SOUTHERN WITH A GAY TWIST
07.14.17 V8-14
Cut Short
Gay Daddies times Three By Erika Prins Simonds By Erika Prins Simonds
page 28
TRANSGENDER TEEN KILLED IN ATHENS, GA PAGE 22
page 31
juxtaposed photography by Todd Sevile
Contents
FENUXE
07.14.2017
07
CALENDAR: 8 GREAT THINGS TO DO
11
MUSIC BEAR TURNS UP THE MUSIC
18 22 31 36 38
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Don’t miss Drag Queen Storytime at Ponce City Market today with Edie Cheezburger. Edie will entertain and read books in her typically energetic fashion. 3 – 4 p.m., POSMAN BOOKS ATLANTA, 675 PONCE DE LEON AVE. N.E., C197, ATLANTA, GA 30308
JULY 22
MUSIC
GAY BOYS NIGHT OUT Saturday, July 22
Broadway actress and performer Idina Menzel will get the gay boys out in droves tonight at 8 p.m. at the Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30308.
July 27-29
Atlanta LGBTQ theater group Out Front Theater Company opens the world premiere of the reboot of “Zanna, Don’t!,” set at Heartsville High, where everyone is gay – well, almost everyone! The show runs tonight through Sunday at 8 p.m., 999 Brady OUTDOORS
JULY 29
JULY 25
Ave., Atlanta, GA 30318 www.outfronttheatre.com
PRIDE NIGHT AT THE BB&T ATLANTA OPEN! Tuesday, July 25
It’s Pride Night at the BB&T Atlanta Open and you’re invited! Purchase a ticket and join us for complimentary food, adult beverages, and some excellent tennis at the pro event on the men’s tour at Atlantic Station!
FAMILY
FLOWER HOUR AT GARDEN*HOOD
GAYMER NIGHT
Pick up your flowers for the season and feast on snacks and wine. Donations benefit Atlanta Pride Committee.
Join Atlanta Pride and OutWorlders for a night of gaming. We will offer over 50 games from strategy to charades.
Saturday,July 29 @ 5:00 pm 8:00 pm
Garden*Hood, 353 Boulevard SE Atlanta, GA 30312
MUSIC
Thursday,July 27 @ 6:00 pm 10:00 pm
Phillip Rush Center Annex, 1530 Dekalb Avenue NE, Suite A Atlanta, GA 30307
Use the promo code PRIDEBBTAO
FRISKY MONKEY & THE HOLLOWS AT SMITH’S OLDE BAR Saturday, July 29
Join the Frisky Monkey & The Hollows at Smith’s Olde Bar from 7 pm to 9 pm. 1578 Piedmont Ave NE Atlanta, Georgia, GA 30324 (404) 875-1522
JUNE 24
Saturday July 15
DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL
PRIDE
05.03.15 JUNE 27
DRAG QUEEN STORYTIME AT PONCE CITY MARKET!
ART
JUNE 29
JULY 15
FUN
JULY 27-29
CALENDAR
COMMUNITY
WET DEMONS MARGARITA BUST @ZOCALO Saturday, July 22 2p-7p
The Atlanta Wet Demons are going to the Gay Softball World Series in September! Come celebrate with them as they host their first-ever Margarita Bust at Zocalo. .
07: July 14, 2017
YOU MATTER AND SO DOES YOUR HEALTH
That’s why starting and staying on HIV-1 treatment is so important.
WHAT IS DESCOVY®?
DESCOVY is a prescription medicine that is used together with other HIV-1 medicines to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years and older. DESCOVY is not for use to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. DESCOVY combines 2 medicines into 1 pill taken once a day. Because DESCOVY by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1, it must be used together with other HIV-1 medicines.
DESCOVY does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses, you must keep taking DESCOVY. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What is the most important information I should know about DESCOVY? DESCOVY may cause serious side effects: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. DESCOVY is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking DESCOVY, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking DESCOVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health. What are the other possible side effects of DESCOVY? Serious side effects of DESCOVY may also include: • Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking DESCOVY. • Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking DESCOVY if you develop new or worse kidney problems. • Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being
more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. • Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. • Bone problems, such as bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. The most common side effect of DESCOVY is nausea. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away. What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking DESCOVY? • All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. • All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Other medicines may affect how DESCOVY works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Ask your healthcare provider if it is safe to take DESCOVY with all of your other medicines. • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if DESCOVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking DESCOVY. • If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see Important Facts about DESCOVY, including important warnings, on the following page.
Ask your healthcare provider if an HIV-1 treatment that contains DESCOVY® is right for you.
IMPORTANT FACTS
This is only a brief summary of important information about DESCOVY and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment. ®
(des-KOH-vee) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DESCOVY
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF DESCOVY
DESCOVY may cause serious side effects, including: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. DESCOVY is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking DESCOVY. Do not stop taking DESCOVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.
DESCOVY can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About DESCOVY” section. • Changes in your immune system. • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. • Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. • Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. • Bone problems. The most common side effect of DESCOVY is nausea. These are not all the possible side effects of DESCOVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking DESCOVY. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with DESCOVY.
ABOUT DESCOVY • DESCOVY is a prescription medicine that is used together with other HIV-1 medicines to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years of age and older. DESCOVY is not for use to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. • DESCOVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others.
BEFORE TAKING DESCOVY Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis infection. • Have any other medical condition. • Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. • Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. • Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with DESCOVY.
GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about DESCOVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more. • Go to DESCOVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 • If you need help paying for your medicine, visit DESCOVY.com for program information.
HOW TO TAKE DESCOVY • DESCOVY is a one pill, once a day HIV-1 medicine that is taken with other HIV-1 medicines. • Take DESCOVY with or without food.
DESCOVY, the DESCOVY Logo, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: April 2017 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. DVYC0057 05/17
MUSIC
MUSIC BEAR TURNS UP THE STATIC
R
apper Music Bear Tony Banks describes himself as a gay, black man with the fun of Missy Elliot, the swag of LL Cool J and the dance moves of Heavy D.
Born in Brooklyn in the early 80’s, he grew up during the golden era of hip-hop. Early on in his musical journey, Music Bear dreamed of being a vocalist. He sang in church and wrote R&B songs and poetry. As he matured, he found himself gravitating towards hip-hop. Despite the misogyny and homophobia that exists in hip-hop, he believes that at its core, hip-hop is love. He calls it soulful, empowering, fun, beautiful and caring. It’s the music industry that prizes money and cars and labels women as hoes that he blames. “Hate is a learned behavior. No one is born homophobic but when hip-hop artists spread that message to millions of people, it catches on and after being around for a few decades, it’s hard to break away from.” “However, not impossible,” he adds. Music Bear is hoping to inspire change in the culture by staying true to who he is as a gay man and an artist. In his upcoming album, “Yes Homo,” he tackles issues like love, lust, partying, the state of hip-hop and police brutality. It’s meant to be a full depiction of what it means to be a black, gay, male, hip-hop artist in 2017. His first single, “Static,” is out now. We
spoke to him from his New York home. What is like to be gay and black today? To be black and gay in hip-hop today is as hard as it was in the 80’s, but things are changing. The next generation won’t care so much about who you sleep with. The young kids in the hip-hop community today are making superstars out of genderbending artists and it’s very exciting. Everyone has a story to tell. I’m telling mine and I’m just so glad someone is listening. Have you experienced racism in the gay community? You can’t escape racism in 2017. It’s just easier to be more bold about it hiding behind a keyboard like in the gay apps. I’ve been called the N-word, Monkey, and more, and I’ve seen screen grabs of others conversations. It still occurs in the bars too. We have to continue to bring these issues and discussions to light in order to grow as a community of minorities. Why is it important for you to address topics like police brutality in your music? I talk about police brutality in my song, ‘Run’, featuring LGBT artists EarthTone and JwlB. I wrote that song at a time when there were many cases pending and lots of cops getting off. Black Lives Matter marches were in progress and I had to get my feelings out. It’s a really powerful house track that is getting great buzz in the UK. Coming soon to the US. The first song from your upcoming Yes Homo is “Static”. What inspired the track? I know too many people who stay in relationships that aren’t healthy. I was one of them a few years ago, but my ex and I are good now. When it comes to ‘Static,’ the writing of this track started, oddly enough, as a freestyle one very early morning while I was still half sleep. And I just kept writing as if someone I loved was doing me and themselves wrong and enough was enough. It was time to break free. It touches a lot of people and I am proud of that. Hopefully it helps someone. Why did you decide to make it the first track off Yes Homo? When I recorded the track, it felt right. It sat well with me and I felt that it was something people needed to hear as a
BY CASEY ARESA
national introduction to me finding myself as an artist. So far, so good. Why did you name the album Yes Homo? Is it because people are surprised to learn you are, in fact, gay? In hip-hop culture, it’s become normal to say, “No Homo” after saying something that may seem of a homosexual nature. Almost as a cover to boost ones masculinity. “Damn that test was hard…No Homo”. “I like that shirt…No Homo”. As if being gay is a bad thing. So I’m saying, “Yes Homo”. “Yes” to all things perceived as gay. “Yes” to loving who the hell you want. “Yes” to living your life. “Yes” to being free. You’re not a stereotypical homo in that you don’t drink and you’re not into drama. Has that made it difficult for you to ingratiate yourself within the community? I don’t believe that there is a stereotypical homo. That’s an image pushed by media that we know to be very one sided. We are all different and that’s what makes us a rich community of diverse people. But no, I don’t drink often and I’m not into drama. That would be me if I were straight too, but because the gay media often likes to push a certain image of what’s acceptable in the gay community, I do have to work harder to be accepted for my talents. You don’t see a lot of people like me in magazines and on TV. In those times I remind myself that my music is for everyone so I bring it to everyone from all walks of life. That’s the joy of being an artist. You advise gay men to try something different every once in a while. Break from monotony. Cut the static. What new things are you trying this summer? I’m working on becoming a DJ as well as a recording artist. Why not, right? The reason I say to try something different every once in a while is I want people who listen to my music and watch my videos to not be afraid to shake things up. You might just enjoy it! In fact, I know you will. To learn more, musicbearonline.com.
visit
https://www.
Follow on Facebook @ MusicBearTonyBanks/, Instagram @ musicbeartonyb/ and Twitter @ musicbeartonyb
FENUXE.COM : 11
OUT & ABOUT
12: July 14, 2017
PHOTOS
ARMORETTES SHOW AT HERETIC PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
“New you, new life”
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OUT & ABOUT
14: July 14, 2017
PHOTOS
OLD FOURTH WARD ART FEST PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
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*Available only when you close on a New home in the Towns at Druid Hills Community pursuant to a contract you sign on or between 7/1/17 and 7/31/17. *Receipt of up to $5,000 in Closing Costs and an additional special Lender credit is contingent upon buyer closing a loan with our affiliated lender, CalAtlantic Mortgage or, where permitted by seller, another seller preferred lender, and obtaining title insurance and closing services from our affiliated title company, CalAtlantic Title Atlanta, LLC. The offer to pay closing costs does not include payment of prepaid taxes, property or mortgage insurance, or mortgage installments. Pre-payments of HOA assessments are typically subject to lender limits. **Receipt of up to $25,000 Use How You Choose Credits is subject to limits. Seller provided credits may be applied to upgrades, options or reduction of sales price. Upgrades and options available solely through Seller’s Design Center. Availability of items may vary by community. Offer does not have any cash value. The combined value of seller incentives, credits and other seller contributions may exceed lender limits established for the loan program for which buyer qualifies. Buyer should ask his or her lender about the impact of such limits. Prices, plans and terms are effective on the date of publication and subject to change without notice. Depictions of homes or other features are artist conceptions. Hardscape, landscape and other items shown may be decorator suggestions that are not included in the purchase price and availability may vary. CalAtlantic Mortgage, Inc., NMLS# 203897, Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee License #24225, 8660 E Hartford Drive, Suite 200A, Scottsdale, AZ; 1000 Mansell Exchange West, Suite 210, Alpharetta, GA License #68278. CAATL363
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Correction issue V8_13 FENUXE.COM : 15
OUT & ABOUT
16: July 14, 2017
PHOTOS
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PHOTOS
HANNAH THOMAS AT EDDIES ATTIC PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
OUT & ABOUT
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PHOTOS
LOST-N-FOUND YOUTH CENTER GRAND OPENING PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
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*Available only when you close on a To-Be-Built home in the Enclave at Druid Hills community pursuant to a contract you sign on or between 7/1/17 and 7/31/17. Receipt of up to $5,000 in Closing Costs and Additional Lender Credit is contingent upon buyer closing a loan with our affiliated lender, CalAtlantic Mortgage or, where permitted by seller, another seller preferred lender, and obtaining title insurance and closing services from our affiliated title agent, CalAtlantic Title Atlanta, LLC. The offer to pay closing costs does not include payment of prepaid taxes, property or mortgage insurance, or mortgage installments. Pre-payments of HOA assessments are typically subject to lender limits. The combined value of seller incentives, credits and other seller contributions may exceed lender limits established for the loan program for which buyer qualifies. Buyer should ask his or her lender about the impact of such limits. Prices, plans and terms are effective on the date of publication and subject to change without notice. Depictions of homes or other features are artist conceptions. Hardscape, landscape and other items shown may be decorator suggestions that are not included in the purchase price and availability may vary. CalAtlantic Mortgage, Inc., NMLS# 203897, Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee License #24225, 8660 E Hartford Drive, Suite 200A, Scottsdale, AZ; 1000 Mansell Exchange West, Suite 210, Alpharetta, GA License #68278. CAATL363
“A MASTERPIECE! ONCE YOU’VE SEEN IT, YOU’LL FIND IT HARD TO SETTLE FOR LESS EVER AGAIN.” —The Wall Street Journal
AUGUST 15-20
FoxTheatre.org/Paris • 855-285-8499 FENUXE.COM : 21
BY TRUDY RING
COMMUNITY
Cut Short TRANSGENDER TEEN KILLED IN ATHENS, GA
S
eventeen year old Ava Le’Ray Barrin from Athens, GA., has become the 14th transgender homicide victim of this year. Every single one has been transgender women of color. Barrin was shot during a fight in the parking lot at her apartment complex and died shortly thereafter at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center. According to the AJC, Jalen Breon Brown, 21, who apparently knew Barrin, has been charged with murder and is currently being held in Athens-Clarke County Jail. Brown, who claimed selfdefense, also is a transgender woman. Both she and Barrin were misgendered by the AJC and by the Athens Banner-Herald. “Like too many transgender victims of violence, Barrin’s name 22: July 14, 2017
and gender were misreported by local law enforcement and media outlets,” said a statement released by the Human Rights Campaign. “Announcements that fail to respect transgender victims’ identities not only upset the victims’ loved ones, but may lead to additional violence by creating the perception that law enforcement will not protect transgender people or pursue their attackers.” Transgender blogger and advocate Monica Roberts was the first to report that a shooting victim described using male pronouns in Monday reports by the Athens Banner-Herald and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was, in fact, Ava Le’Ray Barrin. “What saddens and infuriates us as an organization that seeks to represent and empower Black trans women is that Ava was just 17 years old and hadn’t even had a chance to follow her
Ava Le’Ray Barrin
dreams yet,” the organization Black Transwomen, Inc.—for which Roberts serves as media chair—wrote in a statement. An obituary on Bazaar Daily called Barrin “a girl who loved to make people laugh” and “unapologetically real.” She “will be remembered as a person who wanted nothing more than to have fun in life,” the obit read. On the same site, a friend said she will dedicate her appearance at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City in September to Barrin. She asked supporters to wear T-shirts bearing Barrin’s name, and she invited Barrin’s mother to appear with her.
Barrin’s death only confirms an alarming trend: At 2017’s midway point, there have already been over half the number of reported murders as there were in 2016—a number that fell somewhere between 22 and 27, according to varying estimates from LGBT rights groups. Behind those terrible numbers are tragic stories of brutal violence and unimaginable loss—stories about transgender women being shot, repeatedly stabbed, their bodies callously discarded. This April, for example, 27-year-old transgender woman Kenne McFadden was found floating in the San Antonio River after an apparent homicide. It is unclear whether the actual number of annual transgender homicide victims is rising or if reporting is simply growing more accurate—but it seems clear that violence against transgender women of color is not abating. Although the motive in the Barrin case remains uncertain, Roberts attributes the perpetuation of violence on a national scale to both transphobic rhetoric from the anti-LGBT right—particularly the “predator lie that is exacerbating tensions” as state legislatures try to pass anti-transgender bathroom bills—and to cultural stigma. The demonization of men who prefer and like to date trans women and along with the demonization of trans femininity also plays a part in this violence —and it needs to stop. Transgender women are often killed by intimate partners. For example, in 2015, Texas College football player Carlton Champion Jr. received a life sentence for murdering a transgender woman he was dating named Ty Underwood. During the trial, a defense attorney for Champion Jr. referred to the shooting as an “isolated incident.” 2015 would go on to become the most violent year on record for transgender people in the United States at the time, only to be eclipsed by 2016’s death toll. The murder of Ava Le’Ray Barrin only makes it likelier that 2017 will be the third year in a row to be declared the deadliest on record for transgender Americans.
BY TRUDY RING
COMMUNITY
14 Members of Our Family Have Been Violently Killed This Year Last year was the deadliest year on record for transgender Americans, with 27 homicides reported, most of the victims being women of color. Six months into this year, 14 trans people have been reported murdered here in the US. The actual number killed in any given year is likely much higher, as often the media and police misgender victims, or their deaths are not reported at all. They will never be forgotten.
24: July 14, 2017
1st
4th
MESHA CALDWELL, 41 Mesha was found shot to death on January 4th along a rural road near Canton. She was a hairstylist and Make up artist and was well-liked in the community.
Tiara Lashaytheboss Richmond, 24, died Tuesday morning, Windy City Times reports. She was shot in the chest, arm, and hand.
2nd
5th
Jamie Lee Wounded Arrow is the second reported trans woman to be killed this year, following the death of Mesha Campbell in Mississippi, which is being investigated as a homicide.
Jaquarrius Holland, 18, was shot to death February 19 in Monroe, Mic reports. Local media misgendered her, but a friend confirmed to Mic that she was a transgender woman.
3rd
6th
Jojo Striker, 23, was found dead in a garage February 8, local media report. She had suffered a single gunshot wound to her torso.
Nationally known performer Chyna Doll Dupree has become the fifth transgender person reported murdered in 2017.
7th
11th
Jaquarrius Holland, 18, was shot to death February 19 in Monroe, Mic reports. Local media misgendered her, but a friend confirmed to Mic that she was a transgender woman.
Sherrell Faulkner, 46, died May 16 at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte as a result of the November 30 attack.
8th
12th
The 38-year-old victim, who after some delay was identified as Alphonza Watson, had a gunshot wound to the stomach.
Kenne McFadden, 26, was found floating in the San Antonio River on April 9, but her death was not classified a homoside until June.
9th
13th
Chayviss Reed, 28, of Miami has become the ninth transgender person reported murdered this year.
Josie Berrios, 28. She lived in Ithaca, New York, and was described by those who loved her as a proud transgender woman of color.
10th
14th
Brenda Bostick, 59, died Thursday at Bellevue Hospital She had sustained a severe head injury. The injury was the result of a beating and ruled her death a homicide.
Ava Le’Ray Barrin, 17, of Athens, Ga., has become the 14th transgender homicide victim of 2017, and she is also the youngest.
REVIEW
By: Terri Schlichenmeyer
BOOK REVIEW:
“SURPASSING CERTAINTY” When you were twenty, you wanted only to impress.
If people looked at you, wasn’t that good? You wanted to be seen, watched, adored by those you saw as desirable. But what, exactly, did you want people to notice? Was it your hair, your body or, as in “Surpassing Certainty” by Janet Mock, was the whole you on display? At age nineteen, Janet Mock should never have been where she was, three nights a week. Her Thursday-through-Saturday schedule was meant for women over 21; that was the legal age for dancing as a stripper in a Waikiki clubs, but the proprietress of the club jokingly offered to “give” Mock two of her own birthdays, and that was that: Mock was a dancer, albeit a self-conscious one. She was afraid that someone could spot her secret. At a very young age, Mock knew she was a girl in a boy’s body. Her mother looked the other way while Mock wore feminine clothing and grew out her hair, and she ignored when Mock started taking female hormones as an adolescent. After saving every penny, Mock flew to Bangkok to finalize her transition at eighteen; months later, she realized that nobody saw her as anything but a pretty black woman. But the club, well, money was good there and she settled in. She sometimes made a cool grand a week, and she didn’t have to sleep with customers; the club’s owner, in fact, urged her girls not to do so. “Love can wait,” she’d said, but when Mock met the man she’d ultimately marry, there was no reason not to take the plunge. He was a Navy man who took Mock’s truth in stride, but the two grew apart: Mock quit dancing before she quit the marriage to move to New York City to attend college, where she felt empowered as 26: July 14, 2017
a woman in control of her life. She made friends, decided what she wanted to do with her life, landed the job of her dreams and, “I was home.” Filled with florid prose and swoony drama, “Surpassing Certainty” is one of those memoirs that feels like a long conversation. That can be a good thing, and it can be bad. In speaking directly to readers, author Janet Mock offers an aura of girlfriendship. We’re privy to many details – maybe even too many – and the information is meted out as if we’re all Sex-inthe-City in a bistro somewhere on a Sunday afternoon. And yet, this conversation doesn’t seem to have a point. Mock writes at great length about stripping. She tells about her many loves, fusses too much about her appearance, and shares thoughts about men that reflect her youth at the time. Except for a juicy admission of omission in her last book, this seemed like a lot of navelgazing. Heavy sigh. If you read Mock’s first memoir and are eager for more, by all means, find this one because you’ll love it. For most readers, though, “Surpassing Certainty” may not completely impress. By: Always Overbooked... Terri Schlichenmeyer The Bookworm Sez, LLC bookwormsez@ gmail.com
By David R. Morse
Pride, Prejudice, And The
Rainbow Flag
The city of Philadelphia kicked off pride month with the introduction of a new rainbow flag, a design that includes two additional stripes, one black and one brown, to symbolize the inclusion of LGBT people of color. But instead of bringing inclusivity to the LGBT community, it’s been a touchstone for outrage. And it’s shown something disturbing about our community: Many believe that there is more separating us than uniting us.
The flag issue has cut two ways. On the one hand there are those who say that the stripes are needed because the experiences of LGBT people of color aren’t represented by the original flag. On the other side, there are those who feel that the additional stripes are an unnecessary alteration to an essential LGBT symbol, a symbol that already includes a message of diversity and that the addition needlessly politicizes the flag. It’s hardly the first time that there have been redesigns of the flag, and I do believe that any group of LGBTs has the right to imbue it with its own unique identity. Many pride flag variations have already been created. There are flags for transgender folks. For bears. For leather guys. Even yachters who are gay.
Nazi Germany: the pink triangle that gays wore in concentration camps. In the early gay liberation movement, some felt it was important to take back that symbol, making it a reminder of what had, and should never again, happen. Designed by Gilbert Baker, in 1978, the original pride flag, was meant to have a more uplifting connotation than the death symbolized by the triangle. It had eight colors all meant to represent different qualities. At the top was hot pink, which represented sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow signifying sunlight, green for nature, turquoise to represent art, indigo for harmony, and finally violet at the bottom for spirit. Over time, the flag was cut down to six colors (pink was cut because the dye was hard to obtain and turquoise was cut to give the flag an even number of colors, so it could be flown as two halves in a San Francisco march). Note that none of the stripes were meant to represent actual people, or groups within the LGBT community. At least not until the late 1980s, when a black stripe was added (in some flags) to represent those who had succumbed to AIDS.
A little back story might be helpful. The original rainbow flag was meant to replace another symbol for gay people oppressed in
In my mind, there’s no reason why colors can’t be added. There’s no reason why stripes can’t represent one or more of the many identity groups under the LGBT “And there are years of umbrella.
“no Asians, no Blacks, sorry just a preference” lines in personal profiles that people of color feel is a stab in the heart more than a benign preference.”
I’m also not saying they should. I am saying that if a group thinks it’s important to do so, if it can start
a constructive dialogue about who feels included and who feels left out, then add the stripe. Clearly, there are many LGBTs of color who do feel like they’ve been left out. Isaiah Wilson, director of external affairs for the National Black Justice Coalition, recently said that the LGBTrights movement “has been whitewashed.” “Black queer and trans folks have always been there, but our contributions have been devalued.” Let’s face it. There is racism in LGBT circles. LGBT people of color legitimately have urgent issues, like policing and incarceration and economic survival that many – though not all, surely – white LGBTs don’t have. And there are years of “no Asians, no Blacks, sorry just a preference” lines in personal profiles that people of color feel is a stab in the heart more than a benign preference. And then there’s this new thing of alt-right – let’s call them white supremacist – leaders attracting gay white men into their fold. Let’s hope it’s a much smaller phenomena than the news suggests.
Just last weekend, the Chicago “Dyke March” banned Jewish pride flags featuring the Star of David that were brought by people who wanted to show their queer, Jewish identities. Some marchers said the flag was anti-Palestinian and, therefore, made them feel unsafe. One New York Times op-ed contributor said she was glad about this incident because it clarifies her belief that every form of social oppression is not necessarily linked to every other form of social oppression, at least not in practice in the real world. Wherever one might stand on these issues, a new dialogue on intersectionality in the LGBT community has begun. Or maybe it’s continuing with a new twist and some new voices. And that’s good. Because as I see it, even though discussions may be divisive – whenever there are humans, there are strong disagreements – the more discussion we have, ultimately, the more likely everyone will be fully represented. And by fully represented, I mean in society, not just on a piece of fabric.
FAMILY
GAY DADDIES: TIMES THREE
J
By Erika Prins Simonds
ustin Ruehs and Adam Smeets tried for two and a half years with three surrogates before finally getting pregnant... and then they learned they were expecting triplets. The arrival of Harper, Collins and Emmett in June has been celebrated in the media worldwide. Even before then, the family first made news when they won an IKEA Facebook contest for a “room makeover.” The homewares company filmed a video of the expecting dads receiving a fully-furnished baby room. Next, the news caught on that they may have been the first gay couple to have triplets using both of their DNA. The pair recently appeared on Ellen after a close friend wrote to the comedian about their story. On the show, she had a personalized “Our Daddies Were on Ellen” triplet stroller rolled out onto the stage for them. She promised to cover the family’s diaper costs until the kids grow out of diapers and the photo service company Shutterfly added a gift of $10,000. “Ellen was a whirlwind of excitement,” Justin says. The attention has brought both encouragement from around the world and some unwanted attention. “National TV is a bit scary, especially when you know Ellen’s audience is so
big. We wanted to make sure that we not only represented our story, ourselves, our family, but that we were also a good face for LGBTQ families,” Justin says. “What’s really been upsetting is that a lot of international outlets—and even some local—are running stories about us that we didn’t even know about,” Justin says. Some publications have, without permission, used a frame from a local TV story that shows Emmett’s face. “I don’t have a chance to tell them, ‘You’re not allowed to run my child’s photo.’” Adam says he was particularly affected by strangers’ speculation about whether or not the couple deserved the gifts, arguing that there are other families out there with more need. “No one knows the volume of work that has had to go in to make this happen,” he says. The couple’s pregnancy expenses increased the moment they learned they would have triplets — each child carries an additional surrogacy fee—and continued to grow with the high-risk pregnancy and complications with the surrogate’s health after birth. “That $10,000 isn’t even 10% of what we owe,” he says. Even though the birth of their children made news around the world, the couple hesitated to tell anyone when they first learned they were expecting. A miscarriage last year had left them weary of sharing the news too soon.
“We told our families a year prior when we were pregnant—and it’s just really hard to make the calls back and say you’re not pregnant anymore,” Justin says. “I think with the triplets, we just wanted to focus on making sure that everything was going right — making sure that they were healthy, making sure that they were growing right.” They told their employers first, out of necessity. They would need to save up the whole year’s worth of time off and use it all at once to stay home with their newborns as long as possible. Then they told their immediate family and each of their best friends. And so although only a few people knew it at the time, they quietly began preparing to grow their family. “We’ve learned through the process you have to be joyful when you’re to be joyful,” Justin says. They moved to a home in the suburbs
that was more affordable for a big family than their downtown Chicago home. When they found a good sale on baby clothes or diapers, they would stock up. The couple welcomed three healthy babies in June. “In the beginning, because they were born early, they had to eat every three hours,” Justin says. That would take about an hour. Then they would need to go down for a nap. “Then you would have, like, an hour. You could go take a quick nap or get one thing done.” Around the clock, the couple worked together like a team — a very sleep-deprived team — to keep the newborns fed, bathed and their diapers changed. Adam’s parents came to live with them temporarily to help. They began early sleep training after two and a half months. Now the babies “work” during the day, practicing with tummy time, sit-me-ups or play mats. They still eat every three hours while the sun is up. “About six in the evening is the witching hour for the kids, so we’ll kind of take them for a walk in the neighborhood,” Justin says. The family walks for about an hour and returns for the babies’ final feeding before their eight o’clock bedtime. They only eat again at four in the morning. Though the feedings are fewer, they’re still logistically complicated with two parents and three babies. First, for that early morning meal, they’ll grab the two most in need of feeding. Then, while one dad feeds the third kid, the other heads to the kitchen to sterilize bottles. “We’ll use that 30 minutes to get our housework done for the day,” Justin says. “I think it would be impossible for us to go through a day without a schedule. Because if we didn’t, we would always be feeding, we would always be changing diapers.” The couple has returned to work and relies on a nanny four days a week and Adam’s parents on Fridays. “It’s a new type of exhaustion where you’re just kind of zombie-like. You have to function, so you do,” Adam says. “We’re now eight-o’clock-bed people and five-o’clock morning people, which I never thought I would be.” The babies are now old enough that they watch their dads as they walk around the room. All the late nights, exhaustion and financial woes fade away, if just for a moment, when one of the babies looks up and smiles at their daddy. “That’s kind of your first reward, when they start smiling at you,” Justin says.
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34: July 14, 2017
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JAY-Z REVEALS HIS MOM IS A LESBIAN ON NEW ALBUM 4:44 Rapper Jay-Z has just dropped his much anticipated album 4:44, in which he apologizes to his superstar wife, Beyoncé, and reveals his mother is a lesbian. Ahead of its release not much was known about the album except that it might be a response to Beyoncé’s Lemonade. In Lemonade, Beyoncé revealed Jay’s infidelity and how she almost left him. Jay-Z released 4:44 on his music streaming service Tidal and it didn’t take long for the album to get personal. The first track Kill Jay Z refers to the infamous footage of
‘STUNNING VICTORY’ AS US SURGEONS GENERAL CALL FOR AN END TO INTERSEX SURGERY Intersex advocates are rejoicing at a paper released by three former US Surgeons 38: June 30, 2017
Beyoncé’s sister attacking Jay in an elevator after the Met Ball in 2014. In the title track 4:44, Jay raps: ‘I apologize often womanize / Took for my child to be born See through a woman’s eyes / Took for these natural twins to believe in miracles / Took me too long for this song / I don’t deserve you.’ But one of the most surprising revelations comes on the album’s third track, Smile, when Jay says his mom, Gloria Carter, is a lesbian. ‘Momma had 4 kids but she’s a lesbian/had to pretend so long that she’s a thesbian/ Had to hide in the closet, so she medicate. ‘Society shame and the pain was too much to take/Cried tears of joy when you fell in love/Don’t matter to me if it’s a him or her.’ Jay’s mom then gets a feature role on the track with a spoken word performance about her sexuality:
Generals. They called for an end to forced medical surgeries on young intersex people. Dr Joycelyn Elders, Dr David Satcher and Dr Richard Carmona were the 15th to 17th Surgeons General respectively. A US Surgeon General is the head of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) and leading spokesperson on matters of federal public health. The three condemned genitoplasty and other procedures, which are
Image via AP Press
Gay News At A Glance
Gloria Carter’s outro Living in the shadow Can you imagine what kind of life it is to live? In the shadows people see you as happy and free Because that’s what you want them to see Living two lives, happy, but not free You live in the shadows for fear of someone hurting your family or the person you love The world is changing and they say it’s time to be free
But you live with the fear of just being me Living in the shadow feels like the safe place to be No harm for them, no harm for me But life is short, and it’s time to be free Love who you love, because life isn’t guaranteed
often performed on infants with intersex traits. Intersex advocates, human rights groups and even the World Health Organization recognize ‘corrective surgery’ can cause more harm than good. The irreversible medical procedures are performed on infants or young children who cannot consent to the surgery. ‘While we do not doubt that doctors who support and perform these surgeries have the best interests of patients and their parents at heart, our review of the available evidence has persuaded us that cosmetic infant genitoplasty is not justified absent a need to ensure physical functioning, and we hope that professionals and parents who face this difficult decision will heed the growing consensus that the practice should stop,’ the three Surgeons General wrote. Oii USA (Organization Intersex
International) said the paper was a ‘stunning victory’. ‘This is an important win not just nationally but globally, as these harmful practices were pioneered in the United States, and U.S. medical institutions have been slow to question them and instrumental in exporting them throughout the world,’ The paper comes as a new study revealed people who did not have forced surgery grew up without predicted problems. The French study found ‘so far no major concerns have been reported from patients and their families’ and ‘with appropriate medical care and support, it is possible to defer genital surgery’. Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Chile, Argentina, Portugal and Malta have declared medical procedures are not necessary to ensure healthy physical functioning.
MEET BETHANY KOZMA, OFFICE OF GENDER EQUALITY
to former President Obama’s expansion of Title IX (a law which forbids gender discrimination in education) to include transgender and non-binary individuals. ‘To put it simply, a boy claiming gender confusion must now be allowed in the same shower, bathroom, or locker room with my daughter under the president’s transgender policies,’ she wrote. ‘When I learned that predators could abuse these new policies to hurt children in school lockers, or other vulnerable public places like remote bathrooms in national parks, I realized I had to do something,’ she continued, equating transgender people with sexual predators. With that, she launched a campaign called United We Stand to combat Obama-era laws allowing for the inclusion of trans individuals.
TRANSGENDER WOMEN MAY SOON BE ABLE TO ACCESS WOMB TRANSPLANTS TO HAVE BABIES
transplant procedure could make it possible for transgender women to get pregnant and have babies. Uterine transplants have already been successful in Sweden and at least five children have been born to womb-less women using a procedure similar to the ones NHS doctors are working towards. Once the surgery is made available, some doctors believe trans women should have access to it through the NHS. Others, however, disagree. Transexclusionary radical feminists have criticized the potential surgery as ‘unethical’, claiming it ‘raises profound ethical and moral issues that will have an impact on women’s rights.’
Donald Trump has chosen antitransgender activist Bethany Kozma to serve as Senior Advisor to the Office of Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment at the US Agency for International Development. (USAID) In the past, USAID has backed programs to support economic empowerment, housing and health care access, and political participation among LGBTI people. Yet Kozma, who worked in the White House under former President George W. Bush, has a terrible LBGT record. But, the kicker was a 2016 essay for The Daily Signal, Kozma responded
A doctor who works for the British National Health Service (NHS) has said that transgender women may be a decade away from accessing womb transplants. As part of ongoing research into the procedure, at least three ciswomen could be given wombs through a new program launching this year. A similar womb
FIRST AGENDER BABY BORN IN CANADA
A Canadian baby has become the first to receive official identification which defines them as not having a gender. Eightmonth-old Searyl Atli Doty – Sea for short – got their national health card with a “U” entered in the sex category, months into a legal battle that their parent is still fighting. Kori Doty, a trans non-binary parent, is appealing against the Vital Statistics Agency’s decision to refuse Sea a birth certificate. Because Sea was born outside of the medical system, there was no official genital inspection at the birth in British
Columbia and the authority has not issued the document because Doty has not submitted a gender for Sea. Doty is arguing that the denial by the authority, which registers all births, marriages, deaths and name changes, is a violation of Sea’s right to equal treatment and freedom of expression: “It is up to Searyl to decide how they identify, when they are old enough to develop their own gender identity. “I am not going to foreclose their choices based on an arbitrary assignment of gender at birth based on an inspection of their genitals.” Gender expression and identity are protected in the Canadian Human Rights Act. FENUXE.COM : 39