IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®
This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.
(bik-TAR-vee)
MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY
BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:
BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including: Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section. Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY. Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY. 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. The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%). These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY. 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. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.
Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.
ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains: dofetilide rifampin any other medicines to treat HIV-1
BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider if you: Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection. Have any other health 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 while taking BIKTARVY. Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed 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, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other. Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.
Get HIV support by downloading a free app at
MyDailyCharge.com
BVYC0218_BIKTARVY_B_10X10-5_Georgia-Voice_Dimitri_r1v1jl.indd All Pages
HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.
GET MORE INFORMATION This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more. Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.
BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, DAILY CHARGE, the DAILY CHARGE Logo, KEEP ASPIRING, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: February 2020 © 2020 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0218 04/20
DIMITRI LIVING WITH HIV SINCE 2018 REAL BIKTARVY PATIENT
KEEP ASPIRING.
Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.
BIKTARVY® is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.
Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you. See Dimitri’s story at BIKTARVY.com. Featured patient compensated by Gilead.
Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the previous page and visit BIKTARVY.com.
5/12/20 9:36 AM
voice
georgia VOL.11 • ISSUE 6
TheGeorgiaVoice.com
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BUSINESS
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EDITORIAL
Deputy Editor: Katie Burkholder
kburkholder@thegavoice.com
Editorial Contributors: Cliff Bostock, Melissa Carter, Dallas Anne Duncan, Aidan Ivory Edwards, Jim Farmer, Vandy Beth Glenn, Jeff Graham, Ryan Lee, Rose Pelham, Allison Radomski
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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 24-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 twice a month by Georgia Voice, LLC. Individual subscriptions are $60 per year for 24 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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4 Editorial June 5, 2020
GUEST EDITORIAL
It’s Not Me, It’s You
In the midst of a pandemic, we shouldn’t be thinking only of ourselves. Katie Burkholder
I started working for Georgia Voice as an intern about two years ago. As a non-LGBTQ ally entering a queer space and producing work in this space, I knew I had to remove myself from the equation. My writing could no longer be only about me, my experiences, or my personal worldview. It would have to be about you: Atlanta’s LGBTQ community. Now, of course my personal opinions align themselves with the mission of Georgia Voice; I would not be here if I didn’t have the utmost respect, care, and love for LGBTQ people, but I know my experience is not the same as the experiences of those in the community. I know you have had it a lot harder than I: discrimination, bullying, stolen rights, even violence. So, upon accepting this job I vowed to simply listen and share your stories. The work I do here is not about me, it’s 100 percent about you. I’m lucky enough to now be working as the new Deputy Editor of Georgia Voice. As I take on more responsibility, my mantra rings even more true. I have to work harder to help produce a newspaper catering not to me, but to you; that honors you, not me. I’ve come to realize, however, that this mantra extends far beyond just my career. In all walks of my life—political, personal, financial—I try my hardest to live for others, particularly those with marginalized identities, before myself. I’m an educated white person; I have power I can use to help those who don’t. As a woman, I would want others in positions of privilege to do the same for me. Now that we’re living in a global pandemic, I stand by this mindset even more fully; if my privilege didn’t matter before, it sure matters now. I have a steady source of income. I
Anit-quarantine protestors PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL BECKER VIA WIKICOMMONS
can afford my bills. I have health insurance. I’m not quarantined with abusive people. I have no pre-existing conditions that could threaten my life, and I’m young. I cannot stress this enough: I did nothing to deserve this privilege, I’m simply lucky. In many ways, I’m sure you are, too. That doesn’t mean that quarantining has been easy for me, though. In all honesty, it sucks. I miss going out with friends to our favorite bars, restaurants, and concerts. I wish I could use my last summer break before graduating college to take a vacation. This quarantine has, at times, exacerbated some of my more negative thoughts. And I’ll say it: I hate wearing a mask in public. It’s wildly uncomfortable. I know these complaints are petty, which is exactly my point. As much as this pandemic sucks for everyone, some of us—including myself—are extremely lucky. We’re in the middle of a crisis, and many are facing the full brunt of it. That’s why, when I see people who are living lives of intense privilege break
down and protest the fact that they can’t get a haircut or have to wear a mask in public, I’m frankly disgusted. If there were ever a time not to be selfish, it’s now. If I were the only one at risk, maybe I wouldn’t care too much about quarantining or wearing my mask. I’m not the only one at risk, though. No one is. Those of us who are lucky enough to be surviving this pandemic need to worry about the others who aren’t: those of us who are older, who are immunocompromised, who risk their lives working in hospitals every day, who cannot afford to stay away from a reopened job, who will struggle to pay their bills as long as this pandemic is aggravated. My caution in public has nothing to do with being a “sheep” or living in fear of a “hoax.” It’s about putting me and my petty complaints aside so that others do not have to continue to suffer. At the end of the day, there is no responsibility to live for anyone but yourself. You can and should always make the best decisions for you. However, living for one will never be worth it when it’s at the cost of hundreds. TheGeorgiaVoice.com
CELEBRITY CLOSE-UP!
Celebrity Brief (THE PRIDE MONTH EDITION)
2020’s Pride Month is unlike any other. With protests continuing to break out across America after the murder of George Floyd, LGBTQ activists and allies are using Pride Month to remember the history behind Pride and stand in solidarity with the Black community.
“[T]he spirit of Pride continues to live on in our community’s resilience in the fight for equality and acceptance for all. And at this very time in our country’s history, this fight has never been more significant … This Pride Month, we’ll be centering and lifting up the voices of Black LGBTQ people. There can be no Pride if it is not intersectional. We are Together in Pride. Black Lives Matter.” —GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis (Twitter)
“If you are not ready to move aside and elevate Black and brown trans and queer leadership, don’t invoke the names of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera this Pride Month.” —Writer and former Out Magazine Executive Editor Raquel Willis (Twitter)
“Pride started with protest. LGBTQ people—led in large part by transgender women of color—resisted police brutality and violence at flashpoints like Stonewall, the Black Cat and Compton’s Cafeteria … So as we celebrate Pride Month, let us carry the work forward with greater intentionality to affect change for all of us, not some of us. Because while we may not be able to celebrate in person this year, there is nothing to stop us from taking action.” —Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David (HRC) (PHOTOS VIA FACEBOOK)
TheGeorgiaVoice.com
“Today marks the start of Pride Month. NY is the birthplace of LGBTQ rights, a movement that showed the world that love always overpowers prejudice and hate. There is still work to do to end violence & discrimination, [especially] against trans people of color. We will keep fighting.” —New York Mayor Andrew Cuomo (Twitter)
“If any brand posts Pride stuff right now blindly without acknowledging and somehow supporting [Black Lives Matter] I’m going to dog you so hard! I know it’s the start of Pride Month, but right now it’s NOT [just] about LGBTQ.” —RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Trinity the Tuck (Twitter)
June 5, 2020 Celebrity Close-Up! 5
NEWS
Voting Local in the 2020 Primaries The election extends far beyond presidential candidates Katie Burkholder After being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia’s in-person primaries will be held on Tuesday, June 9. While many consider the primaries to be the chance to choose their preferred presidential nominee, their importance extends beyond that. Joe Biden and Donald Trump are the presumptive nominees, so participating in the primaries can seem unimportant, especially in the middle of a global health crisis. However, according to Jeff Graham of Georgia Equality, voting on Tuesday is one of the best ways you can inspire pro-equality change at the local level. Every election cycle, Georgia Equality endorses local legislative and judicial candidates after sending a survey detailing their legislative and policy agenda to everyone in a race with more than one candidate. Unlike organizations like LGBTQ Victory Fund, Georgia Equality’s mission is not simply to get openly LGBTQ candidates elected. “Our mission is to elect people on a bipartisan manner that we think are going to be the best placed to advance our legislative and policy agenda,” Graham told Georgia Voice. “To have someone who is an out candidate, that oftentimes will work in their favor, but we go towards who is the strongest candidate and who we think has the best chance of winning the race.” This cycle, Georgia Equality endorsed 23 candidates on the Democratic ballot, six on the nonpartisan ballot, and one Republican: Cody Smith (R): Out candidate, Senate District 3 Nikema Williams (I): Senate District 39 Kim Jackson: Out candidate, Senate District 41 Michelle Au: Senate District 48 Kyle Rinaudo: House District 35 Erica Thomas (I): House District 39 6 News June 5, 2020
SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO
Josh McNair: Out candidate, House District 56 Park Cannon (I): Out candidate, House District 58 Matthew Wilson (I): Out candidate: House District 80 Becky Evans (I): House District 83 Renitta Shannon (I): Out candidate, House District 84 Karla Drenner (I): Out candidate, House District 85 Michele Henson (I): House District 86 Bee Nguyen (I): House District 89 Rhonda Taylor: House District 91 Marvin Lim: Out candidate, House District 99 Sam Park (I): Out candidate, House District 101 Mac Sims: Out candidate, House District 163 Monique Sheffield: Cobb County Board of Commissioners, District 4 Robert Patrick: DeKalb County Board of Commissioners, District 1 Edward Terry: DeKalb County Board of Commissioners, District 6 Natalie Hall: Fulton County Board of Commissioners, District 4 Curt Thompson: Out candidate,
Gwinnett County Commission Chairman Derrick Wilson: Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, District 3 David Cooke: Macon-Bibb County District Attorney Seth Clark (nonpartisan): Macon-Bibb County Board of Commissioners, District 5 Lisa Colbert (nonpartisan): Chatham County Superior Court Judge Aaron Chausmer (nonpartisan): DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Melynee Leftridge Harris (nonpartisan): Fulton County Superior Court Judge Rebecca Rieder (I): Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kathy Schrader (I): Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge Graham stressed the importance of participating in the primaries to elect LGBTQfriendly judges and other pro-equality candidates. “There are way more races than just president that are on the ballot,” he said. “This is a critical time to vote for folks who hold your values, believe in prioritizing your rights, and understand your humanity as LGBTQ folks. There are also a number of elections where this is the general election … such as [judicial races]. As LGBTQ Americans, the only rights
that have been secured have been through the courts, not through Congress or legislatures. The courts play a very important role in securing and preserving our rights.” While Georgia Equality-endorsed candidates are pro-LGBTQ, a lack of an endorsement does not indicate that a candidate is antiLGBTQ. Some candidates were evenly matched with others on LGBTQ issues, and others may not have been able to reply to the survey due to the coronavirus pandemic. To see which candidates will be on your ballot Tuesday, you can visit your My Voter Page at mvp.sos.ga.gov to find a sample ballot. If you are opting to vote by mail, Graham encourages you to check with your local county board of registration to see where you could drop off your ballot so you don’t have to go in to a polling place. If you are not voting by mail, it is crucial you vote in person on June 9. “It is going to be very important that people come out on the 9th,” Graham said. “I’m going to just encourage people to be very safe about that, to follow the guidelines that are out there. I certainly hope that no one decides not to vote just out of health concerns.” TheGeorgiaVoice.com
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NEWS
LGBTQ in Georgia Prisons Face Discrimination, Pandemic Overcrowding, prejudice, and incompetent doctors make life hell for LGBTQ prisoners during pandemic Rose Pelham People in Georgia prisons face extensive overcrowding combined with limited access to frequently inadequate medical care, leading many to worry that the pandemic is spreading rampantly in prisons where there is little transparency to the public. So far, the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) has reported a total of 720 cases of COVID-19 among people incarcerated in Georgia prisons, and 17 deaths. It is, however, possible that the number of cases is underreported due to multiple factors. The Georgia Department of Corrections is testing people who have newly arrived in the state’s prison system from county jails; however, there may be problems in the state’s testing plans. All people entering the Georgia prison system go through one of two prisons before being sent to a more permanent location: Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison (GDCP) or Lee Arrendale State Prison. Both are sex segregated, with the former housing those with a male legal gender marker, and the latter those with a female marker. According to a GDC document acquired by Georgia Voice, prisoners are expected to spend at least eight days in GDCP before transferring to a longer-term prison. With GDCP facing overcrowding and COVID-19 tests only capable of detecting the virus after a person has been infected for several days, it is quite possible that the virus is spreading among people in GDCP after they have been tested but before they receive their test results. Georgia Voice submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the Georgia Department of Corrections requesting documentation of the total number of people 8 News June 5, 2020
PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.GDC.GA.GOV
in Georgia prisons tested for COVID-19. GDC attorney McCall Trammell replied by email, writing: “There is no record stating the total number of tests given.” Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, LGBTQ people in general, and transgender people in particular, faced extreme disparities in incarceration. LGBTQ people are imprisoned at roughly three times the rate of the general population, with 16% of all transgender people having been imprisoned at some point in their lives, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality. That number more than doubles for black transgender people, of whom 47% have been imprisoned at least once. Black transgender women face the highest incarceration rate of any demographic in the country. The overrepresentation of LGBTQ people is especially apparent in women’s prisons, where 40% of all incarcerated people are lesbian or bisexual. Meanwhile, half of all transgender women who have been incarcerated report “mistreatment, victimization, or denial of health care in jail or prison,” according
to an article by Sari l. Reisner et al. of the Harvard School of Public Health. The mistreatment transgender women face in prison is doubtless compounded by the fact that most transgender women are sent to men’s prisons. The discrimination LGBTQ people face compounds already existing problems in prison health care. The University of Augusta is the health care provider for all state prisons in Georgia, and hires doctors, nurses, and other prison medical workers through its Department of Correctional Healthcare. The university has had a poor track record of vetting the doctors and nurses it hires, which has led to many reports from multiple news sources about unqualified, incompetent prison doctors and the needless deaths of their patients. Perhaps the most infamous was Dr. Yvon Nazaire, who was hired by Georgia Correctional Healthcare despite being sanctioned by the New York State Department of Health for the negligent treatment of five patients. Nazaire spent a decade as the medical director of Pulaski State Prison before being fired in 2015 after nine of his patients had died and at least one was left in a vegetative state.
Chronic understaffing as a result of low retention rates compounds the problem of incompetent doctors. Last year, The Augusta Chronicle reported that Augusta State Medical Prison, the only prison hospital in Georgia, was extremely understaffed, leading to a low quality of patient care. Underscoring its retention and recruitment difficulties, Augusta State University’s website listed 253 openings for positions in “correctional health care” as of the time of writing. Georgia Voice contacted Andrew Baumann, the accreditation director of the Medical Association of Georgia’s Correctional Healthcare Committee, to request the medical accreditation reports of Augusta State Medical, Georgia Diagnostic, and Pulaski State Prisons. He responded with a link to the contact page for Augusta State University’s Department of Correctional Healthcare. Georgia Voice called the number on the page multiple times, but no one answered the phone. To be continued with an interview with Dr. Susan Stryker, author of Transgender History and founder of the world’s first transgender studies department at the University of Arizona. TheGeorgiaVoice.com
IF YOU WANT A SINGING CAREER, STAY AWAY FROM SECONDHAND SMOKE. Ellie’s severe asthma attacks were triggered by secondhand smoke at work. She and her partner have to live with its effects forever. If you or someone you know wants free help to quit smoking, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW. #CDCTips
Ellie, Age 57 Her partner, Karen Florida
NEWS
Pride Month Moves Online Even amid coronavirus pandemic, Pride persists Katie Burkholder It comes as no surprise that 2020’s Pride month looks a little different from years before. With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging on, some of the biggest and most wellknown Pride celebrations around the country are going online. While the country continues to learn and adapt to the COVID-19 way of life, LGBTQ Pride is still as strong as ever. Major cities like Chicago, New York City, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco are opting for a virtual Pride experience, and Pride organizers worldwide are even coming together for one huge event. Spirits may be low, but we can feel more connected than ever by tuning in to some of the most famous Pride celebrations in the nation without even leaving the couch. Global Pride On Saturday, June 27, Pride organizers across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and southern Africa will come together for the first-ever Global Pride, a massive 24-hour livestreamed event. You can expect musical performances, speeches, and key messages from human rights activists. “Global Pride will show the LGBTQIA+ movement for the very best it can be, showing solidarity at a time when so many of us are mourning and strength when so many of us are feeling isolated and lonely,” Kristine Garina, President of the European Pride Organisers Association, said in a release. “Above all, we will show our resilience and determination that Pride will be back bigger and stronger than ever before.” Learn more at globalpride2020.org. New York City On Sunday, June 28, from noon to 2pm, NYC Pride will host a Special Pride Broadcast Event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its first Pride march. The event will feature 10 News June 5, 2020
PHOTO COURTESY OF GLOBAL PRIDE VIA FACEBOOK
performances by Janelle Monáe, Billy Porter, Deborah Cox, Luísa Sonza, and more, and it will be guest co-hosted by Carson Kressley. You can expect to see appearances by Wilson Cruz, Miss Richfield 1981, Margaret Cho and others, and grand marshals Dan Levy, the Ali Forney Center, Yanzi Peng, and Victoria Cruz—as well as frontline workers—will also be honored. Learn more at nycpride.org. San Francisco San Francisco Pride will be ditching a traditional, in-person Pride for a two-day online extravaganza. The Online Celebration and Rally will occur on Saturday, June 27 from 1–9 pm and Sun, June 28 from 2–7 pm. Little information has been revealed about the event, but you can expect live and pre-recorded performances; greetings from LGBTQ community members, elected officials, and celebrities; speeches from thought leaders; drag and dance performances; DJ sets; and more. Learn more at sfpride.org. Washington, D.C. In lieu of the traditional Pride events,
Capital Pride is celebrating Pride virtually all month long. One of the most innovative of Capital Pride’s programming is the firstever Pridemobile Rainbow Blast, where on June 13 the Pridemobile will drive around the city to document how residents are showing they have pride and entertain the neighborhoods with beats from local DJs and performances from local drag performers. As for the online programming, Capital Pride will produce a web series called Pride in the City. Available on Facebook and YouTube, the series will introduce viewers to important people and places in the nation’s capital. The first episode, which airs June 14, will celebrate the diverse and unique talent Washington, D.C. has to offer. They will also offer a Sunset Dance Party the same day at 8pm and Pride Talks with leaders from LGBTQ organizations streamed live on social media. For more information, visit capitalpride.org. Chicago The Chicago Pride Fest will mark its 20th anniversary with a two-day livestreamed festival on June 20 and 21 from 7–9pm
that will celebrate “the love, life, and diversity of Chicago’s LGBTQ community,” according to its organizer, the Northalsted Business Alliance. The event, which will stream via Twitch, will include a lineup of entertainment, activism, and special greetings. The festival will also act as a fundraiser for community outreach. Specific programming will be announced later this month at pridefestchicago.com and virtualchicagopride.com. Atlanta As per usual, Atlanta’s Pride festival will not be celebrated until October, and Atlanta Pride organizers are continuing on with the planning of the event. In the meantime, Atlanta Pride offered a slew of digital events last month, including virtual Drag Queen Story Hours with Miss Terra Cotta Sugarbaker, Netflix watch parties in partnership with Out On Film, and digital DJ sessions. The Atlanta Pride Committee (APC) will continue to offer digital events throughout Pride month, so keep an eye out for programming as it is announced via atlantapride.org or on APC’s Facebook page. TheGeorgiaVoice.com
NATIONAL NEWS
AIDS Activist Larry Kramer Dies at 84 Troy Masters, Washington Blade
“The Destiny of Me” (1992), and a twotime recipient of the Obie Award.
Larry Kramer died May 27 at 84 years old during a pandemic that today reached the milestone 100,000 death count in the US. The cause was neither the AIDS crisis he so passionately fought nor the Covid-19 crisis he watched unfold, but pneumonia, according to his husband David Webster.
Even before AIDS, Kramer was known as a critic of his own community; his novel “Faggots” (1978) depicted gay male relationships of the 1970s as hedonistic, destructive and unaware.
Kramer was often soft-spoken, almost shy, and, at least the first time you met him, was unfailingly polite. But when he spoke in public his voice became a Moses-like lightning rod, parting the waters—some would say the nation—demanding respect and dignity for the lives of a people that were being decimated by a then hidden plague, AIDS. He turned his audience into an army that was unafraid to confront the evils of prejudice, hatred and ignorance. They created ACT UP. In March 1983, Kramer wrote in his famous essay “1,112 and counting,” published in the Native, then a New York City gay publication: “If this article doesn’t scare the shit out of you, we’re in real trouble. If this article doesn’t rouse you to anger, fury, rage, and action, gay men may have no future on this earth. Our continued existence depends on just how angry you can get.” That essay was a call to arms and, “Larry was asked to speak at the LGBTQ Community Center in a writers speaking series after,” according to ACT UP founding member Eric Sawyer. “Nora Ephron cancelled with the flu.” Kramer called a number of friends and asked them to come to the speech. He planned to call for the formation of a civil disobedience group to protest governmental, drug company and society’s refusal to take appropriate action to respond to the needs of people living with AIDS or to find a cure for the disease, which was killing gay men at an exponentially growing rate. “Larry asked me to bring a bunch of my pretty boy Fire Island friends and to stand up and volunteer to help with forming the TheGeorgiaVoice.com
He co-founded the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), which has become the world’s largest private organization assisting people living with AIDS. But Kramer felt the agency had frozen and become reactive. PHOTO COURTESY OF WASHINGTON BLADE
protest group as boy bait to encourage others to join,” Sawyer said. At one point in the speech, Kramer asked half of the room to stand up. He then said “All of you standing will be dead within 12 months unless we get off our asses and get into the streets to demand a major research project to find a cure for AIDS.” The actor Martin Sheen, a friend of Kramer’s, also spoke, imploring the room that government inaction was not acceptable and that the community must demand a cure. The first demonstration was planned in front of Trinity Church at the base of Wall Street where a handful of people demanded drug companies and the government begin, according to Sawyer, “an emergency project to cure AIDS.” The event amassed massive media coverage: having a group of patients demanding a cure from the government was unheard of at the time. Kramer was a noted author and playwright who began his career at Columbia Pictures and United Artists. His screenplay for the 1969 film “Women in Love” (1969) earned an Academy Award nomination. Among his many accomplishments and awards, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for his play
His highly acclaimed 1985 play “The Normal Heart,” produced at Joseph Papp’s Public Theater explored the failings of a bureaucratic approach to combating an epidemic and honed his belief in the power of collective political provocation. Kramer’s 2015 novel “The American People, Vol. 1: Search for My Heart,” was a behemoth—nearly 800 pages that tells variously of prehistoric monkeys, the Puritans, the American Revolution, the Civil War and also the abundant—in Kramer’s vision—homosexual proclivities of the U.S. Founding Fathers with a dizzying cast that includes Washington, Hamilton, Lincoln and even John Wilkes Booth.
is certainly not the marriage one wanted to have, lover and caregiver. His own career as an architect has suffered as he worries for me. We have both certainly been put to the test and it has brought us even closer together.” Kramer could be cantankerous to say the least. Of that reputation, he told the Blade, “I am not bitter. I am angry. Anger is a wonderful motivator for me!” Last June, Kramer spoke at the Queer Liberation March, the second of two marches in New York City that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Kramer, who appeared on a stage set up at the rally site in a wheelchair, gave a pessimistic view of the state of the nation’s fight against AIDS and anti-LGBTQ oppression and bias close to 40 years after he began that fight in the early 1980s. “There is no cure for this plague,” Kramer told the rally. “Too many among us still get infected. We have become too complacent with PrEP,” he said, referring to the HIV prevention drug. “We search for a cure and we’re still in the Stone Age. The treatments we have are woefully expensive and come with troublesome side effects. And their manufacturers are holding us up to ransom,” he said.
Kramer, a D.C. native, is widely known for his groundbreaking and searing play “The Normal Heart,” adapted into an HBO Emmy-winning film, and other works. He lived in New York’s Greenwich Village with his husband, David Webster (they wed in 2013) and their Cairn Terrier, Charlie, a rescue dog Kramer, a dog person, said is “very good natured.”
“I almost died three times,” said Kramer. “I started a couple of organizations to fight against the plague. In the end, we failed. I certainly feel that I failed.”
Kramer spoke to the Blade in 2015 about his husband.
Kramer responded calling on the LGBTQ community to “fight back” against what he called a current dangerous political climate.
“I first started dating David in the mid-’60s. We dated for many years but he didn’t want to be pinned down. We finally got together permanently in 1995 or so and got married just a year or so ago. I promptly got very sick and spent almost a year in and out of hospitals. He saved my life several times when doctors were not helping; he found the right ones. It
That comment drew shouts from people in the audience saying, “No you haven’t” and “We love you.”
“If you love being gay as much as I do, fight back,” he said. “Our world needs every bit of help it can get, because I do not see enough of us fighting this fight and performing our duty,” said Kramer, adding: “Please all of you do your duty of opposition in these dark and dangerous days.” June 5, 2020 National News 11
COMMUNITY
At Home in the Church
“We lead with love and we end with love, and we try to heal individuals from the past experiences that they may have had at other churches. I often call us the unicorn church.”
A local congregation and a nonprofit build hope and healing for Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ community
Rose Pelham Last November, Lost-n-Found Youth (LNFY), a nonprofit serving homeless LGBTQ teenagers and young adults in Atlanta, announced a partnership with Park Avenue Baptist Church, a congregation rooted in the Grant Park neighborhood for over a century. Their alliance is among the first of its kind, and for the many within the LGBTQ community who have endured a church’s rejection, such a partnership may come as a surprise. “I think that any kind of suspicion about a church is actually quite warranted,” says Darci Jaret, Pastor of Worship, Advocacy, & Arts at Park Avenue. “That’s just the result of a theology that’s been harmful.” Nasheedah Muhammad, Co-Executive Director of Lost-n-Found, smiles when asked if her board felt hesitant about partnering with a church. “Not once we explained what kind of church it was,” Muhammad says. “Rick Westbrook, our founder, used to say that every time we had a need, the universe just had a way of opening up and what we needed would be right in front of us.” As denominations fight and fracture over the issue of LGBTQ inclusivity, Park Avenue is a breath of fresh air. For them, inclusivity is more than a buzzword; it’s a collection of activist efforts and worship practices designed to deconstruct inequality in its many forms. Denouncing racism, untangling ableism, and serving the LGBTQ community are all acts of divine worship at this church. “We lead with love and we end with love,” says Henra Chennault, Park Avenue’s Pastor of Community Engagement & Stewardship. 12 Community June 5, 2020
— Henra Chennault, Park Avenue’s Pastor of Community Engagement & Stewardship
From left: Henra Chennault, Pastor of Community Engagement and Stewardship at Park Avenue, Nasheedah Muhammad, Co-Executive Director of LNFY, Ernest Walker, former co-director of LNFY, Darci Jaret, Pastor of Worship, Advocacy, & Arts at Park Avenue. (Courtesy photo) “We try to heal individuals from the past experiences that they may have had at other churches. I often call us the unicorn church.” That unicorn was just what Lost-n-Found Youth needed. On any given night, there are over 900 LGBTQ youth on Atlanta’s streets, and at traditional shelters, they are at greater risk of abuse. Since 2011, LNFY has provided a safe space for them through transitional housing and social services, with the goal of helping them progress to independent living. Like most nonprofits, LNFY needed to reduce costs, but also wanted to expand its services. Thanks to the partnership, LNFY has managed to do both. The church has added 12 Lost-n-Found Youth beds, which are used for short-term, emergency housing. The church also provides case management, meals, clothing vouchers, sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing, job training, and mental health workshops. Finally,
the church hosts a drop-in center, which allows nonresidents to use these same resources. Lostn-Found Youth now has twice as many beds to offer, a greater outreach capacity, and a more financially sustainable future. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first six months of this partnership haven’t gone as planned. To limit exposure, LNFY has asked its volunteers to take an indefinite break, and staff members are stretched thin covering the activities that would normally be volunteer-led. The church has suspended all inperson meetings and embraced online worship services to lower the risk of infection for those living in the church’s building. For the most part, LNFY’s resident youth are kept separate from nonresident clients, and those in search of an LNFY bed have access to free COVID-19 testing before they enter transitional housing. As a result of these measures, LNFY has been able to maintain its services without a single infection in its communities.
So far, the needs of LGBTQ youth have remained steady during the pandemic. However, Jaret speculates that they could see an uptick in client traffic as shelter-in-place measures loosen. Those who may have felt unable to leave a toxic living situation might be more willing to take that risk, and they are likely to show up at LNFY. No matter what the future holds, Park Avenue and Lost-n-Found Youth are excited to move forward together. “We’re building the road,” says Muhammad. “We’re defining what this kind of partnership looks like.” The hope is that other congregations will take notice. Today, church attendance in the United States is at an all-time low, and church buildings often become financially burdensome for their shrinking congregations. The partnership between Park Avenue and LNFY is a shining example of how a church can turn this potential detriment into a resource. For progressive congregations looking to turn welcome statements into action, this partnership offers a model for authentic inclusivity. “With Lost-n-Found, the goal has never, ever been to get people to join our church,” Jaret says. “What we want to do is expose folks to a healing theology, a theology that says you are whole and loved. If the one thing that we can do is give someone just an idea that that may be true for them, then that’s a success for us.” TheGeorgiaVoice.com
YOUR VOICE
Spotlights on the Community
shows and a variety shows. These shows have allowed me to cross paths with many people, and I have come to love and adore them.
Perry/Austin During the COVID-19 crisis, J. Tebias Perry, founder of Spotlight on the Community, (left) and Demarcus Austin (inset)have decided to spotlight persons who are on the front lines and are essential workers to keep our neighborhoods, hospitals and communities safe. We would like to shine a light on these individuals to show recognition and appreciation for their sacrifices. PHOTOS VIA FACEBOOK
Christopher Gonzalez I am Christopher Gonzalez. This is my story. Originally from Orlando, Florida, Christopher has lived in Atlanta for the past year and has been an active member of the LGBTQ community, working at both Woofs and Heretic, as well as volunteering and being active in both the bear and leather scenes in Orlando and Atlanta. He is the current World Cub 2019 and former GNI (Gay Naturist International) Bare Bear. Christopher promotes the platform of body positivity, empowerment, and physicality within the bear community, blurring lines of what someone with a bit of extra weight 14 Community Strong June 5, 2020
is capable of. With a diverse background in performance and education, he brings these skills to the forefront when educating various demographics on the benefits of movement and yoga practice. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he has tried to provide his “Bear Yoga” classes to the masses and has been active in promoting the hospitality and nightlife industry’s efforts to keep their customers engaged. After catching pneumonia during the first week of Atlanta’s initial lockdown order and receiving a presumptive diagnosis for the coronavirus, Christopher was featured on NPR, Georgia Voice, and other publications for his openness and commentary on the lack of testing and resources available for the general population. While bars and restaurants are closed for dine-in service, thus putting him
out of regular income (like much of the hospitality and service industry), he has continued to teach his theater/voice and yoga students virtually. With the cancellation and postponement of events all around the world, it is up to the leaders in our communities to find new and engaging ways to bring us together. Christopher is determined to keep people active and engaged in the community while social distancing remains the norm. This pandemic is the first worldwide occurrence that has genuinely crossed all demographic, and cultural lines. It is time to realize that we as humans are more alike than we are different. We have to realize that we are all going through a trying time in our lives and remember to practice compassion even after our lives return to “normal” … whatever that may look like. Charles Kollock My name is Charles Kollock, aka Princess Charles. This is my story. I’ve been working in the scene for about 25 years. I started off as a gymnastics coach and dancer, which led me to be on the first all-male gay cheerleading team. This team won the Nationals competition. I’ve hosted drag
Who would have thought a kid from Statesboro, Georgia (by way of New Jersey and Philadelphia) would have done so well within the gay community? I’m so grateful for the love I have received over the years. Going through this pandemic has taught me how strong we are if we stick together. I pray every day that we will overcome this battle with very few deaths! Isolation has brought me back to focusing on myself and my needs. Hopefully, when this is over, I will be more of a well-rounded person. I can’t wait to spread love to my friends and family when I see them. The human touch is healing. Gabriel Knous My name is Gabriel Knous. This is my story. I have been in health care as a registered nurse (RN) for six years—specifically, in a cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU). It’s been about three weeks since our unit was converted into a COVID-19 unit in order to facilitate the burgeoning number of patients afflicted with the novel coronavirus. While I am extremely proud of my profession as a nurse, it has been an abrupt change both professionally and personally to break the routine of daily life and quickly adapt to such a confining and restrictive way of life. Professionally, we, as nurses, are at the front lines of the battle against an unknown pandemic, and we risk our own safety to care for and help treat these critically ill patients. Subconsciously, fear of becoming sick ourselves drives the acute attention to CONTINUES ON PAGE 15 TheGeorgiaVoice.com
YOUR VOICE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 detail in donning and doffing our limited PPE, some of which we reuse throughout the day. It’s an emotionally, physically, and mentally challenging 12 hour shift; however, we still hope that through it all, we help make a difference in our patients’ lives and the lives of our community. Personally, it has been challenging to lose face to face social contact with friends and family for fear of becoming a vector of transmission; in some cases, it feels like being labeled with a scarlet letter as we go into the front lines of patient care and advocacy day in and day out. It is also challenging to be creative with only marginally useful home equipment for working out; I miss the gym. If any company were going to give anything to health care workers to support us, I’d much rather have gym equipment than a free Whopper from Burger King. It’s important to keep up our own health and wellness during this crisis. It’s also a challenge to make it to the grocery or pet store to get needed items, if available, since there are limited hours and some places have limited quantities and restrictions on the number of customers who can access the stores. Above all, I am thankful for my health and well-being during this time; not one day passes that I forget I am healthy, have food on the table for me (and my dogs), and that I have a warm place to sleep. I am taking this time to reflect on my own life, reevaluate my professional and personal goals for the year, and get back to some of those hobbies, like woodworking, that have taken a backseat to what was once a fast-paced way of living before COVID-19. Vince Shifflett My name is Vince Shifflett. This is my story. I am a critical care registered nurse and author. I am very passionate about both vocations, and grateful to be able to inspire, educate and motivate through the avenues of nursing and writing. Being a nurse has TheGeorgiaVoice.com
caused me to reflect on how COVID-19 has changed me. COVID-19 has brought me a greater awareness of the gift of life. It has taken me back to my childhood in many ways. I grew up very poor. We learned to create our own entertainment. There was no eating out, no going to movies, no going to gyms or anywhere else. We went to school and church. That was it. COVID-19 has taken me back to that time, and caused me to realize that most of us have way more than we need while others have nothing. Now I have two bathrooms. I grew up with no indoor bathrooms. We had an outhouse. The coronavirus has awakened me in many ways. Material things do not produce happiness. Each individual can create their own happiness. Every time I think about complaining, I think of those who have lived with basically nothing their entire lives. No vacations. No eating out. No going to movies, live concerts or shows. And guess what? They are fine. The pandemic has helped me learn to be alone and to look at myself. No one else to look at, right? It has also created a greater sense of gratitude for my friends. I miss them and the positive contributions they make to my life each time we’re together. In summary, this crisis has led me to the awareness that we need each other. Humans were meant to coexist. We need each other’s love. We need each other’s feedback. We need each other’s touch. We need each other’s support. Life cannot be lived alone. At some point in your life, you will definitely need others. I am grateful for all the others in my life.
Jim Poteete My name is Jim Poteete. This is my story. Since August of 2010 I’ve been blessed to be part of the small but close Atlanta Eagle staff family. Many of you probably remember me holding court for several years behind the massive blackjack table in the game room. We had some amazing fun and great times. In the fall of 2015 I made the move from the game room to behind the bar and have been in love with it ever since. Working in any gay bar in Atlanta is hard work and long hours, but it is so rewarding. Leather & Lace, Southeast Black & Blue, Atlanta Leather Pride, Black Pride, and Pride are just a few of the amazing events that I’ve been blessed to be a part of over the years. Any Saturday night you can find me on the front bar with Kirby, slinging drinks and having a great time. It’s all thanks to members of the community—like you—who come in and support us from week to week. March 18, 2020: a day I won’t forget any time soon. I picked up the bar shift that night, karaoke night at the Eagle. I didn’t realize it would be my last bar shift for a good long while. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we had decided on some best practices changes, such as wearing gloves, washing hands between customers, eliminating cut fruit, etc. At that time Mayor Bottoms had not restricted businesses or bars from regular hours. We knew such an order was coming, but it came much sooner than expected—the next day. That was the last bar shift for which the Atlanta Eagle has been open. A Jack & Coke was the last drink I poured. I have a little thing where, when I close down the bar and get ready to leave, I always look around one last time and say a small prayer of thanks for the thousands of gay men and women who came before me and paved the way for me to live my life openly and unafraid. That night I turned off the music, turned off the lights, said my prayer, told the bar goodnight and locked the doors. I never imagined that would be the last time for what is turning out to be quite a long while.
In my day job I am (or I should say was) the Assistant Director of IT for one of the restaurant companies at the Atlanta airport. As of March 27, all 19 restaurants have closed due to lack of business. That was also the last day I worked. My company decided on permanent terminations instead of furloughs, so it meant an immediate end to all benefits, including medical insurance. Losing three-fourths of our income in the span of a week has been a tough pill to swallow, but things are going to be OK. I worry about the other 650 employees who worked in our restaurants and were also let go that day. Many of them held tipped positions and were living paycheck to paycheck. I believe things are going to be OK and that businesses will come back and thrive. COVID-19 has also impacted Aaron (my husband) and me in another very close-tohome way. Someone who holds a piece of our heart works in a hospital on the front line in the fight against this virus right here in Atlanta. He works exhaustingly long days and comes “home” to a hotel and into isolation each night to protect his amazing and loving partner and us, his family. That is a constant worry on my mind these days. It’s also a worry on the minds of many people in this country. These selfless individuals deserve every bit of praise and prayer people are sending their way. I want everyone to know that when businesses and bars reopen, the Atlanta Eagle is going to be there—a staple in the leather and gay communities of Atlanta—to serve you and give you a place to just come and be you. In the meantime, take care of yourselves, love on each other a little more and keep washing those hands! Big bear hugs and lots of love … Jim. Email us your story: Tim Boyd: Publisher@thegavoice.com You can choose to identify yourself or remain anonymous, but we do ask that you let everyone know at least the general area of where you live in the city. Photos are very welcomed. Don’t worry about grammar—we will fix it if it needs it. June 5, 2020 Community Strong 15
FEATURE
Society’s Gaze on Body Image Aidan Ivory Edwards
But we know it’s manufactured, an analysis that can be simple to say out loud but challenging to internalize.
As I’m on hold with the pharmacy, the automated system is telling me that women feel significantly more insecure after seeing a Photoshopped image. The recording encourages women to post photos of themselves without any makeup on, without any filters, no editing whatsoever, and to add the hashtag “Beauty Unaltered.” The problem is that this campaign is sponsored by companies that only use models and actresses—Neutrogena, CoverGirl, Revlon, and Loreal, to name a few. It’s not about the Photoshopping that removes a few freckles. It’s the standardizing of what it is to be considered beautiful. These companies suggest the standard, “thin women, with high cheekbones, perfect white teeth, who do not need to use the products they are selling.” It’s no coincidence this campaign was created during the holidays. It’s a marketing ploy. You hear the same jokes every year about gaining weight during the holidays. It’s a strange paradox that we associate the food and beverages that we love with this pseudogluttony. The aftermath is that the average middle-class American carries around extreme guilt and a drive to undo the weight gain. Being healthy unequivocally plays a part in our present and future. A resolve to hit the gym in the new year is among our perennial New Year’s resolutions. Moreover, there is a significant difference between exercise and exercise addiction. Exercise addiction is real, but it is often a result of an underlying eating disorder or body dysmorphic disorder. For further insight on this issue, I spoke with a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Melissa Lester Olson. Melissa specializes in women’s issues, eating disorders, trauma resolution, and coming out later in life. “Distorted body image can result from many variables and various combinations of these many variables. Genetic predisposition, family culture, and societal pressures 16 Feature June 5, 2020
Melissa provides measures that can be taken to maintain a positive and healthy body image. “External influences—whether they be people, places, things, or culture—have a disproportionate effect on us when we are disconnected from the Self,” says Melissa. “Connection to Self must be cultivated over time. Connection to Self must be cultivated intentionally. The more connected we are to our own internal voice, the less sway the voices of others have on us. Developing an intentional practice of connecting to Self eventually leads to a strong and enduring sense of Self, and a greater ability to distinguish between Self and ‘other.’ Be curious and begin asking these questions. What fills me up? What nourishes me? What energizes me? More of this. What depletes me? What drains me? What upsets me? Less of this. Checking in with Self and learning to trust what you find is the first step in creating a meaningful, peaceful life.”
SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO
can come together in a wide array of constellations,” says Melissa. “One of the most common misconceptions is that they are rare. The number of people in the U.S. with Eating Disorders and or Disordered Eating is upwards of 75 percent of American women. In a culture obsessed with appearances and ‘the self,’ food has become an acceptable lightning rod for all of our other issues. In other words, it’s not about the food. It is about everything else.” These illnesses manifest at a very young age. The Center for Mental Health Services states that 90 percent of eating disorders are women between the ages of 12 and 25. And according to the National Organization
for Women (NOW), 40 to 60 percent of elementary school girls are conscious about their weight or becoming “too fat,” a trend that has been rising since the 1950s. Americans are vexed by constant reminders of their appearance, perpetuated by images on magazines, film, and, most of all, social media. The obsessive behavior is further driven by health gurus, athletes, yogis and personal trainers, and models. Their ample social presence passes them off as divine beings—traveling every day from country to country, standing on top of mountains, spooning water from their hands into the mouths of toddlers in African villages. Flaws seem light-years from their radius.
As the pharmacy’s automated message looped, I was brought back to the time before I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and sleep apnea, and had gotten sober. A time without prescribed medications, I relied heavily on alcohol and cigarettes. I was underweight, frail, and restless, usually sweating out hangovers. My medication put me at a healthy weight; a weight that felt alien but comforting. I received compliments, and insults, from people I’ve known my entire life and from people I’d see in passing. If others had noticed the change in my appearance— it reassured me that I knew nothing about women’s experiences. Being a father to my daughter made it apparent that I need to be better to ensure that her confidence is intact. Melissa Lester Olson can be found at melissalesterolson.com She has a women’s therapy and counseling practice and specializes in Women’s Issues, Trauma Resolution, Binge Eating Disorders, LGBTQ Issues, Coming Out Later in Life, Relationship Issues, Depression, Anxiety and Stress. TheGeorgiaVoice.com
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June 5, 2020 Ads 17
JIM FARMER ACTING OUT
Sexy “Trigonometry” Debuts on HBO Max Series examines daring relationship between couple and their new roommate Series examines daring relationship between couple and their new roommate When HBO Max officially launched on May 27, many viewers were anxious to see what the new streaming service had to offer. The show “Trigonometry”—which debuted on BBC a few weeks earlier—is one of the splashier offerings for the just-launched network. Young London couple Kieran (Gary Carr) and Gemma (Thalissa Teixeira) are in love but dealing with their hectic schedules, he as a paramedic and she as the owner of a new café. They decide to take in a roommate to help with finances, but it’s a move that changes their lives forever. Not long after Ray (Ariane Labed), a former synchronized swimmer, is in their flat, they find they are all attracted to each other and are contemplating how to handle the situation. Five of the eight episodes are directed by Athiná-Rachél Tsangári, known mostly for her work in film. She loved the script, sent to her by producers in London, especially its fastpaced dialogue and a tone that veered between drama and comedy. “It was very much up my alley,” she recalls. “I had done a little bit of television. The producers and I met and looked at the script and it felt like we were on the same page. A few weeks later I was in London casting and starting production.” The director also loved that the script gave complexity to each of the three principal characters and didn’t rush their relationship. Although there are moments of fleeting attraction between Ray and Kieran and Ray and Gemma (who has dated women before) individually, it’s not until halfway through the series that the three have sexual relations for the first time. “It veers away from the cliché of 18 Columnist June 5, 2020
HBO Max series “Trigonometry” PUBLICITY PHOTO
the threesome,” Tsangári says. “They actually meet and fall in love at the same time. It’s not a couple who are bored with each other and at an impasse. Ray, to them, offers them a breath of fresh air. Her coming in as a lodger is convenient but she quickly becomes part of the union and it’s a complete adventure between them. Even after Kieran and Gemma decide to marry, Ray is in their thoughts and someone they want to be around.” Finding three performers who were comfortable with their characters and the situation was vital. Tsangári had previously worked with French actress Labed before and thought she would make a perfect Ray. The actress was also a dancer and athlete before she began performing. Tsangári found Teixeira on the first day of auditions. “She had much of the same personality of Gemma—direct and strong but also sensitive and vulnerable—and like the character was mixed race. She really stayed with me.”
throuple, they have to deal with those who don’t understand or approve. Yet they are willing to make that sacrifice. Tsangári doesn’t have personal experience with polyamory, but has friends who have. She feels today’s society seems much more willing to find their own accepted family. “Especially in the millennial generation I think these kinds of relationships are more normalized. In the end what I really love is that this is a great love story. It’s not didactic, hitting you with a hammer over the head.” A second season of “Trigonometry” would be up to BBC and the show’s producers and writers, she says, but she’d be receptive if the opportunity came up.
A short Skype call with Carr (“HBO’s “The Deuce”) turned into a three hour talk and she knew she had her Kieran. “I was familiar with his work. There is something very specific about him I thought was important for the character,” she says. Eventually she had her central characters and the producers of the series generously gave her time to rehearse with them.
Born in Athens, Greece, the director—known for such films as “Chevalier,” “Attenberg,” The Slow Business of Going” and two episodes of “Borgia”—is currently living in East Atlanta. She moved to the area in March because her partner has a house here. So far she’s a big fan of the city and loves that it’s such a viable place to work in the television and film industry. Like everyone else, though, she is waiting on the COVID-19 lockdown to end so she may get back to work and projects she had started. In the interim, she has been spending a lot of free time in her garden planting tomatoes and picking up new hobbies.
Polyamory is something that has become more accepted in today’s society. When the three characters decide to move forward as a
Now that “Trigonometry” is available in the United States, she is also looking forward to the reaction to it. TheGeorgiaVoice.com
image: @bookstorm
My Place for Reawakening Come see what makes it yours. We look forward to welcoming members and frontline workers (free with valid ID) from July 7 to July 17. The Museum will open to the general public beginning July 18. For details, visit high.org.
HIGH MUSEUM OF ART ATLANTA
CLIFF BOSTOCK EATING MY WORDS
Talat Market: A Pop-up Favorite Gets a New Home While many restaurants are reopening with full service, I wish I could tell you that things are returning to normal, but that’s clearly not going to happen anytime soon. We all know that besides the food itself, part of the appeal of restaurant dining is the theatrical experience. Unfortunately, the necessary guidelines that regulate re-openings—with tables placed far from one another, servers in masks, and sanitation stations everywhere— are going to make the experience less an escape from the mundane than a pointed reminder that you’re taking a risk in a lethal pandemic. Maybe we’ll get used to it. The reopenings are of course welcome since they are a step toward economic recovery. With 482,000 jobs, Georgia businesses were the nation’s eighth largest employer of restaurant and food service workers last year. COVID-19 has destroyed the majority of restaurant livelihoods and I encourage everyone to support the industry in any way possible. But calculate your risk. Eating on restaurant patios may be safer, but takeout remains the safest alternative. Last month I mentioned that the muchanticipated Talat Market had opened in Summerhill, the historic downtown neighborhood near the old Turner Field. The restaurant makes 52 meals daily for takeout Wednesday through Sunday. You order meals two days in advance, beginning at noon, on Talat’s website. But be warned: Securing a meal is like winning some weird Las Vegas casino game. When I tried, I was cleared to pick up a meal at 7, filled out my payment information, clicked the “submit” button, and was immediately thrown back to start over. I unsuccessfully tried again. On the third try, I scored! In other words, meals were selling out as quickly as I could enter my credit card info. The cost is $50 for a meal that serves two, including as many as seven dishes. If you’re a foodie, you probably have heard of Talat (which means “Market”). It was the pop-up occupant of Gato in Ormewood Park for two years. Prior to opening there, chefs/ 20 Columnist June 5, 2020
Clockwise from above left: Luscious eggplant and Thai basil in a light oyster sauce; crispy pork belly that melts in the mouth with a shot of garlicky vinegar; So Southern, so Thai: Banana pudding made with pandan leaves, scattered with fried shallot. (Photos by Cliff Bostock)
co-owners Parnass Savang and Rod Lassiter worked in some of the city’s most creative restaurants, like Kimball House. Here, as in the original, Talat Market features Thai cuisine like you’ve never tasted before. Savang grew up in his parents’ Thai restaurant in Lawrenceville, but early on realized it was serving an Americanized version of the more vibrant food he ate at home. Trips to Thailand and several well-known Thai restaurants in the United States revealed even bolder flavors and creative approaches. The two chefs experimented and refined something that is hard to describe. In the same way food in Thailand is strictly dictated by what is available fresh and in-season at the
markets, Talat only features local ingredients. But those ingredients are prepared using Thai techniques and seasonings. So you get Thai sensibility driven by Georgia ingredients. A kind of absurdist example is the dessert that came with my meal: banana pudding turned green with pandan leaves, topped with broken vanilla wafers and fried shallots. Not your Southern mama’s pudding. Among my favorite dishes was crispy pork belly with a side of garlicky-pepper vinegar; a spicy red curry afloat with asparagus, pineapple, spring onions, and Thai basil; and, above all, a dish of stir-fried eggplant seasoned with garlic, chiles, basil, and a very light oyster sauce. The starting dish was a huge bowl of pork broth with noodles, wood
ear mushrooms, daylilies, scallions, cilantro, and pork-shrimp sausage. A large serving of jasmine rice comes with all meals. Eventually, Talat will open for inside dining. It’s located in a former neighborhood market, painted gray with a neon pineapple outside. The small interior, seating about 30, features a mid-20th century vibe and there’s a full bar. Don’t miss this one.
MORE INFO Talat Market 112 Ormond Street 404-257-6255 talatmarketatl.com
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MELISSA CARTER THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID
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The Responsibility of Holding Influence Over My Son’s Life Many years ago I was lying on the couch trying to take a nap with my mom, Millie Pete, when I suffered the shock of her mortality. Nothing bad happened—she was peacefully falling asleep holding onto my small 5-year-old frame, but for some reason I realized at that moment that someday she would die. And I began to sob uncontrollably. Once she got out of me what was wrong, she said: “You won’t have to worry about that for a long time.” She was right; I had the blessing of her in my life until I was 50, but I’m afraid those fears have now been realized. Mom passed away on May 26, which happened to be her 91st birthday, of natural causes having nothing to do with the virus. I think it was a wonderful opportunity for her to exit the same day she entered this place, and to find comfort in her decision to seize it. I can’t help but think of that little girl who still lives inside me, and I grasp her hand and tell her I’ve got her. She’s going to be OK, even though the first love of her life is now gone. That reliable safety net, someone who always had a comforting word or smile. A clapping of the hands when excited for me or a deep wrinkle between the brows when I could have made a better decision. Just there, at my beck and call. 22 Columnist June 5, 2020
But here we are now, further apart than a phone call or FaceTime. Prayers offered, but no immediate or even concrete answer. No words of wisdom when I am unsure what to do, no dollar bills in a signed card every birthday. My time with her here is over, even though that nap feels like it was yesterday and part of me is still at a loss at how to handle her departure. I wrote myself a note in a journal that said, “Am I The Real Deal?” Meaning, my parents raised me to be self-sufficient, both financially and emotionally. And now that both are gone, I am on my own. So, did they do their job? Every sacrifice they made, all the hidden sleepless nights and thoughtful decisions where I was concerned, the tireless efforts to make sure I had enough food and clothing and education, all the things I have always taken for granted—are my actions a testament to those efforts? The remainder of my life will be the answer, and I hope when I reach where my mother has just been that I can say that, indeed, I lived to my full potential. As a mother myself, I marvel at the incredible responsibility of holding such influence over my son’s life. Will Mr. Carter be this reflective when I go? Will he feel disoriented and have to get his bearings without me? Will he be eternally grateful for the kindness I showed him as a timid child? Will he carry on, better for having known me? If so, then he will know also of Millie Pete. TheGeorgiaVoice.com
RYAN LEE SOMETIMES ‘Y’
Eulogy for Our Angriest Forefather Larry Kramer is dead, which is news that HIV, Kramer’s critics and even some of his friends have been pining to receive for more than 30 years. The gay writer’s name is not as recognized as those of other LGBTQ icons, but Kramer is arguably (emphasis on argue) a forefather of our movement, or at least a toxic stepdad who worked his ass off to provide for his family only to remind them how unworthy they were. While Stonewall is considered the start of modern LGBTQ activism, it wasn’t until the AIDS crisis that our community learned to organize, raise money and effectively agitate for our lives. Planet Earth has seen few humans who could agitate as abrasively as Laurence David Kramer, who founded the Gay Men’s Health Crisis and later ACT UP, and whose oscillating rage sprayed his allies as forcefully and frequently as his avowed opponents. If death was Kramer’s enemy, anyone who disagreed with him was its accomplice—a mindset that made murderers of countless people who thought they were on his team. Kramer’s brash rhetoric and tactics were invaluable sirens that brought attention to a plague he believed the government and gay men were equally indifferent toward, although his acerbic nature has often eclipsed his pioneering, life-saving advocacy.
LARRY KRAMER
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recognition and resources that could only be dreamt of when mass illness affected mostly gay men. I’m not aware of any statements Kramer made about COVID-19, but I can almost hear him saying, “Stay home, you fucking idiots!” It would echo the warnings he offered during the early days of an unknown sexually transmitted virus: “Stop having sex, you fucking idiots!” As medically sound as his advice may have been, his solution barely evolved as condoms, antiretrovirals and PrEP made gay sex less risky; and despite the progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS (and broader successes for LGBTQ Americans), Kramer could make you wonder whether things ever got better. Larry Kramer is dead, and it’s unsurprising his death would be more widely acknowledged than the May 28 passing of Ron Simmons, a black gay activist, artist and doctor who founded Us Helping Us in 1985. In Kramer’s insular New York orbit and the AIDS warrior mythos that has arisen from his era, the lone victims of and combatants against HIV/AIDS were middle-class white men.
Kramer has always been a tragic hero of mine, someone with whom I share a disposition but do not wish to share a destiny. My most provocative opinions usually endure a “Larry Kramer” test: How do you make biting observations without becoming a rabid dog? How do you live with outrage without scaring away joy? How do you keep it real without being insufferable?
Larry Kramer is dead, just as our country is enflamed in the type of fury he once tried to instigate and harness into legitimate political power. While there is a gulf between the civil disobedience Kramer championed and the chaos that has erupted over the past few days, both outbursts were fueled by the desperation and anger of sustained suffering being ignored.
Larry Kramer is dead, and it’s poetic he would succumb to natural causes during a plague, even if the current epidemic has gotten the
Larry Kramer is dead, more than a quarter century after receiving a death sentence, and his incendiary spirit has never felt more alive.
TheGeorgiaVoice.com
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