The Georgia Voice - 4/27/12 Vol.3, Issue 4

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The Georgia Voice

OUTSPOKEN IN THEIR OWN WORDS

04.27.12

1904 Monroe Dr., Suite 130 Atlanta, GA 30324 404-815-6941 | www.thegavoice.com

NEWS

EDITORIAL

New generation of Atlanta LGBTQ youth speaks out. Page 4

Editor: Laura Douglas-Brown lbrown@thegavoice.com

Gay politico Ken Britt announces bid for state House. Page 6

Deputy Editor: Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com

Student council prez who wanted gayfriendly prom won’t get job back. Page 8

Web Manager: Ryan Watkins rwatkins@thegavoice.com

No suspects in Berry College anti-gay, racist hate crime. Page 8

Art Director: Bo Shell bshell@thegavoice.com

White House hosts Atlanta LGBT conference on HIV/AIDS. Page 10

Contributors: Melissa Carter, Brent Corcoran, Jim Farmer, Shannon Hames, Topher Payne, Mike Ritter, Matt Schafer, Steve Warren, Justin Ziegler

BUSINESS

“I’m a moderate Republican, I have the best jobs plan, I’m pro-choice, support gay marriage and I want us out of Afghanistan now. If you’re not excited about Mitt Romney or the direction of the Republican Party, then I ask you to vote for me.”

Publisher: Christina Cash ccash@thegavoice.com Associate Publisher: Tim Boyd tboyd@thegavoice.com Sales Executive: Marshall Graham mgraham@thegavoice.com

— Openly gay Republican presidential hopeful Fred Karger (inset), who won 0.1 percent of the primary vote in Maryland, in his new “Sexy Frisbee” campaign video that intersperses his remarks with beach scenes of shirtless men and bikini-clad women, plus two guys kissing at the end. (Pink News, April 24)

Richard Eldredge, Sandy Malcolm, Lynn Pasqualetti, Robert Pullen 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, 1904 Monroe Drive, Suite 130, Atlanta, GA 30324. 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.

“There’s so much work to do. If 80 percent of what I talk about is gay issues — I didn’t come out to shut up.

I came out to talk.”

“You’d swear we are all gay because we adore each other [so much].”

— Betty White, discussing her “Hot in Cleveland” costars Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Valerie Bertinelli, in remarks at the April 21 GLAAD Media Awards (Chicago Tribune, April 22)

A&E Lesbian folksinger Catie Curtis chats on eve of local shows. Page 13 Photos: Atlanta Eagle anniversary, Change of Seasons and more. Page 15 Events: Outlantacon offers three days of sci-fi fun. Page 17 Theater: Lesbian-led ‘Xanadu’ takes audiences back to 1980. Page 18

COMMUNITY Atlanta HRC Dinner marks 25 years. Page 19

— Singer Chely Wright, who in 2010 became the first mainstream country star to come out, on stepping up her activism in the wake of recent LGBT youth suicides.

(Miami Herald, April 24)

Photo by David Shankbone

BOARD OF ADVISERS

Photo via chely.com

National Advertising: Rivendell Media, 908-232-2021 sales@rivendellmedia.com

Atlanta participates in worldwide LGBT march, rally. Page 10

Event spotlight: Pet Cotillion. Page 20

“I say this as a president, and I say it as a father. We must tell our children about a crime unique in human history. The one and only Holocaust — six million innocent people — men, women, children, babies — sent to their deaths just for being different, just for being Jewish. We tell them, our children, about the millions of Poles and Catholics and Roma and gay people and so many others who also must never be forgotten.”

— President Obama, acknowledging all victims of the Holocaust, including gays, in an April 23 speech at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (White House, April 23)

Nonprofit spotlight: Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces. Page 20 Personality spotlight: Darian Aaron. Page 21

CALENDAR Pages 22-24

COLUMNISTS That’s What She Said: Melissa Carter on social media and suicide. Page 26 Domestically Disturbed: Topher Payne realizes it’s OK to not be the boy in the band. Page 27 facebook.com/thegavoice twitter.com/thegavoice

Photos by Bo Shell

4 ‘A lot of adults think we are cute and don’t take us seriously and think we need them to save us. But we need to be empowered.’

— Gabriel Haggray, 24

LEADERS, NOT VICTIMS NEW GENERATION OF ATLANTA LGBTQ YOUTH SPEAKS OUT

By Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com “My mom met my boyfriend today,” Gabriel Haggray said, seated at a patio table at Savage Pizza in Little Five Points with friends Chris Kontopidis and Casey Geyer.

“She gave him a hug.”

A huge grin allowed a flash of his bluetinted braces to shine. This was a huge step for Haggray, 24, a psychology major at Georgia Perimeter College who once had dreams of a ballet career and now hopes to become a criminal profiler for the FBI. When Haggray came out in the 11th grade, his parents were a bit reluctant to understand and accept. It’s a different story today. Haggray said the support he receives from his family, especially his older sisters, is monumental.

But that support hasn’t always been there. Haggray attended Salem High School in Conyers, Ga., where he was often bullied for being different. He ran for class president and had the word “fag” scrawled on his posters. Classmates would steal his street clothes while he was in gym class and throw them in the trash.

He found support at YouthPride in Atlanta,

where Kontopidis and Geyer also attended as they looked for resources and peer discussion groups covering such topics as gender.

Two years ago, Haggray served on YouthPride’s board of directors, after also serving on the youth board. In 2010, he was the YouthPride essay winner for the Atlanta Human Rights Campaign Gala Dinner.

Today, Haggray, Kontopidis, Geyer and dozens of other youth ranging in ages from 15 to their early 20s are organizing to build a new youth organization named JustUsATL. The three do not want to talk about YouthPride and its current state of affairs, instead wanting to focus on the future of their organization. But Kontopidis and Haggray acknowledge that it was after a contentious town hall forum on March 6 at Saint Mark United Methodist Church about YouthPride’s viability that many young people became concerned for their future.

At that meeting, adult members of an independent task force tried to explain they believed the non-profit was some $80,000 in debt. YouthPride Executive Director Terence McPhaul came into the forum late and was accused of “hijacking” the meeting after he accused the volunteers of having ulterior motives in pointing out Youth-

Pride’s weaknesses. Shouting matches ensued and more questions were raised than answered.

YouthPride is now being forced to relocate after its landlord, Inman Park United Methodist Church, sued to evict the nonprofit for owing more than $50,000 in rent and fees. YouthPride has until May 31 to get out of the space at 1017 Edgewood Ave. “A lot of young people after that town hall [on March 6] were really concerned about the future of services for LGBTQQA youth,” said Kontopidis, 24, who identifies as a gender queer trans man.

“We found we wanted to do something unique in Atlanta with youth-led services — people deciding for themselves what we need as a community,” he said.

‘That’s a lot of letters’

JustUsATL held its own town hall forum on March 31, outlining a one-year plan to become a non-profit. The fledgling group has been incorporated by the Secretary of State and found temporary meeting space for its three weekly discussion groups.

“A community center would provide a different kind of need — it is really important to do organizing with LGBTQQA com-

munities in the South,” Kontopidis said.

He attended Wesleyan University in Connecticut, but would spend summer breaks in Georgia where he met many people in the transgender community.

“I didn’t have a label for myself until I was 18,” he said.

But the “gender policing” that led to his bullying played a role in his gender construction — in how he identifies, he said.

After graduating from Wesleyan, Kontopidis got a job as a union organizer with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and traveled the country working with people in their communities to determine what they needed.

When union organizing jobs dried up, Kontopidis moved back to Georgia, as he said, “to grow roots.”

Kontopidis also stressed JustUsATL strives to be all-inclusive and that is why the organizations uses the letters “LGBTQQA” — lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and asexual.

“That’s a lot of letters, we know, but these are the identities represented in the organization and we want to be as inclusive as we can,” he said.

Geyer, 20, identifies as a gender queer

Photos by Bo Shell

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trans woman. She was born in Raleigh, N.C., but her family moved to Gwinnett County 17 years ago. Raised in an evangelical home and also home-schooled, Geyer said she was not even sure what “queer” meant until she enrolled at Georgia Gwinnett College, a four-year college founded in 2006 in Lawrenceville.

Geyer’s identity is an “ongoing process,” she said. But it was in college that Geyer began finding herself attracted to trans-oriented groups and people. One year ago she began identifying as a trans woman.

“This was a build up of years and years of, ‘Should I be in this group or not,’” Geyer said.

Home-schooling from preschool through high school meant Geyer was at home most of the time and, unlike Kontopidis and Haggray, did not struggle with bullies.

“I existed pretty independently,” she said. “In some ways that’s kind of strange, but in some ways I dodged a bullet.”

Geyer said being homeschooled served her well and it just seemed “intuitive” that she would seek out queer youth.

“I truly can’t even explain why,” she said. “I just knew I needed that somehow.”

Now, Geyer serves as president of her college Pride Alliance, is a junior psychology major who also is halfway to a biology degree, and is also a research assistant for a psychology professor. But Geyer makes time to attend JustUsATL general assembly meetings on Sundays as well as participate in committee meetings.

“I saw an opportunity to spend my time on something very important — youth are more equipped to know their needs than anyone else,” she said.

Where do youth fit in Atlanta’s gay culture?

LGBT youth can feel removed from the “non-youth” gay culture of Atlanta, the three friends said. Many are not old enough to enter gay bars or parties because the events are often 21 and older.

“Many who under 21 — there are so many LGBTQ businesses closing and there is no place to go,” Kontopidis said. “That’s one set of removal. Also, there is a lot of unemployment and people with no cars, so that leads to isolation.”

But another major issue is that the media

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Discussion groups Held at Positive Impact 60 11th St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 • Tuesdays, 7 p.m. — TransIt, for transgender, gender non-conforming and gender questioning youth • Wednesdays, 7 p.m. — Separate groups for youth ages 13-17 and 18-18

— Chris Kontopidis, 24

— Casey Geyer, 20

GA Voice

JustUsATL www.justusatl.org www.facebook.com/JustUsATL

‘There’s been more in the media lately, horrifying stories of what is going on in the school system, and youth are presented as an example of a victim rather than a decision maker and a leader.’

‘This is not just some a vague concept we are talking about — it’s the future of the queer community in Atlanta and queer youth care about that.’

April 27, 2012

— especially when it comes to the stories of suicides of bullied youth — paint pictures of young people as victims.

“There’s been more in the media lately, horrifying stories of what is going on in the school system, and youth are presented as an example of a victim rather than a decision maker and a leader,” Kontopidis said.

And JustUsATL wants to debunk the myth that young people need adults to “swoop down and save them,” Haggray said.

“A lot of adults think we are cute and don’t take us seriously and think we need them to save us. But we need to be empowered,” he said.

Getting organized

Each Sunday, members of JustUsATL meet for General Assembly — some meetings can last up to four hours — to discuss such issues as achieving federal 501(c)3 nonprofit status, social media campaigns and even social outings.

Throughout the week, members also work on various committees. The young people are committed to making JusUsATL a success and eventually want the group to have its own community center. Almost 150 follow the group on Facebook, and about 25 consistently attend the weekly General Assembly meetings.

“Right now we’re still growing our infrastructure,” said Kontopidis, who also works for the Georgia Safe Schools Coalition. “It will be awhile before we can become a 501(c)3 and begin to raise funds for our own home. Most of us are working or in school full-time, but we do a lot of work throughout the week through the committee system. We’re pushing ourselves because we believe in what we are doing.”

Haggray, who also works as the community relations manager for the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Edgewood, said the process of working together with JustUsATL has been

“eye-opening” and fulfilling.

“We all have so many different opinions.

My opinion may be different than Casey’s then she’ll propose something and she’ll go into more detail and I’ll think, ‘Oh, I didn’t think of that,’” he said.

Kontopidis said the group uses a consensus model rather than majority rules because JustUsATL wants to honor all voices in the group.

“We all try to build to a consensus and incorporate all ideas. We do have difficult conversations with each other. But I think it’s been amazing because it brings more voices to the floor. We are constantly hearing from new voices,” he said.

The nuances of the organization’s power structure are among items currently being discussed, as well as where the group can meet on a permanent basis. For now, discussion groups for those ages 13-17 and 18-28, as well as a group for transgender and gender-nonconforming youth, meet at Positive Impact in Midtown.

Working with counseling professionals, members of JustUsATL recently designed a model for a counseling program that will include one-on-one counseling plus sessions for those struggling with sexual violence, mood disorders and drug addiction. The counseling program would be implemented with volunteer counselors. And while it hasn’t begun yet, the establishment of the program is a crucial step in JustUsATL’s overall mission, Kontopidis said.

The consensus model is also being embraced by members of JusUsATL, Geyer said.

“I think it’s effective in bringing people together. What we’re moving forward is something powerful. I’m in for the long run and I think most of the members, if not all the members, are in for the long run. People really care about this,” Geyer added.

“This is not just some a vague concept we are talking about — it’s the future of the queer community in Atlanta and queer youth care about that.”

Editor’s note: The GA Voice reached out to a member of YouthPride to be interviewed for this story. At first, the young man agreed, but then late last week changed his mind. YouthPride Executive Director Terence McPhaul has continued to ignore requests from the GA Voice for comment, including an in-person request at a fundraiser for YouthPride at Tongue & Groove on April 17.

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April 27, 2012

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Gay advocate Ken Britt announces bid for Ga. House Gay under Longtime political activist ready

the Gold Dome

for his own turn on the ballot

There are currently four openly gay members of the Georgia General Assembly. All are Democrats from the Atlanta area. The entire state legislature is up for election this year.

By Ryan Watkins rwatkins@thegavoice.com For Ken Britt, the time is finally right.

“I have the ‘fire in the belly,’” Britt told GA Voice during a recent interview. “If you had asked me 10 years ago, I probably would have said I was content to stay on the sidelines.”

Britt, 63, recently announced his candidacy for the District 56 seat in the Georgia House of Representatives, currently held by Democrat and gay-rights ally Rep. Kathy Ashe. Ashe announced her retirement in mid-April after more than 20 years under the Gold Dome.

Britt, also running as a Democrat, is no stranger to Georgia’s political landscape. He’s worked behind-the-scenes for some of Georgia’s most prominent gay and lesbian politicians, but the long-time activist says he’s finally ready for his own shot at elected office.

“I want to continue Kathy’s [Ashe] legacy.

Education and transportation are things that I’ve been working on for a long time. Jobs are number one. Access to affordable housing. That’s just the beginning. There is a tremendous amount of work that needs to be done,” Britt said.

He retired in 2009 after serving as executive director of law firm Alston & Bird LLP. Britt’s recent political career has seen him chair Alex Wan’s 2009 campaign for a seat on the Atlanta City Council, which made Wan the first out gay man to serve on the council. Britt also served as treasurer for Joan Garner’s Fulton County Commissioner campaign in 2010 when she became the first openly gay person to serve on the commission.

Britt worked with former Atlanta City Council President Cathy Woolard during her campaigns, as well. Woolard became the first openly gay person elected to public office in Georgia when she won a seat on the Atlanta City Council in 1997 and then became the first female and openly gay City Council president in 2002.

Britt’s recent work on Wan’s and Garner’s campaigns sparked his desire to run for office.

“Alex and Joan were defining moments for me because they were able to successfully win their races,” Britt said. “The roles I played in both of those races has led me to feel comfortable in running my own race.”

If Britt wins his election, he will serve alongside Wan and Garner representing Atlanta’s Midtown neighborhood.

“If you look at Alex Wan’s district, if you look at Joan’s Fulton County Commission district and this district [House District 56], there’s overlapping precincts,” he said. “If I win, I’m going to be working with them and we already have a working relationship.”

“I know exactly how it’s done,” Britt continued. “I don’t have a learning curve with respect

Rep. Karla Drenner (District 86) Karla Drenner, a resident of Avondale Estates, became Georgia’s first openly gay state legislator when she was elected in 2000. She is the lead sponsor of the State Fair Employment Practices Act, which would ban discrimination against state employees based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com Georgia Primary Elections • July 31 Check www.sos.ga.gov for your polling location to reports, filing periods and ethics rules. I’ve got everything organized.”

Political priorities

Britt supports the State Fair Employment Practices Act, which would ban job discrimination against state employees based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and efforts to enact state hate crimes legislation. Georgia is one of only five states without a hate crimes law.

But Britt said he has plenty of legislative priorities outside of LGBT issues.

In a continued down economy, employment persists as one of the top issues of the coming election cycle, both nationally and locally. The Georgia Department of Labor’s most recent statistics show the state’s unemployment rate hovering at a steady 9 percent. The national average is somewhere around 8 percent, according to the Labor Department.

“I really take this as a real opportunity to unite but not divide. There’s a lot that can be done with the issues in the north end of the district and the south end of the district. I’m still studying the issues. In some ways, they’re the same throughout the district. It’s transportation, it’s housing, it’s jobs,” he said.

Britt said he considers himself to be a mainstream progressive.

“I may be a little bit fiscally conservative,” Britt said. “As far as my social policies, I’m kind of mainstream progressive, if there is such a thing.”

Britt said that a successful campaign could

Ken Britt, already well-known in Georgia’s political circles, announced his bid for Ga. House District 56 on April 17. (Photo by Ryan Watkins)

cost more than $100,000. He has already begun fundraising.

As of press time, no other potential candidates for the seat had filed a DOI (Declaration of Intent to Collect Campaign Contributions) form, the first step in legally forming a campaign.

The official candidate qualifying period is set for May 23-25, which will finalize the field of Democratic and Republican candidates. The primary elections will be held on July 31, followed by a runoff if necessary, and then the general election on Nov. 6.

“This race could be decided by as few as 2,000 people,” Britt said, adding that he expects to face challengers in the July primary.

A major challenge for Britt will be the new House districts, redrawn after the 2010 United States Census.

“If you look at District 56, it’s the most bizarre looking district, Britt said. “It’s going to be challenging.”

The new district encompasses parts of Midtown and continues south to the Pittsburgh neighborhood.

House Democrats panned the redistricting proposals in 2011 and accused the state’s Republicans of redrawing the maps in such a way that would pit longtime House Democrats against one another in the state’s July primaries.

“A lot of people are upset about what the Republicans did when they gerrymandered this district. They want to drive the white people out of the Democratic Party, especially the men, back to the Republican party. I hope that we are past that and that people can see through it and work together,” Britt said.

Rep. Simone Bell (District 58) Simone Bell’s election in 2009 to this Atlanta seat made her not only the first openly gay African-American to serve in the Georgia General Assembly, but also the first out black lesbian state legislator in the country. Since taking office, Bell has continued her advocacy on behalf of LGBT, women’s rights, and other social justice issues.

Rep. Rashad Taylor (District 55) Rashad Taylor was already serving in the General Assembly when he came out in a press conference in May 2011, after his boyfriend’s ex-boyfriend sent emails to other lawmakers outing him. Taylor became the first openly gay man to serve in the state legislature. He introduced a gay-inclusive hate crime bill on the last day of this year’s legislative session.

Rep. Keisha Waites (District 60) The newest openly gay state lawmaker, Keisha Waites prevailed in a special election in February to fill a seat left open when the incumbent resigned to move out of state. It was Waites’ ninth bid for public office.

(Photos courtesy Georgia House)

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Student council prez who wanted gay-friendly prom won’t get job back Federal judge denies injunction, but Reuben Lack’s legal battle continues

By Ryan Watkins rwatkins@thegavoice.com A federal judged ruled April 23 against an Alpharetta High School student’s claim that he was sacked from his student council position after introducing an LGBT-friendly prom resolution. While the decision means Reuben Lack won’t get his leadership role back, his father stressed that the lawsuit against the Fulton County School District isn’t over.

Reuben Lack, 18, claimed in a federal lawsuit filed in March that he was removed from his position as the school’s student body president after introducing a resolution during a February student council meeting that would have made the school’s annual prom more inclusive to LGBT students by removing the prom “king” and “queen” titles and replacing them with more gender-neutral titles.

The school district, however, responded by saying Lack’s removal had nothing to do with the prom resolution, and argued that he was removed for canceling and rescheduling student council meetings with little or no notice, acting uncivilly, threatening the school’s principal in a message exchange on Facebook and refusing to comply with direct instructions from the stu-

dent council faculty advisers.

During the April 23 injunction hearing, U.S. Judge Richard Story of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia agreed with the district, saying the school’s representatives presented ample evidence that it would have made the decision to remove Lack regardless of the LGBT prom resolution.

School district officials could not be reached for comment by press time.

Reuben’s father, Nathaniel Lack, said his son was disappointed with the ruling.

“It’s been done,” Nathaniel Lack told GA Voice. “He can’t get his office back. He can’t get his good name back. The only thing left is financial remuneration. That’s wasn’t supposed to be what this was about, but it’s what they’ve turned it into.”

“It’s a tough thing, we know Reuben’s done the right thing,” Lack continued. “He knows that he could not sit on his hands when an injustice was done.”

The hearing, according to Nathaniel Lack, was the last opportunity to have his son reinstated as the school’s student body president before the end of the school year.

Lack added that the lawsuit remains pending, although no dates have been set for depositions or a trial.

“The legal question, it doesn’t matter how bad Reuben was in the past, if they weren’t planning to remove him then, they can’t use it now,” Lack said. “The issue that we had to prove here is that if wasn’t for First Amend-

Reuben Lack (center), pictured with his father, Nathaniel Lack (left), and attorney James Radford, claims his removal as Alpharetta High School student body president violated his First Amendment rights. School district officials said he was removed for multiple other actions. (Photo by Ryan Watkins)

ment violations, Reuben would not have been removed from his position.”

Lack disputed claims made by the school that they had intended to remove Reuben from office before he introduced the LGBT-friendly prom resolution.

Lack said Reuben should still be proud of the work he accomplished at AHS, despite his removal. “He accomplished a considerable amount this year,” Lack said.

James Radford, Lack’s attorney, said his client will weigh whether he wants to continue the lawsuit after being unable to win the injunction.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed. I’ve been a determined advocate for his case. It’s always disappointing to lose,” Radford said.

Radford said that a federal case like Reuben’s could take as long as two years from the initial complaint to the trial. Radford said that Reuben would likely be a sophomore in college before the case is settled.

“Our decision has as much to do with the practical aspects of how long litigation can last.

At some point you have to be pragmatic. He’s very early in life, to a certain extent I could understand if he wanted to move on to the next chapter in life. He’s got a bright future ahead of him,” Radford continued.

“Even though the case didn’t turn out how we wanted to, it’s been valuable to encourage that conversation. We’re very appreciative of the support in the community we’ve received.”

No suspects in Berry College anti-gay, racist hate crime Students seek official recognition for LGBT group on Rome campus

By Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com Berry College police continue to search for the vandal who poured bleach on a student’s clothes and left a racist and anti-gay note in his dorm room.

On March 26, a student who wishes to remain anonymous reported to police that someone poured bleach on the clothes in his dorm room and left a note that said “faggot nigger fuck off.”

The student’s car tire was also slashed.

“We’ve interviewed a lot of people who live on the floor and have narrowed down the time-frame because of our card access to the building,” Berry College Police Chief Bobby Abrams said April 24.

Abrams said the Berry College Police Department labeled the incident a hate crime and is investigating the crime alone.

“Our victim has given us a suspect also, but it’s been hard to pin down. The investigation is still pending. We’ve kind of hit a dead end,” Abrams added.

In an interview with the Berry College campus newspaper, the victim said, “Racially, it’s upsetting that someone hates me for who I am. Sexually, it’s upsetting that someone hates me for who they think I am.”

The crime sparked a Change.org petition to ask officials with the Christian liberal arts school to officially recognize an LGBT campus group. An April 17 meeting with faculty and administrators about LISTEN, the LGBT group that has been an unofficial presence on campus for many years, went well, according to students and faculty who posted their assessments of the meeting to websites. Further discussion is expected to take place over the summer.

Students and faculty declined to comment for this story. But after the April 17 meeting, Dr. Jeffrey Lidke, associate professor of Religion & Philosophy, posted his thoughts of the meet-

ing on LISTEN group’s Tumblr page, saying “there was much reason to be optimistic.” “[President Stephen Briggs] has proposed that a committee be formed that will meet over the summer to look at a host of issues associated with the recognition of LISTEN and to plan to discuss those conversations with the larger campus community early in the fall with the desired aim of official approval, sooner than later.

“I cannot over-emphasize how important it is that we all continue to embrace and approach this opportunity with respect, calm and wisdom. This is not a battle. This is a community dialogue. We are not all going to agree, but we can all listen to each other and if we do, then, in the end, I am highly optimistic that LISTEN will be officially approved. This is not a guarantee. It is just a statement of the fact that the President himself is clearly open to, and perhaps even desirous of, an outcome that has that result.

Lidke encouraged LISTEN supporters to “be patient and thoughtful.”

Students at Berry College hope the Rome, Ga., campus will soon officially recognize an LGBT group. (Photo via www.berry.edu)

“Let us be willing to listen and respect others just as we thoughtfully articulate — and deserve respect for — our own views,” he said. “All is and will be good. This is my prayer and conviction.”

A Facebook invitation for a LISTEN social event on campus was posted this week seeking more signatures for the petition that had nearly 1,200 names as of press time April 24. Student enrollment of undergraduate and graduate students is approximately 2,000.

April 27, 2012

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Winston Johnson and Leon Allen Community Leadership Award: Rev. Phillip Thomason

Keynote Speaker: Representative Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)

Dan Bradley Humanitarian Award: The Health Initiative

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HIV/AIDS continues to impact gay men, trans people at higher rates

White House conference in Atlanta attracts activists from across the state

By Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com

In 2009, some 2.6 million people were tested for HIV. Of those, only 4,100 were transgender.

That was one of the startling facts revealed at the White House LGBT Conference on HIV/ AIDS held April 19 at Morehouse School of Medicine. The conference was one of many LGBT-related conferences the White House plans to hold throughout the year.

Former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, now a professor at Morehouse, also noted that HIV infections continue to rise among gay and bi men. For example, 61 percent of new HIV infections in the U.S. are among gay and bisexual men, although this population accounts for only 2 percent of the country’s population, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

Among black gay and bisexual men, the numbers are even more dire, with the CDC reporting a 48 percent increase in new HIV infections ages 13-29 between 2006-2009.

“We’ve reached a time where we only see an increase in HIV/AIDS in the LGBT community. I think together we really have to continue to pursue solutions,” Satcher said.

Dr. Kevin Fenton, who is openly gay and the CDC’s director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, said one area that needs more input is sexual health education in the schools.

“This is a critical question. We at the CDC are developing and updating curriculum, but education is really managed and directed and led at the state and more so at the local level,” he said. “There is a lot of work to do at local community levels to integrate sexual health curriculum in schools.”

A panel discussion on “Improving Health Outcomes Through Science, Policy and Practice” included Vel McKleroy, a trans man and project coordinator for the CDC, who explained that only 4,100 transgender people were tested for HIV out of nearly 3 million, indicating a strong need for better outreach to one of the most marginalized communities in the world.

Dee Dee Chamblee, a longtime Atlanta transgender advocate, said she deals on a daily basis with transgender people who will purposefully contract HIV in order to get the medicines they need to transition as well as housing and assistance seeking a job. As healthy trans people, the discrimination faced is unconscionable, she said, and leads to people believing the only way they can get help is to become HIV positive.

Cheryl Courtney Evans, a 60 year-old transgender woman and Atlanta advocate who was diagnosed with HIV in 1981, said she was glad to see the conference addressing the needs of the “T” in “LGBT.”

Dr. David Malebranche, associate professor of medicine at Emory University, gave the closing remarks at the White House LGBT Conference on HIV/AIDS held April 19 at Morehouse School of Medicine. (Photo by Dyana Bagby)

“I’ve seen gay rights evolve over the years without the T. And this goes across the board and including HIV advocacy. When will funding organizations understand that trans organizations run by trans people often are not able to get funding to serve that community?” she asked the panel on “Overcoming Disparities, Getting to Equity.”

While no direct answer could be given, panelists acknowledged a lot more needs to be done to address the needs of transgender people when it comes to HIV advocacy.

Closing remarks were given by Dr. David Malebranche, an assistant professor of medi-

Atlanta participates in Worldwide LGBT Civil Rights March Activists urged to become politically involved during crucial election year

By Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com Approximately 50 people marched from Woodruff Park to the state Capitol on Saturday, April 21, as part of the 2012 Worldwide LGBT Civil Rights March that was to take place in cities around the globe.

State Rep. Simone Bell (D-Atlanta), the first openly lesbian African American elected to a state legislature, urged people to speak directly to their state representatives — in Cobb County, in southwest Atlanta, in Bainbridge, Ga. “[Georgia] is about to have the most conservative state legislature in the country — [Republicans] are about to have a 120 constitutional majority which means they don’t need Democrats to vote,” said Bell, who is up for re-election this year.

She urged LGBT people to reach out to their state representatives “and let them know you exist.”

as well To read more about the march event, the of eo vid as to see photos and m. .co ice avo please visit www.theg “We also have allies, those who see us a whole people,” Bell said. “We have to keep a certain elevated standard so people take us seriously. And on July 31, question [your state representative] about your rights and how they feel about you and then go out to the polls and make it known.”

July 31 is the general primary in Georgia.

Danny Ingram, the national president of American Veterans for Equal Rights, gave a stirring speech that had the crowd clapping and cheering as he held up his pocket-sized U.S. Constitution and said all people, including LGBT people, deserve the rights afforded in the document.

“What does [the Constitution] say about lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender rights? It says the same thing as it says about women’s rights and the same thing it says about African American rights. It says that everyone is equal,” Ingram said.

cine at Emory who is also openly gay. He talked about the intersections of people and what they face and the fact that being LGBT is only one facet of a person’s identity.

“Multiple social identities can combine and swirl to form a system of oppression,” Malebranche said.

To only focus on the LGBT aspect means risking ignoring other parts of a person’s life they see as more important. For example, gay marriage and bullying have become the rallying cries for the mainstream LGBT movement, he said.

But what about the Muslim man who thought he was gay but now is dealing with his gender identity, or the Latino lesbian who just moved to the U.S. from Mexico and needs access to health care and is dealing with a language barrier, Malebranche asked.

“Do these limited agendas [marriage, bullying] resonate with everyone in the LGBT community?” he asked.

Malebranche urged LGBT activists to reach out and include people who face many issues beyond is portrayed in the media.

“We have so much in common as LGBT people but in order for us to unify we actually have to acknowledge the diversity within ourselves,” Malebranche said.

“Which is a hard thing to do but we have to appreciate the racial, class, the gender, the gender identity. And unless we push forth with an agenda that makes sure people’s voices are heard in that collective, we won’t get anywhere,” he said.

April 27, 2012

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‘RADICAL’ Lesbian singer Catie Curtis brings new batch of engaging tunes to Atlanta

By Laura Douglas-Brown lbrown@thegavoice.com Lesbian folksinger Catie Curtis cruises her “Stretch Limousine on Fire” into Atlanta in May to treat fans to two nights of her signature acoustic guitar and introspective, often inspiring lyrics.

“Stretch Limousine,” the rollicking title song from Curtis’ 11th studio album, released in August, uses dark humor to echo the theme that money doesn’t buy happiness, and to relish a little in the fact that “Trouble comes to everyone no matter how much you can buy.”

The new album features a style that is a bit more raw than previous efforts, but will still be familiar to longtime fans. Curtis will perform songs from the new CD and earlier albums May 8 at Eddie’s Attic, the iconic Decatur acoustic venue, then follow with a show the next night at Duluth’s Red Clay Theatre, the new venue managed by Eddie’s founder Eddie Owen.

“Eddie’s Attic is the most venerated place,” Curtis says in an interview from her New England home. “When you stand on that stage, you feel the energy of all the people who stood there before. And Eddie is involved in Red Clay Theatre, so I know it will be good.”

Mom to two daughters, ages 7 and 9, with her partner, Curtis says she now tries to go home a lot between shows, so her upcoming week of Southeast dates “is the big event of May.” “Basically it is increasingly difficult to be away from the kids because I am recognizing that the window of time when they actually want to be with me is diminishing, and I don’t want to miss it,” she says.

That wistfulness infuses “Let It Last,” another stand-out track from the new CD. Curtis says fans who turn out for her Georgia shows can also expect older favorites including “Radical,” a somewhat anti-anthem about being gay (“I’m not being radical when I kiss you / I don’t love you to make a point”); the sweetly sentimental “Dad’s Yard,” and the achingly

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com Catie Curtis www.catiecurtis.com Tuesday, May 8, 8 p.m.

Eddie’s Attic 515-B N. McDonough St. Decatur, GA 30030 www.eddiesattic.com Wednesday, May 9, 7 p.m.

Red Clay Theatre 3116 Main St. Duluth, GA 30096 www.eddieowenpresents.com beautiful love song “Magnolia Street.”

One song she won’t perform? “Silhouette,” from the 1999 album “Truth From Lies.”

“I don’t play it because one time someone told me they thought it was ‘Celibate,’ and when you put the word in place of ‘Silhouette,’ it’s so embarrassing I can’t even sing it anymore,” she laughs.

She’ll share the stage at the upcoming shows with Jenna Lindbo, who will play with Curtis and perform a few of her own songs, as well as opening act Carsie Blanton.

And while she won’t be there to perform with Curtis, Atlanta fans will also hear indirectly from a long-lost favorite of the Atlanta music scene — Kristen Hall.

The former Atlanta resident, who is also gay, became a household name in the local acoustic scene and also found success writing songs for national artists. She then formed country band Sugarland with fellow Atlanta musician Kristian Bush, with another local music veteran, Jennifer Nettles, chosen as lead singer.

The three put out the band’s breakthrough album and toured together, but Hall left Sugarland in 2006 and later sued, arguing that she

Lesbian folksinger Catie Curtis plays two shows in Atlanta next week. (Photo by Joseph Anthony Baker)

was owed a share of profits. The case ended in a sealed settlement, and while Sugarland’s success has only grown, Hall has kept a low profile since then.

Hall is now living in New England, and Curtis says the two are collaborating on songwriting.

“I’ll be playing two songs that we wrote together,” Curtis says.

‘Voices United’ and a uniting voice

Curtis is also busy planning Voices United, a series of house concerts in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia set for Sept. 2830. The shows, which will feature different performers around the country, benefit Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, a cause close to Curtis’ heart.

“It’s really important to me because I feel like the religious right is trying to assert itself as very mainstream, as though it is the religion of the state, and there is no religion of the state,” Curtis says, listing issues such as marriage equality, reproductive rights and teaching creationism in schools.

Her career as a touring musician makes her “uniquely prepared” to plan the shows, Curtis says.

“All I have done the last 28 years is travel the country and meet people who would play and host house concerts — people who love to play, and people who love music. Trying to match them up has been really fun.

“I’ve always wanted to be a matchmaker,” she jokes. “My partner says, you are like a political Yenta now.”

Curtis also enjoys using her voice to unite real couples who are already matched. In addition to performing at weddings, she now

also officiates them.

“It is really powerful to be able to marry same-sex couples in places where it is legal, and I do them also where it not legal, as the spiritual piece is equally important,” she says.

She decided to become an officiant after attending a couple of weddings “where the person asked to perform the ceremony felt like someone’s friend who had never gotten in front of people before.”

Curtis usually also sings at the weddings, and while she confesses that it sometimes feels “hokey” to strap on the guitar along with her robe, officiating weddings is actually “very similar to what I do as a performer.”

“I welcome people and invite them into this experience that is kind of personal, and in some cases I have a history with the couple, where they have listened to my music for years or went to one of my shows on their first date,” she says.

Unlike some singers who came out after building a fan base, Curtis says she never tried to hide her identity. Though for many casual fans, “lesbian” and “folksinger” seem almost synonymous these days, in the 1980s Curtis felt there was a “huge divide” between “women’s music” — “which was lesbian music, basically,” she says — and the more mainstream folk scene populated by singers like Patty Larkin and Cheryl Wheeler (both are openly gay now).

“There’s not that kind of divide anymore,” says Curtis, who never gave in to the schism in her own life.

“The stories I want to tell are all tied up in who I am as a person,” she explains, “so I can’t really separate that and never could see a way to separate it.”

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EVENTS by Matt Schafer

Calling all ‘queer geeks’ Outlantacon offers three days of sci-fi fun Five years in and Atlanta’s queer sci-fi convention continues to grow as Outlantacon welcomes the gay and geeky over the first weekend in May. What started out as one day of gaming has grown into an intimate, three-day convention that’s similar to Atlanta’s bigger geekfest Dragon*Con, but focuses on gay stories, themes, actors and creators. This year’s convention will run May 4-6 at the Holiday Inn on Chamblee-Dunwoody Road.

Headlining guests include artist Joe Phillips, author Lee Martindale and local personalities like Java from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at the Plaza Theater and the director and actors behind a locally produced Uncanny XMan fan series.

Phillips, one of the few openly gay creators in comics, is an Atlanta native who got his start at the Northside School of Performing Arts in Gwinnett County. Since moving to San Diego he’s drawn for every comic book company. He is currently penciling the pages of a Star Trek series for IDW, and has gained some mainstream notoriety as an openly gay artist who draws beefcake prints of male superheroes.

“I do Comic-Con every year, and every artist has their work out there but there is never really any guy stuff out there, so I started coming out with a few prints and it went really well,” Phillips says.

Sci-fi conventions are known to be pretty liberal places, but Phillip’s artwork has gotten some interesting reactions.

“I’ve been to Dragon*Con and there were people who were aghast and all it was, was guys with their shirts off,” Phillips says. “I wish it was something like really naughty, like grabbing their crotch, or having their ass out but it’s not, and they’re intimidated by it.”

Phillips will host an artists workshop on May

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com Outlantacon May 4-6 at the Holiday Inn Select 4386 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road www.outlantacon.org $35 in advance for weekend pass 4 and host a Q&A session and a panel discussing the latest in gay comics on May 5. Panel discussions on various topics and workshops take up much of convention, and Outlantacon guest coordinator Edward DeGruy says they wanted to offer as much diversity as possible.

“Some of our guests wanted to do panels on how to break into acting, or writing and so we have panels on that, but we also have panels about gay characters in TV shows and books… we also have panels about GLBT political advocacy,” he says.

While coming up on its fifth anniversary builds credibility for Outlantacon, it doesn’t exactly make it easier to book guests.

“It is easier, and it isn’t. We have a name established now, which is good, because it’s easier to talk to people now. It is harder to get people unless they are gay or bi-sexual or supportive,” DeGruy says. “A lot of the gay actors and actresses aren’t out… they’re out to their family and friends but they’re not out for their career.”

Game shows and gaming

Guests are only part of any convention experience and Outlanta offers a full slate of programming from Friday evening to Sunday morning. Public Relations Director Kris Harter has been involved in Outlantacon since the beginning, and some of her favorite events don’t rely on celebrity participation.

Some of the more popular events include a rendition of the 1970s panel show “The Match Game,” Nea’s Geek Race where contestants

Gay comic book artist Joe Phillips (inset, in his self portrait) headlines Outlantacon. (Drawings by Joe Phillips via Facebook)

dress in drag as sci-fi characters, and the prominspired Zombie Ball.

“I’m looking forward to the gaming events that we have that are take offs of games like the Match Game, or Project Cosplay which is a take off of Project Runway… I’m looking forward to those because they’re crowd involved, it’s not just a discussion, anyone can participate,” Harter says.

Outlantacon started as a one-day gaming convention, and gaming in its many forms — cards, boards, dice, console and live action — continues to be at the core of the weekend.

“We have a room that is devoted to gaming I believe 24-7, it’s the biggest room we have and

we’ll have several tournaments and contests throughout the weekend,” Harter says.

The convention will also have a serious side, as Outlantacon’s charity of the year is Georgia Equality, the state’s largest LGBT political advocacy group.

“We will be collecting donations and selling things to raise money for Georgia Equality throughout the weekend,” DeGruy says. “They will also have people on hand to talk about the current issues in LGBT advocacy.”

Organizers expect between 150 to 200 attendees this year. Full weekend passes are available at the convention’s website and will be sold at the door.

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THEATER by Jim Farmer

Muses, music and roller disco Lesbian-led ‘Xanadu’ takes audiences back to 1980 Openly lesbian director/comedienne Sherri Sutton has not been idle since returning to Atlanta. Among her projects, Sutton is directing the campy musical “Xanadu,” which opens at Actor’s Express May 10.

Based on the 1980 Olivia Newton JohnGene Kelly film — considered something of a flop, albeit one with a killer soundtrack — “Xanadu” follows the general plotline of the movie. A Greek muse, Clio (Lindsay Lamb Archer) comes down from Mount Olympus to Venice Beach, Calif., to assist Sonny Malone (Jordan Craig), a young man whose dream it is to open a roller disco. He has been contemplating suicide but she helps him to fulfill his ambition, disguising herself as Kira, a roller girl — one with an Australian accent, to boot.

Clio’s green-with-envy sisters Calliope (Jill Hames) and Melpomene (Marcie Millard) back at Mount Olympus watch on deviously. It is a rule that a muse must never fall for a mortal, and they secretly hope Clio will

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com ‘Xanadu’ May 10 – June 16 at Actor’s Express 887 W. Marietta St., Atlanta, GA 30318 www.actorsexpress.com break the rule and be banished.

Besides “Xanadu” being a fun project, Sutton thinks that gay and lesbian audiences will especially take to it. Sutton especially loves the ‘80s theme in it.

“It was certainly my era, my age,” she says.

“It was my time. I missed the Studio 54 time but the movie was important to me. The ‘80s wasn’t great art, but it was certainly a time of experimentation in music, drugs and fashion.”

She is happy that there seems to be a revitalization of the ‘80s these days again in pop music and fashion. Sutton feels a lot of people in today’s LGBT community were figuring out who they were during that time.

“If you grew up in the ‘80s this show will make you recall a lot,” she says. “Were you closeted, were you out? For me, I was closeted.”

She was actually married to a man at one

Director/comedienne Sherri Sutton, who is gay, helms ‘Xanadu’ at Actor’s Express, opening May 10. (Photo via Facebook) point and he turned out to be gay as well.

A number of other LGBT cast and crew members are involved with “Xanadu.” Openly gay Ricardo Aponte is choreographing the show, while Craig Waldrip and Christen Orr play two of the muses. Although she is not gay, Jill Hames is very much a queer favorite in the community, says Sutton.

The music in “Xanadu” is very popular, including “Have You Never Been Mellow,” “Suddenly” and “I’m Alive,” and Sutton hopes audiences will be able to sing along.

Although she remembers seeing the movie, Sutton has only seen snippets of the stage musical. Playwright Douglas Carter Beane’s “Xanadu” was a Broadway hit in 2007 and ran for a year. Although it has subsequently toured around the country, this is the first production in Atlanta. On Broadway, openly gay Cheyenne Jackson played Sonny.

It’s an ambitious show and Sutton laughs that this could be the smallest arena where a version of “Xanadu” has ever been staged.

Although Clio is on skates virtually the entire time, it’s not until the end of the musical that the entire cast dons skates, she says.

The musical is definitely a parody but the director has worked to bring out the heart and truth and not just make the characters caricatures.

“We’ve worked hard to even make the muses very specific,” she says.

Sutton was born in Savannah and spent many of her adult years in Atlanta. At one time she was the artistic director for the Atlanta International School, where she directed dozens of productions.

Deciding to return to her first love of standup comedy, she moved to New York. After relocating to Canada after she “met a girl,” she moved back home last year when that relationship ended.

She has a number of comedy shows in the works, including a remount of her “Don’t Make Fun of Jesus” (her first solo act) and “Taking Out the White Trash!”

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Atlanta HRC Dinner marks 25 years

Annual fundraiser focuses on national fight for equality

By Laura Douglas-Brown lbrown@thegavoice.com The Atlanta HRC Dinner celebrates its milestone 25th year May 5, as organizers also hope to help make political history.

U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin will give the keynote address. The Wisconsin Democrat was the first openly gay person elected to Congress, although four House members had come out while in office, and is now campaigning to become the first openly gay U.S. senator.

Sean Hayes, the actor who became famous playing the role of Jack McFarland on NBC’s “Will & Grace,” will be awarded this year’s HRC Visibility Award.

Baldwin “brings the ‘wow factor’ of a history maker” to the Atlanta dinner, according to 2012 Co-chairs Matthew Garrett and Kaitlin Porter.

“Rep. Baldwin is a fierce advocate for the LGBT community, and continues to break barriers. When we hopefully see her elected to the Senate in November, one of the highest glass ceilings for LGBT Americans will have been broken,” Garrett and Porter said in an email interview. “She will energize the crowd, reminding us of the work left to be done and the challenges she and other advocates face on a daily basis in Washington.”

Always carefully crafted to both educate and empower, the Atlanta HRC Dinner raises funds for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT political group. This year’s theme is simple: “Be Part of Equality.”

“From honoring all of the past dinner committees to leaders in the early ‘90s marching in Washington and leading the charge for all us, our theme aptly applies to all of them,” Garrett and Porter noted. “They’ve been part of equality.

“And now as we face the next 25 years, because of their groundwork, we know we will see progress happen more quickly and with broader popular support from general Americans; however, the work must still be done,” they said.

tears, cheers and fun. We have worked to create a well-rounded event and we have planned a program that is sure to provide special moments for everyone in the ballroom,” Garrett and Porter said.

Honoring local leaders

The Atlanta HRC Dinner presents two awards to local activists each year. For 2012, the Dan Bradley Humanitarian Award goes to The Health Initiative, which recently broadened its focus and changed its name from the Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative.

“Quite simply, the Health Initiative is bringing significant awareness to the healthcare concerns of our community. The leadership of the organization and their board of directors are passionately committed to responding to the various needs of the community,” Porter and Garrett said. “That is clear as you study the history of the organization, and how they’ve grown in both scope and mission to better serve the community with each passing year.

Above: The 2011 HRC Dinner drew more than 1,000 The Leon Allen & Winston Johnson Commuattendees. (Photo by Brent Corcoran/RNZ Photography). nity Service Award will be presented to Rev. PhilLeft: U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, who hopes to become lip Thomason, who serves as minister of outreach the first openly gay U.S. senator, will be the keynote and pastoral care at St. Mark United Methodist speaker at the Atlanta HRC Dinner. (Courtesy photo) Church and has a long list of community involveMORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com ment, including work with the Atlanta Interfaith AIDS Network and other HIV organizations.

25th Atlanta HRC Dinner “Rev. Thomason is a local leader making Saturday, May 5, 6-11 p.m. a national impact,” the co-chairs said. “From Hyatt Regency Atlanta making each and every church member in his 265 Peachtree St. congregation feel valued and loved to serving Atlanta, GA 30303 on President’ Obama’s task force on GLBTQ www.atlantahrcdinner.org issues, Rev. Thomason is an inspiring advocate The first Atlanta dinner was held in 1988 — for equality who spreads his message of acceptance throughout the spiritual community organizers expected about 300 attendees, but al- begins at 7:15 p.m. most twice that many came. Last year’s dinner Tickets start at $75 for HRC Federal Club in ways that only a member of the clergy can.”

And while this year’s Dinner celebrates the drew more than 1,000 and raised $300,000, with members, with general admission going for organizers expecting similar numbers for 2012. $200. Special $100 tickets are available to stu- accomplishments of the last quarter-century, “It’s safe to say the Atlanta HRC Gala has dents, current military service members and both for HRC and the LGBT rights movement as raised in the millions of dollars over the past 25 parents attending with their children. Formal a whole, organizers are also looking to the future.

“We’re looking forward to seeing our guests years,” the co-chairs said. “Our Gala is consis- attire is encouraged, though the dinner website be entertained and inspired; to the moments tently one of the highest net revenue dinners in notes that business attire is also “welcome.” the country for the Human Rights Campaign. In The evening includes a performance during they jump to their feet in applause, and the canfact, last year’s dinner was honored by HRC for the dinner by Frenchie Davis, who gained fame did moments where they may wipe away a tear having the lowest cost of fundraising of all their on “American Idol” and “The Voice” and has per- in reflection,” Porter and Garrett said.

“And, at the end of it all, we’re really forGala events in the country.” formed at Pride celebrations around the country.

The dinner takes place at the Hyatt Regency Popular Atlanta DJ Mike Pope spins for the ward to turning off the lights with the knowlAtlanta, beginning with the VIP reception at 5 after-party at the Hyatt immediately following edge that, on our 25th anniversary, this event not only provided critical funds for the work p.m. The silent auction opens then for VIP and the dinner.

Federal Club members, and opens its doors to “The entire Dinner Committee is looking of HRC, but it also changed lives and inspired all attendees at 5:45 p.m. The dinner program forward to an evening of inspiration, nostalgia, people to keep working for the cause.”

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Pet Cotillion to crown Atlanta’s purr-tiest pet Fundraiser helps people with HIV, other illnesses care for their pets Some 15 pets are currently vying for the title of 2012 PALS Spokespet at the annual Pet Cotillion, the spring fundraiser for Pets Are Loving Support, this year set for May 6 at Piedmont Bark.

Last year, Pet Cotillion raised about $14,000, according to PALS Executive Director Kevin Bryant. The money, Bryant says, goes to veterinary care, like heartworm medication, spay and neutering services and flea medication.

Pets competing in the Pet Cotillion have profiles listed on the PALS website (palsatlanta. org) and can be voted on ($1 per vote) leading up to the event. The pet that raises the most money will be crowned this year’s winner.

PALS, in operation for two decades, helps people facing financial challenges due to illness or disabilities, as well as senior citizens, keep their pets. It was founded to serve people with HIV and later broadened its mission.

This year’s Pet Cotillion will feature Tyler Calkins from Fenuxe Magazine and Mara Davis from Atlanta’s 92.9 Dave FM as event emcees.

EVENT SPOTLIGHT MORE INFO

Pet Cotillion Sunday, May 6, 3-6 p.m. at Piedmont Bark 501 Amsterdam Ave., Atlanta, GA 30306 Tickets: $20 general admission

$75 VIP admission www.palsatlanta.org

Tickets are $25 for general admission and $75 for VIP admission, Bryant says. VIP tickets include reserve seating and a gift bag. A silent auction will be held featuring items ranging from pet gift-baskets to stays in bed and breakfasts.

“Bring your dog,” Bryant says. “It’s like a cocktail party for everyone to socialize and raise money for a good cause.”

Like most nonprofit organizations, PALS has felt the downturn in the economy in the last few years, Bryant says, but adds that his organization has continued to provide a consistent level of services, thanks to solid planning.

“Regardless of whether or not we’ve had donations, we’ve always continued with the mind-

PALS Spokespet Noodle passes on his crown at the May 6 Pet Cotillion. (Photo courtesy PALS)

set to watch our spending and save for a rainy day,” Bryant says. “That really kept us going.”

Bryant is PALS’ only employee but says that the organization has some 150 volunteers who deliver food, organize events and take pets to see their vet.

“Everyone plays a different role at a different time,” Bryant says.

— Ryan Watkins

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces brings art to city, suburbs

The Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces bills itself as an arts festival organized by artists for artists. The nonprofit has been bringing arts festivals to local communities across Georgia for five years, but organizers Patrick Dennis and Randall Fox say that this year could be their best ever.

The couple, partners in business and in life, have been together some 10 years, dating back to Dennis’ time in Washington, D.C., as a lobbyist. When Dennis retired from lobbying, the couple moved to Atlanta and Fox pushed his partner to pursue his passion for art.

“We started out doing markets, like popup markets. They were very successful,” Dennis says. “Then we gravitated away from doing markets, into doing festivals.”

The AFFPS organizes 10 arts festivals each year all over metro Atlanta. The Buckhead Spring Arts & Crafts Festival, the organization’s next upcoming festival, will be

MORE INFO

Buckhead Springs Arts and Crafts Festival May 5-6 in Chastain Park www.buckheadartsfestival.com Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces www.affps.com

held May 5-6 at Chastain Park in Buckhead.

“It’s gorgeous to commandeer Chastain Park,” Dennis says.

The festival will feature around 175 artists from across the country, but many of the artists are from the South, Dennis says. Also included will be a stage for acoustic performers and a children’s area for kids to play and create their own art.

As for what to expect from the artists’ market, Dennis says that artists from across the spectrum showcase their work at his festivals.

“Every one of our shows has a wide array from every discipline,” Dennis says.

“From mixed media to 3-D mixed media, sculpture, photography, painting, ceramics, glass and jewelry.”

The job market for artists can be tough to enter, Dennis says. The recent downturn in the

The Buckhead Spring Arts & Crafts Festival returns to Chastain Park May 5-6 (photo courtesy AFFPS)

economy has also affected arts markets and the way that artists sell their work, he adds.

“People are very home centric these days. The scale of things has come down,” he notes. “Gigantic paintings and sculptures are harder to move.”

— Ryan Watkins

Community April 27, 2012

www.theGAVoice.com

GA Voice

21

PERSONALITY SPOTLIGHT

‘I quickly found my voice’ Darian Aaron on black gay couples, coming out Christian, and in-flight shenanigans

By Laura Douglas-Brown lbrown@thegavoice.com The May 2012 issue of Ebony Magazine features First Lady Michelle Obama smiling on the cover. The motherhood-themed interview offers interesting insight into the daily lives of the First Family, but in some ways is not as groundbreaking for the mainstream African-American monthly as a story from April’s issue: “Black, gay and Christian: Where spirituality and sexuality converge.”

The first-person account describes Atlanta writer Darian Aaron’s journey from realizing he was gay around age 7, to fearing being shunned by the Southern Baptist church where he was raised, to finding acceptance in a new church home.

“Spirituality shouldn’t hurt,” Aaron says in the piece. “When we got to church to worship God as gay Christians, we shouldn’t walk away feeling bruised and battered.”

The Ebony article is by no means Aaron’s first effort to bring a voice to those often invisible in the media. Last year, he published “When Love Takes Over,” a coffee table book of black gay male couples that grew out of a series of profiles on his blog, Living Out Loud with Darian.

Aaron, 32, currently works as a flight attendant while also studying journalism at Georgia Perimeter College.

GA Voice caught up with him to hear more about his writing, advice to couples, and the weirdest things he puts up with from airline passengers.

Though updated less frequently now, your blog, Living Out Loud with Darian, has been very successful. Why did you decide to write personally from a black gay male perspective? Did you expect the blog to strike a chord the way it did?

I started Living Out Loud with Darian in 2006 for several reasons, but mainly it was born out of my frustration with the lack of diversity in the blogosphere. There were only a handful of blogs at the time that focused specifically on the lives and experiences of LGBT people of color.

In hindsight, it was also an answer to an incessant need that I had to utilize my voice to speak out on issues that were important to me as a black man who unapologetically identified as gay.

So often the experiences of LGBT people of

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com Darian Aaron http://loldarian.blogspot.com color are excluded and rendered invisible by the broader gay community along with the media. I wanted to provide a platform that pushed these stories into the forefront.

I had no idea that the blog would take off the way it did as I had no idea what I was doing when it first began. But I quickly found my voice and a loyal audience that flocked to the site from all across the country and from overseas.

Your book, “When Love Takes Over,” grew from couples’ profiles on your blog. Do you think there are enough role models or media visibility for black gay couples?

I don’t think there are nearly enough role models of black gay couples in committed relationships in the media. I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw a black gay couple in print or on television and there’s been ample opportunities to diversify the images we see of gay couples with the advancement of marriage equality in several states ...

I wanted to do what I could to change the unfortunate narrative that exists among some in the black gay community that it’s impossible for two black men to maintain a committed relationship. There are couples in my book who have been together for over 20 years and have achieved the American dream with a home, children, and successful careers. The 18 couples in my book merely serve as examples to single gay men and even those in relationships that they can have a successful relationship if they so desire.

What advice did you glean from those interviews that has helped your own life, or that can help other couples now?

A common thread woven through all of the couples I interviewed was date nights. All of the couples continued to date each other as their relationships matured. This is something that is also very important to my partner and me.

Great communication was also another takeaway from the couples in my book. Many of the guys noted that their communication style was a work in progress but without solid communication failure could be imminent.

Your Ebony essay about being black, gay and Christian has gotten widespread attention.

Have you gotten any backlash?

Believe it or not, I’ve only heard one negative reaction about the piece via a phone call from a

Atlanta resident Darian Aaron has built his writing career around giving voice to communities and issues often ignored in the media. (Photo by Drama Dupree)

friend in Los Angeles. His grandmother read the article and almost had a heart attack! I found her reaction to be quite amusing.

I stopped caring about the negative reaction of homophobes a long time ago. I was actually kind of relieved to hear about that single negative reaction since all of the feedback leading up to that moment had been overwhelmingly positive.

I grew up reading Ebony and can’t recall ever seeing an openly gay black person with a positive story about their experience on its pages. The idea that a closeted young gay person of color will have access to my story of overcoming “church hurt” and reclaiming my rightful place in the world as a black, gay, child of God makes any piece of criticism worth it.

I have the full support of my family and my partner and at the end of the day that’s all that matters.

Do you plan to write another book?

This is the question that keeps coming up. I honestly can’t answer that right now. I’ll never say “never,” but right now school, my relationship, and work is my focus. However, I will say the opportunity to display my growth as a writer and improve upon the first book is quite attractive to me.

Is there any topic you absolutely would not want to write or blog about?

When I was blogging full-time no topic was off limits. My only requirement was that the information posted served to educate, empower, and entertain my audience.

I did make a conscious effort not to turn the blog into a shrine for Beyonce (or Janet, my fa-

vorite artist). Gay men and our fascination with divas. I’ve seen so many (black) gay blogs neglect vital stories that needed to be pushed to the forefront of LGBT consciousness for pop idol worship ...

If something I’ve written has started a conversation about homophobia, bullying, the lack of visibility of LGBT people of color in the media, HIV/AIDS, or racism within the gay community, then I’m moving in the right direction.

In your professional life as a flight attendant, do you think the stereotype that a large proportion of male flight attendants are gay is true?

I absolutely deplore stereotypes, but a large percentage of my male co-workers are indeed gay. Every now and then a few straight guys will make it out of training and onto the line. But at the end of the day, we’re all one big happy family of various orientations and gender identities — including trans — working hard to keep our passengers safe.

What is the weirdest thing you have ever encountered with a passenger?

This may not necessarily sound weird but it’s definitely annoying and it happens often: passengers who like to turn our galleys (which would be equivalent to their private office) into their own personal gym. I’ve had passengers occupy my work space to get their yoga on, complete with a mat!

And those passengers who think it’s perfectly acceptable and hygienic to put their trash on the beverage cart during service. Let me stop…I could ago on.

Maybe I’ll save it for my next book.

GA Voice

22

April 27, 2012

Calendar

BEST BETS 04.27 - 05.10 SPOTLIGHT

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ADD YOUR EVENT

There are two ways to add your events to our online and print calendars. Submit your info to www.theGAVoice.com or e-mail details to editor@theGAVoice.com.

CINCO de MAYO

Publicity photo

Friday, May 4 Saturday, May 5

Saturday, April 28 Saturday, May 5

Photo by Dyana Bagby

Photo via Facebook

Former Decatur resident Ronnda Cadle, who still organizes music festivals at Georgia’s lesbian Swiftwaters Campground, plays two shows to celebrate the release of her new CD, “Will’s Embrace.” 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at Eddie’s Attic, 515-B N. McDonough St., Decatur, GA 30030, www.eddiesattic.com

Oscar Valdivisio, perhaps better known at “Papi” at Las Margaritas, hosts his annual Cinco de Mayo Carnaval to benefit Joining Hearts,, featuring beats from DJ Karlitos, live music, guest performances and givewaways. All day beginning at 2 p.m. at Las Margaritas, 1842 Cheshire Bridge Road, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.lasmargaritas.com

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< MORE LGBT EVENTS: Visit our website for our extensive daily calendar, including nightlife schedules, sports, worship services and community organization meetings. www.thegavoice.com/calendar

Saturday, April 28 The Ladies at Play host a Spring Fling dance party with DJ Periodic at the Park Bar Loft. Free before 10 p.m., $10 after at Park Bar, 150 Walton Street, Atlanta, GA 30303, www.facebook.com/ladiesatplayfanpage

Friday, April 27

Enjoy a spring wine tasting, mingle with friends and nibble on light bites from Highland Bakery with a fundraiser for Chairs Circle, the non-profit arm of Charis Books and More. $30 pre-sale at Charis, $50 for two. $40 each at the door. 7 - 10 p.m. at Highland Bakery, 655 Highland Ave., Atlanta, GA 30312, www.charisbooksandmore.com, http://chariscirclewinetasting.eventbrite.com

Publicity Photo

The Augusta Pride Committee hosts the “Hollywood Glam” Mr. and Ms. Augusta Pride 2012 Pageant to help raise money for the annual festival. Doors open at 7:30, pageant begins at 8:30 at Sky City, 1157 Broad St., Augusta, GA 30901, http://on.fb.me/HLRC0E

Thursday, May 3 Atlantic Station’s Movies in Central Park offers a free, outdoor screening of “Moneyball.” Film starts at sundown in Atlantic Station, 1380 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30363, www.atlanticstation.com, http://bit.ly/HQxNjT

“The Chamber” reunion party brings back the days of Atlanta’s punk-goth club. 10 p.m. at the Atlanta Eagle, 306 Ponce De Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.atlantaeagle.com Julie Osborne Entertainment presents Funny Friday with DJ Tina V and comedians A.K. Bjorn, Angela Miller, Shirley Ingram, Shep Slater and more. $10.

Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. at My Sister’s Room, 1271 Glenwood Ave. SE., Atlanta, GA 30316, www.mysistersroom.com

Broadway’s “Les Miserables” wraps its Atlanta run tonight and tomorrow. 8 p.m. at the Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.foxtheatre.org The boys at Mary’s in East Atlanta are “calling all you butch badasses to take off your shirts and put on yer skirts” for Peep Peep presents “Men in Skirts.”

ManShaft’s DJ Diablo Rojo spins; Atlanta Talons take over the Boozy Cougar lounge. 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. at Mary’s, 1287 Glenwood Ave., Atlanta, GA 303016, http:// on.fb.me/HSgcgH, www.marysatlanta.com

Saturday, April 28

The Health Initiative hosts a Spring Health Fair for all LGBTQs featuring health screenings and, if needed, consultations with an onsite doctor and followup referrals. Uninsured or under-insured LGBTQ participants can learn more about the Health Fund for follow-up care. Wellness information sessions on a variety of topics are also scheduled. 12 - 4 p.m. at the Rush Center, 1530 DeKalb Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.healthinitiative.org The MEGA Family Project hosts a potluck cookout for your whole LGBT family. 3 - 6 p.m. at the CurtisDavidson home. Contact MEGA’s Kathy Kelly: kathy@megafamilyproject.org for details.

Mary’s hosts a two-day Cinco de Mayo blow out with tequila and Corona specials all weekend. Friday: DJ Headmaster Ritual spins Latin infused videos all night. Saturday: The Atlanta Bucks tend bar upstairs as DJ Beardawg and 5 Hour Boner hit the decks with Beware of the Dog selling nachos and hot dogs outside. 10 p.m. at Mary’s, 1287 Glenwood Ave., Atlanta, GA 30316, www. marysatlanta.com, http://on.fb.me/HTQVSN

Saturday, May 5

Jungle celebrates Cinco de Mayo with DJ Lazaro Leon from South Beach Miami and a special performance by “Ru Paul’s Drag Race” alum Phoenix. Reduced Admission before midnight with Las Margaritas Cinco de Mayo wristband. Doors at 10 p.m., at Jungle, 2115, Faulkner Road, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.jungleclubatlanta.com Though the beats will technically drop on Sunday at 3 a.m., DJ Power Infiniti celebrates a birthday behind the turntables to cap off Cinco de Mayo. 3 a.m. at Xion, 2241 Faulkner Road, Atlanta, GA 30324

Hotlanta Softball’s Mudcats host a “Thirsty Games” beer bust with all you can drink beer and raffle. 3 - 7 p.m. at F.R.O.G.S. Cantina, 931 Monroe Drive, Atlanta, GA 30308, http://on.fb.me/HYPaAd Lesbian social group Fourth Tuesday joins the Women’s Outdoor Network for a “Sport Spring Soiree,” an evening of dancing and games with a fire pit on the back patio. $5 covers soda, water, finger food and desserts. BYOB. 7 p.m. - 12 a.m. at the Rush Center, 1530 DeKalb Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.facebook.com/FourthTuesdayAtlanta LGBT homeless youth services group Lost-N-Found hosts a Clippers Party where barbers, a massage therapist and bootblack will be on hand to raise funds for their mission. 8 p.m. at the Atlanta Eagle, 306 Ponce De Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30308, http://on.fb.me/HRhEev, www.lost-n-found.org The Court of Kings presents “Once Upon a Time,” the Mr. and Miss Kingdom Come pageant. 8 p.m. at My Sister’s Room, 1271 Glenwood Ave. SE., Atlanta, GA 30316, www.mysistersroom.com

Calendar Photo vbia Facebook

“Banging Soul” with DJ Kmixx takes over Mixx at 10 p.m., 1492 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, www.mixxatlanta.com DJ Chad Jack brings the beats at Jungle. 10 p.m. at Jungle, 2115 Faulkner Road, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.jungleclubatlanta.com

Sunday, April 29

Niesha Dupree’s Stars of the Century takes the stage on Mondays at 11 p.m. at Jungle, 2115 Faulkner Rd., Atlanta, GA 30324, www.jungleclubatlanta.com Every Monday, catch the “Martini Girls Cabaret” featuring hostesses Jealouse and Charlie Brown with Elea Atlanta and “Ru Paul’s Drag Race” alum Mariah Balenciaga. $5 martini’s all night. 11 p.m. - 3 a.m. at Beluga Martini Bar. 3115 Piedmont Road, Atlanta, GA 30305, www.belugamartinibar.com

Friday, May 4

Got Leche welcomes special guest DJ Cubanito spins for a night featuring performances from “Ru Paul’s Drag Race” alumni Jessica Wild and Mariah Belinciaga. 10 p.m.

- 5 a.m. at Club Rush, 2715 Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30041

Wednesday, May 2

The Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce hosts a Business Builder Luncheon. 11:55 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Carpe Diem, 105 Sycamore Place, Decatur, GA 30030, www.atlantagaychamber.org

Thursday, May 3

Tuesday, May 1

Charis Books & More hosts an evening of Southern literary fiction featuring Carter Sickels, author of “The Evening Hour” and Elizabeth Anderson, a Charis employee who reads from novel-in-progress “Paradise Park.” 7:30 - 9 p.m. at Charis Books and More, 1189 Euclid Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.charisbooksandmore.com

Sing along as pianist David Reeb tickles the ivories every Tuesday. 8 p.m. at Mixx, 1492 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, www.mixxatlanta.com

Thursdays are the Unexpected Cabaret featuring Envy Van Michaels, Jasmine Antoinette, Celeste Holmes, Jaylish and Dylan Michael. 11 p.m. at Mixx, 1492 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, www.mixxatlanta.com

Play “Let’s Make a Deal,” with host Ken every Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Friend’s on Ponce, 736 Ponce De Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30306, www.friendsonponce-atl.com

3 Legged Cowboy night at Heretic means free dance lessons at 8 p.m., then open dance from 9 - 11 p.m.

2069 Cheshire Bridge Road, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.hereticatlanta.com Jerry hosts “I Gotta Sing!” karaoke. 11 p.m. at Blake’s on the Park, 227 10th St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com Angelica D’ Paige hosts Trivia Tuesday Karaoke at Burkhart’s, where you’ll have your turn on the mic and a chance to win free shots by answering trivia questions throughout the night. 11:30 p.m. at Burkhart’s, 893 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30309, www.burkharts.com

Friday, May 4

B.I.G. Productions presents “Bear Invasion” with DJ Sean Mac and NYC’s DJ/Producer John LePage. 9 p.m. at Heretic, 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.hereticatlanta.com, www.bearinvasiongroup.com Enjoy Femmistry Fridays with Traxx Girls, 10 p.m. at Encore, 2520 Piedmont Road, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.traxxgirls.com The guys at WassupNAtl get the party going with three levels of fun at Trio Fridays. 10 p.m - 4 a.m. at Mengo’s. 91 Broad Street, Atlanta, GA 30303, www.wassupnatl.com

OutlantaCon 2012 once again unites gay gamers, sci-fi enthusiasts, fantasy lovers and the general “Queer Geek audience” for a weekend of special guests and games. Details TBA at the Holiday Inn Hotel Select Atlanta-Perimeter/Dunwoody, 4386 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, GA 30341, www.outlantacon.org “Music in the Mountains” brings three days of performances to Swiftwaters, a “womanspace” campground near Dahlonega, Ga. Swiftwaters, 830 Swiftwaters Road, Dahlonega, GA 30533, http://on.fb.me/J7svzF

Saturday, May 5

The 25th Annual HRC Dinner Gala and Auction takes over the Hyatt Regency Atlanta featuring beats

by DJ Mike Pope, a performance by Frenchie Davis and a keynote from U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin. 6 - 11 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, 265 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30303 www.atlantahrcdinner.org The Atlanta Bucks gay rugby team continues its First Friday beer and wing bust at the Heretic. 8 p.m., 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.facebook.com/atlantabucks, www.atlantabucksrugby.org

Expect appearances from Nichelle Paris, Shavonna B. Brooks, Necole Luv Dupree, Isabella Diamante and more at the Miss Atlanta Devine Continental drag pageant 2012. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. at Jungle, 2115 Faulkner Road, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.atlantadevine.com Photo via palsatlanta.org

Friday, May 4 - Sunday, May 6

Saturday, May 5

Sunday, May 6 The Piedmont Bark Yappy Hour presents the 2012 Pet Cotillion, the annual crowning of the PALS “spokespet” and a fundraiser for the non-profit that helps pet owners with HIV/AIDS. Fenuxe Magazine’s Tyler Calkins and DAVE FM’s Mara Davis host the pet costume-optional event. 3 - 6 p.m. at Piedmont Bark, 501 Amsterdam Ave., Atlanta, GA 30306, www.palsatlanta.org Publicity photo

Mondays are Happy Bear Cocktail Hour, where patrons can watch “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “Absolutely Fabulous” with half-price appetizers 5 - 8 p.m. at Cockpit, 465 Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30312, http://thecockpit-atlanta.blogspot.com

23

SPOTLIGHT

DJ Lydia Prim spins every Friday at the Heretic.

10 p.m. 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.hereticatlanta.com

Every Friday, Destiny Brooks, Jasmine Antoinette, Monica Van Pelt, Iysis Dupree, Eva Destruction and an ensemble cast from Dragstar Season 2 star in “Divas Get Schooled,” a cabaret production. 11 p.m. at LeBuzz, 585 Franklin Road, Marietta, GA 30067. www.thenewlebuzz.com

Monday, April 30

Catch NBC’s musical drama “Smash” on the screens at 10 p.m. at Amsterdam, 502-A Amsterdam. Ave. NE, Atlanta GA 30306, www.amsterdamatlanta.com

GA Voice

Kitty LeClaw’s Meow Mix gets catty at 11 p.m. at Blake’s on the Park, 227 10th St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com

For the Kid in All of Us, the folks behind the annual Toy Party and Backpack in the Park host a “Brainstorm Lab Brunch” to discuss ideas for the organization’s 10th year and beyond. $15 includes a brunch buffet and a mimosa. 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. at The Fifth Ivory, 794 Juniper St., Atlanta, GA 30308, http:// bit.ly/J0lsiz, http://on.fb.me/JdMQ7k

Watch “RuPaul’s Drag Race” at 9 p.m. followed by the Manic Monday show at 11 p.m. at Blake’s on the Park, 227 10th St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com

Join the guys at Mixx for a Grown & Sexy Party with DJ Smash. 10 p.m. at Mixx, 1492 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, www.mixxatlanta.com

April 27, 2012

Photo via Facebook

www.theGAVoice.com

Saturday, May 5 Sunday, May 6

Join 175 artists, artisans and live acoustic musicians for the Buckhead Spring Arts & Crafts Festival, a part of the gay owned and operated Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces series of festivals. Saturday, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. at Chastain Park, 4469 Stella Dr., Atlanta, GA 30327

Sunday, May 6

Kelli’s Childcare Collective of Atlanta hosts children’s author S.J. Tindal for a family reading of her book “Nairobi and the Firefly,” reminding readers to honor and respect the freedom of all the living. 1 - 2:30 p.m. at Charis Books and More, 1189 Euclid Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.charisbooksandmore.com

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

Wednesday, May 9 Bonnie Raitt gives ‘em something to talk about with her Slipstream Tour 2012. 7:30 - 10:30 p.m. at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339, www.bonnieraitt.com, www.cobbenergycentre.com

April 27, 2012

Calendar

EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

Hear ye, hear ye! The Georgia Renaissance Festival hosts an official “Gay Day” for all LGBT princesses, queens, wenches and kings. 10:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Rain or shine. I-85 at Exit 61 - Fairburn. www.garenfest.com

Monday, May 7

“T&F Transitionz: a Project of the Feminist Outlawz” is an open forum to discuss gender and facilitating dialogue and activism around social issues led by social justice minded feminists Buttonz and SJ. 7 - 9:30 p.m. at Charis Books & More, 1189 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta, GA, 30307, www.charisbooksandmore.com Meak Productions hosts dine-out fundraiser for the Atlanta International Day Against Homphobia event on May 17. 7 p.m. at Ilan Breeze, 537 Gresham Ave., Atlanta, GA 30316, www.meakproductions.com, http://on.fb.me/I2PUmp The First Monday of every month means PFLAG Atlanta hosts a support meeting for LGBTQ friends and family. 7:30 - 9 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, slightly beyond 1587 Northeast Expressway NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, www.pflag.org

Tuesday, May 8

Lesbian singer-songwriter Catie Curtis performs at 8 p.m. at Eddie’s Attic, 515-B N. McDonough St., Decatur, GA 30030, www.eddiesattic.com

Wednesday, May 9

It’s Trailer Park Prom Night for this month’s PALS Bingo, hosted by Bubba D. Licious and Brent Star.

Doors at 6:30 p.m., program at 7:30 p.m. at Jungle, 2115 Faulkner Road, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.palsatlanta.org If you missed lesbian singer-songwriter Catie Curtis at Eddie’s Attic on Tuesday, catch her tonight at 7 p.m. at the Red Clay Theatre, 3116 Main St., Duluth, GA 30096, www.eddieowenpresents.com

Thursday, May 10

Atlantic Station’s Movies in Central Park offers a free, outdoor screening of “Singing in the Rain.”

Film starts at sundown in Atlantic Station, 1380 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30363, www.atlanticstation. com, http://bit.ly/HQxNjT “Sexualities in Education: a Discussion with Dr. Jillian Ford” is an evening of conversation and critical thinking about the role of sexuality in contemporary educational contests. $5 suggested donation.

7:30 - 9 p.m. at Charis Books and More, 1189 Euclid Ave. NE., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.charisbooksandmore.com

www.theGAVoice.com

hoto

GA Voice

p licity Pub

24

Saturday, Mayma19 kes his

DJ Brett Henrichsen with debut at the Heretic, 10 p.m. at . p.m 11 ore bef er reduced cov nta, 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road, Atla om ta.c tlan GA 30324, www.heretica

UPCOMING Friday, May 11

Taste for Theatre is a wine tasting benefit for 7 Stages Theatre — which hosted the gay-themed “Lay of the Land” and “Hidden Man” earlier this year — featuring burlesque and circus performances, food from Sun in my Belly and a silent auction. 7 - 10 pm. at the Cator Woolford Gardens, 1815 S. Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.7stages.org Professional sex expert Diana Cage discusses “Mind Blowing Sex” geared toward helping women — straight and queer — learn how to enjoy sex more than ever before. 7:30 - 9 p.m. at Charis Books and More, 1189 Euclid Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.charisbooksandmore.com

Saturday, May 12

Bingo 4 Boobs is a fundraiser for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer hosted by Ruby Redd.

4 - 7 p.m. at Mixx, 1492-B Piedmont Ave. NE., Atlanta, GA 30309, www.mixxatlanta.com

Thursday, May 17

Sexual diversity in the workplace is the theme for this year’s International Day Against Homophobia event, which offers speeches from local LGBT organizers and activists. 6 - 9 p.m. at Village Church, 3418 Dogwood Drive., Hapeville, GA 30354, www.villagechurch.tv, http://on.fb.me/HIb4HK

Friday, May 18

The 5th annual Doggies on the Catwalk, a canine couture inspired gala, features fashions from Tootsies, Bill Hallman and Dixie Dog Wear.

The event is a fundraiser for Pets Are Loving Support. $75, $125 VIP. VIP reception, 7 p.m., general reception 7:30 p.m., showtime at 8:15 p.m. at Room & Board, 1170 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30318, www.palsatlanta.org

26

GA Voice

April 27, 2012

A&E

www.theGAVoice.com

PiEDmoNT BARK YAPPY HoUR PREsENTs

THAT’S WHAT

SHE SAID

COTILLION

oFFiciAL cRoWNiNG oF THE 2012 PALs sPoKEsPET EmcEEs Tyler calkins, Publisher, FENUXE magazine and mara Davis, DAVE Fm 92.9

mAY 6, 2012 H 3–6 Pm DoGs WELcomE H PET cosTUmEs oPTioNAL 20 admission to benefit PALs

$

Admission includes complimentary drinks and hors d’oveuvres

75 ViP admission also includes reserved seating and gift bag

$

Advance ticket sales or info to enter your pet: palsatlanta.org PiEDmoNT BARK H 501 AmsTERDAm AVE H ATLANTA, GA 30306 P 404-873-5400 H F 404-873-0240 ALEciA LAUREN PHoToGRAPHY

INtown Atlanta

DENNis DEAN cATERiNG

Due to State Regulations, no pet will be allowed in the facility without proof of current vaccinations.

Suicide and social media How can we help LGBT youth be not only out, but proud?

It seems that suicide is spilling into our headlines more than ever before, with another gay teenager falling victim to this tragic trend a couple weeks ago.

Kenneth Weishuhn Jr. of Iowa took his own life at the age of 14, after being tormented by classmates for his decision last month to come out. His mother told The Washington Post that Kenneth quickly became the target of threatening cellphone calls, voicemails, and online comments.

Kenneth was a popular kid in school, but only when classmates thought he was straight.

Once they learned his truth, Kenneth’s peers quickly turned on him and that rejection led to his death April 15.

The topic of teens and bullying came up in conversation with friends last weekend at the Dogwood Festival, when someone posed the question, “Do you think kids are meaner now than ever, or do they simply have more tools to use?”

My response was that kids aren’t meaner, but it’s social media that has changed the game. While I was in the closet in high school, rumors began that I was a lesbian. I wasn’t ready to come out and was able to squash those rumors with a big denial and a public date with a boy.

Had the seed of those rumors been planted online, I have no idea how I would have handled the outcome, and am sure suicide would have seemed like a way to end the anxiety.

Kenneth’s criticism was public and he didn’t have the luxury of living enough years to realize it does get better, and that anyone who was uncomfortable with his sexuality as a kid may grow up and act differently later.

Just before Kenneth’s death, an LGBTQ center in Phoenix announced it was offering a high school curriculum for bullied and homeless youth. Called Q High, the program will allow those who have dropped out of school due

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

to bullying earn a high school diploma.

How sad that at the moment Kenneth felt he was drowning and had nowhere to turn, a potential lifesaver was floating just a few states away.

Q High is not the first high school geared toward gay youth in the country. Since 1985 Harvey Milk High School in New York has been a safe haven for students who are unable to succeed in a mainstream high school. Their success shows in a 92 percent graduation rate.

Is a gay high school the answer? I don’t know. What I do know is the only kids who would be able to transfer to Harvey Milk or Q High are those kids who have supportive parents. Unfortunately, many parents are unknowingly raising closeted and scared gay kids, as well as spineless bullies and their closed-mouth enablers.

I have to take responsibility for these children.

While we are busy fighting for legal marriage and protection at the workplace, we can’t forget that there is a new type of battleground for our survival in schools.

Like Kenneth, Jamey Rodemeyer of New York, killed himself after he came out last year at the age of 14. One of our mottos is to be “Out & Proud.” We got them to the out, but failed in continuing to teach them to be proud for it.

Kids are dying, and continue to die, for being gay. Officials would be quick to count the bodies in an accident or outbreak of disease, but I wish we could see the death toll for the epidemic of ignorance.

I apologize to Kenneth, Jamey, Tyler, James, Brenda, Dora, Leslie, Hart, Denice, Thomas, Justin, Bobby, Ryan, Jamie, William, Kim, Alexander, Kent, Arthur, Mike, Alan, James, Jim, Tobi, and the countless others that don’t make the news.

I was proud of you, and am sorry you never knew it.

A&E

www.theGAVoice.com

DOMESTICALLY

DISTURBED

Boy in the band Travels with my aunt, preparing me for the journey ahead

I was sitting in the front seat of my Aunt Merry’s big blue Cadillac, freezing. It was April in Mississippi, already in the high 80s, but that luxury automobile had killer air conditioning. I sat silently, odd for me even at age 12, watching the goosebumps rise on my arms. The knot in my stomach was growing exponentially. By the time we got to her house, it would weigh a hundred pounds and I would be unable to rise from the blue leather seat.

“You’re quiet,” said Aunt Merry. She phrased it as an observation, not as a concern.

“I’m just sleepy,” I said, watching the pastures race past the window. She always took off like a rocket when we turned onto Military Road, because encountering another car was such a rarity. Maybe the occasional deer, but she had one of those repellant whistles mounted to the hood of her car to keep them from running into the road and messing up her Cadillac.

I made a mental list of all the people and things I wished I had a whistle to discourage from approaching. I’d use it as I walked through the halls of Kosciusko Upper Elementary, and all would be right with my world.

The boulder in my belly continued to expand. It has been said confession is good for the soul. At the moment, my digestive system was making the demand.

“I quit the school band,” I said. “I haven’t been to any of the practices since we came back from Christmas.”

The 6th grade Christmas concert had been one of the low points of my brief life. I was last-chair clarinet, the only boy who played a woodwind. I’d personally chosen clarinet because I got along better with girls than boys, and I figured I’d be safer there.

This flawed tactical move had left me open to new levels of derision from my classmates, but I probably would have gotten past it if it had not also been discovered that I was absolutely terrible at playing the clarinet. Every attempt ended up sounding like a goose having an asthma attack and an orgasm simultaneously.

People can make choices outside social norms if they’re really good at it — girls who

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

fight to join the football team, or boys who excel at gymnastics. But to refuse to go with the flow, and then have no talent for the alternative, is really just a losing battle.

“Have you told your parents?” Aunt Merry asked, already knowing the answer.

“I kept meaning to, but I knew they’d be mad. And the Spring Concert’s next week.”

“What have you been doing instead?”

“I sit in Mrs. LeVert’s classroom and write stories.”

Aunt Merry always played by her own rules, and had encouraged me to do the same.

I was hoping she’d champion me in this conundrum. But she looked concerned.

“You don’t play sports, and that’s fine. And if you don’t like being in the band, that’s fine too.

You’re a wonderful writer, and I love your stories.

But you cannot sit in an empty classroom and not be around people your age. You have to know how to talk to people, and be part of a group.”

I started to protest.

“It doesn’t matter if you think you don’t like them, or they don’t like you. You won’t be here forever. Mississippi’s just your first stop.

But if you don’t learn to make friends here, you won’t know how to do it anywhere else.

Your Mama and Daddy could care less about you being in the band. Grownups hate going to band concerts. But they want to know you’re at least trying to be a part of something.”

This was the conversation that led to me doing my first play at the community theatre that summer. I discovered that community theatres are where small towns stash most of their oddballs, and found kindred spirits in that building.

I found something I was good at doing, and in the 20 years since, I’ve never left the theatre.

“You really think I’ll leave Mississippi?” I asked Aunt Merry in the car that day.

“Your heart’s already left here,” she replied. “The rest of you will catch up.”

April 27, 2012

GA Voice

27