Jason cut him off in true “Jason” fashion. I guess Jason had had enough of the sensitive stuff. It’s the true essence of their relationship. I’m not sure about Jeanette and if she brought a date. She was with a bunch of people. I have a thing about not dabbling in people’s private lives. DD: My favorite part of the celebration was just seeing all of Jason and Adair’s friends and family there sharing in their important day with them. There was so much love and support at that wedding for Jason and Adair. Just seeing two people who truly love each other getting married was a great moment for me. [laughs] I don’t think Jeanette Jenkins came with a date. I’m not too sure about that. [laughs]
AE: Did either of you encounter difficulties coming out or living openly as lesbians? PJ: I never really “came out.” I was always honest with my mother and family about who I liked. I never thought it was wrong. When I was about 6 I told my mother I had a girlfriend, but my family is a very religious family. My stepfather is a preacher and my mother is someone who begins and ends her day with the Bible. So really, my struggle is their struggle, learning how to continuing to love and accept me. I think I’ve been a big social experiment for my entire family. But hey, I’ve never been a dull person. DD: No not at all. I am truly blessed and fortunate enough to have a loving and supportive family. Of course I had a few family members who did not really support my lifestyle, but to be honest their options or thoughts did not matter to me. [laughs] As long as the people who are important to me-like my mom-accept it, then that’s all that matters to me. Everybody else can have several seats! [laughs]
AE: So, both of you seem to be wary about the idea of getting married. Even so, are either of you involved in activism in support of same sex marriage or gay rights in general? PJ: I am very wary of marriage. It scares the crap out of me! But I am very active with New York City youths and foster care. It’s not really specific to the LGBT community but a lot of the youth are [LGBT]. It’s disheartening to see how many children and teenagers are kicked out of their homes because of their sexuality. I do plan to become more involved in gay rights, but my heart is drawn to youths and their struggles with their identities, gay or not. That was me as a kid. DD: Yeah I don’t see marriage in my future any time soon. Talking about marriage gets me nervous. I am actually in the process of getting involved with talking to teens about anti-bullying. I want to get more involved with the gay and lesbian community with that issue. You hear so many sad stories about teens getting bullied or even committing suicide because of their lifestyle. It’s sad and unfortunate and very unnecessary.
AE: Are both of you single? PJ: I am, in fact, single! It’s been almost a year. But to be honest, it feels like La and Dice are my girlfriends. DD: Yes I am very single. I’m just enjoying me right now. I do date, but I’m not looking for anything serious right now. My life is too crazy right now for me to be settled down, but I’m OK with that. AE: Which one of you has more game. Be honest. PJ: I’m gonna go out on a limb and say me! Dice is so shy and quiet! I totally make fun of her about it. My method is really just honesty. I don’t like things to pass me up that I like! DD: [laughs] I think Po might have more game than me. I’m shy and quiet. I was in a six-year relationship, and now that I’m single I feel like I have no game since I have been out of the “game” for so long! But when I do drink, I get the liquor confidence so to speak. Then my “game” turns on and it’s like riding a bike!
AE: If you were to get married, what attributes would your perfect wife have? PJ: Yikes! Driven, extremely in tune with themselves and what they want. Generous in all ways, spiritual, clean, organized, artistic – and taller than me, which isn’t hard. DD: I would love someone who could cook! [laughs] My cooking skills are very limited. I would like my perfect wife to have motivation and drive. Someone who I can grow with and laugh with. Someone who understands my movement and is very supportive. A woman who is family oriented and someone who can teach me new things and show me new things. A woman who is loving and caring. A woman who has her own goals. A woman who is beautiful on the outside as well as the inside. And most important someone that my family likes.
AE: What are your favorite lesbian bars or parties in NYC? What places should the fine women of NYC avoid at all costs? PJ: [laughs] My favorite lesbian bar is my house! It’s open bar, everyone knows my name. The only requirement is you have to be 21 and shoes must come off! In regards to avoiding places – jail and clinics! I don’t really know. I’ve been to the seediest of places and always have a blast. DD: To be honest while in NY, we go to a lot of low key spots that are open to whoever but are not necessarily lesbian bars. I like to hang out where there is a diverse set of people. I like to eat so my favorite places would be restaurants or lounge spots in NY. Fine women should avoid dark alleys, jail, taking rides from random strange people, and going home with any of the cartoon characters that you see in Times Square. [laughs]
AE: Dice, how does the lesbian scene in NYC compare to the scene in Atlanta? DD: Honestly I think the two are very different. In NY the guys and girls party together. In Atlanta the girls have their own parties and the guys have their own parties. The music is a little different as well. NY and Atlanta both play the new music out, but of course Atlanta is going to play more down south music as well. In Atlanta it seems that the age group is a little younger. The Atlanta and New York scenes are different and unique in their own way. AE: Po, how is your music venture coming along? What will we see from you in the future in this regard? PJ: Thanks for asking! It’s awesome. I’ve gotten a lot of viral buzz. I’m really close to putting a project out, and my new single was just released – “This Is My Shit” featuring Maino. It’s actually getting spins on NYC and college radio. The video will be released in the month of March, so I’m stoked!
AE: Are there any final words you would like to tell AfterEllen readers? PJ: Thanks for the watching the show. Thanks for the continued support and love. We love our community and hope to make you proud. DD: I really appreciate all the support and love you show me, La La, and Po.
La La’s Full Court Life airs on VH1 every Monday night at 10/9 p.m. central. You can follow them both on Twitter (@dice30 and @thepojohnson).
