SOUTHERN WITH A GAY TWIST
03.24.17 V8-08
Leslie Jordan is Straight Outta Chattanooga pg 26
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.
What are the other possible side effects of DESCOVY? Serious side effects of DESCOVY may also include: • •
•
•
Changes in body fat, which can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicines.
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. Bone problems, such as bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
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.
DESCOVY may cause serious side effects:
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking DESCOVY?
What is the most important information I should know about DESCOVY? •
•
•
•
Buildup of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include feeling very weak or tired, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold (especially in your arms and legs), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.
Serious liver problems. The liver may become large and fatty. Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turning yellow (jaundice); dark “tea-colored” urine; light-colored bowel movements (stools); loss of appetite; nausea; and/or pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area. You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking DESCOVY for a long time. In some cases, lactic acidosis and serious liver problems have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions. 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.
•
•
•
•
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 (des-KOH-vee)
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. ®
MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DESCOVY
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF DESCOVY
DESCOVY may cause serious side effects, including:
DESCOVY can cause serious side effects, including:
• Buildup of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: feeling very weak or tired, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold (especially in your arms and legs), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.
• Severe liver problems, which in some cases can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark “tea-colored” urine; loss of appetite; light-colored bowel movements (stools); nausea; and/or pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area. • 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. You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking DESCOVY or a similar medicine for a long time.
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.
• Those in the “Most Important Information About DESCOVY” section. • Changes in body fat. • Changes in your immune system. • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. • 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.
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-thecounter 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 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.
• 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.
DESCOVY, the DESCOVY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, and LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. © 2016 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. GILC0265 10/16
FENUXE Contents
03.24.2017
8 GREAT 06 CALENDAR: THINGS TO DO
08
OUT & ABOUT PHOTOS
18 25
HOW COMING OUT MADE ME A BETTER DAD
26 34 36
ARE YOU A BAD GAY? LESLIE JORDAN IS STAIGHT OUTTA CHATTANOOGA HEY GIRL HEY GAY NEWS AT A GLANCE
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ROOTS & BRANCHES
Saturday, March 23 Atlanta Freedom Band’s “Roots & Branches” concert explores the many different styles and influences of African-American culture in music. The program spans the decades with music from Scott Joplin, W.C. Handy and Duke Ellington. 8 p.m., Druid Hills Presbyterian Church, 1026 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30306
06: March 24, 2017
APRIL 1
MAR 30
Thursday, March 20 Join Charis and Atlanta Pride in welcoming two authors as they share their unique journeys to adulthood, manhood and peace. Lei Ming reads from his novel “Life Before My Body: A Transgender Journey to Manhood in China” and Samuel Peterson reads from his “TRUNKY (Transgender).” $5. 7:30 – 9 p.m., Charis Books 1189 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307
ALL MALE ALL NUDE
Friday, April 1 The premiere of “All Male, All Nude,” presented by Out On Film, looks at how one of the best known gay strip clubs in the world landed in the heart of the Bible Belt. Directed by Gerald McCullouch. 6 p.m., followed by a reception and an after party, Landmark Midtown Art Cinema, 931 Monroe Dr. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.outonfilm.org
COMMUNITY MAR 29
Tuesday, March 28 Recording all star and artist Deborah Cox takes over the Whitney Houston role in the magnificent stage musical “The Bodyguard,” with a 7:30 p.m. curtain tonight and running through April 2, Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E, Atlanta, GA 30308, www.foxtheatre.org
BIRDCAGE BINGO
Wednesday, March 29 Are you ready to have a hell of a good time? Then you need to come to Ruby Redd’s infamous Birdcage Bingo beginning at 8:30 p.m. today at The Hideaway Atlanta, 1544 Piedmont Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30324, www. atlantahideaway.com
CHARITY FUN
FILM
COMMUNITY
UNIQUE JOURNEY TO ADULTHOOD
THE BODYGUARD
APRIL 1 05.03.15
Friday, March 22-25 The High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction is the largest fundraising event for the High Museum of Art. It will take place at at The Tents at Turner Field, 8:30 – 11:30 p.m., $60 per person for Uncorking Cru members and $75 per person for guests, 755 Hank Aaron Drive S.E., Atlanta, GA 30315
MAR 28
MAR 23
MAR 22
THE BIG ONE: THE ATLANTA WINE AUCTION
THEATRE
MUSIC
CHARITY
STRAIGHT OUTTA CHATTANOOGA
Friday, April 1 Emmy award winning actor and comedian Leslie Jordan returns to Atlanta for his new show “Straight Outta Chattanooga.” Jordan has been featured in shows like Will & Grace, American Horror Story, Sordid Lives, and The Help. Tickets are $65, VIP tickets, $100, include a pre-reception & a personal chat with the star. 8 p.m., Le Fais do-do, 1611 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd N.W., Atlanta, GA 30318
APRIL 4
CALENDAR
THEATRE
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
Tuesday, April 4-5 She’s back! The iconic stage version of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” hits the ATL at the Fox Theatre tonight and tomorrow at 7:30 p.m., with such classic songs as “Wig in a Box” and “Midnight Radio,” 660 Peachtree St. N.E, Atlanta, GA 30308, www.foxtheatre.org
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OUT & ABOUT
08: March 24, 2017
PHOTOS
VICTORY FUND EVENT @ THE BUSH HOUSE PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
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MARCH 28–APRIL 2 FoxTheatre.org/Bodyguard • 855-285-8499 The role of Rachel Marron will be played by Jasmin Richardson for the Saturday matinee and Sunday evening performances.
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OUT & ABOUT
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PHOTOS
HAPPY SAINT PATRICKS DAY @ ZOCALO PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
OUT & ABOUT
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PHOTOS
PARTY @ BLAKES ON THE PARK PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
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OUT & ABOUT
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PHOTOS
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*Available only when you close on a To-Be Built home in the Towns at Breton Ridge community pursuant to a contract you sign on or between 1/1/17-1/31/17. Receipt of $10,000 credit or other seller contribution that is contingent upon use of CAM; $10,000 credit is subject to limits and is contingent upon buyer closing a loan with our affiliated lender, CalAtlantic Mortgage or, where permitted by seller, another seller preferred lender. Receipt of $5,000 in closing costs or other seller contribution that is contingent upon use of CAM and affiliate title; $10,000 in closing costs is subject to limits and 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 of 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. Seller provided credits may be applied to upgrades or options. 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. CAATL189
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OUT & ABOUT
PHOTOS
PARTY @ TEN ATLANTA PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
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COMMUNITY
18: March 24, 2017
How Coming Out Made Me A Better Dad
By Eric Jimenez-Lindmeier Photo By: Don Mclehanon About ten years ago, I finally admitted defeat and said it aloud, “I’m gay.” Hearing the words come out of my mouth was startling. I mean, I was a twice-divorced “straight” father of four. It was almost nauseating to hear it because once I actually put those words out into the world, there was no turning back. It wasn’t a revelation on my part. I had crushes on the same sex since elementary school. But that was as far as that went. There was never a sordid affair with the same sex or some type of scandalous act that revealed the hidden truth that is so common in the news. (Particularly focused on law-making homophobic conservative politicians and religious leaders.) But for years, the pure fear of what being gay meant was paralyzing. As a Stranger Things kid of the 80s, there was nothing more screwed up than thinking that love equaled death. It was drilled into your head that the pure act of kissing a boy may give you AIDS. It screamed, “Veer from the literal straight and narrow and your life will suck big time.” Worse, it meant no kids. But like my internal understanding of my gayness, I also always knew that I wanted to be a
father. I knew I was built to be a dad.
LET FEAR MAKE YOU STRONGER
Being a gay teen in the 80s meant that I had to make a CHOICE between these two internal dialogues ― paths ― neither of which would directly lead to my Emerald City, but they were the only paths I could see. There was the path of being gay and never being a father or the path of burying my sexuality and buying a home with a white picket fence. I chose the white picket fence. It seemed right. Of course, I was just an 18-year old college student, so who knows what was going through my head. I mean, I dated girls in high school. Women weren’t that bad. They had boobs and boobs seemed cool. They also understood me.
I learned that fear is a powerful beast. It is such a burden that there is a point where accepting the fear is more important than the feeling. It grew so large that I could no longer move or carry it. I was able to teach my children that it’s okay to be afraid. That you cannot live with fear indefinitely. You need to call it out. You need to say your fear aloud. “I’m gay and I’m afraid of hurting worse than I already have.” I tell my kids to just go for it and let the fear make them stronger because… I know it will.
Ultimately, over a 15 year period, I tried that path twice. The first marriage was, in a nutshell, a disaster of epic proportions. Eleven years of a bad relationship that was destined to fail (and probably why I went into it in the first place). But we had three of my four kids and I was (and am) devoted to them. The second marriage was to a close friend. Being the antithesis of my first relationship, I really didn’t know if a healthier marriage was the answer to my dilemma. She and I lasted a couple years, had our son, decided marriage wasn’t for us and have been friends ever since. I came out shortly after. A gay father of four with all the baggage of a reality TV show.
I learned that you must empathize to be effective. You can’t be a good boss if you don’t give a crap about your employee. It’s the same with kids. You need to get down to their level. Look around. Put yourself in their place. Empathy is critical to being a good parent and a good person. Being gay put me in a place where I understood that not everything I saw was true. That the outer persona may be hiding an even better version of themselves on the inside… like me.
Coming out in my late 30s seemed impossible to even fathom. There were so many people to come out to. People who thought I was straight. People who knew. (Like my dad, who told me that he asked my mom when I was six years old if she thought I was gay. I asked, “How did you know?” His answer, “I could see that you looked at boys the way that I looked at girls.” Such a simple and real answer). Loved ones who may not love me as much anymore. Kids who may be embarrassed by me. But eventually, I felt the strength to come out to everyone. The kids did what they could and went through various levels of support, with a couple needing some time to process. One went fullforce and invited every gay person she knew to our house. The youngest was completely oblivious, as most kids are. But time has a way of helping and, today, the questions of “will they love me” are no longer in my head. I often think about what I did to prepare them for this journey. Taking these paths, as with all of us, is part of life. I can’t say I’m a better father than my straight counterparts. I can only say that I realized that being gay gave me the tools to be the best father to them.
ALLOW EMPATHY TO MAKE YOU WISER
TRUST OTHERS WITH YOUR EMOTIONS Obviously, abuse and bullying don’t exist inside of our walls. Instead, I encourage communication. We sit together at the dinner table as a family and talk and express feelings. There is no burying of feelings or vague emotional connections in this gay family. We lay it all out there because the very last thing we want is any closets… skeletons or not. BE A PART OF YOUR COMMUNITY Of course, there are other perks of being gay. The love of musicals, reality TV, Comic-Con, cosplay, horror films and a well-timed ABBA song… all of the stereotypical gay staples of life. Our community is strong and present and it preaches true love of self. We accept others for who they are… no judgment. We believe it’s totally okay to look, or sound, or walk different. My being gay gave my children a true sense of community. I don’t claim to be a better parent than others. In reality, I don’t know what type of parent I would have been if I were born straight. Maybe this was always going to be me… A fierce and loving dad who was able to go down the roughest paths in life alongside a bunch of kids (and an amazing husband) who made it all worth it. FENUXE.COM : 19
OPINION
ARE YOU A
bad gay? U
nless you were raised by gay parents or were fortunate enough to be surrounded by LGBT role models, it’s likely you experienced some struggle in accepting your sexuality. You probably felt like an outsider: ‘The only gay in the village’.
I too have sometimes felt like a ‘bad gay’: I hate clothes shopping with a passion; I have never watched Mean Girls; and can take or leave Eurovision. Then there’s my taste in men.
The relief many of us feel when we finally come out is hard to describe to those who have not been through the experience Suddenly, you feel that you’ve found your club: other gay people offer some sense of belonging.
When I first came out, way back in the late 80s, I hung out with other students at my college LGBT society. Everyone seemed to lust after the same, chiseled guys with washboard abs; gay media seemed to idolize the same images of male beauty (Mark Wahlberg in his Calvin Klein’s, in a nutshell).
Except, it doesn’t always work out like that, does it?
What sort of gay could I be if I didn’t find the same sort of men attractive?
I was reminded of this when a friend posted a status update to Facebook about a first date that had gone awry.
There wasn’t really a bear scene in London back then. Telling people I found big guys sexy sometimes prompted laughter or outright horror from my fellow young queers.
‘Getting judged on first dates because I don’t watch RuPaul’s Drag Race, I don’t like Britney, I can’t stand musicals, I hate gay clubs, vaginas don’t scare me and I don’t hate myself,’ he semi-jokingly fumed. It reminded me that gay people can be just as bad as straight people when it comes to embracing stereotypes. They can fall back on the same assumptions. Or impose their own membership rules on who can join their imaginary big, gay fraternity.
‘You don’t seriously like that guy, do you?’ For a while, the club I thought I belonged to didn’t seem as accepting as I first thought it might be. I thankfully outgrew this phase. I discovered that the LGBT community is more a multitude of many communities, each made up of individuals with their own unique tastes and quirks.
Making the gay grade As a gay man, the only thing I have in common with other gay men is an attraction to other dudes and – at a push – some experience of oppression in a hetero-normative world. No, I’m not claiming to be straight-acting: I don’t wish to act like anything other than myself. I’m also not in denial because of internalized homophobia (although I’m big enough to acknowledge I carry some around). I’m just at a point in my life where I’m more likely to respect someone for having unique and different tastes than feel threatened by them. I’m sure most people reading this could name several ways in which they’re a ‘bad gay’. Some way they fall short of making the gay grade. The truth is there are no more bad gays than there are bad people: just lazy stereotypes. Written by: David Hudson Follow David @davidhudson FENUXE.COM : 25
COMMUNITY
BY: BRAD WALSH
BY CHARLES D. DUNST
Leslie Jordan is straight outta chattanooga
I
Leslie Jordan will be cracking up West Midtown with his new one-man show “Straight Outta Chattanooga” for one night only on April 1st. The Emmy-award winning actor and comedian has written his best show yet and he’s eager to share it with Atlanta. “It’s going to be at Le Fais do-do,” Jordan told FENUXE Magazine in a recent interview, “and it’s going to be a really fun show.” Similar to Jordan’s other one man shows, “Straight Outta Chattanooga” is largely autobiographical, but he’s edgier and as blunt as ever. From side splitting, behind-the scenes stories about Lady Gaga and Jessica Lange to his own connection to Tupac, Jordan is bringing his juiciest stories to Atlanta.
But where did the name “Straight Outta Chattanooga” come from? Jordan chuckled when we asked him that question and explained that he opens the show with that very story. “I live in Tupac’s old apartment,” he replied. “I’m sitting in it right 26: March 24, 2017
now in Hollywood, California. I’d heard for years that he lived in this building. There was a girl upstairs who would say, ‘Oh, he lived in my apartment. I still get his mail.’ But I was like, ‘Bitch, you don’t get his mail! He’s been dead a long time.’ And so I went and checked.” Jordan knows that Tupac will be the first story, but from there on only he knows where the show will go. Jordan has been touring this show around the country, however, his shows aren’t carbon copies of each other. “I don’t know if you’ve ever seen any of my one person shows,” Jordan said, “but it’s hard to keep me on task. And, honey, I’ve got so many new stories in my show.” One topic that is bound to come up is Jordan’s latest recurring guest starring role on American Horror Story: Roanoke. Jordan is incredibly proud of the character he brought to life in Roanoke. “I’ve got the best part ever, ever, ever,” Jordan shared, “I think I’m going to win an Emmy. My part was so beautifully constructed for a guest star. Hopefully they’ll give an Emmy for Best Guest Star. We’ll see. I play
this crazy psychic and I get murdered three times. I’m evil. It is the biggest part that I have had in my career.” In a rare somber moment during the interview he continued, “I’m always the funny guy who comes in with a zinger but this is not that at all. I’m a real integral part of the [“Roanoke”] story. Cuba Gooding, Jr. hits me on the head with a chair and calls me a piece of shit. Angelas Basset goes ghetto on me and pulls a gun and puts it in my mouth. Kathy Bates disembowels me.” Jordan’s performance really is fantastic in the “Roanoke” season of American Horror Story. If you haven’t seen it yet you’ll definitely want to binge watch it before his show. If for no other reason, you’ll want to have seen it for his stories about “Ms. Stefani” - also known as Lady Gaga. “Oh, I’m also going to give them all the inside scoop on Ms. Stefani, Jordan said, “she’s a character, Ms. Stefani. You don’t call her Gaga on the set. She’s Stefani. I kind of like that she differentiates that. She’s an actress. She’s not Lady Gaga. She’s Stefani Germanotta.” Jordan is a natural born storyteller
and you can tell that he truly loves what he does. Immediately after whetting our appetite for behind-the-scenes gossip about Gaga, Jordan couldn’t resist giving us a bit more. “I screw Lady Gaga,” he says gleefully, “I screw her! It’s amazing. But, anyway, she’s really a good girl. Now, she does things that she’s not supposed to like when we were out in the woods and she lit a cigarette. The Park Rangers came over immediately. They didn’t know who she was and they told her put it out. She said: ‘Okay, Sir. I will. Look. I’m going to put it out right now. Look.’ Well the bitch turns back and she lit it back up. She’s just a bad girl. But I had no complaints as she rode me and rubbed her p*ssy and howled at the moon. I knew they wouldn’t be able to use half of it. She was supposed to squat on me and cut my throat. She squatted down and started riding me.” After sharing this story with us Jordan laughed, but then quickly pivoted. “She has a real strong work ethic,” Jordan explained. “I mean, she really wants to do it. But with scheduling sometimes we’d only get her one day an episode so you’ve got to work, work, work, work, work. I kept thinking to myself the
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first day I worked with her and I even had to ask somebody: ‘are you sure that’s her?’ It didn’t seem like Lady Gaga. But they said: “did you not see her arrive in that Rolls Royce?” A unique feature of the American Horror Story series is that the principal cast doesn’t change much from season to season. So, will Jordan be in the next season of American Horror Story? “It’s been picked up for three more years,” Jordan said, “I don’t know. They just call. Same way with Will & Grace that’s been picked up for ten episodes. People will ask me if I’m going to be on it. Well, honey, I don’t know. They ain’t ringing my phone yet. I don’t know.” OK. So we know American Horror Story is still up in the air for next season. But, what is a little more puzzling is how Jordan could return to Will & Grace after his character died. “Yeah, they murdered me” he responded with a laugh, “I flew off the balcony. But then again I could’ve landed on a bus and fell off and had amnesia. Who knows? They just announced the pick up. And, you know, it’s not Netflix. It’s a new thing. It’s Will & Grace ten years later. So I would imagine that they’re hammering out storylines and figuring it out.” After Jordan’s performance in Roanoke we’d be quite surprised if he weren’t asked to return to American Horror Story. But being asked to return isn’t a guarantee that Jordan will accept the role as he pointed out to us. “I was offered Freak Show and I was all ready to do it. But all of the sudden my manager comes and says, ‘they want you
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for a reality show.’ I told him I didn’t want to do a reality show. I want to do American Horror Story. He told me: “slow down cowgirl, it’s over in London and they want to lock you in a house. It’s called Celebrity Big Brother.’ I said, ‘no, no, I don’t want to do that!’ But then he said, ‘well they want to pay you a hundred and fifty thousand pounds.’ I said: ‘well, f*ck Ryan Murphy!’ Where does Jordan’s show go after that? We don’t know, but we’re dying to find out. However, he isn’t simply dishing on celebrities. While on stage he weaves together a hilarious show with a large dose of self-deprecating humor and his humorous anecdotes about his career in entertainment. Even if you’ve seen every show that Jordan has ever done, this is one show that you simply will not want to miss. You can join Leslie Jordan on Saturday, April 1, 2017 at the Le Fais do-do 1611 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd N.W., Atlanta, GA 30318. The VIP Reception starts at 8PM and the show begins at 9PM. Jordan will be available for an informal meet and greet as well as photos and autographs during the VIP Reception. A portion of the proceeds benefit Ready 4 Hope Atlanta, a leading team for AIDS Walk Atlanta.
REVIEW
By: Terri Schlichenmeyer
BOOK REVIEW:
M
“THE PANTS PROJECT”
om says you’re growing like a weed. It’s true: you’ve outgrown your favorite sweater, your best shirt, and all your summer shoes. The only thing that fits is a pair of trousers that were once too big – but in the new book “The Pants Project” by Cat Clarke, you might have to fight to wear even those. The first day of middle school stinks to begin with, but it was worse for Liv. It wasn’t just the newness that bothered her. It wasn’t that Bankridge Middle School was bigger. The thing she dreaded was that the school had a dress code, which meant wearing a skirt. Liv hadn’t worn a skirt in years. This was going to be horrible. But okay, admittedly, the first day didn’t kill her, though she learned fast that Bankridge had its share of Mean Girls. The boy she had to sit next to in homeroom, Jacob, was cool (she’d rather’ve sat with her best friend, Maisie). And PE class wasn’t bad, as long as Liv changed before everybody else got to the locker room. Changing clothes in a crowd of loud girls made Liv uncomfortable. That’s because she knew she was transgender, a boy in a girl’s body. Being trans was the Secret she wished she could tell somebody, but she was afraid. Her moms would probably understand but Liv wanted to wait, for many good reasons. She’d tell when the time was right; until then, she’d endure sixth grade. Except life took a turn for the worse. Maisie started hanging with the Mean Girls, and she didn’t want to be Liv’s best friend anymore. Everybody started teasing Liv about having two moms. A family member got sick. And ugh! those skirts. It wasn’t fair that Liv lost her best friend; or that Mean Girls bugged her, though she tried to ignore them; or that she couldn’t reveal the Secret. And it definitely wasn’t fair that boys didn’t have to wear skirts. Un. Fair. So Liv cooked up an audacious plan… Without a doubt, “The Pants 30: March 24, 2017
Project” is a good book, for kids or adults. It’s also a great reminder that adolescence is hard, kids are mean, support is key – and it’s all wrapped up in a wise, self-aware preteen you’ll enjoy meeting. Indeed, author Cat Clarke gives readers a good peek inside the life of a kid who has things figured out – almost. Liv has a good understanding of her situation and is willing to carefully dip her toes into the coming-out pool, but that’s not the best part. No, the appeal of this book is that every middle-schooler alive will recognize the perfectly-written supporting cast of characters here - Mean Girls, nerds, jocks, nice teachers, jerks – making it easy to sympathize with our hero and her situations. Meant for readers ages 10-to14, it could be fast and fun for an older kid; if your child needs a reminder to be herself, she’ll especially love it. She’ll start “The Pants Project, in fact, and it’ll quickly grow on her. By: Always Overbooked... Terri Schlichenmeyer The Bookworm Sez, LLC bookwormsez@gmail.com The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book.
PHOTOSHOOT
BY JOSHUAH NEAL
SPIRITUAL AWAKENING
piritual awakening is a sudden shift S in consciousness, sometimes drastic, mainly for a better life and or in a good direction. Webster’s Dictionary defines it as an enlightening realization.
Some of us might be experiencing a spiritual awakening and not know it. Here are 11 signs that indicate that you are experiencing and awakening or enlightening. 1. You are creating new belief systems. 2. You want more freedom and less stuff. 3. A sudden desire or change in life. 4. You find yourself drawn to inspiration & personal development. 5. You have a deep desire to connect with nature. 6. Experiencing usual burst and energy and unusual sleep patterns. 7. You have increased self talks or talks with your creator. 8. You are experiencing synchronicity. 9. You are having a greater feeling of
oneness. 10. You desire to take better care of the whole body. 11. Feeling of really deep emotions! John O’ Donahue has a famous quote: “Once the soul awakens, the search begins and you can never go back. From then on you are inflamed with a special longing that will never again linger in the lowlands of complacency and partial fulfillment. The eternal makes you urgent. You are loath to let compromise or the threat of danger hold you back from striving towards the summit of fulfillment”. This statement is so true. It’s kind of like an onion you begin to peel all the way to the core and begin to live again in a better way with great expression, and for people who don’t understand this it would seem very odd or crazy. That doesn’t matter because when you begin to open and shift your consciousness in a new better direction you begin to really be connected to oneself. When you are connected you are free! Finally when you are free,
connected and awaken you have no interest in judging others are worry about others judging you! Spiritual awakening is also the 12th step (last step) in the TWELVE STEP PROGRAM for Alcoholic/ Substance Abuse Program or Rehab centers. The reason it is the final step is because you have to use the other 11 Steps to become awakened or enlighten. The 1st in the 12 step Program is admitting that you are powerless over alcohol and substance and you life has became unmanageable. Therefore in the 12 Step Program you go from step 1 being powerless to the final step, step 12 being powerful and awaken of your life. Personally I began my spiritually awakening not too long ago at all and still working on it in every single one of my affairs. One my personal quotes that tend to refer to is: “I’m not the same soul I once was. A lot has changed. A lot is still changing. A lot had to have change. Therefore you can not expect out of my what I embodied in the past. For that part of me no longer exist!” My spiritual awakening also includes daily talks with my Creator! I’m so connected with myself right now that all I can do is just smile! Spiritual Awakening may not come when you want it to, but it will come. I promise! You may not realize it at the time it’s happening but once you start see. I hope this helps, Joshua Neal Behavioral Health Coach & Fitness Expert www.TinyHabits.com www.AnytimeFitness.com www.CrisisTextLine.com Behavioral Health & Development photography: jb harrison 2 Peachtree St NWphotography assistant: jamika ogun styling: rodney assura Atlanta, GA 30303 model: timothy cannon (404) 657-225
LIKE A BOSS
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Hey Girl Hey! Holler Poodles!
You know I love to hear about embarrassing moments and if you can laugh at them, you’re one step ahead of the game. I’ve told this story many times over the years to many friends and to this day, it remains my most embarrassing, disgusting yet hilarious moment in my life. Picture it, Sicily, 19 aught 2. I was a very shy young boy who needed to have two back surgeries in order to correct a hump in my spine. Suffice it to say, the lack of privacy in a semi-private room at 16 years old was less than appealing. However, as day passed, the level of of embarrassment seemed to increase. From the first indignity of having my pubic hair shaved to the last indignity, I don’t think a kid could be more embarrassed. After enduring two back surgeries 15 days apart and approaching the 28th day of my hospital stay, an old familiar feeling came to visit me. Because the anesthesia shuts down the digestive tract, I had not gone to the bathroom for the last month. I was also laid out flat on my back unable to move. I was also sharing this room with a 16 yo boy from Iran with steel pins in his toes. I could only think this story would be fraught with tragedy. After putting it off as long as I could, I finally called the nurse and tried to whisper I would need a bedpan. As if whispering it would make it less traumatic. The nurse comes happily along, pulls the curtain and places the bedpan under me and says “Well just call me when you’re finished.” I could only think of my poor roommate at this time because I knew I was getting ready to release the Cracken! Not 3 seconds after I started did I hear my Iranian friend yelling “OH MAN, THIS IS TERRIBLE!!! THIS IS TERRIBLE!!! THE SMELL, THE SMELL, OHHH NOOOOOOOOO.” I felt about two inches tall. I thought how could this get any worse? Finally, I call the nurse back. Now keep in mind she was probably in her mid fifties and had been through everything and seen everything. When she walked in the room, I could hear her say “Oh Lord!” Again, I thought my humiliation was complete. But when she walked over to collect the bedpan, she pulled the bedpan from under me and said in her sweetest voice “Honey, are you trying to make soft serve ice cream?” because there were concentric circles of poop in the bedpan. I was DONE! My embarrassment was complete!! Being able now to look back at this and laugh at myself is empowering? What are your embarrassing stories? Please email me at maryedith99@gmail.com and share them with me.
Love and Lashes
Mary Edith Pitts Mary Edith Pitts
P.S. If you have any questions, comments or feedback, please contact me at maryedith99@gmail.com or @maryedithpitts on twitter!
Expert Dentist
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Gay News At A Glance TOMOYA HOSODA BECOMES FIRST EVER TRANS MAN IN THE WORLD ELECTED TO PUBLIC OFFICE The first ever trans man has been elected to public office. Tomoya Hosoda, a 25-yearold, was elected a councilor for the city of Iruma, in the central Kanto region of Japan. A medical sciences graduate of Teikyo University, he came out as a student and transitioned quickly. He formally changed his name and gender in 2015. Hosada was elected in one of the 22 seats for the election. ‘Until recently, people have acted as if sexual and gender
minorities do not exist,’ Hosada said. ‘We have many hurdles to overcome, but I hope to live up to everyone’s expectations.’ He plans to fight for LGBTI rights, the disabled and elderly while in office. ‘For me, coming out is just the starting line,’ he said in a profile for Out in Japan. ‘It is now time to build a foundation for the people who need to move forward. Some walls can not be overcome by one person. We have to work together, and help each other out. ‘My parents, friends, colleagues and old schoolmates support me. While there were so many troubles, a lot of suffering, we can move forward one step at a time. The more we meet people, the narrow-minded way of thinking will expand.’ Hosada is the second transgender politician to be elected in Japan, after Kamikawa Aya in 2003.
Copyright Abel Azcona Studios
GAY ARTIST GETS ‘MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN’ TATTOOED AROUND HIS BUTTHOLE A gay performance artist has gotten Donald Trump’s slogan Make America Great Again’ tattooed on his butthole. And not only that, he got it done in front of a whole crowd of people. Spanish performer Abel Azcona decided to crouch naked at the Defibrillator Gallery in Chicago for two hours as a tattoo artist needled the slogan on his behind. ‘I always worked my body as a weapon and a political tool.’ ‘For more than 12 years I have 38: March 24, 2017
been performing political and social performances and exhibitions that have led me to jail, detention or death threats. I believe in the empowerment of the body and of the pain. The anus is a pleasure zone for many people, and an area of sin for others. I think demystifying what the anus is, and writing a fascist political motto like that in my anus, is a clearly critical and subversive action.’ He said he hopes anyone who is discriminated at the hands of Trump should speak out in whatever way they can. I believe that all of us who consider ourselves different should never be silent,’ Azcona continued. ‘We must attack. We must use our body as a weapon of empowerment. We are faggots, women, Mexicans, blacks and different. And we are brave. Art is the greatest critical, social and political weapon I know.’
GAY CLERIC JEFFREY JOHN DENIED PROMOTION
John claims the bishops were ‘too exhausted’ to deal with the problems that might arise from his appointment. He said: ‘The injustice of the arguments about publicity and the Anglican Communion was pointed out to you several times. ‘This is precisely the way that anti-gay discrimination always works,’ he said. Jeffrey John goes on to explain that he is in a committed celibate relationship with another member of the Church. But says this is entirely ‘compatible’ with Church regulations. John claims the move to reject his proposal is ‘foolish’ and details the amount of people who wrote to support him: ‘Electors were unanimous in my support, and they have remained so since then. Nevertheless, at your meeting last week you decided, arbitrarily, to ignore the submissions and to declare the votes not be considered.
AUSTRALIANMP SLAMSQANTAS AIRLINESFORGAY MARRIAGESTANCE
with shareholders money and certainly don’t use an iconic brand and the might of a multibillion dollar business on issues best left to the judgment of elected decision makers.’ Qantas released a statement in response: ‘We respect the fact that not everyone agrees with marriage equality. But opinion polls show the majority of Australians do, as do many of our employees. We believe these issues are about the fundamental Australian value of fairness and we’re the national carrier.’ Dutton also believes the Government cannot and will not be swayed on their stance on marriage equality.
Gay cleric Jeffrey John was denied a promotion within the Anglican church. John wrote a letter to the bishops of the leadership of the Anglican church, calling out the ‘anti-gay discrimination’. John is currently the Dean of St Albans Cathedral and applied to become a bishop. The letter states: ‘The only arguments adduced against my appointment – were directly related to my homosexuality – namely that my appointment would bring unwelcome and unsettling publicity to the diocese, and that it might create difficulties for the future Archbishop in relation to the Anglican Communion.’
Conservative Australian MP Peter Dutton attacked openly gay Qantas chief executive, Alan Joyce for supporting marriage equality. The immigration minister called out Joyce: ‘Alan Joyce, the individual, is perfectly entitled to campaign for and spend his hard earned money on any issue he sees fit, but don’t do it in the official capacity and
YOUTUBE FAMILY FILTER HIDES LGBT-FRIENDLY CONTENT
A ‘family filter’ on YouTube is blocking LGBTI content from users. When viewers use the restricted filter, content disappears, according to some YouTubers. Gay YouTube personality Calum McSwiggan turned on the family filter and discovered all of his videos except for one disappeared. Similarly, self-identifying queer Rowan Ellis found 40 of her videos disappeared. Ellis said: ‘We don’t really know how long it’s been there. ‘But it’s something that people are just starting to realise the extent of, particularly with regard to LGBT content,’ she said. McSwiggan says this filter is ‘offensive’ and ‘panders’ to people in the wrong way. ‘It’s completely backwards,’ he said. McSwiggan also claims any LGBTI sex education videos disappear but heterosexual sex education videos stay. A YouTube spokesperson said: ‘Restricted Mode is an optional feature used by a very small subset of users who want to have a more limited YouTube experience. ‘Some videos that cover subjects like health, politics and sexuality may not appear for users and institutions that choose to use this feature.’ McSwiggan claims the filters affect bisexual content, but only with same-sex content. FENUXE.COM : 39
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