SoVo issue 012

WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? AT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WH WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? AT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WH WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? AT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WH WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? AT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WH WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? AT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WH WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? AT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WH WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? AT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WH WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? LGBT Town Hall Meeting & New Police Chief Appointed.

AT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WH WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? AT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WH WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? WHAT NOW? JULY 30, 2010 WWW.SOVO.COM

WHAT NOW

MAYOR REED?

5

International Gay rights Group Recognized by the UN

13

Fitness Instructor’s Popularity Keeps Classes Packed Catching up with Marcy Darcy

23

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3 | SOUTHERN VOICE | July 30, 2010

On The Record “…it’s really important to promote equality for all people, ‘all’ being the main word. As a straight ally, I think it’s so necessary to have that straight allies’ support for the LGBT community.”

–Claire Buffie, Miss New York 1874 Piedmont Avenue, Suite 390-C Atlanta, GA 30306 phone: 404.418.8901 fax: 404.876.2709 editor@sovo.com • www.sovo.com PUBLISHER Matt Neumann EDITORIAL Editor in Chief: David Valentine Associate Editor: Jesse Hancock CONTRIBUTORS BT Tidwell Sage Nenyue Joyce Ann Miller Billy Glover Andrew Medlin Corina Morris Andrea Kirwan ADVERTISING & SALES Sales Cooridinator: Travis Gerstman Senior Account Executive: Karisha Anderson Account Executives: Randy Ladd Jesse Hancock ADMINISTRATION Promotions: Chip O’Kelley Chief Operating Officer: Brian Sawyer Chief Finanvcial Officer: Brian Sawyer National Advertising: Rivendell Media sales@rivendellmedia.com 908.232.2021 THE EDITORIAL POSITIONS of Southern Voice are expressed in editorials and in editor’s notes as determined by

“… when white people play a character people expect it to be a character. But black people—we can’t just be character actors, we have to [really] be the things we’re hired for, which is what offends me… if it’s a regular person asking me, that just says that maybe I’m doing a good job. But when a casting director or an agent asks me that question it takes on a deeper thing that says, “I can’t believe you’re doing this unless you are that.”

–Nelson Ellis on being mistaken for gay like his character Lafayette on HBO’s True Blood.

“I definitely think he has gay tendencies, not only because of the way he dresses but also because he didn’t want to have sex with a beautiful girl and never really tried with the other girls on the show.

Nothing personal, Jake!”

–Paul Brosseau speaking on Jake Pavelka.

“I haven’t even begun my work in the gay community yet,” she said. “I want to go to senate, I want to pass a bill and get gay marriage legalized.

I go to events, I march in rallies. I’ve been a part of the gay community for 30 years.”

–Daniell Staub from Real Housewives of New Jersey.

“I am a gay man in a woman’s body, so God supposes I should love singers like Lady Gaga.”

–Victoria Beckham “I think Jesus was a compassionate, superintelligent gay man who understood human problems. On the cross, he forgave the people who crucified him. Jesus wanted us to be loving and forgiving. I don’t know what makes people so cruel. Try being a gay woman in the Middle East—you’re as good as dead.”

Elton John voicing his religious perspective.

“Early in my life I went through what I think a lot of gay people go through, thinking that I could

change and pray it away…and I realized I have too much to live for. I may lose my career in country music, that will break my heart, but it’s okay. I have a lot of different pieces of my heart that matter and that’s what I’ve come to learn.”

–Chely Wright “I don’t think they’re gay enough.”

–Melissa Etheridge discussing potential of her songs making it to “Glee”.

“Back then no one even knew what they were. You became gay in the ‘70s.”

–Fred Schneider of the B-52s speaking on being gay “I really hate vaginas. I’m allergic to vaginas…Thank God I was hungover.”

–Robert Pattinson dishing the scoop on photo shoot with nude women

says a lot about our culture’s attitude towards women and towards female sexuality.”

–Alan Ball commenting on entertainment industry “I have no idea why gay men love me, but I would have to assume it’s because they know how much I love the gays! Everyone needs a good gay man in their life.”

– Chelsea Handler “It’s not going to make the military soft or anything.

I mean, they’re soldiers. We’re talking, yea, they’re gay, but we’re not talking Ru Paul, Elton John gay, we’re talking “Brokeback Mountain” gay.”

– Wanda Sykes regarding “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

“It’s a great story for the grandchildren, so yeah. Kate wasn’t doing a lot of drugs. It was just a thing that happened in Milan in the 90s. It happened and it was fun and whatever. And she talks about it and so I hope she doesn’t get mad that I outed her about it. I feel like such a kiss-and-tell.”

–Courtney Love alleging having had sex with Kate Moss.

“We’ve been itching for that since season 1…We have stand-ins…and we decided to play a joke on them… we told them to kiss and they were like ‘wait a minute! What’s going on?’”

–Sam Trammel on Chelsea Lately regarding his nude scene with Stephen Moyer.

“We can make movies like “There’s Something About Mary,” using semen as hair gel, and it’s a huge hit - but to show a bloody tampon is considered shocking. I think that

the paper’s editors. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Southern Voice or its staff.

TO SUBMIT A LETTER OF COMMENTARY: Letters should be fewer than 400 words; commentaries should be fewer than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must include a name, address and phone number for verifications. Send submissions by fax to 404.876.2709 (ex 7) or by regular mail to the Southern Voice office, attn: Letters/Commentary, or by email to editor@ sovo.com

International Gay rights Group Recognized by the UN Pg. 5 Till Death Do You Part Pg. 5 Latest Gayest Cities Poll Excludes Atlanta Pg. 7 Priest Takes One For Beliefs; Catholic Power Waning? Pg. 7 Derrick Martin’s Project LifeVest Pg. 9 APD Holds Discrete LGBT Town-hall Meeting Pg. 9

One Homosexuals View Pg. 11 The Squeaky Hinge Pg. 11

Fitness Instructor’s Popularity Keeps Classes Packed Pg. 13 Marietta’s Rainbow Festival overflows with Pride Pg. 15 Viceroy Royal Indian Dining Pg. 19 Preparing Pernil Pork Roast Pg. 19 Tone it up! Staying Fit! Pg. 20 People Wearing Clothes Pg. 21

Catching up with Marcy Darcy Pg. 23 Kylie Minogue’s Comeback…as a Lesbian Pg. 25 IN or OUT? Meet the Designers on PR S8 Pg. 25 Hear Me Out Pg. 27

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July 30, 2010 | SOUTHERN VOICE NEWS | 5

News

International Gay rights Group Recognized by the UN

By B.T. TIDWELL The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) was given consultative status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on July 19, after a difficult three year application process that included strong objections from certain parties.

“Today’s decision, we think, is an affirmation that the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have a voice in the UN. It’s a clear message from [the council] that diverse voices cannot be silenced,” said Sara Perle, on behalf of IGLHRC. The IGLHRC is an international foundation based in New York City that fights for equality, both legal and social, for LGBT people everywhere. Since being founded in 1990, the IGLHRC has made considerable progress

communities.”

Consultative Status with the ECOSOC of the UN gives a nongovernmental Organization, official recognition as being a legitimate organization with official standing to offer advice, opinions, and recommendations regarding issues within their area of expertise.

Without this recognitions an organization cannot directly address the ECOSOC, or it’s sub committees.

Most of the objection to recognition for

fighting for equal rights and protection from discrimination in nations around the world.

The IGLHRC website says “Our work requires the development of strong human rights movements globally, which is why building advocacy partnerships is at the heart of what we do. As partners, we work hand-in-hand File Photo with local activists to strengthen their capacity to confront human rights violations at home. the IGLHRC, came from representatives of We also connect our partners to the broader countries in the Middle East and Africa, well human rights arena—including the United known for their homophobic attitudes. Under Nations system and NGOs at the regional and President Obama’s direction, United States global level. Together with our partners, we delegates were firmly in support of the vote. create visibility for human rights violations Surprisingly, several Repulican lawmakers, by monitoring and documenting abuses and Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Trent Franks by responding to human rights emergencies. (R-AZ), took it upon themselves to send letters We stand firm with those who seek to change from their offices to members of the ECOSOC discriminatory laws and policies affecting our to lobby against approval. While this action is

not illegal, it is highly irregular.

In the past the IGLHRC has had success in areas as varied as working to change official policies at Amnesty International to include abuses of LBGT people in their definitions of civil rights violations; lobbying the Russian Government to repeal sodomy laws carried over from the soviet Union; their documentation of homosexual murders in Brazil was instrumental in the asylum claim of Marcelo Tenorio, the first person granted

asylum in the United States on the grounds that his sexual orientation places him in a persecuted social group; they convinced the President of Rumania to pardon all people imprisoned under Romanian sodomy laws.

In addition to this, they offer regular training and support to activists in countries across the globe. This well deserved and hard won recognition by the UN will significantly expand their inf luence and effectiveness.

Till Death Do You Part The Commitment to Love and to Hate Prove Equally Strong

By B.T. TIDWELL A recent civil law suit, brought by Yvonne Moore against the church she has been a member of for 37 years, offers perspective, both positive and negative, on the LGBT fight for marriage rights, and equal rights in general.

On the positive side, the LGBT community continues to find friends in places we could never have dreamed possible; this time in the form of Pastors at a Southern Baptist Church in Washington, DC. In 2007, Covenant Baptist Church Pastors, Denis and Christine Wiley, announced their support for gay marriage in a Vision Statement of Inclusiveness that they presented their congregation. They argue that the struggle of the LGBT community to gain equality is much the same as the battle fought by their African American congregation thirty or forty years ago and Jesus’ message of love and understanding is more important than the few mentions against homosexuality in the Bible.

A few months later they put that belief into practice, blessing the unions of two gay couples, before the District of Columbia had even made gay marriage legal. They intend to lead a church that is inclusive of absolutely all people and say that roughly half their congregation has left the church over the issue. In spite of this, they stand by their position that the spirit of Christ’s message in the bible is more important, and clear on the issue, than a few verses taken out of context.

Last year, the District of Columbia, recognized as a federal municipality, joined a handful of states in legalizing same sex marriage and the Wiley’s continued their support of same sex

unions by marrying a lesbian couple, Toni Webb and Sandrine Chebou.

For reasons that are not clear, this was the last straw for Moore, who had been a member and tithed ten percent of her income for almost four decades. She retaliated by suing the church for the return of $40,000 in donations, claiming a breach of trust.

While Southern Baptists do not consider their house of worship sacred in the way that Orthodox congregations do, their congregations have almost absolute democratic autonomy and their members are accustomed to having a level of input into church tradition and even the doctrine of faith, that is not found in many other denominations.

Moore, herself, admits that this was “not of God.” She says it was her expressing her anger toward her, now former, pastors. She even admits, as a pioneer in the Civil Rights struggles that there are undeniable similarities between the present battles of the LGBT community and the Black fight for civil rights in her youth.

Even though the slavery of black people was supported by biblical arguments at one time as well, there is a clear difference for Moore, the actions of black people do not violate “God’s word; the actions of homosexuals do.

Moore has dropped the lawsuit. It’s not clear if this was motivated by a reconsideration that suing the church was not a Christian thing to do, or if legal advisers told her the suit had very little chance of holding up in court. Moore is not saying but she has withdrawn her membership in the church.

The demands for equal rights being made by the LGBT community are, in fact, comparable

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to the black civil rights struggle of the 1950s and 60s but the difference is that most people, black and white have forgotten how the Bible was used as justification at that time and, when reminded, dismiss it as an unchristian interpretation of “God’s word,” while in their minds the condemnation of homosexuality is unquestionably clear.

Even when it was happening, biblical justification of racism carried very little credibility, while biblical support is the chief cornerstone of homophobia.

One has to give Moore credit for attending one of the same sex marriages at her church “to see what it was all about” but it’s almost impossible to understand how this apparently gentle woman, brave crusader for the rights of her own people, and devout Christian could watch two people pledge their everlasting love before God and then declare that “ the whole thing was just completely disgusting.”

Her mind, and the minds of millions of

Americans like her will never be changed; fortunately for us, most of them are old, as is she, and will not be around for many more years.

Meanwhile, reports are that young people in even the most dogmatic fundamentalist and evangelic sects are beginning to question the importance, if not the outright legitimacy, of the efforts being made to block the efforts of the LGBT community to demand equal rights.

Theses young people can see, even when their elders cannot, that even if it’s a sin, it’s only one among many in the world and often, better still, that love is love no matter who’s heart it resides in.

This is the optimistic future that we have to look forward to.

However, this Washington, DC, melodrama should serve as a reminder that winning legal recognition in court is only one half of the much longer battle to win the hearts and minds of our society; a victory made much easier with the support of brave, kind-hearted, men and women like the Wiley’s.

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6 | SOUTHERN VOICE | July 30, 2010

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Latest Gayest Cities Poll Excludes Atlanta The Commitment to Love and to Hate Prove Equally Strong

By CORINA MORRIS The Daily Beast recently released its article “America’s Top 20 Gayest Cities”, leaving Atlanta by the wayside, not even mentioning it. This comes as a true shock to the Peach state’s LGBT community since just this past February 2010 the Advocate labeled Atlanta as the number one US destination for queers in the highly publicized “Gayest Cities in America” article by Mike Albo. So what happened? More importantly, against which ledger did these two go-to sources determine the winning scores?

In February, The Advocate’s Mike Albo revealed his interesting list with a disclaimer noting that his methods might be “totally arbitrary calculus.”

Oh? Albo tallied each city’s queer-count based on seven categories: same-sex couple households per capita, statewide marriage equality, the number of gay-elected officials, the dating scene (notably “per single male population”), gay bars per capita, cruising spots per capita, and gay films in Netflix favorites. While these methods may seem a decent barometer for pockets of condensed queer populations, they remain subject to massive error.

Richard Florida of The Daily Beast chose a more conventional method, using statistics gathered from same-sex couples recorded by the 2008 Census as conducted with the American Community Survey.

Florida executed this research alongside Gary Gates, coauthor of “The Gay and Lesbian Atlas.” Gates, an astute “demographer at UCLA’s Williams Institute”, is the proud creator of the Gay and Lesbian

Index.

This index uses information from the Census to compare each city’s gay couple population against the nation’s average. If a city’s index number is 4, then that city’s number of homosexual couples is four times the nation’s average (Florida, The Advocate). Florida explains that while homosexual couples are by no means “representative of the entire LGBT” population in any given area, they are, currently, the only numerically accurate indicator of a potentially queer-friendly zone. This falls in line with the textbook assumption that like attracts like. The more gay couples living in one area, the higher the likelihood gay and lesbian singles also exist alongside them.

During their data collection, Gates and Florida discovered various interesting trends among the cities that ranked the highest on The Gay/Lesbian Index. Cities that housed the highest populations of gay couples also have comparatively higher income per capita, “higher housing values”, more cutting edge technology businesses, and a more innovative and progressive-minded community than cities with lower populations. Such results came from a variety of studies that took the areas with the highest numbers of homosexual couples and used their own grading systems to determine various components which contribute to the overall quality of life in a specific area.

These studies were conducted by the Ronald Inglehart’s “World Values Survey,” the Gallup Organization’s “Soul of the Community” poll and other accredited scholars.

G ayest Cit ies accor ding to t he Dail y Beas t

20. Miami-Fort LauderdalePompano Beach, Florida 19. Dallas, Texas 18. Los Angeles-Long BeachSanta Ana, California 17. Ann Arbor, Michigan 16. Columbus, Ohio 15. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia 14. Ithaca, New York 13. Denver-Aurora, Colorado 12. Eugene, Oregon 11. New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, New YorkNew Jersey-Pennsylvania 10. Springfield, Massachusetts 9. San Diego, California 8. Portland, Oregon 7. Austin, Texas 6. Sacramento-Arden-Arcade Roseville, California 5. Seattle, Washington 4. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Massachusetts 3. Portland-South PortlandBiddeford, Maine 2. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, California 1. San Francisco-OaklandFremont, California

Email the Editors jhancock@sovo.vom dvalentine@sovo.com

File Photo

Priest Takes One For Beliefs; Catholic Power Waning?

By SAGE NENYUE In a move that could possibly get him excommunicated in the newest country to just legalize same-sex marriage, Argentinean RomanCatholic priest Jose Alessio vows to defy the Vatican and continue celebrating Mass. He also publicly supported the gay marriage bill before it was passed a few weeks back.

“I feel I’m in communion with God, my people and the Gospel, regardless of whether a bishop or the Pope decides to excommunicate me,” says Alessio. He has stated that he would not obey the authoritarian orders of the Vatican and did not fear being forced out of the Church. His decision to brave out the Vatican has the support of Argentinian president Christina Fernandez, which has angered religious groups all across the country.

For his progressive views and steadfast refusal to retract his pro-gay statements, he has been booted from the priesthood. The AICA, a Catholic news source in Argentina reported: “As a cautionary measure, the archbishop has prohibited him from the public exercising of the priestly ministry, which means he cannot celebrate Mass or administer the sacraments of the Church publicly, and therefore, cannot continue as pastor.”

But does this harsh, swift move give further evidence to the idea that the power of the Argentinean Catholic church is waning in relation to rising liberal social pressure?

“We shouldn’t be naive: this isn’t just a political struggle, it’s a strategy to destroy God’s plan,” Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio in the letter sent to lawmakers before the successful vote. It would not

be the only Latin American country to upset the status quo recently, however. Both Mexico City and Uruguay passed pro-gay legislation last year, and Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s leading presidential candidate, expressed her opinion that abortion should be legalized in the country. Brazil has the largest Catholic population in the world, and the Catholic position on the matter is very much in the opposite direction.

“Evidently the Church has been losing presence and influence regarding political decisions, which is part of a secularization process,” said Ana Maria Bidegain, a religious studies professor at Florida International University. She goes on to say that they still believe in the fundamentals, but they live Catholicism in their own way, not desiring the Church’s stringent view on morality.

Some are describing the phenomenon as a domino effect, saying that one country’s liberalism leads to another. “We’re confident this is going to inspire other countries in the region to follow suit ... Sometimes there’s a lot of fear to be the first, and that’s precisely what we’ve done in Argentina, we’ve broken new ground,” said Cesar Cigliutti, president of Argentina’s CHA gay association.

Argentina’s western neighbor, Peru, could possibly be the next Latin American country to legalize gay marriage, though the Archbishop of Lima, Juan Luis Cipriani, would strongly disagree with even using the word to describe same-sex pairings. In fact, he urged politicians to not even recognize the gay rights issue head of a regional election in October.

He is quoted as saying: “In today’s world, evil disguises itself as good, it is imposed on others, and woe to him who does not accept it!”

8 | SOUTHERN VOICE NEWS | July 30, 2010

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Equality in D.C. remains Intact

By CORINA MORRIS Gay marriage remains intact within Washington D.C.’s District Appeals court following a 5 to 4 vote in the nation’s capital July 15th. Back in December, the D.C. Council voted to legalize gay marriage, much to the chagrin of Hope Christian Church’s pastor, Bishop Harry Jackson. He spearheaded the opposition to the law in May which presented all nine judges in the court of appeals with the argument that the council members had “violated the District’s Human Rights Act” by signing the bill into law instead of allowing the people living in the District to weigh in on the matter. The five judges who voted down the appeal did so on the grounds that the District Supreme Court would not approve a bill founded on prejudice; to leave the human rights of a certain demographic in the hands of the general public would be unethical (Alexander, The Washington Post).

The Appeals Court’s decision to uphold gay marriage will stand since each of the nine judges had the opportunity to review and vote on the final decision, thereby rendering a second appeal at the district level impossible. Provided Harry Jackson and his troupe decide to push the matter farther, they would have to appeal to the US Supreme Court, which they plan to do. Jackson expressed immense regret to The Washington Post’s Keith Alexander, calling the decision “a ‘sad day.’” Still, the bishop feels hopeful that the close vote indicates a glimmer of hope for a turnaround at the national level.

“The decision…today means that those living in our nation’s capital are being denied their most fundamental freedom, the right to vote,” explained Austin Nimocks of the Alliance Defense Fund, an organization which specializes

D

in upholding traditional, heterosexual marriages, told Alexander. Nimocks and Jackson believe that the people of D.C. were denied their right to weigh in on legalizing gay marriage since the bill was passed into law in January by the D.C. Council, not by the people of the District.

Therefore, Nimocks and Jackson believe their case stands that the D.C. Council acted against the assumed will of the actual residents of the District of Columbia by arriving to a decision without allowing the people to vote. Ironically, in this instance, it appears that Nimocks and Jackson are, themselves, likewise assuming that the public’s vote would differ greatly from the Council’s vote.

More interesting details lay in the reasoning behind the 4 justices’ decision to challenge the Council’s vote. They were careful to dispel any rumors by explaining to reporters that they voted in favor of an appeal since “they primarily questioned the board’s interpretation of the law that allowed them to reject the referendum” (Alexander, The Washington Post). Therefore, their vote in favor of the appeal to was more of a question to discover why and how the Council felt it necessary to not allow the public a conclusive vote before reaching their own. The judges of the Court of Appeals made it clear that they do not want to “rul(e) against same-sex marriage.”

Opponents of the appeal feel the Council ultimately made the right choice in voting without a referendum, since leaving it to the D.C. community would, itself, be an act of discrimination. The logic behind this argument from the 5 judges remains that no one ought to have the final say in whether a certain demographic or community deserves the same rights that they—the voting public—enjoy.

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Anna Nicole Smith’s “Doctor Feel Good” Claims Anti-Gay Bia s

By B.T. TIDWELL Gay marriage remains intact within Washington D.C.’s District Appeals court following a 5 to 4 vote in the nation’s capital July 15th. Back in December, the D.C. Council voted to legalize gay marriage, much to the chagrin of Hope Christian Church’s pastor, Bishop Harry Jackson. He spearheaded the opposition to the law in May which presented all nine judges in the court of appeals with the argument that the council members had “violated the District’s Human Rights Act” by signing the bill into law instead of allowing the people living in the District to weigh in on the matter. The five judges who voted down the appeal did so on the grounds that the District Supreme Court would not approve a bill founded on prejudice; to leave the human rights of a certain demographic in the hands of the general public would be unethical (Alexander, The Washington Post).

The Appeals Court’s decision to uphold gay marriage will stand since each of the nine judges had the opportunity to review and vote on the final decision, thereby rendering a second appeal at the district level impossible. Provided Harry Jackson and his troupe decide to push the matter farther, they would have to appeal to the US Supreme Court, which they plan to do. Jackson expressed immense regret to The Washington Post’s Keith Alexander, calling the decision “a

‘sad day.’” Still, the bishop feels hopeful that the close vote indicates a glimmer of hope for a turnaround at the national level.

“The decision…today means that those living in our nation’s capital are being denied their most fundamental freedom, the right to vote,” explained Austin Nimocks of the Alliance Defense Fund, an organization which specializes in upholding traditional, heterosexual marriages, told Alexander. Nimocks and Jackson believe that the people of D.C. were denied their right to weigh in on legalizing gay marriage since the bill was passed into law in January by the D.C. Council, not by the people of the District.

Therefore, Nimocks and Jackson believe their case stands that the D.C. Council acted against the assumed will of the actual residents of the District of Columbia by arriving to a decision without allowing the people to vote. Ironically, in this instance, it appears that Nimocks and Jackson are, themselves, likewise assuming that the public’s vote would differ greatly from the Council’s vote.

More interesting details lay in the reasoning behind the 4 justices’ decision to challenge the Council’s vote. They were careful to dispel any rumors by explaining to reporters that they voted in favor of an appeal since “they primarily questioned the board’s interpretation of the law that allowed them to reject the referendum” (Alexander, The Washington Post). Therefore,

their vote in favor of the appeal to was more of a question to discover why and how the Council felt it necessary to not allow the public a conclusive vote before reaching their own. The judges of the Court of Appeals made it clear that they do not want to “rul(e) against same-sex marriage.”

Opponents of the appeal feel the Council ultimately made the right choice in voting

without a referendum, since leaving it to the D.C. community would, itself, be an act of discrimination. The logic behind this argument from the 5 judges remains that no one ought to have the final say in whether a certain demographic or community deserves the same rights that they—the voting public— enjoy.

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July 30, 2010 | SOUTHERN VOICE NEWS | 9

Derrick Martin’s Project LifeVest

By B.T. Tidwel Project LifeVest intends to provide a safety net for young people courageous enough to come out and is a testament to the almost superhuman courage of it’s founder Derrick Martin.

Martin was motivated to start this charity by his own recent experience of being kicked out of his family home at the age of 18. He was fortunate that his own plight was extensively and prominently covered in the national media and many offers of help were extended. He knows too well that the majority of youth in similar circumstances find themselves utterly alone with nowhere to turn.

Last spring Constance McMillen, in Tupelo Mississippi asked her girlfriend to be her date for the Senior Prom. This inflamed a local melodrama, and headlines across the country, in which the Prom was cancelled and rescheduled as a private event in order to bar her from attending after the courts supported her right to do so.

In spite of her considerable struggle, her story in the national media inspired Martin to ask his boyfriend to go to the prom at his high school in south Georgia. In that case, the school was understanding and supportive but his parents were not.

At the time, Martin told The Advocate that he came out a year and a half ago, after he told his best friend and his parents found text messages he exchanged with someone he was dating.

“They knew something was up,” Martin said.

“I told them. Then they took my car, my iPod, my phone, my laptop — every way they could think of to try to keep me from communicating with him.

It was really hard back then ... but everything I’ve gone though has made me stronger.”

The media attention surrounding his prom date was too much for them to handle and they put him out of their house. Fortunately for Martin, this was reported in the news, as well, generating

a veritable tidal wave of sympathy and support.

Martin was offered everything from tuxedos, boutonnieres, and Limos for the prom, to a guest appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show. He ended up staying with a friend’s family until he graduated from High school this summer.

A young man who had been through so much could well be expected to spend the next few years emotionally recovering and making long-range plans for his own life. Martin, who has already proven himself to be willing to do the unexpected, has not even let the summer end before reaching out to several established LGBT charities for assistance in starting Project LifeVest.

The charity will provide crisis intervention and support for young people who find themselves at risk because of their sexual orientation. They hope to eventually establish a nationwide network of accredited Safe Houses that will stand by ready to offer a safe haven to young people in need from the surrounding area.

Project LifeVest has allied itself with a number of strategic partners to assist its mission. These include The Trevor Project, which offers a nationwide crisis hotline to the LGBT community; Gays and Lesbians United Against Discrimination; and Sean’s Last Wish dedicated to preventing hate crimes in South Carolina and elsewhere.

As guest speaker at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards, Martin said, “I have a very unique opportunity that I feel I cannot pass up. I have the spotlight needed to establish a name in activism.

I possess a unique viewpoint from which I can help others in the LGBT Community; people like myself who are disadvantaged because of discrimination, hate, or ignorance. That is why I have decided to form an organization dedicated to helping people like me, who are going through hard times because of discrimination.”

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APD Holds Discrete LGBT Town-hall Meeting

By CORINA MORRIS

Sitting amidst a paltry smattering of activists and news personnel, the ‘town-hall meeting’ between the LGBT community and the Atlanta Police Department clicked on without incident on the July 22nd Thursday evening at Inman Middle School. Not that there were not heated civilians with pressing matters to note, there most definitely were. But, as is the case in most incidents like these, no clear answers emerged.

The panel of Atlanta City Council member Alex Wan, Police Chief Officer George Turner, LGBT Liaison Officer Patricia Powell and APD Assistant Chief P.N. Andresen, reactively assembled to discuss safety measures to prevent hate crime against the LGBT community. Mayor Kasim Reed was also in attendance, periodically chiming in to answer questions. The town-hall meeting came about following the hate crime committed against two gay men during the Screen on the Green in Piedmont Park, which sparked outrage in locals July 2nd of this year.

The people had formed a generously spaced yet modestly numbered line behind the only microphone in the Inman Middle School auditorium. The panel answered the, at times, highly specific inquiries from the Atlanta community. Although brought about to handle the July 2nd crime, the meeting took on a broader tone wherein civilians demanded a plan of action from the APD to ensure their protection from not only the public but the officers working “on the beat”, the very people employed to help them.

A young man stepped to the microphone and voiced his personal violent encounter in the area he called “just outside of the Midtown bubble,” an area recognized as being uncharacteristically risky for lesbians and gays. Having moved from Marietta to Midtown in an effort to be more accepted, he was surprised at how threatened he felt just walking in his neighborhood.

A TILTT (Trans Individuals Living Their Truth) spokesperson explored this topic more by blatantly, asking how the community can trust that the police will keep them safe and not resort to brutality against the citizens themselves. Chief Turner hid behind offering a more direct answer by asking the citizens to present their own ideas to help squelch bigoted police brutality. The answer stood: civilian oversight. Give the LGBT

community the power to review and appoint officers to protect the specific needs of the people.

Pastor Troy Sanders, pastor of the web-based church <preach2me.com>, demanded that the APD hold more town-hall meetings at more convenient times for the people. Gently waving his arm indicating to the small gathered crowd, he requested that the officers hold a full conversation with a “full sampling of the community together.”

The pastor also asked if the APD could schedule more proactive instead of reactive meetings, town-halls that did not come about on the heels of recent abuse against the community.

Another inquirer pointedly demanded that gay and lesbian police officers working “on the beat” be open and readily recognizable to the LGBT community thereby creating a degree of trust and open dialogue within Zone 5. Officer Powell quickly explained how such revelation was strictly up to that specific officer’s discretion, underscoring safety issues sadly still in play within the department. Unfortunately, much of the evening continued in this fashion.

Mayor Kasim Reed did make a point to note that since his induction into office, his administration has added 100 more police officers, reinforced monitoring capability by increasing the number of cameras and made LGBT-specific training mandatory for all officers. Officer Turner also added that Atlanta has started researching how other popularly gay cities, such as San Francisco, California and Washington D.C., protect their queer community. Despite this earnest effort, the panel had little to offer in response to other matters, including attorney Dan Grossman’s questions regarding last year’s raid on the Atlanta Eagle. Mayor Reed made it clear the raid did not take place during his administration. While acknowledging this, Grossman asked why APD failed to issue a public apology for the raid; the panel responded that certain legal matters made this virtually impossible.

The town-hall meeting did open the door for dialogue and honest discussion of the issues plaguing the relationship between the APD and Atlanta’s LGBT community. However, as stated by many that night, Thursday’s meeting only set the path for future, lengthy discussions between two polarized groups.

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Forum One Homosexuals View

By BILLY GLOVER In a link on today’s Daily Queer News I recall mention of the FRC saying that homosexual is only an adjective, not a noun. You have a homosexual act, you are not homosexual. That happens to be what ONE and HIC have always said and believed.

It is based on the work of Dr. Hooker and Dr. Kinsey.

My personal definition of a homosexual person is one who has over 50% of his sex acts, by choice, with someone of the same sex. That also covers those who have no act, or dream about having the act, and does not thus include someone who has a homosexual act but would rather have the act with someone of the opposite sex. If the chosen partner could be either male or female (at 50%), then the person is bisexual.

The fact is that all of us have some of the same acts, anal and/or oral, so the person we have those acts with defines whether it is homosexual or heterosexual.

I have also said that if someone is blind, and doesn’t feel the other person, they would not know if the person performing the oral act is male or female.

When those who seem to not be comfortable being homosexually oriented seek some excuse, they start talking about love. But it does not matter why we choose the partner. Our civil rights don’t depend on making the ‘right” choice, just as our civl rights don’t depend on being a certain race or

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choosing a certain religion.

Two people of the same sex could love each other but not be sexually attracted to each other.

And two people could want to marry even though they are of the opposite sex OR of the same sex and have no sexual attraction, but have an economic or other reason. That is why all marriage laws give special rights that are denied to single people amd are unjust. And true conservatives should be the first to get the state and federal government out of making private decisions for citizens-which the Loving case did when it said the state could not decide the race of a marital partner.

The FRC is wrong when it tries to thus say that homosexual Americans can and should “change.’ That also invades our right to privacywhy hasn’t anyone spoken out to support the Ninth Amendment-which this nation’s founders wisely gave us? Anti-homosexuals, including, sadly, many closet queens, say we can and should “change” but we should proudly say, well, maybe we can change, but we don’t want to and in America WE decide who (Adults) we have sex with and love, not the religious fanatics or ignorant “experts” who said we were sick and sinful and criminal for all years past. This is 2010, All Americans are closer to total equal/civil rights. Deal with it. (You will never “get back our country.” “That” country was anti-black, anti-homosexual, anti-women, etc. It was “good” if you were wasp males.)

5 Hey, Squeaky Hinges! I’d like to begin by saying that it’s hot up in here. Like, really.

The sun’s all shining and the clouds are barely covering it up. While I’m not relaxing like I would like to be, I realize that conditioned air is not natural. And not in a ‘duh, it was made by man’ way, but in a... well, yes—exactly in that way.

But what I mean is that we rely on it far too much and, as a concerned Aquarius, I feel it is only right to spread caution for the possibility of an upcoming Apocalypse that may not come with air conditioner. I am not a prophet, but I have eyes, and with these eyes, I see a lot wrong with our nation right now. I see craziness erupting in our country very soon, and there will be no air conditioners to cool down the rage.

It’s probably not in vogue to say, but the United States really has a race problem.

Racism is not just a reality for the daily lives of folks of color or marginalized open bigots anymore—it’s being reported in the news like no other.

We live in a racist nation, and that’s just fact. The United States was a country built on the foundation of a caste system that favored people of European ancestry with fair skin and fine hair over all others. The Constitution, when it was written, referred to white people and it was only after numerous trials were non-whites eligible for citizenship—the Dred Scott decision, for example, ruled that people of African descent were not protected by the Constitution and could never be citizens of the United States.

Our country also closed off its borders to Chinese immigrants with the Chinese Exclusion Act, and when Japanese immigrants came to the country and began assuming the roles that the Chinese filled, the National Origins Act of 1924 banned immigration from east Asia entirely.

Fast forward and we now have a Black president and no federally accepted institutional racism. But that does not help the fact that since his election, the Southern Poverty Law Center reports a sharp rise in otherwise marginalized extremist fringe groups. It’s gotten to the point where the Canadian media reports that America is losing its “grip on reality.” And even though the SPLC’s numbers were later reported to have been inflated, there is proof in the pudding.

Just look at Arizona. It’s like a throwback to the days of the Jim Crow Laws in America, where Black people had to carry around papers. Only now it’s against Latinos by ‘concerned citizens’ who “want their America

back.” Citing from CNN.com, Arizona law basically “orders immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and requires police to question people if there’s reason to suspect they’re in the United States illegally.”

There is nothing OK about that sentence, especially the last part where it requires police to work on their own suspicions and interrogate people. It basically gives cops free reign to stop anybody they deem suspicious and harass them about documents. And before anybody starts screaming that cops have to stop everybody, ask yourself, “is a police officer really going to stop a white man or woman with the same frequency as he would a Latino individual?” If your answer is “yes,” I have nothing to say to you.

Black people have known for generations that based on the color of their skin that police, juries and most mainstream society would have their heads for far less than anything a white person would do. All we have to do is walk down the street and we are suddenly suspects of a crime. It’s called racial profiling. And it is now legal in Arizona.

You’re probably asking yourself what this has to do with gay rights. Well, everything.

LGBT people should know very well what it means to be profiled and discriminated against. While it is not always apparent like a person’s non-whiteness, teenage coming out fiction usually does a very good job of putting into words what it feels like to be gay or questioning in a very structured, very heterosexual world.

Anybody who knows me knows that I am in support of everybody helping everybody. If all of the disenfranchised groups show solidarity and support with other disenfranchised groups, we could all have chance to get our piece of the pie in the sky—whatever that means for our group. Of course, nothing comes for free, so there’ll probably have to be blood and tears and all that jazz, but how can we idly sit by and let these things happen without a peep?

Well, it’s OK, I guess. The Apocalypse isn’t against us right now. Our air conditioners still work, after all. We don’t have to sweat as we watch other peoples’ worlds crumble down— in fact, if they were more like us, they would also have air conditioners.

SAGE NENYUE

Freelance writer for Southern Voice

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Community Fitness Instructor’s Popularity Keeps Classes Packed Modern Square Dance Brings an Old Tradition into a New Millennium

By B.T. TIDWELL For five nights a week, the aerobics room at L.A. Fitness in Ansley Mall is packed. In fact, so packed that crowds of gym rats wait outside the door before class starts, eagerly waiting to dash in and claim a good spot.

What’s going on in there? High impact step aerobics. Some days it is so crowded there is no room for any late comers.

That’s because of the popularity of Scott Farris, the lead teacher at the Ansley Mall fitness center. He has been teaching class for over 25 years, and for over fifteen years his class has been packed. Ask almost anyone who takes his class, once is not enough. Not all the classes at LA Fitness are packed, but if Scott is teaching, you can guarantee a large following.

People love his sense of humor, sarcasm, and music selections. They know coming to his class will be an adventure.

Sovo: How long have you been in Atlanta?

Scott: I moved to Atlanta in 1987 to be with a guy. We were together about a year. We broke up and I moved back to Knoxville. He came back to Knoxville and got me, and then I moved back here in 1989. We broke up again, and I have stayed here ever since. I love it here. It’s incredible. If I ever did move away, it would be back to Tennessee or New York or Los Angeles.

Sovo: You have a very popular class with a huge following. How long has your class been so popular?

Scott: For many years, since step class has been around. Maybe fifteen years?

Sovo: Does teaching step class ever get boring for you? Why do you keep doing it?

Scott: Oh God, yes. It’s just a lifestyle now. I get paid, too. That helps. It is a lot of fun, kind of like a tribal thing. And it’s a great way for me to keep in shape, hear good music, see and wear cute outfits and meet people.

Sovo: How long do you think you’ll keep doing it?

Scott: Indefinitely. I have always thought I would segue into yoga, but I don’t know if I could do that. I try to stay in the moment but plan for the future. I’ll do step until it’s time to not do it, I guess.

Sovo: It seems like step is not as popular as it was in the 1990s and earlier.

Scott: I’ve seen the same people in class for ten years or more. It’s a lifestyle, almost like a club or cult.

Sovo: What’s the secret to such a popular class?

Scott: Knowing people’s names, getting to know people, trying to be inclusive and have fun.

When I was just a member and took class back

in the day, like high impact classes, I loved the group feel. It’s almost like a tribal thing. People don’t go to the club and drink, but they go to the gym and work out together in broad daylight.

It’s kind of like dancing.

Sovo: How do you keep it fun for yourself as the instructor?

Scott: I’ve been teaching since 1986. I’ve been doing step since 1982 when Jane Fonda first came out with her videos. I try to learn new moves, get new music, find new members. I like doing things with members in the class outside of class sometimes. A bunch of us flew to London a few years ago. That was fun! We haven’t done it in a while, but we might get together three times a year and do some fun things. I like to call people out in class and joke around and give a lot of double entendres and inside jokes with people in class. If people knew the real meaning of some of the things I say, some of them might be outraged. People love to hear their name.

Even though it might be embarrassing, I know my limits by getting to know the people in my class. Sometimes people will ask me at the end of class why I didn’t say their names. It’s funny.

Sovo: What other classes have you taught?

Scott: I used to teach high impact (Hi Lo) and have taught cycle, but I think cycle is so boring.

I went from Hi Lo to step and never changed.

Sovo: Step aerobics has a lot of choreography.

Do you have any dance background?

Scott: I have three college degrees from the University of Tennessee. I was in a show group called the UT Singers. There were like 12 guys and 13 women. It was like ‘Glee’ but in college.

Sovo: Music is a huge part of your work as a fitness instructor. What’s your music background?

Scott: I was a trumpet player in the UT marching band. I also played the French horn and took piano lessons. I was a Southern Baptist church pianist and led a choir for a while. I also sang in a choir and sang solos. All of that background really does come into play in my classes. For example, when I coordinate routines I try to teach phrasing with an 8, 16, 32, or 64 count beat. It all kinds of works out.

Sovo: How long have you been openly gay?

Scott: Coming out for me has been in stages. I’ve probably been completely out since 1991. I came out to my family in 1991 or 1992. Before that there was a lot of sort of coming out and going back in. My dad freaked out but my mom was very accepting but cautious. Back then there were no good medications, so they were fearful I was going to get AIDS and die right away.

But I’ve been negative to this day. My family is Republican, Southern Baptist, and from a

small town, but they are very accepting now. I also have several gay cousins on my mom’s side, like six gay guys, no lesbians. It’s very strange but kind of cool. My mom’s first cousin, Roger Mooney, is a producer on ‘All My Children’ and has won several daytime Emmy’s. He and his partner live in the West Village. We go to New York sometimes and he shows us around. His partner is a writer. That has really helped with me because my mom adores her cousin.

Sovo: What is your education background?

Scott: I have three degrees: a BS in Communications and Broadcasting, a BS in Nursing, and a MS in Nursing. I plan to go for my PhD in Psychology. I love to matriculate.

Sovo: Other than teaching step, what is your other job? What do you do?

Scott: I’m a psychiatric nurse practitioner.

I work in two major hospitals in Atlanta. I work as a ‘hospitalist.’ I see patients primarily in medical hospitals and do consultations and psychiatric nursing. For example, someone might come into the hospital with cardiac arrest and go to the ICU. If they appear very depressed, the doctor may order a psychiatric consultation. That’s when I come in to see the person, interview them, discuss the case with the psychiatrist I’m working with, then order medications and counseling, and follow up later. Or when someone comes in after breaking a leg and suddenly begins hallucinating, and it turns out they are an alcoholic but haven’t had any alcohol in three days, they could be going into withdrawal. So I would come onto the scene and order medication for them. I work every weekend, but I like my job a lot. My dad is a doctor, my grandfather was, his brothers were, and my grandmother was a nurse. It’s kind of in the family.

Sovo: What else do you like to do in your spare time?

Scott: I’m always reading a book. I love film and went to film school in California when I was twenty. I went to University of Southern California, who had a summer internship with Universal Studios. I have probably 6,000 DVDs, laser discs, blue ray. I could have a rental store out of my place. I buy them all the time, everything from the silent era to the present.

I’ve thought about getting a Master’s in film studies, just for the fun of it. I have two dogs and two cats, Scottish Terriers. All males.

I’m also very passionate about the TV series, ‘Dark Shadows.’ The original series was on for six years and they have tried to bring it back a few times. There have also been a few movies.

A new version is in the works with Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, and I can’t wait. Johnny Depp will be Barnabas Collins. I just went to a Dark Shadows convention in Burbank. There have been Dark Shadows conventions for over 25 years. Last year was the first one I attended and it was incredible. I like Dragon Con, too. It’s also very fan specific Sovo: Does teaching step class ever get boring for you? Why do you keep doing it?

Scott: Oh God, yes. It’s just a lifestyle now. I get paid, too. That helps. It is a lot of fun, kind of like a tribal thing. And it’s a great way for me to keep in shape, hear good music, see and wear cute outfits and meet people.

Sovo: How long do you think you’ll keep teaching step?

Scott: Indefinitely. I have always thought I would segue into yoga, but I don’t know if I could do that. I try to stay in the moment but plan for the future. I’ll do step until it’s time to not do it, I guess.

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Marietta’s Rainbow Festival overflows with Pride

By ANDREA C. KIRWAN Once known for its anti-gay stance and protests, Marietta, Ga hosted its first gay pride event, the “Marietta Rainbow Festival,” this past Saturday at the gay-friendly bar, LeBuzz, where the bar’s parking lot was a host to over 60 performers and several DJs at the event donating their time to the festive celebration.

Marietta’s own celebrity, Nicole Paige Brooks, who was a contestant on last season’s “Rupaul’s Drag Race,” owned her title as the mistress of ceremonies and post-celebration said, “Finally getting to bed after one of the best days of my life.

HAPPY PRIDE MARIETTA it was amazing“ The celebratory event was organized by the North Georgia Rainbow Coalition and LeBuzz President, Jonathon Murphy. Murphy posted an enthusiastic reaction on Facebook in reponse to the outcome and turn out of that days festivities.

He wrote, “The Marietta Rainbow Festival was awesome, one of the best days of my life. I want to thank my family, my business partner Michael, our NGRC board members, our incredible staff, our 60+ Entertainers who performed, our numerous volunteers, our vendors, MSR and others for donations, and all of you for attending an making history! Apologies to those who could not get in LeBUZZ Saturday night.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!” Murphy’s apology was in response to an overflow of patrons who planned to conclude their night at LeBuzz. Around 10:00 pm the club reached its capacity and a line of people waiting to get in spilled out onto the parking lot on Franklin Rd. The crowd waiting to get in, however, was devoted and determined to make it in once other club-goers began to leave.

Marietta, a suburb inside of Cobb County, became notoriously famous in 1993 when county commissioners approved an anti-gay resolution criticizing homosexuality in response to Theatre in the Square’s production of “Lips Together, Teeth Apart,” a play involving two straight couples who decide to spend their Fourth of July

weekend at house inherited by the character, Sally, whose brother had died of AIDS. According to The Marietta Daily Journal, “The reaction was widespread. National media outlets portrayed Cobb as the “anti-gay” county.

Protesters descended upon Marietta Square. The city’s beloved native, Academy Award-winning actress Joanne Woodward, publicly criticized the resolution. In addition, the measure cost Cobb participation in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic games.”

Times are changing, however, and Cobb County’s first pride festival is only the beginning. “This is not about morality, religion, politics,” Murphy said. “This is about humanity. And this is about equality and civil rights.”

Thirty-three year old Nici Blalock, of Acworth, said, “The Marietta Rainbow Festival is long overdue.” Although she is a straight resident, Blalock voiced that she “has family members and friends who are gay and struggle with being accepted,” and that, “They are a great group of people, they are so accepting of everyone no matter your age, color, shape or size; doesn’t matter. They’re very welcoming.” She showed her support for the cause by joining the North Georgia Rainbow Coalition.

Murphy specifically chose Marietta as the festival location because his bar, LeBuzz, draws a lot of their crowd from North Georgia, which is also the city upon which the coalition is based.

“Atlanta is quite a distance away and they have their own,” he said. “There’s quite a gap between what happens in Atlanta and what happens in Marietta, and we wanted to advocate in north Georgia and Marietta.”

All of the proceeds raised at Marietta’s firstever pride festival will go toward CHRIS Kids, an Atlanta-based nonprofit which assists at-risk youth. “I think this helps us not only get our word out there, but it also promotes our value of diversity,” said Beth Keller, CHRIS Kids development director.

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July 30, 2010 | SOUTHERN VOICE LIFE&STYLE | 19

Life&Style Viceroy Royal Indian Dining

By JOYCE ANN MILLER Talk about not judging a book by its cover…the outside façade of Viceroy Royal Indian Dining is so generically strip mall storefront that unless you knew what delights were held inside you might walk on by without ever experiencing some of the best Indian food I’ve found yet in Atlanta. So, step inside to enjoy wonderfully fresh, well prepared food served by a considerate and attentive staff.

Located off Ashford Dunwoody, in the Perimeter Village Center that contains a myriad of retail stores, somewhat near Perimeter Center West and Perimeter Mall, it can be a bit difficult to find at first. We met a friend of ours who is originally from India, Aditya, there on a Friday night around 7:15 p.m. He was more than willing to offer up suggestions and his take on whether the food was authentic or not! There were a few other tables dining when we arrived. The interior is elegant, lit for atmosphere without being so dim that you’re not able to see your food.

White linen tablecloths, beautiful silverware and glasses and some deliciously crunchy lentil papadum (think thin lavosh style crackers) and

tamarind-mint chutney to spoon on top await you when you arrive at your table.

Our friend had ordered a hot chai to enjoy while waiting for us – Darjeeling tea made with a flavorful spice mix (cloves, cardamom, etc.) which is mixed with milk and then boiled together in water – and had already put in for a popular street vendor dish, Bhel mix. A savory mix of puffed rice, gram flour sev (a slightly salty fried dough snack), crushed poories (tasty little flour pearls), tomatoes and onions. It is served up with sweet and sour chutneys, but the dish is so flavorful that it doesn’t even need the chutneys as condiments.

We ordered the tandoori assorted appetizer to go along with – a combination of tandoori chicken, chicken tikka and lamb boti kebab. The tandoori chicken was tender, smoky from its time in the tandoor clay pot it is named for; the chicken tikka, spiced wonderfully after marinating in its yogurt-spice bath before it’s time in the tandoor; the lamb boti kebabs were tender, marinated in spices and herbs and then broiled. The dish had an assortment of cooked onions and peppers to spoon onto your plate to enjoy with the meats. I sipped on my mango lassi while we nibbled on our appetizer

Preparing Pernil Pork Roast Pernil (pork roast, Puerto Rican style) Pork shoulder or Boston Butt pork roast – 8-10 pounds 9 garlic cloves, peeled 1 generous handful fresh oregano 2 tablespoons Kosher salt 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 cup of white wine 1 cup of water The night before you plan on cooking the pernil, place the pork, fat-side up, in a deep roasting pan and using a sharp knife, put one inch slits across the top of the roast. Turn the garlic, oregano and salt into a paste in a small grinder, food processor or a traditional pilón; transfer to a small bowl and stir in the olive oil and vinegar. Cover the pork with the garlic paste, making sure to push it into the slits on the pork roast, so the f lavor can penetrate the roast and pull some of the moisture out of the pork, helping to ensure the roast will get a wonderful salty crust on the outside. Cover the pork roast well with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight. If you absolutely have to cook it the same day, give it

at least 3 hours in the fridge.

Pull the roast from the fridge and allow it to sit for 30 minutes before cooking. Pour the wine and water into the bottom of the roasting pan – it will help keep the roast moist and give you a base for gravy if you’d like to make that after the roast has finished cooking. If you have one, insert a remote thermometer into the middle of the roast, avoiding any bones. This way you can keep track of the temperature without unnecessarily poking holes into the roast.

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Roast the pork for one hour at 475, then reduce the oven temperature down to 250 degrees F and roast until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 185 degrees minimum.

Letting the internal temperature reach 185 ensures the breakdown of the collagen in the meat into simple sugars – giving the meat that sought-after pull apart tender consistency.

There is almost no overcooking a pernil. Low and slow throughout the day will give you a wonderfully tasty reward to your patience – the meat is succulent, tender, with fresh herb and salt crust to nibble on. Think about an hour per pound and you’ll be justly rewarded!

Remember to let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing, to allow the juices to redistribute into the roast.

Unless you have a horde of folks over to enjoy the pernil, chances are you’ll have leftovers.

They are great in tacos, enchiladas, or as a sandwich filling.

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selections and my sweetheart enjoyed a Kingfisher light lager from India.

I chose the lamb chops; marinated in a delicate blend of spices and then barbecued in the tandoor and served on a hot sizzling plate with grilled vegetables. My sweetheart ordered the tikka masa with fish, salmon playing the part on this evening - served with a deliciously rich creamy tomato sauce, sprinkled atop with fresh cilantro, which was a bright counterpart to the richness of the tomato sauce. Aditya ordered the goat jalfrazie – chunks of goat (delicious, but be prepared to eat around the bones) in asparagus, scallion, peppers, onions, tomatoes and spiced “properly hot” according to Aditya! We also chose a bread basket – containing garlic naan, allo paratha (whole wheat bread stuffed with spiced potatoes and vegetables), and plain naan.

Our dinners were delivered to the table, along

with a bowl of fragrant basmati rice to serve as a bed to our entrees.

The servers are attentive without being obtrusive, offering up suggestions and explaining the levels of heat that you can order your food in. We shared portions and bits of dinners and tried to show some restraint so that we could enjoy dessert.

I ordered up the kheer – a rich, sweet rice pudding made with cardamom and coconut milk, garnished with pistachios. Very cooling and refreshing after a slightly spicy meal. Aditya ordered ras malai, an interesting combination of cheese patty that is floated in flavored creamy milk that is scented of roses and pistachios. Very complex in flavor and texture, but so delicious!

If you’re looking for something a bit different than the normal business week lunch or an elegant dinner out that won’t break the bank, look for Viceroy Royal Indian Dining, you won’t be disappointed.

20 | SOUTHERN VOICE LIFE&STYLE | July 30, 2010

Tone it up! Staying Fit!

By SAGE NENYUE Hey guys! I hope your summers have been happy and healthy thus far and that you’ve been keeping your bodies in tip-top shape.

Personally, I’ve been doing a good job myself of staying healthier than usual—I attribute it to Tone It Up! actually. We all know how the things we say affect our environment. As of lately, all of the topics I’ve written about seem to have reinforced the ideas within my mind—drink more water, avoid dairy like the plague it is, set goals and stick to them. Positive affirmation coupled with a strong resolve will bring about the change you need.

“As above, so below,” is the perfect law for creating change within yourself—you have to first change your mind. Decide on your goals and make them not only possible, but destined to happen. Solidify yourself as the epitome of health within your mind and you’ll find that your thoughts actions change to accommodate this new view of yourself. Of course, “above” is not the only factor in this equation. It’s the

source from which your ideas must trickle down into “below,” or your physical body.

But at the risk of sounding like a Pagan High Priest (which wouldn’t be terrible at all) I’ll give you the facts as they directly correlate to the physical plane. Though your body in the astral plane could use some health tips too, I’m sure.

Heathens.

The Sweet Taste of Toxins What is it with people and the desire to have the sweetest thing the market offers? People will tear apart anything advertised as ‘organic’ as not being sweet enough and therefore not worthy of being purchased. Hold on, switch it and reverse it. This sweetness trend that we’re so bent on lately that’s got us all hyped up on crazed out is the result of marketing gone wild.

If you give people something that pleases them (the sweetness that electrifies our taste buds and strokes our brain’s pleasure center) then they are more likely to purchase the product, even if it is not necessarily good for them.

SOVO.COM It started out by adding sucrose and white sugar into products to make them tantalizingly sweet, but then it turned into something much more dangerous. Something called (and pause for dramatic effect) high-fructose corn syrup.

If anything were ever a poison, surely this stuff is, and it’s killing us slowly. A highly processed sweetener derived from corn, HFCS replaces white sugar and sucrose in processed foods and is described as being one of the factors leading to obesity in America. And America is a pretty obese place these days... Just saying.

The problems with HFCS are many-fold, and it is important to know that the studies being done on the toxic mess are probably going to be going through a lot of political hoops, as HFCS is very inexpensive and therefore a great tool for the producers of the stuff its put into. But don’t let that deter you from searching high and low for the information that would be vital to keeping your body in good shape.

Research done at enableyrhealth.com has a great article about the stuff. “Some studies show that corn fructose is processed differently in the body than cane sugar, leading to reduced feelings of satiation and a greater potential for over-consumption.” Others show that “HFCS has been found to deplete the immune system by inhibiting the action of white blood cells.

The body is then unable to defend against harmful foreign invaders.”

Even the Washington Post ran a story about high-fructose corn syrup last year, citing its toxicity especially toward teenagers, who take in 80 percent more HFCS than the average American (who ingests about 12 teaspoons per day). They also warn about the dangerous levels of mercury found in half of all the tested samples of HFCS. And mercury is no light matter—after all, it is a heavy metal.

“Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered.

We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply,” the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy’s Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies, said in a prepared statement.

And while the point of the article is to push mercury-free HFCS, I say we push all HFCS out of our diet. Remember how I asked you to avoid milk like the Tea Party avoids racial tolerance in the last installment? Well, that’s completely do-able in a week’s time with only a slight chance of relapse. HFCS, on the other hand, is so prevalent on our supermarket shelves that telling you to avoid it immediately would be like asking you to change everything about your diet instantaneously. And trust me, that’s hard. You would legitimately need to read labels before putting anything into your shopping cart, you would have to do your research on certain foods—it would be madness to expect anyone make change so quickly. I will ask, however, that you make the change to leave high-fructose corn syrup alone over time. Give it a couple of months, a year or so even! Heck, I’m still transitioning off of the stuff! But I urge you to really do your research and learn what you can do to kick this poison out of your system and out of your life.

“Well what are we going to eat?” you demand

to know.

“Let’s try the organic game!” I say. Let’s stop messing with processed food! Let’s go out to places that legitimately care for the health of its patrons and support those businesses! Organic is popping; organic is cool.

Being Fruity Ain’t So Bad So now that you know how high fructose is high poison, let’s move on to the stuff that won’t see our immune systems completely cracked in the next half-century: Fruit.

Fruit’s simple. It grows on trees. It falls when it’s ripe. When it’s unfit to eat, it smells bad.

Simple. Long before we decided that we needed to be able to preserve everything, fruit was there for us, growing and whatnot. We ate it as a staple part of our diet. What happened?

We need to get back into healthier, natural eating. That means we need to bring fruit back into our lives. Organic, non-genetically modified fruit.

Fruit is essential for the body. Aside from helping us maintain the correct level of water we need in our systems, it has a mysterious way of making us feel better. It also gives us our daily intake of fiber, which fights corpulence, high blood pressure, and other factors that increase the chance for a heart disease. It also stimulates the memory—if you remember, that’s a good thing.

It is recommended that you eat fruit before fifteen to twenty minutes before your meal so that your body can absorb the nutrients that the fruit have to give you. Optimum health would have you eating 5 to 9 pieces per day. And before you start ho-humming about how that’s too much fruit, consider the fact that a bunch of grapes is hardly a meal with as much as the typical American diet has one ingest. A plum can fit in a half-closed fist. An apple is a healthy alternative to most foods and can actually curb hunger, which would fight against overeating.

Good stuff right?

Exercise Ain’t Never Hurt Nobody Exercise is very important.

I wish I could just say that and stop right there, but that’s never the case. You have to work out your core, your gluts, your pecs, your abs, your triceps, your biceps, your quads, and every other obnoxious shortening of muscle regions that our beloved gym-bunnies know so well.

As I said earlier, there’s walking, running, climbing stairs, shadow-boxing, and a host of other exercises that will help you out. And just as I’m not a nutritionist, I’m also not a fitness trainer, so your particular fitness needs are completely between you and your trainer. And with there being no shortage of LA Fitness centers all around Atlanta, there’s really no excuse for not getting a gym membership.

Unless you’re broke.

And if do have beer-bottle pockets, you can probably borrow fitness DVDs from a friend or get some from a second-hand store. And while we’re on the topic of being broke and having friends, it would probably be a great idea to have a friend to keep up with you and help motivate you as you motivate said friend. It’s hard to get motivation sometimes.

Sunblock, the Sun and the Human Spirit: The Healthy Trinity

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It feels as if we’ve become heliophobic as a pculture, doesn’t it? “Wear sunscreen!” “Don’t ospend time in the sun!” “Do you want cancer?” sI’ve spent every summer I can remember under cthe glory of the sun, and the one summer I didn’t, I got an awful bout of teen angst, a bunch of migraines, a layer of fat that I should have never accumulated and a severe case of slethargy that I claim still has me whenever I tdon’t want to go to class in the morning. n I know it sounds crazy, but my personal experience leads me to believe that the sun nis some sort of energy source and that it is .necessary to the continuation of our lives on dthis planet. And to further this ridiculous stheory, I also believe that some limited time in sthe sun without sunblock may be good for us.

And for those who are blessed to have sarcasm lgo over their heads, unless you are allergic to tsunlight, go outside for at least fifteen minutes yand take in the sun. I find that I have much less stress when I just walk around outside on a msunny day and relax. r Personally, I think absurd amounts of ysunblock is bull for people who aren’t parading raround on the beach all day. My family does not ,often do the beach and we see no need for an texcessive amount of sunscreen. We might apply oa light layer on exposed skin if we intend to be ,outside for more than two hours in the sun’s rays, but mostly, we don’t use tanning beds and ewe don’t frolic at noon. Frolicking should be oreserved for mornings, evenings and meadows ewhen the sun is not at its zenith. d Anyway, my grandmother is very dknowledgeable when it comes to herbal health, sand modern western medicine is finally hbeginning to realize that it can learn much e m y b .

t o r d e o

, f t s e d s o .

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July 30, 2010 | SOUTHERN VOICE LIFE&STYLE | 21 from non-European sources. We knew about this particular anti-cancer way before the study was done in 2001. Along with light application of sunblock and plain common sense about when the best time to go out is, hot black tea with the peel of a lemon is very effective in combating skin cancer.

“Citrus peel in the tea was found to have more than a 70% reduced risk for skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), whereas black tea alone meant a 40% reduction,” concludes University of Arizona researchers. It is important that the tea is hot—if it’s cold, it is most likely diluted.

Spinach is also effective. In 2006, the Queensland Institute of Medical Research did a study that concluded that a high intake of green leafy vegetables including spinach cut the risk of reoccurring skin cancer by 55% in those individuals with a history of skin cancer.

Another good green is broccoli, which, when its essence is extracted, actually works as an excellent topical ointment for sun-induced inf lammation and redness. Wear your broccoli well.

Nelly Furtado said that all good things must come to an end. But if your lifestyle’s not all that savory, I suppose like Celene Dion’s heart, it will go on. You can’t be a hot mess forever—it really isn’t that cute! Get your life together! Eat right, live well. You really only get one life on this earth.

And if you start on a reincarnation tangent, that still doesn’t take away from the fact that you need to still better yourself with every lifetime. That’s right—I just cut a hole in that like I do into the core of my pineapples. Mmhmm. But really, do your research and tone it up!

People Wearing Clothes

By ANDREW MEDLIN As promised, in an effort to help us better understand Atlanta’s fashion factions, here is our first installment of BTA-T. In our first installment we examine two rare and dissimilar breeds of the Atlantis-Homomundis population, the venomous Trust-Fundicus Particus, and feral Beardadus Furripilosis.

Check out next week’s BTA-T for further analysis of who’s who, and what it has to do with you.

Classification: Trust-Fundicus Particus Diet: Mainly surviving on a liquid diet of gin and champagne, Trust-Fundicus seems to have replicated a system of photosynthesizing nutrients by combining various finely ground, pollen-like, inhalants with a strict regiment of fake-tanning in order to function. This solid-free diet, though efficient, causes TrustFundicus to be a highly volatile and aggressive breed of gay; much of their time in the wild is spent one bickering, fighting, and gossiping as a result. The only exception to their liquid/ powdered diet seems to be a weekly ritual they call “brunch” where they consume vast quantities of food and drink, which they then purge in an effort to stay waifishly thin.

Habitat: The W Midtown, Aurum, Opera, Hotel Palomar, The Livingston, El Bar, Top Flr, other “it” restaurants, Blakes, Saks, Barney’s Co-op, Sid Mashburn, Drew Lewis, Zara, Club Monaco, rooftop pool parties, “the lake”, anywhere with a photographer, guest list, or cover charge.

Visible Markings: A true chameleon, Trust Fundicus changes his markings periodically in an effort to be current. Lately he has been observed sporting tall hair, cut close on the sides to add height. Depending on the season, he utilizes bow ties, waistcoats, cardigans, camisoles, blazers, fashion-watches, fedoras, scarves, rings, bracelets, and various other brand-name accoutrements to attract and bedazzle his perspective prey as well as identify with his compatriots in the wild. TrustFundicus derives his name from the large wad of daddy’s money visibly burning a hole in the back pocket of his uber-tight, cropped, rolled, or cuffed jeans.

Known Predators: Frail and dainty by nature, Trust Fundicus finds himself susceptible to attack from much of the Atlantis-Homomundis population who mistakes him for the more supple Submissivus Minimus. Fortunately for Trust Fundicus, his tongue is equipped with a naturally venomous

neurotoxin, built up from years of nicotine and self-loathing, which Trust Fundicus can use to stun his predators. This venomous has the unfortunate side effect of being lethal to his lovers as well, condemning Trust Fundicus to a lonely, hungry, existence filled with halffriends and trivial pursuits.

Classification: Beardadus Furripilosis Diet: Not blessed with a particularly discerning pallet, Beardadus may be observed eating around the clock. With a preference for BBQ, fast food, and other high-calorie repasts, Beardadus strives to simultaneously gain girth and social status through constant grazing. His penchant for beer, poppers, whiskey and other stimulants does not seem to deter Beardadus from his insatiable appetite for high-fat, high-carb, high-calorie cuisine, a pastime he indulges in with a ferocity that can be dwarfed, only by his love for breeding.

Habitat: The Eagle, Burkharts, The Heritic, The Three Legged Cowboy, Woofs, BJ Roosters, Felix’s, Trips, New Order, Army Surplus Stores, Gun Shows, Craigslist, Flex, Eros, Public Restrooms.

Visible Markings: Named for their prominent fur coat, Beardadus is often observed with a bald or shaved cranial region, emphasized by various manifestations of facial hair which they use to denote social rank. There seems to be a direct correlation between the amount of hair being displayed

by Beardadus and his sexual virility; hence, in preparation for mating, the most desirable mates will often display their fur coat freely, in the hopes of snaring a mate in their tangles.

The more body mass one has to grow fur, the more effective said mating ritual seems to be, thus, Beardadi tend to be of huskier stock, though not exclusively. Beardadus may be identified in the wild by his awkwardly tight, moose-knuckled, high-waisted, acid-washed jeans (possibly ripped near the buttocks) and some form of work/biker boot. Uncomfortable with subtlety, chains, leather straps, and handkerchiefs are worn as social coding during mating season to attract specific partners.

Known Predators: No know predators.

Beardadus, being the largest and most openly aggressive subspecies in Atlanta, enjoys an open season on weaker forms of prey.

Beardadus, however, will often opt to stick to himself, hunting mainly within their own highly complex hierarchic system, venturing out occasionally to breed with Clauses Infidus.

22 | SOUTHERN VOICE SCENE | July 30, 2010

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July 30, 2010 | SOUTHERN VOICE SCENE | 23

Scene Catching up with Marcy Darcy

By JESSE A. HANCOCK Best known for her role as Marcy D’Arcy on “Married... with Children,” Amanda Bearse is a true Atlantan. Although the actress/director was born in Florida, she and her family have ties to Atlanta that go back to the 1800s.

Now living with her teenage daughter, Zoe, and commuting back and forth to Seattle to be with her new wife, and to L.A. to produce various projects, Bearse is busier than ever.

She appeared on and directed close to 50 episodes of Fox’s “Married . . . With Children” between 1987 and 1997, but she is also famous for her performance in the 1985 horror film “Fright Night.”

Bearse studied acting at New York City’s Neighborhood Playhouse under instructor Sanford Meisner and earned early fame as Amanda Cousins on the soap opera “All My Children” between 1981 and 1984.

Bearse has been publicly out as a lesbian since 1993. She recently married her partner Carrie Schenken. They have two daughters.

Sovo: Congratulations on getting married recently. Where did you go for the ceremony?

Amanda: We went to Vermont. Everyone there was great, just authentically supportive.

It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, you’re gay. We voted for that.’ For the first time in my life it felt sort of like how it must feel to be treated like a straight person. Everyone was like, ‘Congratulations,’ and not because it was the PC thing to say. We then had some family time in Connecticut and all went to Seattle. Carrie and I just bought a house there in Seattle, where she has been living with her daughter.

Sovo: You live here in Atlanta. Will you be moving to Seattle with your wife?

Amanda: I will travel back and forth and sometimes my daughter, Zoe, will go with me, but Zoe has two more years of high school. I didn’t want to move her, nor did she want to be uprooted. We have a good life here in Atlanta for her, and that’s the way it needs to be. Carrie has her life with her daughter there. When Zoe heads off to college or music school or whatever she decides, then we’ll leave Atlanta.

Sovo: You were on ‘The Joy Behar Show’ recently, and Joy pressed you for some information about your wife. Do you try to protect her privacy?

Amanda: I didn’t know Joy was going to ask me about that, and I started talking about the wedding. She goes, ‘So, who are you marrying?’

And you could see me on camera go ‘I don’t think I should say her name right now, but she’s a beautiful woman and she’s in the green room.’

There is no shame or anything; her life is just private. She owns her own business.

Sovo: How long have you lived in Atlanta?

What is your connection here?

Amanda: I have a lot of family history here.

My family has been in Atlanta since the lottery in the early 1800s. My father was born on Cheshire Bridge Rd. when it was a dirt road.

I used to do all the gay clubs there in the late 1970s. The house he was born in is still there, and we actually still own some of that low lying land there near The Heretic. And the radio towers, those are owned by my family. There has just always been a strong family connection here. Most of my family goes to Rock Springs Presbyterian Church. Zoe and I go there.

My family gave part of our land to start that church back in the 1800s. My mother grew up in Ansley Park, and her father was on the lead design team for The Fox Theater. He was a partner for a period of time with the architect who did The Swan House and The Fox. That’s our little claim to fame.

I was born in Winter Park in Central Florida and moved back here. My father kept getting transferred back and forth, but all my aunts and uncles and cousins were here. I lived here for a chunk of time as a kid but most of the time in Florida. When I graduated high school I moved back here, so I’ve always considered both places home. This is the first time I’ve lived here as an adult, and it’s really cool.

Sovo: You are most recognized for playing Marcy D’Arcy on ‘Married . . . With Children.’

What was it like being on that show, and are you anything like Marcy?

Amanda: We look sort of alike, but it has been twenty something years. It still amazes me that people recognize me. She’s well meaning, and so am I. She’s a little more high strung than I am, but at the time I played her I was probably more stressed out. Living in L.A. and working in the industry is pretty intense. I’ve always had a great fondness for Marcy. Things just grew really kooky on that show. It started becoming a Road Runner cartoon and Al Bundy was Wile E. Coyote. One moment he’d be blown up, and the next he’d be fine. We just rolled with it, but it afforded me a second career. That’s where I started directing. I will always be grateful for my time there. I directed probably close to 50 episodes. We did so many! I have now been directing nineteen years, which is longer than I’ve been acting.

Sovo: Which do you prefer, acting or directing?

Amanda: They’re like apples and oranges, but I think I prefer the expansiveness of directing. With acting you’re just sort of one piece of the puzzle. With directing you have more of the full scope, which is more creatively challenging.

Sovo: Do you still keep in touch with anyone from the cast like Ed O’Neill or Christina Applegate?

Amanda: Not really because they’re all in L.A., and I never really had show business as the center of my life. I just never wanted it that way. It was my work. That’s why sitcoms worked for me. I could work all week and then have a weekend. I wasn’t on location for a film for three months. I don’t have any animosity or anything toward any of those guys. It’s just that distance separates you.

Sovo: Most recently you’ve been directing The Big Gay Sketch Show on Logo. How fun is it working with Rosie O’Donnell and such a great cast?

Amanda: We just finished our third season.

They re-run episodes all the time, which is like: whatever. Logo is a little frustrating sometimes, but it was important for me to be part of making history because I never thought in my lifetime there would be a gay network.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race” is their big blowout hit, but those who like our show stick with us.

It’s silly fun. We have a very talented group of people. Scott King is the head writer and executive producer. He and I worked together at “Mad TV” for years. When we were starting this show I said if they could get Scott we’d be good. Rosie is not very involved, but she has been gracious enough to come on a few times and do those sort of ‘Muppet Show’ bits. She did some with Chaz Bono last season and this season with Sharon Osborne. We’ve recently gone to ratings, so if we can get the good ratings we may get picked up for another season. We haven’t heard yet.

Sovo: You’ve been publicly out as a lesbian since 1993, when you were 35. Do you regret not coming out sooner?

Amanda: I was already living out. I never really lived in, but the entertainment industry, just like the climate of the country, was not really as supportive as it is now. That’s the power of coming out. It is always that person’s choice when and where. I am not a proponent of outing people, although I do get frustrated at people who talk out of both sides of their mouths. The tabloids had sort of dabbled with me, but it wasn’t until the birth of Zoe that they really came after me. It was such a sacred time that I didn’t want to sit back and let them bastardize the story. I decided to tell it. I did an interview with The Advocate, and that was sort of organically the right time for me to do it. I was in the middle of ‘Married . . . with Children,’ and everyone there already knew that I was gay and were very supportive.

I was quite fortunate in that way. I didn’t have a lot of producers freaking out. Coming out has made me much more integrated in my life, as I think it does for anyone who comes out.

You don’t have to compartmentalize or faction anything off. If you can bring all of who you are to anything, especially your work, it’s just going to make it stronger and more authentic.

That’s one of the joys of being with ‘The Big Gay Sketch Show.’ These young gay actors can just show up, and to see that in my lifetime is just a great thing. They have such talent and integrity with who they are as human beings.

Coming out affected my work and my life in such a great way because both areas of my life are so integrated.

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Amanda: There are always challenges. I think there are more doors opening. I watched ‘The Real L Word’ and was pretty grossed out. It’s trash. My reaction might just be my generation, but the fact that it’s even on is remarkable. ‘The L Word’ had such a great run. ‘Queer as Folk.’

There are gay characters all over. Ed O’Neill’s new show ‘Modern Family’ has a strong gay story line in it. There has been progress and expansiveness. It’s more challenging for gay men because there has always been that element voyeurism of heterosexual men to gay women.

Heterosexual men are more threatened, and maybe women, by homosexual men. That kind of old stuff still lingers.

Sovo: What do you think of the gay scene in Atlanta? How does this town compare to being gay in other larger cities?

Amanda: Surprisingly, some of the bigger cities don’t have as much of a cohesive community as Atlanta, but I find this community to be fairly disenfranchised with men and women. There is a divide. One of the cities I travel to is Dallas, TX, and it’s like ‘gayville,’ but it’s all men and women in clubs and restaurants. It’s all about community, and I was really struck by that. I don’t have a sense of cohesiveness in New York. Things change so much, but there has always been a real separation of men and women. In L.A. there is also pretty much a separation. In Seattle there are a lot of lesbians. I think I heard a statistic recently that there are more lesbians than dogs there, haha.

July 30, 2010 | SOUTHERN VOICE SCENE | 25 Sovo: We continuously see a divide between gays and lesbians and even within each group.

What do you think should be done to stop this from happening?

Amanda: I think Pride is an opportunity for that to happen, but I don’t think it’s happening anymore in general, not just in Atlanta.

We’ve sort of lost our way. There needs to be a different perspective about Pride to bring us as a mature community because of where we have been as an out gay community. There is an opportunity to do more with that culturally with Pride. There is more we can do to bring cohesiveness to our community.

Sovo: What else are you working on? What’s next?

Amanda: I’m really working on personal life now and waiting to hear what’s going to happen with ‘The Big Gay Sketch Show.’ It has a special place for me. We also have some other irons in the fire. I’ve been working on a speaker forum. I plan to go around the country talking at colleges. When you stay on the planet long enough and have some life experience, people have said to me, ‘You should tell your story.’

And I think, who cares? But there have been enough people encouraging me to tell my journey, and I think colleges are a great venue to keep breaking down those barriers and walls of discrimination and let young people know there is nothing to be scared of here. This is my story, and hopefully people will glean something from it and hopefully be entertained along the way.

Kylie Minogue’s Comeback…as a Lesbian

By ANDREA C. KIRWAN It is official, pop star Kylie Minogue will be playing a tattoo covered lesbian in “Jack and Diane,” which is set to release in 2011.

Juno Temple and Elvis Presley’s granddaughter, Riley Keough, star in the movie as teenage lovers. A source reported that, “Kylie does have one love scene where she kisses a girl.

Her fans will be surprised to see her in this role, but her performance is good.” Minogue, who is well known for her role in the Australian soap “Neighbours,” has not been seen on the big screen since her appearance in “Moulin Rouge” in 2001. Other notable works include her role as Cammy in 1994’s “Street Fighter” and a scientist in the Pauley Shore film “Biodome.”

First Showing wrote, “It’s called Jack and Diane and it has some infamy because, in brief, it’s the ‘lesbian werewolf movie’ in the works. When we first reported on it, it had Ellen Page and Olivia Thirlby starring, now it’s Juno Temple (Year One, Mr. Nobody) and Riley Keough (The Runaways, Elvis Presley’s granddaughter) instead. The NY Post also recently confirmed that singer, actress and allaround hottie Kylie Minogue has also joined the cast as a ‘heavily tattooed lesbian’.”

Jack and Diane is a movie about lesbian were-wolves. IMBd’s synopsis wrote, “Jack and Diane, two teenage girls, meet in New York City and spend the night kissing ferociously.

Diane’s charming innocence quickly begins to open Jack’s tough skinned heart. But, when Jack discovers that Diane is leaving the country in a week she tries to push her away. Diane must struggle to keep their love alive while hiding the secret that her newly awakened sexual desire is

giving her werewolf-like visions.”

The 42 year old pop star was seen recently with fake tattoos covering her neck, back and arms, and wearing ripped skinny jeans and ankle boots while shooting a cameo for the movie.

Minogue spoke with the media earlier this month and spoke of her desire to return to acting.

“I have created this music world for myself being a pop star and naturally stay inside it only. But now, I would like to work in some independent films,” she said.

But Minogue’s return to film is not the only comeback she has made lately. On July 6th of this year she released “Aphrodite,” her eleventh studio album, to the US. “Aphrodite” is her first album in three years after “X” which was released in 2007. The album did not fair well with US audiences.

“Aphrodite” debuted at number one on the UK chart. Minogue’s record label, Parlophone, describes the album as “Minogue celebrating her dance-f loor roots” which is all dance pop and contatins no ballads. The lead-off single “All the Lovers” is comprable to her 2004 hit “I Believe in You” which is defined by its dance pop synthesizers.

The music video for “All the Lovers” contains pansexual themes while depicting an orgy.

Some critics noted the number of same-sex couples featured in the video. The same-sex couples, Minogue explained, “payed homage to her gay audience who helped propel her initial success,” she said of the music video after its release.

IN or OUT? Meet the Designers on PR S8

By ANDREW MEDLIN As we prepare for yet another season of fashion’s favorite show, I can’t help but wonder: is anybody watching? Perhaps, in an effort to garnish more viewers, Proj Run has commandeered SEVENTEEN would-be-designers for upcoming season 8, premiering this Thursday (July 29th) @ 9pm EST. This season’s episodes will be a buttnumbing 90 minutes long, though the show’s format and content will remain much the same; the extra 30 minutes will no doubt be eaten up by even more tense, percussive montages that simultaneously threaten the designers fate while engaging in shameless product placement. I’m surprised they haven’t started selling ad space on poor, unemployed, Nina’s frown-lines, or just strip Heidi’s naked and cover her with promos for Blue-Fly and Wal-Mart. Maybe for season 9.

That being said, who doesn’t love this show?

For almost 5 years it has captured the hearts and attention of all of us wanna-be fashionistas, as we sit back and watch our fellow aesthetes compete to be apart of a world we can only dream of.

Project Runway teaches the world just how hard it is to be a designer, and just how competitive, grueling, and non-objective the fashion world can be. So let’s watch!

Wait! I can’t find it! What channel is it on? Oh! That’s right: Lifetime (Whomp Whomp). Not quite the same, is it? I have to be honest; I quit watching after it left Bravo; I swore I wouldn’t, but

I did. I don’t even know why really, I like Lifetime, I watch Ellen… I dunno. I think it’s that Lifetime doesn’t really say fashion, to me. Lifetime says, like, “Lifetime presents; Jennifer Love Hewitt’s portrayal of the journey of a youngish girl as she deals with issues of pregnancy, sexuality, bulimia, partial-birth-abortion and racial unrest alongside her paraplegic brother, played by Shirley MacLaine.” Not so much, fashion.

Tim Gunn, however, does say fashion. Isn’t half the fun of the show seeing his horrified reactions at some of the shlock these crazies send down the runway? Plus, you get The Bod, The Tan, and The Bags (under Nina’s eyes) chiming in with their crackpot opinions. So, tune in, check it out; at least it’s not the crap show with Isaac Mizrahi.

But what about the designers?! Well, here it is: a comprehensive breakdown of who they are (pretending to be) and what you need to know about them. Basically, who’s hot, and who’s a hot, tranny mess. If you don’t feel like reading the whole blurb, I’ve gone through each designer’s online portfolio and rated them with an IN, OUT, or MEH. So let’s meet the designers: Snooze alert: Ivy Higa, 30, formerly of Hawaii, is as bland as sugar-free tonic. At first I thought her sketches were kinda cool with these tough, draped, samurai babes, but seeing her stuff, I realize it’s a little gimmicky. She does all this detachable/reversible craziness, but without the

time to agonize of her craftsmanship, I’ll bet she’ll fall to pieces. She’s trying to have a personality, but I bet her goody-two-shoes façade is going to crack, big time. She’s deff forgettable, and possibly a crier. MEH. Peach Carr, age 50, seems a little cookey.

She wears a lot of black, occasionally mixing it up with these neon appliquéd pants and a monogram. She calls herself “preppy,” loves kitschy, Irish American décor and reminds me of my mom. Hopefully she won’t be another Wendy Pepper. She’s funny though, making tops she calls “mullet-wear; business in the front, party in the back.” Deff hit or miss, but mainly miss. She clearly has no taste, but who knows: Even a blind hog finds a truffle once in a while.

Recent SCAD grad, April Johnston, 21, makes me want to punch her in the face. Like many of her no-talent classmates, she too comes across as spoiled, vapid, and derivative. She describes her work as “a dark, tattered doll,” and it reminds me

of cast-off costumes from Buffy, season 3. I hope this gothy, neo-punk princess can sew, because if I wanted to see another drunk, entitled, hipster complain about how rough their life is, I’d talk to my exes. At least she’s a lush.

Michael Drummond, age 31, from St Louis, Missouri, opened his mouth and a purse fell out… but not even a cute purse. We’ve all met this guy; with his typical gay voice, super deep V, and constant need for attention. He may be sweet, maybe he was nervous, but he came across as a little superficial. I mean, the poor thing always wears a hat, thinking no one will notice he’s balding.

Plus, he’s “obsessed” with everything; and that’ll get old real fast. His ‘innovative’ knits collection seemed unoriginal, and certainly unmarketable.

There’s no way he’ll make it through the show. At least he’s entertaining. MEH. Jury’s out on Cleveland native, Valerie Mayen.

At first I thought she had a stupid face, and an annoying voice, then I realized she was a

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SOVO.COM total nerd, which was a pleasant surprise. Her collection was a little modern, urban, blah; a little forgettable at first, until she showed this cute, fanny pack (“that doesn’t suck”) and I was intrigued. She showed this sleek jacket, which was clearly well made, and I thought, “I think I like her.” Then she said “caplet” and I was sold. Her aesthetic is a little 1960’s, space-race, retro mod, which I love. She creates all of her own patterns, which will help her on the show, but she still probably wont make it to the end. Who knows?

She might put up a good fight. MEH. AJ Thouvenot, 26, is; also a deep-V wearing queen from St Louis, but is thankfully cuter and than MD. I knew right away: this one’s gunna be a crier. Current designer for Trashbiscuit, a line that looks both over-the-top and lackluster, this neo-raver/party boy (sans parachute pants) seems fixated on embellishment, and clearly lacks restraint. This boy can’t dress to save his life. He’s so small-town, OTP-gay, it’s re-dic: he actually said he thinks graffiti is “so cool.” Yeeesh! At least his collection should be amusing to watch. MEH. 32 year old Mondo (yes, that’s really his name) Guerra is a bit of a mess. He tries real hard to look like some modern, Hispanic Andy Warhall, but comes across as a complete train wreck (so, not far off). He uses cheap materials (vinyl) to make skillfully sewn, yet over-designed, retro lingerie that makes me gag. I hope he doesn’t stay on the show long; he’s not a bad tailor, I just can’t stand him. Even his little gay dog seems embarrassed to be seen with him. OUT. Nicolas D’Aurizio – 32, deserves a punch in the mouth. Somebody please kill this no-talent clichgay before he invades our airwaves. He still has highlights for eff-sakes! He’s just a disaster; he wears ripped jeans, loves a graphic tee, and I’m pretty sure was wearing Spanx. You’re not fooling anybody, sister! He called himself a “really big reader,” and loves “Twilight,” and his husband. I have no comments on his ‘collection,’ save, that he can’t sew for shitake. Oh, and he’s deff a crier.

OUT. In the grand tradition of divas that should already be dead, Casanova, 33, from Queens (appropriately) has chosen to have only one name.

His hobbies include, drinking coffee, meditation, and speaking in a voice that makes me ears want to bleed. His collection, on a good day, looks like cheap, trash, that would make a dead nun look easy. I truly hate him. This little Puerto Rican treasure has no taste, and is clearly affected in the cabeza. Can we kick him off first, please? Also, his “English is a little slowly:” Enjoy. OUT. Let me just say THANK GOD for Gretchen Jones, 28! The serene creator of MothLove, her ethereal, rich-hippy, clothing line out of Portland.

She uses flowy, organic, hand-dyed materials to create subtly innovative, and very wearable sportswear. She seems sweet, down-to-earth, and loves to go thrifting. I just love her to death!

Her line is mainly in neutrals, and comes across an unpretentious, understated, and very current, yet vintage-inspired. She even makes tie-die look chic! She needs to win. I think she’s IN. I’m always dubious of a white girl with dreads, as is the case with McKell Maddox, 29, from Utah. She has cute style, but I wish I could say the same thing about her collection. She enjoys patchwork, twinsets, and other things that make me want to die. She’s a mom (Yikes!) and likes

July 30, 2010 | SOUTHERN VOICE SCENE | 27 to be comfortable. I’m betting she’ll be pretty inconsistent. She’ll shell out some forgettable, overwrought hippy sacs before the judges get rid of her. She has a cute gay husband, though – wish he were on the show. MEH. Who knew they made emo gaysians in Hawaii?

Well, it’s lucky they do, because 23 year old Andy South, is a force to be reckoned with. Currently producing over 100 gowns a year (himself), Mr. South can sew his Oahu off. He does these elegant hombre dip dyed pieces, many based on contemporary Asian culture. Sound cheesy? It’s not. He built this blouse with cap sleeve modeled off of a Chinese lantern that blew my mind. He describes his personal style as “asian punky goth,” donning abundant chains and vinyl straps, admitting, “it gets a little S&M sometimes.” He makes his own denim, which fit impeccably well.

I can’t wait to see his men’s wear. In closing, he’s a hot tranny mess, but I think I like him. He’s totally IN. Michael Costello, 27, a portly queen from Palm Springs, CA, does not have a traditional Greek physique, or a chance in Hades of become a designer. His work is poorly sewn and would be forgettable, if it weren’t so tacky. On the plus side, he makes fat awkward fat jokes a lot and has metallic alligator shoes. Oh wait, those things are bad too. OUT. Sarah Trost, 27, from North Hollywood is a quirky little treasure. Coming from background as a costume designer her work is, well, costumey, and definitely lacks cohesion. That being said, I like her personal style and aesthetic philosophy, “I love hideous things,” describing her work as “kind of ugly”. Reclaiming and hand dying vintage pieces (like her infamous Kitty Dress) did not, however, impress the judges. In fact, Tim was rude to her during interviews. It’s actually a miracle she was cast. I don’t think she has a shot in hell of winning, but she’s charming and loves tacky stuff: IN. San Fran native, Christopher Collins, 30, is a breath of fresh air. His work encapsulates the best aspects of American design. He makes elegant, restrained, classic pieces using comfortable cottons and stretch denim. His work is not particularly original, but when it reminds me of Lanvin, it can’t all be bad. AND, like many brilliant designers, he has heinous personal style.

He has clearly lost weight for the show, and isn’t quite used to his new self, but we can forgive him for that, because his clothes are beautiful. He’s IN. Jason Troisi, 33, is the only straight (acting) designer on the new season, and rather charming.

Landscape designer by trade, this fashion newbie may not know how to sew, but has a bowler hat, so he can’t be all bad. He wears tight clothes over a tight body, and acts butch: I’m sold. I can’t tell if he’s straight, but he’s not really cute enough to lose sleep over. I do like that he uses topstitching thread for the whole garment. All in all, I would say his work is pretty, fitted, innovative, and interesting. He’s IN. After researching Philly native and graphic designer, Kristen Simms, 39, I found myself wondering one thing: is she high? Elbowing into the industry as a T-shirt designer, Simms seems to have developed a penchant for clothes with minimal structure, favoring blousy draped pieces over ones that are well… well made. She does some frumpy, reversible, mock-functional stuff that makes me yawn. I don’t think she’ll do that well on the show, seeing as she has no taste and can only produce deconstructed shlock. OUT.

HEAR ME OUT

By CHRIS AZZOPARDI

weepie that sounds like a lullaby, is also sublime.

But otherwise, Lifted Off the Ground is mostly standard singer-songwriter turf: the sagging production isn’t often piquing and her lyrics aren’t exactly as cutting as probably intended, both of which fault the clumsy “Object of Your Rejection.” But, as Wright said, this feels like her first album; she’s just been lifted. Wait till you see her f ly.

Grade: C+ Also Out

Andy Bell, Non-Stop The new-wave band Andy Bell was born from, Erasure, had a knack for bundling heavy issues in breezy, head-hogging synth-pop.

On Bell’s second solo outing, his approach is both celebratory and world-weary, but lost in a monochromatic mix that distills its colors over time. It’s a disco-glam frenzy of drum machines and electro madness, but several of the 10 songs instantly snap: “Running Out” is a robotic, laser-laden listen and “Will You Be There,” a heart-to-heart woop. One of a couple ballads, “Subject/Object,” never ignites, rhythmically f latlining unlike its much better mate, the hypnotic soul of “Slow Release.”

There, his voice ripens to its 46-year-old age, and, in fact, rarely ever reaches for that famous falsetto throughout the set’s entire 37 minutes.

Bell and producer Pascal Gabriel – who has Kylie Minogue and Little Boots cred – certainly play to their club-hungry queers. “Non-Stop” is a druggie’s dream come true, pure blitz that’s as euphoric as they come. After that, he goes even gayer: “DHDQ” is an über-campy tribute to drag queens who try to outdo Debbie Harry and, with Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell, “Honey If You Love Him” summons something as nauseatingly dizzying as drinking while dancing ... non-stop. (Available June 8) Grade: BChely Wright, Lifted Off the Ground Country got a queer recently – at least publicly – and now everyone’s questioning the timing of Chely Wright’s “I’m a lesbian” announcement and the release of this, her seventh album. However you feel, as someone born and bred in a conservative platform, it was a bold move. Stepping toward it is what’s gleaned this collection of heart-on-sleeve songs that drift from her country upbringing and into folkie territory, but barely comes off as audacious as her big reveal. Not a bad thing, necessarily: Wright’s musings on doubt, relationships and freedom don’t shout her lesbianism from the rooftop (pronouns are nil), instead shooting for a mysterious haze that allows for open interpretation. One of the album’s few insta-melodic moments, “Heavenly Days” feels like more than it should because of her outing with lines like, “Dare to be different, dare to be true.” “Wish Me Away,” a lovelorn

Hanson, Shout it Out Boy band, whaaat? Even if this trio of “MMMBop” brothers carries that limiting label on their eighth album (!?), they’re breaking out the blues for some big-people pop that’s about as sunny as cruising the SoCal coast. It doesn’t get much more fun than “Thinking ’Bout Somethin’,” a getting-over-you groove that’s infused with a summertime sweetness, or the piano pop of “Make it Out Alive.” Clouds roll in on “Me, Myself and I,” a mature breakup song with a big (broken) heart, beautiful harmonies and the proof that Hanson is so much more than naysayers thought. (Available June 8)

Court Yard Hounds, Court Yard Hounds Even if Natalie Maines sat this one out as the Dixie Chicks sisters – Emily Robison and Martie Maguire – returned to music with this side project, the spitfire’s voice on “Ain’t No Son,” about a father rejecting his gay kid, is there in spirit. Otherwise, this is like a Sheryl Crow sound-alike, rich in affection and melody, especially on “The Coast,” a breezy roadtrippy tune, and the life-isn’t-what-it-seems “Fairytale.” Some is coffeehouse forgettable, but that last song, “Fear of Wasted Time,” really hits you hard.

Glee: The Music, Vol. 3 – Showstoppers How gay can Glee go? Way over the rainbow, apparently: More Kristin Chenoweth, two Lady Gaga covers (“Poker Face,” acoustic; a by-the-numbers “Bad Romance”), Neil Patrick Harris doing “Dream On” and the Olivia Newton-John/Sue Sylvester “Physical” pairing.

That ’80s camp classic hits the ’mo mark, but the vocodored remake ... showstopping? Hell no. These, however, are: “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” “Beautiful” and a version of “I Dreamed a Dream” that shows Susan Boyle who’s boss.

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Q Puzzle

Q Scopes ARIES (March 20 – April 19):

You’re making the most of the people around you, which not only makes you an ideal manager, but also means that it’s that much easier for you to get ahead. Keep driving yourself and others.

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20):

It’s a great time to take care of your own business -though that could include work projects, community programs or other tasks that are personally driven but still affect others.

GEMINI (May 21- June 20):

You are sure to get bossed around this week -- but not by the people you expect! Your best friend or partner turns into a tyrant for a few days, and while you may not like it, at least it doesn’t last too long.

CANCER (June 21- July 22):

Your mood swings are all over the map lately -except for the calm center! You may find it easier to indulge your dramatic flair at home than at work, but no matter where you are, people take notice!

LEO (July 23 – August 22):

You should have a firm grasp on what you need right now -- and should also be ready to go for it! Your commitment might have a lot to do with your desire for a better situation at work or at home.

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22):

Kick back and live a little this week -- your funloving attitude should go a long way! Coworkers and neighbors should enjoy the vibe you’re giving off, so be sure to mix it up a little.

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22):

CAPRICORN (December 21 – January 19):

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21):

AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18):

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 20):

PISCES

You are feeling somewhat stuck right now -- but patience is the best way out! Limitations that seem incredibly restrictive now are sure to be lifted in the near future, so hold on for a little longer.

You’re feeling inspired to handle the next big wave of business with even more than your usual levels of skill and finesse. It might not be all that romantic, but you sure do get the job done!

Your mind lately has turned toward the aesthetic side of life -- music, art, theater and other creative pursuits. Make sure that your people are on your side as you find new ways to explore life.

You’re finally recognized for your contributions to the workplace, the home or wherever else you’ve felt under-appreciated lately. Your good energy helps you make real progress, too!

You may spend much of the week backtracking or working to little purpose if you can’t discipline yourself. It’s one of those times when you’re sure that your energy can be better spent.

(February 19 – March 19):

You are even more helpful than usual, largely because your friends or coworkers are having a hard time figuring out which end is up -- whereas you can plainly tell what’s going on.