David Atlanta Issue #22

11.7.12 #22

Lynn Barfield STRAIGHT ALLY, DIVA, AND FIERCE FIGHTER OF EQUALITY

RYAN WATKINS’ Passion for LGBT Atlanta

Ben Cohen’s

STAND UP MAGAZINE

ARRIVES IN ATLANTA

m o r f e t o r o N t i A the Ed 11.7.12 Issue #22

STAFF MANAGEMENT David Thompson Publisher | david@davidatanta.com Maximillian Corwell Editor-in-Chief max@davidatanta.com Joe Ragsdale Art Director ragsdale@davidatanta.com Bob Gunby Sales Director | bob@davidatanta.com

EDITORIAL Joseph Brownell Lead Editor/Social Media Coordinator joseph@davidatanta.com Elijah Sarkesian Rian Ashlei Chris Azzopardi Corian Ellisor Van Gower Clayton Morey Sam Gabel Richard Marshall Dustin Shelby Brent Star Lucas Witherspoon

PRODUCTION Elijah Sarkesian Lead Writer/Assistant Art Director elijah@davidatlanta.com

SALES Chip O’ Kelley chip@davidatanta.com Steve Tyrrell steve@davidatanta.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Laurie Edward Photography Director Rory Evans Photographer

TECH SUPPORT Jamie Scarbrough Technical Support

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Saying Goodbye

A

s some of you have already heard, I have decided to step down from my position as Editor-in-Chief, and sell my ownership of David Atlanta Magazine. It has been an amazing journey, and the privilege of getting to work with the LGBT community in such a personal way has been one of the most rewarding parts of my life, thus far.

I will be staying on board with the magazine until the end of 2012, at which point I will be transitioning into real estate full time. For those of you who know me, real estate has always been a strong passion of mine, and I look forward to embracing it as I make a real career out of it.

When I took over David Atlanta, there was a lot of work to get done. We needed to revamp everything from the ground up. New writers, new content, new look and feel, and a brand new direction. It was always my goal to re-brand the magazine to make it more then just a nightlife magazine. My team has successfully delivered a book that mirrors what I had envisioned from Day 1 – a strong focus on community and local events while delivering exclusive celebrity interviews and outstanding editorial content each and every week.

Thank you to all the readers who stay tuned and believed in the magazine, and me, and I look forward to delivering you some great issues through the end of the year.

Maximillian C orwell Have questions/comments? Email Maximillian at max@davidatlanta.com.

The content of this Publication is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice. The opinions expressed by any writer, advertiser, or other person appearing in the Magazine are not necessarily those of the Publication, its management or staff. The information and materials appearing in the Magazine are not guaranteed or warranted as to accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness, or suitability of the information and materials found or offered for a particular purpose. It shall be your responsibility to ensure that any products, services, or information available through this Publication meets your specific requirements. The Publication is not responsible for claims made by advertisers, content of information, changes, events, and schedules. The Magazine contains information and material which is owned by or licensed to the Publication, including but not limited to articles, advertisement, design, layout, graphics, and logos. No part or portion of this Publication may be reproduced in any way without the prior written consent of the Publisher. Unauthorized use of this Publication may give rise to claims for damages and or criminal offenses. Your use of the information or materials in the Publication is strictly at your own risk.

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TOC

11.7.12 Issue #22

Cover > Lynn Barfield Ryan Watkins Ben Cohen

18 26 29

18

Feature > Deep Inside Hollywood Lost-n-Found Review: Ammazza Sisters Stretch Mike Woodside

14 40 46 52 54

29

Seen @ > Blake’s 10 Felix’s / Swinging Richards 30 Burkhart’s 38 Amsterdam / Oscar’s 48 Jungle 60

52

The Rest > WTF!?!? Tidbits 16 BarTab 34 Protect Your Monster / Top 10 42 Comics 51 Fairyscopes 58 Classifieds 59 Bitch, Please!

62

54

26

COVER: PHOTOGRAPHER Laurie Edward Photography MODELS Lynn Barfield 8 // davidatlanta.com

12

I am a boyfriend, a volunteer, and an artist.

And I am living with HIV. TM

Christopher (left) has lived with HIV since 2011.

Get the facts. Get tested. Get involved. www.cdc.gov/ActAgainstAIDS

10 // davidatlanta.com

@DavidAtlantaGA // 11

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By Romeo San Vicente Jodie Foster to direct Money Monster Jodie Foster’s next turn behind the camera – her fourth as director – is called Money Monster and it already sounds tailor-made to star the Oscar-winner herself. The story involves a financial advice-giving TV personphoto: S. Bukley/ ality who, after delivering Shutterstock.com a series of bad tips, is taken hostage live on the air by a man who lost all his money following the advisor’s lead. In turn, the lifeor-death kidnapping becomes a Network-style ratings sensation. Casting is underway (nobody confirmed just yet) and production is set to begin in 2013. But let’s talk fantasy rosters for a minute. Wouldn’t it be cool if this lead character were a Suze Orman-gonebad? And wouldn’t it be amazing if Foster played her?

With Michelle Rodriguez as the hostage-taker? And Lily Tomlin the negoitator? And Latifah the worried spouse? And Amber Heard and Heather Matarazzo and Kate Moennig part of the SWAT team? Casting department, please make this early Christmas wish a reality.

You’re Hollywood, after all; dreams are your business.

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Like Tyra, only not Celebrities: you like them so much you’ll even watch sitcoms based on their lives. Or at least that’s what TV executives are banking future shows on. Tyra Banks, celebrity fashion stylist Rachel Zoe, songwriter Diane Warren and Modern Family’s Ty Burrell are all involved in sitcom pilots about themselves, with plots based on incidents from their own lives. Obviously, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the main characters in these show are named Tyra, Rachel, Diane and Ty, but the idea is to create laughs and future syndication deals from the lives of really successful people, brands the public knows and follows. And, of course, none of this is unheard of. NBC, after all, scored prestige points, if not ratings, with seven seasons of 30 Rock, loosely based on Tina Fey’s years as head writer of Saturday Night Live. So there you go: hope. Wait. What’s that? What about the disastrous 2001 sitcom Emeril, you ask? Well… sometimes… look, let’s agree to pretend that one never happened.

Araki’s White Bird set to fly The resolutely independent, often iconoclastic queer filmmaker Gregg Araki is getting his next project together and it’s called White Bird. And in what is now part of the director’s working model, he’s hiring a cast of young, pretty up-andcomers to work through his script. The story is about a young woman (Shailene Woodley) whose life careens out of control after the disappearance of her mother (Eva Green).

Woodley is well known from Secret Life of The American Teenager and The Descendants (for which, it should be remembered, she was the recipient of the 2012 Cannes Film Festival Chopard “Female Revelation” Trophy). Her male co-star, meanwhile, is the soon-to-be-everywhereat-once Shiloh Fernandez. Not a household name yet by any means, Fernandez was last seen in the box-office bomb Red Riding Hood, but White Bird and five other films – including The East with Ellen Page and Alexander Skarsgard, as well as 2013’s Evil Dead remake – ought to go a long way toward raising his Hollywood profile. Keep your arthouse eyes peeled for this one sometime next year.

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Gay Dude, director Chris Nelson’s first feature, is complete though not yet released. But he’s already at work on his next film, titled Ass Backwards, written by the Bride Wars team of Casey Wilson and fellow writer-actor June Diane Raphael. A female buddy road-trip comedy starring Wilson and Raphael as best friends on a quest to win a pageant they always lost as children, it features Alicia Silverstone, Vincent D’Onofrio and Jon Cryer, as well as a cast of supporting lesbians (part of the action involves the women stopping at an all-female commune where singer/comic Lea DeLaria performs something akin to a striptease).

And if none of this news means anything to you because you’re not yet aware of Wilson’s comic chops, then while you’re waiting for the film to hit theaters you can watch her nearly-insane behavior weekly on Happy Endings as the manic best friend of network television’s most slovenly homosexual character, Max (played by Adam Pally). And you should; it’s the Friends where everybody talks really fast.

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I’m think of namin’ her.” This is a man with $12,000 to blow on a puppy who can’t form a coherent sentence.

Just let that sink in.

By Lucas Witherspoon

J

essica Simpson’s father is a homo. That’s what The National Enquirer and Radar are both saying anyway. Though anyone with eyes and even a mildly acute gaydar could tell you as much, they’re saying that he came out to the family as he was announcing his divorce from his wife of 34 years, Tina Simpson (who filed for divorce claiming “insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities”).

Allegedly, he’s been seeing a twinky “aspiring model” named Bryce Chandler Hill for a while now, though both parties deny it. Blond twinks are the new “other woman.”

Christina Aguilera doesn’t like bloggers: “It’s just God-knows-who in Buttfuck wherever writing hate shit.” Well, I am well-acquainted with butt-fucking, but you’re from Staten Island. STATEN ISLAND. I wouldn’t talk so much shit about peoples’ locales.

Rod Stewart has admitted to booty bumping capsules of coke with Ronnie Wood back in the day: “We found another method of taking the drug. We put them in a little pill like the French do them, (a) suppository. We did that for a little while. Are we still on the air?” Is booty bumping French? I feel so much classier doing it now.

John Rich, Big Kenny, Randy Owens, and a drunk Meat Loaf all joined Mitt Romney onstage to sing “America, the Beautiful”. It makes sense that Meat Loaf would be drunk, because there’s absolutely no way a coherent person could legitimately believe Mitt Romney is well-suited for the presidency.

Britney Spears managed to get through her first live show on X-Factor without having a complete meltdown, proving (so far) the producers wrong about needing a time delay. I am still holding hope that she gives us a little crazy so I don’t feel like I’m watching a cardboard box that is getting paid more money than I will ever see.

Kim Kardashian was a mermaid for Halloween and sported a blonde wig that looked on par with the terrible weaves Britney used to rock back in the day. For the record, since Kim started dating Kanye, her fashion choices have made her look slightly more polished a street walker.

Trace amounts of cocaine and marijuana have been found in the air in eight major Italian cities: Palermo, Rome, Bologna, Florence, Turin, Milan, Verona and Naples, with Turin having the highest concentration of airborne drugs. In other news, Lindsay Lohan has announced she’s moving to Turin.

Levi Johnston got married, and it didn’t involve a marrying of his lips around my penis, so I could care less.

A drunk man was arrested for drunkenly stumbling onto Tom Cruise’s Beverly Hills estate, and before you ask, no, I was not in Beverly Hills this week. His name is Jason Sullivan, and he’s actually Tom’s neighbor.

A security guard tased him and he was eventually arrested for trespassing.

Usher bid $12,000 for a Goldendoodle (golden retriever + poodle) at a charity auction. When asked about the dog, Usher said, “Poppy Raymond is what 16 // davidatlanta.com

photo: S_Bukley / Shutterstock.com

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n n y L rf ield:

STRAIGHT ALLY

Ba I

n the struggle for LGBT equality, it’s easy to not think about the support received from straight allies such as Lynn Barfield. From her involvement with several LGBT nonprofits over the years to her time at Blake’s, where she was affectionately known as Mama Lynn, Barfield has made a place for herself in the Atlanta LGBT community.

I recently caught up with the vivacious Barfield, where we discussed her activism, her reaction to people who question her place in the community, and her thoughts on what the LGBT community can do for its younger members.

For our readers who maybe aren’t aware of who you are and what you do, tell them about yourself.

Wow, what to say about myself…I am from Jonesboro, GA (yes, a native Georgia Peach!), the youngest of nine kids. Yes, believe it. I love my family and I think my sense of giving and caring came from my upbringing and my family’s roots of being good to one another and good to your neighbor. I attended the University of Georgia.

I have been in the nonprofit sector, serving in development positions as well as volunteer management positions – Atlanta Union Mission, Hands on Atlanta, Borders corporate relations and Executive Director of Enlight Atlanta, which really changed my life. Enlight was an organization that worked with educators, parents and students alike to combat bullying in schools.

In addition to Enlight, you’ve worked with YouthPride and CHRIS Kids. From where you stand, what can the larger Atlanta LGBT community do for its younger members?

One Fierce “Mama” Ally

By Elijah Sarkesian

I think the larger LGBT community has to continue to be committed to the organizations and causes that are affecting younger members. Now, with that, first let me say to the younger men and women of the LGBT community: there have been many that have come before you that have sacrificed so much, even their lives for you to be able to live out and proud, pay homage and respect to what you have inherited. Do what they did and get involved and participate in this community – not just the bars and nightclubs, not just the fun aspects, but the aspects that will continue to move LGBT issues to the forefront. Nothing frustrates me more than hearing a young person talk about how they aren’t registered to vote and how they wouldn’t make a difference anyway. It starts with one, and will one by one, it matters, is what I say.

And this community continues to be aware of young people. With the coming of the Trevor Project to Atlanta and the incredible support that Lost-n-Found has garnered, I feel the youth will not get lost and that support, financial and otherwise, will continue. There is still so much that they are combating – homelessness, suicide, drugs, alcohol, disconnection from their familial support systems, unsafe sex…it’s still there. They need to know they have resources and love.

How did you first get involved with the LGBT community?

Being a volunteer is what got me involved in the LGBT community years ago. And when I was in college, I met and was befriended by wonderful, incredible and supportive gay men and women. Tony Kearney, Wild Cherry Sucret with the Armorettes, wore a dress of mine the first time he did drag! Can you believe that? @DavidAtlantaGA // 19

And I got involved with the Boybutante Ball in Athens, which raised money for organizations in Athens. I saw the hard work and dedication that my friends put into this event and it made me realize that the sense of community and love can be so great in the gay community. And the rest, as they say, is a hilarious and poignant history.

As an ally, what is it about the LGBT community that makes you want to be involved?

I want to be involved in the LGBT community for many reasons: one, my nephew is gay and he is a hero to me because he came out and lives an authentic life. And that can be hard to do when you are a man in the South in a religious family...hell, anywhere.

My hat is off to him.

Secondly, I believe that everyone deserves the fairness and freedom afforded to them by being born in this country. And yes, I am talking about civil rights, the ability to love and marry whomever one wants, benefits, equal, equal, equal. Has the LGBT community come far? Yes! Is there still a ways to go? Hell yes! I say to everyone – the “isms” are still out there: racism, sexism, ageism.

And the “phobia” homophobia is alive and well, too. It’s so covert and underground because it’s not cool to hate, but there is a climate in this country that seems to make it okay if it is pointed out. It’s sad, but true. Throw the media in and boy, it’s an interesting pot to stir. I don’t want to get too political here...

20 // davidatlanta.com

Have you had any significant pushback from people either inside or outside of the LGBT community for your involvement?

Oh, I have supportive role models and I have pushback. Oh, the people I met when I worked at Blake’s! Wow! Talk about outpourings of love. So many wonderful friends I have made just from being there and letting people know what I am involved in month to month. I love the friends that I have in this community, who are willing to fundraise, help promote, put on and do everything they can for any cause that I support. Alice Masker, who is managing partner for Metrotainment Cafes, taught me that and was the first person to support my crazy causes and ideas. She is amazing. When my best friends Ron Russell and Tommy Sweat put on a party in their house year after year to raise money for a cause, that support just came through year after year.

Then some people seem to think that if you are straight and you are involved with the community, that it must be for a selfish reason or that you have some sort of emotional restitution. I have made a point to give back to the people that have given to, loved and supported me. It’s that simple. The worst was when I was selected to be Grand Marshal for the Pride Festival in 2011.

Someone that was a regular when I worked at Blake’s said to my face, “Well, why did they pick a straight chick? Wasn’t there a dyke that has done something good?” Those were his exact words. I said, right before I punched him in the face, “Yes, they could have, but they chose me and I am damn happy that they did.”

As a straight ally, what was your reaction to being selected as a Grand Marshal for the 2011 Atlanta Pride Parade?

I cannot begin to describe the emotion I felt when I was chosen grand marshal! It’s an honor and a privilege to know that people feel that I am a representative worthy of such a title. When my friend Jason Paul started the Facebook campaign, I told him he was crazy and that it wouldn’t happen. I was just happy to know that I had a great friend in him and that he thought that much about me. But when I would see people responding and people would stop me and ask me about it when I was out and about…I didn’t know what to do. But with that title, and being chosen, is the duty to stay involved and committed to this community. I plan on doing just that. Parade day I cried, it was unbelievable when you are on that route and your are waving and you are getting all this love. I was representing this community, my family and my friends to this city. It was beyond words!

You recently wrote a story on so-called “ex-gay” camps. Do you think there will come a time where the conservative voices that promote these ideas will die down, if not go away altogether? And what do you think the LGBT community should do to counter these attacks?

@DavidAtlantaGA // 21

Unfortunately, no I don’t think those conservative voices that promote misunderstanding and hate will go away. I would love to see it in my lifetime, but as long as there is hate, there will be people who spread it, one way or another. They are not as loud and prominent as they have been, there is so much good that has happened within the LGBT community, and the populous has more understanding than ever before that it seems to have drowned them out a bit…when I was doing that story and the research that I came across stopped me in my tracks. In the year 2012, we have men and women who are told that being who they truly are is a shame and sin. The LGBT community needs to continue to do what I feel it has been doing the past decade and not back down, have a solid agenda and stop the divisiveness within the community. Be collective. A solid wall is harder to tear down than one with holes in it.

What would you like to say to our readers and the community at large?

I would like to say thanks…it may sound simple, but thanks for the support, for the love, and the acceptance of me within this community. I promise I will continue to fight for you and march on forward with you.

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STRAIGHT ALLY

STRAIGHT From The Heart: Ryan Watkins’ passion for LGBT Atlanta

By Van Gower

T

his week, David Atlanta pays tribute to a local straight ally who staunchly advocates for LGBT equality. Ryan Watkins, Web Manager at GA Voice newspaper, gives us his passionate and inspiring perspective on his place as a straight man in Atlanta’s gay community.

You are the web manager of GA Voice Newspaper, which is of course a highly respected and important centerpiece in Atlanta’s gay media offerings. Why did you take a job at an LGBT publication? Did you have any personal empathy for the gay community?

My mom came out of the closet while I was in high school, so LGBT rights has been an issue of importance to me for a while. I dealt with bullying in school, rumors about my own sexuality and having to stand up for my mom simply for being the person she was meant to be.

While that was tough, I wasn’t dealing with feelings of being different or having same-sex attractions. I sympathize with the kids who are dealing with the bullying while simultaneously discovering their own sexuality.

I’ve worked in media since my college days and took a job at the ill-fated Window Media (former owner of David Atlanta and Southern Voice) in the web department in 26 // davidatlanta.com

2007. My job was maintaining all of the company’s publication websites. Before that, I worked for a now-defunct racing magazine as a content editor.

When I first applied for the position at Window Media, I was convinced that I would be working on a family of gay pornography websites (there wasn’t any mention of Window Media, Southern Voice or David in the job posting). I thought to myself, “You know, you’re open-minded and you need a job. You can do this.” Imagine my surprise when I discovered I was actually interviewing for a position with a respected family of LGBT news outlets!

When Window Media went bankrupt in 2009, I was one of the first people to connect with Laura Douglas-Brown and Chris Cash about working on a new publication that became GA Voice. I think I might have been GA Voice’s first official employee.

Beyond your work at GA Voice, have you participated in any other events in Atlanta’s gay community? What have those experiences been like for you personally?

I’ve had gay friends and family over the years and attended, by accident, my first Pride festival in 2003. Talk about an experience! Before I began my tenure in gay

media, I was a regular fixture at Chynna Fox’s shows at Tijuana Garage to support friends that were performing. I still remember the first time I saw David [Atlanta] Magazine contributor Brent Star perform as a flour-snorting Whitney Houston.

While my work is mostly web-based, I do get the opportunity to go out into the community every so often to report on events or happenings. I’ve made some friends in the gay community simply through my work and I’ve also ruffled a few feathers of some folks out there that are fighting against LGBT rights. You know you’ve made it when Christian fundamentalist groups and wacky morning radio show hosts call you out.

As a heterosexual man, why do you think it has been – or will continue to be – so important for straight allies to support LGBT causes?

I recently wrote an article for GA Voice on a Gallup survey that said 3.4 percent of Americans identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. If that number is true, it means that a massive majority of Americans are straight.

For equality to happen, we have to recognize the role that straight allies will play in fight moving forward. It can’t happen without us.

reason, she doesn’t understand why a straight man would be such a staunch advocate for LGBT equality.

With the work that I do, I often feel like an activist.

This kind of work is both personally and professionally rewarding. How often can someone do something that actually makes a small difference in the world – and get paid to do it?

You recently became a father! Congratulations!

What has that experience been like for you?

What are you most looking forward to in raising your child?

As proud as I am of the work I do for a living, that’s second only to the joy of being a parent. All of the clichés are true.

Now that I’m responsible for a little person, all kinds of things are important to me that were not just a few years ago. I’m looking forward to raising a conscious, thoughtful young person. I want to leave the world a better place than I found it for her.

With apologies to my past girlfriends, I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love my daughter.

It’s more than voting a particular way or aligning yourself with a political party that supports LGBT rights. It’s more than watching Modern Family or The New Normal or listening to Lady Gaga. To really move forward, we need to break down the stereotypes and educate people out there who are standing in the way of progress. The best way to do that is for gay folks to be out, open and yourself in front of your family, friends and coworkers and for straight folks to vocalize their support of LGBT causes in public and in private. In the words of Harvey Milk, “Burst down those closet doors once and for all, and stand up and start to fight.”

Has your journey as a straight man actively working in and supporting the gay community ever been the source of conflict between you and your friends? Or has it been a source of personal pride for you?

My friends are universally “cool” with what I do for a living. If they weren’t supportive of my work or the greater LGBT community at-large, I don’t think we would be friends.

Some members of my family, including my dad’s parents, simply don’t understand why I do what I do for a living.

I can’t tell you how many times my grandmother has vaguely asked me about my sexuality. Part of that is photos: Bo Shell/GA Voice never knowing anyone who is gay or lesbian. For that @DavidAtlantaGA // 27

BEN COHEN:

STRAIGHT ALLY

HUNK WITH A CAUSE

By Van Gower

T

he world of professional sports has not traditionally been considered a safe haven against bullying, homophobia, and exclusion. In fact, it is often seen as one of the last accepted bastions of those three things.

One man has made it his life’s mission, however, to change that mentality one day at a time, and not just on the playing fields. Of course, that man is the English former World Cup rugby superstar Ben Cohen, MBE. Cohen retired from rugby in May 2011 in order to establish and oversee his Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation. Cohen founded the organization to raise awareness of and combat bullying, a response to the death of his businessman father who was killed in 2000 while defending an employee from an attacker.

What is perhaps most inspiring about Cohen’s advocacy work is the fact that he is a straight man and the married father of twin daughters.

To be a revered heterosexual former professional athlete tirelessly fighting the brutal forces of anti-gay bullying helps to put a unique stamp on the issue. Of course, that Cohen is also a studly Adonis with a beautiful face doesn’t hurt, either. Proudly aware of his worldwide predominantly gay-male following, Cohen has parlayed that following into a source of funding for his non-profit Foundation. Ben Cohen, USA, Inc., his commercial enterprise, regularly offers up a plethora of drool-inducing products featuring or endorsed

by Cohen. Those products have included Cohen’s wildly popular and uber-sexy wall calendars, a line of underwear, and the StandUp Foundation t-shirt.

The next stage in Cohen’s mission centers on the Nov. 14 launch in Atlanta of StandUp Magazine. The quarterly publication will bear the tagline “True Champions Stand Up” and will feature positive stories and social impact of sports men and women around the world. The launch event – the 2012 Compete Sports Diversity Awards and StandUp Magazine Launch Engineered by Lexus – will be held at TWELVE Atlantic Station and will include a VIP pre-event reception with Cohen.

“It is time to celebrate a return to true sportsmanship and the spirit of fairness at its core,” said Cohen in an Oct. 25 prepared statement. “As sports role models, we have an incredible opportunity with StandUp Magazine to set an example for character in action, celebrating all sports and creating good on and off the field.”

Of course, launching the magazine in Atlanta isn’t surprising, given that Cohen has had close ties to the city and made numerous local appearances – including serving as an honorary Grand Marshall in the Atlanta Pride 2012 parade – ever since kicking off his Foundation and Ben Cohen USA, Inc. here last year and choosing Atlanta as their home base.

“Atlanta is now known as ‘the gayest city in America’ and has long been known as the ‘city too busy to hate’ due to its civil rights leadership,” said Cohen in a May 2011 press release announcing the Foundation. “I can think of no better place to base our operations and make the difference we intend to make.”

TWELVE Atlantic Station, 361 17th Street NW, Atlanta Pre-event reception with Ben Cohen, 6:30 p.m.; awards dinner 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

General admission tickets, $125; VIP tickets, incl. preevent reception, $250. http://standupmagazinelaunch.eventbrite.com/ The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation: www.standupfoundation.com www.facebook.com/standupfoundation www.twitter.com/StandUpFdn @DavidAtlantaGA // 29

30 // davidatlanta.com

BARTAB

MONDAY

BLAKE’S Trivia w/ Mary Edith Pitts @ 11pm $250 prize, then New Drag on the Edge w/ Nicole Paige Brooks BURKHART’S Blue Monday Karaoke w/ Angelica D’Paige 11:30pm COCKPIT Big Red Cup All Day, specials EAGLE Comedy TV- Free Pool FELIX’S Free Pool FRIENDS DJ opens at 2pm HERETIC Play w/ Eddie 4pm-11pm HIDEAWAY $2.50 Domestic Beer JUNGLE Stars of the Century Show 11pm MODEL T Monday Night Madness 9pm OSCAR’S Midtown Martini Club 4pm. Service Industry Night 9pm TRIPP’S Monday Night Madness 9pm WOOF’S Texas Hold ‘Em Poker 8pm

TUESDAY BLAKE’S Karaoke w Suzanne Gleeson 11pm BURKHART’S Trivia Tuesday Karaoke w/ Angelica D’Paige 11:30pm

CLUB RUSH HipHop til 4am, $5 COCKPIT 80s Party 9pm, specials 5-8pm EAGLE Tuesdays w/ Tony FELIX’S Smirnoff Martini Night FRIENDS Let’s Make a Deal 6pm HERETIC 2-Step Tuesday, dance till 11pm HIDEAWAY TEAM Trivia w/ Will 9pm MIXX Piano Night w/ David Reeb 8pm MODEL T Texas Hold’em Poker 9:30pm OSCAR’S Show Tune Tuesday 8pm SWINGING RICHARDS 1/2 Price cover TRIPP’S Ladies Night 9pm WOOF’S Industry Day Free Wii 5pm

WEDNESDAY BLAKE’S 5-9pm Doug’s party pop hits, The “Lust and Bust Show”11 pm BURKHART’S Humpday Karaoke w/ Darlene Majewski 11:30pm COCKPIT Balls Deep Karaoke 10pm EAGLE 80’s Music w/ Travis

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got an upcoming event? calendar@davidatlanta.com Friends Team Trivia 8pm heretic 25¢ Keystone Light ,No Cover! hideaway Trivia w/ Will 9pm jungle Big Gay Game Show 3rd Wed mixx Texas Hold’em Poker 7pm model t Karaoke 10pm oscar’s ReBooT Retro 8pm swinging richards 2-4-1 VIP Room tripp’s Free Taco Bar 5pm xcess ultra lounge Raquell Lord’s Talent Show @ 10:30pm, Sophia Mcintosh & Fab 5 +1 @11:30pm, 18+ woof’s Food Special, Trivia 8pm

THURSDAY blake’s $5 burgers, Texas Hold’Em Poker 7pm, Shawnna Factor Show 11pm

BURKHART’S Twisted Thursday w/ Phoenix

hideaway After Work Martini Madness jungle Club Night, Various DJ’s mixx Grown & Sexy Dance 10pm model t Saturday Night Live 9pm oscar’s 80’s Retro Vidz 8pm swinging richards T-Shirt Review, $10 tripp’s Afternoon Delights 4pm woof’s Atlanta’s Best Social Night 6pm

SATURDAY blake’s opens 1pm, Daring Divas 11pm BURKHART’S Extravaganza w/ Shavonna B. Brooks 11:30pm

club rush Dance Party cockpit DJ Diablo Rojo, guest VJ/DJ’s eagle DJ Dance Party felix’s Karaoke w/ Brett & Tyler 10pm friends Afternoon Party with D.J. Noon

11:30pm

- 6pm

cockpit Dirty Boy Bingo w/ Ruby Redd eagle Karaoke w/ Mikey felix’s Karaoke w/ Brett & Tyler 10pm friends Girls Who Like Girls Meet Girls heretic 3 Legged Cowboy Night 9pm hideaway Service Industry Night jungle Cherry Pop Thursday! mixx The Toolbox 6pm model t Party-Time 9pm oscar’s Kickin It w/ Kyle 8pm phase one $3 Thurs Entry + drinks swinging richards 2-4-1 VIP & Entry tripp’s Spotlight Karaoke 9pm xcess ultra lounge Turnt Up Thursday woof’s Food Special, Country Music 7pm

heretic Varies: Club Night or 3 Legged

FRIDAY blake’s 5-9pm TGIF, Charlie’s Angels w/ Charlie Brown 11pm

BURKHART’S Fab Five w/ Angelica D’Paige 11:30pm

club rush Got Leche? til 4am, $10 cockpit DJ Diablo Rojo, guest VJ/DJ’s eagle DJ Dance Party friends Happy Times with Kelly & Ken heretic no cover B4 11pm

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SUNDAY blake’s open 1pm, Classic Sunday “T” w/ Bill Berdeaux & Daryl Cox

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38 // davidatlanta.com

By Sam Gabel

S

ometimes, it’s the mentally ill, the socially useless individuals, the “whatever” label we place on people to deem them those figures not relevant enough to catch our attention. And perhaps there are no such things as coincidences in life as this week was the week that my sister Kathy was discharged from Grady Memorial and ran away from home, without transportation or any means of outside communication, just herself and the never-ending shroud of darkness that seems to pile on and on making her more invisible with each passing day. But if anyone knows what love is, you never give up, no matter how much it hurts, you just have no choice but to keep trying your best. And so for anyone who wants to know what outreach really means, it begins first with awareness.

No matter how busy our schedules get in the bustling metropolis that we all call Atlanta, we may forget that we were once all lost waiting to be found. But that process of being “found” never begins without an offering a gesture of love whether it was advice to acknowledge our beginning enthusiasm or as simple as a patient, listening ear just to show us that we are important, and makes us feel somehow interconnected to these constantly moving streams of consciousness that we call life, the sacrifices and disappointments that sometimes ends up as a gamble just for the hope of resulting triumphs and fulfillment which makes all those experiences worth it.

But it first starts with that choice of choosing “I” or “We” because no matter how many things end up on our to-do list, do we ever really escape that darkness of living only for ourselves?

with human feces, which depict artifacts of shame. But these kids aren’t animals; these kids are someone’s children, and perhaps your very own sister . . . As there are molded copies of the Quran, how can we ever expect to find a greater meaning if we forget those with more of a desperate urgency for spirituality: anything or anyone to guide them out of their growing absence of hope. Can we ever find the “I” without looking for the “We?”

Lost N Found’s Emergency Hotline: (678) 856–7824 - (678) 8-Lost-25 Primary website: http://www.lost-n-found.org

Find Out How You Can Volunteer: Lost-n-Found Youth, Inc. Just from watching the Youtube on the organization’s 470 Candler Park Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30307 main website gives you insight into what these kids go info@lost-n-found.org through on a daily basis. As the camera traverses through Phone (Non-Emergency Inquiries): 678.856.7824 an abandoned building, the hording of empty water bottles, and “shallow measures of wealth,” these kids Sam Gabel is a community columnist for “who need us the most blend in to the point of invisibilDavid Atlanta Magazine and can be reached at ity,” as rooms not designated as bathrooms are littered SamGabelDavidAtlanta@Gmail.Com 40 // davidatlanta.com

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PROTECT YOUR MONSTER

BY RICHARD MARSHALL

TOP 10 1.

I’m Not Your Hero Tegan and Sara

2.

Losing You - Solange

3.

All Your Gold - Bat For Lashes

4.

Diamonds - Rihanna

5.

Parking Lot - Nelly Furtado

6.

Night Light - Jessie Ware

7.

Girl On Fire - Alicia Keys

8.

Sweet Nothing - Calvin Harris feat. Florence Welch

9.

Big Bright World - Garbage

10. Long Gone - Kenna

By Dustin Shelby. Check out more music at Dustin’s blog at www.echodust.com 42 // davidatlanta.com

@DavidAtlantaGA // 43

Editor’s Note: The original Ammazza review featured an incorrect statement regarding developmental rights. David Atlanta apologizes for the confusion.

Ammazza Restaurant Review:

Connerty Brother’s take “Pizza Party” to the Next Level

N

By Clayton Morey

ewly open on Edgewood Avenue in the burgeoning Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, Ammazza (meaning amazing in Italian) is the creation of brothers and business partners Hugh and Jason Connerty. Featuring traditional wood fire pies, and untraditionally for a Neapolitan style pizzeria, locally sourced produce and proteins for their pies instead of ingredients from the mother land makes Ammazza their own unique take on a the Neapolitan style classic. Not to mention great house DJs, craft spirits, and boutique brews making this pizza joint a nightlife destination.

locally fabricated copper lighting features cleverly made from rolled copper sheeting and LED light strips.

The space is an amalgam of rustic charm and sleek modern finishes. Steel I-beams dot the space and rise thirty feet to a rustic wood ceiling featuring an original frosted glass skylight. Reclaimed wood dominates the space from the flooring to the huge communal table that spans the entire length of the dining room which was crafted from left over cladding from the warehouse, and the hand crafted banquets that run along two deep blue lacquer walls provide a pleasing refection of the light from huge,

If you so choose, you can start your meal with an antipasto. Ammazza offers a Classico meat and cheese plate that includes local cheeses and meats, an Insalata Di Basil consisting of local field, greens artichoke, olives, bell peppers, and roma tomatoes, or a Pomodoro Caprese with mozzarella, tomato, basil, and extra virgin olive oil.

My vote, however, is for the Polpette, traditional Italian style meatballs swimming in a zesty tomato sauce, baked in an individual sized cast iron pot in the pizza oven, and

The authentic hand tossed pies are made right in front of you while you wait. A twelve picture window provides a backstage view into the kitchen from the dining room.

Two enormous six thousand pound wood burning pizza ovens are front and center and provide a great back drop to all the action in kitchen.

Fresh dough is made daily with “Doppio zero” flour making the crust crispy on the outside and light as air inside.

Ammazza is housed in a cavernous century old brick Choose from one of a dozen unique topping combinations, warehouse that from the outside looks more like a factory all with ingredients sourced from local farms and dairies. than an eatery. As you enter, the idea is to order your food The traditional Margherita style comes with hand pulled, at the front counter and then proceed around the corner house made mozzarella, fresh torn basil, and of course into the expansive dining room to find a seat, and then a generous drizzling of extra virgin olive oil; but you can start a new tab for your drinks with the bartenders who add your own touch with topping options including pepalso serve as the impressively attentive service staff. I peroni, hand made meatballs, sausage, artichokes, or found this set up a little cumbersome and was even more local mushrooms. We chose the Terra, a white pizza with befuddled by the get your own silverware and water sta- more of their luxurious house mozzarella mixed with local tions that seemed to be hidden away instead of centrally goat cheese and topped with wild mushrooms, basil, and located. finished with earthy truffle oil.

46 // davidatlanta.com

topped with melted mozzarella and ricotta cheeses.

We also tried the Pizza Fritta, the same house made pizza dough stuffed with toppings and deep-fried. While all the good stuff on the inside was still fresh and delicious, the fried dough was a bit chewier and greasier than I would have liked, and the addition of their zesty tomato sauce poured right over the top made for an even more soggy crust. Over all, it was ok, but I would stick with the pizza here; it’s the star of the show for sure.

We finished our meal with a couple of “Dolce” treats. My husband enjoyed a hand rolled cannoli stuffed with semisweet mascarpone cheese and shaved chocolate, dusted with powdered sugar. While I devoured the Pasta Fritta Con Cannella, sweet, fried golden balls of dough served piping hot and tossed simply in cinnamon and sugar.

Throughout the meal, the staff was ever present without being over bearing, and despite us having ordered all our food before even sitting down, they did a fantastic job of timing out our food so we were never without something delicious to eat, but were also not bombarded with everything we ordered all at once.

The Connerty brothers were always visible and took the time to interact with all the patrons and worked along side their staff to insure everyone was having a great experience. Hugh Connerty took the time to share some their experiences remolding the space, turning it from the

outdated eighties era office space into what it is today, in large part with their own hands.

Ammazza is not only a great place for pizza but offers a great bar selection and exciting entertainment as well.

Currently, they feature popular area DJ’s four nights a week, including a Monday night industry night that is quickly gaining popularity with the neighborhood industry professionals, as well as Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights until late.

The brothers also have done a great job with their beverage program. Well-crafted cocktails are created by a well seasoned bar staff, especially for a start up. I had a Southern Mule, a flavorful blend of American Sprit white whisky, ginger beer, lime juice, and muddled mint leaves. With an amazing offering of craft draft beers and a boutique wine list, Ammazza is no slouch in the booze department!

A welcomed addition to the Old Forth Ward landscape, Ammazza is bringing great pizza and fantastic nightlife to Edgewood Avenue. Great for a family dinner or late night snacking, drinking, and dancing to Ammazza’s fantastic DJ’s, Hugh and Jason Connerty certainly have created something special for all of us to enjoy with them and their fantastic staff!

photos: Frank Lazaro @DavidAtlantaGA // 47

48 // davidatlanta.com

@DavidAtlantaGA // 49

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SISTERS

STRETCH

TO AID H.E.R.O.

By Joseph Brownell

Y

ou’ve seen The Flaming Sugarbaker Sisters at charity events across the community but you may not know that the beauty of their painted faces is more than just skin deep. Those admitted to the order have undergone an intensive process that demonstrates their commitment to charity, community and social activism.

Like their Catholic counterparts, there are elevations to becoming a Fully Professed Member of the Sisters. One of those steps is a Novice Project designed to benefit the community. This weekend, Saturday November 10th, Novice Karma Chameleon brings her Karma Yoga project to the community.

“Novices are encouraged to be creative with their projects, which is why I chose to take this approach,” she shared. “I feel healing is a crucial component in the wellbeing of our community and we had yet to offer that.”

Held at the First Existentialist Congregation, the Atlanta Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will host a donationbased community yoga class open to teenagers and adults to benefit H.E.R.O., a non-profit dedicated to improving the quality of life for children infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS- an organization Novice Karma Chameleon stands behind.

“I chose H.E.R.O. as the beneficiary because I love the work they do for children and teens affected by HIV/ AIDS,” she explained. “This project focuses on health and wellness and as adults, we are able to make most of the choices that affect our health; the kids in this program did not get that privilege. H.E.R.O. devotes itself to make sure they grow up healthy and happy.”

Yoga instruction will be provided by Grounded, who established a non-profit initiative called Grounded for Good, which according to Novice Karma Chameleon, teaches kids and teens that have been through traumatic

52 // davidatlanta.com

situations like homelessness, abuse, neglect to ground themselves through yoga, laughter, and elevation so they may develop a heightened sense of self and go forward on their journeys with more stability and confidence.

In addition to yoga, the event features raffles including Craniosacral Therapy with Michael Teal from Spirited Away Massage and a massage session with Jamie Beverly. Participants will also have the chance to get more information on the organizations donating their services.

If you’re worried about flexibility, don’t be. Karma Chameleon assures that this is a beginner-level event and equipment will be provided to those without. But that doesn’t mean those with advanced yoga skills can’t attend. “We have nuns, porn stars, Mrs. Ropers, faeries, and who knows what other kinds of creatures doing yoga in one place,” she joked. “But if you are hot, limber, and have a nice butt, you have a spot in front of my mat . . . just sayin’.” It is her project after all.

Karma class will be held Saturday November 10th at First Existentialist Congregation (470 Candler Park Dr. NE.) from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.

This is a donation-based event but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

For more information: Karma Class mini site: http://antoniogarza89.wix.com/karma-class\ Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/230796363715962 Spirited Away Massage: http://www.spiritedawaymassage.com Grounded: http://www.gogrounded.com

MUCH LIKE THEIR CATHOLIC COUNTERPARTS THERE ARE ELEVATIONS TO BECOMING A SISTER: Aspirants Aspirants, are people that declare their interest in joining the Sisters; they follow us around to see how we work and must attend a minimum of three events and three monthly general membership meetings. Based on the completion of these requirements, the Aspirant can request elevation to a Postulant, which is based on a 2/3 vote from the fully professed members.

Postulants Postulants are able to manifest as nuns in the company of a fully professed member; they dress modestly in all black, wear a grey veil, and are only able to paint their eyes to signify they are observing and learning. Postulants must attend a minimum of three events and three meetings before requesting to elevate to a Novice based on the 2/3 vote.

Novices Novices are able to paint lips and cheeks, as they are now able to speak about the organization and its mission to the community. Novices wear black and white, are able to wear the Atlanta house coronet with a white veil, must attend a minimum of six events, six monthly meetings, and complete a Novice Project before requesting to elevate to a Fully Professed Member.

The Novice Project must benefit the community, a non-profit organization, or the Sisters. The Novice must take the lead in putting the project together. It shows that she will be able to take on the work the Fully Professed Members do.

@DavidAtlantaGA // 53

By Joseph Brownell

T

he 2012 AIDS Walk Atlanta & 5K Run may be over but the race to raise funds is still heated for one Atlanta resident. Mike Woodside participated in his first Atlanta AIDS Walk ten years ago but 2012 is sure to remain memorable as he participates in the next ten.

continued role in Woodside’s fundraising with a Beer Bust planned Sunday, November 11th from 2-6.

But Woodside hasn’t done this alone. Using social media and community contacts, Woodside sees the money raised as more than just a one-man operation.

“Throughout this fundraising campaign, I have always said WE,” Woodside shared. “Everyone that has contributed to this success, I include [them] as being part of it all. It was never just me. From the very first donation, all of this success became WE.”

While Woodside’s efforts are a cause for celebration, he doesn’t want people to lose sight of the true reason for AIDS Walk Atlanta.

For $10 guests can celebrate with bottomless draft beer.

In addition to music provided by Chris Griswold, the celebration features $2 Jell-O Shots, a 50/50 raffle and “I only raised a little over $100 my first year. I don’t think I selling tickets to win an exclusive package “Journey with even got the T-shirt,” Woodside laughed. “My fundraising the Gentle Giants” provided by the Georgia Aquarium. has really taken off the past several years and each year I raise more than the previous. Since I raised $1,740 last “This is the only opportunity in the world where you are year, I set my goal [this year] at $2000.” A goal Woodside guaranteed to snorkel with whale sharks, manta rays and more inside the Ocean Voyager exhibit,” Woodside has completely blown away. At the time of the event, beamed. “It’s really a win/win for everyone. We raise Woodside’s fundraising was over $13,000-a whopping 6.5 times his goal. money, we celebrate, and people win gifts!”

“Raising money for HIV/AIDS awareness is important for current and future generations,” Woodside reminded. “I have many friends that have contracted the HIV virus but are living healthy lives due to advances in treatments.

I feel fortunate that I haven’t experienced the loss of many friends due to the virus like the generations before me and though we’ve come a long way with education programs and medical treatments, finding a vaccine or cure is still critical.”

That WE includes donations solicited through social media, friends, family and several local companies who have helped Woodside exceed his 2012 goals. “We’ve been lucky to get corporate matching and to have such local businesses such F.R.O.G.S. Cantina and the Georgia Aquarium stand beside us in our efforts.”

While Woodside hopes to bring the final total to $15,000, he’s already thinking about next year. When asked how Since final fundraising isn’t due until November 30th, he will top 2012 he just smiles coyly, “Let’s just say the both F.R.O.G.S. and The Georgia Aquarium are playing a wheels already are turning . . .”

54 // davidatlanta.com

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fairyscopes ARIES (March 20 – April 19): Your strong suit is

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22): An old Swedish

leadership. Stay focused on the big picture. Yes, the details count, but arguing over little things can become a huge distraction. Let the detailed people handle that and stay out of their way.

proverb says that buying something you don’t need is stealing from yourself. Don’t let others goad you into “keeping up.” You know deep within yourself what matters and what you really need.

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20): You already have everything you need, so reach out with what you can offer. Domestic arguments may be hard to avoid. Keep your ears open to what’s not being said and be careful not to say too much.

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21): We’re all going through hard times. You could feel sorry for yourself or focus on solutions that will help you lead others through the challenges. It will be a while, so keep your eye on the long haul.

GEMINI (May 21- June 20): Snafus at work could

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 20):

be signals that you are overreaching. Feedback from colleagues may not be reliable, but be open at least to constructive criticism, even if it doesn’t feel supportive.

Take a walk, or at least count to 10, before responding to anything.

Disputes with your partner should be easily resolved if you keep an open mind. Single? You could have a mad fling that feels like more, but it’s probably not. In the end you’ll be glad for what it was. Enjoy.

CANCER (June 21- July 22): Brilliant though your insights may be, you should probably consider your time, place and company before sharing them. Timing is everything. Even if you want to be completely outré, you’re best waiting for just the right moment.

CAPRICORN (December 21 – January 19): Clear

LEO (July 23 – August 22): Especially at home, but elsewhere too, resist getting caught up in arguments.

It’s usually just about ego and you have nothing to prove. Listen and learn. Your silence doesn’t make them right. It makes you wise.

AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18): You’re

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22): For now there is no such thing as a “sweet, innocent” flirtation. The slightest cock of your eyebrow could lead quickly to a lot more than you’d intended. Be careful also not to over-interpret incoming signals.

PISCES (February 19 – March 19): New adventures

58 // davidatlanta.com

foresight brings a strong sense of what needs to be done. It’s a lot, but don’t expect people to see the program as clearly as you do. Your sense of urgency could be alienating. Lead by example. They’ll catch on when they’re ready.

feeling at the top of your game. Half of that is overconfidence. Stay sharp. When you’re at the top there’s nowhere to go but down, and you’re not quite at your apex yet.

beckon, but they will take hard work and creativity.

Creativity pushes you ahead. Whimsy just drags you into la-la land. Be clear on the difference. If your family is behind your work, heed their criticism. If not, don’t let them distract you.

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