TCB March 24, 2022 — The BGFT by Triad City Beat

MAR 24-30, 2022 TRIAD-CITY-BEAT.COM

THE BGFT Greensboro’s Big Gay Food Truck is disrupting the status quo BY LUIS H. GARAY | PG. 10

ELECTION 2022 This issue:

Democratic candidates for Guilford County Sheriff PG. 6

LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX PG. 4

FREE ART PG. 13

THE GENIUS OF BOBBY PREVITE PG. 2

UP FRONT | MAR 24 - 30, 2022

Coronavirus in the Triad

(as of Wednesday, March 23 ) Documented COVID-19 diagnoses

NC 2,620,191 (+6,290) Forsyth 91,898 (+122) Guilford 115,979 (+237) COVID-19 deaths NC 23,091 (+86) Forsyth 785 (+2) Guilford 1,149 (+17) Documented recoveries NC 2,579,420 (+1,076) Forsyth *no data* Guilford 111,758 (+492) Current cases NC 17,680 (+5,128) Forsyth *no data* Guilford 879 (-189) Hospitalizations (right now) NC 616 (-183) Forsyth *no data* Guilford 25 (+7) Vaccinations NC Partially vaccinated 6,375,296 (+6,082) Fully vaccinated 6,453,775 (62%, +8,738) Boosted: 3,228,207 (+17,888, 50.0% of vaccinated) Forsyth Partially vaccinated 251,070 (+199) Fully vaccinated 235,701 (62%, +319) Boosted: 114,975 (+647, 48.7% of vaccinated) Guilford Partially vaccinated 346,095 (+241) Fully vaccinated 328,254 (61%, +576) Boosted: 161,349 (+829, 49.1% of vaccinated)

BUSINESS PUBLISHER/EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Brian Clarey brian@triad-city-beat.com

PUBLISHER EMERITUS

Allen Broach allen@triad-city-beat.com

OF COUNSEL

Jonathan Jones

ART ART DIRECTOR

Charlie Marion charlie@triad-city-beat.com

SALES KEY ACCOUNTS

Chris Rudd chris@triad-city-beat.com

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

1451 S. Elm-Eugene St. Box 24, Greensboro, NC 27406 Office: 336.681.0704 EDITORIAL WEBMASTER Sam LeBlanc MANAGING EDITOR Sayaka Matsuoka PHOTOGRAPHY INTERN sayaka@triad-city-beat.com

Stan Sussina

CHIEF CONTRIBUTORS

Michaela Ratliff michaela@triad-city-beat.com James Douglas james@triad-city-beat.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Carolyn de Berry, John Cole, Owens Daniels, Suzy Fielders, Luis H. Garay, Kaitlynn Havens, Jordan Howse, Matt Jones, Autumn Karen, Jen Sorensen, Todd Turner

COVER:

The Big Gay Food Truck is working to elevate the LGBTQ+ community, in and around Greensboro. Design by Charlie Marion.

With Blueprints, Bobby Previte mines his own mind

Stan Sussina

ome crew of North Carolina musicians musithat included Hunter’s frequent cians Flat Iron partner George Sluppick play and this guy he met at the Apple an instrument. Store who makes what sounds like Bobby Previte is digitized, robotic whalesong. an instrument. Here’s how it works: Previte by Brian Clarey Not that he flashes a small slice of sheet music can’t play — he started out on the from his catalog — a favorite line or drums all those years ago in Niagatwo, a particularly effective groove, ra, NY and then in Buffalo. But callan ethereal chord from one of his ing Bobby Previte a mere drummer hundreds of published pieces — up is like calling Louis Armstrong just on the screen. Then he leaves the a horn player, like calling Bitches safety of the podium and walks Brew a song. It may among the musicians, technically be true, activating them, but it’s not telling the Calling Bobby inspiring them, playing whole story. them in the same way Previte a mere a conductor uses the Blueprints is the whole story, Predrummer is like orchestra as an instruvite’s whole story, Except more so. calling Bitches ment. spanning a 50-year Elvis Costello said career of writing, that writing about Brew a song. rehearsing, teaching, music is like “dancing playing, conducting, about architecture,” told in snippets of sheet music and in this way it is impossible to projected on a big screen, with a describe how Previte can orchessmall collection of musicians gathtrate a spontaneous drum battle ered solely for the purpose and the using just his eyes and his hands, magic that happens when he spins the way he can pull an extended them all together using his entire solo from a violinist just by smiling, body as a wand. how he can weave a groove from For his two-night residency at an unspooled cacophony of sound. Revolution Mill this weekend, PreWhy bother even trying, when you vite tapped his friend and collabocan just listen to the music instead. rator Charlie Hunter to assemble a

THURSDAY March 24 Summer Art Camp Registration @ Theatre Art Galleries (HP) Online

Registration is now open for a variety of summer art camps for ages 5-14 hosted by TAG. The young artists will create sculptures, print art and more. Find more information and register at https://tagart.org/summer-camps/. Paranormal Cirque ‘22 Tour @ Winston-Salem Fairgrounds & Annex (W-S) 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY March 25

Jazz Night @ Brewer’s Kettle (HP) 7 p.m.

Laser Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon @ Greensboro Science Center (GSO) 7 p.m. Greensboro Science Center is hosting an electrifying laser light show, choreographed to tracks from Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album. Purchase tickets at shop.greensboroscience.org/. A Doll’s House, Part 2 @ Mountcastle Theatre (W-S) 7:30 p.m. 40+ Stage Company is pleased to announce the production of A Doll’s House, Part 2, by Lucas Hnath, a sequel to Henrik Ibsen’s play, The Doll House in which Nora Helmer escapes a repressive marriage. A Doll’s House, Part 2 follows Helmer 15 years later when she returns to the husband and child she left. Learn more and purchase tickets at intothearts.org.

UP FRONT | MAR 24 - 30, 2022

CITY LIFE MARCH 24-28

by Michaela Ratliff

Enjoy beer, wine or cigars while Public Opinion, joined by Brandon Mitchell performs jazz for your listening pleasure.

SUNDAY March 27 Curiosities at the Curb @ 501 Yanceyville Street (GSO) 12 p.m.

The Jive Aces @ High Point Theatre (HP) 7:30 p.m.

This Greensboro Farmers Curb Market offers attic and barn finds, upcycled artisan wares and other vintage items from indoor and outdoor vendors. Grab some street tacos from Empanadas Grill or ice cream from Homeland Dairy while shopping. Visit gsofarmersmarket.org for more information. Cirque Italia invites you to a horrific yet intriguing paranormal experience featuring high-flying acrobats, illusionists and freaks bringing a surprising combination of fear and amusement. Mature audiences only. Find more information and purchase tickets at paranormalcirque.com. Passing Strange @ UNCSA (W-S) 7:30 p.m.

UK-based swing band the Jive Aces are bringing their talents to High Point for the first time, performing swing classics like “Just a Gigolo” and “That Old Black Magic.” With a guest appearance by barbershop quartet Forecast, this show is sure to be high-energy. Tickets can be purchased at jiveaces.com/tour.

SATURDAY March 26 Make your way to UNCSA for performances of Passing Strange, a Tony-nominated rock musical by singer-songwriter Stew that follows a young bohemian searching for “the real” through sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Learn more and purchase tickets at uncsa.edu.

Substrata: The Spirit of Collage in 76 years of Art @ Reynolda (W-S) 9:30 a.m. Drawing inspiration from cubist collage artists Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque and Juan Gris, this exhibition examines how collage has formed the basis for artworks that are not collages. Visit reynolda.org to learn more and purchase tickets.

MONDAY March 28 Charles Franklin Finch Lecture Series @ High Point University (HP) 4:30 p.m. HPU’s Department of Religion and Philosophy welcomes Joel Kaminsky, Morningstar professor of Jewish studies and professor of religion at Smith College. As part of the Charles Franklin Finch Lecture series, Kaminsky poses the question, “Does God play favorites?” The lecture is free and open to the public and will take place in the Wilson Commerce Ballroom. Visit highpoint.edu/ religion/cff-lecture-series for more information.

Send your events to calendar@triad-city-beat.com for consideration in City Life and the Weekender.

NEWS | MAR 24 - 30, 2022

NEWS

Let’s talk about sex, baby: What sex education looks like in NC public schools by Jordan Howse

Most people experience their first sexual intercourse between 15-19 years old. So most students don’t have a reliable resource for learning more about sex and safety until after they become sexually active.

“I

f you don’t feel comfortable talking about sex, you’re not ready to have sex.” My mom told me this in sixth grade, shortly after an incredibly biologically accurate description of periods and how babies are made. But for students who don’t have a registered nurse as a mom, sex education in public school could be the first and possibly only scholastic conversations about sex that they get. But a deep dive into the curriculum for school districts’ sex education shows a lack of information for many students. Health education is only required until ninth grade in North Carolina, which means that most students will get their last course on sex before they become sexually active. According to a 2017 report by the Demographics and Health Surveys Program, most people have their first sexual intercourse between 15-19 years old. That means that students don’t have a reliable resource for learning more about sex and safety after they start having sex. At the national level, sex education is funded through the Dept. of Health and Human Services, rather than the Dept. of Education. In 2020, DHHS set its strategic plan called Healthy People 2030 which includes the sexual health of adolescents. One of the objectives of the plan is to increase the proportion of adolescents who get formal sex education before they turn 18. Formal sex education includes focuses on delaying sex, using birth control methods and preventing STIs, including HIV/AIDS. This is the minimum instruction under North Carolina law. However, a 2021 study by the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide, found that only half of students in the US are receiving formal sex education that meets the goals set by the strategic plan.

ADOBE STOCK

What does sex education look like in NC?

n North Carolina, the state Board of Education holds most of the power to set standards, objectives and guidelines for sex education, otherwise known as “healthful living.” The standards were last updated in 2016 to include the requirements from 2015 legislation for counselors to discuss sex trafficking. According to the standards, most discussions about puberty begin in 4th grade. Before then, the interpersonal communication and relationships standards focus a lot on bullying. Students get the bulk of their sex education as part of their “healthful living” curriculum between 6th and 9th grade. North Carolina’s healthful living education also includes objectives on mental and emotional health; personal and consumer health; nutrition and physical activity; and alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. The NC Dept. of Public Instruction’s standards use the “abstinence until marriage” model for sex education. It also sets standards for teachers to discuss sexually transmitted infections, bodily autonomy as well as sexual harassment and assault. Students are taught about awareness and the power of the word “No.” Martina Norwood has a daughter in 7th grade at Western Guilford Middle School. She said that she tries her best to answer any questions her daughter has about sex but doesn’t always have the answers. “The questions started pretty early with her,” Norwood said. “I was surprised at how soon I was getting questions [about sex]. “Sometimes it feels like she knows more than I do about gender identity. I have some control over what my kid is exposed to but no control over what other kids are exposed to and what conversations they have with my kid.”

youth, including sex education. “To think that youth are not going to be sexually active, there is just no evidence to support that,” Ruppe said. “Comprehensive and consent-based sex education will help them understand how to have healthy relationships, protect themselves from harm or unwanted pressures. It’s especially important for LGBTQ+ youth because if you only hear things that are from a heterosexual cisgender perspective, you don’t see yourself in that and you might not see how those things apply to you.” Amelia Mattocks, a public health educator and parent of three elementary-age Barriers to comprehensive sex education children, said that her oldest child recently had the fifth grade “human growth lthough there have been some changes to sex education in the last and development” (puberty) education, which only lasted one hour and is highly few decades, there have also been attempts to create barriers to sex gendered. education. In 2019, legislation was introduced to the State House “They use a curriculum that has a girl version and a boy version,” she said. “It and Senate to increase opportunities for parents to object to sex also continues to reinforce a binary of gender and sexuality. I believe that inclusive education, both of which died in committee. Currently, Guilford County Schools sex education would require a complete overhaul of the current curriculum. When and Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools notify guardians of reproductive we have these conversations and treat children as whole people, they are less likely health subject matter and allow them to withdraw their student from the programs to do harm to themselves and more likely to practice safe sex. Comprehensive sex by writing to school principals. education will save these children’s lives.” Additionally, some school districts, such as Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools, Ruppe said the center recently partnered with the Children’s Home Society of partner with community resources for additional information which can include North Carolina’s consent education program to talk to LGBTQ+ students at the crisis pregnancy centers, like Salem Pregnancy Care Center. Crisis pregnancy center. centers often deliver manipulative or false information about abortions and are be“It will help youth in the future if they don’t have any sex trauma into adulthood coming increasingly more federally funded to deliver abstinence-only instruction. that comes from just not knowing,” Ruppe said. The need for comprehensive sex education continues to Guilford Green has also partnered with Planned be seen nationally. Although teen pregnancy has been on Parenthood to fill in some of the gaps of public-school the decline, 15-24 year olds account for more than half of We live in a society where sex education for LGBTQ+ youth. North Star LGBTQ all new STIs, despite being about a quarter of the sexually Center in Winston-Salem has also partnered with Planned active population. Young people under the age of 25 sex sells everything, but Parenthood on sex education. accounted for 21 percent of new HIV infections in 2018, somehow we’re too afraid “I think a lot of parents probably don’t know what their with rates increasing among Black and Latino young men to have open conversations kids are being taught in school, particularly in this time who have sex with men, according to the CDC. of political discord,” said North Star vice board chair Other than lowering the rates of unwanted teen pregaround it. Deb Marke. “If schools aren’t teaching abstinence-only, nancy and the transmission of STIs, comprehensive sex Deb Marke then it’s a safe bet that they are only teaching heterosexeducation has the ability to save lives, particularly of those ual, cisnormative sex. It’s really crucial that people have who identify as LGBTQ+. The Trevor Project reports evidence-based and actual awareness instead of leaning into fears.” that LGBTQ+ youth are 23 percent less likely to attempt suicide when schools Marke said North Star is also looking into starting programs for parents of include education on LGBTQ+ subjects or people, even though only 11 states (and LGBTQ+ youth to keep the lines of communication open between the parent and Washington, D.C.) require sex education that includes LGBTQ+ identities. the child and be a resource for both. The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, or SIE“There so many families who wish they had the tools to talk about some of these CUS, an advocacy group for comprehensive sex education, noted in their state prothings with their kids but they may not feel like they have the language to be able files that North Carolina does a good job with medically accurate, evidence-based to,” said Marke. “We live in a society where sex sells everything, but somehow sex education, but there is more to be done to make it more inclusive and culturally we’re too afraid to have open conversations around it.” appropriate. Norwood said she hopes her daughter will keep coming to her with the questions that she has as she heads into her teenage years and hopes to be able to teach her How LGBTQ+ students are left out of sex education daughter what she thinks is important to know. fforts such as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, officially called Parental Something Norwood was pleased to see as part of Guilford County’s sex educaRights in Education bill, which passed the state Senate in Florida tion was the discussion about healthy and unhealthy relationships. In addition to as well as the Texas governor’s decision to order investigations of bodily autonomy, Norwood said that her daughter learned this year about how to parents who allow their children to undergo gender-affirmation identify relationships that could be harmful. surgery, have drastically impacted LGBTQ+ youth across the nation. Additionally, “I think she really got good information out of that this year,” she said. “[Stulawmakers in Iowa and South Dakota have barred trans girls and women from dents] see so many relationships on TV or TikTok and sometimes don’t really have competing on same-gender sports teams. In addition to legislation that infringes on a gauge of right and wrong in relationships so I’m really glad they talk about that the rights of LGBTQ+ youth, non-inclusive sex education is just another way that now in sex ed.” trans youth feel ostracized. Norwood said that’s where she comes in for her daughter. Jennifer Ruppe, executive director of Guilford Green LGBTQ Center in “I think a lot of that is up to me,” she said. “Parents shouldn’t expect schools to Greensboro, said LGBTQ+ youth have been the most active at the center since teach their kid every single thing, especially about sex. There are so many different the pandemic because they’ve been heavily isolated by being away from school and layers to that and I don’t think it’s realistic to expect the school to go over every bit their communities. Through weekly activities and a wealth of resources, Guilford of it.” Green attempts to build that community and address the needs of LGBTQ+

NEWS | MAR 24 - 30, 2022

NEWS

Norwood said she was surprised but pleased at the education her daughter got about consent and sexual harassment. “When I was in school, they’d split the girls and the guys up to have the conversation about sexual harassment,” she said. “I never knew what they told the guys, but it seemed to be all on the girls to keep from being harassed or assaulted, never the guy. For my daughter, they didn’t split them up which I thought was good. Consent is for everybody.”

NEWS | MAR 24 - 30, 2022

Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers faces two challengers in Democratic primary

NEWS

by Sayaka Matsuoka

n May 17, incumbent Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers will face off against two contenders in the Democratic primary in an effort to keep his seat. While there are several Republican candidates for Guilford County Sheriff, only three have filed on the Democratic side. Besides Rogers, who was first elected in 2018, candidates include Theron “TJ” Phipps and Juan Monjaras, both of whom have decades of their own law enforcement experience. To cover the race, Triad City Beat sent out questionnaires to the three candidates about their work experience, their thoughts on police reform, deaths in the jails and racial inequities in policing.

Danny Rogers

Guilford’s first Black sheriff

anny Rogers was first elected as Guilford County sheriff in 2018, unseating six-term incumbent Republican BJ Barnes to become the first Black sheriff of the county. Rogers was part of a wave of seven Black sheriffs who were elected that year in North Carolina, including Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough in Forsyth County, another Democrat. Kimbrough will not face a primary challenge in May but will have a Sheriff Danny Rogers has been in office since 2018 when he beat Republican BJ Barnes, who had held the seat for six terms. Rogers was part of a GOP challenger come November. wave of Black sheriffs who were elected that year in North Carolina. Prior to becoming sheriff, Rogers worked in the Guilford County Detention Center from 1985-87 and as a High In response to the questionnaire, Rogers said that the biggest issues currently Point police officer from 1987-90. He also worked in the Guilford County Sheriff’s facing Guilford County are the lack of engagement between law enforcement Office from 1990-93 and then had more than a 20-year-gap before being elected and community members to help solve crimes as well as a lack of adequate pay FILE PHOTO to sheriff in 2018. for employees. He expressed an interest in providing “resources to strengthen the Shortly after taking office, Rogers faced pushback from Republicans for termirelationship between law enforcement and community,” but did not provide details nating more than a dozen employees, saying it was common for new administraon a specific plan. tions to create new teams of staff. In 2019, Rogers faced renewed controversy, this When asked about the number of fatalities in the Guilford County jails, includtime from immigrant activists about the office’s cooperation with Immigrations ing the deaths of Tasha Thomas and Anna Chris Dominquez, Rogers appeared to and Customs Enforcement. A few months later, in July, Rogers signed an agreeplace blame on the “major mental-health issues” of those who come through the ment with FaithAction International to recognize the use of the group’s ID cards jails. by undocumented immigrants. “The breakdown in our system with the mental-health side continues to strain In 2020, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, under Rogers’ leadership, halted our county medical and catastrophic budget to the maximum,” he said. “Failure to all eviction orders temporarily in the midst of the pandemic. address this issue will continue to put a strain on detention services all around the

NEWS | MAR 24 - 30, 2022

NEWS

Juan Monjaras, left, has close to a decade of experience working within the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office. If elected, he said he would focus on immigrant issues and working to become the “people’s sheriff.” Therron Phipps, right, ran against Rogers during the 2018 Democratic primary and lost by about 15 percentage points. This time around, he said he is confident his decades of experience can help him win.

country.” Currently, the Greensboro Police Department employs a co-response model of policing in which a mental-health professional may accompany a police officer on some calls. However, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office does not have a program like that in place at present. When it comes to the issue of police reform and racial disparities in policing, Rogers said he thought it was a “positive step for law enforcement and the community as a whole.” He pointed to the agency’s efforts of “accountability,” as well as an increase in their training budget to provide specialized training. However, previous reporting by TCB showed that as of July 2021, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office had fallen behind some of its counterparts when it comes to reforming policies on use of force. When it came to the “8 Can’t Wait” policies pushed by activists nationally in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office had not implemented six of the eight policies including requiring verbal warnings before shooting, exhausting all alternatives before shooting, banning shooting at moving vehicles, implementing a use-of-force continuum and requiring comprehensive use-of-force reporting. When asked about specific practices or policies he would support to address police reform, Rogers failed to respond. Instead, he talked about a broader outlook on the issue, stating that his office was “committed to breaking down barriers of culture and race by engaging with every community within Guilford County by communicating and learning how to understand their point of view.” He also said that leadership and training plays “a major part in racial disparities.”

Juan Monjaras

Wants to be the “people’s sheriff”

uan Monjaras makes the case that because of his decade of work within the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, that he’s the best candidate to lead the office. According to Monjaras, he worked for more than nine years with the GCSO and a little more than a year with the Greensboro Police Department. During his time with GCSO, he worked as part of the civil-disturbance unit and was on the ground during the 2020 summer protests. That experience shaped his outlook on the future of policing more than anything, Monjaras said. “I took away valuable information from the people that were protesting several killings by police,” he said. “I got the opportunity to talk to people and learn about their concerns.” If a deputy uses deadly force on the job, Monjaras said he would immediately issue a press conference “as soon as all facts are known. This will be done to show transparency and accountability.” As a Hispanic man, Monjaras said that he understands the frustrations of those protesting because he has been discriminated in the past because of his ethnicity. Still, he said that defunding the police, isn’t the answer. Instead, he pointed towards the implementation of a crisis-intervention team, where a crisis counselor would ride with a sheriff’s deputy on all mental health calls. He also stated that he would hire a diversity, equity and inclusion manager for the department. “Diversity is a strength, not a threat,” Monjaras said. Another one of Monjaras’ focuses is his consideration of the Hispanic population and their interactions with police.

NEWS | MAR 24 - 30, 2022

NEWS

“Currently, the Hispanic population and other large groups of minorities living and a graduate of the FBI’s National Academy. in our county is growing,” he said. “As sheriff, I will make sure my team will have As one of his main concerns, Phipps noted the “distrust of law enforcement, people that can communicate regardless of what language you speak.” particularly in communities of color.” In 2020, in reaction to the murder of Monjaras also said he would work to “shine light on the George Floyd, Phipps, along with many others in the common misconceptions regarding Immigration and Customs Greensboro community, signed a petition that urged state Enforcement, law enforcement and undocumented individulegislators to change NC’s police recordings law. The petition In general, I believe als,” because “many immigrants are fearful of admitting they called for police body-camera footage to be made available body-worn camera have been a victim of a crime because they believe they will be to the public, as much as possible. When asked about his footage should be more removed from the United States.” support of the petition, Phipps said he signed on because the easily accessible to “I don’t agree when families and their kids are being terrorprocess “has more room for improvement.” ized by ICE in the middle of the night due to being charged “In general, I believe body-worn camera footage should the public, and when it be more easily accessible to the public, and when it cannot, a with not having a driver’s license,” he said. cannot, a reason given reason given as to why,” he said. When it comes to deaths in the jails, Monjaras said the as to why. Additionally, Phipps said he would work to create a diversibiggest issue is that the jails are under-resourced and underTherron “TJ” Phipps fied workforce reflective of the community, provide implicit regulated. and explicit bias training as well as establish accountability “The jails have become a place where disadvantaged people are sent to languish,” he said. of personnel to address racial disparities in policing. To combat this, he said his office would ensure the jails are up to federal stanOne specific program he said he supports is the co-response policing model currently employed by the GPD in which calls involving people in the midst of a dards including on safety, supervision of inmates, rules and discipline, security and mental health crisis would be redirected to a separate team. control, health care services, hygiene and sanitation and food services. “Ultimately, these and any other initiatives considered by the sheriff’s office In addition to the condition of the jails, Monjaras said he is most concerned about the rise in homicides, home invasions, carjackings and gang issues. should be evidence-based, prevention-focused and problem-solving oriented,” “I believe I’m the best candidate to fill the role for Guilford County sheriff bePhipps said. cause I don’t cater to one specific race or gender,” Monjaras said. “I am campaignWhen it comes to deaths in the jails, Phipps said that under the current leading on being ‘the people’s sheriff.’” ership, there have been “[delays] in notification to the public and lack of clarity surrounding the circumstances.” To remedy this, he advocated for all questionable deaths to be investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation “parallel to, but Therron “TJ” Phipps separate from the internal investigation within the agency. An after-action review 28 years of law enforcement experience and report including recommended changes to policies, procedures and protocols unning for Guilford County Sheriff is not a new endeavor for Thershould also be required to prevent deaths from occurring where possible.” ron “TJ” Phipps. In 2018, Phipps ran against current Sheriff Danny To solve these problems, including the issue of recruitment and retention, Phipps Rogers in the Democratic primary, losing by about 15 percentage said an experienced person is necessary to lead the department. points. This time around, Phipps is touting his close to three decades “I have a far more extensive background as a career law enforcement professionof experience to unseat his former rival. al which includes some of the highest levels of leadership and executive training “I am the best candidate because I am a career law enforcement professional, offered within the profession,” Phipps said. “These are just a few things that distinformer infantry commander in the US Army Reserve and dedicated public serguish me from the incumbent and highlight a foundation of character, competence vant,” Phipps said. and care for the community.” In terms of experience, Phipps has the most of the three candidates when it comes to working in law enforcement. He is a retired Greensboro Police captain Send news tips to sayaka@triad-city-beat.com.

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A North Carolina election lawsuit primer

Jen Sorensen jensorensen.com

e’ve been chroniits quest to pass illegal laws, cut cling the misdeeds illegal voting districts and isolate of the North Carothe legislature from the system of lina Legislature in checks and balances upon which this space and the lawsuits that this nation rests. inevitably follow since the United This is not the way it’s supposed States Supreme Court declined to to work. ratify the “marriage amendment” There’s this case and the federal in 2014. That’s the constitutional voter ID case, then there are two amendment that defined marriage voter ID cases pending before the in North Carolina as between one state Supreme Court. The illegal man and one woman only. And it gerrymandering case has already has since been relegated to histobeen resolved by the state Sury’s dustbin. preme Court, though Another concept NC GOP leadership from that same era, has already said though, survived: they’ll challenge This is not the Voter ID, which was way it’s supposed these districts again crippled by civil suits before the next to work. back in 2014, passed cycle. a voter referendum And we are still to become a constiwaiting for resolututional amendment tion in the Leandro in 2018. And now it languishes case, which was decided in 1997 in a federal court while another — 25 years ago — that state Rematter works its way through publicans are still thwarting with SCOTUS, namely, who gets to bullshit and legal actions. That argue the state’s case in defense one decreed that the state budget of voter ID. NC Senate Majority was unconstitutionally underfundLeader Phil Berger, who brought ing the public education system. the suit, basically says that state It’s still happening. Attorney General Josh Stein won’t This is how you stand athwart do a good job. It seems like a the moving pages of history, comhuge waste of time, which may be pelling things to stop. We can’t the point. It will delay the federal move forward when everything is hearing, which has been a tactic tied up in the courts. the NC GOP has been using in

OPINION | MAR 24 - 30, 2022

EDITORIAL

OPINION

John Cole Courtesy of NC Policy Watch

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

To think that youth are not going to be sexually active, there is just no evidence to support that. Jennifer Ruppe | PG 4

CULTURE | MAR 24 - 30, 2022

Greensboro’s Big Gay Food Truck is challenging the status quo by Luis H. Garay

Drew Wofford is the owner and operator of the Big Gay Food Truck and also the founder of Chemistry Nightclub, an LGBTQ+ club in Greensboro. STAN SUSSINA

arked next to Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro is a really big, gay food truck. Cleverly named as such, the Big Gay Food Truck could easily be missed during the day driving down Spring Garden Street because of its sparse decoration and lack of signage. But i owner hopes to use the business to elevate the LGBTQ+ community in the area. “We want to challenge the status quo,” owner Drew Wofford says. “We want to put our community more in the spotlight.” Wofford is the owner of Chemistry Nightclub, a LGBTQ+ club where the food truck is parked seven days a week. He’s been running the business for more than a decade, starting Greensboro Drag Brunch with his best friend Anjelica Dust four years ago. The event was first hosted at Sushi Sappa, now closed, next to Bites and Pints, and then finally PorterHouse Burger Company. Eventually, Wofford and Dust brought the drag brunch back to Chemistry Nightclub with the PorterHouse Burger Company providing food via one of its food trucks. Wofford quickly saw the benefit of making food in-hous. Not long afterwards, he bought a simple red truck and added his own embellishments. The truck’s ordering window displays a flashy green menu with the words “Big Gay Food Truck” in pink, glittery letters. A drawing of the business above the letters depicts a blonde, curly-haired woman perched inside a stiletto heel with hands open, welcoming newcomers. A sparkling rainbow illuminates the woman from behind. In September, the Big Gay Food Truck received its health permit to sell to the public. A month later, they had their first order via DoorDash. The business functions both as a delivery kitchen and as a food truck. Customers are able to order via food delivery apps like DoorDash and can also order order online for pick up or just walk up to the window.

Menu items include bites like Alyssa’s Veggie Egg Rolls, Ivy’s Fry Basket, Tiki’s Tacos, Justin’s Dogs and more substantial eats like Angie’s Famous Cheeseburger. Many of the food items are named after people Wofford wants to memorialize. “They are all named after different drag queens and different employees,” Wofford explains. “They have been a staple in the community, a staple at this bar.” After nearly 11 years running Chemistry, Wofford says he wanted to acknowledge the positive impact these people have had on his life and how crucial they are to the success of both Big Gay Food Truck and Chemistry Nightclub. “We have named the food after them to give homage to them,” Wofford says. A particular standout is the Chicago Dog, a difficult item to satisfy the taste buds of any Chicago hot dog aficionado, myself included. The order comes with two all-beef hot dogs each housed in poppy seed bun topped with mustard, relish, white onion, sport pepper, tomato wedges and a dill pickle. Celery salt is cleverly sprinkled, bringing the dish together, while a side of fries gently hugs the two dogs. Two items make a Chicago hot dog for me — no ketchup and the addition of spicy, tangy sport peppers. Big Gay Food Truck knows the deal. The reach of the food truck is far and wide, according to data collected by Wofford through the delivery apps. He knows food is delivered to rural locations beyond the city limits of Greensboro. This is powerful as it provides a sense of the scope of the LGBTQ+ community beyond the cultural center. According to a 2019 report from the Williams Institute, one in three

CULTURE

Learn more about the Big Gay Food Truck by liking their Facebook Page or following them on Instagram.

CULTURE | MAR 24 - 30, 2022

LGBTQ+ adults in the United States lives in the South. The report estimates there are 3.6 million LGBTQ+ adults, including 525,000 transgender adults, who call the South home . And as someone who has spent much of his life creating a safe, welcoming environment for others in his community, Wofford says that using the food truck to continue his mission is the next step. “Moving forward now that we have this concept, I want to work with other gay bars that are struggling to bring in some extra revenue, help them open earlier,” Wofford says. He currently rents the little, yellow house next to the Big Gay Food Truck. Though primarily used for storage currently, Wofford says he’d like to make it into a restaurant or another bar in the coming years. Prior to the pandemic, Wofford hoped it would be a speakeasy. Short-term, he plans to get the truck wrapped so people driving by know that it’s there and to provide additional seating and patio furniture. And despite its name, Wofford wants people to know that the truck exists for everyone. “You’re helping the LGBT community,” he says. “You’re challenging the status quo and going against the stigma we fight every day.” Plus, who doesn’t love a good burger? “We’ve got some pretty bomb-ass food,” he says.

STAN SUSSINA

Many of the food items are named after people Wofford wants to memorialize including drag queens and employees.

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NOW LEASING THE STEELHOUSE CENTER FOR URBAN MANUFACTURING AND INNOVATION

1451 S Elm Eugene Street #BusinessisBuiltHere

Winston-Salem artist Elese Élysées wants you to have her pieces — for free by James Douglas

Élysées goes to downtown Winston-Salem every Friday to leave her pieces in locations where the unassuming wanderer can encounter her work and adopt it if they wish.

arly evenings, as the streetlights pop on down Trade and Liberty Streets, you can make your way through the Art Park in downtown Winston-Salem, past the Millennium Center and down 5th Street in a vague easterly direction that opens into the brightly lit bustle of Innovation Quarter. You can mosey around Krankies and Fair Witness, eventually making your way up 4th and circling back around. And during these sojourns, especially on Fridays, you might find a brightly decorated print the size of a postcard taped to the back of a street sign, propped on a window ledge or left on a bar patio. There’s no angle, nothing being sold. A note encourages the finder to abscond with it — “Free Art.” Elese Élysées and her partner come downtown each Friday to socialize and leave her pieces in locations where the unassuming wanderer can encounter her work and adopt it if they wish. Élysées moved here in August of 2021 after living in Athens, GA, for several years. “The arts scene just seemed dormant,” she says. “I understand most of that was due to COVID, but I wanted to contribute.”

Moving anywhere, especially during the height of the pandemic is daunting. So, Élysées did what any entrepreneurial artist would do — adapt to show their work without a vector. “The free art drops allowed me to get my art out there when many people were hesitant to go out,” she says. “Anyone, even if they weren’t the type of person that would typically seek out art to buy, could stumble onto a surprise piece of art to take home.” The “Free Art Movement” isn’t the brainchild of Élysées, but like many artists around the globe, she’s an acolyte. A chapter in Atlanta has existed since at least 2010, and similar movements can be found across the country. These scavenger hunts prove popular in the various cities they’re introduced in. Small, pocket-sized pieces of take-home art are a way for local artists to distribute work in an Easter egg fashion and gain fans that otherwise wouldn’t encounter it. Winston-Salem is not new to this form of small art either. There were times when small pieces of free art were distributed by local artists and a stroll through downtown will reveal a multitude of large murals and displays. In fact, it can claim to be a pioneer. Clark Whittington’s “Art-O-Mat,” the refurbished cigarette-nowturned-art vending machines allow artists to put their art in a wooden box the size of a cigarette pack to sell. Art-O-Mat machines can now be found as far away as Australia. It’s about bringing art to the people. Élysées pieces showcase a variety of styles and mediums. One week’s free art could contain a series of old video game cartridges with brightly colored paint splattered into a kaleidoscope of shapes and whorls. Another might display a collection of grainy photographs of flowers, arranged as a layered collage surrounded by a framed background of pastels. One particular style that Élysées uses is a double or triple exposed series of photographs that catch multiple angles of a place or theme. The whimsical nature of her work is varied yet remains solely hers, as with most artists. All are small enough to leave in inconspicuous places on a Friday night. Asked about her process, Élysées explains that it’s a way to practice her work before moving onto bigger pieces. “It starts when I have new medium to try out or a new idea I’d like to explore,” she says. “I create small pieces knowing I’ll give them away as a way to practice and refine ideas. Each Friday, I select two to five pieces and package them with a tag that explains it’s a Free Art Friday drop.” It’s an easy way to promote her work on the fly, she says. “I take a picture of the drop and share it on my Instagram in case friends and followers want to search for them, but mainly they are found by people who just stumble onto them,” she says. And in the city of “Arts and Innovation,” it’s a welcome return to the motto bestowed upon Winston-Salem.

CULTURE | MAR 24 - 30, 2022

CULTURE

Elese Élysées’ work can be found in various public spots in downtown Winston-Salem on most Friday nights. Follow her on Instagram at @elese.elysees for more info.

February 5–May 8, 2022 The exhibition is organized by Aperture Foundation, New York and Kwame S. Brathwaite. The exhibition Black Is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite and the accompanying Aperture publication are made possible, in part, with generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Photographic Arts Council Los Angeles.

Major Sponsors

The Cathleen and Ray McKinney Exhibition Fund

PLAN YOUR VISIT

reynolda.org/beautiful Reynolda House Museum of American Art 2250 Reynolda Rd. Winston-Salem, N.C. Kwame Brathwaite, Carolee Prince wearing her own jewelry designs. Prince created much of the jewelry and headpieces featured in Brathwaite’s work. African Jazz-Art Society & Studios (AJASS), Harlem, circa 1964; from Kwame Brathwaite: Black Is Beautiful (Aperture, 2019). Courtesy the artist and Philip Martin Gallery, Los Angeles.

BY CAROLYN DE BERRY

Brookhaven Mill Road, Greensboro

SHOT IN THE TRIAD | MAR 24 - 30, 2022

SHOT IN THE TRIAD

Tom Pyne, of TGP Forage and Livestock, shears a sheep at Brookhaven Mill Farm on Spring Sheep Shearing Day.

PUZZLES | MAR 24 - 30, 2022

CROSSWORD

‘OK Computer’ — each has an integral component. by Matt Jones

Across 1. When quadrupled, a Crash Test Dummies hit 4. “Dog Day Afternoon” chant 10. Crypto art initials 13. 2010 health law, for short 14. Umpire’s error 16. Gp. with auditors 17. Paste that can be used in breads and meat dishes 19. ___ au vin 20. “The Usual Gang of ___” (Mad Magazine group) 21. Screen that may loop until you start the movie 23. Heat, in Honduras 24. “Night” essayist Wiesel 26. It is, to Iglesias 27. Entity that manages composers’ intellectual property 30. Prepare a slingshot 31. River painted by van Gogh 32. It’s south of Leb. 35. 1998 Matthew Lillard film set in Utah 38. 6-pointers, briefly 39. Complete beginners, slangily 41. It may offer couples packages 42. Pressure-driven apparatuses 49. Last half of a ball game? 50. Alley group 51. “Fiddlesticks!” 53. One of Paul Revere’s signals 55. Possible choice 56. “Addams Family” cousin 57. Nurikabe, Masyu, or sudoku 60. Advanced degree in math? 61. More racy, as humor 62. Snakelike fish 63. Garage opener? 64. Decorated again 65. Source of the skit “Word Crunch,” where players find inappropriate words in a word search

Down

1. Specialty of the late Amazing Johnathan 2. Engineer for whom a type of paving is named 3. Henner of “Evening Shade” and “Taxi” 4. “Roll to Me” group Del ___ 5. Eyelid twitches, e.g. 6. Cough syrup amt. 7. “ER” setting 8. “Bodak Yellow” rapper 9. Sussex secondary school exam 10. Compliment from a tennis opponent 11. User interface 12. Drafting tools 15. Was winning

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS:

18. “Happy Birthday” playwright Anita 22. Blend together 24. “Lawrence of Arabia,” for one 25. Groups indiscriminately 28. Hall-of-Famer Ripken 29. Tick off 32. Getting some air 33. Vegan coffee shop order 34. Nicholas Sparks’s “Nights in ___” 35. 9-digit no. issuer 36. Bars in supermarkets 37. Time out 40. Telly watcher 43. Commotion 44. Van ___ Mungo (‘30s-’40s baseball player with a novelty song named for him) 45. Tarnished 46. Chrissy of “This Is Us” 47. Game show giveaways 48. Taken dishonestly 52. Tackle box line 54. Links star Ernie 55. Receptive 58. “___ be an honor!” 59. 1955 merger with the AFL

SUDOKU

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS: