05/12/17, Vol. 8 Issue 6

GEORGIANEWS

Ossoff touts LGBT rights views, Handel stays mum Sixth District Congressional candidates face off in June 20 runoff

By DALLAS ANNE DUNCAN dduncan@thegavoice.com On the night of April 18, Georgia’s Sixth Congressional district — and the President, who’d taken to Twitter hours before — watched with bated breath to see who would take former Sen. Tom Price’s vacated House seat.

If it wasn’t going to be Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff, the next step to fill the seat would be a runoff between Ossoff and Republican candidate Karen Handel, predicted Robin Biro, political director with Fulton Democrats and commentator for Fox News.

Biro was right, and now a tightly contested race is underway between Ossoff and Handel, whose perspectives on LGBT rights and equality take center stage.

Thirty-year-old Ossoff is clear on his views.

“I oppose any legislation or policy that allows discrimination against LGBT Americans, and I oppose this [‘religious freedom’] executive order, which undermines the intent of Congress in order to allow more money into our political system,” Ossoff told Georgia Voice. “Same-sex couples should have the same rights as every couple in every context. There’s no excuse for discrimination in federal law or state law, and it’s a sad commentary on the state of affairs in Washington that we’re still having these debates.”

Can Handel handle her own record?

Speaking of debates, Handel was challenged to a six-debate series by the Ossoff campaign, and originally agreed to do three — but reportedly backed out of at least one, once it was revealed the debates would be open to the public, Reporter Newspapers said.

Handel’s team did not respond to multiple calls and email requests for interviews from Georgia Voice as of press time. Thus, her 2017 stance on LGBT rights is unknown, and her history of support is not the most reliable. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

The Congressional representation for Georgia’s Sixth District will be decided in a runoff election on June 20. Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff will face former Secretary of State Karen Handel, a Republican. (Courtesy photos)

“If I’m elected, I’ll be a public, outspoken, unashamed ally of the LGBT community with a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech, discrimination or scape-goating — no questions asked.”

—Sixth District Congressional candidate Jon Ossoff to Georgia Voice During her campaigns for Fulton County Commission in the early 2000s, Handel supported domestic partner benefits and was both a member of and endorsed by the gay GOP group Log Cabin Republicans — which, as of press time, declined to comment on Handel’s race in the 2017 special election.

She flipped from those positions during her campaigns for both secretary of state and governor, saying she never joined Log Cabin Republicans and that emails stating she supported domestic partnerships were written by campaign staff without her knowledge.

In June 2010, Georgia Voice spoke with a former member of Handel’s County Commission campaign team about the reversal, and he said he “certainly would not have made any statement like that if it had not been expressed from herself and clearly understood that that was her position.” He also confirmed Handel was a member of the Log Cabin Republicans for at least two years. An email exchange from July 2002 supports his statements.

“As I’ve told you, I do support domestic

partner benefits, and confirm my position here, although I do have concerns about a domestic partner registry,” Handel wrote in the email. “Bottom line is that I will work with you and other GLBT leaders to develop workable legislation.”

During her failed gubernatorial campaign, Handel said in a TV interview that not only did she oppose gay marriage, but would consider a law banning gay adoption. In that 2010 interview with WXIA, Handel said, “I am against gay adoption. … Do I think that gay parents is in the best interest of the child?

No. But we do have our court system that deals with many and most of those issues.”

Funding the fight It was clear Handel’s first goal in this election cycle was financial. In an April 19 email titled “Democrats PANICKED,” sent to those who signed up to receive campaign updates, Handel’s team called Ossoff’s campaign a failure and pleaded with supporters to donate $50 in an “Emergency 48 Hour Money Bomb.”

According to the Federal Elections Commission, Handel received $463,744 in campaign contributions by March 29, and campaign emails indicated she’d gotten an additional $1 million in the week following the special election — and the aforementioned email blast. Ossoff, as of that same date, received $8.3 million in donations.

And two days later, this message from Team Handel — allegedly authored by the president: “Liberal Democrats are spending millions of dollars trying to steal a Congressional seat from Republicans in Georgia. They’re fighting to defeat a strong conservative who wants to continue to advance our America First agenda across the country,” Trump’s email said. “Ossoff is funded by Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, who desperately want to land a blow against my presidency.”

Another fundraising email was sent out claiming to be from Newt Gingrich — “This election means a lot to me. Not only does it have vast national implications, but it’s also for my old seat in Congress.”

Georgia Democrats responded on April 21 with a fundraising email of its own: “The GOP will do whatever it takes to hold on to this seat — even if they have to hold their nose and pretend to be united behind perennial candidate Karen Handel. And they will burn through whatever resources and dark money is at their disposal to get her elected.”

Though Handel was keen to have the president fundraise for her at an event for huge donors in late April, Ossoff said he had no plans for anything similar should a well-known Washington figure come to Georgia on his behalf.

“I think the comings and goings of major figures in Washington are a lot less important than the candidates’ vision for representation of the district,” he said. “I’m a lot more focused on directly talking to voters.”

He plans to continue his field program as the campaign preps for the June 20 runoff.

“The whole team was honored and thrilled to have beaten expectations by such a margin, outperforming the polls. We’re ready to build on that huge margin of victory,” Ossoff said. “If I’m elected, I’ll be a public, outspoken, unashamed ally of the LGBT community with a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech, discrimination or scape-goating — no questions asked.”

May 12, 2017 News 3

WHAT IS GENVOYA®?

Who should not take GENVOYA?

GENVOYA is a 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years and older and weigh at least 77 lbs.

It can either be used in people who are starting HIV-1 treatment and have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements. These include having an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/mL) for 6 months or more on their current HIV-1 treatment. GENVOYA combines 4 medicines into 1 pill taken once a day with food.

GENVOYA is a complete HIV-1 treatment and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines.

Do not take GENVOYA if you take:

GENVOYA does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses, you must keep taking GENVOYA. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.

• Changes in body fat, which can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicines.

• Certain prescription medicines for other conditions.

It is important to ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with GENVOYA. Do not start a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider.

• The herbal supplement St. John’s wort.

• Any other medicines to treat HIV-1 infection.

What are the other possible side effects of GENVOYA? Serious side effects of GENVOYA may also include:

• Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking GENVOYA.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

• Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking GENVOYA.

GENVOYA may cause serious side effects:

The most common side effect of GENVOYA is nausea. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.

What is the most important information I should know about GENVOYA? • Build-up of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include feeling very weak or tired, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold (especially in your arms and legs), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.

• Serious liver problems. The liver may become large and fatty.

Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turning yellow (jaundice); dark “tea-colored” urine; light-colored bowel movements (stools); loss of appetite; nausea; and/or pain, aching, or tenderness in the right side of your stomach area.

• You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking GENVOYA for a long time. In some cases, lactic acidosis and serious liver problems have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions.

• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. GENVOYA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking GENVOYA, your HBV may suddenly get worse.

Do not stop taking GENVOYA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking GENVOYA? • All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection.

• All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-thecounter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Other medicines may affect how GENVOYA works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Ask your healthcare provider if it is safe to take GENVOYA with all of your other medicines.

• If you take antacids. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or after you take GENVOYA. • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if GENVOYA can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking GENVOYA. • If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

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

Please see Important Facts about GENVOYA including Important Warnings on the following page.

Ask your healthcare provider if GENVOYA is right for you, and visit GENVOYA.com to learn more.

GENVOYA does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

SHOW YOUR

POWER Take care of what matters most—you. GENVOYA is a 1-pill, once-a-day complete HIV-1 treatment for people who are either new to treatment or people whose healthcare provider determines they can replace their current HIV-1 medicines with GENVOYA.

IMPORTANT FACTS This is only a brief summary of important information about GENVOYA and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

(jen-VOY-uh) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT GENVOYA

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF GENVOYA

GENVOYA® may cause serious side effects, including: • Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: feeling very weak or tired, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold (especially in your arms and legs), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.

• Severe liver problems, which in some cases can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark “tea-colored” urine; light-colored bowel movements (stools); loss of appetite; nausea; and/or pain, aching, or tenderness in the right side of your stomach area.

• Worsening of Hepatitis B (HBV) infection. GENVOYA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking GENVOYA. Do not stop taking GENVOYA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking GENVOYA for a long time.

GENVOYA can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About GENVOYA” section.

• Changes in body fat.

• Changes in your immune system.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

The most common side effect of GENVOYA is nausea.

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

ABOUT GENVOYA • GENVOYA is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years

of age and older and weigh at least 77 lbs who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. GENVOYA can also be used to replace current HIV-1 medicines for some people who have an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/mL of virus in their blood), and have been on the same HIV-1 medicines for at least 6 months and have never failed HIV-1 treatment, and whose healthcare provider determines that they meet certain other requirements.

• GENVOYA does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others.

Do NOT take GENVOYA if you: • Take a medicine that contains: alfuzosin (Uroxatral®), carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®, Tegretol-XR®, Teril®), cisapride (Propulsid®, Propulsid Quicksolv®), dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45®, Migranal®), ergotamine (Cafergot®, Migergot®, Ergostat®, Medihaler Ergotamine®, Wigraine®, Wigrettes®), lovastatin (Advicor®, Altoprev®, Mevacor®), lurasidone (Latuda®), methylergonovine (Ergotrate®, Methergine®), midazolam (when taken by mouth), phenobarbital (Luminal®), phenytoin (Dilantin®, Phenytek®), pimozide (Orap®), rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater®, Rimactane®), sildenafil when used for lung problems (Revatio®), simvastatin (Simcor®, Vytorin®, Zocor®), or triazolam (Halcion®).

• Take the herbal supplement St. John’s wort.

• Take any other HIV-1 medicines at the same time.

BEFORE TAKING GENVOYA Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

• Have any other medical condition.

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

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

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

HOW TO TAKE GENVOYA • GENVOYA is a complete one pill, once a day HIV-1 medicine.

• Take GENVOYA with food.

GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about GENVOYA. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

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

GENVOYA, the GENVOYA Logo, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, SHOW YOUR POWER, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: December 2016 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. GENC0125 02/17

GEORGIANEWS

LGBT rights group SONG kicks off rescue mission ‘Black Mamas Bail Out’ to free women in jail, call for end to Atlanta cash bail system

Details

Black Mamas Bail Out Homecoming & Celebration Sunday, May 14 from 1 to 6 p.m.

Howell Park, 983 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. SW, Atlanta www.facebook.com/ events/325869517830838

By DALLAS ANNE DUNCAN dduncan@thegavoice.com It’s no secret there are racial disparities in the criminal justice system. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People reported that one out of every 100 African-American women is in prison.

Atlanta-based Southerners On New Ground wants to change that.

“I was like, what would it look like for us to embody our vision, for us to really think about what enslaved Africans have done as a passage to get free?” said Mary Hooks, co-director of SONG. And the idea for Black Mamas Bail Out was born: by gathering collective resources, they could buy each other’s freedom. Specifically, for now, the freedom of black Atlanta mothers in jail because they can’t afford the cash bail required to get out.

“As a black lesbian mother, I feel this issue very deep in my heart,” Hooks said. “I know what it’s like to be arrested and have the state change your life. … I’ve been bailed out before. I’ve bailed out my homies.”

According to a report issued by the Georgia Department of Corrections on May 1, there were about 3,800 women in Peach State prisons, about 1,500 of whom were black (men make up 93 percent of the total Georgia prison population, and 62 percent of those men incarcerated are black). Though the statistics were not accounted for by race, more than 2,100 of the women imprisoned in Georgia have at least one dependent.

The campaign to break the cage One of the major reasons why Hooks is so passionate about this project is because of the collateral damage caused by putting people in jail: parents can lose their children, families can lose their homes and people lose their minds “in the cage.”

Several weeks ago, SONG put in an open records request to see what it would be working with. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

On Mother’s Day, Atlanta-based Southerners on New Ground will kick off an initiative to free black mothers who can’t afford bail from city jails. (File photo)

“Our goal is to get as many out as we can. If it’s one, if it’s 10, if it’s 100, we say blessings. If they’re out, it eases the suffering for the rest of us.”

—Mary Hooks, co-director of Southerners on New Ground “We saw there were women who were sitting [in Atlanta jails] who had charges like drinking outside of a package store, using fighting words, urban camping — which is homelessness,” Hooks said. “Due process has not taken place and they’re sitting in a cage. … About 37 of these women had a different scale of bail amounts and when we totaled it up, I was surprised at how little it is.”

Those 37 women have a total bail of about $40,000.

“Just to see it and calculate what’s actually possible kind of blew our minds a little bit,” Hooks said. “I’m no judge. I don’t know what these folks have done, but I do know that per our Constitution, you should be able to get out of jail and commit to coming back to court.”

Black Mamas Bail Out is an experiment — and the community response has

been enormous.

“Once we spoke it into existence, we’re like, we’re going to do it. Other comrade organizations on a national level were like, ‘Yes, yes, yes.’ We began scheming and dreaming and we began asking out on social media,” Hooks said.

On National Give OUT Day, which is the largest fundraising day for LGBT organizations, SONG set a goal of $15,000.

It more than doubled that.

SONG brought in over $33,000 on Give OUT Day, which also won it the national prize of an additional $10,000.

“Our goal is to get as many out as we can.

If it’s one, if it’s 10, if it’s 100, we say blessings,” Hooks said. “If they’re out, it eases the suffering for the rest of us.”

Cashing out cash bail Another focus of the bail out is raising

awareness of the cash bail system.

“Our current City Council, they can actually pass an ordinance that could end the use of cash bail, allowing people to sign out on their own recognizance or with the support of community-based programs,” Hooks said. “We need folks to take a stand around this and begin calling our current City Council folks and our Fulton County commissioners. Why are our people sitting in cages because they cannot afford bail?”

SONG will kick off its Black Mamas Bail Out on Mother’s Day with a community event to raise awareness and continue fundraising — Hooks said there’s about a seven-day changeover with people in city jails.

“Bring love offerings for the mothers that are our honored guests on that day,” she said.

“It’s all hands on deck. … We’ve linked up with a lot of service agencies to come talk to people about social security, the steps to take to getting their kids back. The abandonment that our children feel when their mothers are gone is heinous.”

The event will include speakers all afternoon, a job fair, activities for kids and families and opportunities to get involved in the movement, plus information about the cash bail system and appealing to City Council.

New Orleans, Louisiana ended its cash bail system, and Houston, Texas appears headed in the same direction, Hooks said.

And though the project is aimed at black women, Hooks said all minority and impoverished communities can benefit from what it’s doing.

“Forty-six percent of us LGBTQ folks engage and have police encounters, have been profiled,” she said. “For those who survive and aren’t killed by police guns, the slow death happens inside jails and prisons.”

May 12, 2017 News 7

NEWSBRIEFS Gov. Nathan Deal signs medical cannabis legislation Rep. Allen Peake (R-Macon) announced May 9 that Gov. Nathan Deal signed his Senate Bill 16. SB 16 expands Georgia’s medical cannabis oil program by adding six illnesses to the list of qualifying medical conditions to allow patients to legally possess up to 20 fluid ounces of cannabis oil with a maximum of 5 percent THC in the state.

“With Gov. Deal’s signature today, Georgia’s medical cannabis program takes another positive step forward,” Peake said in a news release. “As of today, 1,738 citizens and 354 doctors are registered with Georgia’s Low THC Oil Registry program, and I’m confident that the addition of six conditions to this very successful program will allow even more hurting Georgians with debilitating illnesses to have a ray of hope for a better quality of life.”

He said he hopes more gaps will be filled during the 2018 legislative session.

AIDS was one of the six illnesses and conditions added onto the registry, along with Tourette’s syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, Epidermolysis Bullosa, Alzheimer’s disease, peripheral neuropathy and hospice patients.

SB 16 also allows reciprocity of medical cannabis registration cards issued by other states, so long as their oil meets Georgia’s legal standards and the individual hasn’t been in the state longer than 45 days. In addition, the new law removes the residency requirement for participating in the Low THC Oil Registry, and changes reporting requirements for physicians.

dinner in Atlanta and co-founded the Fulton County Task Force on HIV/AIDS. “In the seven years that I worked by her side, Joan in so many different forms held a presence. Whether she was navigating public policy matters or more recently as she stood up to cancer, I can’t recall a moment where she drifted from her calming manner, beautiful smile and dedication to the task at hand. She drew upon her seemingly endless force of energy and radiated the aura of her presence,” said Ross King, executive director of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia.

Other speakers called Garner a “lighthouse … who could gently show the way” and praised her compassion, values and principles.

City honors life of late Fulton County Commissioner Joan Garner Several hundred mourners gathered at Ebenezer Baptist Church on May 7 to honor the life of the late Fulton County Commissioner Joan Garner, who died of breast cancer on April 18. Garner was a beloved community figure and the first openly LGBT member of the commission.

Speakers at the service reflected on the legacy she left through her work in the city and as a champion for social justice and LGBT rights.

Garner was the co-founder of Southerners On New Ground, served on the boards of Lambda Legal and the Gay and Lesbian Task Force, co-convened the Atlanta African-American Lesbian Gay Alliance, helped organize the first Human Rights Campaign

LGBT groups react to Trump’s ‘religious freedom’ EO President Donald Trump commemorated the 2017 National Day of Prayer in the White House Rose Garden on May 4 by signing a “religious freedom” executive order that, to the relief of LGBT and equality organizations, was not on its face anti-LGBT. The primary focus of the executive order addresses the Johnson Amendment, a 1954 rule that threatens religious institutions with a loss of their tax-exempt status should their leaders take to the pulpit with political issues. By signing the executive order, Trump said he would prevent the Johnson Amendment from interfering with faith leaders’ First Amendment rights.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, there is no reported situation where a

Fulton County Commissioner Joan Garner’s memorial service took place at Ebenezer Baptist Church on May 7. (Photo by Patrick Saunders)

church lost its tax-exempt status or was punished for sermons delivered from the pulpit.

A number of national LGBT rights organizations spoke out against the executive order that afternoon, and the Twitterverse was rife with feedback about the order, as well as a more anti-LGBT draft predecessor that leaked in February. Education organization GLSEN issued a statement saying its leadership was relieved the more anti-LGBT language didn’t make it into the final version.

However, Executive Director Eliza Byard cautioned it was still the start of a slippery slope.

LGBT nonprofit Lost-n-Found Youth opens second Atlanta-area store LGBT youth homelessness organization Lost-n-Found Youth opened its second metro Atlanta area thrift shop earlier this month.

The new store is located off Jimmy Carter Boulevard in Norcross. Like its parent store, the Norcross shop will accept and sell donations of furniture, housewares, dishes, pots, pans and pretty much anything else. The nonprofit obtained the store after its previous owner needed to find someone to take it over.

The deal was sealed once Lost-n-Found board members reviewed donation receipts and realized they already had a large number of people in the Norcross area who donated to the Atlanta thrift shop.

“The Gwinnett store will provide us with the opportunity to reach out into a new market and offer increased convenience as a North Metro area donation center,” said Lost-n-Found Youth Executive Director Rick Westbrook in a news release.

8 News May 12, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

DISCOVER YOUR NICHE IN DEKALB

Celebrate our Year-Round Festivals in DeKalb.

DeKalb is home to some of the best festivals in North Georgia. Whether you are looking for arts, crafts, music, dance or festival food, we have outdoor festivals and events for everyone. Explore our progressive communities and discover your niche in DeKalb. Visit us at DiscoverDeKalb.com to learn about all the great things happening in DeKalb.

#DISCOVERDEKALB

NATIONALNEWS

Alabama, Tennessee governors sign anti-LGBT bills Measures could allow discrimination against LGBT families seeking to adopt children, jeopardize ability to obtain state benefits

nying the measure would conflict with the Obergefell decision.

“The language of this bill is for a general definitions section of the Tennessee code, which defines ‘road’ and ‘sheriff,’ among other common terms,” Haslam said. “For at least 150 years, courts including the Tennessee Supreme Court and United States Supreme Court have looked to a word’s natural and ordinary meaning when deciding cases. In reviewing this bill, I do not believe the legislation accomplishes anything that isn’t already relied upon by the courts, even after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision in 2015.”

By CHRIS JOHNSON, Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association Governors in Alabama and Tennessee have signed into law a pair of measures that could allow discrimination against LGBT families seeking to adopt a child, or jeopardize their ability to obtain state benefits.

In Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law House Bill 24, which is titled the “Child Placing Agency Inclusion Act,” but instead of encouraging child placement it would permit agencies to deny placement of children into LGBT households.

The new law allows child placement agencies, which often are religious-affiliated groups, such as Catholic adoption agencies, to deny placement in LGBT-headed homes.

According to AL.com, Ivey said she signed HB 24 into law to ensure faith-based adoption agencies can continue to work in the state.

“I ultimately signed House Bill 24 because it ensures hundreds of children can continue to find ‘forever homes’ through religiously affiliated adoption agencies,” Ivey reportedly said. “This bill is not about discrimination, but instead protects the ability of religious agencies to place vulnerable children in a permanent home.”

Ivey’s actions called ‘shameful’ The bill was approved by the Senate on May 3 by a 23-9 vote and by the House in March by a 60-14 vote. After Senate passage of HB 24, the House gave final approval of the measure by a vote of 87-0, with six abstentions, to concur with a change made by the upper chamber of the legislature.

Ivey’s signature was expected. Eileen Jones, an Ivey spokesperson, told the Washington Blade last month her boss “plans to sign it pending a legal review.”

Kasey Suffredini, chief programs officer for Freedom for All Americans, was among those who criticized Ivey for signing the bill in a statement.

“The first priority of lawmakers should be the safety and well being of children, especial-

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law House Bill 24, which LGBT rights activists say could allow discrimination against LGBT families seeking to adopt a child. (Photo by Fort Rucker; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

“The first priority of lawmakers should be the safety and well-being of children, especially those who are in need of safe and loving homes. It is shameful that Gov. Ivey and lawmakers in Alabama would jeopardize those chances in order to advance discrimination against LGBT people.”

—Kasey Suffredini, chief programs officer for Freedom for All Americans, criticizing Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey for signing HB 24 into law ly those who are in need of safe and loving homes,” Suffredini said. “It is shameful that Gov. Ivey and lawmakers in Alabama would jeopardize those chances in order to advance discrimination against LGBT people.”

Also criticizing Ivey was Alex Smith, board chair of Equality Alabama, who said in a statement the governor was breaking her promise to usher in a new style of government after succeeding former Gov. Robert Bentley following his resignation amid scandal.

“When she was sworn in as governor, Kay Ivey promised her administration would be a breath of fresh air from the scandals of the Bentley era, and we hoped she wouldn’t start her administration by approving shameful discriminatory legislation that ultimately

does the most harm to children looking for loving homes,” Smith said. “Unfortunately, Gov. Ivey put special interests ahead of the welfare of Alabama children.”

Haslam signs HB 1111 In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Haslam signed into law on May 5 House Bill 1111, which requires undefined words in Tennessee state law, such as gender pronouns, be enforced under their “natural” meaning. That could set up the state for conflict with the U.S. Supreme Court decision in favor of same-sex marriage nationwide if Tennessee implements a new law to deny benefits to same-sex couples.

In a statement defending his decision to sign the law, Haslam was consistent with principles on which the judiciary rely, de-

‘This sets a dangerous precedent’ HB 1111, sponsored by Sen. John Stevens (R-Huntingdon) and Rep. Andrew Farmer (R-Sevierville), was passed in the House by a vote of 70-23 and the Senate by a vote of 23-6.

Sarah Warbelow, legal director for the Human Rights Campaign, said despite Haslam’s assurance, the new law would have a negative impact on LGBT families in Tennessee.

“Gov. Haslam has chosen to put pure politics ahead of Tennessee’s women and LGBTQ people,” Warbelow said. “This draconian measure will open the state up to many expensive legal challenges and divert state resources to defending an unnecessary, unconstitutional measure. The governor should be ready to answer for the fallout signing this bill will cause.”

It’s not the first time Haslam has signed into law an anti-LGBT measure. Last year, the governor signed Senate Bill 1556, which provides immunity under state law to counselors who object to care based on “sincerely held principles,” including refusal to treat patients based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Zeke Stokes, vice president of programs for GLAAD, said in a statement Haslam opened up the floodgates for discrimination by signing HB 1111 into law.

“By the stroke of a pen, Gov. Haslam has now placed the future of the state’s economy and the well-being of the LGBTQ community in jeopardy,” Stokes said. “HB 1111 has the potential to undermine marriages between LGBTQ couples, nullify a transgender person’s true identity under law and put LGBTQ families at risk. This sets a dangerous precedent for how the LGBTQ community is treated in Tennessee moving forward.”

10 News May 12, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Outspoken PO Box 77401 • Atlanta, GA 30357 P: 404-815-6941; F: 404-963-6365

EDITORIAL

Editor: Patrick Saunders psaunders@thegavoice.com Deputy Editor: Dallas Anne Duncan dduncan@thegavoice.com Editorial Contributors: Ashleigh Atwell, Cliff Bostock, Melissa Carter, Jim Farmer, Shannon Hames, Ryan Lee, Robbie Medwed, Matt Schafer, Dionne N. Walker, Simon Williamson

PRODUCTION

Art Director: Rob Boeger rboeger@thegavoice.com

BUSINESS

Managing Partner/Publisher: Tim Boyd tboyd@thegavoice.com

SALES

Sales Executive: Dixon Taylor dtaylor@thegavoice.com Business Advisor: Lynn Pasqualetti Financial Firm of Record: HLM Financial Group National Advertising: Rivendell Media, 908-232-2021 sales@rivendellmedia.com Publisher Emeritus: Chris Cash

FINE PRINT

All material in Georgia Voice is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of 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 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 Georgia Voice is available from authorized distribution points. Multiple copies are available from 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 Georgia Voice, PO Box 77401, Atlanta, GA 30357. 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 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 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.

Join us online: facebook.com/thegavoice twitter.com/thegavoice instagram.com/thegeorgiavoice youtube.com/user/GAVoice

12 Outspoken May 12, 2017

Speaking up to save a life

BY PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com

“While the cancer would eventually claim Garner’s life on April 18, I can’t help thinking of the number of people who went out and got breast cancer screenings because she opened up about her fight. She had to know that while she was surrendering some privacy, she could end up saving a life.”

Joan Garner was laid to rest last weekend.

For those who somehow didn’t know of her, she was the first openly LGBT Fulton County Commissioner, in addition to about 867 other accomplishments in a variety of areas throughout her life.

Sitting in the balcony at Ebenezer Baptist Church during the service, I heard story after story about Garner and the effect she had on people’s lives, and it made me realize I had a story to tell about her as well. Unfortunately, it has to do with what ultimately claimed her life.

It was June 26, 2015, the day of the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic decision on marriage equality. There was a rally that afternoon at the Center for Civil and Human Rights downtown, and as I was roaming from spot to spot taking pictures of the speakers and the crowd, I noticed Garner and her wife, Fulton County State Court Judge Jane Morrison, had shown up and were standing behind me.

I also noticed Garner was wearing a headscarf and that one of the sheriff’s deputies assigned to Judge Morrison’s detail had a chair for Garner to sit in. The couple ended up taking the stage and Garner gave a rousing speech. Later, while editing photos from the rally, I noticed some people – including Fulton County Commission Chairman John Eaves – appearing emotional or outright crying as Garner spoke.

All of that led me to start asking around to sources who would know – is something going on with Garner’s health? Unfortunately, they told me what I didn’t want to hear – it was cancer.

I reached out to Garner’s office to request

an interview, letting them know I wanted to ask about some rumors about her health, and that we would not run anything about it unless she confirmed and cared to talk about it.

By the next morning, I was on the phone with Garner, who, after exchanging pleasantries, said, “So Patrick, what do you know?”

I told her what led me to start asking around, and that I was told she had breast cancer, and reminded her that we would not run anything unless she wanted to talk about it.

And she did. She opened up about the diagnosis, her prognosis, how it wasn’t keeping her from work and how, amazingly, she went straight from chemotherapy to the marriage equality rally, saying, “This was just something I could not pass up.”

Garner didn’t have to open up to me about her diagnosis, but she did, which she explained by pointing out that she was known as “the health commissioner,” so this was an opportunity to talk about what it’s like to go through such a trial.

While the cancer would eventually claim Garner’s life on April 18, I can’t help thinking of the number of people who went out and got breast cancer screenings because she opened up about her fight. She had to know that while she was surrendering some privacy, she could end up saving a life.

When we in the LGBT community lose one of our leaders, one of our elders, their sacrifices need to be pointed out and celebrated. Garner set the bar incredibly high, but in doing so she allowed those who came in her wake to reach just a little bit higher.

FEEDBACK Re: “Georgia gay Republicans stick

by Trump 100 days in,” April 28 “Arch Kennedy’s comments about transgender women were ignorant and ill-informed, indicating to me that he has little knowledge about or experience with the trans community. He parrots the phony concerns of right-wing straight males about ‘women with man parts’ being in a women’s bathroom with the intent of molesting women. If you know that much about the person in the stall next to you, maybe you aren’t in the restroom for the purpose intended. Where is the concern about trans men being in a men’s bathroom? Then of course, there is also the absence of statistics to support such ignorant comments. Closets, internalized phobias and bathroom stalls certainly create some interesting thinking in people, especially those not comfortable with who they really are. For someone who had a career on television, i.e., part of that community, he ought to know better.”

-Bruce Garner via email “Well if they are so in support of him, then they need to go back to hiding who they are because Trump and the RNC do not support our community in any way.

The gay Republicans need to go back to being in the closet since they believe that the community should not have equal rights.”

-Sean A. Johnson via www.thegavoice.com Re: “Adam McCabe: Atlanta United, homophobia and the beautiful game,” April 28 “Great essay, thanks for sharing!”

-@mwilsonGA via Twitter Re: “Victory in Macon: Commission gives final passage to LGBT civil rights ordinance,” May 3 “Kudos to my hometown!”

-Shannon Jackson via Facebook Want to be featured in Feedback? Leave a comment to a story via social media or on our website, or email editor@thegavoice.com with the subject line “Feedback.” www.thegeorgiavoice.com

OUT IN THE WILD

By Simon Williamson

Expert bigots are coming for us Simon Williamson lives with his husband in heteronormatively-assimilative fashion in Athens, after a year of surviving rural Georgia.

Since the landmark 1973 abortion ruling Roe v. Wade, the federal and state legislatures and the politicians we call “judges” have found ways to maintain a woman’s right to choose, but wreck her actual ability to do so. While any woman in any state is eligible to terminate her pregnancy, she must come up with the funds to do so because the federal government won’t pay for it.

In some states, she must raise extra money because there is a three-day waiting period between seeing a doctor and undergoing the procedure – hence, she must cough up money to get to a clinic, which are spread far and wide across states.

In Texas, abortion clinics were forced to comply with laws equating them with hospi-

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

tals, meaning they had to fulfill arbitrary requirements such as widening their corridors.

Mandatory and sometimes invasive yet unnecessary procedures were added on, driving up both the cost and discomfort of the patient.

In the same way, LGBT rights are going to be whittled away under the guise of protecting some or other person. We already deal with the annual 40-day legislative session here in Georgia where we have to hope and pray from January to March that the Gold Dome doesn’t shit out some McKoon-led discrimination meant entirely to sate his hatred for LGBT Georgians.

The nom de plume of laws that are meant to harass us out of the eye of the homophobic public is “religious freedom,” whereby those who hate LGBT people can force them out of

“With a fundamentalist occupying the second-highest office in the land, and this president owing his election partly to solid support from evangelicals, some bills need to be paid, and our rights to simply exist are some of those dollars.” their own businesses because the interpreted statements of a deity have said so.

With a fundamentalist occupying the second-highest office in the land, and this president owing his election partly to solid support from evangelicals, some bills need to be paid, and our rights to simply exist are some of those dollars. While the president’s executive order last Thursday was a step in the footsteps of those gods that hate gays, those who hate us are not sated, and will keep fighting until every trans person cannot leave their home, and LGBT men and women and nonbinary folks are forced to conform to a society dominated by people who hate them.

In fact, Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming, the state where Matthew Shepard was murdered,

decided to shit this out of his mouth last week: “I know a guy who wears a tutu and goes to bars on Friday night and is always surprised that he gets in fights. Well, he kind of asks for it. That’s the way that he winds up with that kind of problem.” What a sweet way of telling us that if we would just act like straight cis people, then they won’t come and try to kill us.

We have seen the people who hate us practice the whittling away of a woman’s right to choose. Don’t think we will be spared the same attacks on our rights to exist as equal people before the law. They might call it religious freedom. They might call it our own fault. They might call it something else. But they will come for us. And they are experts at doing it.

May 12, 2017 Outspoken 13

What is TRUVADA for PrEP (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis)?

TRUVADA is a prescription medicine that can be used for PrEP to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection when used together with safer sex practices. This use is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This includes HIV-negative men who have sex with men and who are at high risk of getting infected with HIV-1 through sex, and male-female sex partners when one partner has HIV-1 infection and the other does not.

Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to prevent getting HIV-1.

Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.

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

While taking TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: u You must continue using safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. u You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. u To further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1: • Know your HIV-1 status and the HIV-1 status of your partners.

• Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months or when your healthcare provider tells you.

• Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV-1 to infect you.

• Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior.

• Have fewer sex partners.

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

• If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away. u If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1.

If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

TRUVADA can cause serious side effects: u Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, nausea, vomiting, stomach-area pain, cold or blue hands and feet, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or fast or abnormal heartbeats. u Serious liver problems. Your liver may become large and tender, and you may develop fat in your liver. Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach-area pain. u You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking TRUVADA for a long time. In some cases, these serious conditions have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions.

u Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you also have HBV and take TRUVADA, your hepatitis may become worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider. If your healthcare provider tells you to stop taking TRUVADA, they will need to watch you closely for several months to monitor your health. TRUVADA is not approved for the treatment of HBV.

Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP? Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with TRUVADA to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you also take lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) or adefovir (HEPSERA).

What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP? Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: u Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA for PrEP. u Bone problems, including bone pain or bones getting soft or thin, may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. u Changes in body fat, which can happen in people taking TRUVADA or medicines like TRUVADA. Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRUVADA for PrEP? u All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. u If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if you should keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Pregnancy Registry: A pregnancy registry collects information about your health and the health of your baby. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take medicines to prevent HIV-1 during pregnancy. For more information about the registry and how it works, talk to your healthcare provider. u If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. The medicines in TRUVADA can pass to your baby in breast milk. If you become HIV-1 positive, HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. u All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. u If you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA for PrEP, your healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. These medicines include ledipasvir with sofosbuvir (HARVONI).

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

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

TVDC0084_B_10x10-5_GeorgiaVoice_p1.indd 1-2

Have you heard about

TRUVADA for PrEPTM? The once-daily prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when used with safer sex practices.

• TRUVADA for PrEP is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV through sex.

• You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you.

visit start.truvada.com

3/16/17 4:48 PM

IMPORTANT FACTS (tru-VAH-dah)

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

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRUVADA FOR PrEP

Before starting TRUVADA for PrEP to help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: • You must be HIV-1 negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1 infection. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative.

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

• You must stay HIV-1 negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • Tell your healthcare provider if you have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away.

• If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

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

TRUVADA can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About TRUVADA for PrEP" section.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

• Bone problems.

• Changes in body fat.

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

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

TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including: • Buildup of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, nausea, vomiting, stomach-area pain, cold or blue hands and feet, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or fast or abnormal heartbeats.

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

• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have HBV and take TRUVADA, your hepatitis may become worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking TRUVADA for a long time.

ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP (PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS) TRUVADA is a prescription medicine used with safer sex practices for PrEP to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection in adults at high risk: • HIV-1 negative men who have sex with men and who are at high risk of getting infected with HIV-1 through sex.

• Male-female sex partners when one partner has HIV-1 infection and the other does not.

To help determine your risk, talk openly with your doctor about your sexual health.

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

• Take lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) or adefovir (HEPSERA).

TRUVADA, the TRUVADA Logo, TRUVADA FOR PREP, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, and HEPSERA are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: April 2016 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0084 03/17

TVDC0084_B_10x10-5_GeorgiaVoice_p1.indd 3

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

• Have any other medical conditions.

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you become HIV-1 positive because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

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

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

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

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

• You must practice safer sex by using condoms and you must stay HIV-1 negative.

HOW TO FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK • Know your HIV-1 status and the HIV-1 status of your partners.

• Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months or when your healthcare provider tells you.

• Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV-1 to infect you.

• Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior.

• Have fewer sex partners.

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

GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more, including how to prevent HIV-1 infection.

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

3/16/17 4:48 PM

PHOTO GALLERY

Gay softball jocks throw beer bust, celebrate Heretic GM’s birthday

The Heretic Nighthawks of the Hotlanta Softball League hosted their first official fundraiser of the 2017 spring season on May 6 at the Heretic. The beer bust doubled as a celebration of team sponsor and Heretic General Manager Alan Collins’ birthday. Enjoy some pics from the big day!

(Photos by Jean Bartlett)

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

May 12, 2017 Community 17

“Hey HIV —— understand this —— we’re living together but I give the orders.”

Ashley - Atlanta, GA Living with HIV since 2006.

Being in the military prepared me for a lot of things, but not my HIV diagnosis. I found it difficult to take medication every day.

Fortunately, with the help of my doctor at the VA, taking my medicine is just another part of my morning routine, brush my teeth, wash my face, and take my meds. By sticking to my medication, doctor visits and support groups, I stay healthy and happy. As a support group leader, now I’m helping others to get into their own routine.

HIV

TREATMENT

WORKS

Get in care. Stay in care. Live well. cdc.gov/HIVTreatmentWorks

WORK

IT!

How Dillard Jones became The Concierge Guy Atlanta gay chamber member talks building a brand, Trees Atlanta partnership

Details

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com

services and what they provided and how I would want to convey that for myself. Then I got the website started and that’s when it was official. I also started with branching out and spreading the word to my immediate neighbors in my condominium building. That was primarily pet services and dog walking is how I kind of started it, but I had the list of other services and it kind of grew from there.

The ability to adapt and knowing when to pivot are two key traits for a successful business owner, or employee for that matter.

Atlanta resident Dillard Jones did just that after finding himself underemployed during The Great Recession.

He took the skills he learned during his decade-plus career in the events and hospitality industry and started his own business, which, thanks in part to technology and the rise of the gig economy, is now thriving seven years in. Meet Jones, the Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce member perhaps better known as The Concierge Guy. As a personal concierge, Atlantans hire Jones to perform a variety of tasks to make their lives easier, such as waiting on deliveries, running errands and planning weddings.

So Dillard, tell me how you got to this point. How did you become The Concierge Guy? Back in 2009 and 2010, I was somewhat unemployed or underemployed and I had been thinking about the concept of personal concierge services for a few years prior to that, just as a way to get people their time back. I knew people were too busy, I knew people don’t like to do things on their own anymore and people like convenience. So I just started researching and then once the time came in those two years [when he was underemployed], I realized maybe now’s the time to take the plunge and make this happen and see how it goes.

So I looked at other markets like Miami, New York, Chicago, LA and San Francisco and looked at those concepts of concierge

The Concierge Guy 404-290-6196 www.theconciergeguy.com

As far as your background, you were with a catering company and then you were the event manager at Zoo Atlanta?

Yeah, I started out in ’96 at Affairs To Remember caterers. I worked there for several years and I learned logistics and management, hospitality, customer service.

From there, I went to Zoo Atlanta where I managed all their private events at the zoo.

That was year-round, indoors and out, venues and events from weddings, corporate retreats and picnics and luncheons and receptions. And of course that was managing and learning everything from operations and logistics and customer service and marketing on a much different scale on one property.

Then I did event design work with a small design firm called EventScapes and I did more props and décor and flowers, and that’s when the economy changed and nobody was doing events really [laughs]. So I shifted gears. I still include those skills into my personal concierge services.

And personal concierge services are a relatively new thing, correct?

I think in Atlanta it’s definitely new. When I first started seven years ago, I really had to explain my business a lot. But, more and more I don’t have to go into as much detail

Dillard Jones is now in his seventh year as The Concierge Guy, his personal concierge service. (Courtesy photo)

because people understand it a little bit more.

It’s definitely something that wouldn’t have been as viable 10 or 15 years ago. A lot of that has to do with people’s lifestyles in Atlanta and other large markets but also technology, with apps and everything at your fingertips where you can get things delivered and done really quickly.

What lessons have you learned since you started the business?

I definitely can’t be in two places or three places at once [laughs]. I learned that really early on. Luckily, things took off at a fairly good pace for me right away, and a lot of that had to do with me hustling and networking and my relationships in Atlanta professionally and personally.

But, there were times when I was juggling and I realized I couldn’t be successful to do this on my own all the time. So I do have a few other associates that help me be two places at once so the client can still “leave it to Dillard and consider it done,” as my tagline says. So that was one of the first lessons that I learned, for sure. And to be able to network effectively as well, because a lot of times people don’t understand it just with a business card or website, so a face to the name helps.

Is there a typical day on the job? What have you got on your plate this week?

Oh gosh. I’m doing a lot of home editing and closet therapy tasks this week and the next few weeks. That includes everything from purging peoples’ closets or garages.

I’m actually kind of in the middle of doing a little bit of that for one client, as well as shopping for them for furniture and getting rid of things in their living room. He’s in his 30s and in a bachelor pad kind of space and he’s trying to up his game a little bit and I think his girlfriend is pushing him in that direction. So I’m doing some shopping for them, getting rid of things, doing some handyman jobs, getting artwork and things like that hung up.

I also have a wedding in June that I’m doing at Oakland Cemetery. It’s two gentlemen getting married June 3 with 100 guests.

I waited on Comcast last week a few times, waited on a plumber a couple times this week.

Definitely no two days are alike [laughs].

Tell me about the Trees Atlanta partnership.

They were referred to me about a year ago.

It’s a terrific venue in the Reynoldstown-Cabbagetown neighborhood. They do events year-round indoors and out, from weddings and bar mitzvahs and corporate retreats and meetings and luncheons and receptions. And it’s a nonprofit organization, so they rely on events to fund them and keep Atlanta green.

They needed a little extra help primarily for evening and weekend events, so they partnered with The Concierge Guy to be there on-site and be somebody that will help manage logistics and setup and breakdown for any type of event. I help with some marketing and social media as well. It’s just a little extra professionalism and security they wanted for their events.

20 Community May 12, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

LGBT TRAVEL DESTINATIONS

Destinations to delight no matter the type Our best travel picks in variety of categories to make for best summer ever

By ROBBIE MEDWED When wanderlust hits, the first question on everyone’s minds tends to be, “When can I get out of here?” The second is usually, “Where can I go?” National and international travel has never been easier – there are discount airlines, last-minute deals and, of course, our own cars. But with so many affordable options, the choice of where to go has become even more challenging. To help you sort through the many LGBT-friendly destinations around the world, we rounded up some of this year’s hottest locations and broke them down into seven different categories to help you make your selection. Bon voyage!

THRILL SEEKERS

San Juan, Puerto Rico Zipline to the base of a rushing waterfall, hike through the rainforest, kayak in the famous bio-luminescent bay at twilight and visit a centuries-old rum distillery without ever leaving the country. Slow down your pace with a horse ride on the beach or by snorkeling in the bay.

Honorable mentions: Vancouver, British Columbia; Queenstown, New Zealand

FAMILY & KID-FRIENDLY

OENOPHILES

There’s no shortage of kid-friendly entertainment (plus a few diversions for parents) in this charming town just a short drive from San Francisco. Monterey and Carmel boast a world-renowned aquarium, historic downtown, whale watching and a sealfilled beach. Bring your jackets – even the summers stay pleasantly cool.

Monetevideo is the gay capital of Uruguay and the center of its winemaking region – and just around the corner from Buenos Aires. More than 200 wineries surround the capital and represent traditions brought from Spanish and Italian families. Many of them offer tours and tastings and are just a short drive away.

Honorable mentions: Washington, DC; Chattanooga, Tennessee

Honorable mentions: Tokyo, Japan; Islay, Scotland

Monterey, California

Montevideo, Uruguay

22 Summer Travel May 12, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

LGBT TRAVEL DESTINATIONS YOU LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE Berlin, Germany

Berlin’s nightlife earned it legendary status with good reason – there’s even a musical about it (“Cabaret”). It’s a city where truly anything goes – if there’s a fetish you can think of, there’s a club or a party celebrating it, especially during the summer, with Pride in June, Folsom Europe in September and everything else in between.

Honorable mentions: Tel Aviv, Israel; Sydney, Australia

ARTSY FARTSY Madrid, Spain

Madrid has been welcoming LGBT travelers to its famous art museums and royal palaces for years. Spend your days wandering through the city’s small neighborhoods and plazas or browsing the Mercado San Miguel before spending your nights enjoying tapas in the La Latina neighborhood and heading out to the bars. And don’t miss Madrid Pride in early July!

Honorable mentions: Mexico City, Mexico; Cape Town, South Africa

FOODIES

Taipei, Taiwan

HISTORY BUFFS

Angkor Wat, Cambodia Massive stone carvings, ancient temples and a breathtaking archaeological park are just some of Cambodia’s incredible draws.

Stop by a Buddhist prayer service before visiting memorials to the region’s war-torn past, and the town of Phnom Penh, just a few hours away, is the center of Cambodia’s LGBT community.

Taiwan’s food history straddles Japan, China and thousands of years of culture. Between street food stands, avant-garde restaurants and famous night markets, you’re bound to gain a few pounds. Book a food tour from one of the city’s many providers to make sure you don’t miss a single taste.

Honorable mentions: Rome, Italy; New Orleans, Louisiana

Honorable mentions: Budapest, Hungary; Tikal, Guatemala

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

May 12, 2017 Summer Travel 23

AGRITOURISM

Georgia agritourism offers myriad farm-based staycations Pick-your-own fruits, horseback tours, kid-friendly fun and more

Georgia, but you’d be surprised,” Benoit said.

“They do get to engage with our employees while they’re working. They’ll catch our beekeeper out with the beehive and pick his brain.

Nothing’s really restricted to them, but we do ask [that] they don’t partake in the labor.”

By DALLAS ANNE DUNCAN dduncan@thegavoice.com The Peach State has a lot to offer in the way of staycations. But for a different type of getaway, Georgia is home to destinations that put visitors a little closer to nature: farms.

“While I’m not sure when we can claim the ‘local food movement’ … truly kicked off, one thing that I do know is that folks are more interested in their food now than ever before,” said Caroline Lewallen, agritourism and marketing coordinator at Jaemor Farms in Alto.

Agritourism is a combination of the state’s top two industries, agriculture and tourism, and as of 2016 boasted an estimated $142 million in economic impact, according to the University of Georgia. Whether it’s a drive down I-75 to the historic Georgia Museum of Agriculture, a jaunt down one of the state’s Georgia Grown agriculture trails or even a horseback ride through a working farm, the relatively new term is full of possibilities for Georgia farmers and tourists.

“It’s sort of a gateway or entry point for the consumers to come out and actually step foot on a farm and see how the crops are grown, and see firsthand where their food comes from,” said Jake Carter, owner of Southern Belle Farm in McDonough. “Everybody’s got to eat and it’s a great way to educate your kids while having a good time.”

Live with the livestock “[Agritourism is] just a good outdoor experience for families, or we’ve had single people come up as well,” said Melissa Reeder, co-owner of Apple Mountain Alpacas in Clarkesville. “It’s fresh air; a fresh, different experience.”

The Reeders got into alpacas, a type of livestock raised for its fiber, about five years ago.

Farm tours at Apple Mountain include meet-and-greets with the animals, plus learning about their life cycle, how they’re bred and the fiber they produce. And, if the trip is timed right during April, agritourists can observe the alpacas getting their annual www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Clockwise, from left: Melissa Reeder holds one of her family’s alpacas up for visitors of Apple Mountain Alpacas to pet during a tour. Agritourists of all ages can enjoy pickyour-own berries and peaches at Georgia farms, such as these at Southern Belle Farm in McDonough. There are a number of ways to see the working farm White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, but one of the favorites is by a tour on horseback. (Courtesy photos)

“It’s sort of a gateway or entry point for the consumers to come out and actually step foot on a farm and see how the crops are grown, and see firsthand where their food comes from.”

—Jake Carter, owner of Southern Belle Farm in McDonough haircut, called shearing.

“We want people to be able to come and learn about the alpacas and get hands-on,” Reeder said. “It’s one thing to call and talk about them, but if you can actually come touch them and squeeze them and love on them, we wanted to open it up to that side of thing so there’s more possibilities.”

The next step for Apple Mountain Alpacas is an on-farm store, full of goods made from the Reeders’ alpaca herd fiber and some imported from Peru, where alpacas originate.

Reeder also said she plans to offer classes to teach visitors how to use alpaca fiber.

Farm workshops are also a feature at White Oak Pastures in Bluffton. White Oak

is home to beef, pork, lamb, goat, rabbit, geese, guineas, ducks, turkeys, chickens and a host of produce. Jodi Benoit, agritourism manager, said it’s been in her family since 1866. White Oak first started offering $10, hour-long walking tours several years ago, and as people’s interest in knowing where their food came from grew, so did the demand for farm visits. Now, in addition to the walking tour, there’s a horseback tour and lodging. Overnight agritourism at White Oak is more suited to couples or families with older children, as much of the tour is self-guided through the working farm.

“You wouldn’t think that people would want to come spend the night in Bluffton,

Pick a peck of produce Lewallen’s farm is no stranger to agritourism — Jaemor was a farm stop since Interstate 985 was paved in 1981.

“Because shopping at Jaemor is an ‘experience,’ we’ve always been an agritourism destination, even before the term came into use. We have hosted school groups in some shape, form or fashion at Jaemor for some 20 years,” she said.

In addition to its regularly open farm market, where visitors can take home produce grown on the farm and from other Georgia producers, Jaemor offers special event pick-your-own days in the spring and summer, plus a fall corn maze that runs from September to November.

Carter is the fifth generation to farm his family’s property in Henry County. The farm went from row crops to a dairy and now has beef cattle, hay and plenty of opportunities for families to pick their own fruits and berries. Southern Belle Farm also offers a farm market and fall corn maze, plus there are also plenty of kid-friendly things on the property, including hay rides, a cow train and pedal cars.

“We decided to open the doors up to the public in 2006,” Carter said. “We have our spring season, which involves you-pick strawberries. Eight acres; folks come out and pick their own fruits. We go from strawberry to blackberry, blueberry and peach, which starts Memorial Day weekend.”

No matter what type of farm Georgians want to visit, Carter said the important thing is to actually talk with farmers and get information straight from the source — not alternative facts peddled on the internet. Lewallen echoed his sentiments.

“We believe in being transparent, having conversations with consumers about their food and food choices, and agritourism opens the door to have dialogue with our customers,” Lewallen said. “We would not still be farming if it weren’t for them.”

May 12, 2017 Summer Travel 29

TRAIN TRAVEL VACATIONS

LGBT travelers rave about riding the rails More info

Scenic views, lower carbon footprint attract devoted riders

Interested in hopping on board a train for your next trip? Check out these tips from veteran train traveler Adam Goldstein: n Book early to save money or consider semi- or non-flexible tickets. n Plan a quick trip by choosing one destination (like New Orleans) or get more adventurous by planning a round trip with two different routes. n If traveling overnight in coach class, throw in a blanket, pillow, eye shade and mini power strip. n Planning an epic cross-country sojourn?

Ever heard of a Eurail Pass? Well, Amtrak has something similar. The adult-fare USA Rail Pass starts at $459 for eight “segments” (individual train rides) over 15 days. n Check out the promotions section of the Amtrak website for the numerous deals on offer at any given time. n seat61.com is the go-to resource for US and global train travel.

By ROBBIE MEDWED There was a time when travel was romantic; those about to embark on a trip often donned their best clothing while service providers pulled out all the stops with freshly prepared meals, cocktails and entertainment.

Those days are long gone now that airlines have turned their focus to simply moving as many bodies packed in as tightly as they can, but if you have time on your side, the romance of travel can return this summer.

There are many who argue the romance of train travel never fully disappeared. We don’t have hoop-skirted women waving handkerchiefs on smoke-filled platforms anymore, but the promise of vast swaths of beautiful countryside still remains.

Holly James has been traveling cross country by train with her wife four or five times a year since 2007. For her, train travel is all about the relaxation of a slower pace.

“There is something so therapeutic about the click-clack of the train as it barrels down the tracks,” she told Georgia Voice.

Overnight trips more affordable Adam Goldstein, a Carnegie Mellon grad student who often touts the advantages of traveling by train, recommends overnight train trips because they’re often more affordable for families.

“Sleeping car passengers receive complementary meals in the dining car, may bring alcoholic beverages on board with them to drink in their compartment and may make use of the business class lounges in major stations prior to departure,” he said.

Planning a vacation with overnights on the train means there’s no need to book an expensive hotel for a one-night destination.

For those willing to spend a little money, an inclusive train package can be a vacation unto itself.

“Many of my older clients love taking the Rocky Mountaineer across the Canadian Rockies. It’s a beautiful route through the mountains, but it can get expensive. High-

Atlanta-based travel agent Andrea Oppenheim recommends starting a train trip out West because the tracks are smoother. (Photo courtesy Amtrak)

end train packages can run into the thousands for some routes,” said Andrea Oppenheim, who owns and runs Find A Pearl, an Atlanta-based travel agency.

Still, she said, train travel can be very affordable on some trips, especially when traveling in Europe, where train stations are often conveniently located in the center of historic districts and very easy to get to.

Oppenheim also notes that travel for LGBT families seems to be a bit easier in Europe.

“Maybe you get singled out as an American, but not as much because of your sexual orientation,” she said.

But, more traditionally conservative parts of America are becoming more LGBT-friendly, “and it’s more of a norm, and I’m seeing the same thing in travel.”

When choosing a location, James recommended starting out West because tracks tend to be smoother there – and to not miss out on the food (especially the tamales at the Albuquerque train station). For those look-

ing to travel directly from Atlanta, the New Orleans to Washington, DC Crescent Route makes stops there. James recommends this particular train because “crossing the bayou with the track mere feet above water makes for excellent wildlife viewing.”

‘It’s magical’ Train travel isn’t without challenges, though. In America, Amtrak doesn’t own its own tracks, which means they could be subject to delays as freight trains often have supremacy in being assigned tracks. To pass the time, trains often have wifi, and electrical outlets at seats are nearly universal – and there’s always a dining and bar car that’s worth visiting.

Even with the possibility of short delays, taking the train removes the anxiety most of us face when traveling.

“While I do fly, after a series of frightening mishaps on airplanes, I like knowing the train is a viable way to travel should my flight anxiety become an issue,” James said.

Train travel is also considered more environmentally friendly – and the scenic views simply can’t be beat.

“I enjoy writing and drawing, and the landscapes available to the train passenger are unique and inspiring; in some locations, it may be hours before another paved highway crosses the path of the locomotive,” she said. “Environmentally speaking, it leaves a lower carbon footprint than an airplane.”

Compared to purchasing airline tickets, train travel can often get expensive, but there are deals to be found – especially for planners.

“Amtrak fares increase based upon demand as the travel date approaches,” Goldstein said. “Booking non-flexible ‘saver’ or semi-flexible ‘value’ tickets can potentially save you hundreds of dollars.”

For many, though, the cost of the train ride more than pays for its charm and simplicity.

Rolling through the countryside, watching the world pass by and taking the time to simply enjoy the journey is exactly what train travel is all about, James described.

“The sounds of the train at night are especially soothing,” she said. “The lone whistle in the middle of the night, seeing the stars with no light pollution – it’s magical.”

30 Summer Travel May 12, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

LGBT TRAVEL

Resort wear

S60 Bondi Short $76.99 Pullin Socal T-Shirt $44.99

Before you plan your summer vacation, make sure to spruce up your wardrobe with some of these hot looks.

SUP Sydney T-Shirt Pink-Speckled Navy $39.99

Pullin Bond Swim Short HOLS $79.99

Pullin Dening Short $92.99

SUPA DUPA Swim Short Ahoy! $62.99

SUPA DUPA Swim Short Blossom $62.99

Boy Next Door Menswear 1447 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 404-873-2664 • www.boynextdoormenswear.com

Clever 0592 Ifaty Swimsuit Brief $61.84

Petitq pq160605 Loincloth $31.21

Unzipped Citizen www.unzippedcitizen.com www.thegeorgiavoice.com

May 12, 2017 Summer Travel 31

EN

T

ER

AT L A N TA I

TA

N

T

LGBT

S W

REV S T IE R A

N ME

And the beat goes on Indigenous House 7 celebrates house music origins and black LGBT culture

By J. MATTHEW COBB Over 25 years ago, the late Ron Hardy mixed down a huge track on Marshall Jefferson’s sprightly vocals that would rise to become an immense anthem for this new, titillating sound coming out of Chicago’s underground discos: “Gotta have house music, all night long/With that house music, you can’t go wrong.”

That mantra lives on vivaciously through Indigenous House, a free Atlanta-based music festival celebrating the roots of house music. Now in its seventh year of operation, this annual 10-hour musical marathon held at Piedmont Park has grown massively, becoming one of the largest outdoor events dedicated to black LGBT people in the nation.

John Dennis, founder of Indigenous House, is proud of its evolution and unique status of filling a specific void in black LGBT culture.

“There’s not another one. There are a few Pride [celebrations] and a few other events like it, but there’s not an event that brings out black gay men in public where they can be affectionate towards one other outside of Pride,” Dennis told Georgia Voice. “Indigenous is the largest one of its kind in the country.”

CONTINUES ON PAGE 33

32 A&E May 12, 2017

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Details

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32

‘We are a cultural event’ Dennis, a native of St. Louis, has called Atlanta home for about 30 years and has been involved in organizing parties since the ‘80s. It was during his days as a co-promoter with Greenhouse, a house festival he describes as “one geared more towards the straight crowd,” when he felt the urge to focus on designing an alternative for black LGBT Atlantans. The focus eventually grew to include an emphasis on house music’s roots in black gay culture.

“When you look at the audience of people in Atlanta, what you will find is a very mature conglomerate of all the gay men that really came from the great house clubs in the ’70s, ‘80s and ‘90s around the country, from the Garage to the Catacomb [in Philadelphia], from Odell’s [in Baltimore] to Chicago’s Warehouse,” he said. “So you get to see a collective wave of energy that gay men had back in the day opposed to where we are now.

And that’s probably the significant difference between Indigenous House and some of the other [house] events: We are a cultural event.”

Fostering a sense of family Tim’m West, a faithful attendee and devout lover of house, feels that is what most separates Indigenous House from other house music celebrations in Atlanta and across the country.

“I think with Indigenous House there’s a little more intentionality about honoring gay contributions to house music,” he said.

Indigenous House 7 Sunday, May 21 12 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Piedmont Park (Charles Allen Drive Gate at 10th St.) www.facebook.com/ events/237771639961386

This year’s Indigenous House event will move from the WPA Picnic Shelter pavilion to the Charles Allen Drive Gate at 10th Street in Piedmont Park. (Photo by John Hagins)

“In Atlanta, there are a lot of places that play house [music] that actually can be quite homophobic, which is kinda ironic to me.”

He also adds that the transgender population is often dismissed or ignored entirely at other events, but not at Indigenous, which he describes as bearing a “family reunion-like vibe.”

Dennis doesn’t hold back when mentioning the need to foster a sense of family at this event, especially at a time when Atlanta needs it.

“In Atlanta, we have such a large black LGBT community, [but] it is so, so segregated between the L, G, B and T. And I felt led to bring them all together again,” he said.

“I’m a lot more mature and inclusive of the trans, the bi and the lesbian community. I try to really stress on being inclusive of everyone, which most events – especially the club scene – doesn’t offer.”

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

Location change, special guests This year, a few important changes will hit the layout of the fest. The most surprising of them all will be its move away from the WPA Picnic Shelter pavilion and a shift towards the Charles Allen Drive Gate at 10th Street. Due to a scheduling conflict from the Piedmont Park Conservancy with a previous renter, fans of Indigenous House will have to miss the popular shed this year.

The change of location comes with a bit of good news. There will be more space, a big welcome for the growing crowds.

“Last year it was so large that we had some crowd issues and they felt we needed a larger space,” Dennis said. “In addition to that, another organization had got the pavilion before me. I was real bothered by that because I felt we should have had top priority after being grandfathered into the park

after three consecutive years.”

Other additions to the lineup include a flying drone feature and a lifetime achievement dedication to special guest Candy J. “She was before Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox,” Dennis asserted. “It was Candy J in the ‘80s who was fighting with the record labels to try to be an entertainer and to authentically be who she was.”

Attendees are encouraged to bring their tents to help create a festival feel and to compensate for the lack of a pavilion.

West, who will once again be in attendance at this year’s fest, plans to dance his troubles away by fully immersing into the booming rhythms, especially in light of today’s political climate and tomorrow’s uncertainties.

“House music is actually about as close as I come to any sort of spirituality, where I feel all the emotions that I’ve felt in the last few weeks, from joy and pain to anguish and excitement,” he said. “It’s been a rough year – 45 [Donald Trump] is in office and people are really terrified about health care. I have several pre-existing conditions, among them HIV/AIDS, which has impacted the gay community. It’s why a lot of our DJs and dancers aren’t here anymore.”

To advertise, contact: sales@thegavoice.com

PUT YOUR BUSINESS IN THE SPOTLIGHT CONTACT: SALES@THEGAVOICE.COM www.thegeorgiavoice.com

May 12, 2017 A&E 33

ACTING OUT

By JIM FARMER

Trans drama ‘3 Generations’ a letdown It has three gifted, bankable actresses – one playing a trans teenage boy, another a lesbian – but even the likes of Elle Fanning, Naomi Watts and Susan Sarandon can’t allow the new drama “3 Generations” to fulfill its potential and tell the story that it should be telling.

In Gaby Dellal’s long-delayed film – opening May 12 in Atlanta – the titular trio lives under one roof in New York. Fanning stars as Ramona, who – long realizing he is a boy – is transitioning to Ray and starting hormone replacement therapy. As he says to almost everyone around him, he just wants to be normal. His mother, Maggie (Watts), is tracking down Ray’s biological father (Tate Donovan) to persuade him to sign the paperwork needed since Ray is a minor. Meanwhile, Ray’s lesbian grandmother, Dolly (Susan Sarandon), can’t understand why Ramona/Ray can’t just be a proper lesbian.

Frances (Linda Emond), Dolly’s long-time girlfriend, is beyond tired of having the entire family in one home.

When it screened at the 2015 Toronto Film festival under its former name, “About Ray,” the film bowed to a poor reception and caused its distributor, The Weinstein Company, to pull it from a theatrical release just three days before it was supposed to open.

It’s nice that director and co-writer Dellal and The Weinstein Company believed in the project enough to play with it and add some scenes, but it’s still lightweight and underwhelming.

Dellal and co-writer Nikole Beckwith have been working on this for several years.

Their commitment is admirable, but it’s a poorly written film with clunky dialogue.

Fanning has emerged from her sister Dakota’s shadow over the years and become one of her generation’s boldest actresses.

Luckily, she has gravitated towards independent fare more than superheroes. It’s debatable whether or not Fanning brings it off physically, but emotionally, Fanning captures the essence of what Ray is going through. Sarandon is her usual fiery self.

Even when her character is trading wisecracks and wading through inane dialogue, she has an earthy appeal.

Above: Elle Fanning, Naomi Watts and Susan Sarandon, left to right, star in ‘3 Generations,’ opening May 12 at Lefont Sandy Springs. (Photo courtesy The Weinstein Company)

Details

“3 Generations” Opening May 12 at Lefont Sandy Springs

Not faring so well is Watts, who flounders a bit here in an underwritten role. Maggie is much less interesting than the other characters.

A subplot involving her ex and his brother is unnecessary and lifeless. Sadly, it often overshadows the story of Ray/Ramona. The story of Ray’s transition and the difficulties involved are glossed over for sudsy family drama.

Despite some sharp performances, “3 Generations” is a lightweight and mostly joyless experience. One character whines, “I’m not having a shitty day; I’m having a shitty existence.” There’s a reasonable hap-

py ending here, but it feels unearned and misplaced.

The film’s R rating – later changed to PG-13 – raised some eyebrows initially since there is nothing really warranting that rating.

The film has also been meet with some criticism from the trans community for its casting of a cisgender actress in the role of a trans male character. That’s a valid point, but the film has some graver issues. “3 Generations” certainly means well, but isn’t deep enough or courageous enough to make much of an impression.

34 A&E May 12, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

EATING MY WORDS

By CLIFF BOSTOCK

French-Indian fusion in Midtown Despite being a few steps from the BeltLine, at least four restaurants have died at the location of the new Jai Ho (560 Dutch Valley Road, 404-458-6888, www.jaihoatlanta.com). If the crowd on a recent Friday night is an accurate estimation, Jai Ho just might make it. After all, its Hindi name means “let there be victory,” not unlike the co-opted Seven Dwarfs’ “hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to war we go.”

Jai Ho describes itself as a fusion of French and Indian cooking. An example is the lamb shank I ordered. It was slow-braised in a sauce of rosemary, almonds and herbs.

It’s a clear deviation from the lamb I’ve tasted in other Indian restaurants, and I licked the bone after I devoured the meat.

There was, however, one thing about the dish that annoyed me big-time. The menu promises that it – like other chef ’s specials – is served with rice, garlic naan and “mixed veggies.” The latter turned out to be three oversized florets of broccoli and three baby carrots. What the fuck? I unsuccessfully asked the servers to explain how these tepid, bland ingredients landed on the plate. Eventually, an apparent manager came to the table. He explained that the restaurant is all about fusion. I said I understood that, but does tossing broccoli and carrots on the plate really amount to fusion? “Yes,” he said. “It’s all about beauty.”

Whatever. Most of the food was good even if it didn’t appear so good. Another such one was a bowl of curry that looked unappetizing to say the least (I won’t make the specific vulgar comparison). But it, like the lamb sauce, provided a layer of clear tastes.

And then there was the opposite – an entrée of tilapia wrapped in banana leaves with south Indian spices. It looked pretty impressive, but tasted off-key, to say the least. Typically, I don’t order tilapia anywhere. I think of it as fish tofu, with little flavor of its own. Maybe you will like the dish, although my garbage-mouthed friend wasn’t impressed either.

My recommendation is that, instead of the tilapia, you order the whole snapper cooked in a clay oven called a tandoor and

The lamb shank at Jai Ho is slow-braised in a sauce of rosemary, almonds and herbs.

(Photo by Cliff Bostock)

topped with shrimp curry. If you want to eat the most obvious case of fusion, order the spicy starter of mussels with shallots, ginger, curry leaves, crushed pepper and coconut flakes on a bed of yucca.

The menu here is close to gigantic, including 14 vegan and vegetarian entrees like navaratna (vegables, raisins and nuts in a creamy sauce), street eats (like masala dosa) and seven curries with your choice of chicken, lamb, goat and shrimp. There are five naans , including an odd one with nuts and raisins. There’s also a handful of desserts that I haven’t sampled.

The décor of the restaurant has not noticeably changed since its first incarnation.

The dining room is large and L-shaped. The primo seating on these cool evenings is the patio. You would do best to make reservations in advance.

The verdict: I think most of the food is worth the prices, which range all over the place. I’ll return, but, please, no more broccoli fusion.

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

36 Columnists May 12, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

B

T A T GB

A T N LA T

S

L

Our Guide to the Best LGBT Events in Atlanta for May 12-25

BETS T ES

EVEN FRIDAY, MAY 12

Elle Fanning, Naomi Watts and Susan Sarandon headline the drama “3 Generations,” starring Fanning as a young transgender boy, opening in metro Atlanta theaters today.

Out Front Theatre Company’s very funny take on “The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told,” written by playwright Paul Rudnick, has an 8 p.m. curtain tonight, running through May 14, 999 Brady Ave. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30318, www.outfronttheatre.com

SATURDAY, MAY 13

Grab a purple dress and come out!

A tradition in Atlanta, the annual Purple Dress Run raises money both for a local charity partner, For the Kid in All of Us, and also helps send the Atlanta Bucks Rugby team to the biennial International Gay Rugby tournament.

11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., Cowtippers Steaks & Spirits, 1600 Piedmont Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30324, www.facebook. com/events/131681324037977 7 Stages presents its annual “Curious Queer Encounters” tonight at 8 p.m., running through May 14. Curated by Michael Haverty, seven local ensembles and artists create original and interactive performances hidden in and around the building to represent and redefine queer culture.

8 p.m., 1105 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.7stages.org A-ten-hut soldier, it’s time to strap on your gear and get ready for some serious manto-man combat at The Manshaft: Military Gear Edition. Expect to see bulging camos, fatigues, dress blues, combat boots, berets, flight suits, dog tags, furry chests and faces, sirs, cadets, POGs, grunts and soldiers. DJ Eric will spin from 9 – 11:30

38 Best Bets May 12, 2017

FRIDAY, MAY 12 – SATURDAY, MAY 13

The Atlanta Ballet hosts “Camino Real,” based on a work by Tennessee Williams. Tonight’s performance is at 8 p.m. with performances at 2 and 8 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339, www.cobbenergycentre.com (Publicity photo) p.m., and then DJ Diablo Rojo will take over. DJ Neon the Glowgobear will finish off the night beginning at 1:30 a.m.

Vintage men’s films will be playing as well as rock ‘n’ roll, disco, electro, remixes and mash-ups. The Atlanta Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will be raising money as well.

Heretic Atlanta, 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road N.E., Atlanta, GA 30324, www.facebook.com/events/189049584940970

SUNDAY, MAY 14

Join the Lesbians Who Brunch Tea Dance Party, 2 – 7 p.m. at My Sister’s Room, 66 12th St. Atlanta, GA 30309, www.mysistersroom.com

MONDAY, MAY 15

Come out as Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative tries to convince

the Atlanta City Council to make marijuana possession a non-arrestable offense, 1 – 6 p.m., Atlanta City Hall, 68 Mitchell St., Atlanta, GA 30303, www.facebook. com/events/1888459511372522 Trans and Friends is a youth-focused group for trans people, people questioning their own gender and aspiring allies, providing a facilitated space to discuss

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

FRIDAY, MAY 12

Thriving Children’s annual gala raises money for Lost-n-Found Youth, with a silent auction, hors d’oeuvres, mistress of ceremony D’Anne Heckert, music by Sentimental Journey Orchestra and performances by Derrick Barry. 6:30 – 10 p.m., Atlanta History Center, 130 W. Paces Ferry Road N.W., Atlanta, GA 30305, www.facebook.com/events/338026236530997 (Publicity photo) gender, relevant resources and activism around social issues. 7 – 8:30 p.m., Charis Books and More, 1189 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.charisbooksandmore.com

TUESDAY, MAY 16

Make your lunch break a networking opportunity and connect with business professionals, small business owners, job seekers and community sponsors to expand your circle of influence and grow your business at Connecting Atlanta, a networking lunch by Metro Atlanta Association of Professionals (MAAP). Join MAAP at Ri Ra Irish Pub the third Tuesday of every month from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a networking lunch. The event is limited to 20 participants. Pre-register by emailing riralunch@maapatl.org, 1080 Peachtree St. N.E., Ste 1, Atlanta, GA 30309, www.maapatl.org It’s patio weather again and Raging Burrito donates 10 percent of the total of all patrons’ checks who dine in from 5 – 10 p.m. to Charis Books and More, 141 Sycamore St., Decatur, GA 30030, www.facebook.com/

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

events/281107108982094 The Broadway hit “Finding Neverland” – based on the Johnny Depp movie – bows at the Fox Theatre tonight at 7:30 p.m., running through May 21, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.foxtheatre.org

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17

Join all sorts of hairy men at Trivia Night at Woofs, 8 p.m., 2425 Piedmont Road N.E, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.woofsatlanta.com

THURSDAY, MAY 18

SAGE Atlanta’s social hour begins at 10 a.m., followed by a program/meeting at 11 a.m., Phillip Rush Center Annex, 1530 DeKalb Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.rushcenteratl.org The Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce hosts its Business Builder Luncheon today at Henry’s Midtown Tavern. Hosted by Chip Ivie and Chris Torrens on the third Thursday of each month at 11:45 a.m., the event is limited to 14 respondents with a $20

set menu. 132 10th St. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30309, www.atlantagaychamber.org Charis and Cliterati pair up to present an inviting and fierce open mic and reading series on the third Thursday of every month. This month’s guest is the one and only Theresa Davis, celebrating her birthday tonight. 7:30 – 9 p.m., Charis Books and More, 1189 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.charisbooksandmore.com

FRIDAY, MAY 19 – SATURDAY, MAY 20

Transgender Health and Education Alliance’s Family Symposium is today from 5 - 8 p.m. and tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Clarkston Community Center, 3701 College Ave., Clarkston, GA 30021, www.facebook. com/events/1354056098016533

FRIDAY, MAY 19

The Atlanta Opera’s production of Mozart’s “The Secret Gardener” is at the Atlanta Botanical Garden for three

CONTINUES ON PAGE 40

EVENT SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, MAY 20

Perfume Genius performs with Serpentwithfeet tonight at 9 p.m. at Terminal West. Tickets: $16-18 www.terminalwestatl.com (Publicity photo)

May 12, 2017 Best Bets 39

SATURDAY, MAY 20

Food-O-Rama Events, the company behind some of the largest food truck festivals in the Southeast, is now bringing Atlanta its first Margarita + Taco Festival, taking place in Grant Park. Experience the best specialty margaritas and tacos the Southeast has to offer as restaurants and food trucks battle it out for the top spot. Also, enjoy live music, craft vendors and more. This is a non-ticketed event and there’s no entry fee. There will be a $6 wristband for drinking. A dollar from each wristband will go toward the Africa Yoga Project, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., 800 Blvd. S.E., Atlanta, GA 30312-3629, www.facebook.com/events/104238260094036 (Courtesy photo)

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39 performances today at 3 p.m. and tomorrow at 1:30 and 5:30 p.m. “The Secret Gardener” is a comedy of love, madness and redemption. 1345 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA 303039, www.atlantabg.org Stage Door Players open the farcical “Boeing, Boeing” tonight at 8 p.m., running through June 11, 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, GA 30338, www.stagedoorplayers.net

SATURDAY, MAY 20

Join the Positive Impact Health Centers’ AV200 ride team today at 8 a.m. and support Emory University’s HIV/AIDS vaccine research

40 Best Bets May 12, 2017

and HIV/AIDS Services at Positive Impact Health Centers. Cyclists of all levels welcome and registration is free for cyclists. Email olivia.chelko-long@ pihcga.org or call 678-990-6449 for the code and registration instructions. Fifty percent of raised funds go to vaccine research and 50 percent to services and testing at Positive Impact Health Centers. Emory University School of Medicine, 1648 Pierce Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, www.facebook.com/ events/1261155844004497 Join in the fun for the 4th Annual LGBTQ Family Day with Atlanta Pride. There will be painting, kids yoga, games and giveaways at this family-friendly picnic.

Kids of all ages are welcome. 11 a.m. –

1 p.m., Glenlake Park, 1121 Church St., Decatur, GA 30030, www.facebook. com/events/790841824398809 The third annual Fire in the Fourth fundraising event today will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Great Atlanta Fire of 1917 with this free, all ages curated street experience on Edgewood and Auburn Avenues between Jackson and Boulevard. This year’s event will showcase over 30 local arts organizations, collaborations with Old Fourth Ward Business Association members and a diverse mix of interactions, installations and performances. 3 -11 p.m., Georgia Justice Project, 438 Edgewood Ave. S.E., Atlanta, GA 30312, www.facebook.com/ events/103983336802713

The Atlanta Rollergirls host a doubleheader at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Yaarab Shrine Center, 400 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.atlantarollergirls.com It’s time for the annual Miss Hotlanta Softball League competition. Come watch representatives from each team as they battle it out for the crown. The theme this year is “Seven Deadly Sins.” The categories are creative team spirit, talent, and lip sync for your life. 6 – 9 p.m., Jungle Atlanta, 2115 Faulkner Road N.E, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.facebook.com/ events/853993384749656

CONTINUES ON PAGE 42 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 40

SATURDAY, MAY 27

City Winery Atlanta presents an evening with Brandy Clark and Charlie Worsham, 8 p.m., 650 North Ave., Ponce City Market, Atlanta, GA, 30308, www.citywinery.com/atlanta

An emerging artist, Sonia Leigh has already demonstrated her prolific songwriting skills with the well-known hits “Sweet Annie” and “Goodbye In Her Eyes.” Her special brand of femaleattitude and modern country has been seen alongside such well-known names as Eric Church, Eli Young Band, Loretta Lynn and Willie Nelson.

Tickets: $16-20. 9:15 p.m.

Eddie’s Attic. www.eddiesattic.com (Publicity photo)

Atlanta’s summer kick-off party, the Britney BASH, is tonight. Join DJ Pat Scott, Atlanta Bucks, Barking Leather, Smirnoff and Big Daddy Burgers for the fun. 10 p.m. – 3 a.m., Atlanta Eagle, 306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30308, www.facebook/ events/397401120659723 Icon: A Celebration of Madonna is tonight with performances and art from Biqtch Puddin’, Steven Glen Diehl, Michael Robinson, John James, LaRico Potts, Celeste Holmes, Brigitte Bidet, Barry Brandon and Womanifesto, 10:30 p.m. – 3 a.m., Jungle Atlanta, 2115 Faulkner Road N.E., Atlanta, GA 30324, www.facebook. com/events/378419002527971

SUNDAY, MAY 21

The Indigenous House Music Festival takes place at Piedmont Park today with guests including DJ Tommy Davis, 12 – 10 p.m., www.facebook.com/ events/237771639961386

MONDAY, MAY 22

It’s Underwear Night, as well as the Panther L/L meeting, starting at 7 p.m. at the Atlanta Eagle, 306 Ponce de Leon Ave N.E., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.atlantaeagle.com

TUESDAY, MAY 23 – SATURDAY, MAY 27

The 2017 Southern Fried Queer Pride Festival is here for five days of festivities to feast on in various Atlanta venues. From workshops to gallery exhibitions to dance parties and performance art nights, there’s a lot on the menu. Events include a Queer Qumbia, The Jewel Box: A Trans Resilience Social, a Digital Queerness Gallery Opening, Look Who’s F*cking Now – A Black Porn Critique, Colorblog: a QTPOC Potluck, and HAWT Sauce: a Dance Party, www.facebook.com/ events/799192473564907

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24

Murmur hosts an artist talk on the exhibition Tell Me I’m Sexy, a satirical perspective on the objectification of women, reinforcement of gender stereotypes and Eurocentric beauty standards in contemporary mass media. Featured artists include Grace Allison Perkins, Graciela Nuñez Bedoya and Kyle Payne,

42 Best Bets May 12, 2017

7 – 10 p.m., 100 Broad St. S.W., Atlanta, GA 30303, www.facebook.com/ events/191167428042478

THURSDAY, MAY 25

Spiritual Tools for Recovery is a three-part series (ending June 8) exploring the role of faith and spiritual practices in recovery for LGBT communities and allies. LGBT people and allies in recovery often feel alienated from their religious traditions and unsure of how to draw upon their faith or any spiritual traditions for support. This series looks to create a community of people seeking wisdom and support around recovery through

use of faith and spiritual practices.

7 – 8:30 p.m., Phillip Rush Center Annex, 1530 DeKalb Ave. N.E., Suite A, Atlanta, GA 30307, www.rushcenteratl.org

UPCOMING SATURDAY, JUNE 3

After 20 years, this is the final East Point Possums show. Come see the largest number of drag acts in the Southeast entertaining you while raising money for Lost-n-Found Youth. 7 – 11 p.m., 2727 E. Point St., East Point, GA 30344, www.facebook.com/ events/427701814276892

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

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

May 12 - 14, 2017

“AN EXTRAORDINARY CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENT” –ArtsATL Join us for a rousing tale of survival and good vs. evil that fuses dance, theater, and live music into one unforgettable experience!

Atlanta Ballet dancers. Photo by Charlie McCullers.

atlantaballet.com/camino | 1.800.982.2787 Groups of 10+, call 404.873.5811 x207.

TICKETS START AT JUST $25!

Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID

By MELISSA CARTER

Still won’t eat mor chikin

STORAGE SPECIALS •Free Truck Rental with Move-In •12 Month Price Guarantee •24-Hour Access •Heated & Cooled Units •Security System •Clean, Well-Lit Facility •Loading Dock 726 Ponce de Leon PL NE Atlanta, GA, 30306

404-913-8977

We sell boxes & packing supplies!

1 Month Free First Month Free

New Customers. Select Units. Expires 6/30/2017

25% Off

Boxes & Packing Supplies www.morningstarstorage.com

Offer Never Expires.

Have you ever taken a stand for something you believe in? If so, did it last?

I stopped eating at Chick-fil-A right after its so-called Customer Appreciation Day. Former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee was behind the effort, urging people across the country to “affirm a business that operates on Christian principles and whose executives are willing to take a stand for the Godly values we espouse” by showing up at the chicken chain on Aug. 1, 2012. This event followed Chickfil-A COO Dan Cathy’s public comments that he opposed same-sex marriage.

Lines snaked from the chain’s locations that day, seemingly “affirming” that many customers of the restaurant also opposed same-sex marriage and supported other conservative “values” of those behind the fastfood chain. That’s when I said no more.

That was five years ago, yet I may be the only person left without the remnants of their chicken sandwich or shake in my car. Almost on a consistent basis at work, Chick-fil-A delivers food and everyone takes part but me. Colleagues who know about my protest still offer me a sandwich, even defending the chain on being different than back then. I remind them that if a business publicly celebrated the fact they didn’t have the same legal rights as their seemingly superior customers, they would never take another bite of the offensive food. A passing sad smile crosses their face before they partake in their free lunch, almost feeling sorry for what they must perceive as a delusion on my part.

It’s not just straight people. I know plenty of lesbians and gays who still eat at the restaurant. They joke that the food is just too good to pass up, and I say no food is worth self-hatred. Yet again I am left alone, as if I am out of style and life has changed enough to justify my fellow LGBT consumers to return to their old habits.

Of course, there are plenty of companies that are not supportive of our community, and

“It’s not just straight people.

I know plenty of lesbians and gays who still eat at the restaurant. They joke that the food is just too good to pass up, and I say no food is worth self-hatred.” it can be exhausting to make sure to remember them all and not spend money with them. Yet, I am a firm believer that you vote with your dollar, and if there is a company like Chick-filA with executives who blatantly let you know how much they do not like you as a human being, can you seriously continue to do business with them without losing your integrity?

Not everyone has opposed my views of the company. As a morning show co-host years ago, prior to its Customer Appreciate Day, Chick-fil-A wanted to do a promotion with us, but suggested I be left out of it because of my sexuality. My host and co-hosts said we were a team, and if I wasn’t included, we wouldn’t do it. I have no idea how much money had been turned down for the station as part of that failed promotion, but I was never so proud to stand next to that group of people. Integrity over money.

I will no doubt be offered a chicken sandwich or a spotted cow toy at work sometime soon, I am sure, but because I believe in myself and love who I am, the answer will always be, “No, thank you.”

Melissa Carter is recognized as one of the first out radio personalities in Atlanta and has been heard over the years on B98.5 and Q100. In addition, she is a writer for the Huffington Post. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCarter.

44 Columnists May 12, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

SOMETIMES ‘Y’

By RYAN LEE ATLANTA’S FIRST URBAN WINERY, INTIMATE MUSIC VENUE, RESTAURANT & PRIVATE EVENT SPACE

New Chef

new menu new culinary direction

Come See Us! 650 NORTH AVENUE NE, SUITE 201, PONCE CITY MARKET | CITYWINERY.COM | 404.WINERY1

The liberal version of ‘white genocide’ paranoia Everyone is responsible for Donald Trump being president except the racists who voted for him, and exactly who deserves the most blame depends on which liberal you ask.

The latest reason we are stuck with the most incompetent and deranged chief executive in US history, according to one of the most prominent voices in progressivism, is you.

Even before the electoral apocalypse of Nov. 8, 2016, and certainly since, Hillary Clinton supporters accused anyone who voted for a third-party candidate of abetting a Trump victory. Aside from badgering a voter into supporting a candidate they strongly disagree with on key issues, such a blanket condemnation reveals ignorance about basic elements of our voting system, namely the Electoral College: a liberal Alabamian voting for Jill Stein did zero damage to the Democratic candidate in the Heart of Dixie or nationally.

To her credit, Clinton accepts that ultimately she is responsible for leading a failed campaign, but fretting over the minuscule wedge of voters swayed by the FBI and WikiLeaks mitigates how white supremacy revivals passed for campaign rallies, and Trump’s winning message was ridding the country of Mexicans, Muslims and any other minority who had forgotten their proper place in America.

Given her political genetics, it’s understandable that Clinton would avoid calling more than 62 million Americans bigots (or at least active in bigotry prevailing). But a rising number of folks who call themselves progressive, most recently Bill Maher, have laid blame for Trump’s victory not at the feet of those who voted for him, but other progressives.

“Ease up on the identity politics,” Maher advised the Democratic Party via an interview on CNN. “They pulled off quite a neat trick in 2016: they made white people, who are still the majority in this country, feel like a minority – or at least enough of them to swing the election.”

Maher’s analysis turns into political strategy the adage that in today’s America, it is worse to call someone a racist than it is to be a racist.

It also ignores what a conservative panelist on

“As with his reckless Islamophobia, Maher offers intellectual sanctuary to bigots trying to purify their prejudice, and helps explain why so many white supremacists awarded one of their own with the presidency.”

Maher’s HBO show recognized as early as August 2015: Trump was transforming the GOP into “the party of white identity politics.”

Of course, white identity politics are nothing new, as evidenced by the consistent correlation between maps showing voting patterns and ones demarcating Civil War borders. Nor is this the first time Maher has peered down from his privilege to scold or mock black activists, transgender individuals and others who care about their existence as passionately as Maher cares about climate change.

Was the civil rights movement entirely a niche group ignoring the needs of the country by focusing on its own inequality? Which LGBT advancement would stretch beyond “identity politics” to qualify as an appropriate, mainstream progressive issue? Does it matter that while the Democrats’ leader, President Barack Obama, was granting LGBT soldiers access to the military and protecting transgender students, he was also rescuing the US economy, fighting ISIS, trying to save the environment and all sorts of other things that prove he didn’t have tunnel vision?

Maher’s statement is the liberal version of the “white genocide” paranoia on the right, where any suggestion that minorities are discriminated against is considered anti-white propaganda. As with his reckless Islamophobia, Maher offers intellectual sanctuary to bigots trying to purify their prejudice, and helps explain why so many white supremacists awarded one of their own with the presidency.

Ryan Lee is an Atlanta writer.

46 Columnists May 12, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

our rights. our home.

we’re f a m i ly

ATLANTA PRIDE Oct. 13-15, 2017 | atlantapride.org

Ahm, Ama, Majka, Matka, Nana, Induk, Mãe, Jajka, Mare, Nana, Mati, Abatyse, Mor, Moeder, Mére, Ema, Aiti, Moeder, Mum, Mère, Mutter, Màna, Makuahine, Maji, Anya, Induk, Máthair, Madre, Okaasan, Daya, Mater, Motina, Omm, Emak, Maire, Mamma, Maman, Matka, Mai, Maica, Mat', Majka, Matri, Máti, Mamá, Mor, Mueter, Mam, Muter, Mom, Mommy, Mother.

No matter how you say it, it's still the sweetest word.

Celebrate Mom on her day with a gift of love from Worthmore and she'll always remember she's in your heart. Stop in and choose from our extensive collections—beautiful and affordable ways to remember her and all the wonderful things she's done, and will do, for you.

Mother's Day . Sunday, May 14

Join us in Decatur during May for National Brain Tumor Awareness Month.

For details, visit us at www.paintthetowngrey.org.

gayest

ORE RY STN L E W JE W IN TO

Fine jewelry, watches and art...

Amsterdam Walk + 500 Amsterdam Ave. + Atlanta + 404/892-8294 Decatur Square + 117 East Court Square + Decatur + 404/370-3979 www.worthmorejewelers.com