Georgia Voice 05/03/24, Vol. 15 Issue 4

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The Path to Happiness is Paved with Bad Emotions

When I was in high school, somebody asked me what I thought the meaning of life was. “To be happy,” I said, matter-of-factly.

I, in my teenage naivete, thought this answer was obvious. I have since learned that people come to many different conclusions about their own life meaning: dedication to God, family, morality, or a legacy left behind often trump happiness as people’s central reason for living.

While the meaning of life may be happiness, the meaning of capitalism certainly is not. Stress, work, and financial struggles often get in the way of happiness, through no fault of the individual — or things we think should make us happy, like drugs, social media, or consumerism, can actually just exacerbate our unhappiness.

In the near-decade since I gave my own simple, naive answer, my view of happiness has become more complicated — but it has not become less important to me. In my early adulthood, I mistook happiness for hedonistic pleasure — a crucial part of happiness, sure, but not the whole kit and caboodle. As many young people do, I overindulged in weed and booze and pursued fleeting moments of feeling good at the expense of other people’s feelings, people who mattered to me. I was miserable, acutely struggling with depression, anxiety, and self-loathing.

Through a combination of sobriety, medication, therapy, and frontal lobe development, I have been able to overcome this misery. Freeing myself from the prison of my mental illness has opened my heart up to a happiness I wasn’t even aware was possible when I gave that answer in high school.

Maintaining my happiness still requires having fun with my loved ones, seeking new experiences, and pursuing bodily pleasure, but it also requires responsibility to my friends, family, and coworkers; moving my body; producing work I’m proud of; and, perhaps most importantly, feeling all my feelings, sadness included.

The biggest shift I’ve experienced in my mental health going from untreated to treated is that sadness, insecurity, and anxiety live far more comfortably in my body. Before treating my mental health issues, every time one of these feelings crept into my mind (which was often), I felt completely overcome, frozen in place and spiraling deep into every possible worst-case scenario: I am anxious, therefore I am a failure and I am a freak who

nobody loves and I will probably never feel good again, et cetera, et cetera. I expected that mental well-being would preclude these “negative” emotions, but in reality, they simply no longer equate to earth-shattering, shameridden panic. They appear, visit my mind for a little bit, and see their way out once I’ve allowed them to run their course.

To live a happy life, I know there needs to be room at the table for my grief, fear, and self-doubt, because like it or not, these feelings are real parts of me. If I live in denial of that fact, I will be consumed by them. The meaning I have chosen for my life is still to be happy, but it is also to be sad and scared and angry. It is to feel every feeling life has to offer, and to feel them in their entirety so that I can fully enjoy the gift of being alive.

Katie Burkholder

Staff reports

Read these stories and more online at thegavoice.com

Report Finds That They/Them Pronouns May Hurt Your Resume

A report conducted by business.com found that 72 percent of non-binary people believe that identifying as non-binary would hurt their job search — and they might be right.

The authors of the study sent two phantom resumes to 180 job postings: both exactly identical, except one included they/them pronouns and one did not. Though most of the companies claimed to be Equal Opportunity Employers, the resume with the pronouns received less interest and fewer interview invitations.

Based on feedback given by hiring managers, resumes with they/them pronouns were eight percent less likely to be deemed a “good fit” for the respective job position. Furthermore, when hiring managers made personal comments about the presence of pronouns in general, they were negative 38 percent of the time. This number rose to 75 percent negative comments when discussing they/them pronouns specifically.

“The pronouns on the resume make me think this person may be a troublemaker and ‘woke’ versus more collaborative,” a hiring manager in the finance and insurance industry said.

“On paper, they seem qualified, but listing pronouns at the top of the resume is unnecessary and rather eye-roll worthy. It makes them come off as unprofessional,” another hiring manager in the healthcare and social assistance field told business.com.

Therefore, it is no surprise that only 36 percent of non-binary employees are completely out in the workplace. 29 percent do not identify as non-binary in the workplace at all, and 35 percent identify selectively.

While there is still work to be done to eliminate bias in the workplace for nonbinary employees, there does seem to be some small progress. Last year, resumes with they/them pronouns were deemed seven

percent less qualified than those without, but this year all resumes were considered equally qualified for the job listing. The percent of non-binary people who believed their identity would hurt their job search also dropped from 83 percent last year to 72 percent this year.

“Don’t Say Gay” Expansion Passes in Alabama State House

A bill expanding the restrictions of discussions of “gender identity or sexual orientation” in public schools was passed by the Alabama state House on Tuesday.

According to  ABC News, the law currently on the books prevents classrooms from kindergarten to fifth grade from “engag[ing] in classroom discussion or provid[ing] classroom instruction regarding sexual orientation or gender identity in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”

The expanded version of the bill, HB130, would extend the same restrictions through

eighth grade and ban all Pride flags from K-12 schools. State Rep. Mack Butler, the bill’s sponsor, said in a hearing that the bill is a response to “some indoctrination going on” and an attempt to “purify the schools.”

This possible expansion in Alabama comes amidst news that Florida’s infamous “Don’t Say Gay” bill was expanded by the Florida Board of Education to prohibit instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity for grades four through 12, “unless such instruction is either expressly required by state academic standards… or is part of a reproductive health course or health lesson for which a student’s parent has the option to have his or her student not attend.”

“Expanding this ban from fifth grade to twelfth grade and prohibiting discussion on the topic in all Alabama’s public schools pushes back education in a state where there is already significant need for our students,” the ACLU of Alabama said in a statement. “If HB130 passes, it will rid classrooms and students in the state of Alabama of inclusive discussion that is essential at all stages of life.”

Report finds that they/them pronouns may hurt your resume. PHOTO BY PEXELS.COM/LUCAS

Homeless Transgender Woman Murdered in Miami Beach

Brody Levesque, Washington Blade via the National LGBTQ Media Association

Gregory Fitzgerald Gibert, 53, who was out on probation, is charged with the second-degree murder of 37-year-old Andrea Doria Dos Passos, a transgender Latina woman who was found deceased in front of the Miami Ballet company facility by a security guard this past week.

According to a Miami Beach Police spokesperson the security guard thought Dos Passos was sleeping in the entranceway around 6:45am on April 23 and when he went to wake her he discovered the blood and her injuries and alerted 911.

She was deceased from massive trauma to her face and head. According to Miami Beach police when video surveillance footage was reviewed, it showed Dos Passos lying down in the entranceway apparently asleep.  WFOR reported: In the early morning hours, a man arrived, looked around, and spotted her. Police said the man was dressed in a black shirt, red shorts, and red shoes.

At one point, he walked away, picked up a metal pipe from the ground, and then returned. After looking around, he sat on a bench near Dos Passos. After a while, he got up and repeatedly hit her in the head and face while she was sleeping, according to police.

“The male is then seen standing over her, striking her, and then manipulating her body. The male then walks away and places the pipe inside a nearby trash can (the pipe was found and recovered in the same trash can),” according to the arrest report.

Police noted that in addition to trauma

on her face and head, two wooden sticks were lodged in her nostrils and there was a puncture wound in her chest.

Victor Van Gilst, Dos Passos’s stepfather confirmed she was trans and experiencing homelessness.

“She had no chance to defend herself whatsoever. I don’t know if this was a hate crime since she was transgender or if she had some sort of interaction with

this person because he might have been homeless as well. The detective could not say if she was attacked because she was transgender,” said Van Gilst.

“She has been struggling with mental health issues for a long time, going back to when she was in her early 20s. We did everything we could to help her. My wife is devastated. For her, this is like a nightmare that turned into reality. Andrea moved around a lot and even lived in California for a while. She was sadly homeless. I feel

“She had no chance to defend herself whatsoever. I don’t know if this was a hate crime since she was transgender or if she had some sort of interaction with this person because he might have been homeless as well. The detective could not say if she was attacked because she was transgender.”

— Victor Van Gilst, Dos Passos’s stepfather

the system let her down. She was a good person,” he added.

The Miami Police Department arrested Gibert, collected his clothing, noting the red shorts were the same type in the video and had blood on them. Blood was also found on his shoes, according to police. He was taken into custody and charged.

“The suspect has an extensive criminal record and reportedly was recently released from custody on probation for prior criminal charges. Police apprehended the suspect in the city of Miami and the investigation is currently ongoing. This case is further evidence that individuals need to be held accountable for prior violent crimes for the protection of the public. We offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the victim,” Miami Beach Mayor Steve Meiner said in a statement.

Joe Saunders, senior political director with LGBTQ rights group Equality Florida, told the  Miami Herald  that “whenever a transgender person is murdered, especially when it is with such brutality, the question should be asked about whether or not this was a hate-motivated crime.”

Andrea Doria Dos Passos PHOTO COURTESY OF EQUALITY FLORIDA

Kat Jewell is Advocating for Mental Health in Forsyth County

Kat Jewell is a transgender candidate running for the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners to represent district four.

Jewell was working in tech and saw her friends and community members around her struggling: struggling to keep up with inflation, maintain financial stability, find housing, and deal with mental health issues. She was complaining to her mom about the state of her community when her mom told her to do something about it.

“When I got done complaining, she told me to stop sitting on my butt and to get up do something about it and put my money where my mouth was,” she told Georgia Voice. “So, I took two years out of everything professionally and spent the time volunteering and [eventually] getting into politics.”

As part of her volunteering and community organizing, Jewell lobbied the current Board of Commissioners to focus their attention on the mental health care needs in the community. Mental health has been at the forefront of discussions in Forsyth County as the commissioners considered a $38 million project to build a local mental health center earlier this year. The commissioners were originally scheduled to vote on funding construction on the project but ultimately decided to form a task force to find solutions and determine the fate of the building. The Mental Health Advisory Committee includes commissioners Kerry Hill and Todd Levent, County Manager David McKee, representatives of the Forsyth County School Board, Schools Superintendent Jeff Bearden, and Sheriff Ron Freeman.

Jewell believes that it was due in part to her lobbying and advocacy that this task

force was formed, and she will continue to focus on addressing Forsyth’s mental health concerns if elected to the board. According to Cindy Levi, the CEO of mental health care facility Avita Community Partners, there were 3,377 mental health crisis calls in the county from 2021 to 2023, and 1,560 required a dispatch. Of the 1,026 patients referred to crisis beds, only about half received their recommended treatment due to a lack of resources and a limit on services able to be offered.

“If that level [of care] is needed, the closest units are in Gainesville, Lawrenceville, Marietta, and Decatur,” Levi said at a

February commissioners meeting. “So that can take the units out of services for several hours in a round trip transporting individuals to those locations.”

Jewell echoed these sentiments and is dedicated to making mental health and crisis support more accessible to the people in her community. She also hopes to increase the representation of mental health professionals on the newly formed Mental Health Advisory Committee, as she says only the sheriff has any experience with handling mental health crises.

Forsyth is not known as a beacon for

equality; the county is infamous for the 1912 lynching of Rob Edwards and forcing Black residents to migrate away from the area. Jewell says her identity as a trans woman makes her and others like her vulnerable –and while that made her emotional during our conversation, it’s not going to keep her from fighting for what she knows is right.

“I live in a place where it’s going to be very hard for me to win,” she said. “I can’t win on my gender identity, quite the contrary: that’s a detriment to me. Everybody in the Democratic party’s like, ‘Kat, do you feel safe?’ I grew up in Detroit. You think anybody scares me? No. I have to worry about the other trans people in my community I now represent… [Transphobic people] view us as something that is a threat to their way of life, rather than seeing their neighbor or a part of their community.”

Along with addressing mental health issues and giving visibility and power to other trans people in the county, Jewell also plans to introduce creative solutions to address housing inequalities, as the current median home price in Forsyth County is $675,000. She hopes to try to make housing more affordable through tiny home development.

“I come to the table with unique solutions and a penchant for listening in balance with proper planning. I’m hoping that I can do some good in my community,” Jewell said. “Whether I win or lose, it’s not gonna stop me.”

The general primary election for the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners is on May 21 before the general election on November 5. To support Kat Jewell, you can sign up to volunteer for her campaign at kat4forsyth. com/volunteer or you can reach out to her directly at kat4forsyth@gmail.com.

Katie Burkholder

Kat Jewell is a transgender candidate running for the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAT JEWELL

Two World Premieres:

Nighthawks by Claudia Schreier set to Wynton Marsalis’s

The Jungle (Symphony No. 4)

Yellow by Juliano Nuñes set to Beethoven’s

Piano Sonata No. 29

Brooke Gilliam. Photos by Rachel Neville.

Are the Kids All Right?: Gen Z and Social Media

Social media as we know it today first came around in the late ’90s with the first site of its kind, the now defunct Six Degrees. Since the early 2000s with the advent of the far more successful Facebook, social media has exponentially increased in popularity and pervasiveness. Early forms of sites like Twitter and Instagram are virtually unrecognizable from what we see on our screens today, and we find ourselves more and more entrenched in the digital world with the passing of each year as algorithms become more and more intrusive. As the landscape of these sites trespasses upon our minds, what impact does it have on our mental health?

While social media can facilitate social connectiveness, especially when used actively (using sites to post and communicate with others instead of just scrolling and lurking), it can also have negative effects. In the last 30 years, depression worldwide has been on the rise; in 1990, 172 million people were suffering from depression. In 2017, that number rose by almost 50 percent to 258 million. Generation Z, the generation most colloquially associated with social media — with the oldest of them being born in the late ’90s and entirely growing up in the digital age — is twice as likely as Americans over 25 to battle depression and feelings of hopelessness, according to research from the Walton Family Foundation.

While the rise in depression is only correlational to the rise in social media, queer members of Gen Z believe their mental health suffers from social media mostly due to the hypervisibility of other people’s lives and the comparison and subsequent selfloathing that can cause.

“I feel like social media has been a blessing

and a burden simultaneously,” Megan Dunn, a queer member of Gen Z, told Georgia Voice

“On the one hand, I’ve been able to stay in touch with people who I otherwise would probably never see again in person. I watch them get new jobs, move to new cities, get married, and have kids, and cheering them on through all of that has been really cool. But at the same time everything I consume on [social media], whether it’s from people I personally know or if it’s content from a stranger, is going to be a sanitized version of real life … [T]here are times that it can be overwhelming to feel like I’m somehow ‘behind’ in life compared to others. I get so wrapped up in wondering if I have enough friends or if I’m where I’m supposed to be

career-wise or if I look like someone that other people would find desirable, and I start to forget that it isn’t my job to be any of those things in order to be deserving of love and respect.”

Victoria Cortes, a younger nonbinary member of Gen Z, echoed these sentiments, specifically saying that this level of comparison can exacerbate their gender dysphoria.

“I personally hate seeing other non-binary/ genderfluid people looking exactly how I want, it kills me a little inside,” they told Georgia Voice. “I love to see them happy, but I’m sad I don’t look like them. It makes me feel not genderqueer enough, especially

seeing people who take hormones ... I’ve already felt this while going woman mode and now I experience it on a deeper level wanting to be perceived not as a woman. I guess it’s because it’s so easy for me to portray myself as a woman. It’s harder to portray myself as non-woman, and it’s harder coming to terms with that observing all these genderqueer people looking so good.”

Both Dunn and Cortes expressed some guilt at the fact that they weren’t just happy for the other people on their feeds.

“There’s the added guilt of, ‘I shouldn’t be so upset by this, and I should be happy for them,’ because I never want people to feel as though they shouldn’t share their wins out of fear that others will compare themselves,” Dunn said.

This guilt may exacerbate the negative effects of self-comparison; clinical psychologist Dr. Jennifer Ho told Everyday Health that guilt can affect self-esteem and self-worth and lead to maladaptive behaviors if unaddressed.

The peak of negative outcomes when it comes to social media happens when daily use transforms into addiction. According to California State University, an estimated 10 percent of Americans are addicted to social media, and Cortes expressed being addicted themselves. Signs of social media addiction include withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, irritability, and restlessness when not online; neglecting responsibilities; spending more time on social media than with friends or family; and loss of interest in other hobbies or activities.

To combat social media addiction or overuse, turn off push notifications for the apps you use most often, turn your phone to grayscale to eliminate hyperstimulation while you scroll, or use apps that track and limit social media usage.

Katie Burkholder

Unconventional Healing with a Dominatrix

BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism) is an umbrella term for a variety of taboo kink interests that most people have heard of but many of us know little about. Many people are interested in BDSM and a substantial number of people have even given it a shot in some capacity — a study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that 68.8 percent of the participants reported at least one BDSM fantasy and 47 percent acted on their fantasy at least once — but an overwhelming majority of the population carries a stigma against BDSM practitioners. According to another study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, 86 percent of respondents maintained stigmatizing beliefs about BDSM interests and practices. Professional dominatrix Ari sat down with Georgia Voice to discuss this stigma, mental health in BDSM, and how they live their best life.

Although BDSM practices have been around for thousands of years, professional research on it is only recently becoming widespread. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the common handbook for psychiatric diagnosis and treatment in America, still lists sexual sadism, sexual masochism, and fetishistic disorder, despite their inclusion being heavily contested by sex researchers. Only in 2013 was the caveat added that “to meet diagnostic criteria an individual must have experienced clinically significant distress or impairment due to their sexual desires or must have acted on these sexual urges with a nonconsenting person.”

Listing BDSM interests as disorders damaged perceptions about the community before research on the topic was becoming common practice, and the 2013 amendment

in the DSM-5 could not possibly repair that damage. The significant distress is nowhere near a common occurrence. In over five years spent as a professional domme, there was only one instance Ari could recall of a client experiencing distress. On the other hand, acting with a nonconsenting person is both illegal and totally against one of the main pillars of BDSM practices: consent.

Ari brought up consent many times throughout our conversation and emphasized the importance of having a deep understanding with clients before ever engaging in a session. They always sit down for a consultation with potential submissives (subs) to come to an understanding about their background, needs, and goals.

“I’m setting boundaries and having conversations … many conversations prior to any play that’s partaken,” Ari said. “I like

to get a feeling of our connection ... It needs to be real because these are relationships that I want to cultivate for a long time. I expect longevity out of my subs.”

Despite stereotypes of deviancy associated with those who seek the work of a dominatrix, Ari says a lot of their clients “seem very put together.”

“Most of them are like in the corporate world or they’re like coaches for big sports teams,” they said. “They’re all just normal people with 9–5 jobs, wife and kids, take trips to the mountains.”

Mental health influences can play a role in why some clients seek Ari’s expertise, but it’s not as common as one might think.

“One of the first questions I’m always asking is, ‘Why did you get into this?’ The answers

always vary, and if it is trauma-related, which really isn’t as often as people think, then we talk about it,” they said.

In an article for TheBody, Gigi Engle discusses the positive mental health outcomes BDSM can have, saying that BDSM can be “deeply healing” for participants both sub or dom and with or without trauma. Most studies find BDSM practitioners to have similar rates of psychiatric health and childhood trauma to the general population, and Engle attributes the stigma around BDSM to “sexnegative nonsense spoon-fed to us by our puritanical culture.”

For those who have experienced trauma, Engle notes that BDSM uses the importance of consent to remove the fear of violation. Ari echoed this sentiment.

“If they do have trauma, I think it helps them come back down to earth and maybe not blame themselves and reclaim what happened,” they said. “For the ones that don’t, I think it just helps them be free.”

As erotic educator Taylor Sparks said, “[BDSM] is a way for [participants] to take control of the outcome of what is happening to them. It is a way to release fear and anxiety by giving up the control to their domme and know that they are in a safe and controlled environment.”

Ari similarly touted the therapeutic aspects of BDSM.

“It really does just do something,” they said. “It kind of like [transforms your psyche into] a whiteboard, and you can just erase the shit off. It’s like a factory reset.”

Keep up with Ari on Instagram @n0tunovia.

Mars Stone

Professional dominatrix Ari PHOTO COURTESY OF ARI

Stop by Any Spine, Anytime

In a city where diversity thrives and individuality is celebrated, the intersection of chiropractic care and queer identity emerges as a beacon of mental health support.

Any Spine is an Atlanta-based chiropractic and massage studio, owned and operated by business and life partners Dr. Zachary LaVigne and William Hernandez. Dr. Zach opened the wellness center ten years ago, but told Georgia Voice that his fascination with the human skeletal system began much earlier.

“My aunt and uncle got me this plastic skeleton for a Christmas present that I had to put together, and I was like, ‘This is cool.’” Zach said. “I kind of thought I wanted to go into the physical therapy realm. Then one assignment in undergrad changed my perspective and I went straight into chiropractic school and practice.”

Zach met William in San Francisco in 2018 and began a long-distance relationship. The couple moved in together the following year, and Will pursued an education in massage therapy.

“My class was the pandemic class,” Will said. “I moved [to Atlanta] in September 2019 and was supposed to graduate in June. We ended up graduating in December [2020].”

Armed with a natural talent for soothing aches and a fresh diploma, Will joined forces with his partner to provide Atlantans with a safe space to relax and feel comfortable.

“I want my clients to feel comfortable during their sessions, but sometimes the work can be intense. If they need to talk through it, moan, or grunt, that’s okay — it’s a safe space to let it out.” Will said. “And if clients get emotional, that’s perfectly fine too. There’s no judgment.”

The duo says the job can be tiring, but only minimally compared to the relaxation

and relief their clients enjoy at Any Spine. Working closely together during the slower days of the pandemic helped prepare them for the emotional demands of the job.

“During the pandemic, we would check in with each other every day, ‘Zero to 100. Where are you?’” Zach said. “We would know if we had to give more to make it 100 percent.”

Mental Health America reports a disproportionate representation of mental health issues among queer people. Forty percent of queer respondents reported having a mental illness. Tools like chiropractic care and massage therapy offer physical release and mental relief that can benefit the wellbeing of people facing chronic stress.

Chronic stress has been linked to a myriad

of health issues, including cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal problems, weakened immune function, and mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.

“[Any Spine] is a space for healing,” Zach said. “So, say or do whatever you need to do. If you can get that out, it will probably help compared to bottling it up inside.”

Dr. Zach and Will provide patients with a peaceful experience of letting go of their physical discomfort, but the issue goes a little deeper than that.

“Twenty-first century [life] is just not conducive to us being calm and collected,” Zach said. “I talk to a lot of people about sleep because a lot of people just can’t fall asleep … And one of the things I hear all the time —

even though I’m not particularly homing in on them sleeping better with my adjustments — they’ll come in the next time and say, ‘I don’t know what you did, but I slept great.’”

Dr. Zach and Will recommend plenty of sleep each night and an active lifestyle, but they offer a playlist of stretches and exercises for all kinds of body pain on their website.

“I tell patients on the first visit, ‘If I never see you ever again, the one thing I want you to take away from this is to move and be as active as you can,’” Zach said. “That is going to keep you going longer than anything.”

Visit Any Spine Chiropractic & Massage Studio at 900 DeKalb Ave NE, Suite A. Call (404) 997-2207 or go to anyspine.com to learn more.

Adalei Stevens

Any Spine is an Atlanta-based chiropractic and massage studio, owned and operated by business and life partners Dr. Zachary LaVigne (left) and William Hernandez. COURTESY PHOTOS

AI and Mental Health

I don’t think many people are doing okay. From enduring the recent pandemic to absorbing tensions that have grown between political candidates, racial groups, and international countries, I think many of us can say our mental health could use some help.

Last year, a Gallup poll found the percentage of American adults who reported having been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lifetime had reached 29 percent, nearly 10 percentage points higher than eight years prior. The percentage of Americans who currently have or are being treated for depression has also increased, to 17.8 percent, up about seven points over the same period. Both rates are the highest recorded by Gallup since it began measuring depression using the current form of data collection in 2015.

I myself have reached a point of wanting no

more to do with the comment sections of social media platforms. It seems this is the place to experience the worst in what we have to offer one another. The old adage of “if you don’t have anything nice to say” certainly doesn’t apply there, and despite efforts of kindness or encouragement, there are always those who are insistent on diverting the conversation to a negative space. It reminds of me of family gatherings.

So, what are we to do to improve our overall mood in this country? Some are proposing artificial intelligence as the answer.

A recent article in Business Insider highlighted the role artificial intelligence is playing in addressing the shortage of mental health care providers and emphasized its potential in aiding early diagnosis, personalizing treatment plans, and monitoring patient progress.

Click Therapeutics, a biotechnology company, uses AI through its mobile app, which provides personalized treatment strategies for conditions like depression, migraines, and obesity. It is collaborating

with the Food and Drug Administration to accelerate the development of software for treating schizophrenia.

Another AI platform, Lyssn, focuses on improving the quality of mental health care by providing on-demand training modules for behavioral health care providers. By analyzing therapy sessions, Lyssn's AI technology evaluates factors such as speech patterns and tone to enhance communication and engagement between providers and patients. This real-time feedback enables clinicians to identify areas for improvement and refine their skills, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes.

The article also acknowledges ethical and

privacy concerns associated with AI in mental health care, emphasizing the importance of ensuring data security, confidentiality, and equitable access to services. Additionally, there is a need for human-led regulation to mitigate biases and stereotypes embedded in AI algorithms.

It seems odd to discuss AI as a growing advocate in the effort to improve mental health care, since I believe it has been the lack of positive human engagement that is to blame for some of the more manageable conditions. However, if the health care system can’t offer more of a human-based solution, AI is better than nothing, right? You certainly shouldn’t check the comments section for the answer.

Melissa Carter

Iconic Charles Busch Discusses ‘Psycho Beach Party’ and Career

From an early age, Charles Busch was stagestruck, enamored with the idea of performing. He faced one tiny little problem, though.

“I wasn’t every good,” he told Georgia Voice. He had to move to a Plan B, one that came a bit unexpectedly, but has led to a legendary career as both a writer and performer, oftentimes in drag. Out Front Theatre Company closes its 2023–2024 season this month with Busch’s “Psycho Beach Party.”

In the play, Chicklet Forrest, a tomboy and teenager, craves to be a part of the Malibu Beach surf crowd in 1962. One thing stopping her is her split personalities, one of whom is Ann Bowman, who wants to

dominate the world. Andi Stanesic stars as Chicklet in the Out Front version, directed by Paul Conroy, the company’s founder and producing artistic director.

Busch has lived in New York all his life, except when he attended Northwestern University and stayed a few years after in Chicago. Before that period, he had been sent to acting classes, but was also writing. Writing, to him, never seemed like something he could do, even though he was cranking out full-length plays at the age of 11. When he got to Northwestern and became a theater major, he was never cast in a play and realized that there might not be a place for him in commercial theater. That’s when writing took center stage.

“The things that made me un-castable — my

androgyny, being obviously gay — rather than being a detriment, were my calling card,” he said. “I said to myself, in that case I have to write and create roles for myself that only I could do.”

In his senior year of college, he wrote a one-act play for his roommate and him to do, about a pair of Siamese twin showgirls. The idea was to stage it in the dorms on the weekends for their friends. Yet a colleague who organized a cult movie series at the student union auditorium, often screening films from the likes of John Waters and Andy Warhol, lost the rights to a title one weekend. Busch was asked to produce his play in the student union for the same amount of money that had been allocated for a film rental.

“Suddenly, we were really doing it,” Busch

said. “From the moment we came out on stage, I knew this was who I am and this is what I will do.”

His drag started at around the same time. In the early ’70s, Busch was attending downtown New York experimental theater, in particular the work of actor-directorplaywright Charles Ludlam, who would occasionally play some of the female roles in his shows.

“That was very revelatory — to see that this was a possibility,” Busch said. “Maybe I, this androgynous kid, could write roles to use my eccentric talent at invoking actresses from the golden age of Hollywood.”

“Psycho Beach Party” PHOTO BY SYDNEY LEE

Jim Farmer

The first 10 years of his career were spent as a solo performer, but he eventually went on to collaborate with others and write and star in off-Broadway shows. In 1984, he began working in Alphabet City, a neighborhood in the East Village. By 1985, his company’s work had attracted a cult following, and “Vampire Lesbians of Sodom” debuted, eventually moving to off-Broadway. In his curtain speeches, he would tout titles he loved — one being “Gidget Goes Psychotic.”

“I had no affection for beach party movies, but I thought if the main character was psychotic she could have other personalities than a teenage girl,” he said. “Maybe one alter ego could be a Cruella de Vil-like dominatrix vamp, which was more [for me].”

That subsequent play was also beloved, and the producers decided to open it offBroadway as well. There was concern that Universal Pictures, which owned the rights to the “Gidget” movies and TV series, might raise a rights issue due to the title. While one lawyer suggested moving forward, since it was a parody, the team came up with the title, “Psycho Beach Party,” with Gidget becoming Chicklet.

It’s one of the playwright’s most popular titles.

“It’s a very good play for colleges and younger theater and gay folks,” Busch said.

“It’s very sexy, it’s young people in bathing suits grabbing each other — and we were sexy young kids doing it. Those early plays I have a lot of affection [for]; they were written for people I loved in the theater company.”

It ran from 1984 to 1991 and became a 2000 film.

“I never thought it would be a movie,” Busch said. “The producers wanted me in it, but they did not want me to play Chicklet. At this point, I was in my 40s so I thought it would be fine to find a younger girl. A more suited role for me would be a Susan Hayward-like lady — Captain Monica Stark.”

Other successes for Busch would be the stage and film versions of “Die, Mommie, Die!” and 2000’s Tony-nominated “The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife,” which he wrote.

He has been touched over the years by people telling him how they appeared in shows of his when they were growing up and it gave them the courage come out to their parents afterward. Conroy has his own deeply personal connection with “Psycho Beach Party” — it was actually the very first queerfocused show he was ever a part, 20 years ago in Boston. He credits it with opening his world to “so many wonderful people in the LGBTQIA+ community and possibilities.”

“Psycho Beach Party” runs through May 18 at Out Front Theatre Company

“Psycho Beach Party” PHOTO BY SYDNEY LEE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

Richard Thomas Headlines ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’

“We’re Here” Returns to HBO

It’s bound to be one of the hottest tickets of the season. The national tour of “To Kill a Mockingbird” comes to the Fox Theatre next week, courtesy of Broadway in Atlanta.

Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of the beloved Harper Lee novel (and later film) came to Broadway in 2018 and became the highestgrossing American play in history.

Richard Thomas, best known for his Emmy Award-winning role as John-Boy in the TV series, “The Waltons,” stars in the play as Atticus Finch. Finch is a lawyer in Alabama in the ’30s who is defending a Black man who has been falsely accused of rape.

When the actor learned that the producers were going to bring it to New York, he was excited at the prospect of a national tour — and knew he’d the perfect person for it.

“I am a road rat and love touring,” he said.

Thomas believes Atticus Finch is one of those fictional characters who have made a huge impression on people, both on and off the page, in the novel and film and now the play, over the years.

“People sometimes talk about him like he was not a fictional character at all,” Thomas said. “I’ve spoken to lawyers and judges after the show as if he had been some sort of law professor to them. There are other characters like that in literature in and theater who seem to have a life

of their own off the page. What Aaron has done is created an Atticus who is I think a lot more approachable to the audience and less idealized, with more of a sense of humor.”

It was important for the actor that the character was written here to sound and feel like just a small-town country lawyer who is in his community, trying to raise his kids largely by himself.

“He is not a heroic figure, just a good decent man,” Thomas said.

Although he feels the message is just as topical today, the play differs from the book and film in several ways.

“Sorkin has really enriched the character of Calpurnia in the play,” Thomas said. “Even though there are only a few scenes, Tom Robinson’s scenes are very rich. Aaron has really forwarded the Black characters and made them richer in a profound way. That is one way this brings it up to 2024. Atticus has a lot to learn from both of these characters.”

The actor playing Tom Robinson is Yaegel T. Welch, who earned a BA in Theatre Arts at Morehouse College. He also starred in “Jitney” at both True Colors and the Alliance Theatre while here and he is excited to be in the national tour of “Mockingbird,” after understudying for the role on Broadway. When he got the part, he realized it was his time.

“I knew I had a lot to bring to it and had trained for something like this my entire life,” Welch said. “I was ready for the role socially and artistically and to be the voice of

According to Welch, Tom is a young father with the education of a six-year-old. His arm is crippled and he cannot move it. One day, a young girl that he routinely helps makes a move on him, and her father comes home and sees them together. Tom ends up in jail and is on trial for his life.

“He is a kind man, a religious man,” Welch said. “At the heart of the case is this regular, hardworking 25-year-old Black kid, just trying to make it, completely innocent who could not have raped anybody. But the system is rigged, and it does not matter that he did not do it.”

The play resonates everywhere, but playing in the South is especially meaningful to the cast and crew.

The new season of “We’re Here” has returned. Not only has it been a commercial success, but the series — produced by Johnnie Ingram and Steve Warren — has been a awards magnet as well, winning Emmy and Peabody awards.

Being on HBO is such a privilege, Ingram told Georgia Voice.

“The ability to tell our stories authentically and be led by queer people has been very important as we write our history in real time,” he said. “We bring four celebrity drag queens to small communities and put on

what used to be a once-a-night-only drag show, but this season, based on the shift in the political climate, the anti-drag, anti-trans bills and ordinances and policies that have popped up across the country was really unnerving. A lot of folks [wondered] if we could continue to make this. In order to keep making the show, we had to meet the moment and that was about relooking at not only what it means to be a celebrity drag queen, but the people and the stories on the ground and how this rhetoric affects people across the country. It was challenging, but we evolved and shapeshifted to meet the moment.”

New this season are four drag queens — Sasha Velour, Priyanka, Jaida Essence Hall, and Latrice Royale.

“We had three incredible hosts for the first three seasons, and we were able to tell their personal stories in depth and they were able to connect so beautifully, but we realized we needed to expand the family this season,” Warren said. “We are at a cultural tipping point, a moral and political tipping point. and we need to bring more voices into the mix.”

Instead of rotating cities, the fourth season takes place in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

MORE INFO

“To Kill a Mockingbird” runs May 7–12 at the Fox Theatre “We’re Here” is now airing on HBO and streaming on Max

Jim Farmer

Tom Robinson. He is the heart of the story.”

“To Kill a Mockingbird” PUBLICITY PHOTO

BEST BETS THE BEST LGBTQ EVENTS HAPPENING IN MAY

Jim Farmer

Psycho Beach Party

MAY 3, 8PM, THROUGH MAY 18

OUT FRONT THEATRE COMPANY

Out Front Theatre Company presents the Charles Busch classic “Psycho Beach Party.”

Chicklet Forrest, a teenage tomboy, desperately wants to be part of the surf crowd on Malibu Beach in 1962. One thing getting in her way is her unfortunate tendency towards split personalities. Among them is a checkout girl, an elderly radio talk show hostess, a male model named Steve, and the accounting firm of Edelman and Edelman.

HRC Gala

MAY 4, 5:30PM

HYATT REGENCY ATLANTA

HRC hosts its annual Atlanta gala dinner and dinner. The support generated from this event will help fuel the work for LGBTQ+ equality in Georgia and across the country.

Spread Eagle Comedy

MAY 7, 8PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Get your chuckles on at Spread Eagle Comedy!

Fat Ham

MAY 8, 7:30PM, THROUGH MAY 19

ALLIANCE THEATRE

“Fat Ham” is the deliciously funny, Pulitzer Prize-winning new play that recently finished its critically acclaimed Broadway run. Playwright James Ijames has reinvented Shakespeare's masterpiece, “Hamlet,” creating what  The New York Times  calls “a hilarious yet profound tragedy smothered in comedy.” Juicy is a queer, Southern college kid, already grappling with some serious questions of identity, when the ghost of his father shows up at their backyard barbecue, demanding that Juicy avenge his murder.

Meet Me There

MAY 9, 7:30PM

CHARIS BOOKS AND MORE

“Meet Me There” is a monthly intergenerational poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction experience curated by trans/genderqueer poet and sound artist Samuel Ace. Writers exploring genre and gender boundaries will be a special focus of this series. May's featured poets are Christopher Nelson (editor), Jos Charles, Rajiv Mohabir, and Magdalena Zurawski from the anthology, “Essential Queer Voices of U.S. Poetry.”

Wanda Sykes Live

MAY 10, 7:30PM

ATLANTA SYMPHONY HALL

Wanda Sykes is an Emmy-winning stand-up comic, writer, actress, and producer who has been entertaining audiences for over twenty years. She has ranked among Entertainment Weekly’s “25 Funniest People in America” and her peers have called her “one of the funniest stand-up comics” in the field.

Diana Ross Live

MAY 10, 8PM

CADENCE BANK AMPHITHEATRE

The iconic Diana Ross brings her Beautiful Love tour to Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park!

Speed Dating

MAY 11, 9PM

MY SISTER’S ROOM

Get your speed dating on at My Sister’s Room tonight, hosted by the Hookah Hottie, 9pm.

Mommie Dearest Drag Bingo

MAY 14, 6:30PM

LIPS ATLANTA

Celebrate Mother’s Day at Mommie Dearest Drag Bingo!

AQuAA Net Event

MAY 15, 7:30PM OUT FRONT THEATRE COMPANY

Don’t miss tonight’s AQuAA Net event. AQuAA (Atlanta Queer Arts Alliance) invites the community to hear about the triumphs, challenges, collaborations and passions that drive the vibrant and vital queer arts scene in our region. During this panel discussion, audience members will learn about all the organizations that make up AQuAA and how they can celebrate what makes queer art in Atlanta so special.

Best in Show

MAY 18, 8:30PM

1005 PEACHTREE ST NE

Come see the comedy classic “Best in Show” for free as part of Midtown Movie Night — and bring your dog! “Best in Show” is a comic howler with Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, Catherine O’Hara, and Jane Lynch and Jennifer Coolidge as a lesbian couple. Sponsored by Midtown ATL and Out On Film.

Trans and Friends

MAY 20, 7PM FOR YOUTH, 8PM FOR ADULTS

CHARIS BOOKS AND MORE

Trans and Friends is a youth-focused group for trans people, people questioning their own

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

Sister Act

MAY 23, 8PM, THROUGH JUNE 23

AURORA THEATRE

In Aurora Theatre’s musical “Sister Act,” lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder and is in fear for her life. The cops answer her prayers, sort of… They put her in protective custody in the one place the police are sure she won’t be found — a convent. Based on the hit 1992 film, this uplifting musical is reason to rejoice. Photo via Facebook

gender and aspiring allies, providing a facilitated space to discuss gender, relevant resources and activism around social issues.

LGBTQ Book Club

MAY 25, 10AM VIRTUAL

The LGBTQ Book Club is a group for LGBTQ+ folks and allies to read queer-themed books and books by queer authors. The aim is to have diverse, thought-provoking discussions about queer identity, history, and topical issues. All are welcome to join. This month's book is “Solo Dance” by Li Kotomi. No registration is required, join the Zoom meeting here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85007056372.

The Preacher’s Wife

MAY 29, 7:30PM, THROUGH JUNE 16 ALLIANCE THEATRE

In their fast-gentrifying Harlem neighborhood, Preacher Henry and his wife Julia struggle to keep their congregation going in the face of development.  When all seems lost, Henry asks God for help, and receives it in the form of an angel.  But will this mysterious newcomer really help or make matters worse? Featuring an original score by actor, comedian, and writer Tituss Burgess (TV’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) and a book by actress, producer, and writer Azie Dungey (TV’s “Harlem”), the Alliance Theatre’s

“The Preacher's Wife” is a can't-miss theatrical celebration of community, family, and faith.

Coming Up

Phoenix Rising

JUNE 1, 2PM AND 7PM

LAWRENCEVILLE ARTS CENTER

Atlanta Women’s Chorus presents the Phoenix Rising event. First performed in September of 2021, this show explores what it means to call Atlanta home. From the Native Americans that called this area home, the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, and gay rights, to classical, popular and hip-hop music that has been derived here — there is so much that makes Atlanta a rich and diverse.

Dream Pride

JUNE 2, 3PM

GATEWAY CENTER ARENA

Come celebrate Dream Pride at the Gateway Center Arena today as the dynamic Atlanta Dream takes on the Connecticut Sun. The Dream Pride Game will celebrate contributions from LGBTQIA+ Georgians, local spotlight of LGBTQIA+ organizations, special Dream Pride swag items, and a portion of all ticket proceeds will support the OUT Georgia Impact Fund, powered by United Way of Greater Atlanta.

Katie Burkholder

Myah Ross Monroe’s House of Love

MAY 3, 9PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Starring Just Jermaine, Malaysia Black, Lacie

Bruce, Tatiana Tuesday Dickerson, A’Jivan Avioncé Dickerson, Chavon Scott, and Jeremiah Tymes Starr. $5 cover.

William Black:

The Nature of Hope Tour

MAY 3, 10PM

DISTRICT ATLANTA Tickets at bit.ly/WILLIAMATL2024.

Cinco de Star Wars

MAY 4, 8PM

MY SISTER’S ROOM

Starring Bridgette Bidet, Mr Elle Aye, Dotte Com, and Bianca Nicole, plus sounds by DJ Michael Wulf and DJ Face. Tickets at mysistersroom.com.

Atlanta Eagle Cabaret

MAY 4, 9PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Starring Lena Lust, Shawnna Brooks, Misti Shores, Elea Atlanta, and Niesha Dupree. $5 cover.

InvAsian

MAY 4, 10PM

DISTRICT ATLANTA

May the Fourth be with you! Join InvAsian for a Star Wars-themed rave with beats, lazers, and intergalactic vibes. Featuring Partizen, Kyon, KydKong, Blksmth, DJ Beignet, and TDragon. Tickets via Eventbrite.

Karaoke Night

MAY 5, 7:30PM

THE T

Trivia Night

MAY 7, 8:30PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Hosted by DJ DeWayne.

Queer Creative Writing Workshop

MAY 8, 6:30PM

CREATEATL

Join Southern Fried Queer Pride for a night of queer community building. This free writing workshop is open to queer writers of all experience levels. RSVP at sfqp.info/ qcwrites.

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

Shea Couleé

MAY 18, 8PM

MY SISTER’S ROOM

“RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars” winner Shea Couleé headlines. Photo via Facebook

Karaoke Night

MAY 9, 9PM

THE T

Rock Haus Karaoke

MAY 9, 9PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Hosted by Raqi.

Peach Party Kickoff

MAY 9, 10PM

FUTURE ATLANTA

With DJ Karlitos. No cover.

Myah Ross Monroe’s House of Love

MAY 10, 9PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Starring Just Jermaine, Malaysia Black, Lacie Bruce, Tatiana Tuesday Dickerson, A’Jivan Avioncé Dickerson, Chavon Scott, and Jeremiah Tymes Starr. $5 cover.

Eli Brown

MAY 10, 10PM

DISTRICT ATLANTA

Tickets at bit.ly/ELIATL2024.

Atlanta Eagle Cabaret

MAY 11, 9PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Starring Lena Lust, Shawnna Brooks, Misti Shores, Elea Atlanta, and Niesha Dupree. $5 cover.

Peach Party Main Event

MAY 11, 10PM

FUTURE ATLANTA

With DJs Cindel and Nina Flowers and a performance by Phoenix. Tickets at peachpartyatlanta.com.

Karaoke Night

MAY 12, 7:30PM

THE T

Peach Party Closing Party

MAY 12, 9PM

FUTURE ATLANTA

Featuring Kevin DuRard and Micky Friedmann. Tickets at peachpartyatlanta.com.

Country Night

MAY 14, 8PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Show up at 8pm for the dance lesson before line-dancing the night away with DJ Dice.

Trivia Night

MAY 14, 8:30PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Hosted by DJ DeWayne.

Alt3r

MAY 15, 10PM

STAR BAR

Join Alt3r girls Eden, Katrina Prowess, and Hera Kane, plus their rotating cast of drag performers, for Little Five Points’ only drag show! $10 cover.

Bad Bunny: Most Wanted Tour After Party

MAY 15, 10PM

DISTRICT ATLANTA

Party with DJ Orma after the Bad Bunny show! Tickets at mostwantedafterparties.com.

Karaoke Night

MAY 16, 9PM

THE T

Rock Haus Karaoke

MAY 16, 9PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Hosted by Raqi.

Myah Ross Monroe’s House of Love

MAY 17, 9PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Starring Just Jermaine, Malaysia Black, Lacie Bruce, Tatiana Tuesday Dickerson, A’Jivan Avioncé Dickerson, Chavon Scott, and Jeremiah Tymes Starr. $5 cover.

Pauly D

MAY 17, 10PM

DISTRICT ATLANTA

Tickets at collectivpresents.com.

Ron Pullman – Third Fridays

MAY 17, 11PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

$5 cover.

Shea Couleé

MAY 18, 8PM

MY SISTER’S ROOM

“RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars” winner Shea Couleé headlines, along with Alex Suarez, Aspen York, Cici Nicole, Drew Friday, EllaSaurus Rex, and Ivy Fischer. Tickets at wussymag.com.

Atlanta Eagle Cabaret

MAY 18, 9PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Starring Lena Lust, Shawnna Brooks, Misti Shores, Elea Atlanta, and Niesha Dupree. $5 cover.

Karaoke Night

MAY 19, 7:30PM THE T

Trivia Night

MAY 21, 8:30PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Hosted by DJ DeWayne.

Karaoke Night

MAY 23, 9PM

THE T

Rock Haus Karaoke

MAY 23, 9PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Hosted by Raqi.

Clapstone

MAY 24, 10PM

DISTRICT ATLANTA

Tickets at collectivpresents.com.