ATLANTA PRIDE’S
STONEWALL CELEBRATIONS Wanda Sykes
Tig Notaro
WEDNESDAY JUNE 20
Comedy Night FOR TICKETS, VISIT:
FOXTHEATRE.ORG
#GOAT THE DEBATE ENDS OCTOBER 2018
EXPLORE THE FUTURE AT
PHILIPSARENA.COM/GOAT
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT (BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE TAKE A DIGITAL DETOX.) Burkhart’s has shuttered, but the space at 1492 Piedmont plans to reopen as Midnight Moon, a stillLGBTQ sweet spot for revelers in Midtown. At the time of printing, no one has seen the planned changes to the interior, but the return of the Armorettes should provide as much color (and encouragement) the community needs to head back inside.
Maryland became the 11th state to ban “gay conversion therapy” for minors in our nation, which is hopefully one in a windfall of states yet to follow suit. As minors don’t get to choose their therapeutic programs, forcing them into a thought-regimen that singles out their sexuality in an effort to thwart its healthy growth has caused serious mental-health issues in former “patients” of the practice.
An AT&T subcontractor will reimburse Atlanta for ripping up rainbow crosswalks back in March. Two months ago, the company Ansco & Associates, LLC ripped up the LGBTQ-themed colors during their utility work at the Midtown intersection of Piedmont Avenue and 10th. In 2017, Atlanta installed the rainbow crosswalks as a neighborhood flourish for the city’s LGBTQ community. The price for the estimated painting was $196,000, and was drawn from the metro area’s $44 million transportation budget. After the repair was completed, the crews refinished the street, but did not replace the crosswalk colors. In an AJC story published in March, Lance Skelly, spokesman for AT&T, said that the crosswalk would be restored “as quickly as possible.”
“Sooo gay” Kristen Stewart not only stood silent with 82 other women on the steps of the famous Lumière Theater at the Cannes Film Festival to protest the lack of female representation in the boys’ club of cinema, she walked out of her heels on its famed red carpet. (Women are required to wear heels as part of the Cannes dress code.) Show up, K-Stew!
Blondie has canceled an Atlanta Pride event, much to the dismay of ticketholders. Per an email to said ticketholders, the show — slated for June 22 — is off “due to unforeseen circumstances.” The event would have been the first-ever teamup of The Fox Theater and Atlanta Pride.
4 News May 25, 2018
Eccentric rapper Cardi B came out as bisexual, stating that she’s had romantic relationships with both men and women. She reiterates via Twitter: “Shiieeett with a lot of [women]!” Three chirps for that.
Jean Kim is a trans rugby player at Fordham University who was just denied the ability to play in a tournament with her teammates. According to World Rugby, the governing body of the sport, a 2003 policy called the Stockholm Consensus requires trans athletes to undergo genderaffirming surgery before they’re allowed to compete. Perhaps World Rugby will catch up to the International Olympic Committee and reverse the surgical necessity before play.
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“
Our sisters are very important to us in our community. We need to take care of ourselves, get tested, and know our HIV status.
”
— Gigi and Marilyn
WE’RE
DOING IT
Testing for HIV
#DoingIt Testing is Fast, Free, and Confidential cdc.gov/DoingIt
GEORGIA NEWS
Hometown
Proud MAYOR BOTTOMS JOINS OTHER MAYORS ACROSS THE NATION IN AN ANTI-LGBT DISCRIMINATION PLEDGE Berlin Sylvestre bsylvestre@thegavoice.com Atlanta’s mayor takes no issue standing in front of a podium and quoting RuPaul. “Never forget that the most political thing you could do is to follow your heart,” Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms told a crowd at a May 5 fundraiser. It appears she is doing just that. Apart from promptly putting together an LGBTQ advisory board for the city soon after she entered office, Mayor Bottoms now shows her dedication to the community on a national level by signing onto the Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination coalition. The bipartisan group is comprised of municipal leaders from coast to coast “dedicated to securing inclusive nondiscrimination protections for all, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals, at all levels of government.” The anti-discriminatory pledge includes taking action to prohibit the use of city funds to pay for travel to places that are antiLGBTQ, ensuring that law enforcement employs anti-discriminatory policies within their ranks as well as getting proper training on handling LGBTQ affairs outside the department, and passing local ordinances that ensure no one is discriminated upon because of who they are or who they love. Under Mayor Bottoms, Atlanta joins such cities as D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago, San 6 News May 25, 2018
Francisco, Pittsburgh, Rochester, Salt Lake City, Detroit, and others in its quest for being too busy to hate. “The City of Atlanta is the cradle of the Civil Rights movement in America and we continue to value the protection of all human rights,” Mayor Bottoms said in a May 15 release. “Joining Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination is another important step toward protecting the dignity and freedom of all who call Atlanta home.” “Mayor Bottoms’ commitment to the fundamental values of fairness and equity for our community is not only steadfast, but demonstrable through actions which protect LGBTQ rights in Atlanta and across the country,” says Robin Shahar, the mayor’s advisor on LGBT issues since 2013. Added Malik Brown, LGBTQ Affairs Coordinator, “From prioritizing the creation of the mayor’s LGBTQ Advisory Board to joining other mayors around the country to institute policies that ensure the safety and dignity of all Atlanta residents, Mayor Bottoms has already proven to be a fierce advocate for our community who will always have our back. And she’s just getting started.” We’ll certainly be watching, and thank you, Mayor Bottoms, for your support. “When the District of Columbia passed an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, our city
again stood up for fairness, equality, and dignity for all of our residents. But when members of our community travel outside of Washington, DC on vacation or on business, they continue to face potential discrimination and a patchwork of unequal laws. It’s time now for other cities, states, and the entire country to embrace LGBT nondiscrimination protections so no one faces unfair treatment simply because of who they are.” — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser “The City of Chicago is committed to fighting for equality and against discrimination in all its forms. As mayor, I will ensure that our policies and protections apply to everyone who lives in and visits our city. In recent years, we have implemented reforms to achieve major progress in improving inclusion for our LGBTQ community at our schools and throughout the city, and we remain steadfast
in our commitment to ensuring that the voices and interests of all residents in Chicago are not only protected and represented in our policies, but embraced across the city.” — Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel “In 1997, I joined the State Legislature as Utah’s first openly gay elected official. Today, I lead the capital city as the first lesbian mayor. Our city has long embraced the issues of equality, fairness, and opportunity. We have a long history of protecting the rights of the LGBTQ community, and we led the state in the adoption of an ordinance that bans sexual and gender identity discrimination. We know that diversity makes our city strong and vibrant. Salt Lake City is, and will always be, a welcoming community to all.” — Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski www.thegeorgiavoice.com
GEORGIA NEWS
Atlanta Makes 10 JUST BEFORE NOON ON APRIL 29, NINO FORTSON ASKED FACEBOOK FRIENDS WHAT KIND OF PERSON WOULD GO AROUND WITH GUNS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE? TWO SUNDAYS LATER, NINO WAS DEAD, A VICTIM OF GUN VIOLENCE. Berlin Sylvestre bsylvestre@thegavoice.com Gunshots ring out near a scene where Atlanta police are conducting a traffic stop. They rush toward the sound to find Nino Fortson, 36, outside the 700 block of Woods Drive, recently shot and in need of serious medical assistance. The man is rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he’s pronounced dead. Witness accounts say Nino was engaged in a streetside argument with four people — two men and two women — on the night of April 29 in the early hours of the morning. Nino is said to have fired a small-caliber pistol into the air before walking away from the group. Minutes later, witnesses heard more gunfire and saw Nino lying on the ground as one of his assailants limped away. Nino’s untimely death marks the first murder of a transgender man for 2018, and the 10th victim of violence against the trans
community for the year total. Nino was a member of Atlanta’s ballroom scene which, for the uninitiated, serves as a safe space and competition grounds in which members “walk” (compete) for prizes and bragging rights. Nino often performed for the House of Blahnik, under “house father” Kamaro Blahnik. Kamaro, along with Nino’s girlfriend Sonteria Tera Williams, confirmed Nino’s passing via a Facebook video to the consolation of many local and national followers. LGBTQ media outlets shared their dismay at initial coverage by local stations, in which Nino was misgendered and dead-named, a process by which someone refers to a transgender individual by the name assigned him/her at birth instead of honoring their chosen name. Shakina McCall, a friend to Nino for more than 20 years, tells Georgia Voice that her heart was shattered upon hearing the news, saying Nino was more like a sibling than a friend.
“[Nino] was loving and funny kept everyone laughing,” she says, adding that Nino was the kind of person who “wanted to help everyone, even if [he] had to go without.” McCall tells us that Nino leaves behind two children that he raised, both in their teens. “This is the hardest things I’ve ever had to deal with,” she admits, adding that she’s cried everyday since the murder. Executive Director Zahara Green, of Atlantabased nonprofit Transcending Barriers, says most of Georgia’s trans and gendernonconforming homicide victims have been trans women rather than masculinepresenting people, but notes the context in which the killing took place. “This is very unusual,” says Green. “Last year was the highest record of violence against trans people in the metro Atlanta area and in the state of Georgia.” Carlos Campos, the public affairs director for the Atlanta Police Department, has assured the community that the department’s LGBT liaison officers “will be pulled into the ongoing investigation of Fortson’s death.”
The AP employs LGBT liaison officers as part of its Community Oriented Policing Section, while also being lead by Chief Erika Shields, an out lesbian. The department is not quick to pin the murder as an anti-trans hate crime. “Our preliminary investigation did not in any way indicate that this individual identified as transgender,” Campos told the community shortly after the murder. “We had no evidence that such an identification played any role in this death. But given the issues that are being raised publicly, we are going to engage our LGBT liaisons to work with our homicide unit and see if there are some angles that need to be looked at.” At the time of print, the shooter’s identity was still unknown. If anyone has any information that could assist in the case, please contact Detective Sajdak at (404) 546 - 4975 or remain anonymous with a call to Crime Stoppers at (404) 577 - TIPS. The latter is offering a $2,000 reward for info leading to an arrest.
THE OTHER 9 TRANS VICTIMS OF 2018
Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien, 42
Viccky Gutierrez, 33
Tonya Harvey, 35
Celine Walker, 36
Phylicia Mitchell, 45
Zakaria Fry, 28
Amia Tyrae Berryman, 28
Sasha Wall, 29
Karla Patricia Flores-Pavón, 26
MASSACHUSETTS
LOS ANGELES
NEW YORK
FLORIDA
OHIO
NEW MEXICO
LOUISIANA
SOUTH CAROLINA
TEXAS
www.thegeorgiavoice.com
May 25, 2018 News 7
What is TRUVADA for PrEP?
Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP?
TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a prescription medicine that is used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to prevent getting HIV. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.
Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: ® Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with TRUVADA to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. ® Also take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about TRUVADA for PrEP? Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-negative. ® Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you could have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. ® You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. ® If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away. ® To further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1: ® Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. ® Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV to infect you. ® Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners. ® Do not miss any doses of TRUVADA. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. ® If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. TRUVADA can cause serious side effects: ® Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV and stop taking TRUVADA, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.
What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP? Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: ® Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with TRUVADA. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA. ® Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. ® Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. ® Bone problems, including bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRUVADA for PrEP? ® All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis. ® If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if you should keep taking TRUVADA. ® If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can be passed to the baby in breast milk. ® All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. ® If you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA, your healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. These medicines include certain medicines to treat hepatitis C (HCV) infection. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Important Facts about TRUVADA for PrEP including important warnings on the following page.
TVDC0153_PrEP_B_10-10-5_GeorgiaVoice_Apt_p1.indd 1-2
We're open, not unprepared. We know who we are. And we make choices that fit our lives. TRUVADA for PrEP™ is a once-daily prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when taken every day and used together with safer sex practices. ® TRUVADA for PrEP is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV through sex. ® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you. Learn more at truvada.com
8/7/17 3:20 PM
IMPORTANT FACTS
This is only a brief summary of important information about taking TRUVADA for PrEPTM (pre-exposure prophylaxis) to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. This does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your medicine.
(tru-VAH-dah) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP Before starting TRUVADA for PrEP: • You must be HIV-1 negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative. • Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include flu-like symptoms, tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP. While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: • You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. • You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you think you were exposed to HIV-1 or have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. • See the “How To Further Reduce Your Risk” section for more information. TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.
ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP TRUVADA for PrEP is a prescription medicine used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. • To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health. Do NOT take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: • Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. • Take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.
HOW TO TAKE TRUVADA FOR PrEP • Take 1 tablet once a day, every day, not just when you think you have been exposed to HIV-1. • Do not miss any doses. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. • Use TRUVADA for PrEP together with condoms and safer sex practices. • Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRUVADA FOR PrEP TRUVADA can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About TRUVADA for PrEP” section. • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. • Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. • Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. • Bone problems. Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP include stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. These are not all the possible side effects of TRUVADA. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP.
BEFORE TAKING TRUVADA FOR PrEP Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis. • Have any other medical conditions. • Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. • Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can pass to the baby in breast milk. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. • Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with TRUVADA for PrEP.
HOW TO FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK • Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. • Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV to infect you. • Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners. • Do not share needles or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them.
GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about TRUVADA for PrEP. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more, including how to prevent HIV infection. • Go to start.truvada.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 • If you need help paying for your medicine, visit start.truvada.com for program information.
TRUVADA FOR PREP, the TRUVADA FOR PREP Logo, the TRUVADA Blue Pill Design, TRUVADA, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: April 2017 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0153 07/17
TVDC0153_PrEP_B_10-10-5_GeorgiaVoice_Apt_p1.indd 3
8/7/17 3:20 PM
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
PO Box 77401 • Atlanta, GA 30357 P: 404-815-6941; F: 404-963-6365
EDITORIAL
Editor: Berlin Sylvestre bsylvestre@thegavoice.com Deputy Editor: Jason Rhode jrhode@thegavoice.com Editorial Contributors: Ashleigh Atwell, Cliff Bostock, Melissa Carter, Lamarana Diallo, Dallas A. Duncan, Conner Emery, Jim Farmer, Morgan Nicole Fletcher, Elizabeth Hazzard, Ryan Lee, Jamie Roberts, Craig Washington, Simon Williamson
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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.
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A Little Too Laid Back Berlin Sylvestre bsylvestre@thegavoice.com Of all the lousy curbs on this side of our steamy city, I had to go and step off that one. “Rice,” people keep saying over and over. “Oh, you hurt your ankle? Rice! You have swelling? Omg, rice! Does it hurt to move it? Rice! Where’s your bloody rice, woman?!” Of course they mean the acronym for rest, ice, compression, and elevation — things you need to implement upon your newly busted ankle, should you ever be on the literal lame end of that bad news. Even greater than that, they mean, “We give a damn about you.” So I guess there are worse things. Actually, I don’t have to guess — I know there are. I consider myself the type to count my blessings, don’t get me wrong. But at the same time, it’s
important to bitch a little bit. “Pain used to be thought of as a purely biological phenomenon, but actually pain is very much psychological,” says Richard Stephens, a psychologist and author of the book “Black Sheep: The Hidden Benefits of Being Bad.” He ran a test on a group of students from Keele University in England. Put short, Stephens had the students submerge a hand in a bucket of ice water for as long as they could, twice. The first go, they had to use a neutral word to vent their pain/frustration. (“Useful!” was one of them.) The second time, the word was more colorful. (Four letters, starts with F.) For the second submersion, the students lasted 50 percent longer while screaming the actual obscenity than they did when screaming the neutral word. So if you see me in person and I’m on crutches and crying, be a dear and take me to the nearest
watering hole for a scotch and a chat. I promise I won’t bitch any further if you promise you won’t tell me to rice when I get home. Best believe: I’ve spent plenty of time laying around with my hoof propped up, feeling like I’m letting everyone down, mate. Rather, I’d love to use your company to comment on what’s going right in life, like knowing pugs exist. I think that’s key to maintaining your sanity, truth be told … acknowledging Earth’s wins more than her upsets. That said, the amount of colorful language I’ve been using as I’ve teeter-tottered while brushing my teeth or nearly snapped my neck in the shower should heal this busted ankle by the time you’re done reading this. (If only.) Useful, useful, USEFUL! With a side of rice, of course. May 25, 2018 Editorial 11
GUEST EDITORIAL
Finding Myself at 54 Joseph Miller When someone asks who I am, I go through the usual boring pleasantries: Joseph Miller, married at 21, had two wonderful sons, lost one son in a car crash in 2015, divorced in 2017, moved to north Georgia. That doesn’t scratch the surface. I got married in 1985 because it was the “expected” thing to do, but deep down I knew something was wrong. From an early age, I had feelings about boys I could neither understand nor explain. And I fought them. Friends set me up on a blind date, and before I had truly discovered myself, I was hitched. It happened accidentally. I wanted to be with her brother, so in order to get away one afternoon, I told her, “I have the rest of my life to spend with you — right now, I want to go fishing.” When we got back from fishing, there was a full-fledged wedding-planning party going on — and I didn’t know how to stop it. I
didn’t want to hurt her feelings; rather, I hoped it would fall apart naturally. But, we wed. I put off all attempts at kids, yet they came. Frankly, I wouldn’t trade my younger son for the world, and I would give anything [except my younger son] to have my older son back. His passing almost killed me, literally. I pulled myself together, with help. Some friends who “knew” me called the suicide hotline, and I had no choice but to get help. I knew that counseling would do me absolutely no good whatsoever unless I was honest with my therapist. So, I told her everything. Over the course of a year I got better. I got braver. I got sure of myself. My ex-wife knew that I liked men — we had already had that discussion 10 years earlier. But, she believed that it was something I could just turn on and turn off. Her upbringing in a strict Southern Baptist Church planted seeds
that had taken root and grown deep and unshakeable. And according to her, all homos were going to hell. She made little remarks about gay people a lot. Sometimes, I think it was to see what I would say or how I would react. I found it easier just to ignore it. We were getting ready for bed that night, and I was about to turn out my lamp. As I reached for the switch, she said, “Well, I guess you know yesterday was ‘COMING OUT DAY FOR ALL THE GAYS.’” I don’t know if it was the counseling, my newfound courage, or the glass of wine that gave me footing, but I just couldn’t let this remark go. My reply was, “Yes. I wish I had.” I shall interject the contemporary “OMG” here. “Do you mean that? If so, you need to move upstairs until we can get a divorce.” And I did.
We divorced. I was hit with a huge alimony settlement, and I had to move to another state to make more money just to afford it. I landed north of Atlanta. I was free. I was starting over. I absolutely miss my grandkids — the children of my late son — but I try to go home every couple of months to see them. One day, I may expound a bit more about how difficult it is for me to be 54 and just now out; how I can’t really let it be known in my town, as educators are not looked upon favorably if they are out. We may infect, influence, or harm the students. Truth is, my students would be much more understanding than the adults. They are growing up and learning the meaning of acceptance, and I let them know that I value them unconditionally. As for me: I’m starting a new life. I’m discovering who I am. I’m acting, filming, teaching, and enjoying everything this life can offer me. I am a proud gay man. I am complete.
You don’t open the cage to a captured tiger and expect him to stay in.
I am Joseph.
12 Editorial May 25, 2018 www.thegeorgiavoice.com
OBITUARY
In Memoriam: Lendon Sadler If you look up ‘fabulous’ in Wikipedia, you’ll see a picture of Lendon Sadler. If that isn’t true, it should be. When I first met Lendon, around 1968 in Atlanta, he also went by Babalu Bebe Mbutu. But just now, when I went back to read his pieces in The Great Speckled Bird, the underground paper we both wrote for, he has one byline as ‘lendon clark kent mbutu.’ (You can read his pieces by googling the Great Speckled Bird, GA State U. They have the whole paper digitized.) Lendon was sexy and brilliant and knew more about organizing and nonviolence and music and alternative art and civil rights and other topics I craved than almost anyone.
we stayed in touch ’cause my brother lived out there and they became friends. Lendon had a magic ability to be more radical than anything, yet make friends with anybody. We reconnected in his later Chicago years and he came and stayed with me a week three years ago. That was the last I saw Lendon, but my god, what a presence he was online! Sometimes I couldn’t keep up with his postings/repostings, but almost always I was amused, educated, seduced … He has left us too soon. Good night, sweet prince. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. Gus Kaufman Atlanta, GA
9/26/2017 5:32:53 PM Too soon AF_ATL_Ad_GeorgiaVoice_HalfPageHor_10x5_Male_FINALOUTLINES_Print.pdf he moved to San Francisco, but Lendon Sadler, 22-28-1951–11/24/17
www.thegeorgiavoice.com
May 25, 2018 Editorial 13
ASK THE DOCTOR
Managing weight loss, hormone therapy
Do medicines work for weight loss? I am overweight and considering the use of medicines for managing weight. Medicines are available to help with weight loss. There are five approved medicines and they work differently, and sometimes they are combined. They do produce weight loss, but not every medicine works for everyone. The side effects and the person’s underlying medical conditions must be considered. Generally, weight loss with medication is less than with surgery — about 10 percent of body weight is lost and can be difficult to keep off after stopping the medicine. Sometimes people must retake the medication when they regain the weight. Managing weight is a lifelong effort and without modifying eating habits and physical activity, medicines do very little. This is also true of surgery, though surgery is more effective overall. The medicines used are generally safe and your medical provider will monitor you along the way to regulate side effects. Anuj Malik, MD Board Certified in Obesity Medicine AbsoluteCARE Medical Center & Pharmacy I’m transgender, but am not sure how do I get started on hormone therapy. Help? Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can have positive and important impacts on a transgender person’s quality of life. First, you need to make the decision that you’re truly ready to start your hormone therapy. (Once you start, some changes cannot be undone.) One question to ask is how HRT impact your life. If you decide
that HRT is right for you, the next step is finding a healthcare provider (HCP) to prescribe your HRT and monitor your therapy. It’s important to find an HCP you feel comfortable with and one who has experience in prescribing HRT for gender transition. After that, your HCP will perform a physical assessment prior to starting your HRT and may also request a mental-health assessment. HCPs have a responsibility to be sure you are making an informed decision and that you meet the physical and mental standards for eligibility and readiness for HRT. Following the mentalhealth assessment, the professional will then make recommendations to your provider. Your HCP will then do the physical exam, order baseline laboratory testing, and discuss the process of initiation of your HRT. Once complete, your HCP will make recommendations on dosages and frequency of your HRT and how you’ll be monitored during your transition. Ongoing care will include follow-up appointments with your HCP to monitor your hormone levels and the effectiveness of your therapy. You may also have followups by your mental-health provider, circumstances depending. Remember, HRT is a lifelong commitment and requires monitoring to optimize your transition and overall health. Finding the appropriate HCP is an important first step to building a happier, healthier quality of life for you! Terry Hackworth, NP-C Certified by the AAHIVM AbsoluteCARE Medical Center & Pharmacy
Ask The Doctor is a monthly health column where the experts at AbsoluteCARE answer your pressing medical questions. Have a question you want answered? Email it to askthedoctor@thegavoice.com!
14 Community May 25, 2018 www.thegeorgiavoice.com
SPORTS
Swing, Batter, Swing! The Braves are holding their annual LGBT Night on June 22 at SunTrust Park. What started as a handful of thankful community members has grown into a plentiful party of like-minded individuals who love to knock back a few while turning up for a good cause. Your $39 ticket package includes a pre-game party at the Coca Cola Roxxy, an ATL Braves hat in Pride colors, a $3 donation to Lost-N-
Found Youth, and a Home Run Porch game ticket, with access to the Xfinity Rooftop. Atlanta resident Ben Nicoara feels it’s important to attend in person.
“While we’ve made some big advancements and fight for our rights, I think there’s still a lot to do, especially now after our change in our national government and some of the attitudes around that have not been great for us.”
“That’s the first step in getting people to understand and not be afraid about things they might not know,” he tells Georgia Voice.
He says, of previous years, when the Pride theme was announced over the loudspeaker, the stadium filled with cheers.
“I didn’t hear anybody boo about it,” he tells us. “That just goes to show there’s more accepting sports fans than those that aren’t.” Don’t be one of the numerous Facebook folks asking where they can buy the hat once the festivities are over. Trust us — there are tons on there. Instead, glove up, get out there, and show your support.
LOCAL LGBT SPORTS LEAGUES There’s more to the Rainbow Trout folks than just looking good in Speedos. They’re dedicated athletes and one of Atlanta’s most active (and friendly) sports organizations. They offer practice times every night of the week plus meets and tournaments in three different sports. All skill levels are welcome — if you can float, you can participate. AtlantaRainbowTrout.com
www.thegeorgiavoice.com
Hotlanta Volleyball Association offers recreational open play for beginners and advanced volleyball players weekly, plus seasonal leagues and tournaments. Everyone is welcome to bump, set, and spike, regardless of orientation or gender. HotlantaVball.LeagueApps.com
Atlanta Front Runners gather throughout the week and all around town year-round for group runs (and post-run meals), including the annual Pride Run each June. Runs average four to six miles and folks of all abilities, paces, and short-shorts are welcome. Visitors are welcome, but membership is encouraged. Eteamz.com/FrontRunnersAtlanta
May 25, 2018 Sports 15
SPORTS
Down & Derby
A DAY WITH THE ATLANTA ROLLER GIRLS Conner Emery CRASH! BANG!
“The Virginia Beach team messaged me on MySpace,” she says. “I had never been into sports all that much, but the athleticism and aggression stuck out to me. After the first practice I thought, ‘I don’t know what this is but I want to be a part of it.’”
WALLOP! Pepper in some expletives and a few laughs, and you have a typical practice from the Atlanta Roller Derby Girls. The teams are a fair mix of LGBTQ and non, and all of them are incredibly tough, strong, and athletic. Add to that clever names that rival those in drag, and you’ve got a recipe for hilarity — and a black eye if you’re lucky, punk! Established in the fall of 2004, the group has four home teams: Apocalypstix, Denim Dragons, Glamma Rays, and Toxic Shocks. There’s also a C team, The Jukes of Hazzard; a B team, Rumble Bs; and the all-star team, Dirty South Derby Girls, who play on an international level. The experience of the players varies greatly — some have been doing it for just over a year, while others, like Peggy Cawley, have been at it for a decade plus. “This is my fourth year with the Atlanta team,” says Peggy, AKA Rosie Derivator. “Before that, I was on the Jacksonville team for four years … before that, I was in Virginia Beach.” How’d she get started? Try this blast from the past:
with that name hence. Everyone has a different and interesting origin story, like McKenzie Hobbs, AKA Slams McKenzie, who has been watching roller derby ever since she was a child. She took the first opportunity she could to play in college. After a breast cancer scare at the age of 30, Amanda Lusk, AKA Nips of Fury, figured life is too short and to take more chances. “It was recommended to me by a friend,” Lusk tells Georgia Voice. “After two practices, I was hooked.” One of the best parts about roller derby has got to be the nicknames. Try these noms des plumes: Arithrottle, Hermoine Danger, Rebel Yellow, Katya Slippin, Bam Grier, Afro Dykee. (Feel it yet?) “Most of the time you come up with [your roller name] yourself,” Peggy says. “It can be a play on words, something that makes you sound tougher or funny. Or it could be a complete accident.” An accident is pretty much what happened with Lusk. After a particularly aggressive and motivating practice, Lusk/Nips screamed what is now her nickname, and a veteran player on the team determined she was stuck
But what draws a person to roller derby in the first place? The better question might be what doesn’t. For Peggy, it was finding a group of people she felt she finally belonged in. “I was always on the outskirts of popularity, and a little bit nerdy,” says Peggy. “And these were all people like me — crazy hair, tattoos … there is a sense of inclusion that is always trying to better itself.” Lusk has a similar take on why she loves roller derby. “[The team has] empowering, strong, and athletic women,” she says. “It’s so motivating! There can be a bit of tough love, at least when you’re fresh meat, but it shows you how it’s done and how to be stronger.” All of the Atlanta roller derby teams are the farthest away from discrimination. Players on the teams are straight, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, and of various ethnicities. And even more importantly, no one is treated differently for it. Peggy can’t recall any instances in the past of hate speech or negativity in relation to their sexual identity or ethnicity, from crowds at matches or otherwise. “Atlanta has a very open mind,” says Peggy.
“Come as you are, and we care all the same. There is no judgement here; it is who you are and how you love.” Players come from all around the country, like McKenzie Hobbs, who is originally from Arkansas. But there is something about Atlanta that made it the place to be for her. “Atlanta is much more competitive than my team in Arkansas,” Hobbs admits. “And there is something about the city that drew me here. It is so much more diverse.” She shares a story about the exact moment she knew she made the right choice to join the team. “I was skating against Queen Loseyateefa, a veteran player, at a practice,” begins Hobbs. “I ran into her and she shoved me about two feet back into the air. As I was going down I remember thinking to myself, ‘This is what it’s all about.’” Despite the tough love that naturally comes with a sport like this, the women are all good friends, and you can see that watching them interact before and during practice. They are taking what they are doing seriously, but they’re also having a good time. They crack jokes with each other right after they crack each other’s skulls.
LGBTQ ATHELETES
Brian Anderson, skateboarder
Graham Ackerman, gymnast
16 Sports May 25, 2018 www.thegeorgiavoice.com
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SPORTS
STACKED!
FAST FACTS ON ATLANTA’S OWN MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM As it’s the first professional sports stadium to achieve an LEED platinum score in the US (a score that indicates how green a building is), it’s considered the most sustainable sports venue in the entire world.
ROOF SIZE: 14.5 acres
HEIGHT: 30 stories (305ft.)
The stadium uses 47 percent less water than baseline standards due to conservation infrastructure and water-efficient fixtures.
Raise the ruff: The stadium allows certified, leashed service animals in accordance to the ADA title II and III Law.
The stadium features 82,500 square feet of LED lighting, reducing energy usage by as much as 60 percent.
With its 4,000 solar panels, the stadium can power 10 Atlanta Falcons games or 13 Atlanta United matches through renewable energy alone.
Ticketmaster.com is the only place you can buy tickets that are guaranteed, as others may be counterfeit. Scalpers are strictly prohibited from the grounds.
The stadium has the capacity to store more than 2 million gallons of stormwater, which can help prevent flooding in neighboring areas should there be a need.
Leave the vuvuzelas! (And the air horns, cowbells, and whistles.) Musical instruments or any types of noisemakers are not permitted inside the stadium.
The stadium, in partnership with organizations like Trees Atlanta, will share captured rainwater for tree irrigation.
COST TO BUILD: $1.5B OPENING/CLOSING THE ROOF: 8 minutes total SEATS: 71,000
PARKING SPACES: 21,000
BEER TAPS: 1,264
You can tailgate, but keep it tight! Grilling is allowed, but everything must be confined to the space just behind your vehicle and in no way blocking traffic.
LGBTQ ATHELETES
Jason Collins, basketball player www.thegeorgiavoice.com
Billie Jean King, tennis May 25, 2018 Sports 19
WHAT’S YOUR STORY GOING TO BE? INTRODUCING BIKTARVY® Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.
To learn more, visit
BIKTARVY.com Please see Brief Summary of Patient Information with important warnings on the adjacent pages.
GILC0388_BFTAF_B_10x10-5_GeorgiaVoice_DayOne_r1v1jl.indd 1-2
Do not take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains: `` dofetilide `` rifampin
Brief Summary of Patient Information about BIKTARVY® BIKTARVY (bik-TAR-vee) (bictegravir, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide) tablets Important: Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with BIKTARVY. For more information, see “What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking BIKTARVY?”
What is the most important information I should know about BIKTARVY? BIKTARVY can cause serious side effects, including: `` Worsening of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. If you have an HBV infection and take BIKTARVY, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking BIKTARVY. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. • Do not run out of BIKTARVY. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your BIKTARVY is all gone. • Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider. If you stop taking BIKTARVY, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your HBV infection. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking BIKTARVY. For more information about side effects, see “What are the possible side effects of BIKTARVY?”
What is BIKTARVY? BIKTARVY is a prescription medicine that is used without other anti-HIV-1 medicines to treat Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) in adults: `` who have not received anti-HIV-1 medicines in the past, or `` to replace their current anti-HIV-1 medicines for people whose healthcare provider determines that they meet certain requirements.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking BIKTARVY? Before taking BIKTARVY, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you: ``have liver problems, including hepatitis B virus infection ``have kidney problems ``are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant during treatment with BIKTARVY. Pregnancy Registry: There is a pregnancy registry for women who take antiviral medicines during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk with your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this registry. `` are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take BIKTARVY. • You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. • At least one of the medicines in BIKTARVY can pass to your baby in your breast milk. It is not known if the other medicines in BIKTARVY can pass into your breast milk. Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Some medicines may interact with BIKTARVY. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. `` You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that interact with BIKTARVY. `` Do not start a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with other medicines. Continued on next page.
HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). BIKTARVY contains the prescription medicines bictegravir, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide. It is not known if BIKTARVY is safe and effective in children under 18 years of age.
BIKTARVY.com
5/15/18 12:10 PM
Continued from previous page.
How should I take BIKTARVY®? `` Take BIKTARVY exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. BIKTARVY is taken by itself (not with other HIV-1 medicines) to treat HIV-1 infection. `` Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food. `` Do not change your dose or stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking with your healthcare provider. Stay under a healthcare provider’s care during treatment with BIKTARVY. `` If you take antacids that contain aluminum, magnesium, or calcium, take BIKTARVY on an empty stomach 2 hours before you take these antacids.
What are the possible side effects of BIKTARVY? (continued) `` Severe liver problems. In rare cases, severe liver problems can happen that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. The most common side effects of BIKTARVY are diarrhea (6%), nausea (5%), and headache (5%). These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY.
`` If you take supplements that contain iron or calcium, take these supplements with food at the same time that you take BIKTARVY.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
`` Do not miss a dose of BIKTARVY.
General information about the safe and effective use of BIKTARVY.
`` If you take too much BIKTARVY, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away. `` When your BIKTARVY supply starts to run low, get more from your healthcare provider or pharmacy. This is very important because the amount of virus in your blood may increase if the medicine is stopped for even a short time. The virus may develop resistance to BIKTARVY and become harder to treat.
Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Patient Information leaflet. Do not use BIKTARVY for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give BIKTARVY to other people, even if they have the same symptoms you have. It may harm them.
BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:
This Brief Summary summarizes the most important information about BIKTARVY. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about BIKTARVY that is written for health professionals. For more information, call 1-800-445-3235 or go to www.BIKTARVY.com.
`` See “What is the most important information I should know about BIKTARVY?”
Keep BIKTARVY and all medicines out of reach of children.
`` Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you start having any new symptoms after starting your HIV-1 medicine.
Issued: February 2018
What are the possible side effects of BIKTARVY?
`` New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys when starting and during treatment with BIKTARVY. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY if you develop new or worse kidney problems.
BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. © 2018 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. GILC0388 03/18
`` Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Too much lactic acid is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.
BIKTARVY.com
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5/15/18 12:10 PM
SPORTS
This Ain’t Powder-Puff
Football
ATLANTA WOMEN ARE HERE TO PLAY Morgan Fletcher, Intern Passion for football runs deep in America and nowhere does that passion run deeper than here in the South. Georgia is home to our beloved Falcons, University of Georgia Bulldogs, and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. With football being such a ubiquitous piece of our culture, where does a woman with a passion for the “sport of kings” go? She goes to the Atlanta Women’s Flag Football League — that’s where. So, what exactly is flag football? While flag football is by no means a non-contact sport, it has gained traction over recent years due to its lowered risk of injury. With national concern over concussions and long-term brain injury for those who play full-contact sports, flag football is a viable alternative. The sport does not allow a player to be tackled to the ground while running a ball. Instead, a player has flags attached at the waist, and the defensive players must remove the flag to cause a stoppage in play. This method allows for the fun and complex experience of team sports with much less concern over lifealtering head injuries. Flag football is now played worldwide and is well on its way to becoming an Olympic sport.
In 2007, the Georgia Women’s Flag Football League folded. Unsure of the future of women’s football, Mashonda Gilmore and Zeric Foster founded the Atlanta Women’s Flag Football League (AWWFL) in order to keep the sport alive. They combined their passion for flag football with sharp focus and dedication to “continue the legacy of flag football for women in the Atlanta area who have a true passion to excel in a competitive environment.” The league is focused on furthering the sport by developing and coaching elite flag football players. The AWFFL has opportunities for players of all levels, which is very encouraging. Many women grew up actively discouraged from sports like football, meaning their lack of experience might cause hesitation to ever start, were it not for this club. The recreational level is welcoming to someone who has never picked up a football in her life. The experience levels rise to a seasoned athlete looking to further her skills and beyond. Coaches are specifically trained to encourage and foster athletic development in women. The league is not a social club or specifically a LGBTQ league, but rather a training ground for the future of all women’s flag football. It
is worth noting that the AWFFL is open and welcoming to all members of the LGBTQ community. Mashonda takes the sport seriously:“This is not powder-puff football.” The coaches focus on fundamentals of the game as well as playing in a safe and welcoming environment. The league is very active and teams are headed to the Ballin’ in the Bayou tournament in New Orleans, Louisiana on September 22nd as well as the 11th annual Flag Football Invitational benefiting the Lynn Lewis Foundation on October 20th here in Atlanta. The Lynn Lewis Foundation is a non-profit directed by Mashonda Gilmore, and was created in 2007 to increase awareness of breast cancer and support families and caregivers affected by the disease. A recent study by the Women’s Sports Foundation concluded that by the age of 14, girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of their male counterparts. Reasons range from lack of adequate facilities for female sports to LGBTQ discrimination. The study also found that girls who participate in sports
report a more positive body image as well as higher levels of family satisfaction, in both single- and dual-parent households. Atlanta can count itself fortunate to have this organization supporting the athletic development of women through flag football. On May 19th, the “grrridiron girls” flag football camp was hosted by the AWFFL and Jen Welter. Jen made history in 2015 as the first female coach in the National Football League for the Arizona Cardinals. A girl’s league is currently being developed in hopes of bringing the sport to a new generation of players. In a society that steers young girls toward soccer, dance, or cheerleading as the few acceptable sports, AWFFL is determined to show that girls can play football just as well as any boy can. If you have always dreamed of playing on the gridiron or are looking to join a team of determined and talented athletes, please contact the Atlanta Women’s Football League at awffl. net. For more information about the Lynn Lewis Foundation visit LynnLewisFoundation.com.
LGBTQ ATHELETES
Greg Louganis, diving www.thegeorgiavoice.com
Lauren Lappin, softball May 25, 2018 Sports 23
SPORTS
It’s Gold to be Silver
SPECIAL OLYMPICS INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF UNITY AND EMPOWERMENT Elizabeth Hazzard, Intern July 20, 1968. 1,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities from the US and Canada gather to compete in the first Special Olympics International (SOI) Summer Games. Held in Chicago, the event proves so successful that founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver pledges more games to be held in 1970 with a Biennial International Special Olympics every two years thereafter. She was sincere. By the 1970s, the idea had spread globally and the once-negative stigma facing athletes — and individuals — with intellectual disabilities had transformed into a positive one of inclusion. And now, 50 years later, the Special Olympics has reached a remarkable milestone of continuous service to the community, and they’re kicking it off with the launch of the year-long Special Olympics 50th Anniversary celebrations this July right where it started.
Although the Special Olympics 50th anniversary celebrations will mainly take place in Windy City, Special Olympics Georgia will also be participating in the festivities. “We are in the midst of planning our presence for the event in Chicago,” says Meghan Daves, the communications and marketing manager for Special Olympics Georgia (SOGA). “We also have athletes attending the USA Games in Seattle [who] are currently training and will represent the state of Georgia in a myriad of sports including soccer and basketball.” The Special Olympics Unified Cup will open the Chicago games. The first of its kind, the tournament will comprise a total of 24 international football and soccer teams competing for gold. Teams will consist of people from all over the world, with and without disabilities, working together and exhibiting the unity of good sportsmanship. The Law Enforcement Torch Run follows, in which many sites in Chicago are lit with
the new eternal “Flame of Hope.” Special Olympics athletes will carry the torch along a four-mile course throughout the city. This illumination of the city serves as a representation of world inclusion — a global welcoming to the international public. And then comes a day of sports activities, games, food, exhibits, and live entertainment! This will be the Global Day of inclusion. With such an open and fun environment, everyone is invited to come out and make progress toward a more inclusive community environment on top of simply having a great time. SOGA will hold its 30th State Summer Games on May 18–20 at Emory University. For the opening ceremony, the “Flame of Hope” will light the cauldron, after being carried by SOGA athletes in a 1,000-mile torch relay across the state. There will be a
multitude of games on view for all 3,000 competitors, a few of which are flag football, gymnastics, soccer, swimming, tennis, and volleyball. “We have a basketball team from Hall County Parks and Recreation/Schools attending [the Chicago event],” says Meghan. “We also will be represented in soccer by our team, the Special K’s.” SOGA is extremely excited to be hosting another year of athleticism and embracement for individuals with such disabilities. SOGA CEO Georgia Milton-Sheats states, “It is so joyful as the vans, buses, and cars roll in for the weekend filled with well-trained athletes ready for their weekend to compete and shine. I invite you and your family and friends to come out to the Games and be a CONTINUES ON PAGE 25
LGBTQ ATHELETES
Helen Stephens, track and field
Diana Taurasi, basketball CONTINUES ON PAGE 29
24 Sports May 25, 2018 www.thegeorgiavoice.com
SPORTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24
Fan in the Stands!” “We have been celebrating the 50th anniversary at our five state games this year,” Meghan continues. “During our opening ceremony, we acknowledge the 50 years of service to individuals with intellectual disabilities and honor Special Olympics with a victory dance.” SOGA also sends its congratulations to SOI. “Special Olympics Georgia will be celebrating this incredible milestone throughout the year and [SOGA] sends a warm congratulations to SOI and the amazing accomplishments over time.” The Special Olympics as a whole has been a pillar of hope and inclusion within numerous communities around the world. Per their website, “The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. This gives them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community.” And for five decades, they’ve been able to exceed this mission. Thanks to them, the world is not only more aware but also more open. Year by year, event by event, the Special Olympics serves as a reminder to the world that what has been deemed as an impairment is actually, merely a difference. People with intellectual disabilities are not incapable or incompetent — they are unique, one-of-a-kind individuals who can do anything and everything that the rest of us can. So, with their 50th birthday celebration, SOI invites you to come have fun and to bring your welcoming heart with you.
LGBTQ ATHELETES
David Testo, soccer www.thegeorgiavoice.com
Bill Tilden, tennis May 25, 2018 Sports 25
SPORTS
In the Scrum
IN THE ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE WORLD OF RUGBY, BROTHERHOOD IS STILL THE TIE THAT BINDS. Jason Rhode jrhode@thegavoice.com
difference. Club secretary Ross Brown noted that the team drew from all walks of life.
Nobody plays rugby alone. The Atlanta Bucks Rugby Football Club, the city’s premiere LGBTQ rugby club, is no exception.
It’s this embracing nature that lies at the heart of rugby’s appeal to the gay community. Dempster said that group feeling is at the heart of the Bucks. In a very real sense, struggling alongside others is the name of the game.
Rugby, the English team sport (and distant relative of American football), has spread across the world since its founding in the 19th century. How far a spread? It has an estimated 2.3 million players and 18.6 thousand clubs around the globe. There are fifteen players on the field, a single ball, and one Atlanta team that makes acceptance its calling card. The LGBTQ community and rugby have recently crossed in the news. Rugby pro Israel Folau plays for the Waratahs team in Australian Super Rugby. After Folau posted homophobic messages to social media in April, many rugby players and teams went out their way to support LGBTQ culture. The New Zealand national rugby team, the All Blacks, donned a jersey that, when stretched, displays a rainbow. In conversations, several players noted that rugby was an open playing field — literally so. It was possible to find camaraderie there, they said, united by the love of the game. Bucks President Blair Dempster said that the rugby community was extremely accepting. He cited the recent New Zealand controversy — specifically, the pushback against Folau — as proof of rugby’s exceptional ability to embrace
Rugby is a game of contact. Unashamed, unabashed, and human. Shoulder to shoulder, arm to arm. In rugby, you don’t have to be in perfect shape, you don’t have to be the perfect age. You don’t have to have state-of-the-art fields, or a million-dollar training regimen. All you need is your friend and drive. An intense focus and feeling of evident brotherhood was evident at a recent afternoon practice at Kirkwood’s Toomer Field. In a February profile, Dempster told an interviewer that, “The members of the Bucks span a wide range of ages, backgrounds, races, builds, athletic abilities, athletic experience, sexual orientations. We’re all different, and that’s part of what makes the club an awesome group to spend time with.” The stated mission of ABRFC is to “provide a fraternal environment, without discrimination, for gay and diverse communities, to participate in the sport of rugby.” The club originates from 2003, and
was among the first American members of the International Gay Rugby Association and Board. It wasn’t long after that the ABRFC began making their mark in the sport. The Bucks won the New York East Coast Invitational in 2006. Two years later the Bucks racked up a solid victory in Dublin: The prestigious Bingham Cup Bowl Division belonged to a Southern team. Then, in 2017, they scored the Independence Cup at an IGR East Championship. But if you ask the Bucks, they’d probably tell you the biggest win is the fellowship that comes with the sport.
Rugby has a rough-and-tumble reputation. But from the beginning to the end, on close inspection, rugby is a game of acceptance and love. It’s possible there are some people who are surprised by gay rugby. Yet, on a closer analysis, it’s hard to think of a sport more suited to, and more symbolic of, the strengths and tribulations of gay men in the 21st century. In America, LGBTQ men are in the scrum, day in and day out. Pressure comes from within ... and from without. But there is always a shoulder to lean on, and strength can be found all around you — usually about three inches to your right. In other words, they’re all in this together. Up and under, and ready to rumble.
LGBTQ ATHELETES
Esera Tuaolo, football
Abby Wambach, soccer
26 Sports May 25, 2018 www.thegeorgiavoice.com
A&E
Gayme On! THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY HAS PLENTY OF ALLIES IN THE WORLD OF GAMING. Jason Rhode jrhode@thegavoice.com Meet the Gaymers who, as the name might suggest, are members of the LGBTQ community who, well, game. Gaming is growing. As in any culture, there are ups and downs, pitfalls and power-ups. And one subculture is making their name known across the board. In the next several years, the sector will make waves. By numbers, by influence, by reach, the LGBTQ gaming community is all but guaranteed to make an important mark in the larger culture of gaming. 28 A&E May 25, 2018
According to Casino.org, the first usage of the noun “gaymer” is traceable back to message boards of the old Internet standby, USENET: “As public acceptance of both gaming and gay culture grew in the early to mid-2000s, so did the word’s use.” As entertainment-savvy consumers, gaymers are used to seeking out all the angles in their hobby. And like most gamers, gaymers have a unique virtue, instilled in them by hours upon hours of grinding levels. It’s called persistence. Being a gaymer is about taking stock, and keeping score. Of what you’re doing, and where
you’re going. The game is what brings Gaymers there. But it’s the sense of achievement — and the solidarity of the community — that keeps them, racking up points. In an interview with the Daily Xtra, gaymer Reina Sato explained that she was an introvert, but started to game for a variety of reasons: She “wanted to meet new people, share interests and play games, just have fun. I learned that it’s a really safe place for everyone to play and be accepted, so I came along.” The Tabu Lounge and Bar, a gay sports bar in Philadelphia, opened up a special arcade section in their watering hole three years ago. In an interview, Ian Morrison, a manager, said that opening a special space for the community made sense: “There’s this group of people who don’t want to club and dance; they just want to game.” Morrison told the Philly Voice that rather than sitting at home, gaymers could have the experience “of getting
out, having cocktails, experiencing gay culture, networking, and getting their game on.” As Morrison pointed out, while there is a significant part of the gayming culture that deals with board and card games, the most notable section of the subculture can be found online. Gaymer is a much-disputed title, moreso than you’d think, especially among such a highly competitive class. For years, the gaming industry rested on the assumption that only straight, white men played video games. It seems odd to consider this now, given our current understanding of gamer demographics: In America, 48 percent of women have played a video game. What changed everybody’s minds? The Sims. CONTINUES ON PAGE 29
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The life-simulation game, released in February 2000, shattered conventional wisdom: Every demographic enjoyed it. The Sims became one of the best-selling titles of all time — and women were 60 percent of the playing audience. This ersatz representation of human life had big reverberations in the real world.
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Expansion pack by expansion pack, the industry’s perception of gamers grew. And eventually, the people in the boardroom noticed that the gaymers had always been there. The chronology of LGBTQ participation in video games makes for long reading: The banning (and then acceptance) of LGBTQ World of Warcraft guilds; the dropping of the Lord of the Rings online marriage feature; the controversy of Nintendo’s Tomodachi Life opposite-sex-only marriage option; the inclusion of LGBTQ characters in the popular Overwatch franchise. And that’s not taking into account the growth of the community in meatspace (or “the physical, real world” by us plebians). Consider, for example, GaymerX, the community-oriented gaming convention that first cohered in San Francisco during August of 2013. GaymerX: Year Four followed in Santa Clara in September 2017, and GaymerX East landed in New York City in November of the same year. Conventions strive to bring fans and friends together under one roof. But in retrospect, arguably no Con, no game, no cause has unified online gaymer culture like the Vizzini affair. Blogger Chris Vizzini, who had trademarked the term “gaymer” in 2008, sent a cease-anddesist letter to an important LGBTQ gaming community hub, the aptly titled Reddit sub “Gaymer.” This was in 2012. The backlash was intense, with gaymers pointing out that the term had been in use since 1991. Vizzini surrendered the trademark in 2013. Curiosity has grown about the nature of the community. In 2006, an UrbanaChampaign gamer/gaymer survey sampled 10,000 respondents. The most surprising result from the investigation? Gamer/gaymer culture apparently lacks a sexual bell curve. Since the Kinsey Report, the spectrum of human sexuality has been represented as a gently www.thegeorgiavoice.com
rising and descending hill, with most people gathered at the middle. But survey respondents identified as either completely straight or completely gay. Other key points: the most popular genre among respondents were RPGs: Half of the respondents rated them as their favorite type of game. Action/adventure games, firstperson shooters, and massively multiplayer, online games lagged behind. In a Washington Blade interview, Jason Rockwood, the social scientist and nongamer who ran the survey noted that, “People had talked about being gay and being a gamer, but nobody had asked them to unify those two elements … people were excited about that.” No wonder they were thrilled: In a Nielsen survey, LGBTQ gamers felt that their sexuality was not amply represented within the community. As one survey pointed out, gaymers face prejudice from both sides. Forget for a moment the phobias of mainstream culture. Mainstream gay culture (and media) look askance at gaming. And within gaming itself? Well. It’s hardly controversial to point out that gaming as a whole is not a welcoming community: Homophobic slurs of every kind are common in chat channels. There’s a long climb ahead for gaymers, whether in the real world or in the digital universe of online adventuring. But all evidence suggests it’s a quest that the community is ready — and willing — to face. Game on.
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ACTING OUT
Conservatives and Liberals Get A Shaming in “The Taming” Jim Farmer She used to be known just as an Atlantaarea writer but now she has the distinction of being the most produced playwright in the nation. The work of Lauren Gunderson is almost everywhere these days and Synchronicity is staging an early show of hers, the political satire “The Taming.” The show brings together a liberal blogger, a conservative senatorial staffer, and ... a beauty queen. Each character is based in part on characters from Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” Patricia (like “Shrew’s” Petruchio) is a Republican aid to a prominent senator Katherine (like “Shrew’s” Kate), a Miss Georgia beauty queen with a degree in Constitutional Law, and Bianca (like ‘Shrew’s” Bianca), a super lefty social media liberal activist hell-bent on taking down Patricia’s senator. They all are locked in a hotel room together which causes them to change considerably, says the playwright. Gunderson wrote the play when Barack Obama was still in office. “It was an outpouring from my dual frustrations with Shakespeare’s ‘Shrew’ and the partisan obstructionist gridlock in Congress,” she says. “I took the battle-of-the-sexes elements of ‘Shrew’ and the heated politics of Congress and wrote an all-female political farce that
DETAILS
The Taming June 1–24 Synchronicity Theatre Peachtree Point, 1545 Peachtree Street SynchoTheatre.com
“It means everything to have plays come to Atlanta and be met with such support and love. Growing up in Atlanta theater helped me know myself as a young playwright and gave me my first productions and encouragement.” The playwright still writes a lot about the South.
roasts pretty much everyone from all across the political spectrum. This show has just as many jokes about liberals as it does about conservatives. The point is to show that we’re all exhibiting biases that freeze meaningful conversation and ideas that could help our nation into its best future.”
“The Taming” is directed by Suehyla El-Attar, also an actress and playwright who was close friends with Gunderson when the playwright still lived here. The opportunity to direct a show by Gunderson at Synchronicity, which celebrates stories for women, was an opportunity she knew she had to take.
She is known for her strong and independent female characters. “Women are multidimensional. They’re only flat and boring in stories told by — well — men who don’t care about women or men who lack depth of imagination. I’m writing what I know and see all around me: powerful, strange, hilarious, athletic, complex women that fit perfectly as protagonists or love interests or villains or all of the above. We’ve gotten used to simplified female characters after centuries of being told that the male journey is the universal journey, but I think half of the human population would beg to differ.”
Gunderson originally started this script in 2010 and then it was commissioned in 2013. “But the overall story and message is timeless and appropriate,” says El-Attar. “It’s so topical — when people see the show, people are going to have the ability to register to vote and be reminded of important elections.”
As that Atlanta is still Gunderson’s home turf, every show is something of a homecoming.
As part of her preparation, El-Attar and Gunderson talked and the director suggested a few spots for an update. “Her shows all have strong wit, are really funny, and have whip-smart characters with very clear wants and desires. I wanted to know (exactly) what she intended with it, so I could do my job as a director and interpret it.”
30 A&E May 25, 2018 www.thegeorgiavoice.com
EATING MY WORDS
Southeast by Saigon:
Ahn’s Kitchen Cliff Bostock Vietnamese should be your favorite cuisine. Except perhaps, for the salt, it’s incomparably healthy. It blends the raw and the cooked, plays with textures, and tases your taste buds in the very best way. It is also, when approached authentically by its chefs, intentionally beautiful. All of that comes through at Anh’s Kitchen. There’s a reason for that. The restaurant, which has been open well over a year, is owned by the MF Sushi bros, Chris and Alix Kinjo. In 2003 they debuted Nam, an upscale, dark, and glamorous bistro designed by Alix and located in the building behind Starbucks in Midtown Promenade. This was long enough ago that most in-town diners were still as terrified as Donald Trump to set foot on Buford Highway, where Vietnamese restaurants had long operated. Thus, Nam was many people’s first taste of a cuisine that hybridizes Chinese, Southeast Asian, and French cuisines. Anh’s doesn’t replicate the theatricality of Nam
— that’s at Guy Wong’s LeFat in West Atlanta — but it is a glowing jewel that’s easy to miss in the high-rise Midtown Gulch on Peachtree. The quirky, gold-glowing dining room wraps around the kitchen. Colors pop but symmetry, from the wall art to the food itself, always prevails. I’ve eaten at Anh’s three times. I’d go more often if I enjoyed using my car for target practice with pedestrians while hunting a parking space. The one dish I have ordered here that I used to order regularly at Nam is the shaking beef, which was created during the French occupation of Vietnam. It’s cubes of filet mignon that are seared in a super-hot wok with onions, watercress, and a lime sauce. The meat is astonishingly tender. I ordered the dish at other Vietnamese restaurants after Nam closed and it was invariably made with an inferior cut of meat. Anh’s has no equal that I’ve found. During my last meal, a friend and I ordered classic shrimp spring rolls and we split a barbecued pork banh mi (sandwich) to start our meal. These dishes demonstrate what
sets Anh’s apart. It’s not that you can’t get either of them at multiple locations; it’s the quality of the ingredients. Nowhere else will you find the perfectly crusty baguette, the mysteriously seasoned meat, or — perhaps above all — the exotic, multi-layered house sauce. You won’t even find rice paper that clings but isn’t too clingy, wrapping shrimp that taste like shrimp. Five years ago, I got addicted to now-closed Chateau de Saigon, a Vietnamese restaurant on Buford Highway, because of one dish. The restaurant served crunchy rice of the kind you scrape from the bottom of a pot. You had your choice of toppings and I always got the caramelized pork. I didn’t expect to find the dish at Anh’s but I always have to ask. The server told me that it was available, just not the way I was
describing it. He explained that I could order a clay pot dish and the chef would cook the rice long enough to make it crunchy at the bottom. It was exquisite. I was sorry pork wasn’t available as the meat, but the chicken, served above the top layer of fluffy rice, was another example of an obviously rigorous choice of sourcing. I loved that I got a range of textures with the rice. There’s nothing here that I wouldn’t recommend. I like the vermicelli rice noodle dishes and the pho is phlawless, even in the summer. Most everything is inexpensive, with the shaking beef topping the menu at $19.99. Yeah, not quite $20. Cliff Bostock is a former psychotherapist now specializing in life coaching. Contact him at 404-518-4415 or cliffbostock@gmail.com.
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BEST BETS Our Guide to the Best LGBTQ Events in Atlanta for May 25-June 7 THURSDAY, MAY 31 “Hamilton” opens at the The Fox Theater
FRIDAY, MAY 25
Don’t miss the best party in town Friday night at the Opening Registration Party for the Big Peach softball weekend on the Crowne Plaza’s rooftop pool deck. Ruby Redd returns as the hostess and emcee for all the night’s festivities. She’s bringing back the Mr. Big Peach Hunk Competition. Pack your sexiest trunks or sarong to win cash prizes or a free night’s stay. Special guests include Misti Shores, Angelica D’Paige Brooks, Myah Ross Monroe, & more. 590 West Peachtree St. NW 5–10pm Kia and Company present Creative Activism, a panel discussion about making a difference in the LGBTQ community, with special guests Park Cannon, Sampson McCormick, Cassidy Ryan, Lisa Cunningham, Dedrick Tillerson, and Raluca Pavel.
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My Sister’s Room 6–8pm
See their Facebook page for more details. 1–5pm
SATURDAY, MAY 26– SUNDAY MAY 27
SUNDAY, MAY 27
The Big Peach Softball Tournament, the nation’s premier NAGAAA tournament for Memorial Day Weekend, takes place Saturday and Sunday, hosting B, C, & D Division games. In addition to competitive tournament play, the competition is also known for having great events around town. The softball games are held at Southside Sports Complex (3460 Jonesboro Road SE) and Johnson Park (1781 Ebenezer Road). See the Big Peach’s Facebook page for more details.
SATURDAY, MAY 26
Come celebrate with TRANScending Barriers, who is celebrating its one year anniversary at Piedmont Park today.
The Atlanta R&B/Neo Soul Wine Festival is designed to take guests on an epic journey through Atlanta, showcasing great food, local wines, and music from local bands. Paid admission includes wine sampling and a souvenir glass. 5616 Memorial Drive, Stone Mountain 11am–5pm Join Cowtippers and Ruby Redd for a Memorial Day weekend edition Cowtippers Heifer Review. This heifer-sized show will include dancing divas and campy queens. See their Facebook event for more info. Cowtippers Steaks & Spirits 1–4pm Need a relaxing day? Come get some sun,
fresh air, and community at Frolic, a queer picnic put on by Southern Fried Queer Pride. Field games, music, popsicles, and water will be at the event. Inman Park (Corner of Euclid Ave & Hurt Street) 2–6pm Share your opinion on what an LGBTQ community center should look like at a Community Townhall discussing a new LGBTQ community center. See their Facebook page for more details. Phillip Rush Center 5–8pm
MONDAY, MAY 28
The Atlanta Eagle hosts the Panther L/L meeting tonight from 7–10pm and cliMax Mondays as well from 7pm–3am. 306 Ponce de Leon Ave
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BEST BETS TUESDAY, MAY 29
Out actor and musician Jussie Smollett performs at The Masquerade
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TUESDAY, MAY 29
Out actor and musician Jussie Smollett performs with Victory Boyd and June’s Diary. See their Facebook event for more details. The Masquerade 7pm
WEDNESDAY, MAY 30
The Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative (SNaP Co’s) Black Trans Summit & Membership Meeting is tonight. See their Facebook event for more details. 2861 East Point Street 6–8pm
THURSDAY, MAY 31
The Tony-winning sensation “Hamilton” has finally opened in the ATL courtesy of Broadway in Atlanta beginning tonight and running through June 10. The Fox Theater 7pm
FRIDAY, JUNE 1
Claire Danes and Jim Parsons star in the film version of the play “A Kid Like Jake,” about a Brooklyn couple whose four-year-old son is more interested in fairytale princesses than playing with cars. A preschool director suggests that it’s not just a phase. TBD theaters
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Charis Books and More hosts the Love’s Not Colorblind: Race and Representation in Polyamorous and Other Alternative Communities event tonight. Polyamorous people and communities can appear, at first glance, to be very open and welcoming. In many cases, they don’t take the time to get introspective about why they may come across as unfriendly or inaccessible to people of color. “Love’s Not Color Blind” is a book about what we can do to change that landscape. The event includes a workshop on intersectional polyamory and a personally driven discussion/Q and A on how race can impact polyamory on both individual and community levels. Author Kevin A. Patterson, M.Ed., is the creator of the Poly Role Models project, an interview series that serves as a platform for the diversity of polyamorous relationship structures. Charis Books 7:30–9pm
SATURDAY, JUNE 2
The Atlanta Women’s Chorus invites you to celebrate the resilience and strength of women at “Grit & Grace” today. Come enjoy beautiful melodies by strong women about strong women. From Broadway to international, pop to classical, this show is guaranteed to have you grooving in your seat at the AWC’s
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BEST BETS TUESDAY, JUNE 5
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 final concert of the season. Out Front Theatre Company 2pm and 8pm Atlanta Prime Timers meets today. Phillip Rush Center Annex 3pm
SUNDAY, JUNE 3
Join the LGBT Institute, Touching Up Our Roots, and Atlanta Pride at the Center for Civil and Human Rights to board a trolley with LGBT friends and allies to explore our LGBT history. This two-hour tour, narrated by local LGBT historian Dave Hayward and others, will offer a glimpse into the past. See their Facebook event for more details. 100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd 1pm
MONDAY, JUNE 4
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 gender, relevant resources, and activism around social issues. Charis Books and More 7–8:30pm The PFLAG support group for
FRIDAY, JUNE 8
Vice President Biden is bringing his American Promise Tour to Atlanta Symphony Hall parents and families of LGBTQ children meets today. Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta 7:30–9pm Out On Film & the Atlanta Pride Committee present “Raising Zoey,” a screening for Stonewall Month. In the film, a 13 year-old trans activist Zoey Luna wants nothing more than to simply go to school, learn, and have fun with her friends in Downey, CA. Unfortunately, ignorance and intolerance have not always made this easy. With the help of her mother Ofella, her oldest sister Leticia and the ACLU, Zoey fought school officials for her right to self-identity in school. Phillip Rush Center Annex 7:30pm
Make your lunch break a networking opportunity and connect with business professionals, small business owners, and community sponsors to expand your circle of influence and grow your business at Connecting Atlanta, a networking lunch by MAAP (Metro Atlanta Association of Professionals). The event is limited to 20 participants. Please pre-register by emailing harborlunch@maapatl.org Egg Harbor Café First Tuesday of every month, 11:45am–1pm
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6
Thad Stevens hosts Karaoke Night with no cover and all sorts of food and drink specials. My Sister’s Room 9pm
THURSDAY, JUNE 7
Building on the activist tradition of consciousness-raising groups, each month Charis Books and More invites community members to join The Personal is Political: Feminist Vent to talk about personal or societal issues they are trying to deconstruct. The group will use intersectional feminist strategies as tools to talk through these issues. Charis Books
7:30–9pm
UPCOMING FRIDAY, JUNE 8
Vice President Biden is bringing his American Promise Tour, a series of conversations that will go beyond the 24-hour news cycle and 280-character arguments to connect friends and neighbors around the topics that matter most, to the ATL. Biden will discuss his New York Times bestselling memoir, “Promise Me Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose.” He will reveal the big political moments of his career, the life-altering choices he made, and the key traits that have helped him persevere through challenges. He will share how the loss of his son Beau tested his resolve, and how he is finding new purpose in a time of uncertainty. See their Facebook event for more details. Atlanta Symphony Hall 7:30–8:30pm
SATURDAY, JUNE 9
Get your Scream Machine on today at Out in the Park at Six Flags Over Georgia. Enjoy a day of fun and rides with an exclusive all-you-can-eat meal at JB’s Sports Bar and Grill with unlimited beer and wine. See their Facebook event for more details. Six Flags 10am–10pm
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THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID
We’ll Never Be Royals … Or Will We? Melissa Carter Me: “Will I live long enough to see an openly gay heir to the throne? Doubt it.” Friend: “I don’t know. That’s what I said about a black president.”
Representing the “best of the best” in LGBT media, with over a million readers weekly in print and online. 212-242-6863 info@nationallgbtmediaassociation.com www.nationallgbtmediaassociation.com
I am a huge Anglophile and, like many others, have followed the British Royals since childhood. I was 10 when Prince Charles and Lady Diana got married, and have vivid memories of the birth of both of their children. Already in love with Diana and her maternal ways, my loyalty to her was cemented by the pictures of Diana taking the boys to McDonald’s and Walt Disney World. I think we all knew then the British monarchy would never be the same.
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That was evident during last weekend’s Royal Wedding and the service Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose for their nuptials. I was honestly nervous for those excited by Meghan’s mixed race because I couldn’t imagine a royal ceremony that would honor her background. Boy was I wrong, and gladly so, when I saw not only the allblack choir but the main sermon delivered by a black American minister. Even Prince Charles’ treatment of Meghan’s mother was charming, and I couldn’t help but see Diana’s continued influence on that family and their traditions. Education truly is the most important thing you can give your child. I’m not talking about the structured, teach-to-test ways of the current American school system. I’m talking about real-life exposure to other religions, cultures, economics, anything that is different than your current routine. We as humans are built to adapt to our environments, but the downside of that is a short-sightedness that can turn into fear if we’re not careful. The education Diana gave to her children of life outside the castle walls changed the direction of those boys’ lives. Now we have a black family that is directly tied to the royals, 38 Columnists May 25, 2018
and will always be part of the genealogy of their children and beyond. But I couldn’t help but think of the gay royals, and you know there have been many, who haven’t had the freedom to live their lives out loud. Could you imagine seeing a spectacle like Harry & Meghan’s for a same sex couple? To spend $45 million on a ceremony to honor them, watched by a billion people around the world? The above text exchange with a friend of mine expressed my insecurity that I won’t see it in my lifetime. As a black woman, she reminded me not to lose hope, since you never know what the world may bring and that the element of surprise is a real and sometimes wonderful part of existence. I know Diana wouldn’t have cared if her sons were gay, and her ability to make everyone feel comfortable and accepted is another gift that seems to have been passed down to her children. I look forward to seeing the legacy they will leave with that establishment, and hope one of their kids might burst through the barriers of sexuality and usher in a new era of equality within the castle walls. One of the first out radio personalities in Atlanta, Melissa’s worked for B98.5 and Q100. Catch her daily on theProgressive Voices podcast “She Persisted.” Tweet her! @MelissaCarter www.thegeorgiavoice.com
SOMETIMES ‘Y’
No Rain Delay for the Start of Summer Ryan Lee It’s often annoying living in a city with suburbancentric news outlets. The Atlanta JournalConstitution, which moved from downtown to outside the perimeter five years ago, divides its “Metro” section by outlying counties rather than the city’s neighborhoods, and the only parts of the intown area that local TV stations pay attention to are crime and corruption. One of the perks of this skewed focus, however, is that when local weather forecasters predict a 70-percent chance of thunderstorms all weekend, there are good odds of seeing little rain in Atlanta proper. In the meteorologists’ defense, dense and darks clouds crowded the city’s sky throughout much of this past Saturday and Sunday, but it was beautiful how many residents chose not to notice.
to make friends as an adult, and I’m grateful for a new social outlet introducing me to some dope and kindred spirits. However, it’s been a while since I’ve frequented predominantly straight circles, so I’ve had to discipline my desires and recalibrate my discernment between friendship and flirtation — because, under normal circumstances, as good a time as we’re having, we probably would’ve fucked 10 minutes ago.
I had a day full of errands and activities that I expected to be washed out Saturday, so I got a 7am start to finish all that I could before the downpours began. The next thing I know, it’s 7pm and I’m cruising down Memorial Drive with hundreds of other cyclists for the “One Ride” portion of Atlanta Cycling Week.
The threat of severe weather was even greater Sunday, but all day I saw people outside running and biking, barbecuing and carrying sheet cakes to graduation parties. Thunder boomed as I entered Piedmont Park around 5pm, a chill blew over Midtown, the smell of rain filled the air, and it felt like a Category 5 thunderstorm was minutes away.
Like the spokes of a wheel, different cycling groups set off from various parts of Atlanta and met in the heart of the city, then rode en masse toward the Beltline for food, beer and, for my set, a steady rotation of blunts unthreatened by rain drops. It was a wholesome celebration of biking, which, although I’ve been a commuter cyclist for almost two decades, is bringing new joy to my weekly routine. About two months ago, I started riding with a crew that shares my passion for city cycling — the lights of Peachtree Street, the pulse of neighborhoods like Cabbage Town and Capitol View. We’re essentially the folks most drivers want to assassinate, but since we’re a mostly black group engaged in what’s widely perceived as a white activity, we get more honks and shouts of encouragement than rage. I’ve always been aware of how much harder it is www.thegeorgiavoice.com
And no one cared. The joggers continued their pace, the kickballers kept up their intensity, and I saw a family desperately searching for an available grill to start their picnic. I was at Piedmont for Indigenous House, which started 27 years ago as a group of friends playing house music in the park, and is now a permitted, Class D festival. The crowd was an ethereal mix of ages and ethnicities, and although it was predominantly gay, straight couples were scattered across the dance floor, at home in the collective sway. One woman wore a “Not Today, Satan” tee, and in this instance, Satan might as well have been a thunderstorm, because nobody had time for that. It was one of those weekends that make me fall in love with Atlanta all over again, and the type you never see in the news. May 25, 2018 Columnists 39
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