Diversity Rules Magazine

4 Diversity Rules Magazine August 2017 Dina Delicious is an NYC- based transgender nightlife personality and recording art- ist and actress. She grew up in a single parent home in Ben- sonhurst Brooklyn with her mom and brother. Her earliest music memory is of her mom dancing around the house while listening to Donna Summer. She recalls being fascinated by how music could stir all kinds of emotions. Dance music became an escape from the neighborhood bullies for young Dina. en, as a teen, she attended Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts which led to Dina discovering a downtown nightlife that offered her an even larger sense of freedom. She underwent dozens of sur- geries to become the buxom art form she is today, and alongside Amanda Lepore and Bianca Del Rio, whom Dina counts among her closest friends, she became a staple in the velvet rope scene. As a trans artist, she is waging a fierce battle across many different fronts: the fight for proper health- care, housing discrimination, education, and "the right to go to the damn bathroom." Her wish is that everyone in the LGBTQ commu- nity would come together. JRK: Before we start the interview, can you tell readers a bit about yourself, where you came from and all that good background stuff? DD: My name is Dina Delicious AKA Dina Marie Born Raised in Bensonhurst Brooklyn NY. Actor, Sing- er, Songwriter working my way through the world I consider myself a voice for many in the LGBTQ community I advocate for Youth and trans rights as well as the LGBTQ community at large I graduated NYC High School for the Performing Arts (Fame School) and currently studying intensive eater and Film in a prestigious Conservatory some- thing I'm very proud of I'm a very proud New Yorker and grateful for all it has given me, I'm fun wild and unpredictable and fun JRK: You have released a new single entitled, "Re- verse e Beat." Can you tell us about that and what motivated you to do the song? DD: "Reverse e Beat " is about embracing and real- izing your own power that is within you, never giving up, taking what may not be going the way may want and changing it !!! It's really at its heart a call to action that we can and will and we are strong even in our darkest moments we should never give in Reverse e Beat Lets Make them Freak !!! e Song was motivated during a very difficult lonely and depressing time for me, I write from my heart and I saw myself going in a sad direction musically and I said nope I need to "Reverse e Beat " and went on to write something happy even through a dark time I wanted to bring light to my heart and change my own feelings I embraced my power and wrote for all that may feel beat up by the world bullied on the edge questioning their existence, that it's just the beginning, live your life day and night. Reversing The Beat A Conversation With Dina Delicious by Jim Koury, Editor/Publisher

• Cover