09.21.18 V9-19
Button all F Down for byRichie Arpino
Music: Tom Goss Interview: Bendelacreme Goes To Hell’
31ST ANNUAL
OUT ON FILM ATLANTA’S LGBT FILM FESTIVAL Celebrating Pride at the Movies
SEPTEMBER 27 - OCTOBER 7, 2018 Landmark Midtown Art Cinema OutFront Theater Plaza Theatre www.outonfilm.org
now selling final phase with
tyle
SUBURBIAP
15,000
DESIGNER OPTIONS on BASEMENT HOMES*
ALL
r c ng
• 1.5 Acre Community Lake • Maintenance Free Front Yard • Community Clubhouse Offering a Range of Luxuries Including an Outdoor Fireplace Lounge & Kitchen • Community Parks - Within The Community . . . and Many, Many More
featuring
CITYS
$
2016
community of the year
Designer Model
Smyrna
New Craftsman-Style Homes in theHeart of
smyrna grove connects city lifestyle with suburbia pricing while offering an excellent location close to restaurants and shopping. easy access to 75 and 285 makes commuting to downtown a breeze. 519 WINDY HILL RD, SMYRNA, GA 30082
From Atlanta: Take I - 75 North to Windy Hill Road. Turn left on Windy Hill Road. Take Windy Hill Road to South Cobb Drive. Cross over South Cobb Drive and go one block. Smyrna Grove is on the left.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
from the high $300s
770.254.5412 SmyrnaGrove.com
* See agent for details. Information believed to be accurate but not warranted and is subject to change without prior notice.
LIVE . CONNECTED.
imply.
Contents
FENUXE
10
BOOK REVIEW
12
EVENTS
18 BENDELACREME 22
BUTTON DOWN BY BY RICHIE ARPINO
30
OUT AND ABOUT
28
TOM GOSS
Scan the QR Code with your smart phone to like us on
22,706 LIKES
VISIT US ONLINE FENUXE.COM INFO@FENUXE.COM
FENUXE
TM
PUBLISHER
Brian Sawyer - Brian@FENUXE.COM
EDITORIAL Mikkel Hyldebrandt - Director Jeff Dorta/Project Publicity
GRAPHIC DESIGN Brian Sawyer - Graphic Designer
ATLANTA MARKETING Jeff Anderson | 404.835.2016 - Sales Manager
NATIONAL ADVERTISING Rivendell Media 212-242-6863 sales@rivendellmedia.com
Published by Fenuxe Magazine Management, LLC © 2017 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 925B Piedmont Ave NE Suite 168, Atlanta GA, 30309 Phone: 404.835.2016 | Fax: 404.835.2356 Opinions and claims made by advertisers are those of the advertisers only. Fenuxe accepts no liability for any claims made by advertisers. The views and opinions expressed in this issue are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency of Fenuxe Magazine Management, LLC.
Fenuxe is proud to support:
Photography by Richie Arpino
5
from the
note
Publisher Pride season is officially here, and nothing says Pride like fall.
We know that you will be mostly shirtless for PRIDE, weather permitting or not... but we can dress up as the colder weather Now that we have survived Gay Black starts approaching. Pride and Dragon*Con to mention a few it is time to think cooler weather and hot Plan a weekend get-away to the country men. for some roll in the hay or city staycation for some sophisticated romatic room Inspiration follows with a fashion forward service. and dress up to dress down. Fenuxe magazine has asked Atlanta’s favorite Either way, find someone(s) to wrap up photographer, Richie Arpino to show us with and stay “hot” together. what Button DOWN looks like. Think. Clever. Sexy. Cool.
6: September 21, 2018
BECAUSE YOUR CAR NEEDS A GOOD OIL CHANGE SPECIALIST THREE CONVENIENT
INTOWN
LOCATIONS
HOURS: MON-FRI 8AM-6PM FULL SERVICE CONVENTIONAL OIL CHANGE
$
19
99
OFFER EXPIRES 10/31/18
Most vehicles. Includes up to 5 qts oil. Excludes high mileage & synthetic oil. Not valid with other coupons, specials or discounts.
SAT 8AM-5PM SUN 11-5
FREE Pair of Standard WIPER BLADES With purchase of High Mileage, Synthetic Blend, or Synthetic Full Service Oil Change
OFFER EXPIRES 10/31/18
SPECIAL OFFER
PRESENT AD FOR SPECIAL PRICING WWW.HAVOLINEXPRESSLUBE.NET
VIP FESTIVAL PASS TICKETS ON SALE NOW DO PRIDE BIG THIS YEAR. GIVE YOURSELF THE VIP TREATMENT AT THE FESTIVAL AND SUPPORT ATLANTA PRIDE'S YEAR-ROUND WORK. DON’T DELAY - VIP TICKET QUANTITIES ARE LIMITED AND WILL SELL OUT! VISIT ATLANTAPRIDE.ORG/VIP FOR ALL INFORMATION.
OCTOBER12-14,2018 atlantapride.org
BOOK REVIEW You’ll never forget that one night. The drinks were cold; the weather, warm; and you were out to have fun with friends you loved and those you hadn’t yet met. You’ll never forget the table, the music, the lights, or the name of the bar – and if you did, as in the new book “Tinderbox” by Robert W. Fieseler, there was probably a reason… Sunday afternoon, June 24, 1973, started like every other Sunday at the Up Stairs Lounge in New Orleans’ French Quarter. Bar manager Buddy Rasmussen opened the place for its weekly Beer Bash, at which patrons could drink all afternoon for a lowered price. Buddy had come with his “lover,” Adam, and as other regulars filtered in, the music started, drinks flowed, and the Up Stairs Lounge filled mostly with gay men, a few allies, and good times. That the Up Stairs Lounge even existed is remarkable: just a few years after Stonewall, gay men were still openly persecuted, legally and otherwise. It was unlawful in many places, for instance, for a man to dance with another man; gay sex was once punishable by life in prison. But there was the Up Stairs Lounge, quietly advertising with a canopy out front and welcoming to the public, although there were rules in place. > CREDIT | Author:Robert W. Fieseler >Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation
It was, perhaps, the breaking of one of those rules that started the trouble: early that evening, witnesses remembered a fight over hustling (forbidden activity in the Up Stairs Lounge) and two men were kicked out. Though no one will ever know for sure, it’s believed that one of them walked down the street, purchased a container of lighter fluid, returned,
By: Always Overbooked... Terri Schlichenmeyer The Bookworm Sez, LLC bookwormsez@gmail.com
10: September 21, 2018
and dumped the can’s contents onto the wooden steps of the hundred-year-old building. He dropped a flame and walked away. Within seconds, says Fieseler, “No one was going into the Up Stairs Lounge… nor was anyone coming out.” And if that doesn’t chill you, there’s a lot more about “Tinderbox” that will, starting with what immediately follows those words: page after page of stomachtwisting details of death by fire and the horror of publicly burning alive. Author Robert W. Fieseler shares the details and oh, my, they’re wretched. That’s only part of the shock of this book. It continues with controversy within religious organizations, gay-friendly and otherwise, and birthing pains of activism that seem as painful to read as they must’ve been in life. As he’s telling the story, Fieseler continues to remind readers that officials seemed not to care about solving this crime, despite that there were survivors to mourn the thirty-two who died in the fire. And then there were the families who turned their sons away, even in death. Through all this, Fieseler asks – and answers - why we largely don’t know the whole of this tale. His answers are multitudinous, compassionate, important in a historical context, and emotional. He says, of this account, “With the last bodies laid to rest, the story faded from minds” but “Tinderbox” makes it one you won’t likely forget.
ATLANTA, IT’S TIME TO
RAISE THE BAR
Atlanta is a first class city in nearly every category—except in protecting everyone from the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke. The bartender at your favorite speakeasy and the barista at your go-to airport coffee shop are among the thousands of people in Atlanta who have to choose between their health and a paycheck every day. Everyone in Atlanta has the right to breathe smoke-free air, and it’s time for Atlanta to raise the bar by ensuring everyone can breathe smoke-free air at work. Learn how you can help at
smokefreeatl.org. smokefreeatl.org @smokefree_ATL
September
26 27
30
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra presents a free, live simulcast of their sold-out performance with piano sensation Lang Lang on Sifly Piazza tonight. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs and enjoy an evening under the stars featuring an all-Mozart program, including Eine kleine Nachtmusik and Piano Concerto No. 24...
MORE INFORMATION:
8 PM Woodruff Arts Center
Out On Film 2018 opening night film - “When the Beat Drops” MORE INFORMATION:
clock Thur, Sept 27 7 PM – 10 PM Out On Film 931 Monroe Dr NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30308
Miss Atlanta Pride Pageant The Miss Atlanta Pride Pageant makes a triumphant return to kick off Pride season in the city.!
MORE INFORMATION:
Sun, Sept 30, 2018 at 7 PM – 11:30 P Midtown Tavern 554 Piedmont Ave NE
12: September 21, 2018
Office: 678.298.1600 cell: 706.761.2578
October
Fenuxe Calendar
8 Mayor’s Inaugural LGBTQ Reception Join Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for the City of Atlanta’s Inaugural Mayor’s LGBTQ Reception! Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the City of Atlanta Government are committed to the equal rights and equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) residents, workers and visitors. For 48 years, Atlanta Pride has been the largest pride festival in the Southeast, now coinciding with National Coming Out Day. Mayor Bottoms is thrilled to invite you to her inaugural LGBTQ reception, which will be an evening of celebration, as we kick off Atlanta Pride week at City Hall . Guests will enjoy speakers, live entertainment and more! This event is free and open to the public. Tickets will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to capacity constraints, ticket availability is limited... MORE INFORMATION:
Monday, October 8, 2018 at 6 PM – 8 PM ATLA NTA CITY HALL
13
OUT & ABOUT
PHOTOS
14: September 21, 2018
GAY FOOTBALL SERIES IN TAMPA
VOTE ELECTION DAY NOV 8
VOTE EARLY OR VOTE ABSENTEE EARLY VOTING OCTOBER 17 - NOVEMBER 4 ABSENTEE VOTING OCTOBER 17 - 29 VISIT OUR ELECTION CENTER FOR MORE INFORMATION
HTTP://GEORGIAEQUALITY.ORG/ELECTION-CENTER/
Bendelacreme Goes To Hell By William Cooke
Bendelacreme eliminating herself from RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3 is arguably the biggest twist in the series’ history. Her decision to sacrifice herself and allow another queen who she believes “wanted it more” to continue in the competition was just one more example of why Bendelacreme won, without ever taking the crown. If you feared you saw the last of the voluptuous, sugarysweet queen, no need to worry. She is currently touring the globe with her brand new show Inferno A Go-Go, a full theatrical production that follows her on a journey through the underworld! It is a helluva lot more than a traditional drag performance, touching on deep topics plaguing society today including objective morality, institutionalized racism and even the stigmatization of suicide. Yes, they’re some serious subjects, but somehow Bendelacreme makes it all sidesplitting, drink-spitting funny! We spoke with her on tour in Canada. When are you bringing your hell show to steamy Hotlanta? Dela: No plans on the books yet, but I’m shooting for winter. Inferno A Go Go is the third comedy you have written. How does it compare with your previous shows, Terminally Delightful and Cosmos? Dela: They’re all really campy comedies about something deeper. I like to say that my passion is to take something really smart and make it a little bit stupid. It’s always slapstick and puppets, and terrible puns, but with something to say. Terminally Delightful was autobiographical and about how I created Dela to get through hardship. Cosmos was all about finding meaning about our place in the universe. Inferno is my favorite right now. I won’t tell you the meaning, because I want you to get to experience it for yourself. I think every artist creates work that reflects where they are at in life at the moment and this one definitely is about both my current personal journey and where we are as a country. All shows premiered Off-Broadway before touring to cities around the world. Does the Off-Broadway cred take the shows a step above a drag show? Dela: Ooh! I never thought of it that way but yeah, I guess I’m accidentally a good business person! The real reason is because New York audiences are hard to impress. They see so much theater, they are both critical and terrifyingly honest. It’s the perfect place to test a show and tweak it accordingly. You know a show is good if you can make it work in New York. What inspires your shows and the direction of your Bendelacreme character? Dela: I want to make people feel something. Laughter is a great gateway to that. Dela is a super useful tool because 18: September 21, 2018
she’s approachable and disarming and she’s also sort of a ding-dong. No matter what the show’s about, she comes at it as something silly. That means she can always go on a journey and discover something new, and the audience can go on that journey with her. What’s left for the sweet as pie/sharp as cheddar Bendelacreme to explore? Dela: I have no idea! I’ll be digging into a new show this winter, which is when I always set aside time to write. I’ve never once even known what theme I’m going to go with until January, when I reflect back on my year and am like, “Oh, that’s what this past year was all about.” But I will say this: so far I’ve done autobiography, science, religion/ literature... Something about psychology is feeling natural, but don’t hold me to it. Will you ever appear on RuPaul’s Drag Race again or is that part of Bendelacreme’s journey over? Dela: I think her journey came to its peak when I realized on All Stars that I had gotten all I’d come for. I feel incredibly satisfied with my time on the show. It’s hard to imagine heading back to the werk room. But who knows? I said that once before! When Bendelacreme heads to her final resting place, will it be in heaven or hell? Dela: She will live on forever in the hearts of children. No, I don’t know, she’ll make it wherever we all go, and I don’t pretend to know where that is. I hope there’s ice cream. Her tombstone will read: “She died as she lived: On stage, in front of thousands, with a puppet.”
Thank You, Atlanta! Our mission is to bridge communities to brighten the lives of Georgia's children in need.
24,372 Backpacks Donated Since We Started
See you next year!
PHOTOSHOOT
Button ll a F Down for byRichie Arpino
OUT & ABOUT
PHOTOS
24: September 21, 2018
SUNDAY SERVICE
A T N A L AT OFF K C I K L A I OFFI C
FRIDAY 10 -12 -18 7 PM - 11:30 PM DJ MARK GORDON (ATLANTA) DJ KEVIN DURARD (ATLANTA)
$30 ADVANCE /$40 DOOR/$90 LOUNGE PURCHASE TICKETS AT WWW.GEORGIAAQUARIUM.ORG/ATLANTAPRIDE THIS EVENT WILL SELL OUT, GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!
25
OUT & ABOUT
PHOTOS
26: September 21, 2018
CHOLOTECA 2-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Pet Sitting • Dog Boarding • Dog Walking • VIP Doggy Bath • VIP Pet Taxi 404.623.9448 | CrateEscapeAtlanta.com
2169 Briarcliff Road | Atlanta, GA 30329 404-315-6750 Authentic Thai Cuisine Family owned and operated for 20 years
Dine-in | Take-out | Delivery | Catering Delivery within 3 miles. $15.00 minimum order.
www.thaichilicuisine.com
27
Tom Goss Likes His Men Round in All the Right Pl aces By Mike Bahr
Tom Goss photos by Daren Cornell
It’s no secret that pop singer Tom Goss is attracted to plus-sized men. Five years after the release of “Bears” — his song that continues to play at gay bear bars and fur festivals worldwide — he is reinstating his commitment to them with “Round in All the Right Places,” a soulful new track that combines sultry lyrics with shapely tones. “Even after ‘Bears’, people would constantly ask me if I really had a thing for large men,” Tom says. “I used to get annoyed by the question, but then I started to reflect on it and I came to the conclusion that I hadn’t done an adequate job of describing what is so intoxicating to me about men of size. For this one, I wanted to write something that was more specific and mature. I didn’t want to hold back. I wanted to be direct, honest and graphic; to really convey the shape, the allure, the seduction of big men.” He admits how he tried to write ‘Round in all the Right Places’ for some time, but what was coming out simply wasn’t working for him. “Then I got a text from a friend who happens to be round and absolutely beautiful. I asked him what he hated most about his body. He said his Flintstone feet. I was floored, mainly because, to me, everything about his body is stunning. So I began asking other men of size the same question and no one was able to tell me, ‘not a damn thing, I love it all!’” Goss hopes to flip the script on perceived beauty with his song. “The world is telling plus sized people that their butts are sagging and their bellies are too flabby. ‘Change who you are, lose it at all costs,’ we’re told. Then we wonder why people often view themselves in a negative light. I want to send some messaging out into the world that says the opposite.” It’s messaging he, too, could use. “My mother has always struggled with body issues and has most certainly passed those anxieties down to me. I have bought into society’s vision of beauty. I feel very constrained by it on a day to day basis. In some ways, my success depends on it. Image is everything, is it not? The music industry says I must be thin, so I do my best to stay thin. I long for the day when I can fully accept my body, in whatever state it is at the time.” He’s not alone. According to the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), while gay men make up just 5 percent of
the national male population, they account for 42 percent of men who report having an eating disorder. Tom Goss was raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin, a small city on Lake Michigan, between Chicago and Milwaukee. His parents divorced with he was in the 4th grade. It was not, and is still not, a good situation. He learned at a very young age that relationships can be damaging and cause pain. As a result, he didn’t go on his first date until he was 22, while in seminary, training to be a Catholic priest. “I had spent my high school years focused on wrestling, my studies and friends. I didn’t have the typical emotional or sexual drive that other guys seemed to have. Honestly, I thought it was something everyone around me was making up.” It wasn’t until he fell in love (with a plus-sized man) that he realized that he did have sexual and emotional desires. They were just buried and misdirected. Instead of looking at women, or at men that society deemed beautiful, his attraction was toward gay men called bears. “Once I realized what I liked, it was easy to find beauty and sexual attraction everywhere I looked,” he says. The “Round in All the Right Places” music video features some of the plus-sized men of Tom’s dreams. “Dexter and Robert are two men I’ve admired for years. I found Shane and Lawrence through social media, and when I realized was missing a big, burly, white-haired gentlemen, I reached out to Ken, who I follow on Instagram. He’s stunningly beautiful and has such dynamic tattoos. I knew I had to capture them on film! I called him and a week later he was on a plane to the shoot.” Tom Goss directed and co-produced the “Round in All the Right Places” video himself with additional production and cinematography by Nathaniël Siri. “I couldn’t be happier with the visuals, and the beautiful men behind the visuals,” Tom continues. “Yes, I absolutely objectify the men, but I’m careful to do it in a way that is respectful, artistic and focused on that which makes them beautiful and unique. Too often in media, large men are painted as villains or buffoons; the butt of a joke. The goal here was to uplift and empower men of size and embrace their beauty.”
Courtesy Tom Goss Music.
“Round in All the Right Places” is Tom’s opus to plus-sized men but its message is a universal one. “Everyone should see the beauty in themselves and love every inch of their bodies.” Visit http://tomgossmusic.com
Depression is Real. So Are Your Options...
A clinical research study is currently evaluating an investigational drug for its safety and effectiveness in the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder.
IF YOU CAN ANSWER YES TO THESE QUESTIONS, YOU MAY BE ELEGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE.
Are you 18 - 65 years old? Not getting adequate results with your current antidepressant therapy? Diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder?
TO LEARN MORE: 770-319-8025 x305 www.ifbm.us/mdd_adultstudy
INSTITUTE for BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE 696 Concord Rd SE, Smyrna, GA 30082-2629
____________________________
O.K. WITH CORRECTIONS BY: _________________________
LLY • SUBMIT CORRECTIONS ONLINE
%)
UTE OF BEHAVORIAL
M015
PROOF CREATED AT: 7/12/2017 3:23:01 PM NEXT RUN DATE: 07/30/17 PROOF DUE: 07/30/17 19:00:00
OBB LIFE MAGAZINE
31
#LOOKUP FIND THE BALANCE YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR Skyland’s convenient In-town living, saltwater pool, pocket parks, and thoughtful design will give you a reason to #lookup and enjoy life in balance.
TOWNHOMES FROM THE $500’s
Minutes from Brookhaven Shops & Restaurants
SkylandBrookhaven.com
Mon-Sat 11-6 | Sun 1-6 770.254.5363
Information is believed accurate but not warranted and subject to change without notice.