“Excellence is to be 52 and not ashamed by the choices I made. Excellence is being wary of money, because all the rich people I know are really fucked up. Excellence is saying what you want to say in a world in which you become a pariah if you dare to say what you think. Excellence is being able to die when you want, how you want. It’s finding a way to go through life without going to the shrink.” —Didier Lestrade

Um, ahem (clearing throat). Doctor, we couldn’t agree more, really, with Didier Lestrade, founder of Magazine, the legendary, still-influential-today, queer cult ‘zine from the ’80s, and the man who launched ACT-UP, Paris as well as TÊTU, France’s number one gay publication. We have a previously professed fondness for remembrances of great things past here at The Excellent People world headquarters, and Lestrade, along with Magazine, were but two of the French delights that astounded us with Outstanding Excellency during our all-too-brief coming-of-age period in Europe, oh so many years ago. At the time, we were big fans (still are) and readers of Magazine. Feeling nostalgic, we decided to catch up with Didier Lestrade. Now let’s focus on his long overdue close-up. To read the full interview, please click HERE.