01/17/20, Vol. 10 Issue 22

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including: } Worsening of Hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains: } dofetilide } rifampin } any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider if you: } Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection. } Have any other health problems. } Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY. } Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: } Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. } BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other. Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

Get HIV support by downloading a free app at

MyDailyCharge.com

BVYC0103_BIKTARVY_B_10x10-5_GeorgiaVoice_KeepPushing1_DR4_r1v1jl.indd All Pages

(bik-TAR-vee)

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including: } Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section. } 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 BIKTARVY. } Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY. } 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. } The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).

These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY. 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.

Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY. HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

GET MORE INFORMATION } This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more. } Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5. } If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, DAILY CHARGE, the DAILY CHARGE Logo, KEEP PUSHING, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.

Version date: December 2018 © 2019 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0103 02/19

KEEP PUSHING.

Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

BIKTARVY® is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you. To learn more, visit BIKTARVY.com.

Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the previous page and visit BIKTARVY.com.

5/6/19 1:42 PM

voice

georgia VOL.10 • ISSUE 22

EDITORIAL

YOUR VOICE MATTERS Methodist Church Announces Plan to Split Over LGBTQ Beliefs Jennell Jaquays: “Good. An accepting church and another religious hate group.”

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

PO Box 77401 • Atlanta, GA 30357 P: 404-815-6941; F: 404-963-6365

EDITORIAL

Eddie Murphy Calls Past Homophobic Jokes “Cringey” Richard Satchell: “So he must be planning a comeback.”

Editor: Patrick Colson-Price pcolson-price@thegavoice.com

Editorial Contributors: Conswella Bennett, Cliff Bostock, Camryn Burke, Melissa Carter, Dallas Duncan, Aidan Ivory Edwards, Jim Farmer, Dawn Felton, O’Brian Gunn, Ryan Lee, Rose Pelham, Zoe Seiler, Berlin Sylvestre

Terri Dotty Bailey: “At least he realizes it now.”

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Art Director: Rob Boeger rboeger@thegavoice.com

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Digital Content Senior Staffer: Katie Burkholder kburkholder@thegavoice.com

BUSINESS

Principal/Publisher: Tim Boyd tboyd@thegavoice.com

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Sales Executive: Jim Brams jbrams@thegavoice.com

Business Advisor: Lynn Pasqualetti Financial Firm of Record: HLM Financial Group National Advertising: Rivendell Media 908-232-2021 sales@rivendellmedia.com

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All material in Georgia Voice is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of Georgia Voice. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representation does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons. We also do not accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers.

Unsolicited editorial material is accepted by Georgia Voice, but we do not take responsibility for its return. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject, or edit any submission. Guidelines for freelance contributors are available upon request.

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The editorial positions of Georgia Voice are expressed in editorials and in editor’s notes. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Georgia Voice and its staff.

To submit a letter or commentary: Letters should be fewer than 400 words and commentary, for web or print, should be fewer than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must include a name, address, and phone number for verification. Email submissions to editor@thegavoice.com or mail to the address above.

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4 Editorial January 17, 2020

Smile More, Laugh Louder, Love Harder Patrick Colson-Price I’ve learned to never plan too far in advance because we really never know what will happen in our future. Ironically, I still have a hard time living in the moment because I’m so worried about what’s going to happen in two weeks, two months, or two years. It’s this never ending cycle of telling myself to stop worrying about the future and start living in the moment, and then I tell myself to stop neglecting my plans for the future and think forward. My head already hurts thinking about it right now! Deep breaths…!

My resolution this year is a simple one: smile more, laugh louder, and love harder IN THE MOMENT! I emphasize that last part because I seem to think about the moment after it’s already happened. It’s like when you go to a concert and spend 95 percent of the time videotaping the performance, missing the moment as it happens. You might’ve captured it on video, but it doesn’t hold the same value now. I think about smiling after the kind gesture has already drifted by.

I think about laughing after the joke has already grown stale. I think about loving after the romantic thought has faded away.

I’m left with regret, and I constantly wonder why I’m left with this feeling of emptiness.

In all honesty, I sometimes feel like I’m in an out-of-body experience the majority of my time here on Earth. I remember moments that happened but don’t feel like I was physically engaged in my interactions.

Recently while on a trip to Florida with my husband, I had a moment where I truly felt alive. We were on Miami Beach at this circuit party, the sun beaming down through the clouds, a warm breeze grazed against my skin while the music blared in my ears. To feel, to see, and to hear reality at that moment made me realize that it’s possible to live in the now. I never really believed it because for so long I’ve been stuck a revolving door of the past and future with no way of escaping to the present.

In 2020 and the start of a new decade, I’ve decided that this will be my chance to improve every moment of my life in the now while appreciating where I’ve come from and where I’ve yet to go. Enough worrying about where I’ll be living in a year or what job I’ll hold down the road because one thing I’ve learned is that things happen for a reason.

No matter how hard I try to plan and prepare for what’s to come, life will always have its way of jerking me back to make me realize that a higher being is in control, whatever or whoever that might be. So, my job as a human being on this planet is to take every moment and embrace it because it’s one less moment I have left on this earth!

Stacy London Comes Out and Introduces Social Media to Girlfriend Kim Johnson: “Wonderful! May we all feel so free to live open.”

Local LGBTQ Advocate and MAAP Founder Allen Jones Dies at 82 Jd Isaacs: “So sad to hear. Allen was a good friend and mentor to me for a period of time. He was a solid, charismatic guy with an understatedly wicked sense of humor.”

Lynn Pasqualetti: “Sorry to hear about Allen. He made a difference in our community. May he RIP.” Study Shows Homophobic Bullying is Most Common Violent Behavior Among Teen Boys” Jessy Briton Hamilton: “I’ve taught in four states, multiple subjects, every grade K-12, for 17 years, and I can tell you beyond the shadow of a doubt that homophobia is alive and well in our schools. In our best schools it’s simply ignored. In our worst schools it’s actually encouraged. And, the bullying isn’t just aimed at kids--a lot of LGBTQ teachers are victims of violence and targets for discrimination as well. It’s an epidemic no one talks about.”

Senate Confirms Fifth Openly Gay Ambassador under Trump Will Comeaux: “President Obama had dozens (if not hundreds) of openly LGBTQ people working in his administration … Trump gets no love from me.”

Want to be featured in Your Voice Matters?

Leave a comment to a story via social media or on our website, or email editor@thegavoice.com with the subject line “Your Voice Matters.”

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

NEWS

United Methodist Traditional Plan Goes Into Effect Zoe Seiler The United Methodist Church has been debating the topic of same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ individuals for decades. In February 2019, a special session of the United Methodist General Conference, the legislative body of the UMC, passed the Traditional Plan. It retained language against “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from becoming ordained pastors and prohibits clergy members from performing same-sex weddings.

However, the Traditional Plan, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2020, adds stricter enforcement and punishment for violations of church law, according to the UMC website.

“Pastors who perform weddings and are convicted by trial will have minimum penalties of one-year unpaid suspension (1st offense) and surrender of credentials (2nd offense),” a summary from the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church states.

Rev. Mark Westmoreland, pastor at Glenn Memorial UMC, thinks the added restrictions and their punitive nature are what have upset many people.

“This took it to a different level of punitiveness that I think most good United Methodists simply felt was offensive and was hurtful and made it a much more bitter fight in a sense. It intensified the anger in this,” Westmoreland said.

“I think that’s when a lot of folks who would consider themselves middle of the road Methodists felt that, ‘Okay it’s time now to bring this to an end.’ This has gotten to be a sense of vindictiveness here and a certain punitive nature that’s absolutely necessary,” he added.

Pastors can be brought up on charges for various things, such as re-baptizing someone, yet there are no minimum penalties for other violations of church law.

“Re-baptism is equally against our orders and we can be brought up on charges for re-baptizing people,” said the Rev. Anjie TheGeorgiaVoice.com

Rev. Mark Westmoreland, pastor at Glenn Memorial UMC COURTESY PHOTO

Woodworth, co-pastor at Neighborhood UMC. “People actively do it and are very public about it and are not brought up on charges, and there are no minimum penalties for that. It is the only piece about which there are minimum penalties.”

Anjie and her co-pastor Rev. Andy Woodworth are taking measures to create policies that are equal for everyone.

For example, Anjie and Andy do not perform legal marriages for anyone since they are not allowed to perform same-sex weddings under church law. But they will perform a blessing ceremony for anyone.

The other aspect of the plan does not allow LGBTQ individuals to be ordained. Boards of Ordained Ministry, which recommends candidates for licensing and ordination, must examine and not recommend “candidates who do not meet standards regarding sexuality,” the UMC website says.

Bishops also cannot dismiss complaints without reason. Just resolutions also must acknowledge all harm done and the person bringing the complaint must agree to it, according to the North Georgia Conference’s summary.

The Traditional

Plan

has

left

some

congregations wondering what to do next.

Westmoreland said there was a lot of disappointment and anger among his congregation at General Conference.

Glenn Memorial has been active in fighting for LGBTQ rights and has worked to bring change to the church and the North Georgia Annual Conference. Westmoreland said the General Conference decision felt like a setback for the congregation.

“They are a Reconciling Ministries Network church, which means that they joined the network of churches that have been advocating for several years for equal rights for LGBTQ persons,” Westmoreland said.

He said some members left the church after that due to being tired of waiting for change but most of the congregation wants to stay and bring about change.

Both Anjie and Andy have seen clergy and laypeople leave the denomination because they can’t abide by this injustice anymore and the heartache of it all, Anjie said.

Anjie said that she and some colleagues are trying to figure out what to do if they can’t be Methodist anymore. She said that for some

“Pastors who perform weddings and are convicted by trial will have minimum penalties of one-year unpaid suspension (1st offense) and surrender of credentials (2nd offense),” a summary from the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church states.” clergy, their identities are wrapped up in being part of a group they have experienced like family. She said it’s heartbreaking to lose someone because their faith community can’t affirm who they are.

“It’s hard to be Methodist right now,” Anjie said.

Neighborhood UMC has a mix of deeply Methodist members and those who have come from other denominations or who have come back to church after having been away. But members wonder how long they abide by the new plan following the 2019 General Conference.

“There’s a lot of folks really invested in can we stay Methodist, how do we resist, what does that look like,” she added.

Andy also said that it’s a learning process of figuring out how much the denomination can tell a congregation what it has to do.

“We believe there’s a way to have a church for all people that’s vital and vibrant and growing,” Anjie and Andy said collectively.

“We can’t speak on behalf of our congregation yet because our congregation hasn’t made a decision, but I would feel comfortable staying in a denomination that is more moderate than I am as long as we were allowed to do ministry and affirm people in our context.”

January 17, 2020 News 5

NEWS

All-Inclusive

Saint Mark UMC Gets New Leadership

Rev. Dr. Dana Everhart SCREENGRAB PHOTO

Saint Mark UMC

Katie Burkholder

COURTESY PHOTO

Saint Mark United Methodist Church’s (UMC) Senior Pastor, Rev. Dr. Beth LaRocca-Pitts, has left the church, leaving Rev. Dr. Dana Everhart to take her place.

LaRocca-Pitts will take on a new position as Senior Pastor of Oak Grove United Methodist Church in Decatur.

“If I could pick the person who followed me to Saint Mark – which I’m not allowed to do – I couldn’t have picked a better person than Dana,” LaRocca-Pitts said in a video posted to Facebook announcing the news. “I don’t know a single person in the conference that loves this church more than him.”

Everhart has been a United Methodist pastor for about 34 years, serving several congregations across the North Georgia conference. For six years, he served as the District Superintendent for the Atlanta Emory District, under which Saint Mark falls. Everhart officially began his new appointment on Jan. 1 but has been working with LaRocca-Pitts to transition into the church since November.

6 News January 17, 2020

“I’m truly excited to be at Saint Mark,” Everhart told Georgia Voice. “This community of faith is one that has been leading the way for all people to be included into the kingdom of God since its founding in the early 1900s.

Saint Mark has been a leader in social justice and social gospel. … Historically, [Saint Mark] was there for women’s rights, they were they for civil rights, and now we’ve been here for the LGBTQ community for several years and continue to be a beacon for other congregations to understand the need for that.”

Saint Mark is well-known among Atlanta for being open to all people, especially members of the LGBTQ community. Everhart says this is because Saint Mark strives to be “the true picture of the kingdom of God.” “On Sunday morning, when I preached my first sermon and looked across the congregation, I saw all people – of color and gender and race and style of life – and it was a true picture of the kingdom of God,” he said. “I felt like, ‘Wow, I’ve arrived!’ I want others to come and experience that as well.”

Under his leadership, Everhart plans to

continue Saint Mark’s mission of inclusion and acceptance by spreading the word to other congregations in the denomination – especially as the denomination splits over LGBTQ beliefs. “[W]e understand that most of the UMC, especially in the perimeter, have become open and inclusive,” he said. “So, we’re not the only church, yet we want to continue to empower all churches … and help lead them in a positive way as our denomination shifts and changes.”

“This will be the church for all God’s people,” he continued. “We are excited and thankful, and we’ll always be appreciative of the LGBTQ community and how they have become a part of our ministry … I do hope people will feel welcome to come and experience what we do here at Saint Mark, gay or straight!”

Saint Mark UMC offers Sunday morning service at 9am and 11:15am, Sunday school classes open to all ages at 10:10am, and midweek retreats (which include a bible study and dinner) on Wednesdays at 5pm.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

NEWS

Heretic Future Looms in the Midst of MARTA Expansion Patrick Colson-Price A proposed plan to expand MARTA could put the Heretic Atlanta nightclub in danger of being demolished. The plan called the Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative would create a light rail line linking the Lindbergh and Avondale Station with operations beginning in 2026. The proposed line would run through where Heretic Atlanta is located.

MARTA’s website states, “The light rail line will provide service to one of the region’s most congested areas – and biggest job centers – serving Emory University, Emory Hospital, the Centers for Disease Control, Children’s Healthcare, and Veteran’s Administration Hospital.”

Charles Paine, the chairman of the LGBTQ historic preservation advisory committee for Historic Atlanta, penned a letter addressed to MARTA CEO Jeffrey A. Parker and Chairman Robbie Ashe in late November urging them to “immediately begin looking at alternative locations” and avoid removing “a potential historical resource associated with the LGBTQ community.”

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

MARTA has mentioned it will include Historic Atlanta in the formal process of identifying historic properties that would be affected by the corridor, according to a Historic Atlanta Facebook post.

Historic Atlanta further cited in its letter the potential for the club to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the coming years. While Heretic has not yet been nominated for the National Register, they hope to secure the funding in 2020 to apply for a nomination for the Georgia Register.

Since receiving that letter, MARTA issued a statement saying the project was being reviewed, taking into consideration “all properties, landmarks, and natural habitats that could be impacted.”

January 17, 2020 News 7

NEWS

‘Student Athlete Protection Act’ Hailed As Anti-transgender Bill Would Require Gendered Teams to Allow Teammates Based on Sex Assigned at Birth

“My bill doesn’t ban anyone from competing. If the athletic associations deem that they want to open it up to non-biological males or non-biological females, then they just need to change the rules of the association and make sure they’re being forthright with parents and students, and say, ‘Hey, our sport is nongender specific, or you can be gender-fluid and participate in our sport.’ My bill allows the associations to do that.”

Dallas Anne Duncan Georgia’s General Assembly is barely back in session, and there’s already a bill being hailed as anti-transgender.

House Bill 747 was pre-filed in December

by Rep. Philip Singleton (R-Sharpsburg). It would require the state’s public school athletic associations to ensure teams specifically called “boys’ teams” only have teammates who were assigned male at birth and “girls’ teams” with teammates assigned female at birth. The bill’s teeth come in the form of prohibiting a “boys team” with a trans or nonbinary athlete who was assigned female at birth – and vice versa for a “girls team” – from utilizing public and government facilities for athletic competitions.

LGBTQ activists and allies call the bill an attack on transgender individuals and say it will ban trans student-athletes in Georgia high schools, but Singleton said that’s “a wildly inaccurate statement.”

“My bill doesn’t ban anyone from competing,” he said. “If the athletic associations deem that they want to open it up to non-biological males or non-biological females, then they just need to change the rules of the association and make sure they’re being forthright with parents and students, and say, ‘Hey, our sport is non-gender specific, or you can be genderfluid and participate in our sport.’ My bill allows the associations to do that.”

Singleton said he’s concerned about transwomen athletes dominating in their sport over cis-women and said the bill aims to level the playing field for athletes of all genders.

8 News January 17, 2020

Rep. Philip Singleton (R-Sharpsburg) OFFICIAL PHOTO

But that doesn’t pass the “smell test,” said Atlanta mom Leah Davis, whose child Ricky identifies as nonbinary. She said lawmakers’ efforts would be better spent protecting trans Georgians rather than enacting legislation in “this one area where there might conceivably be some incremental advantage.”

Competing to Compete If HB 747 passes, GHSA “is either going to be in the very unpopular position of standing by a few trans athletes and calling a sport a coed sport, or they’re going to designate it male and female and be in the position of policing what is under somebody’s shorts,” Leah said.

The Davises know firsthand what it means to face gender discrimination in athletics. In seventh and eighth grade at their school in DeKalb County, Ricky wasn’t allowed to try out for the basketball team.

“We brought up the law stating that you must accommodate if you don’t have a sports

“Although it’s predominantly young men that wrestle, there are some young women.

So there’s a reasonable expectation for me as a parent and him as an athlete – he knows he could go up to a match and face a young lady,” Singleton said. “We don’t have a problem with that because the expectation is set.”

Ricky told Georgia Voice they’re not sure having all sports gender-neutral would be as effective as intended.

– Rep. Philip Singleton (R-Sharpsburg)

“It’s good in theory, but in practice I don’t think it would be executed at all, just because of a bunch of different boundaries,” Ricky Davis said. “The coach might not let them on the team even though they were great; peer pressure could stop [trans athletes] from trying out; some teams just might end up all one gender.”

team of their gender, so even if I did identify as female I should still be able to try out for the boy’s team just because they don’t have a girls team,” they said.

Unknown consequences Leah is concerned about the trans athletes who lived as their true selves for most of their school years.

The school accommodated by adding a cheerleading squad, which Ricky went fullforce with for two years, until she asked to wear pants instead of a skirt. Ricky was told no because it wouldn’t be “uniform” if all the squad wasn’t wearing skirts.

“In the case where the official documents do show sex and the sex hasn’t been able to be legally changed, then the school will be forced to out a student-athlete to the state sport authority to comply with that law, which would be incredibly damaging,” she said.

“I said, ‘If a guy was on the cheer squad you’d let him have pants because you wouldn’t want a guy in a skirt. It will still be uniform if it’s in the right colors and design and everything.’ And their response was, ‘You’re not a guy,’” Ricky said.

GHSA defers to schools to make the call on which teams trans athletes can compete on. It’s unclear whether or not that policy will be able to continue should HB 747 pass, as the bill would require a sport to be non-gender specific if a trans athlete were to play and the team will be able to utilize publicly-funded facilities like high school gyms and locker rooms.

Does ‘fair and equal competition’ Equal Gender Equality in Sports?

Singleton said the bill assures “fair and equal competition” based on biology, and that students have an expectation about who their competition is based on the delineation of a team. His son, for example, wrestles for USA Wrestling, which is co-ed.

“A representative’s job should be to make good public policy and good laws; see what society needs,” Leah said. “I just think this is energy on an issue that isn’t an issue, when there are so many areas where minority and vulnerable populations are not protected.”

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

FEATURE

NN NN

RESOLUTION 2O2O! From all of us here at Georgia Voice, we’re all eager to share what resolutions we’ll try to hold firm to in the new year! It’s clear as day that this year and the start of a new decade will be the best yet!

Katie Burkholder

Melissa Carter

Jessica Vue

“2020 is the year of ME. This year I want to prioritize my mental health over everything: finally going to therapy, getting off social media (for good), being easier on myself for my shortcomings, looking for help from friends and family when I need it, and caring less about what people think about me and more about what I think of me.”

“I normally don’t make resolutions, as I think most are too ambitious.

However, I would like to practice love and forgiveness more this year since that is the true foundation for a better life.”

“I’d like to continue progressing professionally, save up my money, build my credit and move out of the house (coincidentally, this is also my mom’s new year resolution). I’d also like to really focus on health more and create an attainable, balanced-ish lifestyle. I recently joined a gym for the first time outside of school and would like to jump on swimming lessons for a future family trip to Hawaii! I guess I need to learn how to do those high dives too.”

Digital Content Senior Staffer

Columnist

Tim Boyd

Aidan Edwards

“I’d like to not to make resolutions but to practice moderation in all areas of my life.

Begin with an end in mind.”

“My resolution this year is to get more sleep and to actually take time to breathe. I’m a three- to five-hour-a-night kind of guy. It’s recently occurred to me that I have taken on the American values of being addicted to my work.

It runs in the family. We often tell each other to take it easy. Hypocrisy runs in the family too. Maybe I should work on that as well.”

Publisher

Rob Boeger Art Director

“I’ve never really been one for resolutions at the start of the new year. I always think that when I need to change something about myself such as dieting, curbing my attitude, or just trying to be a better person, that I should start it when I have the thought to do so.”

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

Freelance Writer

Freelance Writer

Conswella Bennett Freelance Writer

“My resolution is to continue working on self-care by being more consistent with my workouts and powerlifting training. Also, to eat healthier.”

O’Brian Gunn Freelance Writer

“One of my resolutions is to form deeper, stronger connections with the most important people in my life. I feel I usually tend to skim the surface in regards to both allowing people to know me and getting to know other people. I’d like to work on plunging deeper and going further.”

Dallas Duncan Freelance Writer

“This year I am determined to finish all of my knitted birthday, baby shower and holiday presents before I have to give them to their recipients! ... A goal that will begin once I finish my dad’s sweater, which was his Christmas present two years ago.

Progress not perfection, right?”

January 17, 2020 Feature 9

CELEBRITY CLOSE-UP!

Celebrity Brief

It’s a new year, so you know what that means: it’s time to get your goals on! Need some inspiration?

Read up on what your favorite LGBTQ celebs have to say about the Roaring (20)20s!

“2020 goal: Trump loses and they let Rachel Maddow and I get blacked out drunk on MSNBC for New Years to compete with Anderson [Cooper] and [Andy Cohen].”

– out comedian, actor, and producer Billy Eichner (Twitter)

“In 2020, I refuse to be exploited. I will not be working for producers or [companies] that try to tear down my worth for their own profit. Manipulators and misogynists to the back of the line, please; I will not be seeing you this year.”

– RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Jinkx Monsoon (Twitter)

“Happy New Year! I can’t believe we’re in the Twenties.

I’m gonna be dressed as a flapper the whole decade.”

– Ellen DeGeneres (Twitter)

(PHOTOS VIA FACEBOOK)

“My New Year’s resolutions for 2020 are to be hot and stop global warming.”

– out Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon (Twitter)

10 Celebrity Close-Up! January 17, 2020

“New Years Eve of 2009: I was about to start the year with a new job at [California homelessness non-profit PATH]. Never could have imagined the next 10 years would lead me to where I am now, but if the next decade is anything like it, it’s time to strap in.”

– bisexual former Congresswoman Katie Hill (Twitter)

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

ASK THE DOCTOR

Is there a “Best Of” for diets?

Patrick Colson-Price This is a very common question in the nutrition world. You may hear on TV about a fantastic new diet, or a friend might tell you that the diet they recently tried is “the best!” Truth is, there is not one diet that works best across the board. While there is an overwhelming amount of diet options available, the diet that works best is whatever works best for you.

One nutrition tip to keep in mind: if you hear of a diet that recommends cutting out an entire food group (grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat/protein), that is typically a red flag! Unless you have a medical need to eliminate certain foods, consuming a diet with plenty of variety from all food groups is essential. It’s important to note that there are many harmful diets out there, so please be sure to speak with your provider or dietitian before following any diet. Just remember that each person has different medical needs, health goals, dietary preferences, schedules, and so much more! Also, it’s best to avoid the “diet” mentality, and try to aim for more lasting lifestyle changes. To learn more about how your diet can impact your life, try to meet with a registered dietitian – it’s a great way to get answers from a nutrition professional about what will work best (once again) for you.

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Julia Bleecker, MS, RD, LD Dietitian AbsoluteCARE Medical Center & Pharmacy

Can you tell me more about bariatric surgery?

There are multiple types of surgery for people who struggle with excess weight.

These surgeries are now much less invasive and much safer than back in the ’90s.

Hundreds of thousands of these surgeries are done each year and follow up over 5-15 years has shown sustained weight loss of 25–30 percent of body weight. Plus, the risk of serious complications is very low, like that of a gallbladder surgery. The improvement in heart and brain health, diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, and even risk of cancer, is significant. The most common surgery involves cutting the stomach down to a “sleeve” shaped like a banana. It reduces hunger and makes people feel full so they lose weight. A couple months after the operation, they go back to eating normal food but smaller amounts of it. The other common operation is bypass and that is more effective, but has slightly more complications. It is still very safe and preferred for those who are very obese.

Anuj Malik, MD Board Certified in Obesity Medicine AbsoluteCARE Medical Center & Pharmacy January 17, 2020 Health 11

FEATURE NEWS

PHOTO BY PATRICK COLSON-PRICE

Trading in Doughnuts for Dumbbells Patrick Colson-Price

(30 percent of your fat intake).

It’s no secret that eating less fatty foods and working out more can help you lose weight, gain muscle, and live a much healthier lifestyle.

But how easy is it to really drop the dozen doughnuts and pick up some weights? If it were easy, everyone would be in the best shape of their lives, right? The taste of a fresh, hot doughnut or any other treat can be irresistible, but what if we showed you the numbers behind the sweets and just what they do to your body?

Would you change the way you eat then?

On average, to burn off a 350-calorie doughnut, a person who weighs 150 pounds would have to swim for about 35 minutes, walk for 54 minutes, or attend an hour-long yoga class, says Healthline experts. If you weigh more, expect to put in more work at the gym on the treadmill or with weights.

We’ll take doughnuts for an example!

According to Delish.com, an original Krispy Kreme donut has 11 grams of fat – five of those being saturated – while a Dunkin’ original donut has six grams of saturated fat 12 Feature January 17, 2020

So, is one hour of cardio a day enough to burn those delectable treats in your pantry?

Experts say you might burn anywhere between 200 and 1,000 calories in an hour of cardio. That’s about three doughnuts worth of calories! If you burn 600 per hour, six days a week, that’s 3600 calories which equates to about ten doughnuts! That would be enough to lose one pound a week. Just

one pound! Not to mention everything else you’re taking in with higher calorie counts.

What about heavy lifting, you know, with dumbbells and exercise equipment? According to research from Harvard Medical School, a general 30-minute strength training session burns an average of 90 calories (180 calories per hour) for a 125-pound person, 112 calories (224 calories per hour) for a 155-pound person and 133 calories (266 calories per hour) for a 185-pound person.

After looking at the numbers, can you justify that glazed doughnut in the morning, or does doing a few dumbbell curls with an hour of cardio sound like the way to go?

Your choice makes staying in shape all the more rewarding!

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

FEATURE NEWS

Meal Prep Madness Dawn Felton

Sumer Charity, founder of She Cooks ATL

It’s a new year and once again, you’ve resolved to eat right and lose weight. You may be wondering where to begin your New Year’s plan for achieving your best possible health and wellness goals.

PHOTOS VIA INSTAGRAM

I’ve got two words for you: meal prep! I stumbled across meal prepping in May 2019, after joining a vegan lifestyle group on Facebook. A fellow member posted a picture of themselves demonstrating their 60-pound weight loss journey. I was flabbergasted.

They attributed their weight loss and no longer needing to use chronic medication all to healthy meal prepping. I needed results like this so I learned everything I could about meal prepping for myself.

After about a month of consistent meal prep, I began to drop pounds and inches from my waistline. Later in the year, I went to the doctor for an annual check-up and in comparison to years prior my results were excellent. I sat back and basked in delight as my doctor indicated I had optimal cholesterol and lowered blood pressure, and I contributed this to my implementation of meal prepping diet and exercise.

By now, you might be asking: What is meal prep? meal prepping is the highest form of meal planning you can do. Food is prepared and portioned out into single-serving meals and stored until you’re ready to chow down.

To help me explain the benefits of meal prep, I interviewed Sumer Charity, founder of She Cooks ATL, who at the time of this interview was prepping meals for 40 participants of the Atlanta Detox Project.

It’s Atlanta’s largest, most trusted weight loss and Lifestyle seven-day detox challenge in conjunction with Spreading the Health and E.F.F.E.C.T Fitness in Southwest Atlanta on Metropolitan Parkway. The self-taught personal chef, whose 50 percent of her business involves meal prep, confessed she meal preps for her and her family every TheGeorgiaVoice.com

week. Not only are her clients saving time, but when asked if meal prepping is costeffective, she stated, “Yes, it is! Think of the single women and men who live in our city and buy groceries that get thrown away. The meals are reasonably priced at any income level if it is a priority.”

She Cooks ATL offers a variety of diets to choose from, like Keto, Vegan, and Vegetarian, and will work with you and your trainer to help you reach your goals. Sumer sees meal prep as a way to reset her clients in the short term and get them jump-started and on the right track with their health.

If you check out her Instagram @ SheCooksATL, you’ll find her meal prep plans are set at 5 meals for $60 or 10 meals for $110.

Her favorite meal prep entrees are Quinoa Fried Rice, Vegan Crab Cakes, and Raw Vegan Agave Mustard Dressing, which sell her salads.

Though I had my own experience with meal prep, I had to determine if meal prepping was necessarily healthier.

I also reached out to Simone Floyd, store manager of Spreading the Health on Metropolitan Parkway. She believes in the benefits of the meal prep portion contributing to her success in the detox challenge because she wasn’t familiar with a raw vegan diet. “Having my meals readily available takes away from having to search

“Definitely. Food already prepared, food prepped and ready at home, there’s no need to stop for fast food. Meal prep keeps you accountable.”

“Food already prepared, food prepped and ready at home, there’s no need to stop for fast food.

Meal prep keeps you accountable.”

– Sumer Charity, founder of She Cooks ATL for food once I’m hungry.” Floyd still budgets the prep into her lifestyle. “$150 for 10 meals works out to be more affordable than what you would spend on a day to day basis on food at restaurants, taxes, and gas to go to the restaurant; add all that in and it makes sense.”

You can find out more about personal chef Sumer Charity at her social media handles @SheCooksATL and her website: SheCooksATL.com January 17, 2020 Feature 13

FEATURE NEWS

Utilizing Your Gym Membership Patrick Colson-Price

Moving to a new city can be an overwhelming experience as you sometimes have to switch banks, utility companies, and other home services. For you health nuts, it also means switching up a major routine in your day-today lives: the gym! It’s probably one of the first places I Google when moving to a new city. How far is it from my home or work, is it gay-friendly, and what am I going to get for the price I pay? The last one is a question many overlook when hunting for the most ideal gym. We’re here to make sure you’re asking all of the right questions to get the most bang for your fitness buck.

Free Personal Training Sessions At some gyms, including national chains LA Fitness and Planet Fitness, your membership can come with a one-on-one with a personal trainer.

14 Feature January 17, 2020

Now, this gives you a chance to workout with someone who can walk you through a detailed workout for a respective muscle group. It’s usually just one workout or a week of training included in your workout, but the perks mean you’ll get to see if personal training is right for you. Always ask about these sessions as many gyms offer but don’t always mention to you upon signing your fitness contract.

Nutrition Plans It’s not just all about getting in the gym and lifting, but eating healthy can really transform your body. Many times, gyms have nutritionists on staff to assist with all things food. This includes customized meal plans, foods to stay away from, and how to indulge without breaking your meal plans. Normally this includes one session where the nutritionist will put together a weekly meal plan or meals that are low in calories and sugar.

Fitness Classes These are ideal when you want to switch up your routine. Instead of strictly lifting weights or running on the treadmill, try your local gym’s fitness classes. Almost always they’re included in your membership.

These classes include high-intensity interval training (HIIT), yoga, pilates, spin classes, and Zumba. If your gym does offer these classes with your membership, always pay attention to the weekly calendars that are posted around the gym. This includes your times, classes, locations for the classes and who’s teaching. All very helpful information if you’re looking to get the most out of these classes.

Steamroom, Sauna, Towel Service After an intense workout with weights or in your favorite fitness class, you’ll

certainly want to wind down with a few amenities that can add that extra oomph to your gym experience. Steamrooms (wet heat) and saunas (dry heat) allow you to sweat out those toxins and can leave you refreshed. If you’re looking to shower after your workout and always forgetting your towel, some gyms offer towel service to make your life a little easier. Other amenities that can change the way you workout include pool, hot and cold whirlpool, cardio movie rooms, and stretch areas.

We leave you with this – ALWAYS ASK! Don’t expect your gym representative to include everything they offer, because sometimes people just forget. Knowing what you want before you sign up at your local gym can really help you weed out those money-hungry gyms from the gyms really focused on enhancing their member’s experiences.

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FEATURE NEWS

Gay Gym Gear Patrick Colson-Price Need comfort while still showing off your arms, chest, legs, and ass? We’ve got the perfect workout attire to get the glances from those around you!

BLITZBEATZ Shorts $45, Blitzbeatz.com These Nylon/Spandex shorts come in dozens of colors with more pockets than you can handle! Two diagonally zippered front pockets, dedicated cell phone pocket, exterior zippered credit card pocket, hidden zippered inside pocket, exterior accessory loop, interior shirt-securing loop, inside drawstrings, water bottle pocket, and a cell pocket cover which holds your phone in place.

JED NORTH Shorts $26.95, JEDNorth.com Perfect for a heavy lifting session, miles of cardio or a peaceful yoga session. These polyester and spandex shorts fit snug but still allow you to move freely. Includes two side pockets with zippers and a ribbed waistband with external drawcord.

JED NORTH Mesh Tank Top $20.95, JEDNorth.com Soft, stretchy, and breathable … what more could you ask for?! This tank comes in several colors and allows you to show off the right amount of skin to your gym partners. The tank is made of performance polyester and spandex with a tapered fit for a wide range of motion while lifting or running.

JJ Malibu Donut Tank Top $22.95, JJMalibu.com Show your biggest indulgences on the gym floor with JJ Malibu’s donut tank top! This polyester and spandex blend tank has a sexy racerback design to show off all of your back muscles to your gym crush! Comes in dozens of fun designs!

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DJX Trough Socks $17, BoyNextdoorMenswear.com Get these sexy knee high rugby socks for the perfect circulation during your lifting or cardio workout session. Cotton, polyester and elastic blend which comes in multiple colors.

Teamm8 Shorts $55, BoyNextdoorMenswear.com Whether you’re working out or just relaxing, these level shorts add another level of comfort with four way stretch quick dry fabrication.

You’ll find a mesh side and leg band trim which reveals the perfect amount of skin. Two side zip pockets, and full elastic waist with outside tie-cord makes sure everything is secure.

Nasty Pig Jockstrap $29, NastyPig.com The L33 jockstrap gives a classic vibe while standing out among the rest! When you drop your trousers in the locker room, the super-soft modal spandex will hold your junk easily. The waistband combines our iconic SNOUT logo and reminds everyone that you’re a true Nasty Pig! January 17, 2020 Feature 15

A&E SPOTLIGHT

The Memoirs of a

Southern Gay Teacher

“I’d heard stories about how you could be openly gay and teach in Atlanta, and then I got to Atlanta and found out that wasn’t actually true,” Fair said. “I never really have honestly known any teacher who is what I would call truly, openly gay, including myself.

Even though the kids knew it, we didn’t discuss it.”

Dallas Anne Duncan Every summer for the past few years, Randy Fair worked on his book. A retired Atlanta educator who now lives in Florida, Fair felt called to document his time in the classroom, hoping it would serve as a tipping point to discuss treatment of LGBTQ teachers and students.

Southern. Gay. Teacher. begins with a highschool-aged Fair in the 1970s, and continues through his teaching experiences all the way through retirement two years ago. The book is slated for publication Feb. 1.

“It was very therapeutic,” he said. “I entered this into a lot of contests and kept getting rejected.”

Finally, Atmosphere Press approached him with the desire to publish, but some cuts were necessary. Fair’s editors advised focusing on the school atmosphere aspects, and depending on how this book is received, they’ll consider publishing Fair’s personal memoirs as a second volume.

“School is something we make everyone do, so you send these kids into these places that in my view are some of the most homophobic places left in our society and they’re forced to go there, and then oftentimes they’re subjected to emotional and sometimes physical violence because we force them into this situation they have no control over.

They can’t choose not to go,” Fair said.

After decades in the classroom, Fair did see improvements on how LGBTQ students are treated: efforts of school administrators to meet with transgender students before school started to address their bathroom needs, for example. But it’s a far cry from where it could be, where out students and teachers are treated the same regardless of 16 A&E Spotlight January 17, 2020

Randy Fair, author of “Southern. Gay. Teacher.”

OFFICIAL PHOTO

sexual orientation or gender.

Welcome to Atlanta Fair grew up in Weaver, Alabama, a town with a population of approximately 2,000.

Kids weren’t always directed toward college at the time, and Fair sought the advice from a favorite teacher on what to major in.

She told him he was going to be a teacher, too, and he wound up at Jacksonville State University soon after. Fair took a sociology

class that included a field trip to the ATL. They visited prisons, nursing homes, and ended the trip with a visit to a gay bar called Illusions.

“Illusions was a huge, gigantic bar. They did drag shows and I didn’t even know what a drag show was,” Fair said. “They were having the Mr. and Ms. Gay Atlanta pageant and I was so shocked by these guys that were coming out competing … they were so opposite of what my stereotype of

a gay person would be.”

Later in his college years, a couple of friends took Fair back to Atlanta to cheer him up with a visit to a different gay bar.

“I knew there just was nothing in Alabama for a gay man in that time period. So I graduated on a Friday night and I moved to Atlanta on a Saturday morning,” Fair said.

“I was so amazed there was this culture there and this place could be like that. It was the only place that I knew of that had any kind of gay culture at all.”

CONTINUES ON PAGE 17 TheGeorgiaVoice.com

A&E SPOTLIGHT

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16 Gay Culture, Yes …

Gay Educators, Not So Much “I’d heard stories about how you could be openly gay and teach in Atlanta, and then I got to Atlanta and found out that wasn’t actually true,” Fair said. “I never really have honestly known any teacher who is what I would call truly, openly gay, including myself. Even though the kids knew it, we didn’t discuss it.”

For example, straight teachers tend to have photos of their spouse and kids on their desks, and incorporated their families into analogies or stories for the course.

“The LGBTQ teachers that I’ve known, I’ve never known them to do that. In a way it’s like teaching with one arm tied behind your back because you can’t use all the tools that a straight teacher would use,” he said.

“The LGBTQ teachers I’ve known have approached this by being so overly qualified and good that you can’t say anything about it. It’s almost like they have to be perfect in every way. Most of the people that I knew, especially at one school where there were a whole lot of LGBTQ teachers, it was treated like an open secret.”

A Groundbreaking Topic When Fair first moved to Atlanta, he shared an apartment with a woman who later nominated him for the Smithsonian’s National Faculty fellowship. While in that program, Fair met a black Ph.D. student TheGeorgiaVoice.com

writing her dissertation on the Great Migration, and was immediately inspired.

“She talked about it a lot and that’s the first time it dawned on me that you could do something so specific for your dissertation,” he said. “I said, ‘I’m going to direct every paper I do toward something called lesbian and gay stuff.’ When I got back, I enrolled in a specialist program and I directed every paper; every class; I would come up with a way to make the paper have something to do with lesbian and gay studies. I was scared, but far from being hostile to it, I suddenly found out that the professors at Georgia State really loved this because they were so sick of reading the same kind of papers over and over again. In that day and time it was kind of groundbreaking having this topic discussed.”

Another thing that’s changed since Fair first stepped foot in the classroom as a Southern gay teacher: it’s no longer groundbreaking for LGBTQ Americans to openly discuss their fight for equality.

“If I could have my dream happen with this book, it would be to start these conversations, especially with the general public, but more importantly with people who plan on becoming teachers. Most teachers go into this and they don’t even think of LGBTQ concerns, so when they are happy they’re caught completely offguard because they don’t know how to handle this,” Fair said. “That’s what I want to accomplish in 2020.”

January 17, 2020 A&E Spotlight 17

JIM FARMER ACTING OUT

New Theatre for a New Year As a new year is upon us, so are a slew of local theater productions, from musicals to iconic dramas.

“Fun Home,” which just opened at Actor’s Express, is one of the highest-profile shows of the season. Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori’s musical, adapted from Alison Bechdel’s 2006 graphic memoir, is about a young woman dealing with life and the discovery of her sexuality, as well as a complicated relationship with her father. It’s being directed by the company’s Freddie Ashley, a huge fan of the work. “It’s one of the most beautiful musicals written in the last 15 or 20 years,” he says. “The score is unbelievable and the story is one that is universal in terms of wanting to know who you come from and the details about your ancestry and parents that you don’t get as a child.” The cast includes Rhyn Saver and Express vets Natasha Drena and Jeff McKerley.

In spring 2020, Out Front Theatre Company hosts a trio of LGBTQ-themed shows. “Bull in a China Shop” is a period comedy about the relationship between two women while “Warplay” is a re-imaging of the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. Closing out the company’s season is the groundbreaking “The Boys in the Band,” which returned to Broadway last

“Fun Home”

River” and “Matilda.”

COURTESY PHOTO

It won the Tony for Best Musical and Horizon Theatre has scooped up “Once.”

Based on the Academy Award-winning film, it’s the story of an Irish guitarist who meets a young Czech lady who changes his life.

Bound to get you dancing, Aurora Theatre’s “On Your Feet!” features music and lyrics

by Gloria and Emilio Estefan and deals with how the Estefans broke barriers and achieved stardom. Another show with plenty of buzz is the Alliance Theater’s “Maybe Happy Ending,” following two obsolete helperbots in Seoul who discover each other.

Topher Payne, known best for his writing and acting, turns to directing with a version of Tennessee Williams’ classic “The Glass Menagerie” at Stage Door Players. Payne will also be seen in the game cast of Process Theatre’s “Designing Women Live 11,” which is sure to sell out quickly.

spring. Broadway Across America has a particularly splashy slate, starting with “The Band’s Visit” next week. The musical – based on the film – won 10 Tony Awards in 2018 and now Atlanta audiences can see it for themselves. Also in Broadway Across America’s spring line-up are “Hello, Dolly!,” “Miss Saigon,” and the return of the juggernaut known as “Hamilton.”

In Theatrical Outfit’s “Indecent,” a kiss between two female actors leads to charges of indecency, while Onstage Atlanta’s “5 Lesbians Eating A Quiche” is a comedic farce.

Fans of musicals should be overjoyed this

After a spectacular first season, City Springs has a three-pack of musicals on tap: “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” “Sister Act” and “Spamalot,” while Atlanta Lyric Theatre offers up “Camelot,” “Big

year and won a Best Revival Tony Award.

Minus Brian Clowdus, Serenbe Playhouse tries its hand at the beloved “Spring Awakening.”

Other shows of note: Chad Darnell, seen memorably in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” last spring, is part of the cast of Theatre in the Square’s “Moonlight and Magnolias” while some recognizable faces – Sandy Duncan, Didi Conn, Adrian Zmed and Donny Most – headline the Strand Theatre’s “Middletown.”

Want more? Georgia Ensemble Theatre stages Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s “Bright Star” and True Colors bows “School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Mean Play.”

SHOWING TIMES “Fun Home” Through Feb. 16 Actor’s Express “Moonlight and Magnolias” Jan. 17 – Feb. 1 Theatre in the Square “Maybe Happy Ending” Jan. 21 – Feb. 16 Alliance Theatre “The Band’s Visit” Jan. 21 – 26

Fox Theatre “The Glass Menagerie” Jan. 24 – Feb. 16 Stage Door Players “Bull in a China Shop” Jan. 30 – Feb. 15 Out Front Theatre Company “Once” Jan. 31 – March 8 Horizon Theatre

18 Columnist January 17, 2020

“Camelot” Feb. 7 – 23 Atlanta Lyric Theatre

“Indecent” March 4 – 29 Theatrical Outfit

“Hello, Dolly!”

Feb. 11 – 16 Fox Theatre

“On Your Feet!”

March 5 – April 12 Aurora Theatre

“Designing Women Live 11” Feb. 12 – 23 Onstage Atlanta

“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” March 6 – 15 City Springs Theatre Company

“Middletown” Feb. 18 – 23 Strand Theatre

“Warplay” March 12 – 28

Out Front Theatre Company “Miss Saigon” March 17 – 22 Fox Theatre “Spring Awakening” March 18 – April 12 Serenbe Playhouse (Chattahoochee Hills) “Hamilton” March 31 – May 3 Fox Theatre

“5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche” April 10 – 26 Onstage Atlanta “The Boys in the Band” April 30 – May 16 Out Front Theatre Company “Sister Act” May 1 – 10 City Springs Theatre Company

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

February 7–15, 2020 Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre The sweeping rhythms and infectious energy of jazz and gospel music intertwine three works making their Atlanta Ballet debut.

Featuring members of the Spelman College Glee Club, Lydia Pace of The Anointed Pace Sisters, music by the iconic Dave Brubeck, and more!

Gospel, Brubeck & Rhythms of the City

Visit atlantaballet.com or call

| 1.800.982.2787 for tickets.

Groups of 10+, email groupsales@atlantaballet.com.

Juliana Missano & Jonathan Philbert.

Photo by Gene Schiavone.

ARTS AT A GLANCE JANUARY 18-30 SATURDAY, JAN. 18

Night today. The group will be celebrating a big 2019 and announcing major events for 2020. Mix and mingle with LGBTQ+ business professionals, allies, non-profit leaders, and more. Admission is free to all. TBD location.

5:30 – 7:30pm

SUNDAY, JAN. 19

Join MAAP for a special Fourth Friday networking event in Avondale Estates. The meeting space is the minority-owned Williams & Roy Salon, co-owned by both a female and transmale entrepreneurs. Leave the work week behind and connect with other like-minded professionals over drinks, laughter, and good professional conversation.

6 – 8pm

Get your laugh on at OUTPROV, Atlanta’s newest, funniest, and queerest improv troupe that’ll leave you howling all night long.

8pm Out Front Theatre Company

Based on Alison Bechdel’s bestselling graphic memoir of the same name, the LGBTQ-themed “Fun Home” took Broadway by storm and cemented itself as one of the landmark musicals of our time. Alison dives into her past to trace the sequence of childhood events that made her the adult she is today. In doing so, she initiates a journey of reconciliation with her late father, whose mercurial and secretive personality kept the two apart at the precise moments they should have been closest.

2pm, through Feb. 16 Actor’s Express

SATURDAY, JAN. 25

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

The PFLAG support group for parents and families of LGBTQ children meets today.

2:30 – 4pm Spiritual Living Center

TUESDAY, JAN. 21

After a mix-up at the border, an Egyptian police band is sent to a remote village in the middle of the Israeli desert. With no bus until morning and no hotel in sight, these unlikely travelers are taken in by the locals. Under the spell of the desert sky, their lives become intertwined in the most unexpected ways. The winner of 10 Tony Awards in 2018, including Best Musical, “The Band’s Visit” celebrates the deeply human ways music, longing, and laughter can connect us all. 7:30pm, through Jan. 26 Fox Theatre. (Courtesy photo)

MONDAY, JAN. 20

Trans and Friends is a youth-focused group for trans people, people questioning their own gender and aspiring allies, providing a facilitated space to discuss gender, relevant resources and activism around social issues.

6:30 – 8pm Charis Books and More Queers on Film, a monthly series of LGBTQ+ centric arthouse films, returns to Plaza Theatre tonight with “All About My Mother.” This Oscar-winning melodrama, one of Pedro Almodóvar’s most beloved films, provides a dizzying, moving exploration of the meaning of motherhood. In an instant, nurse Manuela (Cecilia Roth) loses the teenage son she raised on her own. Grief-stricken, she sets out to search for the boy’s long-lost father in Barcelona, where she reawakens into a new maternal role, at the head of a surrogate family that includes a pregnant, HIV-positive nun (Penélope Cruz); an illustrious star of the stage (Marisa Paredes); and a transgender sex worker (Antonia San Juan). Beautifully performed and bursting with cinematic references, “All About My Mother” is a vibrant tribute to female fortitude, a one-of-akind family portrait, and a work of boundless

compassion. The screening will feature a post-film discussion with Jim Farmer from Out On Film.

7pm

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22

As part of the weekly Community Dialogue and Discussion, the Auburn Avenue Research Library will highlight iconic cinematic features, highlighting Intersectionality and Otherness, with a screening of the film, “A Good Day to Be Black and Sexy.” In this collection of six vignettes, designed to shatter stereotypes about black sexuality, writer/ director/editor Dennis Dortch explores the subject of sexuality and relationships within the black community. From the woman determined to get hers first, to the curious teenager who finds herself in a questionable situation, and the boy who becomes stifled by interracial taboos, Dortch’s film doesn’t shy away from the more controversial aspects of contemporary sexuality. This

20 Arts at a Glance January 17, 2020

event is free and open to the public.

6pm

THURSDAY, JAN. 23

Set in the not-too-distant future in Seoul, Korea, “Maybe Happy Ending” follows two obsolete helper-bots who are living an isolated existence in a robots-only housing complex on the edge of the city. Oliver is waiting for his former-owner to come looking for him, and Claire is just … waiting. When the two discover each other across the hall, they have a surprising connection that challenges what they believe is possible for themselves, relationships, and love. This award-winning musical imagines a magical and bittersweet reawakening to the things that make us human.

7:30pm, through Feb. 16 Alliance Theatre

FRIDAY, JAN. 24

Out Georgia Business Alliance hosts its Membership Drive & Networking

The ATL LGBTQ+ Book Club is a group for Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ folks and allies to read queer-themed books and books by queer authors. The group aims to have diverse thought-provoking discussions about queer identity, history, and topical issues and meets at Charis Books & More on the last Saturday of the month and often go out to lunch after. All are welcome to join.

The suggested donation is $5. January’s book is “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Alire Saenz.

10 – 11:30am

THURSDAY, JAN. 30

Join the Office of Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, City of Atlanta LGBTQ Affairs, the Mayor’s LGBTQ Advisory Board, and Creative Approach for the launch of the City of Atlanta’s first-ever biennial report on LGBTQ Affairs.

Each guest will receive a physical copy of the report. This event is free to attend and open to the public. Complimentary food and drinks will be served.

6 – 8pm Creative Approach Inspired by the real letters between Mary Woolley and Jeannette Marks spanning from 1899 to 1937, the fast-paced comedy “Bull in a China Shop” asks: What is revolution?

What does it mean to be at odds with the world? How do we fulfill our potential? And how the hell do we grow old together?

8pm, through Feb. 15 Out Front Theatre Company

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

SALOME Richard Strauss

Jan 25, 28, 31, Feb 2, 2020 Cobb Energy Centre

404-881-8885 ATLANTAOPERA.ORG

CLIFF BOSTOCK EATING MY WORDS

Food Terminal PHOTOS BY CLIFF BOSTOCK

Destination: Malaysian Cuisine We are not rats in a maze in search of cheese, right? And yet I feel like a dumb rat in a learning experiment whenever I visit the maze called West Midtown. I drive and I walk in seemingly arbitrary patterns until I stumble upon the restaurant, the cheese, that I’m looking for. The difference between me and the rat is that the rat eventually learns to map the maze. I, on the other hand never learn, because the maze is forever changing.

Among the most welcome new restaurants in West Midtown’s maze is Food Terminal, which serves Malaysian cuisine. Happily, it is conspicuously located in the front of the Brickworks development on Marietta Street, thus requiring little effort to find it. Look for soaring glass windows that give interior views of a loft-like space with lots of gray, yellow, and lime-green accents. A parking deck is easy to access directly next to the restaurant, but finding a supposedly free, eligible space requires the usual travel through mazes. Yes, it’s worth it.

This is the second location of Food Terminal.

The original, larger, and always crowded restaurant is on Buford Highway. (I reviewed it in 2017.) The owners, Amy Wong, and Howard Ewe, also operate multiple locations

of Top Spice, Sweet Hut, and Mamak, so they are skillful, to say the least. Malaysian cuisine is an ages-old hybrid of cooking throughout Asia. Besides traditional Malaysian cuisine, both Food Terminals also serve more explicitly Thai, Indian, and Chinese dishes, plus some playful improvs. Think “Asian food hall,” although it’s not really a food hall. If that’s not complicated enough, most people find perusal of the menu at both restaurants overwhelming. There are many pages – 50 at the original – of photographs of dishes you’ve never seen before. I usually suggest that newcomers first review the check-list that you hand to the server to indicate your choices. If something looks interesting on the list, look up the photo for a better sense of ingredients and appearance.

During a recent visit to the new location,

I found the food as good as the original’s (which itself improved a great deal after its opening months). Food Terminal’s best-seller, according to our server, is the “Grandma Wonton BBQ T Noodle.” It’s a Cantonesestyle bowl of skinny noodles in a light soybased sauce topped with glazed slices of barbecued pork. The bowl also holds three fried wontons stuffed with pork and shrimp; some crunchy bok choy, and a (unfortunately overcooked) fried egg. You get the sweet, the acidic, the crunch, and the creamy all in one bowl. I also like the similarly concocted beef rendang, a long-cooked stew served over rice cooked in coconut milk, garnished with pickled vegetables, fish crackers, peanuts, and another overcooked egg.

One dish I always like to have on the table at Food Terminal is the slightly cooked watercress tossed

in a black-bean sauce. It’s an excellent choice to clear the palate as you move from one dish to another. Among the shareable app-sized others, I also like the creamy Thai eggplant, served with a chili sauce and ground chicken. I didn’t order it this visit, but I also love the restaurant’s oily bone-marrow soup with big chunks of pork belly. It’s one of ten soups available. The okra with sambal is also especially tasty. These are all examples of the more “unchallenging” dishes and, I should add, none of them are remotely spicy, despite the menu’s claim.

In all honesty, unless you’re planning to party, you might want to visit the more exotic original location on Buford Highway.

You won’t feel like a rat in a maze, although the walk across the gigantic parking lot might leave you winded.

Cliff Bostock is a longtime Atlanta restaurant critic and former psychotherapist turned life coach; cliffbostock@gmail.com.

MORE INFO Food Terminal 1000 Marietta St. 678-400-8155 FoodTerminal.com

22 Columnist January 17, 2020 TheGeorgiaVoice.com

NIGHTLIFE AT A GLANCE JANUARY 17-30 FRIDAY, JAN. 17 & SATURDAY, JAN. 18

Moonlight Cabaret hosted by Myah Ross Monroe, co-hosted by Niesha Dupree & Angelica D’Paige Brooks.

11:30pm

FRIDAY, JAN. 17

“Get into the Groove” with an all ’80s Madonna power hour from 10 - 11pm followed by a full night of all your favorite ’80s dance hits from artists such as Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Duran Duran, Prince, Culture Club, Cyndi Lauper, The Go-Go’s, Cher, George Michael, Queen, Taylor Dayne, David Bowie, Bananarama, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys and more. $10 cover all night long.

10pm – 3am Heretic Atlanta Come dressed as your favorite critter with jello shots, drinks and leather all night long!

Pups, kitties, and others are all welcomed.

10pm – 3am Atlanta Eagle

SATURDAY, JAN. 18

Sanctum XIII is a newly crafted group of Atlanta DJs determined to make a positive impact in society. This is a funderaiser where all donations will go to the Alzheimer’s Association. DJ lineup includes DJ Ntrovert, Rektify (Niebo

and Leah Carroll), R3SONANC3, and Remy K. 6pm – 10pm Atlanta Eagle Direct from London, England, DJ Tom Stephan makes his debut at Heretic Atlanta! Opening set by DJ Mike Pope.

10pm – 3am

SUNDAY, JAN. 19

DJ Pagano returns to Xion after hours for MLK weekend with his unique london underground sound!

3am – 7am BJ Roosters Watch the AFC and NFC Championship games and find out who’s going to this year’s Super Bowl.

3pm The Lost Druid Brewery

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

THURSDAY, JAN. 23

THURSDAY, JAN. 23 & JAN. 30

Pussycat Karaoke with Angelica D’Paige.

10pm Midtown Moon

FRIDAY, JAN. 24 & SATURDAY, JAN. 25

Moonlight Cabaret hosted by Myah Ross Monroe, co-hosted by Niesha Dupree & Angelica D’Paige Brooks.

11:30pm

FRIDAY, JAN. 24

Joe Whitaker & The DILF Party Present Fukr Atlanta with DJ Milty Evans from Chicago! Jockstraps, underwear, and gear are highly encouraged.

10pm – 3am Heretic Atlanta

SATURDAY, JAN. 25

EVENT SPOTLIGHT SUNDAY, JAN. 26

DJ Pagano returns to Xion after hours for MLK weekend with his unique london underground sound! 3am – 7am BJ Roosters (Photo via Facebook)

Leather & Lace ATL returns in 2020 with a new host, some new additions to our cast, and a hell of a lot of fun. This show is comprised of entertainers from all over to keep you on your toes. Some really fun surprises are in store for the night. There will be raffles and giveaways, and all the money raised for the night will benefit the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Atlanta.

8pm Atlanta Eagle

Pussycat Karaoke with Angelica D’Paige. 10pm Midtown Moon (Photo via Facebook) Tonight we’re partying like it’s 1999.

DJ Mike Pope will take you back to the ’90s decade playing all of your favorites, from Deborah Cox to Whitney Houston.

Bar prize giveaways too!

10pm – 3am Heretic Atlanta

SUNDAY, JAN. 26

Xion’s favorite duo,Travis and Eric, are back for late night dance fun.

3 – 7pm BJ Roosters Break out the leather gear again because the Atlanta Leather Social is back for an all-day event. Enjoy sports, beer and people in chaps and harnesses.

2 – 8pm Woofs Atlanta

MONDAY, JAN. 27

Having a rough day? Monday Night Mother will take care of you with a homemade dinner.

8pm Hideaway Atlanta

TUESDAY, JAN. 28

Lose your inhibitions at Underwear Night.

7pm

Atlanta Eagle

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 29 Get revved up for two events at the Heretic Atlanta – Warpzone and Boys’ Night Out. 9pm

ATL’s only all Asian drag show is coming back with another night of amazing talent.

Southern Fried Queer Pride & SHI are back with Persuasians, an all Asian drag show, The event features the talents of Demi Valentine, Geneva Blaus, Kai Deserai Miss He & SHI. 10:30pm – 2am Mary’s

THURSDAY, JAN. 30

Enjoy Pretty Girl Hideout tonight at My Sister’s Room.

UPCOMING SUNDAY, FEB. 9

DJ Alexander returns to Xion after hours for some late night fun. This is a kickoff party for the H2O Festival later this year in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico!

3am – 7am BJ Roosters

24 Nightlife At a Glance January 17, 2020 TheGeorgiaVoice.com

NIGHTLIFE SPOTLIGHT

Behind the Scenes:

“Maybe Happy Ending, The Musical!”

Jessica Vue

deepening their relationships with their electronics rather than each other.

Hyping up the upcoming premiere of the “Maybe Happy Ending the Musical,” Alliance Theatre held Behind the Scenes on Jan. 7. Director Michael Arden, composer Will Aronson and lyricist Hue Park discussed the musical with podcast producer Myke Johns to a full house.

The debut of the musical took place in Seoul, Korea in 2016, winning six Korean Musical Awards including Best Book, Lyrics and Music.

The English-language version was awarded the 2017 Richard Rodgers Production Award.

This will be the musical’s first American debut.

The event also included three song performances by the cast, audience questions, catered desserts, a cash bar, gift bags, and discounted tickets for a limited time.

The American musical is directed by Michael Arden, who is a two-time Tony Award nominee for musicals “Once on This Island” and “Spring Awakening.”

“Maybe Happy Ending” is a futuristic love story in Seoul, Korea. Two outdated helperbots, Oliver and Claire, live in a robots-only housing complex on the outskirts of town.

When they meet, they have a surprising connection that challenges what they believe is possible for themselves, relationships and love.

Producer Jeffery Richards suggested to Arden that he was the right person to direct this musical. Although he was skeptical, Arden listened to the soundtrack with his husband, Andy Mientus, the associate director for the musical, while driving upstate and instantly fell in love with it.

The musical is a tale of two cultures conceived

by Will Aronson, American book writer and composer, and Hue Park, South Korean book writer and lyricist. The script has two versions: one in English and one in Korean.

After Park wrote the song lyrics in Korean, both versions were written simultaneously

by Aronson and Park.

When searching for an artistic home, Arden heard of the Alliance Theatre’s great work.

He met with creative director, Susan Booth, and it was like “a great first date.”

Inspiration for the musical came from a song that Park kept heard at a coffee shopEveryday Robots by Damon Albarn. Park felt like people were turning into robots, TheGeorgiaVoice.com

“Maybe Happy Ending” will be taking the stage from Jan. 21 through Feb. 16. Tickets start at $25 and are available at The Woodruff Arts Center Box Office in person or by calling 404-733-5000. Tickets are also available online at www.alliancetheatre.org/maybe.

Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are available by calling 404-733-4690.

January 17, 2020 Nightlife Spotlight 25

MELISSA CARTER THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID

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Think about the thing that scares you most.

For some it may be snakes, others clowns, and for me it’s heights.

But for most of us we have never experienced anything negative in our lives when it comes to those fears. You haven’t been bitten by a snake, a clown has never dragged you into a sewer grate, nor have I ever fallen from a high altitude. Yet, we are still petrified by these things just the same. My son is learning this lesson for the first time.

It began in early December when my fiveyear-old’s bottom tooth started to move slightly. He had been around older kids who had lost their teeth and understood it was a possibility, but for it to happen to him was something that was fascinating and scary at the same time. He continued to ask when it would come out, and we told him we weren’t sure but that it would be far more wiggly when the time came.

I found I couldn’t remember losing my first tooth but certainly remember the latter ones and how my mother, Millie Pete, would handle the situation. String and a door knob. One time when my tooth was tethered to the string, she explained she was going to tie the other end to the knob and simply yanked it out herself before I knew what had happened. I began to wonder if I would have to do the same.

On New Year’s Eve while he was at Katie’s house, Mr. Carter was eating Cheetos and realized during a bite that his tooth had come out. Traumatized by the experience he hid the tooth in the couch before Katie realized what happened. But this wasn’t the bigger fear that awaited him.

Once he was over the sudden change, he was proud to show everyone where his tooth had come out. The Tooth Fairy gave him a roll of pennies and he enjoyed playing with the new space in his gum. However, one morning he woke up crying. I had to ask him several times through his sobs what it

26 Columnist January 17, 2020

was that had upset him so, assuming he had had a bad dream.

“I’m scared my tooth is going to come in today,” he wept.

Mr. Carter imagined the new tooth would shoot up in his mouth in an instant, causing a great deal of pain. I tried to explain to him through his tears that it didn’t work that way, that he would become impatient with the slowly emerging tooth. I said I understood his fear since he was too young to remember how his original teeth came in and this would be a new experience for him.

And that doesn’t go away, does it? Even as adults we tend to assume the worst when it comes to change in our lives, and that’s why we would rather remain in a bad situation to avoid the process of starting a new, better one. He will soon learn his fears were unwarranted, but for many of us we never face what bothers us most and get over them. Learning from my son, I realize that no fear I have is as bad as what would actually happen if I would simply drop my defensive stance and allow life to naturally take place.

One of the first out radio personalities in Atlanta, Melissa’s worked for B98.5 and Q100.

Catch her daily on theProgressive Voices podcast “She Persisted.” Tweet her! @MelissaCarter TheGeorgiaVoice.com

RYAN LEE SOMETIMES ‘Y’

Treasuring the LGBTQ ‘Trap’ This was the first time my body was searched for weapons at a museum entrance, so I could empathize with the confused 14-year-old in our group.

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“My son lives in the suburbs, sir,” my cousin said, explaining why the teenager flinched backward when the doorman tried to pat him down. “He’s never been frisked before.”

One of my sisters was in town over the weekend and I reluctantly agreed to play tourist in my own neighborhood by accompanying the family to the Trap Music Museum. Almost every day I ride my bicycle past the museum and escape room in northwest Atlanta, and I usually snicker at the dozens, often hundreds, of people lined up to get a peek into hood life.

I had low expectations for what seemed like a marketing hustle, but figured it was worth the $10 entry fee to be photographed in a scene that I witnessed countless times in my childhood: a table littered with weed, ashtrays, 40-ounce bottles of malt liquor and a brick of cocaine. My cousin may be raising her children outside city limits, but we grew up together in the same Chicago neighborhood and so she knew how to get the most authentic picture of her pretending to cook crack.

The Trap Music Museum was the giant, immersive photo booth its social media suggests, but it was also a remarkable cultural representation and a poignant, credible house of art. Its paintings, mixedmedia pieces and the fidelity to detail in its themed rooms offer due homage to the lived experience of local artists who have shaped the “ATL” brand more than the Olympics or Peachtree Street.

Such a faithful depiction of a familiar-yetforeign reality can be seen as glorifying crime or self-destructive patterns, but signs throughout the museum remind visitors the installations seek to inform and celebrate what can grow and thrive from the most systemically tainted soil. Several pieces examine prison-as-a-riteof-passage for the musicians and their lessprominent peers, and how “trapping” can be TheGeorgiaVoice.com

the sole lifeline out of economically hopeless upbringings and destinies.

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WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY

As I walked through a room whose walls were constructed of kilos of blow, I wondered what guests would encounter at the gay equivalent of a trap house museum. The artistic treatment of seedier corners of our culture would include bookstores, trail bushes, and bathhouses; along with circuit parties, sugar daddies, stunt queens and enough recreational drugs to open a pharmacological theme park.

Many LGBTQ folks would be mortified if these expressions of gay life were curated, feeling a minority’s impulse to air only the finest elements of its culture as a strategy for securing mainstream acceptance. Respectable queers have wrung their hands over the shoplifting scenes in “Pose” and deflected attention from Harvey Milk’s sluttiness, and could not imagine audiences contemplating the spirit of charity that inhabits a glory hole.

As similar as daily LGBTQ life may be to what heterosexuals experience, there are aspects of our history and development that will forever keep many of us from identifying as or being considered normal.

Those unique influences have sometimes led to downward spirals and even death, but they’ve more often helped people find joy and a clearer, tested understanding of themselves in a society that first marginalizes, then shames them for being different. But I feel no embarrassment admitting that most of the frisking at a gay trap museum would occur after patrons have entered the building.

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January 17, 2020 Columnist 27