Don’t Miss the Next Episode of ‘The Q Agenda’ Feat. Joseph Kapsch & Widran Quesada

Today, The Q Agenda welcomes award-winning journalist Joseph Kapsch and The Abbey’s Widran Quesada. As always, our guests share how their coming-out journeys inform their personal style and professional goals.

Joseph Kapsch was born to an Italian-Catholic family on the east coast, where, growing up, he felt like “the only gay kid in all of New Jersey.”

Even though he came from a politically liberal family, young Joseph had to navigate his father’s anti-gay attitude and the surrounding suburb’s systematic homophobia.

“I had two brothers [who] were athletes, and … [I was the] one son in the middle who’s in the bathroom while my mom is putting her make-up on and doing her hair,” Kapsch says, “and I’m getting screamed at by my dad for watching.”

He always knew he wanted to go into Hollywood journalism, and he couldn’t do that at home. So, he moved to New York City as a step toward his California dreams. In 1995, on the cusp of the ‘Will & Grace’ era, he got buff and came out of the closet. And eventually, his father came around.

Kapsch’s career as a journalist took off. He has graced the pages of the Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Los Angeles Times, and Access Hollywood. From interviews with Viola Davis to Jennifer Aniston, Kapsch has been a defining voice in entertainment for decades.

On representation in media, Kapsch says: “I am a white, gay male. I am no longer a diverse hire.”

Times are changing, and he’s witnessed the shift. When he joined The Wrap in 2013, he walked into a room of white, straight males. By the time he left, a whole range of cultural perspectives had been added to the table.

“You have to,” he argues. “It makes for better news output…when it’s a diverse newsroom.”

On air next is Widran Quesada, who runs The Abbey, one of the most frequented clubs in West Hollywood, queer or not. Not only has The Abbey been named one of the world’s best gay bars, it’s been a safe space for queer celebration for over thirty years.

“It’s absolutely a space…where anyone in the queer community can go and feel safe,” Quesada says. “They can go and relax and have a good time.”

Originally from Costa Rica, Quesada came out as a gay teenager to an unquestioning, accepting family. Coming out as a trans woman two years ago, however, was met with more surprise.

She moved to Los Angeles when she was 22-years-old and never left. Not long after, she joined The Abbey and has been part of the company for over ten years. She started on the PR team and eventually became a front-facing manager of VIP services. Lady Gaga is just one of Quesada’s many A-list celebrity encounters.

Watch the episode on the LATV+ app for the full exclusive interviews with Joseph Kapsch and Widran Quesada, a Más Que Pride segment featuring writer Kim Guerra, and the hosts thoughts on Texas restricting access to prep.