03/02/18, Vol. 9 Issue 1

What is TRUVADA for PrEP?

Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP?

TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a prescription medicine that is used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex.

This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health.

Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to prevent getting HIV. 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.

Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: ® Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with TRUVADA to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. ® Also take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about TRUVADA for PrEP? Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-negative. ® Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you could have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin.

While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. ® You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. ® If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away. ® To further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1: ® Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. ® Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV to infect you. ® Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners. ® Do not miss any doses of TRUVADA. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. ® If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

TRUVADA can cause serious side effects: ® Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV and stop taking TRUVADA, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.

What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP? Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: ® Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with TRUVADA. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA. ® Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. ® Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. ® Bone problems, including bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones.

Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. 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 TRUVADA for PrEP? ® All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis. ® If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if you should keep taking TRUVADA. ® If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can be passed to the baby in breast milk. ® All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. ® If you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA, your healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. These medicines include certain medicines to treat hepatitis C (HCV) infection.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Important Facts about TRUVADA for PrEP including important warnings on the following page.

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We're open, not unprepared.

We know who we are. And we make choices that fit our lives.

TRUVADA for PrEP™ is a once-daily prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when taken every day and used together with safer sex practices. ® TRUVADA for PrEP is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV through sex. ® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP.

Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you.

Learn more at truvada.com

8/7/17 3:20 PM

IMPORTANT FACTS

This is only a brief summary of important information about taking TRUVADA for PrEPTM (pre-exposure prophylaxis) to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. This does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your medicine.

(tru-VAH-dah) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP Before starting TRUVADA for PrEP: • You must be HIV-1 negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative.

• Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include flu-like symptoms, tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP. While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: • You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1.

• You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you think you were exposed to HIV-1 or have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

• See the “How To Further Reduce Your Risk” section for more information.

TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP TRUVADA for PrEP is a prescription medicine used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1.

• To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health.

Do NOT take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: • Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status.

• Take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.

HOW TO TAKE TRUVADA FOR PrEP • Take 1 tablet once a day, every day, not just when you think you have been exposed to HIV-1.

• Do not miss any doses. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection.

• Use TRUVADA for PrEP together with condoms and safer sex practices.

• Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRUVADA FOR PrEP TRUVADA can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About TRUVADA for PrEP” section.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

• Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.

• Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.

• Bone problems.

Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP include stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight.

These are not all the possible side effects of TRUVADA. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP.

BEFORE TAKING TRUVADA FOR PrEP Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis.

• Have any other medical conditions.

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can pass to the baby in breast milk.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with TRUVADA for PrEP.

HOW TO FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK • Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners.

• Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV to infect you.

• Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners.

• Do not share needles or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them.

GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about TRUVADA for PrEP. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more, including how to prevent HIV infection.

• Go to start.truvada.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 • If you need help paying for your medicine, visit start.truvada.com for program information.

TRUVADA FOR PREP, the TRUVADA FOR PREP Logo, the TRUVADA Blue Pill Design, TRUVADA, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.

Version date: April 2017 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0153 07/17

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8/7/17 3:20 PM

GEORGIA NEWS

Queer state representative pushes PrEP bill House Bill 755 would create pilot program to distribute HIV drug to high-risk people for free

But the highest risk people have to be able to get the medicine in the first place.

“The problem is there are not very many places around offering PrEP to people without insurance, so we have people coming from as far away as Gainesville and Savannah,” he said, adding that getting more clinics serving that population can go a long way toward making a dent in the epidemic.

“This legislation is a good start,” he said.

By DIONNE N. WALKER Georgia could launch a three-year statewide pilot program to distribute free pre-exposure HIV prophylaxis — or PrEP — to men and women at high risk for infection before 2021, under legislation working its way through the state House.

If passed, House Bill 755 would make Georgia one of just a handful of states that set aside resources to help put Truvada into the hands of the many uninsured and under-insured men and women hit hardest by the virus. States with similar efforts include New York, Florida and Washington state.

Georgia’s proposal, spearheaded by queer state Rep. Park Cannon (D-Atlanta) authorizes state health officials to create and manage a program working with community stakeholders. They are to report on the effectiveness of the program by Dec. 31, 2021.

How much the program would cost the state and how people would enroll are pending.

Media attention shifted on HIV Though the legislation is still in its very early stages, HIV advocates believe it’s a huge step for Georgia, which is second in the country only to Washington, D.C. for new HIV diagnoses.

“Our overall goal is to create more of an environment in Georgia where, policy-wise and legislative, [it] is more conducive to ending the epidemic,” said Devin Barrington-Ward, senior policy advisor for the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, which partnered with Cannon to help shape the legislation.

Barrington-Ward explained the New York advocacy group has spent three years inviting Georgia lawmakers and community stakeholders to roundtables geared first at educating and breaking down myths surrounding HIV. One of the biggest misconceptions: that HIV isn’t that www.thegeorgiavoice.com

State Rep. Park Cannon (D-Atlanta), the lead sponsor of HB 755, and Dr. David Holland, chief clinical officer at the Fulton County Board of Health. (File photo, courtesy photo)

“The problem is there are not very many places around offering PrEP to people without insurance, so we have people coming from as far away as Gainesville and Savannah.

This legislation is a good start.”

—Dr. David Holland, chief clinical officer at the Fulton County Board of Health big of a threat anymore.

“Media attention has definitely shifted,” he said, comparing it to coverage during the early years of the HIV epidemic. “Lawmakers stopped talking about HIV as much.”

While mainstream media coverage has dwindled, new HIV infections are still going strong — particularly in the South.

Southern states made up more than half of new HIV diagnoses in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Georgia is a national leader, with an estimated 31.8 diagnoses per 100,000 people in 2016, the agency reported.

Among the most impacted, say officials, are gays, blacks and the poor.

Truvada could help. The drug works by

preventing the virus from establishing an infection and has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection by up to 92 percent.

But makers say it requires daily use and frequent doctor visits — expenses that can put it out of reach to many of the communities that need it most, according to Dr. David Holland, chief clinical officer at the Fulton County Board of Health. The clinic, one of just a handful serving the uninsured in the state, has started over 250 people on PrEP since 2016.

The medication is vital in helping people have safer sex, said Holland, explaining many people have an easier time popping a daily pill than making decisions about sexual health in the heat of an intimate encounter.

‘In my opinion, it’s common sense’ Steven Bristow has experienced the benefits — and costs — of PrEP firsthand. The gay Marietta man has spent five years using Truvada to supplement more traditional methods of safer sex.

“Sometimes I know I can play risky, so it’s like well, I want to at least still have some type of protection,” he said.

His regimen includes visits to the doctor every few months for blood work, STD screening and other labs designed to make sure he remains HIV negative and that the drug isn’t having negative effects on his vital organs.

Though he’s insured, his treatment is still costly.

“All the tests you have to take and all the bloodwork from seeing your doctor, it’s going to add up very fast,” he said.

Regardless, he said the protection is worth it and hoped the new bill could extend the safety net even further.

“In my opinion,” he said, “it’s common sense.”

Georgia’s bill would authorize state health officials to work with Gilead, makers of Truvada, to supplement the pharmaceutical company’s existing medication assistance program with wraparound services such as lab work and other medical add-ons.

HB 755 has yet to go before committee.

Ward-Barrington said BLACA has planned similar efforts in Mississippi and Florida. The group is purposely targeting places with high HIV case loads and active black lawmakers.

“It’s our belief that black people have to be involved in issues that are impacting black people disproportionately,” he said.

March 2, 2018 News 5

? News January 5, 2018 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

GEORGIA NEWS

LGBTQ bills to watch as end of legislative session nears Anti-LGBTQ adoption bill headed to House, trio of hate crimes bills may not move chambers

By DALLAS ANNE DUNCAN The 2018 legislative session had a promising outlook: there was bipartisan support for a hate crimes bill in Georgia and last year’s anti-LGBTQ amendments to the overhauled state adoption code were removed before the bill passed.

But then the controversial statement was introduced as its own bill. Senate Bill 375, the “Keep Faith in Adoption and Foster Care Act” authored by Sen. William Ligon (R-Brunswick), passed the chamber on Feb. 23 and heads to the House this week.

SB 375 would “allow a child-placing agency to decline or accept a referral … and decline to perform services not referred under a contract … based on the child-placing agency’s sincerely held religious beliefs.” The bill adds that the state would be prohibited from “discriminating against or causing any adverse action” against an agency that refused to perform services based on its religious beliefs.

Ligon insists the bill will allow more agencies to open in Georgia, thus making it possible for more children to be adopted.

But that may not be the outcome.

“In other states where similar legislation has been enacted, there have been no noticeable changes in the number of agencies,” said Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality.

“We know there are lots of prospective parents in the LGBT community. … We hope we can have a deeper, richer, more meaningful conversation about this when it reaches the House.

Hopefully we will be able to convince the House to stop this very dangerous piece of legislation.”

No hate in Georgia House Bill 660, introduced by Rep. Meagan Hanson (R-Brookhaven), is co-sponsored by openly LGBTQ Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates).

HB 660 aims “to provide for sentencing of defendants who commit certain crimes which target a victim or his or her property because

State Sen. William Ligon (R-Brunswick), State Sen. Donzella James (D-Atlanta) and Georgia Equality Executive Director Jeff Graham. (File photos)

of the defendant’s belief regarding the victim’s race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, mental disability or physical disability.” The bill will also provide for better training in reporting hate crimes and civil liability for these cases.

Hanson introduced HB 660 before the session began, but it has not yet left the House. It’s one of three bills dealing with hate crimes under debate this year.

“There are not a lot of substantial differences [between the three],” Graham said. “It certainly would be ideal that all of them get combined into one bill. Unfortunately with Crossover Day tomorrow, it does not look like any of those three bills will be moving to another chamber.”

Rep. Karen Bennett’s (D-Stone Mountain) House Bill 663 provides enhanced sentencing and addresses the juvenile code. HB 663 adds a new Georgia Code subsection that reads, “Any person who commits the offense of simple assault against an individual intentionally selected because of such individual’s race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin or physical disability shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished as for a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature.” The same is put forth for those convicted of simple assault and battery. For aggravated assault, convicted individuals will be “punished by imprisonment for not less than three nor more than 20 years.” For aggravated battery, the punishment is between five and 20 years. Bennett’s bill also addresses punishment for hate crimes

against a person’s property.

On the Senate side, Sen. Lester Jackson (D-Savannah) introduced Senate Bill 316, which is similar to Bennett’s in providing heavier sentences for those convicted of hate crimes. SB 316 was referred to committee in early January, but hasn’t moved since.

“We had a series of three hearings on those bills last week, and I think there was some strong testimony from the [Georgia Bureau of Investigation] director regarding the legislation and why it’s needed here in Georgia,” Graham said.

Protecting law enforcement?

Georgia Equality opposes House Bill 737, which aims to require court-ordered blood tests of individuals “for the protection of law enforcement officers who have a significant exposure to HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C.” According to HB 737, if a police officer comes into contact with an individual’s blood or certain bodily fluids during arrest, that officer can request that the individual submit to a HIV or hepatitis test, the results of which would then be released to the officer. If the individual refuses, she may be ordered by the court to submit within 30 days, or face punishment.

“We have been opposed to that bill in its current form,” Graham said. “It does not actually accomplish its stated goal of protecting police officers or other public safety personnel from contracting HIV or viral hepatitis.”

HB 737 passed out of committee on Feb. 5 and will likely be referred to a study committee.

Graham hopes the committee looks into edu-

cating law enforcement officers about post-exposure prophylaxis and hepatitis vaccines, as well as discussing HIV criminalization.

Redefining rape Sen. Donzella James (D-Atlanta) aims to take gender out of the equation when it comes to sexual offenses. Senate Bill 145, which was referred to committee on Feb. 10, says “a person commits the offense of rape when he or she has carnal knowledge of a person forcibly and against his or her will; or a person who is less than 10 years of age.” It defines carnal knowledge as “any penetration of the genital or anal orifices by the penis, finger, mouth or other body organ or appendage or by a foreign object; any sexual act involving the genitalia of a person and the mouth, anus or genitalia of the victim; or any sexual act involving the mouth of a person and the anus or genitalia of a victim.”

“There’s some good intent in this bill, and we did show up at the hearing last week, and said that we are generally supportive of the overall concept,” Graham said. “We do think some of the specific language needs to be tweaked.”

For example, he said he’d rather see the sodomy statutes, which were declared unconstitutional in the 1990s, be removed instead of re-written. Graham also hopes to see prosecutors engaged in conversation about SB 145 to ensure the bill won’t add unintended roadblocks to make convictions more difficult.

See page 5 for a story on state Rep. Park Cannon’s (D-Atlanta) PrEP bill.

6 News March 2, 2018 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

In adults with HIV on ART who have diarrhea not caused by an infection IMPORTANT PATIENT INFORMATION This is only a summary. See complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or by calling 1-844-722-8256. This does not take the place of talking with your doctor about your medical condition or treatment.

What Is Mytesi?

Mytesi is a prescription medicine used to improve symptoms of noninfectious diarrhea (diarrhea not caused by a bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on ART. Do Not Take Mytesi if you have diarrhea caused by an infection. Before you start Mytesi, your doctor and you should make sure your diarrhea is not caused by an infection (such as bacteria, virus, or parasite).

Possible Side Effects of Mytesi Include:

Tired of planning your life around diarrhea?

Enough is Enough Get relief. Pure and simple. Ask your doctor about Mytesi.

Mytesi (crofelemer): • Is the only medicine FDA-approved to relieve diarrhea in people with HIV • Treats diarrhea differently by normalizing the flow of water in the GI tract • Has the same or fewer side effects as placebo in clinical studies • Comes from a tree sustainably harvested in the Amazon Rainforest What is Mytesi?

Mytesi is a prescription medicine that helps relieve symptoms of diarrhea not caused by an infection (noninfectious) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Important Safety Information Mytesi is not approved to treat infectious diarrhea (diarrhea caused by bacteria, a virus, or a parasite). Before starting you on Mytesi, your healthcare provider will first be sure that you do not have infectious diarrhea. Otherwise, there is a risk you would not receive the right medicine and your infection could get worse. In clinical studies, the most common side effects that occurred more often than with placebo were upper respiratory tract (sinus, nose, and throat) infection (5.7%), bronchitis (3.9%), cough (3.5%), flatulence (3.1%), and increased bilirubin (3.1%).

Should I Take Mytesi If I Am: Pregnant or Planning to Become Pregnant?

• Studies in animals show that Mytesi could harm an unborn baby or affect the ability to become pregnant • There are no studies in pregnant women taking Mytesi • This drug should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed A Nursing Mother?

• It is not known whether Mytesi is passed through human breast milk • If you are nursing, you should tell your doctor before starting Mytesi • Your doctor will help you to decide whether to stop nursing or to stop taking Mytesi Under 18 or Over 65 Years of Age? • Mytesi has not been studied in children under 18 years of age • Mytesi studies did not include many people over the age of 65. So it is not clear if this age group will respond differently. Talk to your doctor to find out if Mytesi is right for you

What Should I Know About Taking Mytesi With Other Medicines?

If you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicine, herbal supplements, or vitamins, tell your doctor before starting Mytesi.

What If I Have More Questions About Mytesi?

For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

To report side effects or make a product complaint or for additional information, call 1-844-722-8256.

Rx Only Manufactured by Patheon, Inc. for Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. San Francisco, CA 94105 Copyright © Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

For Copay Savings Card and Patient Assistance, see Mytesi.com

Mytesi comes from the Croton lechleri tree harvested in South America.

Please see complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com.

NP-390-14

• Upper respiratory tract infection (sinus, nose, and throat infection) • Bronchitis (swelling in the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs) • Cough • Flatulence (gas) • Increased bilirubin (a waste product when red blood cells break down) For a full list of side effects, please talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.

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.

RELIEF, PURE AND SIMPLE

NEWS BRIEFS Democratic gubernatorial candidates slam SB 375 Both Democratic gubernatorial candidates came out strongly against an anti-LGBTQ adoption bill that passed in the Georgia Senate and is now under consideration in the House. Senate Bill 375 would allow adoption agencies to refuse to place children with same-sex couples based on their religious beliefs. The bill would also prohibit the Georgia Department of Human Services from taking “adverse action” against such agencies.

“LGBTQ families who seek to adopt should be welcomed; therefore, legislation that discriminates under the guise of religion has no place in our state. SB 375 harms Georgia’s most vulnerable children by rejecting loving parents who would help them thrive,” said former House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams in a news release. “As the House Democratic Leader, I proudly fought against the RFRA and FADA legislation and spearheaded efforts to keep children in loving homes and out of our overburdened foster care system. If elected as our state’s governor, I will continue to protect our children by supporting access to safe, loving homes. I will pledge to veto any bills that espouse bigoted ideas and justify discrimination by using religion as an excuse. Legislation like SB 375 must be defeated, so we can instead work towards a new, inclusive Georgia where the LGBTQ community is honored and accepted.”

Former state Rep. Stacey Evans issued a statement to Georgia Voice on SB 375, saying, “Like RFRA, Senate Bill 375 is yet another bill in the guise of ‘religious liberty.’ But let’s be very clear, this legislation is discriminatory and has absolutely no place in the great state of Georgia. Not only is Georgia’s moral standing at stake, but also its economy — studies have estimated that passing any such legislation could cost the state billions of dollars.

The leading candidates for governor on the Republican side have already signed a pledge vowing to support the harmful RFRA legislation, and Georgia just cannot afford that kind of backwards thinking. We need a leader that will stand up for what is right. As governor, I vow to veto any form of discriminatory legislation that makes its way to my desk.”

Federal court rules for gay rights in major discrimination case In a major ruling affirming protections for lesbian, gay and bisexual workers, a federal appeals court in New York City ruled

Left to right: Former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams and former Georgia state Rep. Stacey Evans. (File photos)

Feb. 26 that employment discrimination based on sexual orientation is unlawful under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In a 69-page “en banc” decision from the full court, the Second Circuit finds Donald Zarda, a now deceased skydiver who alleges he was fired from Altitude Express for being gay, can sue under existing civil rights law because sexual orientation discrimination is a form of sex discrimination.

Writing for the court in the 10-3 decision, U.S. Chief Circuit Judge Robert Katzmann, a Clinton appointee, concludes Zarda’s estate is “entitled to bring a Title VII claim for discrimination based on sexual orientation.”

The decision vacates a trial court ruling against Zarda’s claims based on sexual orientation discrimination under Title VII, remanding the case to the court for reconsideration.

The “en banc” ruling also overturns Second Circuit precedent against protections for gay workers in the jurisdiction — the 2000 decision in Simonton v. Runyon and the 2005 decision in Dawson v. Bumble & Bumble.

Cowtippers to remain open ‘for the foreseeable future’ An outpouring of love (and business) from Atlanta’s LGBTQ community led the owners of Midtown restaurant Cowtippers to put January closing plans on hold for three weeks. Now that deadline has been pushed back and the restaurant plans to stay open indefinitely.

“The outpouring of support continued here at Cowtippers and we decided to continue to keep our doors open for the foreseeable future,” a representative for Metrotainment Cafes told Georgia Voice.

The ownership group shocked the community with the Jan. 10 announcement of the planned closing.

“Metrotainment Cafes can confirm that Cowtippers will unfortunately be closing at the end of this month,” the statement from Metrotainment Cafes CEO Jeff Landau said. “The restaurant has been a part of our restaurant group for a very long time, and we’re proud of the more than 20 years we have been in business, but with the changing climate of the city, we are going to close the restaurant and turn our attention to our other successful concepts including Hudson Grille, Einstein’s, Joe’s on Juniper, Hudson FC and Guaco Joe’s.”

Then, on Jan. 29 — a day after what was supposed to be the restaurant’s final bow — Metrotainment announced the restaurant would stay open a few more weeks.

“Based on the outpouring of support from the community, we have decided to remain open at least another two weeks, during which time we will assess what will happen regarding the restaurant,” the statement said. “We hope you can continue to patronage Cowtippers during this time, and we look forward to seeing you soon.”

The group later revised that to a Feb. 18 closing date. Now it’s open until further notice.

8 News March 2, 2018 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

SB 375 is the sound of religious conservatives flailing PO Box 77401 • Atlanta, GA 30357 P: 404-815-6941; F: 404-963-6365

EDITORIAL

Editor: Patrick Saunders psaunders@thegavoice.com Editorial Contributors: Ashleigh Atwell, Cliff Bostock, Melissa Carter, Dallas A. Duncan, Jim Farmer, Elizabeth Friedly, Shannon Hames, Just Toby, Ryan Lee, Robbie Medwed, Ronni Radner, Matt Schafer, Dionne N. Walker, Simon Williamson

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10 Editorial March 2, 2018

BY PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com

“Being upset can be very useful, but it helps to remember where all of this stems from — total and abject fear.

Fear over a changing world, fear over things the bill’s supporters not only don’t understand, but never even thought they would be asked to understand.”

I wanted to write about the paper’s eighth anniversary. I wanted to write about how we’ve expanded our print distribution in Kennesaw, Marietta, Acworth, Vinings, Sandy Springs, Roswell, South Atlanta and Doraville. But no, for the fifth year in a row — one for every year I’ve been at Georgia Voice — the state is wrapped up in a fight over a religious exemptions bill.

This year, it’s Senate Bill 375 — the socalled “Keep Faith in Adoption and Foster Care Act.” It would allow adoption agencies to refuse to place children with same-sex couples based on their religious beliefs. The bill would also prohibit the Georgia Department of Human Services from taking “adverse action” against such agencies.

It sailed through committee and cleared the Senate last week and is now under consideration in the House. Familiar faces are voicing their support — state Sen. Greg Kirk (R-Americus), the face of HB 757, the religious exemptions bill that made Georgia a national punchline and was ultimately vetoed by Gov. Nathan Deal; and state Sen. Josh McKoon (R-Columbus), the most familiar face in this fight for five years running, are a just a couple of them.

People are rallying against it voicing their displeasure online and to their elected officials, and the business community is joining to help again. It’s easy to get upset about blatant discrimination and disrespect like this, especially if you’re a person of faith who is appalled that someone is using religion as the main reason for this bill.

And being upset can be very useful, but it helps to remember where all of this stems from — total and abject fear. Fear over a changing world, fear over things the bill’s supporters not only don’t understand, but never even thought

they would be asked to understand.

The fact that these bills started coming around when the pace of states’ same-sex marriage bans falling went into overdrive is not a coincidence. There was a rush by religious conservatives to reaffirm the pecking order, to reestablish just who’s boss here.

They now go so far as to create this fantasy narrative that they are the ones being discriminated against, and that legislation like this is meant to protect their rights.

SB 375 is the sound of religious conservatives in Georgia flailing. Just remember that when you see legislation like this make it this far, when it seems like this is all out of your control.

If the bill makes it out of the House — which is a strong possibility despite House Speaker David Ralston’s vocal objections to such bills the last year and change — don’t assume a veto pen is coming out of Gov. Deal’s pocket. There is some major legislation that he wants passed this year that would allow him to end his two terms in office on a high point. SB 375 could definitely be used as a bargaining chip to get other legislation passed, unless the price the state will pay for passing it appears to get too high. And yes I mean the price when it comes to our economy, and that ever-present “50,000 jobs” figure people keep throwing around in relation to Amazon picking us for HQ2.

But I also mean the price it will pay when it comes to the health and well-being of the kids in the adoption and foster care system who will have less access to willing potential parents, and to the health and well-being of those parents being told the state thinks they aren’t fit parents and to the health and well-being of the state’s LGBTQ community as a whole.

Let’s see what our state really thinks of us.

FEEDBACK Re: “Georgia Senate committee passes anti-LGBTQ adoption bill,” Feb. 20 “You’ve really screwed up with the movie industry with this one. Ever think of those business repercussions? Didn’t think so.”

-Tina Kalvelage via www.thegeorgiavoice.com “Great. This is just another step backwards for our state. Clearly they aren’t thinking about the children who are deserving of a loving household.”

-Curtis Wilson via Facebook “This committee will do whatever it takes to block any remote appearance of equality of or for the LGBTQ community — even going as far as this piece of crap legislation that will only cause harm. I testified before this group last session about a common sense change to a custody statute — they blocked it, even after the House overwhelmingly approved. This agenda is dangerous for children and families.”

-Denise VanLanduyt via Facebook “What a bunch of self-centered bigots.”

-Jeff Fedder via Facebook Re: “A time of reckoning: Atlanta’s LGBTQ community addresses racism problem,” Feb. 22 “Very few things will change, but it’s still important to have the conversation.

Atlanta’s gay scene is heavily segregated except in the bedroom, just like every city across the world. Many of the people that are the most hateful racists or racially insensitive oftentimes secretly are in love with the group they target.”

-Will Comeaux via Facebook Re: “Georgia Senate passes anti-LGBTQ adoption bill,” Feb. 23 “Always keep in mind that there is an election coming up. The same rallies for painted crosswalks can be for voting these people in and out of office.”

-Jacob Pharr via Facebook “Bigots in the name of God.” -Richard A. Sanderlin-Rice via Facebook Want to be featured in Feedback? Leave a comment to a story via social media or on our website, or email editor@thegavoice.com with the subject line “Feedback.” www.thegeorgiavoice.com

IN THE MARGINS

By Ashleigh Atwell

When being second guessed is the norm Ashleigh Atwell is a queer lesbian writer and organizer born and raised in Atlanta.

It never fails. repeat the same answer from moments ago.

A customer calls for a manager and I Like my boss, the employee is also white. show up. I make them an offer that beneI have been working retail for two years fits them and keeps my job out of jeopardy. and became management in April 2017.

They aren’t satisfied, so I call my boss. He Despite my superior’s trust of my judgment comes up and says the same thing I say and and leadership, I am constantly undermined, suddenly, the customer has enough compas- questioned and disregarded by customers and sion to fill every mason jar on our shelves. even employees. There have been numerous They accept and go about their day. They incidents where what I say isn’t valid until leave and I’m left seething. someone lighter and male, regardless of rank, He’s a white guy. Well, you know what I am. says it for me. I have also been disrespected Here’s another scenario. A customer asks in ways that others have not. There are scores me where an item that we obviously do not of other incidents I could share but I want to sell is located. I tell them we don’t have it. A keep my job. few seconds later, an employee flags me down On Feb. 15, Catalyst, a nonprofit organion the floor to ask where the same item is with zation that focuses on helping women in the AF_ATL_Ad_GeorgiaVoice_HalfPageHor_10x5_Male_FINALOUTLINES_Print.pdf 2 9/26/2017 5:32:53 PM a now embarrassed customer behind them. I workplace, released a study saying people of

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

“Despite my superior’s trust of my judgment and leadership, I am constantly undermined, questioned and disregarded by customers and even employees. There have been numerous incidents where what I say isn’t valid until someone lighter and male, regardless of rank, says it for me.” color pay an “emotional tax” in their workplaces. This is defined as “that undue burden levied on many women and men of color as a result of unfair treatment,” according to The Root. Researchers surveyed 1,569 people for this study, 58 percent of Black women, 56 percent of Latinas, 52 percent of multiracial women and 51 percent of Asian women reported that they were always “on guard” at work in anticipation of mistreatment.

I wasn’t surveyed for this project, but I’ve built myself an armor to protect myself at work. I document everything and make copies because I know my credibility is more likely to be questioned. I study store policy thoroughly so that when I am inevitably questioned, there’s a printout to back me up.

I tend to speak in a monotone voice so no one can misinterpret what I’m saying or doing as an attitude issue (it doesn’t work). When all else fails, I call someone with more privilege than me to handle the issue and walk away.

These preventative measures have varying chances of success and having to exert that extra effort is exhausting. It exacerbates my depression and anxiety and makes me suspicious and paranoid as hell. Writing this was cathartic for me, but my hope is that a white reader will take this information and remember it when they interact with a person of color that is working. Whether it’s your coworker or a cashier, just remember that they might be a little guarded because they’re used to ducking the crap being thrown at them.

March 2, 2018 Editorial 11

ASK THE DOCTOR

By DR. SHALINI PATEL

“Malaria is still an active disease in India and most travelers should receive medications to prevent them from contracting malaria before traveling.”

Ask The Doctor is a monthly health column where the experts at AbsoluteCARE answer your pressing medical questions. Have a question you want answered? Email it to askthedoctor@thegavoice.com!

Q: Is malaria a danger if I travel to India?

A: Yes, malaria is still an active disease in India and most travelers should receive medications to prevent them from contracting malaria before traveling. There are very few areas in India where malaria is not known to occur. In particular, these are areas above 2000 meters above sea level in the high mountain regions bordering China and Nepal that includes Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Kashmir and Sikkim. All other travelers should see their physician and start medication before travel. This includes expatriates as well as new travelers, as all are at risk.

While in the country, travelers should cover exposed skin areas by wearing long sleeved clothing and hats. Liberal use of insect repellent is also recommended to decrease the chance of mosquito bites.

Shalini Patel, MD Q: I’m 55 years old and in good health, but my doctor wants me to take a baby aspirin daily. Do I need to?

A: Atherosclerotic Vascular Diseases (Pre-

dominantly “stroke and heart attack”) remains the most common cause of death in the United States. The primary prevention for this issue is a healthy lifestyle.

Eating a healthy diet, getting exercise, no tobacco use and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol are the first recommendations. In addition, research has shown that a low-dose aspirin daily for extended periods of time reduces vascular disease risk.

The Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends healthy patients from ages 50-59 who have no increased risk of bleeding and a greater than 10 year expected survival take daily low-dose aspirin (baby aspirin or ASA 81 mg) to prevent vascular disease. Patients ages 60-69 with increased risk of vascular disease also benefit from low dose aspirin. This decision, of course should be discussed with your personal medical provider.

USPSTF has concluded that there is currently insufficient evidence to assess risk versus benefits of low-dose aspirin in patients younger than 50 or older than 70.

David Stahura, DO

12 Community March 2, 2018 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

GEORGIA VOICE ANNIVERSARY

Georgia Voice’s 8th Anniversary By The Numbers

10,131

Number of stories posted to www.thegeorgiavoice.com

140

Print distribution points around metro Atlanta

www.thegeorgiavoice.com ? News January 5, 2018

March 19, 2010 Date the first issue of Georgia Voice came out

209

Issues printed

14,955

Facebook fans

7,467

Twitter followers

14,800 Tweets

6

Ways to access Georgia Voice content: Four social media channels, print version and www.thegeorgiavoice.com

March 2, 2018 Anniversary 13 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

AUTOS

5 spring rides that embrace sunny roads

By CASEY WILLIAMS Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

Spring is in the air. It’s time to dust off the sports car that’s been sitting in the garage all winter — or better yet, time to buy a new ride for the warm days ahead. From an allterrain legend to Italian ecstasy and a couple of athletic roadsters, one of these would be a perfect date for sunny days: JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON When clinging to a mountain, choose this capable cleat. Completely redesigned for 2018, Wrangler’s sleeker and adorned with LED lighting, but also fortified with a refined suspension that tames both boulders and pavement. An array of powertrains include a 285-horsepower V6, light hybrid with a 270-horsepower turbo-four or V6 diesel. Choose six-speed manual or eightspeed automatic transmissions. Plug-ins arrive in 2020. Stylish interiors offer body color dashboards with stitched coverings, but also all of the latest infotainment technology.

Soft tops, especially Unlimited models with powered center sections, deploy in seconds.

Base price: $26,995 (Wrangler)/$36,995 (Rubicon) HONDA CIVIC R It looks sexy and moves like Bruno Mars, setting a record for front-drive cars on Germany’s famed Nurburgring of under seven minutes and 43 seconds. That’s lightning quick for a front-drive compact hatchback. Praise the 306-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo-four, six-speed manual transmission with rev-matching and adaptive suspension dampers. But, it’s not just about quick moves. Beneath wings n’ things is a roomy five-door cabin, dressed with deep sueded racing bucket seats, digital instrument display, metallic trim and flip-down rear seats to haul all of your gear really fast. If you need a little less drama, consider the Civic Si. Base price: $34,100 SUBARU BRZ This is what happens when Toyota and Subaru make whoopee. Co-developed for the two brands, the BRZ is the only Subaru without all-wheel-drive. The top doesn’t go down, but it craves curvy roads and is comfy 14 Autos March 2, 2018

Mazda MX-5 Miata

Honda Civic R

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio red accents.

Base price: $25,595

Subaru BRZ enough for morning commutes. Acceleration comes via Subaru’s 205-horsepower “Boxer” four-cylinder engine. Shift it with a quick six-speed manual or automatic transmission.

Suspension and steering are crisp and ready to play. Check out two special models: one painted Heritage Blue to celebrate Subaru of America’s 50th Anniversary and the tS with improved handling, carbon fiber wing and

ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO What kind of steamy tryst is an Italian sedan packing a 505-horsepower turbocharged V6 engine and optional all-wheel-drive? Run 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds and on to 191 mph. From the plunging neckline grille to its wide haunches harboring 19-inch wheels, the body is sexy. Order it in red! But, you may also appreciate the exotic carbon fiber hood, roof, rear spoiler and front splitter to keep it light. More carbon fiber forms the seatbacks and dash trim inside. Crank 900 watts of Harman Kardon audio, dial-in navigation and stay safe with collision avoidance systems. Adjust Alfa’s D.N.A. system to adjust the powertrain and chassis for Sport, Comfort or Efficiency.

Base price: $73,700 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA Summer and convertibles go together like Lady and Gaga. And, nothing is more fun than tucking into a tight roadster like the Miata with your special love and sashay through quick switchbacks on your favorite backroad.

Quickly flip the manual top, newly available in dark cherry, crank the available Bose audio system and rev out the 2.0-liter fourcylinder engine through a six-speed manual or paddle-shifted six-speed automatic. Drivers can choose base Sport, track-tuned Club or luxurious Grand Touring editions — the latter with heated seats, navigation and lane departure warning. If canvas tops aren’t your kink, Miata also comes in a fastback with removable roof panel.

Base price: $25,295. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

March 2, 2018 Ads 15

AUTOS

Auto show eye candy brightens this season

By CASEY WILLIAMS Auto enthusiasts only mourn the ending of the holidays for a few moments, because as fall turns to winter, more candy appears in the form of flashy new concepts and redesigned production models during the auto show season. Some are pure fantasy like the Infinity Q while others, like the latest Ford Mustang Bullitt edition, will soon fill showrooms — as will efficient hybrids and compacts. Here are five you’ll want to devour: LEXUS LF-1 LIMITLESS CONCEPT Who says a flagship luxury car must be a car? Presented as a future flagship luxury crossover for Lexus, the LF-1 could theoretically be powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, gaselectric hybrid, plug-in hybrid or pure electric vehicle. In fact, by 2025, every Lexus will be electrified. The vehicle was designed at Toyota’s CALTY studio in California, which explains the fashion-forward style. Organic shapes buttress sharp creases over 22-inch wheels and a swoopy interior with leather, wood and copper undertones. Tiny cameras on the body project rearview images on either side of the instrument binnacle. It’s still a concept, but not difficult to imagine in Lexus showrooms.

Price: TBA 2019 FORD MUSTANG BULLITT Fifty years after Steve McQueen drove a Highland Green Mustang in the movie “Bullitt,” dispatching with a Dodge Charger along the way, Ford delivers a sequel. Clean styling goes without a spoiler, but dresses out with black five-spoke alloys, mesh grille and green metallic paint. Interiors wear all-digital LCD instruments and RECARO black leather seats with green stitching. Ready for power slides, it’s stoked with a 475-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 engine that kicks the car to 163 mph. Beyond the reimagined Mustang Bullitt, Ford located and brought the original movie car to the Detroit auto show.

It’s a little worse for its faded fame, but looked stellar sitting next to its progeny.

Price: TBA INFINITI Q INSPIRATION CONCEPT Infiniti’s future Q-ship adopts new design language with gracefully curved body panels, 16 Autos March 2, 2018

2019 Honda Insight

2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt

Infiniti Q Inspiration Concept fastback roofline, LED headlamps and body color grille that appears as one form from the side. Enter the minimalist interior through pillarless center opening doors to enjoy floating infotainment screens, birch wood trim and door pockets lined with a material created by weaving silk threads with paper shreds. Beneath the hood is the world’s first turbocharged variable compression ratio en-

Lexus LF-1 Limitless Concept

2019 VW Jetta

gine that balances performance and efficiency. Next-generation ProPILOT allows endto-end autonomous driving. The Q gives a strong hint at Infinitis to come.

Price: TBA

tion systems. It’s an altogether more alluring ride. Sales begin early this year.

Price: TBA

2019 HONDA INSIGHT For over two decades, Honda’s Insight hybrid has rolled through Toyota Prius shadows.

First, a little two-seat sleekster and more recently a high-decked Prius clone. For the next act, Honda replaces high-deck styling with more athletic attire, including LED headlamps, which echoes the latest Civic and Accord.

As a Prius-fighter, the car employs a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and lithium-ion batteries to exceed 50mpg. An upscale interior houses Wi-Fi, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to enhance infotainment. Safety is covered by adaptive cruise and full suite of crash mitiga-

2019 VW JETTA Not all shimmering high-style auto show stars need to be expensive or fantasy concepts.

Check the Volkswagen stand, where boring is traded for edgy as the popular Jetta embraces coupe-like exterior design with enough ridges and creases to please a tailor. One of the brand’s strong points, upscale interiors are driver-focused and available with VW’s Digital Cockpit flatscreen instrumentation. Get it with 400w Beats audio, panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise and 147-horsepower turbofour with six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. There’s no word about possible hybrid or diesel variants.

Price: Starting at $18,545 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

March 2, 2018 Ads 17

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REVIEWS

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Who will ‘Love, Simon’?

‘Pioneering’ Atlanta-filmed gay teen romantic comedy opens March 16

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com Finding out a film or television show is filmed in Atlanta is not the rare occurrence it once was. Finding out that it’s filmed in Atlanta, based on a book set in Atlanta and written by a metro Atlanta author is. Further still would be finding out the book has 18 A&E March 2, 2018

a gay protagonist. Enter “Love, Simon,” the gay coming-of-age film being released in theaters nationwide March 16.

“Love, Simon,” adapted from the 2015 award-winning young adult novel “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli, is about a closeted gay teenager named Simon who strikes up a weeks-long email conversation (and later develops a crush on) a closeted classmate. Trouble brews when a classmate discovers the emails and blackmails Simon into setting him up with a girl.

Playing Simon is Nick Robinson (“Jurassic World,” “Everything, Everything”), who told Georgia Voice that one of things that attracted him to the project was the rarity of

it being a mainstream high school comingof-age movie with a gay lead character.

“The story felt very inclusive and welcoming, which I thought was refreshing and nice to see and topical for today,” Robinson said. “Greg really had a vision and knew what he wanted and I thought he was the right person to tell the story.”

“Greg” would be director Greg Berlanti, the openly gay TV writer and superproducer (“Dawson’s Creek,” “Brothers & Sisters,” “The Flash,” “Arrow”) known to LGBTQ film fans for directing the 2000 romantic comedy-drama “The Broken Hearts Club.” Berlanti handles directing duties on “Love, Simon.”

While Robinson trusted Berlanti’s vision, playing a gay lead character gave him pause, even with that becoming more common.

“I don’t want to make it seem like it was a no-brainer. I had my fair share of doubts as well,” he said. “But you’re right when you say that it’s not as stigmatized as it once was for a male actor to take on a gay character. Forty years ago that could have been a career-ender.

That speaks a lot to how we have progressed culturally and with greater awareness and respect for people in the LGBTQ community.

I think this in part has to do with very brave performances over the years. It’s become less and less of a taboo. It’s exciting.”

CONTINUES ON PAGE 19

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

SURREAL EXPERIENCE FOR ‘SIMON’ BOOK’S AUTHOR Metro Atlanta readers of the source material for “Love, Simon” will notice some familiar references scattered throughout the book, with the high school based on the author Albertalli’s alma mater, Riverwood High School in Sandy Springs.

“Oh yeah, it’s totally Sandy Springs,” she told Georgia Voice over the phone from her Roswell home. “Their Waffle House that I picture is the one that doesn’t exist anymore right at Roswell Road and Sandy Springs Circle. There’s a Shady Creek Circle which is Sandy Springs Circle. I blatantly include Roswell Road.”

Albertalli was able to be present for about half of filming due to it being shot in Atlanta, an experience that left her emotional on her first day on set, which happened to be the filming of the first scene from her book.

“I just burst into tears and started sobbing,” she said. “I couldn’t stop crying. I can’t even explain how it felt.”

She’s sat in on a few advance screenings since then, which has led to some surreal moments. As soon as the lights went up after a late January screening at Regal Atlantic Station, a theater full of strangers spotted Albertalli on the way out and proceeded to hug and thank her.

“It was incredible,” she said, quickly putting credit for the movie in Greg Berlanti and the cast and crew’s corner. “I kind of felt guilty because I had just stepped out of the row to let someone out — I didn’t mean to create this receiving line. Greg is all over this. This movie is so Greg Berlanti and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

It’s an experience the former clinical psychologist still has trouble believing is happening.

“When I think about who I am and movies, I just never thought those two worlds would collide at all,” she said. “I was a little Jewish girl out in Sandy Springs and now I’m a mom out in Roswell. My daily life is carpool line and Target and trying to write books, which I never thought would be a part of my life. It’s like my whole world exploding when this happened.”

FILM’S SUCCESS COULD REVERBERATE For Robinson, the movie’s subject matter became a lot more personal at one point — his little brother came out to him during filming.

“It became a lot more to me. In the story I was trying to do justice to that. If anything, [his brother coming out] was kind of excitwww.thegeorgiavoice.com

Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Nick Robinson and Alexandra Shipp in ‘Love, Simon.’ (Photos courtesy Fox 2000 Pictures)

ing,” he said. “For me anyway, I had a feeling for many years about it — I was just very proud of him for taking that step. It just made it closer to home for me telling the story. It felt like we were making something that could potentially help people, which is a good feeling.”

The question is whether a mainstream romantic comedy with a gay lead character being released in thousands of theaters nationwide can break out and be a hit. Early reviews are already taking note of the significance a “Love, Simon” success could mean.

“There’s something about ‘Love, Simon’ that feels like a bona fide event,” wrote Kevin Fallon of The Daily Beast.

“I still remember trying to host gay movie nights back in the early 1990s, and how difficult it was to find films that weren’t depressing and tragic,” wrote Alfonso Duralde of The Wrap. “Say what you will about ‘Love, Simon,’ it’s upbeat and life-affirming and exactly the kind of movie I would have watched over and over again (on the sly) as a closeted teenager.”

Peter Debruge of Variety wrote, “If this pioneering film is a success (a big ‘if,’ since the young men who need it most might be too self-conscious to see it in theaters), expect more female-friendly gay-male love stories marketed at teens — the ultimate upside of which will be a chance to show those struggling with oppression, suicidal thoughts and the other trappings of the closet that they are not alone, and need not feel ashamed.”

Overwhelmingly favorable early reviews — and John Hughes movie comparisons — are piling up. On March 16, it’s in film audiences’ hands.

March 2, 2018 A&E 19

ACTING OUT

By JIM FARMER

‘Perfect Arrangement’ returns relevant as ever

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It had its origins in Atlanta — courtesy of a reading via The Process Theatre — before Topher Payne’s “Perfect Arrangement” evolved into a work that has played across the country and even had an off-Broadway run. The celebrated play has now returned to town in a new production by Theatrical Outfit.

It’s set in Georgetown in 1950, where a member of the State Department, Bob Martindale (Joe Knezevich) — originally tasked with finding Communists — now has to find, among others, gay people within his department. Yet he has a secret — Bob is in a relationship with school teacher Jimmy (Clifton Guterman) while his State Department secretary Norma (Courtney Patterson) is involved with Millie (Ann Marie Gideon). To the outside world, though, Bob and Millie and Norma and Jimmy are happy married heteros who have been able to deceive those around them.

Adam Koplan, who is directing, has long been a fan of the show.

“I have been friends with Topher a long time and have seen many iterations and have admired it,” he said. “I think it’s a tonal masterpiece, starting in a light, bouncy glittery tone that is comic and delightful. We fall in love with all the characters. Across the arc of the play it turns into a Clifford Odets-style family drama with politics and interpersonal relationships coming to the fore.”

The director is certainly aware of the homophobia present in our society. To him, the production could not be any more topical.

“It was really through this that I learned about The Lavender Scare, learning specifics about how the government really helped push and define our kind of societal animosity towards gay and lesbian folks,” he said. “It was sort of shocking to me in terms of the way the government made it okay to vilify gay folks.

Thinking about how the government labels a group of people like they do here as deviants, worthy of societal fear — it rips apart families and ruins families. When there is no basis for fear, it is a total tragedy. It is terrifying. To have a play that calls out a dark time in history — and the havoc it wreaks — is powerful.”

Guterman, who serves as Theatrical Outfit’s associate artistic director, admits that the

Left to right: Ann Marie Gideon, Courtney Patterson, Joe Knezevich and Clifton Guterman. (Photo by Greg Mooney)

Details

“Perfect Arrangement” Through March 18 Theatrical Outfit The Balzer Theatre at Herren’s, 84 Luckie St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303, www.theatricaloutfit.org “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” March 13 – 18 Fox Theatre 660 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30308 www.foxtheatre.org

show is a bold choice for the company.

“We decided we wanted to grow our audience and invite new people in to tell new stories that fit our mission,” he said. “This is officially the first show where LGBTQ characters are front and center and run the plot. It’s a big deal for us. It’s a really good part too. It’s a wonderful role but also poignant. I have always been interested in gay history, our past, and Topher has made history personal and relatable.”

In other theater news, about to open locally courtesy of the Broadway Across Atlanta series is the award-winning “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” with lyrics by Robert Freedman and gay composer Steven Lutvak. It’s a musical comedy about an Edwardian England aristocrat trying to kill his way to dukedom. Its four Tony Awards in 2014 include Best Musical. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

EATING MY WORDS

By CLIFF BOSTOCK

Atlanta’s best lamb burger resides at Mix’d Up If you’re a food truckie, you’ve probably seen the Mix’d Up Burgers van around town, most reliably at 12th and Peachtree on Thursdays. I had no idea that the owner also operates two restaurants. One has been operating in my neighborhood, Grant Park, for five years, completely off my radar, in a tiny building I thought had long ago been abandoned (313 Boulevard, 404-963-2381, mixdupfoods. com) after repeated failures by earlier tenants.

The restaurant serves seven half-pound burgers (including black-bean and turkey alternatives for the delusionally healthy). I have only sampled one and I have literally been craving it daily since I first devoured it.

It’s called the “Rockin’ Hero Bite” and it’s the best lamb burger I have eaten in Atlanta in memory. Besides its gigantic size and its perfect glossy bun, it features something amazingly unique: it actually tastes like lamb. The typical restaurant in Atlanta loads ground lamb with way too many spices to kill the meat’s slightly “gamy” taste. That’s really stupid. Mix’d Up’s version is also seasoned but comparatively lightly. It’s topped with the usual Greek tzatziki sauce and a bit of feta cheese, along with tomatoes and lettuce.

I am anxious to try the “Texan,” described thusly: “Angus burger, bacon, cheese, piled high with pulled pork, BBQ sauce and chipotle ranch slaw.” I will report my findings from the cardiac unit at Piedmont Hospital. Besides burgers, the Grant Park restaurant only serves fries —perfectly crisp piles of shoestrings, plain or topped with everything from cheesy chili to barbecued pork. I’ve only done the plain, which I sprinkled with malt vinegar.

The Boulevard restaurant is a dive, really.

There are only a few tall bar tables and some outside picnic tables. The other restaurant, located in East Lake (2371 Hosea Williams Dr., 404-343-0394, mixdupfoods.com) is full-service, has a bar, serves salads and offers a brunch menu on Saturday and Sunday.

KOREAN CHICKEN: I’ve been bingeing on fried chicken lately, so I was anxious to try the relatively new Hello Chicken (5295 Buwww.thegeorgiavoice.com

Mix’d Up’s lamb burger features a half-pound of perfectly seasoned meat topped with tzatziki sauce, a bit of feta cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. (Photo by Cliff Bostock)

ford Hwy., Doraville, 770-797-5153, hellochickenfood.com), which describes its menu as “Seoul Grub.” The brightly lit space is filled with an initially disorienting maze of gray booths that hide everyone in the restaurant. It’s weird.

Koreans are just about as obsessed with fried chicken as Southerners. They hack their birds into countless pieces and doublefry them to ramp up the crisp factor. Four of us ordered two plates of chicken — one served straight up with potato wedges and a tart soy-based dipping sauce and another coated with a sticky spicy-sweet sauce. In all honesty, the latter tasted candy-coated, needing a much higher amount of spicy heat. The other was fine but paled beside the version I recently ate at nearby Dish.

The menu is confusing, but the servers are a lot of help. There are trendy KoreanMexican tacos and quesadillas. We also ordered a bland kimchi pancake, some halfhollow dumplings and some over-cooked, dry fried-pork-finger-things. I wish it had been better. I wish the bakery next door, Mozart, had been better too. A lavender macaron was lavender in color only and crackery almond cookies had virtually no flavor.

Get the burger.

Cliff Bostock is a former psychotherapist now specializing in life coaching. Contact him at 404-518-4415 or cliffbostock@gmail.com.

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March 2, 2018 Columnists 21

B

Best Bets: Our Guide to the Best LGBTQ Events in Atlanta for Mar. 2-15

TQ

TA N A ATL T

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LGB

T BETS S E

EVEN FRIDAY, MARCH 2 – SUNDAY, MARCH 4

Don’t miss the Georgia Tiny House Fest this weekend, 12 - 5 p.m., Atlanta Motor Speedway, 1500 Tara Place, Hampton, GA 30228, www.facebook. com/events/131495984211130

FRIDAY, MARCH 2

Theatrical Outfit has opened Topher Payne’s award-winning play “Perfect Arrangement,” 8 p.m. tonight running through March 18, and Gay for Plays hosts a special night out with a pre-show event with Payne at 6 p.m., The Balzer Theatre at Herren’s, 84 Luckie St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303, www.facebook.com/ events/1424397024338286

SATURDAY, MARCH 3

Get your friends together and come crawl along the Atlanta BeltLine Pub Crawl on the BeltLine: Spring Edition. Enjoy up to five complimentary beverages along the BeltLine along with food and drink specials at each participating loca-

22 Best Bets March 2, 2018

Purim Off Ponce 2018 will honor Judy Marx and Billy Planer, who each will receive the Michael Jay Kinsler Rainmaker Award for their professional and personal efforts toward building loving communities where LGBTQ people feel welcomed, listened to and safe. Entertainment will include aerialist Sadie Hawkins and drag performer Jaye Lish. All proceeds from Purim Off Ponce support the important education and training at the heart of Sojourn: Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity, 7:30 – 11 p.m., The Temple, 1589 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30309, www.facebook.com/events/316044262132771 (File photo) tion. 12 – 4 p.m., www.facebook.com/ events/1591689914234016

Decatur, GA 30030, www.facebook.com/ events/155991038374330/

Atlanta Prime Timers meets today at 3 p.m., Phillip Rush Center Annex, 1530 DeKalb Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.rushcenteratl.org

Atlanta OutWorlders present Game Night, 7 p.m. – 1 a.m., 1833 Streamview Drive S.E., Atlanta, GA 30316, www.facebook.com/events/645079518949128

Atlanta United fans, come to the Away Game Viewing Party: Atlanta v.

Houston. The game starts at 3:30 p.m. so get there early, grab a drink, find your table and mingle before the game starts, Woofs on Piedmont, 2425 Piedmont Road N.E., Atlanta, GA 30324, www.facebook.com/events/1583179775114295

Join “The Lesbian Lounge Lizard,” comic Julie Wheeler, direct from Provincetown for a night of music and comedy, 8 p.m., Out Front Theatre Company, 999 Brady Ave. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30318, www.facebook.com/ events/1584926231589211

All transgender and non-binary people, along with allies and loved ones, are invited to attend the TransDecatur support group meeting, from 4 – 6 p.m., Decatur First United Methodist Church, 300 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.,

SUNDAY, MARCH 4

My Sister’s Room hosts a beer bust benefiting Southern Fried Queer Pride, with $10 bottomless cups until the kegs runs dry. Then stay later for Tossed

CONTINUES ON PAGE 23

EVENT SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, MARCH 3

Now in its eighth year, pb&j gallery presents Body&Soul. This exhibition celebrates the nude male form at its most compelling. This year, in addition to the latest work from photographers Bob Burkhardt, Trevor Green and Bart Thomas, there are drawings

by Alexander Clark. Beverages and hors d’oeuvres will be served. 7 – 10 p.m., 35 Howard St. S.E., Atlanta, GA 30317, www.facebook.com/ events/2104847529744306 (Courtesy photo)

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LGBTQ EVENT Submit your LGBTQ event for inclusion in our online and print calendars by emailing event info to editor@thegavoice.com

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 Salad at MSR, 5 – 8 p.m., 66 12th St. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30309, www.facebook. com/events/546025135767383 “Call Me By Your Name” and other LGBTQ titles contend at the Academy Awards tonight, 8 p.m. ABC

MONDAY, MARCH 5

The HRC Atlanta Gala & Auction Pre-Dinner Reception: Table Selection is tonight, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Out Front Theatre Company, 999 Brady Ave. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30318, www.facebook. com/events/314487345734645

TUESDAY, MARCH 6

Learn more about volunteering with Atlanta Pride tonight at Joe’s on Juniper. RSVP to Kimble@atlantapride. org if you are interested in attending, 7 – 8:30 p.m., 1049 Juniper St. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30309, www.facebook.com/ events/104276260395153

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7

Be brave and attend Underwear Night at the Atlanta Eagle, 7 p.m. – 3 a.m., 306 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.atlantaeagle.com

THURSDAY, MARCH 8

SAGE Atlanta’s bi-monthly meetings occur from 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of each month, Phillip Rush Center Annex, 1530 DeKalb Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.rushcenteratl.org On International Women’s Day, join Charis Books and More in celebrating the Atlanta release of Alexis Pauline Gumbs’ “M Archive.” Following the innovative collection of “Spill,” “M Archive” – the second book in a planned experimental triptych – is a series of poetic affairs that speculatively documents the persistence of black life following a worldwide cataclysm, 7:30 – 9 p.m., Charis Books and More, 1189 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

SATURDAY, MARCH 3

The Cobb Energy Centre hosts An Evening with Audra McDonald: Songs from the American Music Theater. VIP tickets include a pre-show reception and a short post-show meet-and-greet. 8 p.m., 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339, www.facebook.com/events/209730219592561 (Publicity photo) 30307, www.charisbooksandmore.com Out Front Theatre Company opens “Buyer & Cellar” tonight. It’s the story of a struggling actor in L.A. who takes a job working in the Malibu basement of a beloved megastar, running through March 25, 999 Brady Ave., Atlanta, GA 30318, www.outfronttheatre.com

FRIDAY, MARCH 9 – 10

Actor’s Express will commemorate its anniversary season by presenting a special concert version of the landmark musical “The Harvey Milk Show” starring AE co-founder and former artistic director Chris Coleman, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Saint Mark United Methodist Church, 781 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.actorsexpress.com

FRIDAY, MARCH 9

Dance the night away at Women’s Disco Night tonight. Enjoy a special performance by Lisa Van Osch then enjoy old school disco music with DJ Yvonne Monet. Funds raised will go to Women’s Outdoor Network and Lost-n-Found

Youth. Doors open at 7 p.m., Avondale Towne Cinema, 106 N. Avondale Road, Avondale Estates, GA 30002, www.facebook.com/events/1905050083140616 “RuPaul’s Drag Race” sensation Bianca Del Rio comes to the ATL for Blame It On Bianca, 8 p.m, Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E.,, Atlanta, GA, 30307, www.facebook.com/ events/505373559829606

SATURDAY, MARCH 10

Raksha is proud to present the Women’s Empowerment Art Show. Celebrate International Women’s Day and honor the struggles and triumphs of women and girls, and support local artists who have created artworks that show their own journeys and experiences. All artwork will be for sale, with artists keeping 100 percent of the profits. Food will be provided by local restaurants, 12 – 4:30 p.m., House of Blended Ink Studios and Gallery, 300 Oakland Ave. S.E., Atlanta, GA 30312, www.facebook.com/events/174698759925393 Join authors and activists Balogun Ojetade

and Kalonji Jama Changa and artists Flux and Nicola for From the Black Panthers to the Black Panther, a discussion on the impact, importance and need for creative resistance and heroic black imagery. Works of creative resistance that feature black heroes and sheroes in fiction, non-fiction and art will be available for sale from vendors. 12 – 4 p.m. 640 W. Community Cafe & Event Space, 640 Evans St., Atlanta, GA 30310, www.facebook.com/events/2029627083941831 Get your disco on for homeless pets at AARF’s annual fundraiser, AARFstravaganza. Tickets get you drinks, light appetizers, a chance to bid on great silent auction prizes and a show by the fabulous Armorettes, 7:30 – 10:30 p.m., The Solarium at Historic Scottish Rite, 321 W. Hill St., Decatur, GA 30030, https://www.facebook.com/ events/103978620402063 Fort Troff Maneuvers gained legendary status as the dirtiest men-only gear

CONTINUES ON PAGE 24 March 2, 2018 Best Bets 23

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 party in the country – and it returns tonight. Countless leathermen and all sorts of guy from across the country will be participating, 10 p.m. – 3 a.m., Manifest 4U, 2103 Faulkner Road N.E., Atlanta, GA 30324, www.facebook.com/ events/1994935514089720 Come out for an amazing night of music and dancing. Deep South + Music Room present Honey Dijon, with opening sets by Vicki Powell and Keiran Neely 10 p.m. – 3 a.m., The Music Room, 327 Edgewood Ave. S.E., Atlanta, GA 30312, www.facebook.com/ events/156483185151505

SUNDAY, MARCH 11

How have lesbian/queer/bisexual/samegender-loving/dyke-identified women in Atlanta built community throughout our histories? What worked in the past?

What would you want to see in the future?

Join Atlanta Pride Committee, Charis Books and More and Rotten Peaches for “Then & Now: Queer and Lesbian Women in Atlanta,” an

intergenerational community discussion and brainstorming session on building more fulfilling and exciting lesbian and queer women’s public spaces. 6 p.m. 1189 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.facebook.com/events/151605988886107

how, skills and more, featuring insight and wisdom from zine maker and multi-media artist Sharah Hutson, 6 – 8:30 p.m., The Bakery Atlanta, 825 Warner St., Atlanta, GA 30310, www.facebook.com/ events/2016412188632085

The second Sunday of the month means the New Faces competition at Friends Neighborhood Bar, 736 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30306, www.facebook.com/events/146453332693417

Lucky Charms Drag Queen Bingo is dragishly D. Licious. Hosted by PALS Atlanta, the event features camp, fun and – of course – lots o’ bingo and drag, including Bubba Dee, 7:30 p.m., Lips Atlanta, 3011 Buford Highway N.E., Atlanta, GA 30329, www.facebook.com/ events/146161652729698

MONDAY, MARCH 12

The highly-acclaimed, Oscar nominated “A Fantastic Woman” – featuring transgender actress Daniela Vega – continues at the Midtown Art Cinema today, various showtimes, 931 Monroe Drive, Atlanta, GA 30308, www.landmarktheatres.com

TUESDAY, MARCH 13

Ever wanted to learn how to make a zine?

Do you know the history behind zines?

Come out to How To: Make a Zine, a workshop series organized by Southern Fried Queer Pride. SFQP How To is a monthly workshop series equipping the public with artistic know-

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14

In a revolutionary departure from the corporate self-help and body-positivity movement, Sonya Renee Taylor examines the intersection of radical self-love and social justice in “The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love.” This book identifies the correlation between systems of oppression and our relationships to our bodies. Taylor will read from the book tonight, 7:30 – 9 p.m., Charis Books and More/ Charis Circle, 1189 Euclid Ave. N.E.,

Atlanta, GA 30307, www.facebook.com/ events/2067597076589223 WUSSY magazine presents “Spice World” tonight. Prizes will be awarded for the best Spice Girls look, 8 and 10 p.m., Plaza Atlanta, 1049 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30306, www.facebook.com/ events/392153021247425

THURSDAY, MARCH 15

Come meet Rainbros Coach Mark Buhrke, Rainbros’ featured quarterly meeting speaker, who will work with you on ways to explore, discover and learn about your own spiritual path. 7 – 8 p.m., Creative Approach Atlanta, 1080 W. Peachtree St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30309, www.facebook.com/ events/435465396856618

UPCOMING FRIDAY, MARCH 16

The adorable, LGBTQ-themed “Love, Simon” – shot in Atlanta – opens in area theaters

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THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID

By MELISSA CARTER

Out Olympic athletes have come a long way The spirit of the Olympics is in uniting otherwise divided people in a safe environment of friendly competition. Who would have known the recent Winter Games would also provide a bridge between the LGBTQ community and people we’ll never know?

This moment happened when a television camera operator covered Gus Kenworthy’s celebration leading up to his ski slopestyle qualifier. Like any athlete, he kissed a loved one for luck before his event, and it just so happened this loved one was another man.

A real gay kiss on live national television. It came and went and the world didn’t end, NBC didn’t have to apologize and scores of straight people were genuinely happy for them.

There were only 15 out athletes competing in Pyeongchang, including Americans Brittany Bowl, Adam Rippon and Gus Kenworthy. Johnny Weir added his style to coverage of figure skating, and Rippon became such a favorite that NBC tried to hire him after his Olympic competition was over.

What a far cry from my first gay athlete experience in Billie Jean King. The recent film “Battle of the Sexes” allows King to be a sympathetic character, an incredible athlete who showed great resolve in an impossible situation. But that’s not quite how she was seen when the events of her affair with Marilyn Barnett came to light.

I was in elementary school at the time and only remember brief clips of her press conference, her husband by her side. I remember an apology. I remember people being disgusted by the thought of her having sex with another woman. And I remember her being perceived as less attractive because of it.

Maybe that’s why when my own sexuality was becoming clear to me, I felt like hiding that inner struggle. I had a box beneath my bed that contained books written by or about lesbians. I forget the titles, but since I was mail-ordering books from the Barnes & Noble paper we got in the mail, I’m sure my parents were glad I was reading and trusted

“I know there were young girls and boys who saw the Winter Games the past few weeks and drew inspiration from these out athletes, and will be made to understand when the time comes that they can be themselves without having to hide or apologize for who they are.” my choices in books without inspecting the boxes addressed to me.

Now I know there were young girls and boys who saw the Winter Games the past few weeks and drew inspiration from these out athletes, and will be made to understand when the time comes that they can be themselves without having to hide or apologize for who they are. I expect the number of these pro-LGBTQ images to grow as we watch the Games in Tokyo, Beijing, Paris and Los Angeles.

But these images cannot occur without you. Being an adult LGBTQ member and not allowing the world to know you exist keeps the next generation in the closet too. I respect why there are some who have no interest in being out and proud, but that decision does come at a cost. Not only to your personal selfworth, but also to the self-worth of that little girl who is crying herself to sleep with dread of a life without love and acceptance. Yet we know her life will be filled with an abundance of love and acceptance — it just takes people like those out athletes, that cameraman, executives at NBC and other friendly faces in her community to show her.

Melissa Carter is recognized as one of the first out radio personalities in Atlanta and has been heard over the years on B98.5 and Q100 and can currently be heard daily on the Progressive Voices podcast “She Persisted.”

Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCarter.

26 Columnists March 2, 2018 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

SOMETIMES ‘Y’

By RYAN LEE

Generational conflicts in our movement, and me One of the curses of liberalism is the generational tension that almost destines today’s radical to be perceived as tomorrow’s sellout.

The Mattachine Society had been advocating for “homophile” equality for more than a decade before the Stonewall Inn was aflame.

Mattachine members turned the boarded-up window of the burnt out Stonewall Inn into a billboard urging their fellow gay people, “to please help maintain peaceful and quiet conduct on the streets of the Village” following the historic riots in June 1969. Mattachine’s staid dress code for its protests, its use of the term “homophile” because it thought any inference of “sex” would trigger the prejudices of straight people and its billboard plea for peace at the flash point of the gay revolution all help explain why the organization, once among the vanguard, is largely remembered as embodying respectability politics.

It’s an unfortunate, although sometimes deserved, fate for many leftist pioneers to grow into the uncool parents of even more rebellious youth. It’s also regrettable that young people — in this instance, young LGBT people — are considered ignorant and unappreciative of what their predecessors endured for the freedom to be fabulous.

As a gay man in my mid-30s, I sometimes feel part of a sandwiched generation, and a couple of Netflix shows divided my allegiances between our elders and those coming behind us. In the South African film, “Inxeba,” which is streaming domestically under the title, “The Wound,” a teenage boy whose father describes him as “soft” undergoes a tribal initiation into manhood that includes an immersive mentorship from a hired “caretaker.”

After spending several weeks together, the soft teenager rebukes his caretaker’s hypocrisy, supposedly instilling the virtues of manhood into the boy while being too afraid to live with authenticity and dignity. The conflict reminded me of how young stubbornness has advanced not only the LGBT movement, but www.thegeorgiavoice.com

“For all of the LGBT youth who don’t know about Stonewall, Harvey Milk or just the general terror of being queer in pre-’70s and post-1981 America, there are just as many members of the generation that heard Milk’s call to, ‘Just be out,’ who did that and nothing else, and think being an openly gay bruncher was the equivalent of marching to Selma.” the sit-ins of the 1950s, the Arab Spring and countless other social revolutions.

For all of the LGBT youth who don’t know about Stonewall, Harvey Milk or just the general terror of being queer in pre-’70s and post1981 America, there are just as many members of the generation that heard Milk’s call to, “Just be out,” who did that and nothing else, and think being an openly gay bruncher was the equivalent of marching to Selma.

I felt a little more crotchety watching the episode of the reincarnated “Queer Eye” where the team helps a young Atlanta gay man embrace his sexuality and eventually come out to his stepmother. In an otherwise precious story that included many reminders of my own journey through these gay rites, after the young man reveals his sexual orientation to his family, he makes a joking aside about possibly getting married.

It broke my heart to accept that every generation of LGBT youth from now on will enter dating with a mind toward marriage, and presumably monogamy. I’m not so bitter I can’t recognize the progress in that, but I’m grateful that wasn’t the way to be gay back in my day.

Ryan Lee is an Atlanta writer.

March 2, 2018 Columnists 27

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