The Georgia Voice - 4/26/13 Vol.4, Issue 4 by Georgia Voice

04.26.13

PO Box 77401 | Atlanta, GA 30357 404-815-6941 | www.thegavoice.com

EDITORIAL

Editor: Laura Douglas-Brown lbrown@thegavoice.com

IN THIS ISSUE

NEWS

4 | Battle over Cheshire Bridge: Gay residents divided over revitalization proposal. 6 | Big names, big money on tap for Atlanta HRC Dinner. 8 | Assailants in anti-gay attack plead guilty to hate crime. 8 | Brandon White: Beating victim on his journey since then. 9 | BRIEFS: News in brief: Marriage equality in France, ENDA reintroduced, and more.

FEATURED STORY

Deputy Editor: Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com Web Manager: Ryan Watkins rwatkins@thegavoice.com Art Director: Bo Shell bshell@thegavoice.com

VIEWS

10 | Editorial: Know where your donations go.

CONTRIBUTORS

SPRING PREVIEW: ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Cliff Bostock, Melissa Carter, Jim Farmer, Shannon Hames, Topher Payne, Matt Schafer, Steve Warren, Ryan Lee

BUSINESS

Sales Manager: Marshall Graham mgraham@thegavoice.com National Advertising: Rivendell Media, 908-232-2021 sales@rivendellmedia.com

BOARD OF ADVISERS

Richard Eldredge, Sandy Malcolm, Lynn Pasqualetti, Robert Pullen

FINE PRINT

All material in the Georgia Voice is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Georgia Voice. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representation does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons. We also do not accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Unsolicited editorial material is accepted by the Georgia Voice, but we do not take responsibility for its return. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject or edit any submission. Guidelines for freelance contributors are available upon request. A single copy of the Georgia Voice is available from authorized distribution points. Multiple copies are available from the Georgia Voice office only. Call for rates. If you are unable to reach a convenient free distribution point, you may receive a 26-issue mailed subscription for $60 per year. Checks or credit card orders can be sent to Tim Boyd, tboyd@thegavoice.com Postmaster: Send address changes to the Georgia Voice, PO Box 77401, Atlanta, GA 30357. The Georgia Voice is published every other Friday by The Georgia Voice, LLC. Individual subscriptions are $60 per year for 26 issues. Postage paid at Atlanta, GA, and additional mailing offices. The editorial positions of the Georgia Voice are expressed in editorials and in editor’s notes. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Georgia Voice and its staff. To submit a letter or commentary: Letters should be fewer than 400 words and commentary, for web or print, should be fewer than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must include a name, address and phone number for verification. Email submissions to editor@thegavoice.com or mail to the address above.

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OUTSPOKEN

Ralph Alwang/Photo via Awiderbridge.org Clinton Foundation

Associate Publisher: Tim Boyd tboyd@thegavoice.com

18 | 'BEHIND THE CANDELABRA' TOPS SPRING FILMS

FRIENDS & FOES IN THEIR OWN WORDS

“My daughter led me to support the marriage equality law in New York when we were debating it, and to oppose North Carolina’s denial of marriage equality, and to do all these other things. So I want to thank her too. Thank you, GLAAD. Thank you, Chelsea.” — Former President Bill Clinton addressing the April 20 GLAAD Media Awards gala in Los Angeles, where he received the Advocate for Change award. (Salon.com, April 20)

Photo by David Shankbone

“If two people in love want to get married, let them get married. Just mind your own business and don’t worry about it. If everybody would mind his own business, or her own business, as the case may be, we’d be a lot better off.” — “Golden Girl” Betty White at the annual GLAAD Media Awards gala in Los Angeles (GLAAD, April 20)

Publicity photo

Publisher: Christina Cash ccash@thegavoice.com

“We have here a debate over same-sex marriage, but is it really just about marriage? Or does it go far beyond that to destroy the traditional family and building a country without God?” — Pat Robertson on a recent episode of “The 700 Club” where the televangelist compared gay rights activists to followers of the Illuminati while discussing the push for marriage rights in France (Right Wing Watch, April 17)

COLUMNISTS

26 | THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID: Melissa Carter explains the news. 27 | DOMESTICALLY DISTURBED: Topher Payne plays possum.

Publicity photo by Alberto Tolot

THE GEORGIA VOICE

“New rule, John McCain has to try spending a Sunday morning with his family. Look, Senator, I’m with you. Anything to avoid church, but come on. It’s Sunday morning. There’s got to be an easier way to tell Lindsey Graham you don’t want to cuddle.” — Bill Maher joking during a “New Rules” segment of his HBO show that Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) are gay lovers. The joke has drawn criticism from some conservative bloggers and pundits. (“Real Time with Bill Maher,” April 19)

4 | GA VOICE

NEWS

04.26.13

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Battle over Cheshire Bridge Road Gay clubs safe from rezoning proposal, but will they be in the future? By DYANA BAGBY dbagby@thegavoice.com Bobby Hammill sits in his office in the new BJ Roosters on Cheshire Bridge Road. Opened just last month, the gay club is twice the size of its old location just down the street. His neighbors are Jungle and Heretic, two other popular gay clubs, and the Doll House, a strip club. “I’ve lived in the area for 21 years and I understand what the complaints are about from the neighborhoods,” Hammill said. “But I personally feel what’s going on is unfair. It’s like they are prosecuting people who really aren’t doing anything wrong.” What’s going on, and has been going on since January, is proposed zoning changes to the Cheshire Bridge Road corridor, long considered Atlanta’s red light district. Proposed by gay Atlanta City Councilmember Alex Wan, the rezoning is an attempt to finally make real a 1999 vision statement that wanted to bring in new development and give the area a facelift that includes stripping out strip joints and other adult businesses. In 2005, the City Council approved the zoning changes that halted any new adult businesses and ensured new businesses would pay attention to aesthetics, such as landscaping and curb appeal. Businesses such as Inserection and Southern Nights, adult novelty stores popular with many LGBT patrons, were grandfathered in and safe from the zoning changes. Until now. Wan, a first-tem councilman who took office in 2010, has proposed legislation to force the grandfathered-in non-conforming sex and porn shops out by 2015. Also scrubbed out of business along the thoroughfare would be car washes and auto repair businesses, which fall into non-conforming businesses in the zoning approved by the city as well. The possible deadline may now be extended until 2017 as Wan and Neighborhood Planning Unit F seek to compromise with businesses. NPU-F includes Cheshire Bridge Road and is made up of Lindridge Martin Manor, Morningside Lenox Park, Piedmont Heights and Virginia Highland Wan’s legislation, coming during an election year, has angered critics in the LGBT community who say the sex and porn shops are part of gay Atlanta history and Wan is a traitor for wanting to rid the city of them. “We have customers who come in and say

BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY PROPOSED REZONING

INSERECTION • ONYX • SOUTHERN NIGHTS • GALAXY TOBACCO AND GIFTS • STARSHIP ADULT NOVELTIES • KONG’S BODY SHOP • AUTO-GLO CAR WASH • BLISS • NAUGHTY GIRLS LINGERIE UPTOWN NOVELTY • SOAP HAND CAR WASH • PRECISION TUNE AUTO CARE

Photos by Dyana Bagby

Alex is awful. But no, that’s not true. I don’t think this is a gay thing. This doesn’t impact us right now, but that doesn’t mean it’s a mute point,” Hammill said.

WAN: MORE TO LGBT COMMUNITY THAN ‘PORN AND SEX CLUBS’

Wan is doing what he needs to do to get reelected, Hammill said. “I wish Alex all the best in the world. But is he just doing his job and representing his people? Is it a witch hunt? I don’t know,” Hammill said. “Every city has to have a red

light district. That’s essentially what we are. If a city doesn’t have it, if this element of people don’t have that outlet ... and they kind of need an outlet. We do offer some things.” Hammill also said he and other gay club owners have been approached by Michael Morrison, owner of Inserection, and Galardi South Enterprises, owners of strip club Onyx, to ask for help in making the public understand gay play could be halted if the proposed legislation goes through. Hammill said they all just want to keep a low proﬁle because their businesses are safe for now.

And Wan said it is time for LGBT people to move beyond advocating for porn and sex shops. “All of this has become a personal attack on my perceived morals and values and that’s not the case,” Wan said. “This conversation that I’m being a traitor to the LGBT community because of this … If the gay agenda is 24-hour bars and sex clubs, then the truth is I’m not the representative for that. And that’s how this argument seems to be crystallizing. “This is my trying to honor a community’s vision. At the same time, I kind of take issue with this belief that I’ve turned on my com-

NEWS

www.theGAVoice.com munity. Look at what I’ve done over the past three years — the passage of a resolution by the City Council to support same-sex marriage and Mayor Kasim Reed coming out in favor of marriage equality,” Wan said. “If all of this doesn’t mean anything and all that is important to our community is supporting porn and sex clubs … well, I would hope our community has bigger goals and objectives,” he said. “If I’m going to be judged on the issue of just supporting porn and sex clubs, if that’s how the community feels at large, perhaps there may be a better candidate.”

‘MOST LIBERAL STREET IN ATLANTA’?

Morrison, owner of Inserection, who is straight and one of Wan’s loudest critics, accuses Wan, among other things, of setting the LGBT movement back 30 years by trying to rid the city of adult businesses. “This is one of the most liberal streets in Atlanta … and our ﬁrst openly gay councilman wants to set back the LGBT cause 30 years,” Morrison said. “If you go back down memory lane, this area is where more underground culture and gay clubs came about and when you come up with this kind of legislation that hurts gay businesses, we will lose some of these hard-fought battle grounds.” Morrison said Inserection is a gay business because it is gay people who frequent the store as well as work there. “Where does he get off becoming the voice of morality? We’re sitting in 2013,” he said. Wan points out he made sure BJ Roosters, Jungle and Heretic — three of the most popular gay clubs in the city — are safe from proposed rezoning legislation. They are located in a patch of land between the north and south districts of the street set to be rezoned Neighborhood Commercial. Morrison said while the gay clubs may be safe for now, there is no telling what will happen in the near future if Wan’s legislation is passed. “I think this legislation is anti-gay and I think it’s anti-black. When Onyx became a black strip club, quite frankly the NIMBYs didn’t want to see black youths in their neighborhoods,” he added. Morrison voted for Wan in the last election but is now thinking of helping fund another candidate to run against him. Wan is already busy building his war chest so he can be ready for any opposition, he said.

AUTO REPAIR, CAR WASHES SAME AS ADULT ENTERTAINMENT?

Sung Kong, owner of Kong’s Body Repair, a business opened by his father nearly 30 years ago on Cheshire Bridge Road, spits out Wan’s name when speaking about the legislation that would force his business to relocate or close. “It’s already unconstitutional why we’re grouped in there with adult businesses,” he said. “Seven years have passed and nothing changed and now they want to be proactive because they think developers will come,” he said. “This is stupid. I don’t know how else to say it, but it’s stupid.” Wan said he has tried to help Kong under-

stand that it is not him putting auto repair shops in with adult businesses as non-conforming for the changes outlined in the 1999 study and then approved in 2005 by the City Council. “From the beginning, the legislation has focused on the objectives of the ‘Neighborhood Commercial’ zoning designation that the city created way back when,” Wan said. “For obvious reasons, adult businesses are deemed to be incompatible with those objectives, perhaps more because of the proximity to residential. Auto repair stores and car washes are not permitted for different reasons. In broad terms, those uses are considered more appropriate in industrial or higher intensity commercial areas [and] those uses promote automobile usage rather than pedestrian,” he explained.

04.26.13

Imagine a delightful street featuring shade trees, outdoor cafes, fountains, public art and an eclectic mix of restaurants, neighborhood businesses and specialty shops. This is the future of Cheshire Bridge neighborhood, a multiethnic community that integrates open-air shopping, dining and entertainment with new residential development. At the heart of the neighborhood is the symbolic bridge overlooking South Fork Peachtree Creek. During special occasions throughout the year, the area comes to life with festivals. Below the bridge are walking trails reaching out to other intown neighborhoods. This vibrant and dynamic urban neighborhood is a place to live, work, shop, and play, a destination spot for visitors and a convenient and safe neighborhood for residents. Cheshire Bridge … the neighborhood that connects. — Vision statement from Cheshire Bridge Road Study, June 1999

DEVELOPER: ZONING PROPOSALS SET BAD PRECEDENT

The issue of ﬁrst allowing businesses to be grandfathered in and then grandfathered out is what deeply disturbs developer Scott Selig. His company, one of the largest developers in the state, owns several acres of land on Cheshire Bridge Road, including the closed Club Life, the Colonnade and the Cheshire Motor Inn. Although Selig’s property is currently safe with recent amendments made to the legislation, he fears Wan is setting a bad precedent. “What our problem is now is that eight years later they decided they want to take out the businesses that were grandfathered in,” he said. “Any place that has been rezoned and had businesses grandfathered in — and then proposed they be rezoned out … I’ve never even heard it proposed before. I’ve never heard of the government coming and sunsetting out non-conforming businesses.” It’s true — what Wan is proposing about sunsetting out grandfathered-in businesses has never been done in the city of Atlanta. But the city’s law department tells him it is legal to do so. “Essentially, as I interpret [city code], it states that a structure that was conforming before, but non-conforming after a change, may still operate as such, but cannot expand. There are also triggers that void that grandfathering such as non-use for more than 12 months,” Wan said. “The proposed strategy has not been used in Atlanta previously. The City Law Department believes there is Georgia Supreme Court case law (cited in legislation) that grants municipalities authority to amortize out non-conforming uses provided it meets the standard that the time period granted is a reasonable period to recoup the business/ property owner’s investment,” he explained.

NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS WANT CHANGE

At ﬁrst, Wan proposed non-conforming businesses get until 2015 to get out; recent amendments approved by NPU-F and to be con-

GA VOICE | 5

BUSINESSES SAFE FROM PROPOSED REZONING HERETIC • JUNGLE • BJ ROOSTERS DOLL HOUSE • THE COLONNADE CHESHIRE MOTOR INN DETAILS Zoning Review Board meeting on Cheshire Bridge Road May 9, 6 p.m. Atlanta City Hall Council chambers, second floor 55 Trinity Ave., Atlanta, GA 30303

sidered next month by the Zoning Review Board added two more years of amortization. Jane Rawlings, chair of NPU-F, said it’s time to ﬁnally implement what city planners and neighborhood residents and businesses wanted when they put out that 1999 study. “We would like to see the street redeveloped in a way that is consistent with the vision outlined in the Cheshire Bridge Road Corridor Study published in 1999 while still maintaining its eclectic and diverse nature,” Rawlings said. “In fact, some of the very voices complaining the loudest about this ordinance are some of the very voices that shaped the Cheshire Bridge Road Corridor Study and the 2005 rezoning of the street,” she added. “It is ... my belief that the character and characteristics of a neighborhood should be deﬁned by the community and not for the community.”

A ‘POO PLANT’ ON CHESHIRE BRIDGE?

Interestingly, at the same time NPU-F and the city are considering cleansing adult businesses from Cheshire Bridge Road, a wastewater plant is under construction on city-owned property on Liddell Drive, just off Cheshire Bridge Road. The project is “lovingly” labeled “PooTank” by the surrounding community, Rawlings

said. The purpose of the $35 million plant is to reduce sanitary sewer spills throughout Atlanta and it is being constructed under a federal mandate. According to reports, the sewer tank will hold 10-million gallons in a raised overflow tank at 2061 Liddell Drive. A pumping station and electrical station will be located at 2001 Cheshire Bridge Road, near the north end of Lenox Road. In July 2012, Rawlings wrote a letter to Wan on behalf of NPU-F asking him several questions about the “Poo Tank.” In the long list of questions, she noted the wastewater plant is “antithetical to the vision” of the 1999 study. Wan said he understood the concerns, but without the plant, sewage spills will continue and the city will face federal fines and be “put under a moratorium for development making redevelopment of the Cheshire Bridge corridor more difficult.” Concerns about smell from the plant were also addressed, with Wan and the city promising the latest technology to “eliminate offensive odors.” “Plans call for tunneling diluted sewage overflow under Cheshire Bridge Road to the Liddell Road tank when the main system is overcapacity, which is usually about once a month,” according to a July 2012 story on the Lindbergh Lavista blog.

LEGAL ACTION LIKELY

If the Zoning Review Board (which is the last place the public can be heard) approves Wan’s plan and the legislation goes to the City Council and is passed, it is unlikely businesses along Cheshire Bridge Road will start shutting down in two or even four years. Legal action is likely with several of the business owners having plenty of cash to ﬁght City Hall to keep their proﬁtable businesses in an area of the city they like and want to be. “They can’t just come in and take your businesses away from you,” said Selig. “This is really a property rights issue.”

6 | GA VOICE

NEWS

04.26.13

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Annual Atlanta HRC Dinner raises funds for national fight Local black-tie dinner set for May 4 By DYANA BAGBY dbagby@thegavoice.com At a recent reception at the upscale STK restaurant and bar in Midtown, dozens of Human Rights Campaign members gathered to network, socialize and bid on some silent auction items while they sipped cocktails. The members and supporters were just weeks away from the annual Atlanta Gala Dinner, set for May 4 at the Hyatt Regency, and several members excitedly received their nametags noting they are officially members of the dinner committee. About an hour into the party, dinner cochairs Andrew Land and Kaitlin Porter stood atop a counter and toasted everyone for coming out. Porter announced the dinner is almost sold out so people need to buy their tickets now. Molly Simmons, a nine-year member of HRC, was sipping on a green cocktail with basil and a jalapeño pepper floating in it. As a member of HRC’s national board of governors, she also fundraises locally for the Federal Club Council, the organization’s major donor program. In addition, Simmons is a patron of For the Kid in All of Us and a member of Georgia Equality’s dues sustaining program. “HRC is the country’s biggest civil rights organization advocating for the rights of LGBT people. The people in Congress have to listen to HRC when we show up to lobby because we are so big and that makes us very effective to getting key pieces of legislation passed,” she said. Simmons listed repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and talking to legislators about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a bill to ban job bias based on sexual orientation and gender identity set for reintroduction in Congress this week. Last year’s Atlanta HRC dinner raised $400,000 prior to expenses, and all of it was sent to the national organization in Washington, D.C. This is a good use of local money, Simmons stressed. “HRC works on talking to members of Congress from Georgia just like everyone else. It may be that today, right now, Georgia may not be high on the radar and that means not sending staff here,” she said. But what HRC does at the national level will impact and help turn the tide here, she said. While LGBT people live in 50 different states, there needs to be an organization keeping tabs on the federal government because the federal government is “all of us,” Simmons added.

DETAILS Atlanta HRC Gala Dinner & Silent Auction May 4 Hyatt Regency Atlanta www.atlantahrcdinner.org

SHOW US THE MONEY

While HRC likes to talk about its work at the federal level, it is reticent when discussing monetary specifics in Georgia. Questions about money HRC spends in Atlanta and Georgia were not addressed with specific numbers; instead, HRC leadership provided general answers that included the national organization providing “resources” and “man hours” to local agencies and politicians. “HRC provides support in both in man hours and resources to federal officials from Georgia who advocate for LGBT equality legislation,” said Atlanta dinner co-chair Land, who also noted Georgia companies and municipalities being listed in HRC’s equality indexes. The $400,000 raised here last year went to “HRC’s political work on Capitol Hill, in State Houses and in city halls across the country to help pass LGBT-friendly legislation and help pro-equality candidates get elected to office.” When asked the breakdown of the $400,000 raised last year — how much came from corporate sponsorship, how much from ticket sales, etc. — HRC leaders answered: “Given the proceeds of all activities surrounding the dinner gala go directly toward supporting HRC programs and advocating for equality issues for all LGBT Americans, HRC only communicates the total proceeds raised.” Asked for a total and breakdown of expenses for the Atlanta event, Land said HRC does not report expenses associated with each dinner. Annually, HRC’s gala dinner and auction in Atlanta averages giving more than 70 percent of all proceeds to the work HRC does in Washington and across the country, leaders said. “Since HRC was founded in 1980, its members and staff have worked tirelessly for all LGBT people and all Americans in all 50 states,” Land said. “If you look at the repeal of DADT, that’s as much a Georgia accomplishment as an American accomplishment.” Total 2012 national income for HRC was nearly $46 million, up from $43 million the previous year, according to its annual report. The HRC Foundation, which works on research, advocacy and education, had an in-

Above: Last year’s Atlanta HRC Dinner honorees included actor Sean Hayes and Tammy Baldwin (center), now the first out gay U.S. Senator. (Photo by Brent Corcoran/RNZ Photography) Right: Matthew Morrison, best known for his role on hit TV show ‘Glee,’ is slated to recieve the 2013 Ally for Equality Award. (Publicity photo via Facebook) Below: Michael Shutt of Emory and Joining Hearts will be honored for their local work on behalf of LGBT equality and HIV advocacy at this year’s Atlanta HRC Dinner. (Shutt via Facebook, Joining Hearts by Brent Corcoran/RNZ Photography)

come of $35 million, also up another $3 million from 2011. Atlanta’s HRC steering committee is all volunteers and all work with and support local LGBT organizations in addition to volunteering for HRC. Individual HRC Atlanta volunteers also donate time and money to Atlanta-based LGBT organizations, leaders said. This year, an HRC political co-chair living in Atlanta helped Georgia Equality lobby for the Georgia Fair Employment Practices Act, ﬁrst introduced in 2011 by state Rep. Karla Drenner. The bill would add “sexual orientation” to protected statuses for public employment in Georgia.

ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S BEST DINNERS

Atlanta’s HRC dinner is continually praised at a national level for its success. At this year’s Equality Convention in Washington, D.C., the Atlanta dinner received the Dinner Committee of the Year award and also was awarded for its excellence for meeting and exceeding ticket revenue, Land said.

The dinner takes a full year to plan, said Porter. “We start planning a couple weeks after the last dinner when we debrief over the previous dinner to figure out what went right and what needs to improve,” she said. There are some 30 committees that make the dinner happen, everything from corporate sponsor committee to table captain committee to the silent auction committee. This year, Matthew Morrison of the Fox hit TV show “Glee” provides the star power and will receive the Ally for Equality Award. HRC President Chad Griffin will speak at this year’s dinner as well. Joining Hearts will receive the Dan Bradley Humanitarian Award and the Leon Allen & Winston Johnson Community Service Award will go to Michael Shutt, director of Emory University’s Office of LGBT Life. The cast from Serenbe Playhouse’s production of “Hair” will open the dinner and closing entertainment will be by Niki Harris, a Madonna background singer and dancer.

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8 | GA VOICE

NEWS

04.26.13

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Assailants in anti-gay attack plead guilty to federal hate crime

First case in Georgia to use sexual orientation section of law By LAURA DOUGLAS-BROWN lbrown@thegavoice.com The cell phone video of the brutal anti-gay beating of Atlanta resident Brandon White, posted to a hip hop website last year, made the attackers seem particularly callous. Last week, it also proved key to the ﬁrst case in Georgia to charge a violation of the sexual orientation section of the federal hate crimes law. Christopher Cain and Dorian Moragne, both of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes charges April 18 before U.S. District Judge J. Owen Forrester. “Violence against another person because of his or her sexual orientation has no place in our civilized society,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates in a prepared statement. “The citizens of this district should know that we are committed to aggressively prosecuting hate crimes.” White was attacked on Feb. 4, 2012, by a group of young men who shouted “faggot” at him repeatedly. A video of the beating was posted to a popular hip hop website and went viral. Without the video, the hate crime charges may not have been possible. In July, Cain, 18; Moragne, 19; and Darael Williams, 17; were sentenced in Fulton Superior Court after being found guilty of aggravated assault. All were given 10 years in prison, to serve ﬁve years. Williams, who was prosecuted as an adult in Fulton County, was considered a juve-

nile and not charged in federal court. Georgia does not have a hate crime law, and the federal hate crime law that includes crimes based on sexual orientation — the Matthew Shephard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Protections Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2009 — has stringent requirements for federal jurisdiction. It was the cell phone video that allowed federal prosecution. “The Hate Crimes statute confers jurisdiction if the defendant used an instrumentality of interstate commerce in connection with the offense,” Yates said in response to questions from GA Voice. “Under the law, a telephone is such an instrumentality.”

NO PAROLE IN FEDERAL SYSTEM

A sentencing date for Cain and Moragne has not been set, but prosecutors agreed as part of the men’s plea deal to ask that their federal sentences run concurrently to their state sentences. “We conferred with the victim about this case, and after discussing the case with him, we agreed to recommend that the state and federal sentences run concurrent to each other,” Yates said. “A federal district court judge will ultimately decide what the sentence will be, and whether it should run concurrently.” But the concurrent sentences do not mean Cain and Moragne won’t face any additional penalties due to the federal charges. They could be sentenced to up to 10 years, a $250,00 ﬁne, and up to three years supervised release, ac-

Brandon White: ‘They deserve everything they are going to get.’ By RYAN WATKINS rwatkins@thegavoice.com A little over a year ago, on Feb. 4, 2012, Brandon White walked out of a convenience store in Atlanta’s Pittsburgh community, only to be ambushed by a group of young men. They beat him, yelling epithets like “No faggots,” while another recorded the attack on his cell phone. In July, White saw three of the men convicted of aggravated assault under Georgia law. Last week, two pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges.

GA Voice caught up with White to discuss the hate crime convictions and how his life has changed in the year since the attack. Are you pleased with the attackers pleading guilty to hate crime charges? Brandon White: Very much so. To begin, that was my whole purpose. I know in the state of Georgia it was only considered an assault. It was a hate crime, because of their purpose and because of why they did what they did. Did you attend the plea hearing? Were you

Brandon White confirmed this week that federal prosecutors consulted with him about the plea agreement for two men who beat him while calling him ‘faggot.’ Both men pled guilty to federal hate crime charges. (Photo by Dyana Bagby) Inset: White’s attackers Dorian Moragne (top) and Christopher Cain may face additional penalties due to the federal charges.

cording to a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney. In addition, parole is not allowed in the federal system, requiring those who are convicted to serve a minimum of 85 percent of their sentences (time is reduced only for good behavior). “This means that even where state and federal sentences are ordered to run concurrent to each other, a defendant may serve a

longer sentence than he would have if he had only been sentenced in the state,” Yates said. “Should he be granted parole in the state before the end of his federal sentence, he would be brought into federal custody to serve the remainder of the federal sentence.”

asked to testify in the trial? [The detective] called me the day before and told me about it. I scheduled off and went to the hearing. There was no trial to testify in.

Anyone that knows me, I don’t want to see any parent without their child for 10-15 years. At the same time, what were those guys thinking? They deserve everything they’re going to get. If they get the years the judge was going to give them, that’s what they deserve to have. I feel no sympathy for them.

Do people recognize you from the coverage? That’s the funny part. I get a lot of people that come up to me. They don’t realize where they recognize me from, but they know me. I just tell them I have a familiar face. I don’t want to go through that whole sympathetic process. You have those that do recognize me and want to do the whole “I’m sorry.” The U.S. attorney’s ofﬁce says they conferred with you before agreeing to the plea deal which has the sentences run concurrently. How do you feel about the deal?

— Dyana Bagby contributed

How are you doing now? Physically I’m well. Mentally, I’m doing much better than I was. I’m back at work. My days go by and it doesn’t even seem like it’s been a year. You have reminders of who you are and where you’ve come from. It makes you look at things in a different perspective and in a different light. I’m actually in customer service with Comcast. I love my job.

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NEWSIN BRIEF

In legislative votes this month, New Zealand and France became the 13th and 14th countries to approve same-sex marriage. New Zealand’s parliament voted April 17 to allow same-sex couples to marry, becoming the first country in the Asian-Pacific rim to allow such unions. The new rules will take effect in August. After the final vote had been counted, supporters of the bill, and some lawmakers, began to sing “Pokarekare Ana” — a traditional New Zealand love song — while congratulating one another. Some lawmakers were seen wiping away tears. France became the ninth European nation to approve a same-sex marriage law after its National Assembly voted April 19 to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. The vote came after several days of intense protests throughout the French capitol. French President Francois Hollande, the head of the country’s left-leaning socialist party, campaigned on marriage equality during France’s 2012 elections. Hollande is expected to sign the measure into law. If it survives possible legal challenges, France would become the largest country (by population) to grant marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples. More @ www.thegavoice.com

BILL TO BAN GAY, TRANS JOB BIAS REINTRODUCED IN CONGRESS

At press time, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a long-fought federal bill to ban job bias based on sexual orientation and gender identity, was set for reintroduction in the U.S. Congress on April 25. The bill will be introduced in the House by Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), who is openly gay, and in the Senate by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), the Washington Blade reported. Activists want a committee vote and ﬂoor vote on ENDA in the Senate this year, Tico Almeida, president of Freedom to Work, told the Blade. More @ www.washingtonblade.com

BOY SCOUTS MAY ALLOW GAY MEMBERS, BUT NOT LEADERS

The Boy Scouts of America is poised to allow openly gay scouts but not out leaders. BSA

Supports sang and N.Z. lawmakers cried and congratulated each after the parliament voted to allow same-sex marriage. A YouTube video of the vote and song had almost 1.3 million hits at press time. (Screen capture via Parliament TV) Courtesy photo

NEW ZEALAND, FRANCE SAY ‘I DO’ TO SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

Photo by Dyana Bagby

Marriage equality in New Zealand and France, ENDA’s back, Boy Scouts and more

ASHLEY DEL VALLE spokesperson Deron Smith told Reuters last week that if a proposed policy is approved in May, “no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.” The proposal, however, would still ban openly gay and lesbian scout leadership. Pressure has mounted on the BSA to allow openly gay members and leadership. In February, more than a million signatures were delivered to BSA headquarters from four separate petitions. More @ www.thegavoice.com.

TRANS WOMAN ALLEGES ABUSE BY SAVANNAH POLICE, JAIL OFFICIALS

A transgender woman arrested April 7 in Savannah, Ga., is claiming she was harassed by police ofﬁcers after she was charged with indecent exposure. A police report from the Savannah Police Department states Ashley Del Valle, who said she was visiting Savannah from New York, had her breasts exposed. Savannah police and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department deny handling the case unprofessionally. Del Valle was taken to jail where she said deputies consistently referred to her as “thing,” “brotha” and “nigga.” However, the deputy chief of the Chatham County jail, who said Del Valle is “technically a male” and consistently referred to her with a male pronoun, said at all times Del Valle was kept isolated from other male inmates as part of its policy. More @ www.thegavoice.com

04.26.13

GA VOICE | 9

10 | GA VOICE

OPINION

04.26.13

GA VOICES OUR OPINION

www.theGAVoice.com

EDITORIAL

Know where your money goes

It’s up to LGBT Georgians to make sure we support both national and local LGBT causes By LAURA DOUGLAS-BROWN lbrown@thegavoice.com In the wake of last month’s Supreme Court hearings on gay marriage, Georgia Equality and Lambda Legal teamed up to host a discussion of the potential impact of the cases. Georgia Equality streamed the event live for those who could not come to the Phillip Rush Center in Atlanta, and the opportunity for online attendees to chat proved interesting. At one point, one online attendee asked if Georgia Equality is basically a local chapter of the national Human Rights Campaign, receiving money from HRC. The answer, of course, is that Georgia Equality (our state’s largest LGBT political group) and HRC (the nation’s largest LGBT political group) are two completely separate organizations, with no shared funding. This person was genuinely surprised, and said he thought a portion of his monthly HRC donations also supported Georgia Equality. Think about that: Here is a person who is already more politically involved than many LGBT Georgians. He was informed enough to know about Georgia Equality’s forum and to devote an evening to watching an analysis of the cases. He was also already a regular donor to HRC, when a 2012 study found that only 3 percent of LGBT adults donate $35 or more per year to national gay groups. Yet even someone that involved didn’t know exactly where his money is going. If he was confused, what about the rest of our community?

WE NEED THE NATIONAL FIGHT

It’s a common misconception that some of the money from HRC events — including the massive HRC Atlanta Dinner, set for May 4 this year — goes to local battles for LGBT rights. That’s not HRC’s fault. The organization never states that any proceeds from the dinner or other events go to local causes, although many people make that assumption, perhaps

due to HRC’s dedicated local volunteers and annual local award winners. There is also nothing wrong with local money going to fight for LGBT issues at the national level. In fact, it is vitally important, especially for states like Georgia. The hard truth is that big victories like marriage equality, or even laws to ban job discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity for public AND private employees, aren’t going to happen in GOP Georgia any time soon. We need national wins on these issues to trickle down here. Those two battles are ongoing, but Georgia has also already reaped benefits from national LGBT victories. HRC played a lead role in lobbying for the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. On April 18, two of the men who attacked Atlanta resident Brandon White because he is gay pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes charges. (See story, Page 8) While the assailants had already been convicted for the beating in Fulton County Superior Court, they couldn’t be charged with hate crimes there, because Georgia doesn’t have a hate crime law. We need national organizations fighting for national laws related to LGBT rights, and if every community kept their money local, there wouldn’t be any national groups.

CLEARING UP CONFUSION

Nevertheless, the fact that confusion exists over where money raised by HRC goes, and that HRC is clearly sensitive about talking about it, points to a need for more open discussion and possible change. Last year’s HRC Atlanta Dinner raised approximately $400,000, but the national organization won’t release many details about that money. Asked by GA Voice for our story that appears on Page 6, HRC stated that the $400,000 is gross proceeds — in other words, money that came in before expenses.

What would happen if all of the 1,200 attendees at the Atlanta HRC Dinner also donated even $20 to local organizations? The organization would not release the breakdown of sources for the proceeds (how much from tickets, corporate sponsorships, silent auction, etc.) or a breakdown or exact figure for expenses, although leaders indicated that net proceeds “average” 70 percent. We also asked if HRC “provides any monetary support to local efforts here in GA.” In response, HRC leaders noted “HRC provides support – both in man hours and resources to federal officials from Georgia who advocate for LGBT equality legislation” and also listed the inclusion of Georgia companies and cities in its Corporate Equality Index and Municipal Equality Index. But as LGBT Georgians know, we don’t have many federal elected officials worthy of HRC support. A search of the Federal Election Commission website turned up a total of $6,000 donated by the HRC PAC to U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) during the 2010 and 2012 election cycles, along with $1,000 donated to the campaign of Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) during the same period. That’s a total of $7,000 donated to Georgia candidates over four years, a period in which the HRC Dinners raised easily $1 million here. That HRC chose to list the corporate and municipal equality indexes when asked about money spent in Georgia is also interesting. Certainly the two indexes cost money to produce, and they are definitely useful lobbying tools on how corporations and cities — including some in Georgia — stack up. Still, creating these is not the same as providing monetary support directly to local efforts.

MONEY TALKS

HRC already does tremendous work at the national level. The Atlanta dinner also helps inspire local attendees to keep ﬁghting for our equality. The dinner could go a step further,

and generate tremendous goodwill, by considering donating even a small portion of the money raised back to Atlanta organizations. The $400,000 raised at last year’s HRC Atlanta Dinner is more than $70,000 higher than the entire annual budget for Georgia Equality. If HRC pledged to donate just $10,000 from the dinner back to an Atlanta group, it would be only 2.5 percent of the $400,000 proceeds, but could make a big impact here. The donation could come as a grant to an organization chosen by that year’s dinner committee, or it could be linked to the local activism awards. But those who attend the HRC Dinner shouldn’t simply wait for the national organization to do their donating for them. Just as you need to vote and reach out to your own elected officials, you also need to make sure that you spread out your donations among all of the LGBT causes that motivate you. To his credit, the person on the Georgia Equality webcast who thought part of his HRC donation went to Georgia Equality immediately pledged to also make donations directly to the state organization after learning that it didn’t. More of us should follow his lead — especially since the small donations that most of us can easily afford can go a long way for local groups. What would happen if everyone who goes to the HRC Atlanta Dinner donated just $20 to a local organization? Spread over 1,200 attendees, it would mean an influx of $24,000 into organizations here. To put it in perspective, that’s more than 10 percent of the annual budget for the Health Initiative, “Georgia’s voice for LGBTQ health.” It is also almost 25 percent of the annual budget for Lost-n-Found Youth, a local group that helps homeless LGBT young people; and it is a whopping 50 percent of the money that the Phillip Rush Center, our LGBT community center, needs to raise in the next six months to complete renovations and expansion plans. When it comes to fighting for LGBT equality, it’s important to both talk the talk, and walk the walk. And while we should never underestimate the power of volunteer hours and grassroots outreach, we have to acknowledge that money talks.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

04.26.13

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EVENTS BY Laura douglas-Brown

Eight great spring events

From fundraisers to festivals, spring is ﬁlled with LGBT options Photo by Dyana Bagby

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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More spring events Ready to plan even more of your spring LGBT agenda? Check out these events that are either LGBT-focused or sure to draw LGBT crowds, and be sure to read the Best Bets in each GA Voice issue for additional nightlife, entertainment and community gatherings.

Dodgeball: Tournament for a Cause For the Kid in All of Us May 18 at Decatur Rec Center www.forthekid.org

APRIL

Randy Roberts Live! May 18 at Mixx Atlanta www.mixxatlanta.com

Women’s Music in the Mountains April 26-28 at Fox Mountain Camp & Artist Retreat Cherry Log, Ga. www.foxmtncamp.com

Pet Cotillion to benefit PALS Atlanta May 19 at Piedmont Bark www.palsatlanta.org

Bearapalooza April 26-28 at OZ Campground Unadilla, Ga. www.ozcampground.com Atlanta S/M Solidarity April 26-28 Spring in the South www.asmsolidarity.org/sits/ Atlanta Bucks Purple Dress Run April 27 www.atlantabucksrugby.org

MAY Gaylaxicon May 2-5 at the Atlanta Marriott Century Center www.outlantacon.org Doggies on the Catwalk May 3 at the W-Atlanta Midtown www.fashionado.net 2013 LGBTQA Youth Summit May 4 at North Gwinnett High School www.northgwinnett.com Papi’s Cinco de Mayo Carnival May 5 at Las Margaritas www.lasmargaritasatlanta.com PALS Bingo: Safari theme May 8 at Jungle Club www.palsatlanta.org Bear Mayhem May 10-12 at River’s Edge Campground Dewy Rose, Ga. http://bit.ly/ZJ9nBu International Day Against Homophobia May 17 at First Christian Church of Decatur http://on.fb.me/17LeLaV AIDS Vaccine 200 bike ride May 18-19 at Emory University http://actioncycling.kintera.org/

04.26.13

GA VOICE | 17

JOIN PIEDMONT BARK IN CROWNING

THE 2013 PALS SPOKESPET

– Arrow

2012 PALS Spokespet

Decatur Arts Festival May 25-26 www.decaturartsfestival.com Atlanta Jazz Festival May 25-27 www.atlantafestivals.com ManShaft: Military Edition May 31 at Cockpit www.facebook.com/cockpit.atlanta

JUNE Virginia Highland Summerfest June 1-2 www.vahi.org/summerfest Atlanta Fringe Festival June 5-9 www.atlantafringe.org OurSong LGBT Chorus: The Singing Heart June 7-8 www.oursongatlanta.org Peachtree Hills Festival of the Arts June 8-9 www.peachtreehillsfestival.com PALS Bingo: Toga theme June 12 at Jungle Club www.palsatlanta.org Southeast Leatherfest June 20-23 www.seleatherfest.com Atlanta Freedom Bands: “American Journey” June 22 at Grace UMC www.atlantafreedombands.com Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus: Singing Out Loud: Living the Legacy June 28-29 www.agmchorus.org

MAY 19, 2013 ★ 2–5 PM ★ PETS WELCOME (LEASHED) CO-HOSTS MARA DAVIS & TYLER CALKINS Admission to Benefit PALS ★ $25 At the Door or $20 In Advance Admission includes complimentary drinks and hors d’oveuvres Silent Auction & Music by DJ Pat Scott Join us for the After-Party Hosted by 10th & Piedmont To enter your pet or purchase advance tickets: palsatlanta.org

TAJ MAHOUND BAKERY

ALECIA LAUREN PHOTOGRAPHY

10TH & PIEDMONT

Due to State Regulations, no pet will be allowed in the facility without proof of current vaccinations. OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK • 404-873-5400 • MIDTOWN ATLANTA, AMSTERDAM WALK, 501 AMSTERDAM AVE, ATLANTA, GA 30306

18 | GA VOICE

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

04.26.13

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FILM BY Steve Warren

Men of iron, steel and ﬂesh Spring ﬁlms mostly eye candy in theaters; more LGBT fare on TV, DVD

If you’re going to the movies in the next couple of months you’ll find LGBT content severely limited, although gay men in particular will find even more eye candy than usual (if you like the muscular type) in the “summer” blockbusters. (Hollywood’s summer begins earlier every year. Last week’s Tom Cruiser, “Oblivion,” arguably kicked off Summer 2013.) The gayest movie of the season, and possibly the year, is “Behind the Candelabra,” which premieres on HBO May 26. Directed by Steven Soderbergh (whose lesbian noir “Side Effects” comes to DVD May 21), it stars Michael Douglas as Liberace and Matt Damon as his young lover, Scott Thorson (we didn’t have “partners,” let alone husbands, in those days). In the days before Stonewall, flamboyant pianist Liberace was the first celebrity the word “queer” brought to mind, even though he denied being gay to avoid scaring off his fan base of little old ladies. With a style of dress that Elton John later adopted in a toned-down fashion, he made Paul Lynde look butch! Speaking of dress, fashionistas will flock to “Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s,” a documentary about New York’s influential department store Bergdorf-Goodman, which should open sometime in May. Isaac Mizrahi and Tom Ford are among the gay designers represented, and Joan Rivers and Candice Bergen are among the celebrity clientele on hand. Fans of Baz Luhrmann’s “Moulin Rouge” will want to see his version of “The Great Gatsby” (May 10), which promises even more overblown opulence and anachronistic music (Beyoncé and André 3000, Florence and the Machine, Lana Del Rey, etc. in the 1920s). Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire star. The historic Plaza Theatre will try to get your old seats in their new seats with a Gay Film Series in June to mark Pride Month or Pride Lite or whatever we’re calling it this year. Their lineup of Canadian oldies includes Patricia Rozema’s lesbian romance “When Night Is Falling,” in which a heretofore straight professor falls in love with an acrobat; and two by Laurie Lynd: “Breakfast with Scot,” about a gay couple, one of them a closeted sportscaster, getting temporary custody of a flamboyant boy; and the short “RSVP,” about a man dealing with his partner’s AIDS death. In Michel Gondry’s “The We and the I,”

opening today at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema, the inner city students riding the bus home from school – where the whole ﬁlm takes place – include a gay couple having a lovers quarrel and two girls who were involved in a drunken makeout session at a party.

EXTREME EYE CANDY

The eye candy also begins today with a pumped up Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie as personal trainers pulling off a scam in “Pain & Gain,” based on a true Miami incident. Next week it’s Robert Downey Jr. letting the suit do the fighting in “Iron Man 3” (May 3), with Ben Kingsley as the principal opponent from whom he must save the world. On May 17 “Star Trek Into Darkness” re-teams Chris Pine as Kirk and out actor Zachary Quinto as Spock, a dream team for those of us who like our men human-sized. And if your fantasies extend to three-ways, Benedict Cumberbatch is the principal opponent from whom they must save the universe. Memorial Day weekend brings three big movies. “Fast & Furious 6” adds Dwayne Johnson to the testosterone mix of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, and lesbians can appreciate Michelle Rodriguez, back in the role of Letty. Unlike “F&F 5,” none of this was filmed in Atlanta. “The Hangover Part III” concludes the outrageous comic trilogy (unless it makes as much money as the first two and they find a way to extend it). I don’t know what’s left after the transgender encounters our straight heroes had in the first two films, but Ken Jeong is back as the flamboyant (but possibly straight) Mr. Chow. Melissa McCarthy (the female equivalent of Dwayne Johnson in terms of ubiquity this year) joins the cast.

MORE TO WATCH FOR

A movie without a number in its title (!), “Epic” is an animated teen fantasy with voices including Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson, Beyoncé and Steven Tyler. “After Earth” (May 31) teams Will and Jaden Smith as father and son in a futuristic sci-ﬁ epic. You’d think a 13-year-old would

The gayest movie of the season, and possibly the year, is ‘Behind the Candelabra,’ a biography of flamboyant pianist Liberace (Michael Douglas) and his lover Scott Thorton (Matt Damon), which premieres on HBO May 26. (Photo by Claudette Barius)

have more important things to do than save the universe! “Now You See Me” (May 31) sounds original, which is unusual for a summer movie. It’s said to be about the FBI tracking a gang of magicians who steal money in their act and distribute it to the audience. Jesse Eisenberg and Morgan Freeman star. Henry Cavill is the “Man of Steel” (June 14) in the latest Superman reboot, with Russell Crowe as his (non-singing) father. Director Zack Snyder gave us “300” so we can expect Clark Kent’s alter ego to be built. “World War Z” (June 21) ﬁnds Brad Pitt trying to save the planet from zombies, while the same weekend brings the prequel “Monsters University,” about the college days of animated characters voiced by Billy Crystal, John Goodman, etc. The latest from out director Roland Emmerich, “White House Down” (June 28) sounds similar to “Olympus Has Fallen,” with Channing Tatum in the hero role and Jamie Foxx as the President.

LGBT ON THE SMALL SCREEN

If you want to stay home and watch mov-

ies instead, you’ll have a better chance of ﬁnding LGBT characters and storylines. Several alumni from Out on Film 2012 will be released soon, including “Fourplay” (May 14), “Yossi” (May 21) and “Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean” (June 4). Some others are already in release: “Sassy Pants,” “Gayby,” “Love Free or Die,” “North Sea Texas,” “A Perfect Ending,” “Keep the Lights On,” “Elliot Loves,” “Kiss Me” and “Bad Boy Street.” This Tuesday, April 30, sees the release of “The Guilt Trip,” starring Barbra Streisand as Seth Rogen’s Jewish mother. She plays 20 years younger than herself and if you didn’t know better you could believe it. It’s better than Bette Midler’s “Parental Guidance,” which also opened for the December holidays and is already out. “Vito,” the biography of LGBT ﬁlm historian Vito Russo (“The Celluloid Closet”) also hits stores and screens April 30. “Cloud Atlas” (May 14), a complex failure by Tom Tykwer, Lana and Andy Wachowski, features a gay romance among its convoluted storylines. Yes, there’s a lot more queer entertainment on the small screen than the big screen this season. Not that size matters.

www.theGAVoice.com

04.26.13

GA VOICE | 19

Announcing this year's local award winners

Ally for Equality Award: Award: Matthew Morrison

Winston Johnson and Leon Allen Community Leadership Award: Award: Michael Shutt

Dan Bradley Humanitarian Award Joining Hearts Award:

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Crystal: The Fryer Law Firm, Continuon Solutions LLC, Morgan Stanley Media Sponsors: Project Q, Fenuxe, David, GA Voice, F3 Digital * as of April 10

To learn more about the dinner and purchase your tickets go to www.atlantahrcdinner.org

20 | GA VOICE

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

04.26.13

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THEATER BY JIM FARMER

Gay directors shine in spring shows Oﬀerings include new plays, familiar favorites Although LGBT-themed productions are something of a rarity the next few months in the ATL, the upcoming theater season nonetheless has some snap to it. One of the plays with a gay character in it is Horizon Theatre’s “The Book Club Play” (May 17 – June 23) by playwright Karen Zacarias, in which the leader of a book club discovers that she and the members of the group — including a gay man — are being featured in a documentary, and the camera is always running. Directed by Jeff Adler, the comedy has a great cast including Wendy Melkonian. Several of Atlanta’s popular LGBT directors are busy this season. Heidi S. Howard, the openly lesbian new artistic director of 7 Stages, is directing “Lady Lay” (April 25 – May 19). It’s about a woman who works at a West Berlin employment ofﬁce all her life, whose life changes when she hears a Bob Dylan song on the radio. The cast includes Stacy Melich, Del Hamilton, and Faye Allen. Freddie Ashley, the openly gay artistic director of Actor’s Express, is directing “Seminar” (May 15 – June 16), written by Theresa Rebeck, the creator of “Smash.” It’s the story of four writing students getting a lesson by an acerbic world-class author. Serenbe Playhouse’s three-show season gets underway in June. Openly gay Brian Clowdus, the company’s artistic director, will helm two shows. First up is an original adaptation of the Margery Williams’ classic “The Velveteen Rabbit” adapted by Rachel Teagle. Clowdus will also direct the musical “Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical.” Clowdus is calling this his “season of change.” “A rabbit becomes a real rabbit in ‘Velveteen,’ two arms negotiators in ‘A Walk in the Woods’- an American and a Russian – are at a standstill and ‘Hair” is about a revolution with sexual awakening,” he says.

‘5 LESBIANS’ AND MORE

Last year, the Weird Sisters — a group of female theater artists — staged a splendid version of “Anton In Show Business,” which featured a lesbian character. This summer, they will present “5 Lesbians Eating A Quiche” in July at the Shakespeare Tavern. It’s set in 1956, where the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein members are having their annual quiche breakfast. Communists threaten their town and threaten to expose town secrets. It’s directed by com-

Gay directors Freddie Ashley and Brian Clowdus offer new shows this spring. (Publicity photos)

DETAILS ON STAGE NOW AND COMING THIS SEASON ON STAGE NOW UPCOMING “Sister Act” Through April 28 at the Fox Theatre www.broadwayacrossamerica.com Based on the Whoopi Goldberg film, this Broadway musical returns to Atlanta after several years with some noticeable changes. “Hello, Dolly!” Through April 28 at Georgia Ensemble Theatre, www.get.org Courtenay Collins plays the title role in the first classic musical. “Zorro” Through May 4 at Alliance Theatre www.alliancetheatre.org Openly gay director Christopher Renshaw brings this flamenco musical to the stage. “Brer Rabbit & Friends” Through May 26 at the Center for Puppetry Arts www.puppet.org Gay director Spencer G. Stephens helms a version of this popular family fare.

“Lady Lay” April 25 – May 19 at 7 Stages 1105 Euclid Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307 www.7stages.org

“The Velveteen Rabbit” June 7 - 27 at Serenbe Playhouse 9110 Selborne Lane Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268 www.serenbeplayhouse.com

“The 39 Steps” May 3 - 19 at Onstage Atlanta 2969 E. Ponce De Leon Ave. Decatur, GA 30030 www.onstageatlanta.com

“The Aliens” June 14 – July 6 at Pinch ‘N’ Ouch Theatre 1085 Ponce de Leon Ave. Atlanta, GA 30306 www.pnotheatre.org

“Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody” May 14 – 19 at The Buckhead Theatre 3110 Roswell Road, Atlanta, GA 30305 www.thebuckheadtheatre.com

“Metamorphoses” June 21 – July 21 Georgia Shakespeare at Oglethorpe 4484 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA 30319 www.gashakespeare.com

“Seminar” May 15 – June 16 at Actor’s Express 887 W. Marietta St., Atlanta, GA 30318 www.actorsexpress.com “Dancing at Lughnasa” May 17 - June 6 at Stage Door Players 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road Dunwoody, GA 30338 www.stagedoorplayers.net “The Book Club Play” May 17 – June 23 at Horizon Theatre 1083 Austin Ave. , Atlanta, GA 30307 www.horizontheatre.com

pany member Kelly Criss. In its new home in Decatur, Onstage Atlanta takes on the mystery comedy “The 39 Steps” (May 3 – 19) with a cast including gay actor Charlie Miller, while The Buckhead Theatre is hosting a spoof of the book “Fifty Shades of Grey” called “Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody”

“Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical” July 25 – Aug. 11 at Serenbe Playhouse 9110 Selborne Lane Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268 www.serenbeplayhouse.com “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche” TBD July at The Weird Sisters at Shakespeare Tavern 499 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30308 www.shakespeareavern.com

(May 14 – 19). Among other shows opening this spring/ early summer are Pinch ‘N’ Ouch’s “The Aliens,” Stage Door Players Tony-Award winning drama “Dancing With Lughnasa” and a remount of Georgia Shakespeare’s award-winning “Metamorphoses.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

www.theGAVoice.com

FOOD PORN BY CLIFF BOSTOCK

Passionate pasta “There’s little as sensual and disgusting as eating pasta,” Robert said. He and his boyfriend, Lee, were dining at the new BoccaLupo with friends. It was their way of announcing that they had become boyfriends after several months of dating. “What do you mean?” Janet asked, as she reached for a chunk of tender grilled octopus, one of the restaurant’s best antipasti. “Pasta,” Robert replied, “stimulates the lips. It’s a sloppy vehicle for spicy or buttery sauces. But it’s not so sexy to watch and listen to someone sucking noodles into their piehole.” “That’s odd,” Lee quipped. “You’re certainly a slurper in the bedroom.” Robert blushed ﬁercely as everyone at the table laughed. The two had ﬁnally consummated their relationship after dinner at Canton House two weeks earlier and had since behaved like rabbits on Viagra, usually meeting at Lee’s hotel room. Lee was in Atlanta with his touring show, “House of Gay Oddities,” which he had set up on Cheshire Bridge Road, partly to irritate supporters of City Council Member Alex Wan’s effort to de-eroticize the road. Shawtina, the trans-dwarf who was master of ceremonies in Lee’s show, held his glass of wine in the air. “So here’s to love,” he said, “no matter its form, where it appears, or how crazy it makes us.” “Crazy doesn’t require love in this group,” Janet said, as servers covered the table with noodles, extruded and fresh, from crispy white lasagna to black spaghetti with shrimp and house-made calabrese sausage. “So,” Robert’s colleague Tim asked, “what are you boys going to do when it comes time for Lee’s show to move on? Love is forever, right? Will you join the show, Robert?” “I’ll be around for at least six months,” Lee said. “Why should we think about that now? That’s one problem with a lot of gay men. They think every relationship should last forever and require co-habitation and monogamy. Then, as soon as an inevitable problem arises, they break up.” Robert nodded in agreement. Lee’s background remained mainly mysterious, but by plying him with cocktails, Robert was learning more. He knew that Lee grew up near Tampa, as the son of a couple who owned a large carnival with one of the nation’s last freak shows. Since his parents were on the road most of the year, Lee went to an expensive boarding school and ended up with a Master’s degree in theology. “Jesus ran a freak show,” he told Robert.

Photo courtesy Green Olive Media

Robert and Lee come out as boyfriends, but what about the future?

BOCCALUPO’S BRUCE LOGUE

DETAILS

RECOMMENDED DINING

BoccaLupo 753 Edgewood Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307 404-577-233 | www.facebook.com/boccalupoatl Few restaurant openings have excited me as much as this one. BoccaLupo’s owner-chef is Bruce Logue, formerly chef at La Pietra Cucina, where he wowed the city with his cooking, inspired by his former employer, New York’s Babbo. While the fare at La Pietra was expensive, BoccaLupo features a menu of quite reasonably priced antipasti and pastas. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu but the fried lasagna is an amazing novelty. Consider the taglietelle made with 20 egg yolks and mixed with wild mushrooms and ramp greens. Start with the octopus for sure, but also consider the fried vegetables with aioli and bottarga. Everything is super-fresh, local when possible.

“He showed people that oddness, like kinky sex, and suffering are the reality of life, as did the Buddha, for that matter. That fact is steadily losing appreciation in our time.” Robert was fascinated. He was, essentially, dating a gay circuit preacher whose church was a gay freak show. And Robert himself had organized the Atlanta Food Porn Supper Club. So much for normal. BoccaLupo grew crowded and the group knocked back several bottles of wine and ﬁnished their meal with pistachio semi-freddo and beignet-like zeppole with chocolate sauce. Lee paid the bill and took Robert’s hand as they headed out the door. “Turning 50 never felt so good,” Robert said as they got in Lee’s van, painted with the name of his show. They headed to Lee’s hotel to do away with four condoms by sunup.

Food Porn is a fictional series by longtime Atlanta food critic Cliff Bostock. Set in real Atlanta restaurants, it chronicles the adventures of Robert, a gay man in search of a husband — or at least a good meal. Read the whole series online at www.theGAVoice.com.

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FRIDAY, APRIL 26 SUNDAY, APRIL 28

A strong lineup of music – including Caroline Aiken, Lindsey Hinkle, Ronnda Cadle and more – along with workshops make up the Women’s Music in the Mountains spring fest. All weekend at Fox Mountain Camp and Artist Retreat, Cherry Log, Ga. www.foxmtncamp.com

Men running rampant through the streets of Atlanta are part of the Atlanta Bucks’ Purple Dress Run, benefitting Lost –n – Found Youth and a trip to the Bingham Cup for the rugby team, beginning at 12:30 p.m. at Mixx Atlanta, www.firstgiving.com/atlantabucks

Bearrapalooza at OZ Campground in Unadilla, Ga., features an acoustic show, contests, dance parties, a DJ and tons o’ men. Entertainers include Sean Kagalis, Freddie Freeman, Charlie K. Brown and more. Oz Campground, www.ozcampground.com The National Youth Pride Services South Region Conference, titled “I Am Black Excellence,” features Maurice Jamal and takes place at Evolution Project in Atlanta. www.youthprideservices.org Atlanta S/M Solidarity hosts the 25th annual Spring in the South conference, with this year’s theme “Traditions.” www.asmsolidarity.org/sits/

FRIDAY, APRIL 26

Photo by Brent Corcoran/RNZ Photography

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

FRIDAY, MAY 3

Fashionado presents Doggies on the Catwalk, combining fashion models and four-legged friends to help the Atlanta Humane Society. 7 p.m. at the W Atlanta – Midtown, www.fashionado.net

Photo via Facebook

The Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce hosts its 4th Friday Networking Mixer, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Vivid Salon, www.atlantagaychamber.org

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

Photo by Bo Shell

The second anniversary party for black LGBT nightspot XS Ultra Lounge features special guests, VIP booths, complimentary champagne and more. 10 p.m. – 5 a.m. XS Ultra Lounge, www.xcessultralounge.com

SUNDAY, APRIL 28 Transgender author and activist Tracee McDaniel reads from her new book, “Transitions,” at 2:30 p.m. at Unity Fellowship Church Atlanta, www.unityfellowshipchurchatl.org

The Decatur Women’s League continues its spring softball season, with games at various times on Friday nights at Kelley C. Cofer Park, www.decaturwomensports.com Sponsored by Corset Magazine, The Sensuality, Sexuality and Erotic tour features a night of cocktails, sex conversations and a toy giveaway, 6:30 – 10:30 p.m. Museum Bar, www.atlantamuseumbar.com Gay actor Leslie Jordan appears in “Thriving Children, An Evening to Believe In,” benefitting various local charities. 7 p.m., 200 Peachtree, www.atlthrivingchildren.org Researcher Alexis Pauline Gumbs looks at the poetry in the writing of author Toni Morrison., 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. at Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.com

SOMETHING GAY EVERY DAY!

Bookmark www.thegavoice.com to get your daily dose of local LGBT events. Red? Blue? Left pocket or right? The 4th annual Fort Troff Hanky Code Party will have men galore all browsing for compatible colors, with prizes and giveaways and adult film star Leo Forte. 9 p.m. – 3 a.m. at Mary’s, www.marysatlanta.com

Cowboy Envy, Women of Rock and Heather Lutrell are some of the musical acts at the annual Inman Park Fest, Atlanta’s quirkiest neighborhood festival. www.inmanparkfestival.org

Latina superstar Kat DeLuna visits Club Papi, 10 p.m. – 5 a.m., www.clubpapi.com

The Glitches and Bitches drag show, benefiting Lost-N-Youth, is a prelude to the big June East Point Possums show. 7 – 10 p.m. at East Point Corner Tavern, www.thecornertavern.com

An open house to save the Atlanta Harm Reduction Coalition takes place from 10 p.m. – 4 a.m. at 472 Paines Ave, NW, www.atlantaharmreductioncoalition.org

Go back in time for the “Express Yourself” ‘80s Dance Party, a fundraiser for Actor’s Express. 7:30 p.m. at Actor’s Express, www.actorsexpress.com

The Mr. and Ms. Atlanta Eagle Bar Night begins at 10 p.m., Atlanta Eagle, www.atlantaeagle.com

Traxx Banjee Girls Fridays heat up starting at 8 p.m. at My Sister’s Room, www.mysistersroom.com

SATURDAY, APRIL 27 SUNDAY, APRIL 28

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

Pop legend Barry Manilow performs at 7 p.m. at the Arena at Gwinnett Center, www.arenaduluth.org A tiara is up for grabs at the first annual Atlanta Miss Sugarbakers Pageant, sponsored by the Atlanta Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, 7 – 10 p.m. at Amsterdam Atlanta, www.atlsisters.org

CALENDAR

Music duo/activists Indigie Femme perform from 7:30 – 9 p.m. at Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.com Boxers that glow in the dark are part of the UV Underwear Party tonight at 10 p.m. at Jungle, www.jungleatl.com

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SUNDAY, APRIL 28

The gay Hotlanta Softball League turns out to play every Sunday with games at various times. www.hotlantasoftball.org The inimitable Armorettes spice up Sunday night, 6 – 8 p.m. at Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com

MONDAY, APRIL 29

Join the Health Initiative and SAGE Atlanta, a group for LGBT seniors, for Chair Yoga every Monday through May 6. 10 a.m. at the Rush Center, www.sageatl.org

SATURDAY, MAY 4

TUESDAY, APRIL 30

Irish superstars Celtic Woman perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Fox Theatre, www.foxtheatre.org

The Atlanta Police Department’s LGBT liaison Brian Sharp will sing songs from his anticipated album at Lashes, Laughter and Live, a benefit for the Atlanta Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence featuring drag and other performances, 6 – 9:30 p.m., Mixx Atlanta, www.mixxatlanta.com

FRIDAY, MAY 3

Soul legend Gladys Knight takes the ‘Midnight Train to Georgia’ for a show at the Wolf Creek Amphitheater, www.wolfcreekamphitheater.com

Publicity photo

Out On Film night at “Zorro” at the Alliance includes a free before-play discussion and discounted rate of 15 percent with the promo code Gipsy15Gipsy 15. 7:30 p.m. at the Alliance Theatre, www.alliancetheatre.org Jimmy Buffett will sing “Margaritaville” and more in concert at 8 p.m. at Lakewood Amphitheatre, www.lakewoodampitheatre.org Gay comics come out for the Laugh Your Balls Off April event at 8:30 p.m. at Cockpit, http://thecockpit-atlanta.blogspot/ Tuesdays, Thursdays and early Saturdays are Three Legged Cowboy country nights at the Heretic, www.hereticatlanta.com

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1

A new queen is crowned at the Georgia Entertainer of the Year Pageant, starting at 10 p.m. at Jungle, www.jungleatl.com On Wednesdays, catch the Lust & Bust Show with host Lena Lust and featuring Shawnna Brooks. 11 p.m. at Blake’s on the Park, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com

THURSDAY, MAY 2 – SUNDAY, MAY 5

Outlantacon, Atlanta’s “queer geek” convention/ festival, hosts Gaylaxicon and a weekend of guests, programming and special events at its new home, the Atlanta Marriott Century Center, www.outlantacon.org

THURSDAY, MAY 2

GA Voice columnist and playwright Topher Payne premieres his “Lakebottom Prime” play at 7:30 p.m. at the Springer Opera House in Columbus, www.springeroperahouse.org

Sisters Night at gay sports bar Woofs supports the AV200 Bicycle Ride 2013, from 7 – 10 p.m. at Woofs, www.woofsatlanta.com

Edie Cheezburger presents The Other Show on Fridays. Doors open at 8:30 p.m., show at 9:30 p.m. at Jungle, www.jungleclubatlanta.com

FRIDAY, MAY 3SUNDAY, MAY 5

DJ Lydia Prim spins for FUR Friday nights at the Heretic, www.hereticatlanta.com

Head to the beach near Savannah, Ga., for Gay Days at Tybee Island. Full weekend of events includes the White Party on Saturday night with recording artist Randy Jones, the original cowboy from The Village People, and a tea dance on Sunday with Kristina Foxx. www.gaysavannah.com

FRIDAY, MAY 3

Georgia sisters Larkin Poe appear at 7:30 p.m. at Eddie’s Attic, www.eddiesattic.com Matthew Kahler takes the stage with Andy Offutt Irwin at 8 p.m. at Red Clay Theatre, www.eddieowenpresents.com Iris Dement performs from her new “Sing the Delta” CD and more at 8:30 p.m. at Variety Playhouse, www.variety-playhouse.com

Legendary drag performer Charlie Brown hosts Charlie’s Angels. 11 p.m. Fridays at Blake’s on the Park, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com

SATURDAY, MAY 4

Atlanta artist Philip Bonneau gathers models for his 101 Dalmations photo shoot, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Piedmont Park, 1320 Monroe Drive, Atlanta, GA 30306 A march, live bands and speakers highlight the allday Atlanta Pot Festival. Activities begin at 11 a.m. at Freedom Park, www.potfestival.com “Glee” star Matthew Morrison is one of the guests of the annual Atlanta HRC Dinner, starting at 5 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency, www.atlantahrcdinner.org, followed by the HRC Black Party with DJ David Knapp at 10:30 p.m. at Jungle, www.jungleatl.com

Angelica D’Paige hosts the Fab Five revue at 11 p.m. on Friday’s at Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com

North Gwinnett High School GSA Presents: The 2013 LGBTQA Youth Summit, 8 am – 5 p.m. at North Gwinnett High School, www.northgwinnett.com

DJ Chris Griswold rocks the joint beginning at 10 p.m. at the Heretic, www.hereticatlanta.com

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SATURDAY, MAY 4 Michelle Malone performs from 7- 9:30 p.m. as part of Concerts on the Square on the Decatur Square, www.decaturdba.com

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Collin Kelly hosts an Evening with Southern Poets, 7:15 p.m. at the Georgia Center for the Book, www.georgiacenterforthebook.org

SUNDAY, MAY 5 One of the hottest Cinco de Mayo parties in the area is Papi’s Cinco de Mayo carnival, with DJ Karlitos, Brazilian samba dancers and more, 12 – 11 p.m. at Las Margaritas, www.lasmargaritasatlanta.com

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CALENDAR

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BEST BETS

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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Poetry Atlanta and Charis Books join for a trio of poets - Amanda Auchter, Julie E. Bloemeke and Megan Volpert – at a 7:30 p.m. reading at Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.com Willie Nelson, who has spoken out in favor of gay marriage, performs at Chastain Park at 8 p.m., www.livenation.com

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Dented Lens Photography

Hairy men meet as the Southern Bears take in “Iron Man 3” at the Movie Tavern at Northlake, time TBD, www.southernbears.org Daring Divas is the Saturday night show at Blake’s on the Park, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com Shavonna B. Brooks hosts Extravaganza at 11 p.m. Saturday nights at Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com

SUNDAY, MAY 5

Blake’s also hosts a Cinco de Mayo Margarita Madness event, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com Special guest Erick Baker joins Edwin McCain at 8 p.m. at Red Clay Theatre, www.eddieowenpresents.com Enjoy the folk/pop sounds of Kristy Lee at 9 p.m. at Eddie’s Attic, www.eddiesattic.com

FRIDAY, MAY 10

Photo via Facebook

TUESDAY, MAY 7

FRIDAY, MAY 10

Gay singer-songwriters Tom Goss and Matt Alber perform at 7:15 p.m. at St. Mark United Methodist Church, www.tomgossmusic.net, www.mattalber.com

MONDAY, MAY 6

Angelica D’Paige hosts Blue Monday Karaoke at 11:30 p.m. at Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com

TUESDAY, MAY 7

Poetry Atlanta presents local authors Collin Kelley and Teresa Davis discussing their new books at the Decatur Library Auditorium, 7:15 – 9 p.m., www.poetryatlanta.blogspot.com/ Tuesdays, unwind with a sing-along with pianist David Reeb at 8 p.m. at Mixx, www.mixxatlanta.com Every Tuesday, sing out at Mary-oke starting at 9 p.m. at Mary’s, www.marysatlanta.com

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8

A third of a million people are expected to attend the Sweet Auburn Spring Fest this weekend, www.sweetauburn.com

SUNDAY, MAY 12

Lesbian social networking group Fourth Tuesday hosts its monthly Happy Hour, 6 – 9 p.m., Mixx Atlanta, www.facebook.com/FourthTuesdayAtlanta

THURSDAY, MAY 16

SATURDAY, MAY 11

PALS Atlanta hosts Bingo, with a safari theme this month, at 7:30 p.m. at Jungle, www.palsatlanta.org

THURSDAY, MAY 9

SAGE Atlanta hosts its weekly meeting, with different events and guests each week, 11 a.m. at the Philip Rush Center, www.sageatl.org “Members Only,” the new ‘80s and ‘90s dance party from Barry Brandon, features Evah Destruction as the official host and alternating DJs every Thursday. Doors open at 10 p.m. at Jungle, www.jungleclubatlanta.com

Smashing Pumpkins take the stage at 8 p.m. at Chastain Park, www.livenation.com

The Buckhead Arts & Crafts Festival opens for two days of fun, music, an artist market and more. www.buckheadartsfestival.com Carioca Productions presents DJ Giangi Cappai at Jungle. Doors open at 10 p.m., www.cariocaproductions.com The Atlanta Eagle hosts it annual Clipper Party, with massages and boot services as well, all for charity, www.atlantaeagle.com

International Day Against Homophobia activities begin, www.homophobiaday.org AEN Gives Back, a program of the gay Atlanta Executive Network, presents a Non-Profit Showcase at 6:30 p.m. at the Philip Rush Center, www.aen.org

SATURDAY, MAY 18

Dodgeball: A Tournament for a Cause benefits For the Kids in All of Us, 12 – 4 p.m. at the Decatur Rec Center, www.forthekid.org

SUNDAY, MAY 19

GA Boy Productions T Dance with DJ Dan de Leon from 7 p.m. – midnight at Jungle, www.jungleatl.com

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04.26.13

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THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID First isn’t always best You can have your news only 2 out of 3: fast, cheap or good Walter Cronkite is dead. And when the iconic anchor passed in 2009, he took with him the last representative of public’s unwavering trust in news media. Sadly, those days of news always being reliable and legitimate are over. In its place, we have become a society that simply demands instant information, even if it is often wrong. Many have placed blame for the misinformation distributed during coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing solely on the media. But all of us are at fault. For those too young to remember, Walter Cronkite was an anchorman for the “CBS Evening News” in the ‘60s and ‘70s. He was often described as “the most trusted man in America,” because there was a perception that the news he reported had greater accuracy. Back then, most people got their news twice a day, from their morning newspaper and during the evening television newscast. When television programming was interrupted for breaking news during the day, it had to be something pretty significant. Otherwise, you waited until the end of the day. The growth in popularity of cable television in the ‘80s brought with it the first 24-hour news channel. At the time it seemed like a great idea, since that the mandatory wait was over. If you wanted to check the news, you could. But the problem with all-day news is that on days when it is a slow news day, the network still has to find something to talk about. The time has to be filled and that is when misinformation is most likely to occur. This misinformation may come in the form of an eyewitness account or an interview with a family member of a suspect, whatever it takes to fill the space until the next update can be given. Add to that the emergence of other 24-hour

Melissa Carter is also a writer for Huffington Post. She broke ground as the first out lesbian radio personality on a major station in Atlanta and was one of the few out morning show personalities in the country. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCarter

news stations, and the competition to be first with a story, and the result is a compromise to the integrity of the industry. Being first usually does not translate into being correct. Now we have both professional and amateur journalists online contributing to these stories. The information is instantaneous and splayed, and somehow we expect the people sitting behind the anchor desk while on television to absorb, filter and accurately report this information immediately. That’s unrealistic and unfair. Yet as an audience, we demanded instant updates from Boston and we damned everyone that wasn’t perfect. We can’t have it all in this infancy of New Media. A friend taught me a theory on this very topic just days ago. She said everyone wants everything to be fast, cheap and good. But it’s impossible for anything to be all three — only two of the three can be achieved at once. So we as an audience have to choose which two qualities we want out of news, and if fast and good are those choices, we have to be willing to pay top dollar for that privilege. I am never comfortable beginning any sentence with “back in my day” since my day served only as building blocks to the present. Social media is not a passing phase, and online access and information is of vital importance for any news outlet to survive. The skeptics have to know that access to information must be our first priority as a society, even if it sometimes means that erroneous information gets through. But we all must realize that we are never going to get the full story in the first day or two after an event. To truly understand the events that happen in our world, we have to find the patience for journalists to not simply tell us a story, but tell us the real story. People believed Mr. Cronkite when he finished his broadcasts with, “And that’s the way it is.” We should strive to allow our news people to be that universally trustworthy again.

COLUMNISTS

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Domestically DISTURBED Playing possum A cold-blooded killer lurks in our house

For the last three and a half years, my husband Preppy and I have shared our home with Daisy, a Jack Russell beagle. The breed is called Jackabees by some, but not by us. Not everything needs to be a damn portmanteau, people. Sometimes we can just expend the effort and utter multiple words. Preppy has a very healthy relationship with Daisy, in that he treats her like a dog. Me? I’m not quite so adamant about labels like “human” and “dog.” I don’t have a pet as much as a cohort — someone to sit on the couch and watch “Mad Men” with while we eat a whole bunch of carrots. When we are alone, I turn on my favorite music from high school and we dance. When I see Daisy eating a sock, I take her picture and put it on Instagram. When Preppy gets up to go to work, she moves from the end of the bed to his pillow. I wake up to her staring at me. I have no idea how long she lies there waiting. Preppy ﬁnds that unsettling. I think it is conclusive evidence that I am Daisy’s favorite person in the whole world. She is totally my best friend. No one’s best friend is perfect. You take the good with the bad. I, for example, never return phone calls. I’m terrible about it, and there’s room for growth there. Daisy also has growth opportunities. She is a cold-blooded murderer. Basically, if you weigh under eight pounds and have four legs, my dog is going to end your life. She cannot help it, I suppose. She’s two different hunting breeds compressed into a 35-pound panting homicidal maniac, answering the call of the wild. When Daisy was a puppy, she caught chipmunks, perhaps the occasional lizard. It would take her a little while to kill it, because she’d wanna play with her catch of the day for a while. But the innocence of youth has ended. Our dog hunts compulsively, displaying a steely determination and economy of movement we

Topher Payne is an Atlanta-based playwright, and the author of the book “Necessary Luxuries: Notes on a SemiFabulous Life.” Find out more at www.topherpayne.com

never see in any other circumstance. Our dog is basically Geena Davis in “Long Kiss Goodnight.” We keep hoping word will get out in the animal kingdom: Do not go to the Paynes’ back yard. There’s a monster who will snap your neck in less than 15 seconds and leave you on the steps for her mortified humans. But animals are apparently stupid. I praise her endlessly for each fresh kill, because I do not want mice, chipmunks, or lizards in our back yard. Also, it’s nice to see her contributing to the household. Having a skill set is crucial to one’s self-esteem. Last night, she killed a possum. A big nasty one. Big enough that she couldn’t drag it to the back steps. It was the largest animal she’s murdered, and it got me a little concerned about how much she’s going to keep upping the ante. Am I going to open my back door one day and find a dead cow out there? Maybe she needs therapy. Preppy held onto her, while I got the shovel. When I scooped that disgusting dead beast off the ground, something horrible happened. That something was me learning first-hand what the phrase “playing possum” actually means. That hideous rat monster sat up and hissed at me, with his beady little eyes and yellow teeth. I made this noise: Ee-yoo-ah-ah. And swung that shovel full-force, sending the possum flying through the air, over our fence, hitting the brick wall of my schizophrenic neighbor’s house before dropping to the ground, dead as Amanda Bynes’s career. “Topher!” Preppy shouted/whispered. “You just threw a possum at Crazypants’s house! She’s going to find it dead in the morning! Do you realize you just actually did something as nuts as she accuses us of doing?” Preppy had a point. But in my defense, if you accuse a guy of stealing apples enough times, eventually he’s just gonna start taking apples. Besides, Daisy’s keeping us all safe with a little vermin vigilante justice, and I’m happy to help cover up her crimes. I think she’d do the same for me.

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