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EDITORIAL
Editor: Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com
IN THIS ISSUE OF GA VOICE
01.23.15
THE GEORGIA VOICE
PO Box 77401 | Atlanta, GA 30357 404-815-6941 | www.thegavoice.com
Deputy Editor: Patrick Saunders psaunders@thegavoice.com
NEWS
6 | News briefs
Art Director: Rob Boeger rboeger@thegavoice.com
7 | Faith leaders denounce ‘religious freedom’ bill
CONTRIBUTORS
Jim Farmer, Vandy Beth Glenn, Cliff Bostock, Shannon Hames, Bill Kaelin, Ryan Lee, Steve Warren, Simon Williamson
7 | Arrest made in Midtown anti-gay attack
BUSINESS
8 | Georgia lesbian couple in fight for marriage equality
Publisher: Tim Boyd tboyd@thegavoice.com
Managing Partner: Christina Cash ccash@thegavoice.com
10 | Fire & brimstone under the Gold Dome
COMMUNITY
Sales Executive: Anne Clarke aclarke@thegavoice.com Business Advisor: Lynn Pasqualetti Financial Firm of Record: HLM Financial Group
12 | Photos: Rustin-Lorde Breakfast
A&E
The 14th annual Bayard Rustin-Audre Lorde Breakfast attracted nearly 500 people. (Photo by Dyana Bagby)
18 | Sleater-Kinney returns to rock after lengthy hiatus
In loving memory of Mike Ritter, 1965-2014
FINE PRINT
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“What we’re trying to do is to give people the opportunity to see that what they’re doing is painful.” — Lee Daniels, creator of Fox’s “Empire,” that includes a black gay male character who experiences homophobia from his father. (Associated Press, Jan. 20)
— James Kirchick (The Daily Beast, commenting on social media photos of ISIS executing gay men, Jan. 19)
21 | Bill Kaelin: How to kick the flu to the curb 22-24 | Best Bets calendar
COLUMNISTS
25 | Melissa Carter: Losing a beloved pet 26 | Ryan Lee: LGBT Georgians pitted against ‘last stand for righteousness’
Screenshot from All About Trans
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“Upon seeing the pictures of this ghastly crime, I got a pit in my stomach, and not just because I’m afraid of heights. As a gay man, I thought, there but for the grace of Allah go I.”
19 | Theater: ‘Tuck Everlasting,’ ‘Bad Jews’ feature major gay talent 20 | Food: Cliff Bostock dishes on Krog Street Market
FRIENDS & FOES IN THEIR OWN WORDS
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“It’s about finding that courage to do it. And that’s not the easiest thing in the world.” — Hannah Winterbourne, who came out as the highest ranking transgender soldier serving in the British army. (New York Daily News, Jan. 20)
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01.23.15
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NEWSIN BRIEF GEORGIA ATTORNEY SAM OLENS ASKS GAY MARRIAGE CASE BE STAYED
Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens has asked any ruling on the state’s same-sex marriage case be stayed until after the U.S. Supreme Court hands down rulings in marriage cases in Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio. Olens filed the motion on Jan. 20. “The Supreme Court’s decision on the stated issues will most certainly guide the future path of the case at bar. As a result, Defendants ask the Court to stay proceedings in this Court until the Supreme Court rules on these pending cases,” Olens wrote in the brief. Lambda Legal, an LGBT legal organization, brought the federal lawsuit on behalf of four couples and a widow last April. On Jan. 9, U.S. District Judge William Duffey denied the state’s motion to dismiss Lambda Legal’s case, stating in court documents that the argument Olens presented, that marriage is only for procreation, is not a valid reason to stop the case from moving forward. The Supreme Court will soon take up six same-sex marriage cases, coming out of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. That means a decision could come down at the end of the term in late June, and if it goes the way the majority of lower court decisions have, same-sex marriage will be legal across the country. The briefing schedule shows that the court is considering two questions: whether the 14th Amendment requires a state to issue a marriage license between two people of the same sex and whether the 14th Amendment requires a state to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage is performed legally out of state. Briefing has to be completed by April 17, and there are six argument dates that are open during the remainder of the term in which the justices could—or couldn’t—slot in arguments in the same-sex marriage cases. If they didn’t, the wait for a national decision would continue, and the issue would be decided in the following term. If they slotted in a day for arguments in the case this term, each side would have 90 minutes to argue question one and 60 minutes to argue question two.
ATLANTA POLICE PLEDGE TO REWRITE TRANSGENDER POLICIES
The Atlanta Police Department and 60 to 70 of the city’s transgender community and supporters engaged in a sometimes heated dialogue during a community meeting at the Rush Center, but walked away with a pledge by Atlanta police to work closer with the trans community on rewriting policies concerning them. The town hall, on Jan. 15, included a panel discussion featuring several APD officers, as well as Robin Shahar, Mayor Kasim Reed’s LGBT community liaison. Several other members of the department were in atten-
Members of the Atlanta Police Department met with transgender activists to discuss ways to make the APD’s policies better in dealing with trans people. (Photo by Patrick Saunders)
dance as well, including Chief George Turner. A major sticking point the trans community raised throughout the meeting was the methods by which the department created their Standard Operating Procedure on “transgender interactions,” and whether enough of the community’s voices were included. Deputy Chief Joseph Spillane pledged to work with the community on updating the policies, saying, “Standard Operating Procedures are something we can rewrite tomorrow.” However, he did note that there are legal constraints and they want to make sure not to duplicate anything already covered in the document. Atlanta police vowed to continue the dialogue with the trans community and address other issues of concern, including choice over having a male or female police officer perform searches and the department’s handling of sex workers.
GEORGIA EQUALITY REORGANIZES FOR FUTURE LGBT FIGHTS
Georgia Equality has undergone a significant staff shakeup as the organization settles into another year of advocating for the LGBT community’s rights. The group’s safe schools guru, Em Elliott, finished out the year before moving to Tennessee. “Due to Em’s leadership and perseverance, there are now almost one million students in Georgia who live in a district that offers anti-bullying protections specifically due to sexual orientation or gender identity,” says Georgia Equality Executive Director Jeff Graham. Georgia Equality added three new staff members over the last few months, starting in November with the addition of senior field organizer Rob Woods, who is leading efforts on public outreach and education on nondiscrimination legislation. “Rob is someone who has worked close-
ly with Georgia Equality in the past on voter registration efforts and has extensive background in campaigns and election work and media relations,” says Graham. Emily Halden Brown came on in December to take over Elliott’s safe schools and youth engagement work. Brown has a background in HIV as well, and will be assisting on the group’s HIV and LGBT health policy. Brown pulls double duty as the facilitator for the Atlanta Coalition for LGBTQ Youth. And this month, the group welcomed Rev. Duncan Teague, who will act as faith outreach consultant. The position is in partnership with Freedom To Marry, and he will also be involved in the battles at the Gold Dome over the “religious freedom” bills.
ATLANTA GAY CHAMBER TEAMS UP WITH SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
In a move to further opportunities for LGBT businesses in Georgia, the Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is joining forces with the state’s district office of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The SBA and AGLCC are forming a Strategic Alliance Memorandum that will “develop and foster mutual understanding and a working relationship between the SBA and the AGLCC in order to strengthen and expand small business development.” Andria Towne, president of AGLCC, said this partnership represents a “monumental step forward for LGBT business in Georgia.” “We are excited to be working with the local district office of the SBA and the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce to further expand business certification opportunities for LGBT owned businesses,” she says. On Friday, Jan. 23, the AGLCC and SBA will sign the alliance paperwork at a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. in the Egyptian Ballroom of the Fox Theatre. For more information, visit www.atlantagaychamber.org
NEWS
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01.23.15
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Religious leaders denounce ‘religious freedom’ bills ‘No one asked the faith community if we wanted this bill’ By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com Religious leaders and a state senator came together to denounce the so-called “religious freedom” bills being introduced in the state legislature. “As faith leaders from diverse traditions, we believe freedom of religion is one of our most fundamental rights as Americans, but religious freedom does not give any of us the right to harm or exclude others,” reads a letter signed by a diverse group of dozens of clergy from around the state. “No one asked the faith community if we wanted this bill,” Rabbi Peter Berg said at the Jan. 13 press conference at the state Capitol. “Nobody asked the rabbis and the priests and the imams and the ministers about a religious freedom bill.” Rep. Sam Teasley, a Republican representing Marietta, pre-filed HB 29 on Dec. 30. State Sen. Josh McKoon has yet to file his bill but has vowed to do so since both his and
Rev. David Lewicki of North Decatur Presbyterian Church (left) and Rev. James Lamkin of Northside Drive Baptist Church (right) spoke out against “religious freedom” bills. (Photo by Patrick Saunders)
Teasley’s bills failed in last year’s session. State Sen. Nan Orrock believes a national group is behind the proposal of such bills in Georgia and across the country, but did not specify one in particular. “Whenever you see legislation cropping up like this in state after state, it’s an effort to create an impression that there’s a public demand for this bill, which is false,” she
said. “It no doubt has some coordination and some collaboration.” The Arizona-based Alliance Defending Freedom has been involved in passing some of the the bills. Kelvin Cochran, the former Atlanta fire chief who published an anti-gay, anti-Semitic, misogynistic book and was terminated by Mayor Kasim Reed on Jan. 6, released a statement on Jan. 11 through Alliance Defending Freedom. The
ADF is also representing Cochran in a potential lawsuit against the city of Atlanta. “There will be every effort made to cloud this discussion with [the Cochran] incident,” Orrock said. “But that’s a personnel incident and that was a public servant who has people working under him and who issued opinions then did not honor the request of his employer.” Rabbi Berg agreed, saying, “That was a decision made by the mayor. That issue is going to be raised up as a false example. I frankly don’t think one has any to do with the other.” Other religious leaders in attendance included Rev. James Lamkin of Northside Drive Baptist Church, Rev. William Flippin, Jr. of Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Rev. David Lewicki of North Decatur Presbyterian Church, and openly gay Rev. Duncan Teague of the Unitarian Universalist Church. Gov. Nathan Deal, who was sworn in for his second term on Monday, told the AJC that he sides with his Republican colleagues. “I personally do not think that the adoption of such a law would have the negative impacts that many people portrayed it would have,” he said. “The language of the proposal would probably ameliorate some of the concerns … I don’t think anyone who proposes that legislation or supports it supports it for the purpose of discrimination.”
Media coverage leads to arrest in anti-gay attack Gay man charged in Midtown assault
to ensure the LGBT liaison unit is notified immediately in all future such cases.
By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com
Bryan Long, executive director of the progressive political group Better Georgia and the victim’s boyfriend, told the GA Voice shortly after the arrest that he and his partner were brought into Atlanta police headquarters for a photo lineup, following a tip from someone who claimed to know the identity of the suspect and contacted Crime Stoppers following media coverage of the incident. Crime Stoppers set a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect. The two positively identified the suspect and were told by the APD that police went to his home but he wasn’t there Long also says the tipster claimed the driver and passenger had “an on and off relationship for awhile and it’s filled with violence,” and that he hopes the driver is brought to justice as well. “There were two people involved in this attack, not just one,” Long says. “And the driver of the car lied to the police initially saying he didn’t know the passenger. Now we know that that’s not true. So I’m looking forward to hearing more about this and
An Atlanta man was arrested Jan. 15 in the violent attack on a Midtown couple that caused one man to be thrown into oncoming traffic on Juniper Street last March. Atlanta police arrested Diego Ernesto Ramirez, 23, for “Battery Substantial Physical Harm.” Ramirez has a prior arrest for battery from May 2013. The arrest follows a monthlong GA Voice investigation into the Atlanta Police Department’s handling of hate crimes committed against the LGBT community. The Midtown attack occurred on March 7, 2014, when the couple walked to the intersection of 11th and Juniper streets, in front of LGBT-favorite restaurant Joe’s On Juniper. The suspect jumped out of a car and called the couple, who was holding hands, “faggots,” then punched one of the men in the back of the head and pushed him into oncoming traffic. The victim suffered bloodied hands from the fall but no major head wound; he declined medical treatment.
VICTIM’S BOYFRIEND ANGERED WITH APD’S HANDLING OF THE CASE
Diego Ramirez. (Courtesy Fulton County Sheriff’s Department)
The incident was caught on Midtown Blue public safety force security cameras, and the victims recorded cellphone video of the suspect, the driver of the car and the license plate. The GA Voice first reported the incident in a Dec. 10 story after reviewing police reports of the 12 hate crimes committed against the LGBT community in 2014. At the time, only one of the 12 crimes had been solved, and the LGBT liaison unit was notified in only half the incidents, in violation of the Atlanta Police Department’s Standard Operating Procedure. An APD spokesperson said the department was updating its SOP
their relationship as we move forward.” Long did not mince words when grading the Atlanta police’s handling of the case. “I’m disappointed that it took 10 months and I’m disappointed that over the past two weeks that the police have not been more proactive. I’ve had to push every step of the way to keep the Atlanta Police Department focused on this,” he says. Long says he’s not just worried about himself and his partner, but also others in the LGBT community who have found themselves in a similar predicament. “I’m concerned about the gay community in Atlanta and I believe that there’s a lot of talk from the police department that they’re focused on these types of crimes but it’s difficult to see the action when the only two resolved cases of hate crimes from last year received a great deal of media attention,” he says. “I’m worried about the cases that haven’t been solved and didn’t get the media attention. If the standard now is that you have to get the gay media in Atlanta to write about your crime for it to be solved, then that’s the wrong standard and that needs to be changed.” The APD did not return a request for comment.
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FANNING THE FLAMES OF ANTI-GAY EXTREMISM So-called ‘religious freedom’ bills feed fire of hate against LGBT victories By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com Alex Wan was sitting in his office at City Hall shortly before the Thanksgiving break when an employee from the city’s fire department asked to speak to him. The employee handed Wan a paperback book. Pictured on the cover was an androgynous figure leaning against a large red question mark. The title was, “Who Told You That You Were Naked?” Several inflammatory passages, including some comparing gay people to child molesters, were marked with Post-it notes. The employee said the books had been distributed to fire department employees by the author, then-Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran. Wan, fearing legal action against the city by fire department employees due to the book’s content, took it to the city’s Human Relations
Commissioner, and within days, Mayor Kasim Reed suspended Cochran. The mayor later fired him for publishing the book without official permission and noting his confidence in Cochran was eroded for his bad judgment for, among other things, speaking out publicly during his suspension despite being asked not to. Although Wan said he had a pleasant professional relationship with Cochran and there was no indication of homophobia, as a gay man Wan was not surprised to learn of the former fire chief’s anti-gay views. But the hate mail, the angry phone calls that he’s received—those were not expected. “I think with the lightning speed of our equality, I let some of my guard down,” he says.” These are jolts, reminders like this that we still have a long way to go.” Cochran’s new role is as the face of socalled “religious freedom” bills being pre-
Gov. Nathan Deal is sworn in for a second term (top) and former fire chief Kelvin Cochran prays with religious leaders following a rally in support of him at the Georgia State Capitol (bottom). (Photos by Patrick Saunders)
sented in the Georgia state legislature. This was made crystal clear at a recent rally at the state capitol where religious leaders decried Cochran’s firing and called on the audience, which numbered in the hundreds, to support such bills. Opponents of such bills say they are a direct reaction to the “lightning speed,” as Wan put it, of advancing LGBT equality in recent years, highlighted by the fall of samesex marriage bans across the country. Proponents of the bills deny a link between the two, saying the bills are simply a response to a 1997 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Either way, with similar bills being introduced in Michigan, Texas, North Carolina and Utah along with Georgia this year, a national dialogue has broken out. “Religious
freedom” bills: anti-LGBT landmine or much ado about nothing?
ALLOWING BUSINESSES TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST LGBTS?
In 1993, a bill introduced by a Democratic congressman was passed unanimously by a U.S. House with a Democratic majority, and near unanimously by a U.S. Senate with a Democratic majority, and signed into law by a Democratic president. It was the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), passed in order to prevent laws that infringe on a person’s free exercise of religion. However, in 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in City of Boerne v. Flores that Con-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
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Bishop Garland Hunt (center) and Rev. Michael Griffin (right), organizers of the rally in support of Kelvin Cochran, lead a march from the Capitol to City Hall to deliver petitions demanding Cochran’s reinstatement. (Photo by Patrick Saunders)
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 gress had exceeded its Fourteenth Amendment enforcement powers by enacting the federal RFRA, and that the law doesn’t apply to states and local municipalities. Since then, 19 states have enacted RFRAs of their own, without much controversy—until last year. As more and more same-sex marriage bans fell across the country, broader versions of the federal RFRA appeared, setting off alarm bells within the LGBT community over concerns that the bills would allow, for example, business owners to refuse service to LGBT people based on their religious beliefs. Supporters of the bills claim they aren’t discriminatory against the LGBT community. Highly publicized battles over such “religious freedom” or “religious liberty” bills broke out in Arizona and here in Georgia last year, with the bills failing in both instances thanks in no small part to widespread opposition from the business community and LGBT community. But the men behind Georgia’s bills, state Rep. Sam Teasley (R-Marietta) and state Sen. Josh McKoon (R-Columbus), vowed to reintroduce the bills in 2015. Rep. Teasley has done so with House Bill 29, and Sen. McKoon will any day now. That’s what concerns LGBT activists like Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, who says Teasley’s HB 29 would allow corporations to exempt themselves from
any state law or local ordinance that they feel inhibits their expression of religious views. “The language that we have seen in House Bill 29 does not do anything to address the concerns we brought up in 2014 or have brought up as this debate has recommenced here in Georgia,” he says. Graham believes the bill is even more troublesome this year because he says it will allow government workers to claim a religious exemption from having to do their duties. “This opens the door to widespread discrimination to a whole host of people, not just the LGBT community,” he says, citing the possibility of a paramedic or police officer being given the right to refuse to help someone who is gay, or a single mother being denied or kicked out of housing by a landlord who believes only men should lead families. Graham says there’s a relatively easy fix to the LGBT discrimination concerns over the bill. “They can make sure that there are protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity that perhaps could be built into this bill,” he says. In the meantime, Georgia Equality has launched the Georgia Unites Against Discrimination campaign to fight the legislation. Sharing the group’s concerns is the progressive political organization Better Georgia, which has gathered over 7,000 signed petitions in protest of such “religious freedom” legislation.
Bryan Long, executive director of Better Georgia, calls them “religion as an excuse” bills that would open the door to people using their religion to opt out of laws concerning discrimination, child welfare or spousal abuse. “This legislation would lead to legal chaos over whose religion is more important in the eyes of our courts and lawmakers,” he says. Long cites an incident in Texas where a gay couple, Ben Allen and Justin Hudgins, say they were turned down by a reception venue because they refused to host a same-sex wedding. Texas passed a state RFRA in 1999. “It is because of God that I will not be a part in your reception, and I know he loves you, but not what you are doing,” All Occasion Party Place employee Robin Hearne is quoted by WFAA News 8 as having emailed Hudgins. “I simply said I cannot rent to you which is also my right.”
BILL SUPPORTERS DENY DISCRIMINATION
McKoon says his bill is a reaction the Boerne decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1997, and he claims there have been several instances of infringement on religious liberties in Georgia, including the removal of Bibles from a community resource section of a Georgia public library and a Bible study student organization being denied the right to use school facilities for voluntary Bible study in Banks County.
He also claims the bill will not result in LGBT discrimination such as a business owner denying service to a gay or lesbian person based on their religious beliefs. “This bill will cover natural persons only, so businesses won’t be able to assert a RFRA claim,” he tells the GA Voice. “Even if they were able to assert a RFRA claim, the Supreme Court has found that the government’s interest in preventing discrimination qualifies as a compelling state interest and so would overcome a RFRA objection in any case.” Rep. Teasley claims his bill is narrowly tailored to apply specifically to government’s interactions with individuals, and that an unnamed representative from the LGBT community asked him to specify as such. Teasley said he also added language to specifically define “person” as a “natural person.” “Nowhere in the bill does it give aid and comfort to any who would attempt to discriminate,” he says. Virginia Galloway, regional director for the Faith and Freedom Coalition, led by Ralph Reed, the former executive director of the Christian Coalition, echoes McKoon and Teasley’s statements, saying, “That has been something that had the bill sponsors scratching their heads from the get-go in what they consider confusion in the community.” Both Teasley and Galloway cited an incident at Savannah State University in 2007, when a Christian club’s membership was
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Onlookers pray during the rally in support of Kelvin Cochran (top left), religious leaders cited Bible passages against the LGBT community throughout the rally (bottom left), and Cochran’s supporters march from the Capitol to City Hall (right). (Photos by Patrick Saunders)
terminated for a reported hazing incident, which reportedly was a foot-washing ceremony modeled after the story of Jesus Christ and his disciples. The Alliance Defending Freedom filed suit on behalf of the club and the group was reinstated in 2008. Teasley, Galloway and McKoon all stated the bills aren’t limited to Christians, with each citing that observant Jews who believe a body ought not be disturbed after death would have a right to prevent an autopsy from being performed unless there’s a compelling state interest to do so, as in cases of murder. However, gay activist Robbie Medwed, assistant director of Jewish LGBT organization SOJOURN, says there’s a way to address this issue without taking on the more problematic issues with the bills. “While HB 29 would help in certain cases of avoiding unwanted autopsies, the negatives far outweigh the positives, and the problem of unwanted autopsies could easily be solved with an autopsy-specific bill,” he says.
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES AND ‘EROTIC LIBERTY’
Lesbian state Rep. Simone Bell (D-Atlanta) was at a recent House session when the preacher of the day, Rev. Bryant Wright of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, described LGBT equality as “erotic liberty.” She says Rep. Teasley came to her after-
ward to apologize that that type of message came across. “I explained to him that this is the conversation I’ve been having with him about unintended consequences,” she says. “So I understand that he may not feel that way, but he has given people a platform across the state to use his particular bill to spread hate and discrimination.” This includes such noted anti-gay organizations, including Georgia’s chapter of Conservative Women of America. Tanya Ditty, the state director of CWA, testified in 2012 before a House committee against a bill that would prohibit discrimination against LGBT state employees. In that testimony, she compared homosexuality to necrophilia, pedophilia and zoophilia. But Bell said she’s against the bill more out of practicality than any other concern. “My main argument against the bill is that it’s not needed,” she says. “They’re saying it fixes a problem that does not exist. We’re creating a law to fix a problem that doesn’t exist.” She also cites the economic impact, with corporations and other business entities not wanting to do business in the state due to the bills. Lesbian state Rep. Karla Drenner thinks Rep. Teasley has made improvements to the bill he presented last year, but still has concerns. “Leaving it as is, I think it opens up a whole can of worms for a lot of entities in the state because anybody can use RFRA as
a defense against disciplining employees who break the rules,” she says. “They can cite their religious beliefs as a way not to do something. So until things are more clearly defined, I think there are a lot of concerns.” However, she said some of her concerns would be alleviated if Teasley were to include protections against LGBT discrimination in the bill. And she too, like Rep. Bell, is troubled by the rhetoric flying around the capitol as a result of such bills. “I have never heard something called ‘erotic liberty’ and I think personally this is very similar to the 2004 marriage fight in that the preachers of the day came and instead of giving an ecumenical service about ‘God is good’ and ‘be loving and kind to one another,’ this guy comes in with a clear policy agenda,” she says. “I do see this as a continual potential issue, that preachers will come in and talk about the [former] fire chief as a martyr and not in a way that is truthful,” Drenner added.
WHAT EXACTLY IS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM?
Even the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Galloway thinks Cochran’s firing and the “religious freedom” bills are separate situations. “The Religious Freedom and Restoration Act would not help him from a legal standpoint. His situation is an employee and employer situation which would be covered by federal law,” she says. “The RFRA would not have any
bearing on his situation one way or another.” Of course, that doesn’t mean proponents of the bills won’t continue making Cochran the face of the issue. Meanwhile, McKoon and Teasley will continue to try to stem the tide of concerns emanating from the business community, who have largely condemned the bills, fearing the economic impact. Bell and Drenner are calling on citizens to lobby their legislators and tell them how the bills would impact their lives. “We need to be vocal. We need to be prepared to show up at the capitol in critical mass. We need to continue to educate ourselves on how these particular types of bills are being filed across the country so we make sure that our strategy is strong and can withstand the opposition,” says Bell. Rev. Duncan Teague, who recently joined Georgia Equality as the group’s faith outreach consultant, comes at the issue with a unique perspective as a gay man of faith. “This is not about my right to worship as a liberal religious Unitarian Universalist. It’s not about my right to have my relationship sanctioned under the religious community that I’m a part of, the religious community that my husband is a part of. This is about someone not liking it and trying to come up with a way of stopping it,” he says. “That doesn’t sound like religious freedom.” Dyana Bagby contributed
GA VOICE | 12
01.23.15
COMMUNITY
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Rustin/Lorde Breakfast
brings power to the people of LGBT Atlanta Every year, the Bayard Rustin/Audre Lorde Breakfast attracts a diverse group of people to not only share a meal but to share ideas, thoughts, aspirations, goals, and intentions on how to make the Atlanta and the world a better place. This year, members of Southerners On New Ground organized a protest in which members carried signs through the crowd to raise awareness of police brutality against black and brown people and to stress not only that “Black Lives Matter” but also that “Black Trans Lives Matter” and “Black Queer Trans Womyn Matter.” (Photos by Dyana Bagby)
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01.23.15
GA VOICE
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COMPLERA is a prescription medicine for adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before and who have no more than 100,000 copies/mL of virus in their blood. COMPLERA can also replace current HIV-1 medicines for some adults who have an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/mL) and whose healthcare provider determines that they meet certain other requirements. COMPLERA combines 3 medicines into 1 pill to be taken once a day with food. COMPLERA should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines.
Just the
one
for me
COMPLERA is a complete HIV-1 treatment in only 1 pill a day. Ask your healthcare provider if COMPLERA may be the one for you.
Pill shown is not actual size.
COMPLERA does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS.
To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses you must keep taking COMPLERA. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them. It is not known if COMPLERA is safe and effective in children under 18 years old.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about COMPLERA?
COMPLERA can cause serious side effects: • Build-up of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include feeling very weak or tired, unusual (not normal) muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold especially in your arms and legs, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat. • Serious liver problems. The liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and fatty (steatosis). Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice), dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored bowel movements (stools), loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach pain. • You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking COMPLERA for a long time. In some cases, these serious conditions have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions. • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you also have HBV and stop taking COMPLERA, your hepatitis may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking COMPLERA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health. COMPLERA is not approved for the treatment of HBV.
Who should not take COMPLERA?
Do not take COMPLERA if you: • Take a medicine that contains: adefovir (Hepsera), lamivudine (Epivir-HBV), carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol, Tegretol-XR, Teril, Epitol), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), phenobarbital (Luminal), phenytoin (Dilantin, Dilantin-125, Phenytek), rifampin (Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane, Rifadin), rifapentine (Priftin), dexlansoprazole (Dexilant), esomeprazole (Nexium, Vimovo), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid), pantoprazole sodium (Protonix), rabeprazole (Aciphex), more than 1 dose of the steroid medicine dexamethasone or dexamethasone sodium phosphate, or the herbal supplement St. John’s wort. • Take any other medicines to treat HIV-1 infection, unless recommended by your healthcare provider.
What are the other possible side effects of COMPLERA?
Serious side effects of COMPLERA may also include: • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood tests to check your kidneys before starting treatment with COMPLERA. If you have had kidney problems, or take other medicines that may cause kidney problems, your healthcare provider may also check your kidneys during treatment with COMPLERA. • Depression or mood changes. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms: feeling sad or hopeless, feeling anxious or restless, have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried to hurt yourself.
Changes in liver enzymes: People who have had hepatitis B or C, or who have had changes in their liver function tests in the past may have an increased risk for liver problems while taking COMPLERA. Some people without prior liver disease may also be at risk. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your liver enzymes before and during treatment with COMPLERA. • Bone problems, including bone pain or bones getting soft or thin, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. • Changes in body fat can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicines. • Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking COMPLERA. •
The most common side effects of COMPLERA include trouble sleeping (insomnia), abnormal dreams, headache, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, rash, tiredness, and depression. Other common side effects include vomiting, stomach pain or discomfort, skin discoloration (small spots or freckles), and pain. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking COMPLERA? All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or had any kidney, mental health, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. • All the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. COMPLERA may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how COMPLERA works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Do not start any new medicines while taking COMPLERA without first talking with your healthcare provider. • If you take rifabutin (Mycobutin). Talk to your healthcare provider about the right amount of rilpivirine (Edurant) you should take. • If you take antacids. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take COMPLERA. • If you take stomach acid blockers. Take acid blockers at least 12 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take COMPLERA. Ask your healthcare provider if your acid blocker is okay to take, as some acid blockers should never be taken with COMPLERA. • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if COMPLERA can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking COMPLERA. • If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. Also, some medicines in COMPLERA can pass into breast milk, and it is not known if this can harm the baby. •
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see Brief Summary of full Prescribing Information with important warnings on the following pages.
Brief Summary of full Prescribing Information COMPLERA® (kom-PLEH-rah) (emtricitabine 200 mg, rilpivirine 25 mg, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg) tablets Brief summary of full Prescribing Information. For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information. What is COMPLERA? • COMPLERA is a prescription medicine used as a complete HIV-1 treatment in one pill a day. COMPLERA is for adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before and who have no more than 100,000 copies/mL of virus in their blood (this is called ‘viral load’). Complera can also replace current HIV-1 medicines for some adults who have an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/mL) and whose healthcare provider determines that they meet certain other requirements. • COMPLERA is a complete regimen and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. When used properly, COMPLERA may reduce the amount of HIV-1 virus in your blood and increase the amount of CD4 T-cells, which may help improve your immune system. This may reduce your risk of death or getting infections that can happen when your immune system is weak. • COMPLERA does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. You must stay on continuous HIV-1 therapy to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses. • Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others. Do not share or reuse needles, injection equipment, or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them. Do not have sex without protection. Always practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood. What is the most important information I should know about COMPLERA? COMPLERA can cause serious side effects, including: • Build-up of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis can happen in some people who take COMPLERA or similar (nucleoside analogs) medicines. Lactic acidosis is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Lactic acidosis can be hard to identify early, because the symptoms could seem like symptoms of other health problems. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms which could be signs of lactic acidosis: – feel very weak or tired – have unusual (not normal) muscle pain – have trouble breathing – having stomach pain with nausea or vomiting – feel cold, especially in your arms and legs – feel dizzy or lightheaded – have a fast or irregular heartbeat • Severe liver problems. Severe liver problems can happen in people who take COMPLERA. In some cases, these liver problems can lead to death. Your liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and you may develop fat in your liver (steatosis). Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms of liver problems: – your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice) – dark “tea-colored” urine – light-colored bowel movements (stools) – loss of appetite for several days or longer – nausea – stomach pain • You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking COMPLERA for a long time.
• Worsening of Hepatitis B infection. If you have hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and take COMPLERA, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking COMPLERA. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. COMPLERA is not approved for the treatment of HBV, so you must discuss your HBV with your healthcare provider. – Do not run out of COMPLERA. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your COMPLERA is all gone. – Do not stop taking COMPLERA without first talking to your healthcare provider. – If you stop taking COMPLERA, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly to check your HBV infection. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking COMPLERA. Who should not take COMPLERA? Do not take COMPLERA if you also take any of the following medicines: • Medicines used for seizures: carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol, Tegretol-XR, Teril, Epitol); oxcarbazepine (Trileptal); phenobarbital (Luminal); phenytoin (Dilantin, Dilantin-125, Phenytek) • Medicines used for tuberculosis: rifampin (Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane, Rifadin); rifapentine (Priftin) • Certain medicines used to block stomach acid called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs): dexlansoprazole (Dexilant); esomeprazole (Nexium, Vimovo); lansoprazole (Prevacid); omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid); pantoprazole sodium (Protonix); rabeprazole (Aciphex) • Certain steroid medicines: More than 1 dose of dexamethasone or dexamethasone sodium phosphate • Certain herbal supplements: St. John’s wort • Certain hepatitis medicines: adefovir (Hepsera), lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) Do not take COMPLERA if you also take any other HIV-1 medicines, including: • Other medicines that contain tenofovir (ATRIPLA, STRIBILD, TRUVADA, VIREAD) • Other medicines that contain emtricitabine or lamivudine (ATRIPLA, Combivir, EMTRIVA, Epivir, Epzicom, STRIBILD, Trizivir, TRUVADA) • rilpivirine (Edurant), unless you are taking rifabutin (Mycobutin) COMPLERA is not for use in people who are less than 18 years old. What are the possible side effects of COMPLERA? COMPLERA may cause the following serious side effects: • See “What is the most important information I should know about COMPLERA?” • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before you start and while you are taking COMPLERA. If you have had kidney problems in the past or need to take another medicine that can cause kidney problems, your healthcare provider may need to do blood tests to check your kidneys during your treatment with COMPLERA. • Depression or mood changes. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms: – feeling sad or hopeless – feeling anxious or restless – have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried to hurt yourself • Change in liver enzymes. People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus infection or who have certain liver enzyme changes may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening liver problems during treatment with COMPLERA. Liver problems can also happen during treatment with COMPLERA in people without a history of liver disease. Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your liver enzymes before and during treatment with COMPLERA.
• Bone problems can happen in some people who take COMPLERA. Bone problems include bone pain, softening or thinning (which may lead to fractures). Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your bones. • Changes in body fat can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicine. These changes may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the main part of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms and face may also happen. The cause and long term health effect of these conditions are not known. • Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider if you start having any new symptoms after starting your HIV-1 medicine. The most common side effects of COMPLERA include: • Trouble sleeping (insomnia), abnormal dreams, headache, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, rash, tiredness, depression Additional common side effects include: • Vomiting, stomach pain or discomfort, skin discoloration (small spots or freckles), pain Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. • These are not all the possible side effects of COMPLERA. For more information, ask your healthcare provider. • Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking COMPLERA? Tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including: • If you have or had any kidney, mental health, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis B or C infection. • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if COMPLERA can harm your unborn child. – There is a pregnancy registry for women who take antiviral medicines during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this registry. • If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take COMPLERA. – You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. – Two of the medicines in COMPLERA can pass to your baby in your breast milk. It is not known if this could harm your baby. – Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements: • COMPLERA may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how COMPLERA works. • If you take certain medicines with COMPLERA, the amount of COMPLERA in your body may be too low and it may not work to help control your HIV-1 infection. The HIV-1 virus in your body may become resistant to COMPLERA or other HIV-1 medicines that are like it. • Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you take any of the following medicines: – Rifabutin (Mycobutin), a medicine to treat some bacterial infections. Talk to
your healthcare provider about the right amount of rilpivirine (Edurant) you should take. – Antacid medicines that contain aluminum, magnesium hydroxide, or calcium carbonate. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take COMPLERA. – Certain medicines to block the acid in your stomach, including cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), nizatidine (Axid), or ranitidine hydrochloride (Zantac). Take the acid blocker at least 12 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take COMPLERA. Some acid blocking medicines should never be taken with COMPLERA (see “Who should not take COMPLERA?” for a list of these medicines). – Medicines that can affect how your kidneys work, including acyclovir (Zovirax), cidofovir (Vistide), ganciclovir (Cytovene IV, Vitrasert), valacyclovir (Valtrex), and valganciclovir (Valcyte). – clarithromycin (Biaxin) – erythromycin (E-Mycin, Eryc, Ery-Tab, PCE, Pediazole, Ilosone) – fluconazole (Diflucan) – itraconazole (Sporanox) – ketoconazole (Nizoral) – methadone (Dolophine) – posaconazole (Noxafil) – telithromycin (Ketek) – voriconazole (Vfend) Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. Do not start any new medicines while you are taking COMPLERA without first talking with your healthcare provider. How should I take COMPLERA? • Stay under the care of your healthcare provider during treatment with COMPLERA. • Take COMPLERA exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. • Always take COMPLERA with food. Taking COMPLERA with food is important to help get the right amount of medicine in your body. A protein drink is not a substitute for food. If your healthcare provider decides to stop COMPLERA and you are switched to new medicines to treat HIV-1 that includes rilpivirine tablets, the rilpivirine tablets should be taken only with a meal. Keep COMPLERA and all medicines out of reach of children. This Brief Summary summarizes the most important information about COMPLERA. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can also ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about COMPLERA that is written for health professionals, or call 1-800-445-3235 or go to www.COMPLERA.com. Issued: September 2014
COMPLERA, the COMPLERA Logo, EMTRIVA, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, GSI, HEPSERA, STRIBILD, TRUVADA, VIREAD, and VISTIDE are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. ATRIPLA is a trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb & Gilead Sciences, LLC. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. ©2014 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. CPAC0131 10/14
GA VOICE | 18
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
A NEW CALL OF DUTY
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Riot grrrl band Sleater-Kinney returns with ‘No Cities to Love’ and Atlanta tour date
By JACY TOPPS
S
ome called it the musical shot heard around the world. They called it an “indefinite hiatus.” In 2006 after a 12-year run, Sleater-Kinney, hailed as one of America’s best rock bands by Time magazine, decided to take a break. While some tried, no other band could quite fill the void they left. Now, nearly 10 years later, the band has reemerged with a new album, “No Cities to Love,” a tour and a new call of duty. The band begins its tour in February, and makes its way to Atlanta to the Tabernacle on April 21. To understand why the band’s return is so monumental, you have to understand who Sleater-Kinney is and what they represented. Born out of the “riot grrrl” punk movement in the 1990s, Sleater-Kinney’s music was part of a movement that wanted to start a revolution. They were women speaking to women who felt pushed aside. Through their music, Sleater-Kinney gave a voice to those on the outside, the queers and the marginalized. The audacity of their lyrics dared the marginalized to dissent and fight back. They were women who boys respected, too. They made young feminists true believers in the idea that music could change the world. Singers/guitarists Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker and drummer Janet Weiss continued to find their sound and voice in the post-punk era. The band released seven successful albums, including “Dig Me Out” and “All Hands On the Bad One.” The band’s explosive lyrics were political but poetic, tackling everything from sex and love to patriarchy and capitalism. “The Woods,” the last recorded album before their hiatus, was coined “a masterpiece”
“We sound possessed on these songs …willing it all—the entire weight of the band and what it means to us—back into existence.” —Carrie Brownstein, singer/guitarist for Sleater-Kinney by Entertainment Weekly. Their early music solidified their image as great musicians and feminist icons, but after the release of “The Woods,” it was clear they were also music revolutionaries. It was then, at the height of their success, that Sleater-Kinney decided to take a break. While Sleater-Kinney was on hiatus, the dynamic trio that made up the band was definitely not taking a break. Tucker, a mother of two, released two solo projects. Brownstein and Janet Weiss formed a new band, called Wildflag. Weiss also recorded and toured with Quasi, as well as Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks. Brownstein decided to take a stab at television and co-created “Portlandia,” the hit Independent Film Channel sketch-comedy show in which Brownstein stars with Saturday Night Live alumnus Fred Armisen.
Sleater-Kinney—Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss—return with their first album in nearly a decade, “No Cities to Love.” (Publicity photo)
Now, Sleater-Kinney is back to claim its title as America’s favorite rock band. “No Cities to Love,” produced by John Goodmanson, in its execution is bold, gritty and persuasive. Easily a “Best Album of the Year” contender, the band’s eighth album evokes a beautiful power that only SleaterKinney can execute. “We sound possessed on these songs,” says Brownstein in a press release, “willing it all—the entire weight of the band and what it means to us—back into existence.” “Price Tag,” the album’s first song, seems to be a rebuke of consumerism. “We never checked the price tag/When the cost comes in, it’s gonna be high.” The song “Hey Darling” alleges that “fame’s mediocrity” is destroying it. And the attention-grabbing guitar riff in “Surface Envy” is the perfect catalyst to the powerful
lyrics, “We win, we lose/Only together do we break the rules.” Never losing sight of their roots, some of the lyrics in “No Cities” read more like manifestos, but Sleater-Kinney has matured, and so has its sound. Brownstein and Tucker’s voices seem more textured and Weiss’ beats are sharp and intoxicating. The band members have never seemed so confident and comfortable in their own skins. Sleater-Kinney’s debut album will pass its 20th anniversary this year, reminding us of their career of breaking the rules. Although, one could argue, they were the ones who made the rules. “No Cites to Love” is out now on Sub Pop Records, and on Feb. 8 the band will embark on its first tour in almost nine years in Spokane, Washington. In Atlanta, Sleater-Kinney will play at the Tabernacle on April 21.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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THEATER BY JIM FARMER
Gay plays ‘Tuck Everlasting,’ ‘Bad Jews’ feature major gay talent Two big new productions have just opened in the ATL with major gay talent behind the scenes. The Alliance’s “Tuck Everlasting”—based on the famous book by Natalie Babbitt—is directed by out Tony winner Casey Nicholaw, a former actor turned choreographer and director who has worked on Broadway hits such as “The Drowsy Chaperone,” “Aladdin” and “The Book of Mormon.” Gay actor Wyatt Fenner, based out of L.A., is one of the leads in Actor’s Express’ new comedy “Bad Jews.” We caught up with both men to talk about their projects. Casey, how did “Tuck Everlasting” come about? I read the book and said it had great potential. It’s unlike the other things I am attached to. This is more about the heartwarming, human side of love and death. Why do you think it will translate into a good musical? It’s very life affirming. It gets you to think about life and helps deal with it. Some people say it’s for kids. I have to say, when we did it in New York there were so many sniffles at the end and I turned around and it all was men in suits. I think it appeals to everyone. What kinds of changes were made to bring it to the stage? We took some liberties to expand the characters, giving them reason to sing and giving them more of an arc.
DETAILS ‘Tuck Everlasting’
Playing through Feb. 22 Alliance Theatre www.alliancetheatre.org
‘Bad Jews’
Through Feb. 22 Actor’s Express www.actors-express.com
Above: The cast of ‘Tuck Everlasting’ rehearse for opening performance. (Photo courtesy of Alliance Theater); Right: Louis Gregory and Galen Crawley star in ‘Bad Jews’ now playing at Actor’s Express. (Photo by BreeAnne Clowdus)
Did you have a hand in the cast? Absolutely. Some of the people I knew in New York. Most were cast from auditions but some were cast from the reading. The cast is a mixture of people coming in and local. (Atlanta‘s Sarah Charles Lewis plays the main character, Winnie). It’s a lot of show for a young girl to carry and she does it well. What is the biggest challenge of doing this? With a lot of characters, it’s how to weave them together carefully and have the audience interested in that. It took a while to figure out how they worked together.
‘BAD JEWS’
Wyatt, how did you get involved in ‘Bad Jews?” I was in the world premiere of “Pluto” last season with Actor’s Express. That production was such a joy to work on and an incredible introduction to this company, and Atlanta. Freddie (Ashley, the company’s artistic director, directing the show) and I kept in touch. Can you tell us a little about your character, Liam? Liam is returning home for his grandfather’s funeral but, for reasons which you’ll find out, he is late and missed the actual ceremony. That’s about all the info I’m willing to give—the play is full of surprises and I don’t want to spoil them. What conflicts does he have in the show? Family problems, things not going according to plan. For someone who is used to getting what he wants, this evening
wherein the play takes place offers little of things actually going Liam’s way. In context of the play, what makes a “bad” Jew? That’s the argument we are tackling. The play could just as well be called “Bad People” because while the heritage of three of the four characters in this play is specifically Jewish, the questions being asked by the play as a whole relate to humanity in the largest sense. Every person in the world has positive and negative qualities. What can LGBT audiences get from the show? The LGBT community has an innate potential for empathy as a result of our shared universal experience growing up outsiders, and in many cases continuing to live as outsiders. Every gay man understands what it is to feel they need to keep a part of themselves secret and away from others, and that experience influenced many of our formative years. Part of why I have empathy for everyone I meet is because I have an appreciation for the hard times that come from growing up different and I value the strength that develops from overcoming fears.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
www.theGAVoice.com
Eating my words BY CLIFF BOSTOCK
Food nirvana
Krog Street Market a destination for extraordinary meals
The Krog Street Market (99 Krog Street, www.krogstreetmarket.com) in Inman Park is in nearly full swing at last. The development in a huge 1920s warehouse building contains what is being called a “food hall.” That’s something of a euphemism for “food court.” But you won’t be eating the crap that is scraped off greasy grills and yanked out of microwaves by fast-food vendors in Atlanta malls. KSM features large stalls operated by some of the city’s best restaurateurs. I’ve already written here about two anchor restaurants adjacent to the hall—the Luminary, a French brasserie, and Craft Izakaya, a traditional Japanese pub with lots of smallplated grub. I can recommend both, but if you want a really good time with lots of good food and plenty to drink, hit the hall. There’s counter service as well community tables. I sug-
gest you check out the KSM website for a full list of tenants and their hours. You may want to visit during off-hours, perhaps 2-4 p.m., for the time being in order to avoid crowds. Among the spots I can recommend so far: Fred’s Meat & Bread (404-688-3733). Todd Ginsberg of the General Muir, a fullservice deli that has received national acclaim, operates this spot. The menu here is not deli fare. It is all sandwiches, including Ginsberg’s incomparable burgers. When he was opening chef at Bocado on the Westside, his burger routinely ranked best in the city. I couldn’t resist the Korean fried chicken sandwich featuring a crispy-fried, honeyglazed breast with Asian pickles, spicy mayo, cilantro and, of course, kimchi. Yes, food spiked with hot-and-spicy kimchi has already become something of a cliché, but I don’t think you’ll find a better sandwich featuring it anywhere. Other sandwiches include porchetta with salsa verde, aioli, and arugula; a classic Italian grinder, and a crispy, smoked catfish po’ boy with green-tomato chutney. Big mounds of fries are available with various dips. Yalla! (404-506-9999). Ginsberg, who jour-
Chef Todd Ginsberg’s incomparable burgers are part of the hearty menu at Fred’s Meat & Bread. A scoop of Jenni’s Splendid Ice Cream’s goat cheese and cherries hits the sweet spot. (Courtesy photos)
neyed to Israel for some first-hand experience, also operates this Middle Eastern spot next to Fred’s. The most popular dish seems to be spitroasted shawarma. You order it with choice of a countless number of toppings that, frankly, can dazzle you into confusion. I’ve never been a big fan of shawarma—I always go for falafel—but I’m anxious to try Ginsberg’s. The breads—pita and laffa—are perfect. Jenni’s Splendid Ice Creams (470-8918105). This national chain with three Atlanta locations is famous for its gourmet ice creams, sorbets, and frozen yogurts. It’s a
good choice for a calorific conclusion to your KSM grazing. In all honesty, I didn’t find it up to Morelli’s quality, but I’m not going to pass up a chance to eat a scoop of goat cheese and cherries with a scoop of wild-berry lavender. The flavors simply didn’t ring quite as clear as I wanted, but it’s gooey, sweet, and adventurously complicated.
Cliff Bostock, PhD, is a long-time Atlanta food critic and former psychotherapist who now specializes in collaborative life coaching (404-518-4415).
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Hitting a grand slam Curing what ails you with Arden’s Garden I hate being sick. It makes me feel like I am weak. Maybe it’s the control freak in me, but I will go to extremes to fight the flu, and for the past month I have been in full Muhammad Ali mode. I know I am not alone. It seems like more than half the population has gotten hit with body aches and congested sinuses; unfortunately, it isn’t the result of a late night party foul at Xion, but possibly the result of a flu shot that was ineffective this year. I haven’t felt quite right since the holidays. I ate, drank and lazed from Thanksgiving Day until New Years Day. Everything about December was wrong for my health and routine. Tons of sloth, sugar, alcohol and airplanes were the perfect combination to finally knock me out. I have had what I call “Flu-Light” for weeks. I never had a fever or was unable to function, but the virus was there, and I heard it loud and queer. I was on the ropes and was willing to do anything not to be down for the count. In today’s world, “alternative medicine” choices are plentiful, and I’m always willing to try something new. I have floated in isolation tanks, stuck candles in my ears and even sworn that Chick-fil-A chicken soup could cure my common cold until I reminded myself that it was made of hate. This past month I even went to the extreme of trying Atlanta’s Hydration Station, where you get an IV bag full of Vitamin B, Vitamin C and a very unsexy oxygen mask. I have never been to the hospital, fortunately, so the idea of getting a hypodermic injection just to get over a cold seemed a little intense. I admit that once I got past the initial prick and relaxed, it was quite the adventure. The entire process took about an hour, and once the entire bag had emptied into my veins, I did feel different. I had tons of energy and had to pee a lot; however, the next day I woke up still feeling like crap. I wasn’t feeling pretty after paying a pretty penny to punch out the cold. It is true that men are the biggest babies when they are sick, and this boy was turning into a real bitch after about five days of
Photo by Lisa Jordan Bill Kaelin is the owner of Bill Kaelin Marketing Events and Consulting Agency in Atlanta. www.BillKaelin.com
dealing with the bug. Sick and tired of hearing me whine, my business partner Rachael pulled her car over at Arden’s Garden on Peachtree Street in Midtown mid-whimper, saying that she knew exactly what I needed to “kick the shit out of my funk.” Walking inside, Rachael energetically pointed to a cute guy behind the counter and exclaimed: “I want to introduce you to the ‘Hot Shot.’” I smiled uncomfortably at the gentleman juicer, because I am happily “taken,” but then realized she was actually referring to a famous Arden’s Garden juice, not the guy serving it. Noticing that I wasn’t feeling so “hot,” Mr. Hot Shot one-upped Rachael by offering me something he said would “change my life.” It was a four-shot juice cleanse called the “Grand Slam.” Mr. Hot Shot explained that this home run homeopathic shooter consisted of one wheatgrass shot, which is a rich source of vitamins and helps to nourish organs and detoxify your body; one raw juiced ginger shot that warms your body and soul and is great for digestive health; one lemon juice shot, which is high in vitamins A, C and folic acid and has been used for ages as a liver toner; and finally, one cranberry shot that has lots of vitamin C and is a powerful antioxidant, and cranberries are like that spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down. After a coughing fit, I found the courage to join in a communal toast with Rachael and the juice guy. “Bottoms up,” he said, causing me to blush again as I cheered to health and happiness. The next day I woke up feeling so much better that I went back to Arden’s Garden to join Mr. Hot Shot for round two. The ginger alone feels like it could burn the gay right out of you, but with the help of my opinionated business partner, an IV bag and Arden’s Garden, I finally felt like I kicked my cold’s ass before it whipped mine.
LESLIE A. COOK JD, CFP®, CDFA™ Financial Advisor 825 Juniper St Atlanta, GA 30308 404.564.4265 leslie.a.cook@ampf.com ameripriseadvisors.com/ leslie.a.cook
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FRIDAY, JAN. 23 Femme Fatale at Burkhart’s has Destiny Brooks and Shavonna Brooks leading the cavalry, 11 p.m., www.burkharts.com (Photo via Facebook)
SATURDAY, JAN. 24 It’s back – Bearracuda returns to the Heretic with music by DJ Matt Consola and hundreds of hairy men, 9 p.m. – 3 a.m., www.hereticatlanta.com (Photo via Facebook)
FRIDAY, JAN. 23-SATURDAY, JAN. 24
The Atlanta Women’s Chorus presents “Keep on Singing” concert with a diverse collection of music, 8 p.m. both nights and also a 2 p.m. show on Saturday, Druid Hills Presbyterian Church, www.awchorus.org (Photo by Dan Lax)
SOMETHING GAY EVERY DAY!
Bookmark www.thegavoice.com to get your daily dose of local LGBT events. FRIDAY, JAN. 23 SATURDAY, JAN. 24 Billy Lace from New York drops in to spin at Jungle, 9 p.m.,www.jungleatl.com (Publicity photo)
The Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce holds its Fourth Friday event at the Fox Theatre, sponsored by Gayborhood, with some big announcements about 2015, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., atlantagaychamber.org “Sweet Tea: The First Sip!” is a comedy, drag, spoken word and performance art show, 9 p.m., at
The Hangar, 151 Sampson St., http://tinyurl.com/mlzpdt6
& Rum Sports Bar, lasmargaritasmidtown.com
DJ Mike Pope gets Pump Friday going tonight at the Heretic, with no cover at 10 p.m., www.hereticatlanta.com
Get down with all the boys in town at the Boys Room Video Dance Party, 10 p.m., Mary’s Atlanta, www.marysatlanta.com
Friday night is Papi’s South Beach night, featuring monster margaritas, mojitos and twisters, 10 p.m., at Las Margaritas Latin Restaurant Tequila
SATURDAY, JAN. 24
Jerusalem House, Inc. and ArtsNow present an art auction & cocktail gala benefit at ADAC -
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Atlanta Decorative Arts Center. Up for bid will be the art of faculty and graduate students of the SCAD/The University for Creative Careers and selected pieces by the adult residents and children of Jerusalem House. Patrick Hanson, visual artist of Handsonworks, will be performing a live painting, improvisational performance art that will be up for auction. Advance tickets are $25 for general admission and $75 for VIP. Tickets at the door will be $35 general admission and $100 VIP, 6 – 10 p.m., www.jerusalemhouse.org Actor’s Express opens the comedic “Bad Jews” at 8 p.m., directed by artistic director Freddie Ashley and starring out actors Wyatt Fenner and Louis Gregory, www.actorsexpress.com Synergy with Monica van Pelt is every every Saturday at Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com
SUNDAY, JAN. 25
DJ Kevin DuRard keeps the early morning crowd jumping, 3 a.m., Xion, www.cariocaproductions.com The Sisters of Sequin – led by Bubba D. Licious and Justice Counce – host Gospel Brunch, with a meal (and a Bloody Mary or mimosa) at 1 p.m. and a drag show at 1:30 p.m., Lips Atlanta, www.lipsatl.com Check out the world premiere musical version of “Tuck Everlasting” at the Alliance Theatre, directed by out Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw, with a 2:30 and 7 p.m. performance, www.alliancethatre.com High Energy Sunday begins at 3 p.m. with DJ Bill Berdeux followed by Cellblock Sunday at 8 p.m. with LaTeasha, Blake’s on the Park, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com Sip & Steam presented by Velvet Lips and Here2Inspire includes tasting handmade aphrodisiac wines and combining it with a holistic yoni steaming with the herbs of your choosing for women with vaginal canals and/or wombs. Please wear long, loose comfortable dress or bring a blanket to wrap yourself in, $40 at 4 p.m., Velvet Lips LLC, www.eventbrite.com/e/ sip-steam-tickets-14090465963 Has it been two years already? TEN Atlanta celebrates its second anniversary, hosted by Lena Lust with a bevy of performers, 5 p.m., www.tenatlanta.com Atlanta’s Angelica D’Paige and friends — including Brent Star and Destiny Brooks — purr up fun at Sex Kitten, with $5 burgers and Smirnoff cocktails, 8 p.m. at 10th and Piedmont, www.facebook.com/10thAndPiedmont
SUNDAY, JAN. 25
Every Sunday night is Tossed Salad hosted by Brigitte Bidet and including fresh queens mixed weekly, 9 p.m., Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com (Photo via Facebook)
ence police brutality, mass incarceration, racial profiling, and excessive police tactics, www.moralmondayga.com Meak Productions presents the annual GLBT Career Fair & Technology Center Expo. The Annual GLBT Career Fair & Technology Center Expo is created to address the needs of LGBT American citizens who are seeking equality and justice in the workplace and adequate employment in environments that welcome their identity and individuality. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Hyatt Atlanta Midtown, glbtfair.meakproductions.com The new Monday Mingle is an opportunity to network with other LGBT professionals in the area, with drink specials, a buffet, raffle prizes and mixing and mingling, 5:30 – 8 p.m., Blake’s, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com Writing With Intent is a monthly writing class led by Charis Circle’s executive director Elizabeth Anderson. The focus shifts from month to month but the specific goal is to provide artistic accountability in a busy world and offer some academic insight outside the academy. All are welcome to attend. This is a Charis Circle From Margin to Center Literary Program and the suggested donation is $10. 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com
New Faces competition—all entertainment welcome—at Friends on Ponce is hosted by the lovely Regina Sims, 9 p.m., www.friendsonponce-atl.com
Trivia with weekly guest hosts at 10 p.m., Blake’s, www.blakesonthepark.com
MONDAY, JAN. 26
TUESDAY, JAN. 27
Moral Monday hosts a Georgia law enforcement rally at the Georgia Capitol Rotunda to protest black and brown people who continue to experi-
The second annual Feel Good Tuesday for Muscular Dystrophy is a dine out event to benefit the FSH Society, 6 – 10 p.m., YEAH Burger in
Virginia Highland, www.fshsociety.org The Kidliterate Book Club featuring Inside Out & Back Again is a new kind of book club. One book a month (children’s or young adult fiction) will be read. Titles will be very carefully selected. Preference will be given to stories that some might call “edgy” or “controversial.” This is a Charis Circle Whole Children, Strong Families Program. The suggested donation is $5. 7 – 9 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com Drageoke with Angelica D’Paige gets started at 10:30 p.m., Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 28
The city’s largest film festival–the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival–kicks off tonight at 8 p.m. at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, www.ajff.org Celebrate DJ Stan Jackson’s birthday during a special edition of the Blackout Party, 10 p.m., at The Heretic, www.hereticatlanta.com
THURSDAY, JAN. 29
SAGE Atlanta hosts its social hour from 10 – 11 a.m. followed by a general meeting and potluck luncheon, Phillip Rush Center Annex, www.rushcenteratl.com The Central Library in collaboration with the Auburn Avenue Research Library, will host Dr. Maurice C. Daniels, who will discuss his latest publication “Saving the Soul of Georgia: Donald L. Hollowell and The Struggle for Civil Rights,” the first biography of a pivotal but unsung hero of the Civil Rights Movement. This event will be held
at 7 p.m. at the Central Library, One Margaret Mitchell Square, Atlanta, GA 30303. “Dear Games” is a new collaboration between Charis Circle and the Georgia Tech Game Studio, connecting the practice of feminist game design to the vibrant community of feminist thought at Charis Books and More. Whether you are a seasoned gamer or a total newbie, you are invited. This is a Charis Circle Founding the Future of Feminism Program. The suggested donation is $5. 7:30 – 9 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com Sing For Your Life, a live singing competition, is every Thursday at 8 p.m. at Jungle, singforyourlifeatl.com My Sister’s Room hosts the King of Thrones Drag Show. $5 cover all night with $5 Smirnoff drinks, $5.99 wing baskets and $2 tacos. Doors opens at 9 p.m., www.mysistersroom.com
FRIDAY, JAN. 30
From acclaimed gay director Xavier Dolan comes his Cannes Festival winner “Mommy,” a drama about a 15-year old and the relationship with his mother, opening today at the Midtown Art Cinema, www.landmarktheatres.com Congregation Bet Haverim’s Shabbat Shirah Service focuses on the storytelling and music project “Life Sentence” to call for liberation and justice, 7 p.m., Central Congregational United Church of Christ, www.congregationbethaverim.org
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“Elvis Lives” is the ultimate tribute to the entertainer, tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Fox Theatre, www.foxtheatre.org Glitter Bomb is 75 minutes of high energy illusion, hosted by Genre, 11 p.m., Blake’s, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 Annerin Productions present The Australian Bee Gees Show, a celebration of one of the most influential and famous musical groups of all time. 8 p.m., Cobb Energy Centre, www.cobbenergycenter.org
SUNDAY, FEB. 1
Friends on Ponce hosts the first annual Chili Cook-off at 4 p.m., with Super Bowl watching to follow, www.friendsonponce.com G’s Midtown hosts Sunday Karaoke from 6:30 – 11:30 p.m., www.facebook.com/GsMidtown
SWANK is held the last Friday of every month with the fun starting at 9 p.m. and the party cranking up at 10 p.m. with DJ Prism, 10th & Piedmont, www.facebook.com/bellissima.atlanta Edie Cheezburger presents the most unique drag show in Atlanta, and the Other Girls will leave you gasping with laughter and surprise. The words “OMG! She went there” are often uttered by the audience. Admission is just $5, Jungle, 10 p.m., www.jungleatl.com Pump Friday with DJ Robert Ansley takes over Heretic, no cover, 10 p.m., www.hereticatlanta.com Deadly Vixens Drag Show at 11 p.m. with DJ Bill Berdeaux, Blake’s on the Park, www.blakesonthepark.com
Brigitte Bidet hosts Tossed Salad, a new show slated for every Sunday at Burkhart’s and featuring some of Atlanta’s newest and freshest faces in the drag scene. 9 p.m., http://tinyurl.com/o6qtp8
THURSDAY, FEB. 5 – SATURDAY, FEB. 7
SCAD’s aTVfest runs through Saturday honoring the best in TV, with special guests including Terrence Howard from “Empire,” Mindy Kaling from “The Mindy Project” and many cast members of the gay-themed “How to Get Away With Murder,” SCADShow, www.atvfest.com (Publicity photo)
SATURDAY, JAN. 31
Hammonds House Museum, in collaboration with the Auburn Avenue Research Library, will host author Natalie Baszile, who will discuss her latest novel, “Queen Sugar,” a lyrical and page-turning
MONDAY, FEB. 2
The Atlanta PFLAG Support Group meets on Monday in Atlanta, 7:30 – 9 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, www.uuca.org
meditation on family and race. “Queen Sugar” brings to life the little known world of Louisiana’s sugarcane country. This event will be held at 3 p.m. the Hammonds House Museum, 503 Peeples St SW, Atlanta, GA 30310.
DIRECTORY LISTINGS
The venerable Stars of the Century take the stage for one of Atlanta’s longest running and most respected drag shows. Doors open at 10:30 p.m. and the show starts at 11:30 p.m., Jungle, www.jungleatl.com
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THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID Saying goodbye to Chlorine Tearfully putting food bowl away for last time I couldn’t help but tear up when I put my cat carrier back in the garage. That’s because I had expected there to be a cat in it when I got home, but unfortunately, I had to remove the empty carrier from my car’s back seat after receiving the phone call from the vet no pet owner wants to answer. In 2012, we were vacationing in Panama City Beach when my girlfriend and I first met this calico. While swimming late one evening at our condo complex, Katie Jo asked, “Did you hear that?” Seconds later a pitiful, undernourished, and flea-infested cat came crying out of the shadows and nearly jumped into the pool to get to us. I explained that cats don’t usually want to be near water and that she must be desperate. We already had two dogs and two cats at home, so Katie wasn’t thrilled at the idea of taking in another animal. But when the little cat followed us all the way back to our condo, we had no choice but to do something with her. I said I would take her to the local Humane Society the next day, so Katie let her stay with us that night. I didn’t realize Florida law at the time wouldn’t allow the Humane Society to take animals in off the street. They had apparently had a rash of animal abandonment in the state, and shelters were the only places that took in strays. A Humane Society official explained that that’s where I’d have to take this cat. Seeing the condition she was in, I was afraid she would be euthanized immediately. I asked if they would at least give her a flea bath so I could take her back to Atlanta and find her a home. They agreed. Needless to say, the charm and affection she displayed over the next few days convinced us to keep her, and we called her Chlorine in honor of our meeting place.
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
Over the months, Chlorine gained some weight, grew healthier, and evolved into the spokesperson for the house. She would be near the door to greet every visitor, announce daily in the hallway when it was time for all of us to eat, and was the first of our animals to investigate our baby when he arrived this October. Chlorine stayed near him, keeping an eye on his every move. Appropriately, she was the first pet whose fur he reached out to touch once he could see well enough. During Christmas, Chlorine developed an abscessed tooth, and I dropped her off at my vet for what I thought would be routine dental work. He was concerned that she was still underweight, and assumed small benign tumors on her thyroid were to blame. Upon further examination, he found cancer that had likely been there since before we adopted her. Those tumors were removed in an attempt to prolong her life, but my sweet girl didn’t recover from the surgery. A phone call late one Sunday night after the New Year let me know she was gone. I’d expected to have Chlorine longer, and for Mr. Carter to enjoy playing with her well into elementary school. But life seems naturally defiant to our plans, and now her image will be “just some cat Mom had” that will hold no emotion for him. I hope I made her final years safe and enjoyable compared to what she had endured. I know she brought joy to us during that brief time. I also know caring for an animal is always worthwhile, no matter how long they’re with us. Trying not to cry when I put her food bowl away for the final time, now that was the tough part.
JANUARY 23 & 24 DRUID HILLS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
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Love & Liberty LGBT Georgians pitted against ‘last stand for righteousness’ Reinforcements are on the way. The rescue signal that LGBT Georgians have been waiting on for 11 years finally glistened this month when the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider cases that will determine whether same-sex marriage is a nationwide right. The alternative, that the justices will cement the two-tiered landscape of equality states and inequality states, seems unfathomable given the breathless trends in American culture and judicial opinion. There remains the possibility of an unfavorable ruling or the court artlessly using legal technicalities to dodge the central question, but it’s hard not to feel hopeful and relieved. A U.S. Supreme Court decision has always been the most obvious slayer of our state’s constitutional amendment against samesex matrimony. Admirable work has been done to try to nullify the effects of the marriage ban, both by activists and by everyday couples who returned from destination weddings to broaden the realm of fairness in their communities—but I am among the majority of queer Georgians who have taken comfort in knowing we would eventually be saved by Uncle Sam and the Notorious R.B.G. (Ruth Bader Ginsburg). It will not be a total rescue, particularly for the many LGBT Georgians for whom marriage isn’t a primary concern. But not even the most sweeping court opinion will shield every LGBT Georgian from the inevitable battles that will follow, or the challenges we’ll face before the justices rule. Organizations that exist solely to deny choice to women and equality to LGBT Americans have swooped into Atlanta to join Republican lawmakers in a fiery defense of “religious liberty.” The termination of former Atlanta Fire Chief Kevin Cochran is a boon to their cause and their coffers, and I expect them to treat Georgia as the last stand for righteousness against the gathering flames
Ryan Lee is an Atlanta writer.
of Sodom. If Atlanta’s fire chief were an atheist who self-published a book suggesting that all believers were delusional and borderline brain-dead, then distributed his prose to subordinates, some of whom might be people of faith, no Republican would prop him up as a victim of unholy political correctness. He would also have no god to hide behind, as Cochran has repeatedly done in his defense of writing that gay people were “vile,” a “perversion” and the definition of “uncleanness.” Cochran deserved to be fired, as Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said, because of his poor judgment, regardless of his religious views. He continues to be oblivious of how vile, hurtful and inappropriate his proselytizing was, but rather rolls up his sleeves to join Michael Bowers, Sam Nunn and other Georgia public officials who have stoutly upheld the walls of anti-gay bigotry. Last year, LGBT Georgians defeated a “religious liberty” bill similar to the one that Cochran will be the poster boy for this session, but that victory benefited from the national progressive backlash against an identical proposal in Arizona. This year, it’s all about Georgia. This time, it’s all up to us. We need to be mindful that Mayor Reed may have foregone his well-known desire for a statewide office by boldly advocating on our behalf, and explore ways to reinforce him as an ally. His courage deserves us to be fully engaged in this struggle, in our own struggle. It’s a struggle to affirm our dignity at the state capitol, and in conversations with mainstream Christians who widely share Cochran’s biblical interpretation, no matter how much they love their gay best friend or transgender sibling. It’s a struggle not to shrug off the political abuse we endure as an expected cost of being LGBT in Georgia, and not be content with waiting to be rescued. Because Ruth Bader Ginsburg can’t save us from everything.
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