GEORGIANEWS
State GOP lawmakers form ‘Obamacare repeal and replace task force’ Members say LGBT, HIV-positive individuals will not be discriminated against
cern is the cost of medication. “All the medication [in general] is going up at an inflationary cost. It’s exorbitant. You can reign in the healthcare costs, but if the pharmacy doesn’t follow suit, it doesn’t do any good to go to the doctor,” she said. “That, I don’t know what’s going to happen. That would have to be regulated in Washington.”
By DALLAS ANNE DUNCAN dduncan@thegavoice.com Congressional Republicans are doing their best to ensure the Affordable Healthcare Act will be repealed at the federal level. Here in Georgia, state GOP lawmakers are doing their best to make sure the state is prepared for what they believe an inevitability. “We do believe it will be repealed and we’re taking that as a given,” said Sen. Renee Unterman (R-Buford). “Whether the whole thing is repealed or certain pieces, that’s a different question.” Unterman is a member of the “Obamacare repeal and replace task force,” announced by Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle on Jan. 6. Cagle said the group, officially known as the Health Care Reform Task Force, will look at ways “we can bring about a healthcare system that is more affordable and acceptable to individuals within our state.” In a news release, he clarified the group’s mission as identifying portions of state law that need to be changed and developing ways to increase access to healthcare. “The task force won’t craft a new healthcare system,” said task force member Sen. Ben Watson (R-Savannah). “The task force, to me, is to study the situation and what will likely be coming, and get Georgia ready and prepared for that.” Healthcare reform and LGBT access Atlanta-based The Health Initiative has field agents on the ground, getting people enrolled in the marketplace while it’s still available. Executive director Linda Ellis said that’s because they believe plans secured now will stay in place through 2017. “Our best hope is that in addition to all of the actions that we and folks who kind of think like us are doing … is there is a growing number of Republicans, both elected and not, who are quietly beginning www.thegeorgiavoice.com
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, flanked by fellow Senate Republican leaders, announces the creation of the Health Care Reform Task Force at a media briefing on Jan. 6. (Photo by Dallas Anne Duncan)
“Georgia cannot afford to pay for healthcare itself. I see a dissonance between their stated goal of increasing access to care at the same time that they’re seeking to dismantle the funding mechanism to make that care possible.” —Senate Minority Leader Stacey Abrams (D-Atlanta) to add their voices of concern to the conversation,” Ellis said. “Our hope is that as they get into this further, they’ll figure out that they can’t repeal it.” Senate Minority Leader Stacey Abrams (D-Atlanta) seemed wary of the task force and its intent on the day it was announced. “My worry is less about the dismantling of healthcare at large, which of course is a danger, but it’s also what’s embedded in that, which is the idea that doctors should be able to pick their patients, and that terrifies me,” she said. GOP leaders balked at the idea that individuals may be discriminated against because they are LGBT. “We’re not about discriminating. We want to have everyone access to healthcare
and we believe that we can do that,” Cagle told Georgia Voice following the Jan. 6 task force announcement. “If there’s fear around any community relative to discrimination, that should not exist.” Watson, who has HIV-positive patients at his practice, said he thinks “some of those fears and anxieties are unwarranted.” He said HIV medications and treatment would remain covered; no one had brought up to him concerns about transgender identity and related medical procedures; and physicians would not be able to select patients based on personal beliefs. Unterman, who founded AID Gwinnett and says she makes HIV funding a priority in her Senate healthcare committee, echoed Watson’s statements, but said a related con-
What’s ‘wrong’ in the first place? Unterman, a nurse by trade, said ACA has been a “total disaster.” “There is no access. ‘I can’t afford it; how do I get my prescriptions; I can’t pay my insurance premium.’ To me the whole thing has had a significant effect on the economy of the US and the GNP,” she said. Watson said in Savannah, there are only two companies offering policies through ACA. One does not have providers in the county. “I have patients that are affected; that have their insurance through the exchanges,” Watson said. “When I go to the hospital, I see patients that don’t have insurance, so I think it’s important for us as a society to address healthcare.” Ellis said they’ve seen those same challenges, but believes the answer is tweaking, not repeal-and-replace. One tweak she’d like to see is making the marketplace more appealing to insurers. Though neither senator would share with Georgia Voice exactly what they thought a new healthcare system might look like, Watson did say he believes President Donald Trump will keep the promises he made “within a week of the election.” “He said that he was not going to do away with preexisting illnesses. He’s going to allow children, young adults to stay on their parents’ policy up to the age of 26,” Watson said. “The Affordable Care Act is not perfect and because both sides couldn’t come together and acknowledge that this was a good enough first step, there hasn’t been a way to make those tweaks,” she said. “My hope in those larger conversations is that they would be open to tweaks that need to happen to make this good start better, and that’s going to require putting partisan politics aside.” January 20, 2017 News 3
GEORGIANEWS
Nonprofit THRIVE SS opens home for HIV-positive Atlantans Transitional house to provide safe residence for black gay men, transwomen By DALLAS ANNE DUNCAN dduncan@thegavoice.com Daniel Driffin’s face has a special glow to it these days. That’s because he, Dwain Bridges and Larry Walker are now East Point homeowners — but the house isn’t for them. It’s for HIV-positive men and transwomen who need a place to get back on their feet. “One of the determinants of whether or not someone will be healthy [living with HIV] is the determinant of safe and adequate housing. From the beginning of the organization, we always wanted to be able to provide black gay men, or even transgender women, a safe place should they need temporary housing,” Driffin said. Driffin, Bridges and Walker co-founded THRIVE SS, which stands for Transforming HIV Resentment Into Victories Everlasting Support Services, in 2015. It’s an Atlanta nonprofit geared toward helping black gay men with HIV get the health care they need. THRIVE House is the latest innovation in their mission. Eliminating a barrier to treatment THRIVE House will serve as a “transitional opportunity house” for HIV-positive individuals who need help getting back on their feet. “This truly is a result of what the HIV epidemic looks like in Atlanta, and also the nation. The only rising group at risk, or groups contracting HIV consistently has been young, black gay men and young black transgender women,” Driffin said. In 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta had the fifth-highest rate of new HIV infections in the US, and recent numbers show “the 2.1 percent prevalence rate found in urban poverty areas in the US exceeded the 1 percent cut-off that defines a generalized HIV epidemic and is similar to the rates found in several low-income coun-
THRIVE SS co-founder Daniel Driffin said Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs shows just how integral safe housing is to the life of an individual living with HIV. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)
Daniel Driffin, one of three co-founders of Atlanta nonprofit THRIVE SS. The three men just opened the doors to THRIVE House, a transitional residence for HIV-positive black gay men and transwomen. (File photo)
“If you don’t have someplace safe to sleep at night, everything else is going out the window. It’s not going to be truly important, or it may not be as important, to be linked to medical care being that your basic things are not being met.” —Daniel Driffin, THRIVE SS co-founder tries.” CDC data also indicate that HIV rates are greater based on poverty level and race. “Housing, access to care and employment have always been the big three that truly keep people out of care and serve as barriers. Putting our heads together, we wanted to tackle one of the barriers, and that is going to be housing in this program,” Driffin said. To his knowledge, Driffin said there isn’t anything quite like THRIVE House in the South. There are shelters for LGBT youth, and shelters for homeless adults, but many are not geared specifically toward those at highest risk for HIV. Driffin said one reason housing was a barrier to thriving with HIV goes back to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. He said providing food, shelter and help with income could set HIV-positive individuals “on a different trajectory.” “If you don’t have someplace safe to sleep
at night, everything else is going out the window. It’s not going to be truly important, or it may not be as important, to be linked to medical care being that your basic things are not being met,” Driffin said. “Even still today, many people who are in medical care, and especially if they’re taking medications for HIV, they may be on a regimen that ties to having someplace to keep their meds safe.” Resident applications now available Potential residents fill out an application, provide proof of income and meet with a THRIVE SS representative to determine if they are a good fit for the house or not. “We really foresee the house fitting anywhere from three to five folks, truly depending on their individual need, whether it’s an emergency place to stay overnight to a more
semi-longer term,” Driffin said. He said longer-term support would be up to five months, during which residents will search for permanent housing and become more financially stable. Each resident will also have a weekly case management session, doing things like speaking with counselors or creating a strong résumé. On a case-bycase basis residents may be asked to put a portion of what they make toward rent. “Not having someplace to sleep at 5:00 is scary in Atlanta. We really are going to do our due diligence to take that barrier away when it comes to having someplace you can lock the door and go to sleep and not have to wake up in the morning and wonder about whether or not your identification or medication will be stolen,” Driffin said. The house was a gift from one of THRIVE SS’ donors about a year after the organization kicked off, and it began accepting residents earlier this month. “We were in there [on a ] Friday night beginning to paint all the rooms. We repainted the bathrooms, the kitchen and started making the asks within the community. Instantly people began to email us specifically donating the different services they could assist us with,” Driffin said. Donors brought THRIVE House its washer and dryer, most of its furniture, even paper products. Driffin said people who still want to be involved can do so either with inkind or monetary donations. To make a donation to THRIVE House, please visit www.thrivess.com.
4 News January 20, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com
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GEORGIANEWS
LGBT lawmakers nationwide call on Trump to advance equality Hundreds, including Georgia LGBT lawmakers, sign letter to president By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com Four Georgia lawmakers joined 152 other LGBT elected officials across the country in calling on President Donald Trump to advance LGBT equality during his presidency. The message was sent in an open letter on Jan. 13, saying there were “grave concerns” over the president-elect’s Cabinet appointments. “Nearly all hold anti-LGBT views aimed at denying our community acceptance and inclusion in American society. Many proudly tout legislative records opposing basic rights for LGBT Americans, and others express
LGBT lawmakers across the country expressed ‘grave concerns’ over President Donald Trump’s Cabinet appointments. (iStock photo)
disdain for our lives and relationships,” the letter read. “Intended or not, these appointments signal a Trump administration preparing to roll back recent advances for LGBT people, and an administration opposed to LGBT people living open and free.” Joining the lawmakers in signing the letter
were state Reps. Park Cannon (D-Atlanta), Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) and Sam Park (D-Lawrenceville) along with Atlanta City Councilmember Alex Wan, who recently announced a run for Council president. U.S. Reps. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.) were the two federal-level lawmakers joining 154 state officials. “These LGBT elected officials represent America at its best – diverse leaders who make the values of inclusion, fairness and justice the cornerstone of their policy positions and decision-making,” said Aisha C. Moodie-Mills, President and CEO of Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute, in a statement. “This letter urges the president-elect to govern by those core American values, and to put forward legislation and policies that improve quality of life for all Americans. They are using their collective voice to demand continued progress on equality, and to make clear they will oppose any efforts that threaten our rights or families.”
More than 40 LGBT lawmakers began work on the open letter during a closed-door strategy session at Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute’s International Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C. last month. “We sincerely hope you aim to be a president for all Americans – including LGBT Americans of every race, ethnicity, gender and religion,” the letter concluded. “As representatives of the LGBT community, we will hold your administration accountable for actions that infringe upon our rights and opportunities, and will oppose presidential appointees who denigrate or harm our community. But we much prefer to work with you to continue the incredible progress toward LGBT equality – to have you stand with us on the right side of history. We hope you voice your support for existing rights and protections for LGBT Americans, and commit to furthering LGBT equality during your presidency. We promise to be a strong and persistent voice for equality either way.”
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6 News January 20, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com
NEWSBRIEFS New study estimates number of American, Georgian transgender teens Just under 1 percent of Georgian teens aged 13 to 17 identify as transgender, according to a study released Jan. 17 by The Williams Institute at the University of California-Los Angeles School of Law. That’s about 4,950 youths, the study shows. About 0.86 percent of young adults in the Peach State — aged 18 to 24 — identify as transgender. Nationally, there are an estimated 150,000 transgender teens in the 13-to-17 age range, the study finds. It is the age group with the highest percentage of individuals who identify as transgender. “Agencies and institutions that have a responsibility to protect and promote the well-being of adolescents now have an idea of how many transgender youth should be served in every state in the US,” Dr. Kerith Conron, one of the study’s authors, said in a news release. States with the largest estimated transgender youth populations are California, Texas, New York and Florida. The smallest are North Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. Georgia falls toward the higher end. Bishop Eddie Long dies of ‘aggressive form of cancer’ at 63 Eddie Long, the Lithonia, Georgia, anti-LGBT pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church who made headlines in 2010 after sexual contact allegations, died yesterday. The church released a statement Jan. 15 saying Long fought “a gallant private fight with an aggressive form of cancer.” According to WSB, a Bishop Eddie Long 2016 video of an “extremely thin” Long sparked speculation about his health, and the pastor missed several services recently. Spencer LeGrande, one of five former members of Long’s congregation who sued him for sexual coercion, told the AJC they did not plan to comment. “As much as we’d like to make a statement about the passing of Bishop Eddie Long, we’ve all decided to remain silent, for now,” a joint statement issued by LeGranwww.thegeorgiavoice.com
There are an estimated 150,000 teens aged 13 to 17 in America who identify as transgender, a new study shows. About 4,950 live in Georgia. (Image via The Williams Institute)
de, Maurice Robinson, Anthony Flagg and Jamal Parris said. “Our perspectives will be addressed in our book, ‘Foursaken,’ which we hope to release soon.” The four accusers, along with Centino Kemp, reached a settlement with Long in May 2011 that included a confidentiality agreement, but some continued to speak out about the case. Kemp’s book, “The First Lady,” was published in 2011. The men accused Long of using money, extravagant gifts of jewelry and trips to coerce them into sexual relationships after they reached 16, the legal age of consent in Georgia. The accusations were shocking to many because of Long’s anti-LGBT views, including a 2004 protest march in Atlanta. Gospel singer Kim Burrell, herself recently kicked off the “Ellen” show schedule due to anti-LGBT remarks, called out Long in the very same sermon because of his rumored homosexuality. She called Long “an embarrassment to the Church.” Memorial services for Long will be held at 11 a.m. on Jan. 25. National survey: Georgia schools ‘not safe’ for most LGBT students “Findings from the GLSEN 2015 National School Climate Survey demonstrate that Georgia schools were not safe for most lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer secondary school students,” according to a report released Jan. 11 by national education organization GLSEN. The snapshot for Peach State schools con-
tradicts national trends shown in the survey. Though harassment of LGBT students is on the decline nationally, and inclusive climates on the rise, most Georgia students reported some kind of verbal harassment related to their sexual orientation, gender expression or gender. Some of these students even experienced physical assault based on these characteristics, data shows. Almost 100 percent of Georgia students surveyed reported hearing the word “gay” used in a negative way, and 87 percent heard homophobic remarks or slurs, such as the words “dyke” or “fag.” Seventy-two percent reported negative remarks about transgender individuals. Policies also cause concern, GLSEN finds. Only 3 percent of students surveyed said there was a LGBT anti-bullying policy in their school. Twenty-four percent were prevented from bringing a same-gender date to a school dance, 22 percent couldn’t use a bathroom or locker room that aligned with their gender and 20 percent were prevented from forming a Gay-Straight Alliance. The data shows some Georgia schools either discourage or prevent LGBT students from playing school sports, wearing LGBT-supportive clothing and discussing LGBT issues in class assignments. GLSEN recommends Georgia schools establish anti-bullying policies and ensure personnel are aware of how to respectfully treat LGBT students. The organization also recommends including LGBT-inclusive clubs and resources to change the existing climate in many Peach State schools. January 20, 2017 News 7
Outspoken “I can’t pinpoint any falling-out point with God because I was never really all-in on the deal in the first place. But I can say that the anti-gay sentiment coursing throughout much of Christianity didn’t help matters.”
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My complicated relationship with God
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I pray every night, but I don’t know if I truly believe in God. I know that might sound odd, the idea that someone would talk to someone night after night, year after year, when they’re not sure that the other party is even out there. And I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember, going back at least 15 or 20 years and perhaps my entire life. It’s become more of a ritual at this point rather than an action rooted in pure belief. I pray for the safety and happiness of my friends, my family and, of course, my dog. I pray for our troops. Those are the mainstays. More and more in the last year or two, I’ve been praying for our country for many obvious reasons. If someone is sick or going through a particularly rough patch, they get a prayer. It makes me feel a little like Oprah every night. Sometimes the list gets really long and that’s when it gets tricky because, at some point, I have to decide when to take someone off of it. What if I stop praying for them one night and something happens to them the next day? I’m not foolish enough to think I would have really had something to do with their bad fortune, but I’ll admit it messes with my head a little bit. As to how I got to this point in my “It’s complicated” relationship status with God, I was raised Presbyterian and went to church and Sunday school every week until my early teens. The churchgoing became more sporadic at that point, down to an Easter and Christmas Eve thing, to eventually just Christmas Eve. I rarely
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8 Outspoken January 20, 2017
ever go now, but I realize that you don’t have to go to church to prove you believe in God. I can’t pinpoint any falling-out point with God because I was never really all-in on the deal in the first place. But I can say that the anti-gay sentiment coursing throughout much of Christianity didn’t help matters. It was a particular source of anxiety for me when I came out in my early 20s. I knew my family loved me, but what would happen when I told them something that might go against their interpretation of the scripture that they’ve held for their entire lives? “How do I compete with that?” I remember thinking to myself. I lucked out though, and they accepted me just as I was, but I never asked what their beliefs were on the subject. Though my family didn’t use God against me, that didn’t keep others from doing it. It’s the little things that pile up over the years and stick with you. Like the co-worker at an office I worked at who, overhearing someone mention someone being gay, said “The Lord don’t like that.” Then there’s the spiritual assault inflicted by so-called Christians – pastors in particular – who casually use God against me and other people like me. I get an interesting view of this working in LGBT media. We get the occasional Biblethumping email, but we most often see it in our comments section online. As the moderator, I make decisions on a regular basis on how inflammatory a new comment is and whether to let it through or trash it. Is it a simple “I believe it’s a sin” or are we talking a “You’re all going to roast in the pits of hell” kind of day?
As anyone in the LGBT community knows, those kinds of comments are a part of our lives. I’m almost numb to it at this point, but I have to think it chips away at me on some deeper level. I found myself in one of the more bizarre circumstances two years ago this month in the rotunda of the Georgia State Capitol. I was covering a rally in support of former Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran, who a week earlier was fired for distributing an anti-LGBT book he wrote to city employees. Pastor after pastor stepped to the microphone and used God to ridicule LGBT people, and hundreds of Cochran’s supporters around me shouted back in agreement, holding aloft anti-gay signs in the process. It was bad enough what they said and, this time, it coming not from behind a keyboard but instead right in front of my face. But the other part that bothered me was that for them, they saw that as love. They were expressing love and support for Mr. Cochran with their words. How could someone consider that love? As a journalist, I’ve spoken with some pretty nasty people from time to time, but by far the most angry, hateful people I’ve covered were that group of folks that day who called themselves Christians. But you move on. You go home, you decompress, you keep going. All of us in the LGBT community do it. And I haven’t even mentioned “religious freedom” bills. So while I don’t really understand what my relationship is with God, or if we even have one, or if he’s even out there, I’ll still pray tonight, and probably the next night after that. And all of you will likely be a part of it. www.thegeorgiavoice.com
OUT IN THE WILD Creepoftheweek By Simon Williamson
Racism is not a mere disagreement Simon Williamson lives with his husband in heteronormatively-assimilative fashion in Athens, after a year of surviving rural Georgia.
“Being able to ascribe traits to someone because of their race is not a political difference: it is denotable bigotry that is so incredibly obvious.” I tend to refrain from writing about race because we’re not short of people who are on the receiving end of racism doing it much better, and from a lived-experience thereof. No matter how much we read or watch or listen to, racism is something white people, on the whole, won’t ever understand near the degree to which black folks can. Nonetheless, I am about to wage into it. In a lowlight of 2016, while our Facebook feeds rearranged themselves as they do during election cycles, I got into a spat with a former friend of mine about a series of protests in South African universities, over him deciding there was some genetic flaw in black protesters that made them do things. Our friendship had waned before then and this particular argument ended it until Christmas Day, when he sent me a message decrying how we acted over political differences. “Political differences.” Me gods. The free market is a political difference. Right to work laws are political differences. Investing more in one sector over another is a political difference. Trade agreements and protecting the environment are political differences. Using public money to enrich stadium builders are political bloody differences. Being able to ascribe traits to someone because of their race is not a political difference: it is denotable bigotry that is so incredibly obvious. When we are told we should engage the other side, I am always happy to tell them how publicly funded healthcare is a great good for society, but I am not about to get on the train where we discuss whether www.thegeorgiavoice.com
racism should be allowed or not, or under what circumstances we employ it. Homophobia and racism are different, but do share many traits. We in the LGBT community know exactly what it is like to have your rights be a mere political difference; we are well aware that our rights are a partisan issue. Democrats have found us acceptable, and Republicans hope for the ability to wish us away, which in some states they can through a bedeviled piece of legislation girded within the euphemism “religious freedom.” We know that in budget negotiations and legislative tussles, there is always the chance that our rights may be traded on. There is always the chance they may be undone or taken away from us, like former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory did when the city of Charlotte decided homophobia and transphobia weren’t so cool. That our very existence in public is dependent on the whims of state governments, the federal government and the courts is hideous. And expansion of the idea that rights are negotiable should be shut down immediately. If you are for racism, that is not an equivalent point of view to one against racism. My husband and I are currently trying to adopt a child, and chances are that child will be black. May the child never ever have to deal with racism being expressed as a justifiable point of view. May my former friend never come near my potential child. And may our political elites who drive public conversation realize the damage they do in backing a racist president who espouses racist ideas, loudly.
Professional homophobe Gordon Klingenschmitt strikes again By D’ANNE WITKOWSKI Something truly terrible happened in Minnesota. An elementary school teacher and his husband were busted for having sex with underage teenagers and filming it. Once they knew they were caught, they fled and killed themselves. The whole story is sick and sordid and sad and I hope that all of the kids these guys hurt get the help and care they deserve and need. As for the abusers, at the risk of sounding insensitive, (string of expletives deleted). Of course, some see it differently. Former Colorado lawmaker and current professional homophobe Gordon Klingenschmitt’s take is, “See! This is why gays shouldn’t be teachers!” It is, of course, a ridiculous argument. But then, Klingenschmitt is a ridiculous man. It’s important to note, though it will surely surprise and disappoint Klingenschmitt and his followers, the vast majority of LGBTQ people aren’t pedophiles. They aren’t child molesters and never will be. Full stop. This is, of course, true for all humans, regardless of sexual orientation, but I feel the need to make the distinction since
LGBTQ people have had to contend with the pedophile accusation since forever in large part because there are folks who forget that they are, in Gordon Klingenschmitt fact, human. It is also important to note that the majority of child sexual abuse victims are girls who are abused by men who identify as heterosexual. Does this in any way diminish the severity of abuse when it is committed by a man against a boy? No, of course not. But it would be just as illogical to point at a specifically heinous case and declare it evidence that heterosexual men shouldn’t be teachers. Sexual abuse is some evil shit. And there are definitely laws and aspects of society that need a-changin’! Except what Klingenschmitt would like is to see marriage equality erased, which would not protect children at all. But it would hurt gay people, which seems to be his ultimate goal.
January 20, 2017 Outspoken 9
PHOTOGALLERY
2017 Rustin/ Lorde Breakfast It was standing room only at the Loudermilk Conference Center in downtown Atlanta on Jan. 16 as the community marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day with the 16th Annual Bayard Rustin/Audre Lorde Breakfast. The theme this year was Relevance, and the event featured select works from Living With, an art exhibit about the impact of HIV/AIDS. Mary Anne Adams and the late transgender activist Cheryl Courtney-Evans
were honored with the Angelic Troublemakers Spotlight and the crowd heard from speakers from Evolution Project, Southerners on New Ground, Georgia Equality, THRIVE SS, Morehouse College, The Health Initiative and others. Following the breakfast, the crowd assembled to join the annual MLK March & Rally. For more photos from the Rustin/Lorde Breakfast, go to www.thegavoice.com.
10 News January 20, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com
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A schism of the soul: Being LGBT and Mormon Official church position is it’s possible “If the current prophet made a pronouncement and said, to be gay and chaste, preserving ‘Here’s what we understand traditional family dynamic now about homosexuality By DALLAS ANNE DUNCAN based on what the Lord has dduncan@thegavoice.com revealed to us,’ Mormons The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day would put a higher priority Saints is okay with Mormons being LGBT — so long as they don’t act on their attractions. on that.” “There’s a kind of schism within our souls when we’re being told we have to choose between our sexual orientation, which is so intimately connected to our capacity to love … and another profoundly human thing, which is the connection with God and spirituality,” said John Gustav-Wrathall. Gustav-Wrathall is a gay excommunicated Mormon and president of Affirmation, a global community of LGBT Mormons and allies. The church’s position on homosexuality, according to its website “Mormon and Gay,” is that “attraction is not identity.” “People can make their own choices about how to identify. There are active, temple recommend-holding Church members who comply with the laws of chastity and identify themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual,” the website states. Kirk, an Atlanta gay man who requested his last name be withheld for safety reasons, was raised Mormon. He spent years struggling with how he would be treated by God and his family after deciding to come out. “My mom flat-out said, ‘Well, I know that God created you this way and you wouldn’t have chosen this because it’s the harder route,’” Kirk said. His mother told him that if she loved him no matter his sexuality, there was no reason to believe that God, “who loves you a thousand times more infinitely,” wouldn’t love him as well. “I think that was like a bucket of ice water on me,” Kirk said. He began praying again, and after weeks of fighting awkward conversations with
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—John Gustav-Wrathall, president of Affirmation God, felt a spiritual connection again. Gustav-Wrathall was excommunicated from the LDS church after outing himself to his bishop, though he had not done an excommunicable offense — such as engaging in same-sex activity — at the time. He was not particularly upset, but said that’s not the case for many LGBT Mormons. “There have been quite a few individuals who have been excommunicated and often it is a very jarring and a very painful situation,” Gustav-Wrathall said. Unlike some faiths, being an excommunicated Mormon doesn’t mean you’re shunned or barred from attending church, it just limits how active you can be in LDS leadership. Same-sex marriage and the family seal One of the core beliefs of Mormons centers on the family. “Mormons believe that families can be sealed together for all eternity,” Gustav-Wrathall said. “The church believes the only people who can be sealed in the temple are a man and a woman … this obviously creates a kind of dilemma for a lot of gay Mormons, because they wouldn’t be permitted to be sealed to their same-sex spouses or to children that they might have as part of their relationship.” Kirk said he struggles with feeling welcome in the church, though one of its teach-
The Atlanta temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sandy Springs. Mormon temples are where families are “sealed” so they are bound together in this life and the next. (Photo by Dallas Anne Duncan)
ings is to love others. “That’s the challenge that I encountered as I was trying to come to grips with my spirituality and my relationship with God and my upbringing as a Mormon,” he said. The Mormon church was founded in 1830 by a modern-day prophet named Joseph Smith Jr., whose family held Christian beliefs but weren’t members of a church. That was characteristic of most Americans at that time, Gustav-Wrathall said. As more churches hosted revivals, Smith had a “personal spiritual crisis” because he didn’t know which church to join. According to Mormon teachings, Smith received guidance from an angel named Moroni — whose form is seen in gold atop Mormon temples, including the one in Sandy Springs — that showed him where to find golden plates, upon which were written the revelations of ancient Americans who’d seen Jesus. Smith then translates those plates into the Book of Mormon. Because of their origins, Mormons believe in modern-day revelation, Gustav-Wrathall said. Hope for the revelations to come That leaves hope for a change in position on homosexuality, and inclusion of LGBT Mormons and their families. “One thing Mormons will say a lot is, the most important prophet is always the prophet who’s living, because that’s the prophet who is receiving revelation from God that’s specifically tailored for us and our time and our situation,” Gustav-Wrathall said. “If the current prophet made a pronouncement and
said, ‘Here’s what we understand now about homosexuality based on what the Lord has revealed to us,’ Mormons would put a higher priority on that.” In 2005, Gustav-Wrathall received a revelation of his own. He felt led to return to a LDS church. “I couldn’t see how there was any possible way to reconcile being gay and Mormon. The two seemed impossible to reconcile,” he said. “I knew I was okay with God. I knew that God didn’t have any issues with me being gay. So my assumption was at that point was the church has got it wrong and there’s no need for me to associate with the church.” If nothing else, his presence at the church sparks conversations about its positions on LGBT individuals. Though the LDS statement hasn’t changed, the church members have. “We’re seeing a sea change among Mormons. There’s a level of discussion about these things in the church that we’ve never ever seen before,” Gustav-Wrathall said. Though Kirk does not attend LDS services regularly, he did receive assurances from bishops that he would be welcome, should he come back. “I know that I would be, but ultimately I would desire to be able to find my partner. I would love the church that we attend together; I could hold their hand and feel completely comfortable with that,” Kirk said. “The Mormon church doesn’t lend itself to being able to do that. I think they’re still trying to figure out how that picture looks and trying to be inclusive and have people come back.” January 20, 2017 Faith & Religion 13
Faith&Religion
LGBT-friendly Buddhist centers flower throughout Atlanta Members turn to different teachings after experiences with Christianity By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com One recent Saturday morning, as shoppers worshiped the ready-to-assemble furniture and Swedish meatballs at the IKEA in Midtown, a different kind of worshiping was going on across 17th Street at the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Atlanta Buddhist Center. One person after the other in the diverse crowd stood up and spoke about their tribulations – loss of loved ones, joblessness, homelessness, depression, suicidal thoughts – and how the teachings of Buddhism helped them overcome. Sitting in the crowd eagerly listening, clapping and showing support for each speaker was Rocky Carroll, a gay Atlanta man and manager at Boy Next Door. He’s fully embraced the Buddhist teachings since joining SGI last April, but he had to get through an awkward first impression after witnessing the chanting that begins and ends each service. “At first I was like wow, this is super alien. What is happening?” Carroll said, laughing. “I grew up Methodist so it’s kind of like totally opposite from what I had growing up.” But, like many LGBT people, he needed something different after souring on Christianity. “To me, it was hard to grow up LGBT and then still be with that because I never felt accepted,” he said. Acceptance came quickly at SGI, when on his third visit, Carroll was asked in a group meeting what he did for a living. “I told them that I worked at Boy Next Door and that it’s a gay store,” he said. “And everyone was like ‘oh cool!’ They didn’t even blink twice. No big deal.” He stuck with it and continued to go, learning more and more about Buddhist
“I knew that God was love. I believe that you can only believe the short verses in the Bible because there’s less room for a lie or a misinterpretation to fit it. So I took that line. As I grew older, I just couldn’t reconcile the rest of it. But love, compassion, empathy – that’s what always rang true to me.” —Gay Atlanta realtor Edwin Ashurst on turning away from Christianity and toward Buddhism
teachings and how they could be applied to his daily life. “It helps me to step back and look at everything logically so that I can make the right decisions and don’t get stressed out over things that aren’t necessary,” he said. “[SGI is] one of the first places that I’ve been to where they don’t ever make me feel separate or different than other people, like maybe I need to work on something to get to some other level. They don’t ever do that.” SGI supports practitioners of Nichiren Buddhism, a type focused on chanting and devotion to the Lotus Sutra, a kind of Buddhist Bible. SGI claims more than 12 million members in about 190 countries and territories worldwide. Buddhism is the fourth-largest religion in the world with over 500 million members, according to the Pew Research Center, and, like Carroll, many LGBT people turn to the religion and its teachings after a falling out with Christianity. Monthly LGBT group at Decatur Buddhist center SGI isn’t the only affirming Buddhist center in Atlanta. The Shambhala Center of Atlanta in Decatur has a monthly LGBT Sangha (or community) where members meditate and have a reading and discussion
Rocky Carroll, a manager at Boy Next Door, has been going to the SGI-USA Atlanta Buddhist Center since last April. (Photo by Patrick Saunders)
on the dharma (or teachings of Buddha). Edwin Ashurst, a gay Atlanta realtor, co-founded the group about five years ago. It’s not that LGBT people aren’t welcome in the main Shambhala Sangha, he’s quick to point out. “It’s because there is just sometimes when you want to talk with somebody that’s been through it and has seen things through a similar lens of experience,” he said. “I think it’s more of a safe entry for people that aren’t sure in many cases, and in many cases they just absorb themselves into the Shambhala Sangha at large.” Ashurst says that they’ll continue to have the LGBT Sangha especially now because, as he says, “Things are going to get rough again” under a Donald Trump presidency. He said things were rough for him growing up in the Southern Baptist church as a gay kid, and that he felt “totally rejected” by Christianity. “My personal journey was through trying to reconcile Christianity through who I knew I was,” he explained. “I knew that God was love. I believe that you can only believe the short verses in the Bible because there’s less room for a lie or a misinterpretation to fit it. So I took that line. As I grew older, I just couldn’t reconcile the rest of it. But love, compassion, empathy – that’s what always rang true to me.”
Ashurst said Buddhism “fit all the things that made sense to me along those lines. We’re all connected by love and we’re all connected.” The Shambhala Center offered an inclusive environment for him to explore Buddhist teachings. Sally Larrick, assistant to the director at the Center, said the nonjudgmental nature of Shambhala Buddhism is probably one of the things that attracts their many LGBT members. “We don’t judge our thoughts,” she said. “By sitting on the cushion and doing this technique of letting our thoughts go, it makes it easier to do that in our everyday life. It gives more space around relating to other people and also how we talk to ourselves in our heads. This community is very welcoming to anybody. There are many LGBTQ people who belong to this community and it’s no big deal.” But both Larrick and Ashurst point out that not everybody at the Shambhala Center is Buddhist, nor are they required to be. There are Christians, Muslims and atheists among the members, Ashurst said. “It’s just a huge combination of people and we just subscribe to the same basic tenet of humanity that we’re all basically good as we are, as we’re born,” he said. “We started out basically good and we’ll always have that with us no matter what happens.”
14 Faith & Religion January 20, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com
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Out of the closet: More Americans identifying as atheist, agnostic Non-religion now the country’s single “You don’t end up with a largest ‘religious group’ lot of atheists or agnostics By DALLAS ANNE DUNCAN dduncan@thegavoice.com One-fourth of Americans aren’t religious — making them members of the nation’s largest “religious group,” according to the Public Religion Research Institute. Newnan resident Kay Furlong is a member of that “religious group.” As an atheist lesbian transwoman, she also makes up the 56 percent of LGBT individuals who are religiously unaffiliated, according to a 2016 Gallup poll. Furlong was raised Catholic, being baptized, confirmed and married in the Catholic church. “Based on the doctrine, the previous pope … he was very anti-LGBT. I got a sour taste then and that was about the time I went through a divorce with my first wife. She had said multiple times that she couldn’t be with a transgender female,” Furlong said. “At that time I sort of lost any faith I had, because what kind of god would make a person like me? That’s when I sort of started questioning.” Furlong isn’t alone in her reasons for leaving organized religion. According to the Public Religion Research Institute, many non-religious Americans were raised in religious households and drifted away from religion as adults. Nearly 30 percent of this demographic — and most of this 30 percent women — said they chose to leave organized religion because of “their experience of negative religious teachings about or treatment of gay and lesbian people.” Young adults also cited this as a reason for leaving. “You don’t end up with a lot of atheists or agnostics who say you’re going to hell because you’re LGBT. It’s because of their religious view,” she said. “There isn’t a whole lot of secular reason or rationale for not giving LGBTs the same rights.” To believe or not to believe: That is the question American Atheists, the nonprofit borne from a 1959 Supreme Court case that chal-
who say you’re going to hell because you’re LGBT. … There isn’t a whole lot of secular reason or rationale for not giving LGBTs the same rights.” —Kay Furlong, Newnan lenged prayer in public schools, defines atheism “as the mental attitude which unreservedly accepts the supremacy of reason and aims at establishing a lifestyle and ethical outlook verifiable by experience and scientific method, independent of all arbitrary assumptions of authority and creeds.” Agnostics, on the other hand, generally believe that it’s impossible to know whether or not a higher power exists, or they are noncommittal on whether they believe in a deity or not. Eryn Viscarra, a sociology lecturer and doctoral student at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, specializes in gender and sexuality. She said many LGBT individuals feel rejected by organized religion, especially certain denominations of Christianity, leading them to atheism or agnosticism. “Especially in the South. They believe it’s a choice; that you can change it,” Viscarra said. “I think they feel really rejected. Also, parents are religious and people who come out to their parents, being gay conflicts with their religion and a lot of time people will get upset, and not have a relationship with their kids.” When Furlong first started distancing from organized religion, she began calling herself agnostic. “I said, ‘Well, maybe there is a god and I don’t believe in formalized religion. I don’t know if Jesus was the one or Muhammad,’” she said. “You’ve got 2,000 religions out
Photo by Dallas Anne Duncan
there. They can’t all be right. I’m very much into science, the Big Bang and how the universe formed … I’m thinking, is there really a likelihood of an all-powerful being sitting up in the sky causing earthquakes; causing children to be killed by their parents? If there is an ultimate being, why would he be doing all this horrible stuff to people he said he loved?” A little more than half of the religiously unaffiliated do believe in a higher power, according to the Public Religion Research Institute. According to the Pew Research Center, 92 percent of atheists say they do not believe in God, and 82 percent say religion is not at all important to them. Most seldom pray, and frequently wonder about the universe. 94 percent of atheists believe homosexuality should be accepted; 92 percent favor same-sex marriage. Becoming a ‘none’ According to the Pew Research Center, most of the non-religiously affiliated, or “nones” — a moniker given to those who mark “none” on survey questions about religion — are under 30 years old, and less than 30 percent are over age 50. Most atheists are white men, and those with higher incomes are more likely to identify as atheist. Though atheists do not participate in or-
ganized non-religious services, per se, they can become politically active with groups like American Atheists. Its main focuses include promoting freedom of thought, advocating for the separation of church and state, advocating for a secular education system and promoting the study of arts and sciences. “For people who are questioning [religion], I would not stay in a church that is anti-LGBT,” Furlong said. “But there are churches out there, either in the same denomination that they’re in, or they can switch to one like Episcopalian that tends to be pro-LGBT.” And for those considering leaving religion behind, Furlong advised looking for groups of like-minded individuals on social media. There are atheist and agnostic groups, and also groups that aren’t anti-religion but more “anti-bigotry using religion as a shield.” “A lot of people in those groups are religious, but they don’t believe in those tenets of the religion,” she said. Despite her non-religion, Furlong joins with her family for a variety of holiday celebrations. Her daughters from her previous marriage still attend Sunday school and they celebrated Christmas together, and with her wife, a Buddhist, Furlong celebrated Solstice. “We do a little bit of everything,” she said.
16 Faith & Religion January 20, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com
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Double the dirty ‘Queen of Mean’ Lisa Lampanelli talks unamused lesbians, drag inspiration and heckling Trump By CHRIS AZZOPARDI If you know her racy sense of humor, you practically expect Lisa Lampanelli to hurl a slur at you when she calls. Once, she wanted to know “if this was the same cornholer I talked to the last time,” and because she’s Lisa Lampanelli, I took that as a compliment. Known for her stereotype-mocking comedy routines and hilariously foul roasts (during 2011’s Comedy Central roast of Donald Trump, Lampanelli called the now-president a “bloated, stinky douche”), the 55-year-old Connecticut native acknowledges that her interview persona is either a version of her exaggerated stand-up self or the “real” Lisa. Both showed up to my recent candid talk with Lampanelli, who spoke about Oprah’s bread obsession, why she would perform at Trump’s inauguration and how drag icon Miss Coco Peru inspired her to consider becoming a motivational speaker. And about those dual personalities: “It’s like I’m becoming two people merging into one, so enjoy the double-ended dildo interview.” 18 A&E January 20, 2017
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Hey, Lisa. When did you first feel like you’d made it in the gay community? It sort of built. I remember being able to make fun of everybody and have them not get mad, except the occasional guy or girl who has no sense of humor. I never felt until recently like the lesbians understood me, but in the last 10 years, which for me is recent, I’m like, “Oh, they get it, they don’t hate me.” Because it used to be, when I started, I had played a few places that lesbians were not happy, honey. Why do you think it took longer for the lesbians to come around? Oh, because those bitches used to take themselves too seriously. Couldn’t stand it! I’m like, “Listen!” What changed? They stopped being a bunch of clams with no sense of humor. I mean, honestly. I almost feel like the younger lesbians coming up kind of were like, “This is cool; she doesn’t mean anything she says.” You know, I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who hate my act, and it’s fine, and they’re allowed to, but I can no longer say the lesbians don’t have a sense of humor – they do! Wanda Sykes was recently booed at one of her shows for calling Donald Trump a “racist, sexist, homophobic president.” She shouted expletives at the audience and gave them the middle finger. By the way, who’s coming to see her not believing that?
In 2011, comedian Lisa Lampanelli donated $50,000 to Gay Men’s Health Crisis after the anti-LGBT Westboro Baptist Church protested one of her shows. (Photos courtesy Lisa Lampanelli)
Exactly. How would you have handled Trump hecklers at your show? I do a whole Trump roast now. I wrote this really funny Trump roast – an updated one for Howard Stern – and I’m doing even more Trump jokes. But I get away with that kind of roast humor all the time. Nobody gets mad, even Trump supporters, if I say something serious about Trump, which I hardly ever do
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because I don’t talk politics much. Not my thing. Once people booed something and I go, “Oh, shut up. I’m a comedian, not a senator. Shut the fuck up.” And they shut up. I have no political agenda, and I think they know Wanda really has that strong belief, so maybe that’s why they booed, and it’s fine. But people know I’m not, like, all serious about stuff, so that’s probably why I don’t get a hard time.
her biggest joy was about self-improvement. I would’ve taken anything except the name of a food, so I was like, “Dude, show us some enlightenment here.” I just can’t stand the un-selfawareness of her putting that out there, but it’s her journey. It’s none of my business. I don’t like to watch that one, ever. I always flip right by it. I’m like, “ack!” I’d rather watch those poor dogs with the one eye from the “Angel” ads and I hate those.
You’ve crossed paths with Donald Trump several times. You roasted him on Comedy Central, and you competed in the fifth season of the “Celebrity Apprentice”in 2012. Would you perform at his inauguration? Absolutely, but only if I could roast him. You understand, there’s a fine line of what I would do. Like, if they asked me to be the White House Correspondents’ Dinner host to perform, I’d be like, “in a second,” because I could reaaaally do a good roast on him and that’s the best, so it would be a way of sticking it to him a little bit and it’d be fine. I would absolutely have a clear conscience about making fun of Trump. I always do.
I heard that a drag queen inspired you to move into humorous motivational speaking. Oh, Coco Peru! The best, best, best. She does this routine, and there is such a real great sort of emotional and spiritual element to it that you don’t see usually with drag queens. When I saw that, I said, “I am definitely going to make sure more of that vulnerability is in my act.” I frickin’ love her. It’s like, you never know what you’re gonna learn when you go and see something, and that was the last thing I expected from a drag performer. I’m so glad I went to that.
In 2015, you premiered your first play, “Stuffed.” As someone who has dealt with food issues throughout her life, can we please talk about Oprah’s “I love bread” Weight Watchers campaign? I am so angry with her. And I’ll tell you why I’m angry with her. First of all, it’s idiotic. It’s the dumbest thing. The biggest joy in her life is bread? Then, bitch, you’ve been preaching wrong for all these years, and you tricked us. Because I thought her biggest joy was helping people; I thought
I love that you – insult comic – have now become this emblem of empowerment not just for women, but men. It was funny how gay men really responded to the play, because I think gay men, unfortunately, have just as big of a problem with body image as women do. So, I’m so lucky that they really responded to the show, because, man, who doesn’t have a problem with the way they look? It’s just so hard. It’s nice that they would actually come to me and be like, “I went through that too,” which I’m pretty grateful for.
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January 20, 2017 A&E 19
ACTING OUT
By JIM FARMER
LGBT tie-ins galore with upcoming films opening in Atlanta Besides the current crop of Oscar contenders, a new batch of films is opening soon (or has just opened) in the ATL that should be of particular interest to the LGBT community, including James Franco’s latest and a documentary centered around gay activist and writer James Baldwin’s views. “Elle” is one of the most controversial films of 2016, now opening slowly around the country. Directed by Paul Verhoeven, whose films (“The Fourth Man,” “Basic Instinct”) almost always have some sort of LGBT theme, “Elle” centers around a businesswoman (played by Isabelle Huppert) who gets raped in the first moments of the movie. Yet this isn’t a typical revenge thriller. It has a lot more on its plate, with a very complex, sexual, open heroine. “Elle” won two surprise Golden Globes – Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actress, Drama – and alternates between being truly disturbing, darkly funny and even bat-shit crazy. It’s not for everyone, but the fearless Huppert holds it together. “Julieta” is the new drama by out director Pedro Almodovar. Although it’s no longer in the running for an Oscar, it’s well worth seeing. Through flashbacks, we see how the titular character (played by Emma Suarez) loses contact with her daughter and spends much of the movie trying to understand why and find her. This is fairly mild turf for the director – no explicit sexuality or gender bending, although a late conversation reveals that one of the central character’s sexual orientation is not what we were led to believe. Almodovar has always loved his female protagonists and he shows it here as well. By the end, the film tips over into high melodrama, with Julieta walking nonchalantly into a car while grieving. With Suarez at the center, however, it is very enthralling, emotional stuff. Endlessly fascinating, “I Am Not Your Negro” is based on the unfinished novel “Remember This House” by James Baldwin. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, it uses archival, historical footage to look at Baldwin’s views of race and his projections for the fu-
James Franco (l) and Zachary Quinto star in director Justin Kelly’s ‘I Am Michael,’ opening Jan. 27 in Atlanta. (Courtesy photo)
ture, using the author’s own text. Amazingly Baldwin’s words are as relevant as ever and director Raoul Peck stitches this all together beautifully. It is one of three documentaries dealing with race – the others being “O.J.: Made in America” and “13th” – that are on the Oscar Best Documentary shortlist, to be narrowed down to five on Jan. 24. It would be a shame if this inspired work didn’t make the cut. After a film festival run in 2015, the gay-themed “I Am Michael” is now getting a limited theatrical release. It stars James Franco in another of his gay roles. This time, he is Michael Glatze, a gay rights journalist who eventually turned his back on his former life and became a Christian pastor. Zachary Quinto stars as his boyfriend and the cast includes Emma Roberts and newly-out actor Charlie Carver. Directed by
Details
‘Elle’ Now playing at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema 931 Monroe Drive N.E. Atlanta, GA 30308 www.landmarktheatres.com Free Advance Screening of ‘I Am Not Your Negro’ Monday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. at Morehouse College Bank of America Auditorium 830 Westview Drive S.W. Atlanta, GA 30314 www.bit.ly/ianyngaeq
Landmark Midtown Art Cinema 931 Monroe Drive N.E. Atlanta, GA 30308 www.landmarktheatres.com ‘I Am Michael’ Opens Jan. 27 at Plaza Atlanta 1049 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30306 www.plazaatlanta.com
‘Julieta’ Opens Jan. 27 at
‘I Am Not Your Negro’ Opens Feb. 3 at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema 931 Monroe Drive N.E. Atlanta, GA 30308 www.landmarktheatres.com
Justin Kelly, this one is fairly nondescript, without even the lurid appeal of last year’s “King Cobra,” also with Franco. No doubt
Glatze’s story is a juicy one, but “Michael” doesn’t have much punch, despite solid, subtle work from Franco.
20 A&E January 20, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com
EATING MY WORDS By CLIFF BOSTOCK
Straightforward comfort food shines at Poor Hendrix Poor Hendrix (2371 Hosea Williams Dr., 404-549-8756, poorhendrix.com) recently opened in the new Hosea + 2 development near the East Lake Golf Club. The developers are Clay Harper and Mike Nelson, who also operate Fellini’s Pizza and La Fonda Latina. The Poor Hendrix co-owner/ chef is Aaron Russell, who has an impressive résumé as pastry chef in some of the city’s best restaurants. His wife Jamie co-owns the restaurant. It’s a great team and the restaurant works very well. Named after the Russells’ rescue dog, Poor Hendrix is divided into two sections. There’s a sizable bar area and a small dining room. Each has a separate menu and you cannot order bar food in the dining room and vice versa. There’s also a good-sized patio. Décor is minimalist – lots of wood. The dining room seating looks mainly like a long community table where people eat virtually knee-to-knee, reminding me of a Paris bistro. There are three round tables up front, across from a large wine rack. We were able to push two of them together for eight of us. The place is lovable and if a Friday night visit is typical, the place can get very crowded, especially with residents of the neighborhood. Still, it’s certainly good enough to be called a destination restaurant from anywhere in the city. It’s inexpensive and the food in the bar and the restaurant is mainly straightforward, comfort food. There’s one disappointment. Some of the restaurant’s dishes are poorly plated, even for comfort food. For example, a starter of “warm, uncured salami with cornichons” was haphazardly plated, but the slightly crispy sausage had great taste. Another – three rectangles of bread topped with ricotta cheese and tapenade – was deliciously messy enough to bring out your inner French-Italian child. Two dishes stood out – half a roasted Springer Mountain chicken, and a steak. The chicken was totally juicy thanks in part to pan drippings. It was topped with so-called “bitter greens,” a small mix of mustard greens and collards. The perfectly grilled steak was sliced www.thegeorgiavoice.com
The roasted Springer Mountain chicken with so-called ‘bitter greens’ is a Poor Hendrix highlight. (Photo by Cliff Bostock)
and served with root vegetables over polenta. The only unpleasant entrée was mussels with French fries. They were tiny and chewy. The broth in which they were steamed, on the other hand, was a terrific bacon-bourbon-chili broth. Get a spoon if you decide to order this. Desserts were predictably fantastic. We tried the coffee crème brulee and a log of carrot cake topped with angostura cream. My favorite, though, was a milk-chocolate mousse dotted with roasted peanuts and dribbled with bourbon caramel. I returned a few days later to try four small plates at the bar. The best in my opinion was the trio of sweet-potato biscuits topped with country ham with a side of utterly fantastic sorghum butter. My mouth still yearns for more. Ground lamb on skewers was highly seasoned and received unusual zip from a dip of paprika vinaigrette. I was least pleased with the soy-marinated boiled eggs rolled in sesame seeds. Their flavor was fine but they were monotonous compared to the other dishes. Service at Poor Hendrix was terrific, especially considering the large, relentless line of waiting diners. I am sure Russell will bring the appearance of small plates and entrées up to par with their flavor. Don’t delay. Go now. Cliff Bostock is a former psychotherapist now specializing in life coaching. Contact him at 404-518-4415 or cliffbostock@gmail.com. January 20, 2017 Columnists 21
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Our Guide to the Best LGBT Events in Atlanta for Jan. 20-Feb. 2
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FRIDAY, JAN. 20
The Weird Sisters Theatre Project in association with Synchronicity Theatre and 7 Stages presents a staged reading of “The Taming – A New Political Comedy,” by Lauren Gunderson. A crackling modern political farce, “The Taming” takes on America’s overheated political rhetoric and upends historical truths about our founding fathers. When a conservative senatorial aid, a liberal political activist and a very sparkly beauty queen find themselves locked in a hotel room, the political passions of these slightly insane women prove they might just be revolutionary geniuses. Inside the heightened, cheerfully absurd world of “The Taming,” Gunderson spanks America’s soundbite politics with the switch of actual history. 7 p.m., free but a $10 donation is suggested. 1105 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.7stages.org (Publicity photo)
FRIDAY, JAN. 20
The Georgia J20 Coalition is a solidarity-building partnership of local community grassroots organizations and networks, faith-based organizations and labor unions. The Georgia J20 is led by affected communities who know that the growing climate of hatred, bigotry, Islamophobia and xenophobia has poisoned our political process and deranged our society’s moral compass. Today the coalition will engage in the People’s Inauguration where our communities will demand for the city of Atlanta to uphold its obligation and commitment of being a welcoming city to its diversity of residents, visitors and businesses. 11 a.m., Woodruff Park, 51 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30303, www.facebook.com/ events/369467400086579 Enjoy Friday Night Skin at Tripps Bar, from 4 p.m. - 2 a.m., 1931 Piedmont Circle N.E., Atlanta, GA 30324, www.trippsbaratlanta.blogspot.com
22 Best Bets January 20, 2017
The new Topher Payne play “Greetings Friend Your Kind Assistance is Required” follows a retired schoolteacher reading an email from her spam folder and embarking with a friend on an international adventure. 8 p.m., running through Jan. 22 at Georgia Ensemble Theatre, 950 Forrest St., Roswell, GA 30075, www.get.org
Miss Ruck N Maul drag competition. Come out and throw some dollars at your favorite performer. A silent auction will also be on tap. Tickets available at www.eventbrite.com/e/miss-ruck-n-maul-abeautiful-mess-tickets-30056349350. 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Jungle Atlanta, 2115 Faulkner Road. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30324, www.jungleatl.com
SATURDAY, JAN. 21
Join emcee and radio celebrity Kaedy Kiely at “An Affair of the Art,” an art auction and cocktail party to benefit ArtsNow and Jerusalem House today. Guests will have the chance to bid on one-of-a-kind art and enjoy tastings from local restaurants, an open bar featuring signature cocktails by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and entertainment. For more information and ticket sales, visit: www.anaffairoftheart.org, 7 - 10 p.m., Atlanta Decorative Arts Center (ADAC), 349 – 351 Peachtree Hills Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30305
The Atlanta March for Social Justice & Women will be a peaceful demonstration of solidarity bringing together members of underrepresented communities, women and their allies in Georgia and nationally. The march will begin at the Center for Civil and Human Rights and end at the Georgia State Capitol. 1 – 5 p.m., www.facebook.com/ events/1236316196430372 Mark your calendar to join the Atlanta Bucks for what promises to be a truly beautiful mess of an evening at their annual
Come out and help Berlinda Wall cel-
EVENT SPOTLIGHT FRIDAY, JAN. 20
ART Station presents the play “Lewis Grizzard In His Own Words” at 8 p.m. tonight running through Jan. 22, 5384 Manor Drive, Stone Mountain, GA 30083, www.artstation.org (Publicity photo)
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WEDNESDAY, JAN. 25
Join LeeAnn Jones and Becca Sherrill to support LGBT community leader Cathy Woolard for Atlanta mayor at the Cathy for Atlanta LGBT Community Event. Come hear about Cathy’s plans to make Atlanta government more ethical, to help equalize its disparities, and to enhance its unique culture and infrastructure. 6 – 8 p.m. 1161 Hancock Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30306, www. cathyforatlanta.com/ january-25th (Courtesy photo) ebrate the release of her new book, “The Crown Is Mine.” It’s the story of a small-town Georgia boy who comes to Atlanta to compete in the Miss Club Cabaret Pageant all the while managing his love life and friends. Party at Mixx Atlanta starts at 6 p.m. and will be followed by a drag show fundraiser for Lost-n-Found Youth starting at 7:15 p.m. Enjoy entertainers Tara Kotta, LaTonya O’Hara, Trixie Van Lear, Stella D’Oro, Sue Nami and DJ Chris Gregory. Copies of the book will be available, 1492B Piedmont Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30309, www.mixxatlanta.com Celebrate the 38th anniversary of the Armorettes tonight, 7 – 10 p.m., Heretic Atlanta, 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.hereticatlanta.com Southern Fried Queer Pride presents Clutch, featuring performances by local acts including Ron Shirley II, Loner,
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Taylor Alxndr, Sequoyah Murray, MonteQarlo and Jamee C. and Eric J, with DJ sets by Father Fannie, ^M^ryll^h Gold, and hosted by Koochie-Koochie Ku, 9 p.m.– 2 a.m., The Mammal Gallery, 91 Broad St. S.W., Atlanta, GA 30303, www.facebook.com/ events/210737732717507
SUNDAY, JAN. 22
They’re back! The half-dozen performers of “Naked Boys Singing” leave nothing to the imagination, amidst a backdrop of campy songs, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., through tonight, 7 Stages, 1105 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.7stages.org The inaugural Luminary Awards ceremony honors and celebrate success in Atlanta arts and culture in the areas of philanthropy, artistic innovation, community engagement and catalytic dialogue. The ceremony will feature emcee Lucky Yates, and include special performances by Atlanta-based artists including T Lang,
the Atlanta Opera and David Coucheron of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. 6 – 8 p.m., Terminal West, 887 W. Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30318, www.facebook.com/ events/215966415512431
MONDAY, JAN. 23
Free pool is on tap at Industry Night at 9 p.m. at The Model T, 699 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.modeltatlanta.com
TUESDAY, JAN. 24
The biggest film festival in Atlanta, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, opens tonight with the drama “Alone in Berlin” at 7:30 p.m. at Cobb Energy Centre and runs through Feb. 15, with three LGBT films, various Atlanta venues, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339, www.ajff.org
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EVENT SPOTLIGHT WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18 SUNDAY, FEB. 12
Kristian Bush joins with Atlanta playwright Janece Shaffer for the world premiere musical “Troubadour,” 7:30 p.m., Alliance Theatre, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30309, www.alliancetheatre.com (Publicity photo)
January 20, 2017 Best Bets 23
FRIDAY, FEB. 3
Stop by to see the Crossing Cheshire Bridge Road Photography Exhibition. All you drag queens, get the party started at the exhibition before your Friday night show begins! 7 - 9 p.m. The school is not at the Showcase Photography retail store on LaVista and Cheshire Bridge. The exhibition is located at the Showcase School of Photography at 1135 Sheridan Road – just behind the Citgo gas station off Cheshire Bridge Road, www.theshowcaseschool.com/gallery/ (Publicity photo)
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23
EVENT SPOTLIGHT FRIDAY, JAN. 27 SATURDAY, JAN. 28
Watch “Raiders of the Lost Ark” while the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performs the epic John Williams score LIVE! 8 p.m., www.atlantasymphony.org (Publicity photo)
24 Best Bets January 20, 2017
The Race Conscious Parenting Collective is designed to support the ongoing development of white parents of white and multiracial children who are seeking to unlearn and dismantle white supremacy within their families, schools and neighborhoods and faith communities. It is facilitated by Shannon Gaggero, author of the blog “A Striving Parent,” Elizabeth Anderson, executive director of Charis Circle, and Beth-Ann Buitekant, a local family and school therapist. 7:30 – 9 p.m., Charis Books and More, 1189 Euclid Ave N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.charisbooksandmore.com
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 25
It’s karaoke night at My Sister’s Room, with no cover, 9 p.m., 66 12 St.
N.E., Atlanta, GA 30309, www.mysistersroom.com
THURSDAY, JAN. 26
SAGE Atlanta’s social hour begins at 10 a.m., followed by a program/meeting at 11 a.m., Phillip Rush Center Annex, 15630 DeKalb Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.rushcenteratl.org
FRIDAY, JAN. 27
The Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (AGLCC) hosts its Membership Drive & Networking Night tonight from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, 75 14th St. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30309, www.atlantagaychamber.org Lost-n-Found Youth hosts a movie night to benefit the group’s GED fund. Drinks and
appetizers will be served as a fun, gaythemed movie plays. 7 p.m. - 10 p.m., 800 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30308, contact Mike Rupert at 404-788-0983 for reservations. For the members of the Crunk Feminist Collective, their academic jobs were lacking in conversations they actually wanted to have: relevant, real conversations about how race and gender politics intersect with pop culture and current events. To address this void, they started a blog. Now with an annual readership of nearly one million, their posts foster dialogue about activist methods, intersectionality and sisterhood. With the publication of their new essay collection, the Crunk Feminist Collective tackles life stuck between loving hip-hop and ratchet culture while hating patriarchy, misogyny and sexism.
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Join the three editors – Susana M. Morris, Robin M. Boylorn and Brittney C. Cooper – as they reunite for a celebration and conversation about where they’ve been and where we go from here. 7:30 – 9 p.m., Charis Books and More, 1189 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.charisbooksandmore.com
SATURDAY, JAN. 28
It’s Debut Night with DJ Rob Moore, 10 p.m. – 3 a.m., Atlanta Eagle, 306 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.atlantaeagle.com
for the solo show “Veil of Ignorance” by Atlanta-based artist Nabil Mousa, best known for his startling and inspiring installations. “Veil of Ignorance” continues Mousa’s theme of Invisible Burka started years ago and developing for a number of years. The Invisible Burka refers to the artist’s personal struggles and life as a gay man, his religion and society’s expectations of who he should be. 6 – 9 p.m., Mousa, 874 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd N.W., Atlanta, GA 30318, www.face-
book.com/events/218961521891414 The sultry tango-based opera “Maria de Buenos Aires” opens tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Le Maison Rouge at Paris on Ponce, 7:30 p.m., through Feb. 7, 716 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30308
UPCOMING FRIDAY, FEB. 3
The acclaimed documentary “I Am Not Your Negro” opens at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema, 931 Monroe Drive, Atlanta, GA 30308, www.landmarktheatres.com
MONDAY, FEB. 6
The PFLAG support group for parents and families of LGBTQ children meets tonight from 7:30 – 9 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, 1911 Cliff Valley Way N.E., Atlanta,
SUNDAY, JAN. 29
DJ Robert Ansley spins for the late night crowd, 3 a.m., Xion Atlanta, 2043 Cheshire Bridge Road N.E., Atlanta, GA 30324, www.facebook.com/ events/579963842213089
MONDAY, JAN. 30
The long-running Stars of the Century show kicks off at 10:30 p.m., Jungle Atlanta, 2115 Faulkner Road N.E., Atlanta, GA 30324, www.jungleatl.com
TUESDAY, JAN. 31
Do you want to read books by amazing black women writers? Do you want to discuss works from a black feminist perspective? Do you want to do it in a feminist book store? Then the Black Feminist Book Club is for you. Charis Circle board chair Susana Morris will be the facilitator of this group. This season’s theme is radical memoirs by black women. 7 – 9 p.m., Charis Books and More, 1189 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.charisbooksandmore.com
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 1
Ruby Redd’s infamous Birdcage Bingo rounds up a crowd beginning at 8:30 p.m. at The Hideaway Atlanta, 1544 Piedmont Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30324, www.atlantahideaway.com
THURSDAY, FEB. 2
Gallery 874 and Salamatina Gallery are hosting the closing reception
TELL US ABOUT YOUR LGBT EVENT Submit your LGBT event for inclusion in our online and print calendars by emailing event info to editor@thegavoice.com www.thegeorgiavoice.com
January 20, 2017 Best Bets 25
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Impress your friends with little-known Hollywood trivia Awards season has begun, and while out catching up on some of the top movies, you will forever associate the role of each character with the actor who portrays them. What you may not realize is in the course of making a movie, those roles are usually offered to several actors before the one who ends up on screen hits the set. Take the current Oscar-favorite film, “La La Land.” Emma Stone is charming as Mia, but at one point Emma Watson was given the title role. No word on why the change was made but we do know why Miles Teller isn’t on screen as Sebastian, even though he was given the role that eventually went to Ryan Gosling. According to Teller, he got a call from his agent saying the studio no longer thought he was creatively right for the project, and that they were moving on without him. Ouch. Molly Ringwald was a top star in the ‘80s and was likely handed many scripts, including one that was called “$3,000.” Ringwald now says she doesn’t specifically remember turning that project down, but admits Julia Roberts is what makes that movie. We know it better as “Pretty Woman.” John Travolta says turning down this role was a big mistake, even though that same year he starred in “Pulp Fiction,” a film many credit with resurrecting his career. Travolta even competed against the actor, who played the character he rejected, for Best Actor at the Academy Awards. Too bad for him, since Tom Hanks won said Oscar for that role of “Forrest Gump.” Matthew Broderick is synonymous with the title role of the suave school-skipping teenager in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” but he was not John Hughes’ first choice for the role. Johnny Depp came close to playing the Sausage King of Chicago, but had to turn it down due to scheduling conflicts. “Titanic” made Kate Winslet a superstar, but Gwyneth Paltrow came close to being cast as Rose. Paltrow says she was one of the final two considered for the role, but didn’t necessarily turn it down. Maybe she would have given
“What you may not realize is in the course of making a movie, those roles are usually offered to several actors before the one who ends up on screen hits the set.” Jack enough space on that piece of wood. I am a die-hard “Star Wars” fan, having grown up with all the movies. One character who became iconic, so much so he is getting his own movie in the next few years, is Han Solo. Harrison Ford became an international star because of his haphazard charm and skills in that role, and it is hard to imagine anyone else in the pilot’s seat of the Millennium Falcon. However, Ford would never have had the chance to play Princess Leia’s love interest had it not been for this actor turning it down first – Al Pacino! “It was mine for the taking,” Pacino told People Magazine. “But I didn’t understand the script.” Also in line before Ford were Jack Nicholson, Chevy Chase and Bill Murray. So when you find a new favorite movie, make sure you don’t just learn who the actors and director are. It seems that in the end the casting director can play a far more important role, especially when their first choice thankfully turns them down. Melissa Carter is one of the Morning Show hosts on B98.5. In addition, she is a writer for the Huffington Post. She is recognized as one of the first out radio personalities in Atlanta and one of the few in the country. Follow her on Twitter@MelissaCarter
26 Columnists January 20, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com
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The sad, quick collapse of an anti-LGBT giant I was planning to write about Eddie Long this week, but then he up and died, so I’m forced to consider whether it’s appropriate to indict his character with criticisms that were entirely legitimate just a few days ago. Our society treats death like an ironclad non-disclosure agreement, where all points of contention are muted in deference to the press release version of what occurred. However, Bishop Long’s legacy endures, as does the spiritual suffering he inflicted on thousands of black LGBT Christians, far beyond the aisles of his New Birth Missionary Baptist Supercenter. Suffering was going to be the dominant theme of my initial column on Long, as his most recent public appearances revealed the physical and emotional trials he was losing – his once muscular physique collapsing on his bones, his will to live withering down to thoughts of suicide. His burdens were unsettling to witness, and so among my initial thoughts upon hearing about his death was relief he was no longer suffering. If only Long’s victims could attain such peace without having to die first. There are the aforementioned LGBT Christians, whom Long referred to as “filth,” “spiritual abortions” and the anti-Christ, and whom he attempted to sever from the larger black community, using Jesus as a saw. Now, by merely acknowledging the scars Long left on their faith, they are accused of being disrespectful by many of the same people who shouted “Amen!” while Long was disrespecting their existence. The most notable of those aggrieved by Long are the young men who in 2010 accused the bishop of being a sexual predator, grooming them with gifts, trips and stature, only to seduce them once they reached the age of consent. Long’s death, along with a 2011 legal settlement, might offer some type of closure, but trying to heal their trauma is the life’s work of the survivors of his alleged sins. The settlement the parties reached included no admission of guilt, and the accusawww.thegeorgiavoice.com
“His burdens were unsettling to witness, and so among my initial thoughts upon hearing about his death was relief he was no longer suffering. If only Long’s victims could attain such peace without having to die first.” tions against Long have never been verified. True or not, it’s remarkable how believable the scenarios were as soon as they were alleged, as in-character as Donald Trump having hookers piss on each other for his entertainment and arousal. When Long organized a 2004 march through Atlanta opposing same-sex marriage, I wrote how the bishop “led a river of Christians as wide as [Auburn Avenue] that flowed rapidly for 23 minutes before all of the marchers passed the [starting point].” “I’m looking at the people just stream, and stream and stream down the sidewalk, and it amazes me how many people will wake up so early in the morning to support such a hateful message,” said a lesbian who was protesting Long’s march. The 25,000 people who walked behind Long that cold December morning are his most pitiable victims, led to the wrong side of the Edmund Pettus Bridge by a Capitalistian who sacrificed his flock to the judgment of history, while he savored the financial fruits of being a coveted black figurehead for a predominantly white anti-LGBT movement willing to pay for the perception that they weren’t bigots. The believers may be forgiven for knowing not what they did, but I hope the bishop had a stronger defense prepared. Ryan Lee is an Atlanta writer.
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