Georgia Voice 06/16/23, Vol. 14 Issue 7

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WHAT MAKES A HOME

Katie Burkholder

I feel most at home in a place I feel heard, understood, and appreciated for who I am. Whether it be with my partner, my friends, my family, or alone in a space I have created for myself to enjoy, the feeling of being at home is one where I feel valued.

Unfortunately, I am starting to feel less at home in Atlanta for that reason, as the Atlanta City Council has affirmed to the people who live here and want their voices heard that it will not listen.

On June 5, hundreds of Atlantans turned up to City Hall to voice their dissent regarding Cop City, the $90 million project ($67 million of which will be covered by taxpayers) that will destroy hundreds of acres of Atlanta’s forest to build an unprecedentedly large police and fire training facility. There were over 15 hours of public comment (the second longest in Atlanta’s history, preceded and followed by other sessions concerning Cop City) with over 95 percent of the more than 300 people attending opposed to the project.

“I am here today because I am urging you to stop Cop City and allocate the proposed funds toward creating better accessibility for the city of Atlanta,” Barry Lee, a queer deaf and disabled artist, said during public comment. “… Anthony Hill, Matthew Zadok Williams, Shukri Ali Said, Scout Schultz, Brianna Greer. These are just a few names of disabled people killed by police here in Georgia.”

“Disabled people are a part of the Atlanta

community,” Lee continued. “This facility won’t make our community safer, it will tear [it] apart. Why aren’t you putting these funds into making Atlanta a more accessible place that actually helps communities flourish instead of using these funds to destroy, traumatize, and promote violence against vulnerable communities at the hands of police? This proposed facility only furthers the unnecessary violence against our community members. Should Tort’s death have been enough for you to look into your own conscience to withdraw your support for this facility? Or are most of you in such a codependent relationship with Brian Kemp, the cops, and corporations – or, excuse me, I should call those corporations ‘outside agitators’ – that you’re just too afraid to speak Tort’s name.”

On June 6, the Atlanta City Council voted 11–4 to approve $31 million in funding for the construction.

The vote followed closely after three members of the Atlanta Solidarity Fund — a nonprofit dedicated to raising money for bail, attorneys, and housing assistance for arrested protestors — were released on bail after their home was raided and they were arrested on accusations of money laundering and charity fraud.

“In a healthy democracy, there should always be room for public debate, for protest, and for residents’ concerns to be taken seriously by their elected officials,” Kendra Cotton, the CEO of the New Georgia Project, an organization dedicated to registering and engaging a majority Black, Brown, and

young voters, said in a statement.

“The number of people who showed up ahead of Tuesday morning’s vote on funding for ‘Cop City’ demonstrates just how committed Georgians can be to making our voices heard, whether that’s in the streets, at the ballot box, or in the halls of power. We believe in the democratic process, and a key part of that process is the assurance that we can lift our voices in protest without facing the prospect of state-sanctioned violence and jail time, which is a very real threat in Georgia as evidenced by last week’s GBI and APD arrests of three Atlanta Solidarity Fund members. I commend the folks who showed up at City Hall on Monday knowing full well that many of our elected officials, in particular our governor, are committed to suppressing their voices and criminalizing our right to protest. I’m heartened that these arrests did not discourage Atlantans from speaking out.”

How can any of us, especially those of us who have called Atlanta home for decades, feel at home in a city run by people we put into power who don’t feel any responsibility to us? How can those of us who bravely spend time protesting, organizing, and following the democratic process, feel at home when we get arrested or murdered, as Tortuguita did, more often than we’re listened to?

The answer is that we make a home for ourselves. We fight for each other and what we believe in, and we demand we’re listened to. When we’re not, we just speak louder.

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / RACHAEL WARRINER

Staff reports

Read these stories and more online at thegavoice.com

Southeast Leather Fest Names New Titleholders

Southeast Leather Fest, an educational, fundraising, and social convention that supports and celebrates the BDSM, kink, and leather lifestyles and relationships of queer and allied consenting adults, kicked off on June 8.

This four-day event, which was held this year at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, included countless panels, networking events, parties, meetups, and the SE Person of Leather contest.

The 2023 SELF titleholders are as follows: Apollo – Southeast Bootblack; Max – Mr. SELF; Scarlett – Mrs. SELF; Master Varii and slave_neill – Southeast Master/Slave; and Mara – Southeast Person of Leather. Congratulations to this year’s winners!

Anti-LGBTQ Conservative Christian Activist Pat Robertson is Dead at 93

Anti-LGBTQ Christian-media mogul, televangelist, conservative political activist, and evangelical Southern Baptist minister Pat Robertson died at 93.

A public figure who was active in American politics since the 1960s, Robertson became as known for making Christianity central to the Republican Party as he was for his outrageously offensive comments targeting LGBTQ people:

Likely one of the ugliest hate-mongering statements he made occurred in the aftermath of the June 12, 2016, massacre when 49 LGBTQ people were killed at Pulse, an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, Florida, by a shooter who’d pledged allegiance to a radical form of Islam.

Robertson told viewers on his religious 700 Club broadcast the following day that Americans should just let LGBTQ people and Muslims kill each other:

“The left is having a dilemma of major

proportions, and I think for those of us who disagree with some of their policies, the best thing to do is to sit on the sidelines and let them kill themselves,” he said.

Biden Hosts Biggest-Ever Pride Month Event at the White House

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed more than 1,000 guests to the largest Pride month celebration ever hosted at the White House.

“Happy Pride Month,” the president said from a stage on the South Lawn. “Happy Pride year,” he added, “happy Pride life.”

The Biden-Harris administration has more openly LGBTQ people working at every level of government than ever before, Biden noted, and “we’re doing everything we can to advance equality for the LGBTQ community.”

“As commander-in-chief, I was proud to reverse the ban on transgender Americans serving in the United States military. I signed historic executive orders extending civil rights protections for housing, employment, health care, education and

the justice system.”

“We’re combatting the dangerous and cruel practice of conversation therapy and launching a new national strategy to end the HIV epidemic by 2030, working with communities to treat and contain the [monkey]pox outbreak, and ending the disgraceful practice of banning gay and bisexual men from donating blood.”

Biden said the administration is making LGBTQ equality around the world a top priority, such as by reviewing “our engagement with Uganda following its antigay law, the most extreme in the world.”

“Last December, we felt such pride here on the South Lawn when I signed the historic Respect for Marriage Act, which protects the marriages of same-sex and interracial couples.”

Despite this progress, the president said, “real challenges still remain.” For instance, he said, “When a person can be married in the morning and thrown out of the restaurant for being gay in the afternoon, something is still very wrong in America. That’s why the Congress must pass and send me the Equality Act.”

President Joe Biden at the White House June 2023 Pride Month reception.

WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER KANE

Clergy, Advocates, and Artists Join GLAAD to Denounce

Anti-LGBTQ Billboards Across Metro Atlanta

Aaron and Ross Murray

A different kind of digital billboard greeted metro Atlanta drivers, days before the start of LGBTQ Pride Month. Erected high above Cobb Parkway, the phrase “Proud To Be Delivered” can be seen emblazoned across the colors of the LGBTQ Pride Flag at the busy thoroughfare. While a glance at the billboard during June may lead drivers to assume the message is pro-equality, the billboards, in fact, performed a bait-andswitch. The “ex-gay” testimonials on the accompanying website and the Marietta church behind the billboard are less subtle in their hostility and condemnation of the LGBTQ community online and within the walls of their church.

The billboard dreams for a bygone era when society forced LGBTQ people to remain closeted, criminalized, and castigated by family, church, and community. They reflect outdated and inaccurate notions that LGBTQ people need to be ‘saved’ and ignore the reality that LGBTQ people are already people of faith. In fact, according to The Trevor Project, one in five LGBTQ youth

say their religion or spirituality is important or very important to them.

In a political climate that has become increasingly dangerous for members of the LGBTQ community, the antiLGBTQ rhetoric espoused by anti-LGBTQ extremists behind the billboard is bolstered by a narrow and extremist interpretation of scripture that uses LGBTQ people as scapegoats for demonization or an invitation to faux deliverance. This is the weaponization of religion and faith, using the pulpit to wield power.

And if that isn’t enough to scrutinize their crusade against a group of people also created by God in his image, then look no further than another marginalized group of people elevated as the face of their “Proud To Be Delivered” campaign: Black people — or more distinctly, Black “ex-gays” who share their testimonies of allegedly being delivered from identifying as LGBTQ. The decision by two white ministers to plaster the images and narratives of Black “exgays” on a specially created website and in a predominantly Black city with a large Black

LGBTQ population is no coincidence. It is a targeted attack that reinforces Bible-based homophobia and further erodes the Black family by influencing the rejection of Black LGBTQ youth and adults by their families as righteous. The result is often devastating for a dually marginalized group of people forced to navigate racism, homophobia, and family rejection simultaneously.

It has become increasingly clear that individuals and religious organizations using scripture to persecute both LGBTQ and Black people have substituted so-called Christian values with an allegiance to Christian nationalism rooted in white supremacy. It’s also a failing strategy. Perpetuating hatred toward the LGBTQ community under the guise of Christian love is disingenuous, out of touch, and a contributing factor to declining church attendance, especially among young people nationwide.

About a quarter of the young adults who participated in a 2021 Lifeway Research survey said they dropped out of church because they disagreed with their church’s stance on political and social issues. GLAAD

found a record-high 91 percent of nonLGBTQ people support the right for LGBTQ people not to be discriminated against, while 84 percent support equal rights for LGBTQ people. It’s not hard to see where the disconnect is.

Congregations like this Marietta church are determined to weaponize faith against LGBTQ people. With anti-LGBTQ legislation at an all-time high and aimed at erasing our existence, there is a refusal to address real problems facing us as a nation: sensible gun reform — the real threat to American children. Lives are at stake. And contrary to what some may preach or plaster on billboards, there are those who acknowledge that God is fully involved in their LGBTQ identity and even responsible for it. LGBTQ people do not require deliverance. Those choosing to inflict harm on others through religious bigotry require an examination of the heart and soul.

Billboard erected in Marietta at the beginning of Pride month. PHOTO COURTESY OF GLAAD

Darian

Darian Aaron is the Director of Local News: US South at GLAAD. Ross Murray is Vice President of the GLAAD Media Institute.

MEET ATLANTA PRIDE’S NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,

Chris McCain

Katie Burkholder

The Atlanta Pride Committee recently announced an exciting update to the nonprofit. Chris McCain is the organization’s new executive director, taking the place of predecessor Jamie Fergerson.

McCain is a native of metro Atlanta with a background in faith, nonprofit work, fundraising, and social justice. After living in Los Angeles for five years, McCain and his husband have moved back to Atlanta to be closer to family as they prepare to expand their family and adopt.

McCain spoke to Georgia Voice about the new position and what his plans with Atlanta Pride will be as the festival rapidly approaches.

Quotes have been edited for clarity.

Tell me how you got this position with Atlanta Pride and what drew you to it? So, in terms of the process, the board worked with an executive search consultant to manage the process and had a search committee that I interviewed with multiple times.

Every LGBTQ person has a unique journey of coming out and many times it’s coming out in multiple times and to different aspects of their life. I have been very fortunate to find a lot of support along my journey among chaplains and pastors, when I know so many people in the queer community do not have positive experiences with religious leaders. I also found tremendous support in my family when I came out to them. And so, in that way, I consider myself very lucky, but I recognize that many people don’t find the same systems of support when they’re coming out. I see this position with the Atlanta Pride Committee as an opportunity to think about how it can be a place to how can it help to foster community

and support across the diversity of queer Atlanta and really the queer South. I want to do that through building relationships across the diversity of our community and to foster a really, really incredible festival and parade that brings together all of the many facets of our community that make it so beautiful and wonderful to be a part of. What’s so unique about Atlanta Pride is just its sheer size, bringing together 300,000 to 400,000 people and it being a free, safe space for people to be able to gather to celebrate who they are to people like them, and to have those relationships and systems of support that are really vital and necessary to survive.

How do you feel about being granted t his position?

I mean, just honored. I see it as a tremendous responsibility, I don’t take the opportunity lightly at all. The Atlanta Pride Committee is over 50 years old. I stand on the shoulders of many generations of queer people who built this organization and who built the opportunity for me as a queer person to be out in the South today. I am enormously grateful for their work and the lives that they lead in the convictions that they stood for, which have made it possible for me to be who I am today and for our community to be as open and out as it is today. We are experiencing a lot of backlash and attacks by people opposed to LGBTQ tolerance and acceptance and love. But I know that as a community, what we have built over decades is strong and enduring, and for us to be able to push back against the attacks — against the opposition — requires all of us being stronger together and being public about who we are, whom we love, and celebrating that and not being deterred by the fear of people who you know, want to put us back in the closet.

When upholding the responsibility of executive director, what will you prioritize and focus on

— I know you mentioned diversity. I’ve been in the role now for about two and a half weeks. So, I’m still very much learning the ropes and getting to know all the people who are connected to the organization and all the relationships that we have in the community. That’s my primary focus over these initial months: learning and listening. There’s a lot I don’t know coming into this role. I want to understand deeply our history in the community, our relationships across the community, where we have been strong, where we have helped to move progress forward, and also where we have gaps, where we have had blind spots. As you mentioned, I come into this role with a deep commitment to diversity and inclusivity. I know that Atlanta Pride has struggled with that in different ways in the past. I come into this role wanting to really focus on how can we reflect those commitments through the festival, of course, through the parade, and also through all of the work we do throughout the year.

I know that’s not something that just happens because I say we have these commitments; it happens through the long and important

work of building relationships. So, that’s a key focus of mine.

I know it’s a couple months out, but what can people expect from the upcoming Atlanta Pride festival under your leadership? They can expect a really fun, fabulous, colorful festival. I am really excited by what I know is already in motion — a lot is in motion at this point. You should expect to see, you know, a great turnout — hopefully greater than last year. I’m really excited about the entertainers that we’ll be able to have on stage this year.

And with the climate that we’re in right now, I think that the parade is even more important in terms of our visibility and reminding people that we are stronger together as a community coming out and showing our support for each other.

Atlanta Pride will be on October 14 and 15 in Piedmont Park. The Atlanta Pride Committee relies on volunteers and donations; to learn more, visit atlantapride.org.

Atlanta Pride’s New Executive Director, Chris McCain COURTESY PHOTO

Lack of Affordable Housing Hits Atlanta Hard

Luke Gardner

Finding affordable housing is a problem for many working people across the country, and it’s even worse in Atlanta.

For the upper middle class and wealthy, Atlanta is considered affordable, boasting large houses with private yards for the same price as a space half as big in places like New York City, Washington D.C., California, and Chicago. With growing businesses bringing high-paying jobs to the city, there is an unprecedented demand for luxury homes, and prices have risen to meet that demand.

For working class and lower income people, this presents a grueling reality: affordable housing is almost impossible to come by.

“I would say for the better part of 10 to 15 years, we’ve been underbuilding,” Atlanta Realtors Association President Michael Fischer told Georgia Voice. “A record number of homes were built before the 2007 market crash. After the 2007 crash, for five to 10 years there was a general caution about getting invested in big projects. With fewer big developments happening, we see less of the starter home. It’s less risky to build five $1 million homes than it is to build 20 homes for the same price.”

Stretching back further than 2007, housing affordability has been an issue affecting more and more people by the decade. As the cost of living has skyrocketed over the past 50 years, wages have remained virtually stagnant, creating high levels of inequity.

From 1979 to 2021, productivity in the U.S. economy rose 64 percent, but wages only rose 17 percent, according to the Economic Policy Institute. From 1979 to 2015, the income of the highest earning people — one percent of the population — grew five times faster than that of the bottom 90 percent, also according to the Economic Policy Institute.

This has created a reality in which most working people don’t have the ability to buy

a house. The majority of millennials and Generation Z in the U.S. are renting because they can’t afford to purchase a house, according to CNBC. Millennials cited rising real estate prices as their main financial roadblock, while Generation Z cited low wages.

The average rent in Atlanta is over 12 percent higher than the national average, according to an apartmentlist.com report released in April. The same month, a study by real estate company Redfin found that rent in Atlanta and the metro area had actually decreased by 2.3 percent since March 2022.

While rent has decreased slightly since last year, the rent is still about $300 more today than it was just three years ago, according to the same study. Wages did rise during that time, but inflation rose even more, according

to Statista. In March 2021, inflation increased significantly more than wages, a trend that continued until this February, when the two finally evened out.

Now, for the first time in years, wages are increasing more than inflation. While this is good news, it is underscored by the fact that the U.S. average hourly earnings are only $11, down from $11.74 in 2020, also according to Statista. This suggests that the overall raising of U.S. wage averages does not necessarily reflect a rise in wages for hourly workers.

The decrease in rent and inflation seems to suggest a gradual return to a stronger, prepandemic economy, although housing affordability was an issue long before then.

Fischer believes that one obvious solution is

to create more affordable housing, but that’s easier said than done.

“Some municipalities are openly against any type of housing that will be more affordable,” Fischer said. “They actively try to attract high incomes, not looking at the needs of the community [so much as] focusing on keeping property values as high as possible … [One city] banned any siding other than brick, and that can raise the price of a house $30–$40 thousand.”

The lack of affordable housing is such a prevalent issue that the Atlanta Realtors Association created an affordable and equitable housing committee to raise awareness about affordable housing and help first-time home buyers. The group’s Government Affairs committee advocates against legislation like the aforementioned ordinance.

For apartment renters, there is some good news. Because of an influx of apartment developments, rent prices are expected to slightly decrease, according to the National Association of Realtors Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.

To create long-term systemic change, advocacy and activist organizations like the Housing Justice League organize protests and public information campaigns and call for public policy changes, like instituting rent control.

If you are facing hunger, eviction, or homelessness and need immediate assistance, visit atlantamission.org/get-help or call 404-588-4000. Help can also be found at hopeatlanta.org/get-help.

Covenant House provides shelter and support to those experiencing homelessness and is at 1559 Johnson Rd. NW in Atlanta. You can call them at 404-589-0163.

For LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness in Atlanta, contact Lost N Found Youth at lnfy.org/get-help or call the 24/7 crisis hotline at 470-571-0571.

The average rent in Atlanta is over 12 percent higher than the national average. PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / SEAN PAVONE

Peter Pasternack Fosters Community with Atlanta’s Premier Real Estate Networking Event

Peter Pasternack had a background in accounting and banking before he pursued real estate investing on the advice of his best friend in the mid 2000s. Only eight months into his real estate career, he found himself on A&E’s “Flip This House.” While he only had four house flips under his belt at the time, it was Pasternack’s other professional experience that drew producers to him.

“What they liked is that I was a [certified public accountant] that worked at Price Waterhouse and had been president of a bank subsidiary,” he told Georgia Voice. “So, for them, it gave credibility [to the show].”

Pasternack was a featured character on the show from 2005 to 2009, and the visibility from the show brought him success that he still enjoys almost 15 years later.

“I did not want to be on TV to be on TV. I wanted to be on TV to really get more visibility to my brand. So, I’m always amazed — it has been almost 15 years since we stopped shooting and ... people still remember me. When I was flipping homes, one of the things that was great is when we were filming there were so many people looking at the progress of the house[s I was flipping], so I didn’t have to worry about who was going to come see my house. People had eyes on them, so my houses sold very quickly. So, it was good from a business standpoint.”

The year following his stint on “Flip This House,” Pasternack was looking to expand his real estate career and network with others in the industry, but had a hard time finding the perfect group. So, he started it himself.

“[I] love networking,” he said. “I love connecting with people. In 2010, after

networking and really getting a little frustrated that all the groups or places I went to were very generic — nothing wrong with that, but I wanted an event that revolved around real estate [specifically]. The nice thing about being an entrepreneur is that if you don’t see it, you create it.”

This year, Real Estate Connections, Pasternack’s real estate networking event, is celebrating its 13th anniversary. The event, which has almost 3,000 members and attracts over 300 people every month, meets twice: once on the first Tuesday of the month at PONKO Chicken in Midtown, then again on the third Tuesday of the month at Mercantile Social in Alpharetta. There is also an accompanying Facebook group to further foster community. Over 20,000 people are a part of the group.

Real Estate Connections brings together everyone related to real estate, from closing

attorneys and lenders to inspectors and appraisal specialists.

“If you’re looking to make contacts in the real estate [industry], you’ll never get in one [other] place that many people who touch property, whether it’s residential or commercial,” Pasternack said.

For people looking to get their start in the real estate world or make deeper connections in a fun, carefree environment, Real Estate Connections is a great place to start. For people just starting out in the realm of real estate investing, Pasternack suggests first finding yourself a mentor.

“Even if you find a mentor that isn’t going to charge you, like I imagine a lot of people would, you need to give [them] something of value … It cannot be one-sided,” he said. “When you have a mentor, it’s like going to school and getting educated so you don’t make

the mistakes that can cost a lot of money.”

Pasternack is all about helping people; his personal mission is to go out every day and “positively affect as many people as possible.” You can contact Pasternack by phone at 404-275-8087 or by email at peter@ realestateconnectionsgroup.com whether you’re “looking for real estate or want another form of income … I’m an entrepreneur and I love talking about business with anybody who wants to do that.”

Real Estate Connections will meet next month on July 11 (pushed back because of the 4th of July weekend) at PONKO Chicken and July 18 at Mercantile Social, both at 6 p.m. Admission is $20 in advance at recnatl.com, $25 at the door, and free for realtors with a business card. For more information, visit meetup.com/realestate-connections or facebook.com/groups/ RealEstateConnectionsATL.

Katie Burkholder

Real Estate Connections Meetup PHOTOS VIA FACEBOOK

Peter Pasternack

Rainbow Roofers: The First-of-its-Kind LGBTQ Roofing Company

Katie Burkholder

On a daily basis, discrimination threatens to infiltrate the otherwise mundane for LGBTQ people. For LGBTQ homeowners, fear of judgment or discomfort may surface when having to take care of and repair their homes. Since the industry is overwhelmingly dominated by masculine, straight white men, queer homeowners may worry about unfriendliness from contractors and other construction professionals.

That’s not a fear for clients of Rainbow Roofers. The company, based in and servicing metro Atlanta, is the only roofing and exterior company in the country specifically for the LGBTQ community.

“There’s a lot of prejudice,” Gerry Rotter, who owns and runs the company with his partner, told Georgia Voice. “I’ve heard comments from other roofers, and a lot of times the prices are higher for LGBTQ people. You would be surprised.”

Rainbow Roofers, while a relatively new company, is the culmination of decades of experience, from Rotter, his partner, and the members of their crews. The company offers roof replacement, roof repair, fortified roofing systems, new build roof installations, roof inspections, exterior design services, emergency assistance, and insurance claims. They service all kinds of roofs, including asphalt shingles, metal, tile, slate shingles, and cedar shake siding.

Rotter’s vision is not only to make LGBTQ homeowners feel more comfortable, but also to also create a space for LGBTQ people looking to get into contracting.

“The whole goal is to hire from within the community, train young people, and give them

a new career path and also give homeowners a more approachable contractor that embraces everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or race,” he said. “That’s my dream. I want something that’s very comfortable for people within the community.”

According to a 2015 survey from Architects’ Journal, 85 percent of surveyed gay contracting employees had heard homophobic comments in the workplace over the past year, 22 percentage points higher than the general construction industry average of 63 percent. Only 27 percent of gay construction employees felt comfortable being open about their sexual orientation with colleagues.

These numbers align with Rotter’s personal experience. While he said he rarely experiences discrimination on a daily basis with clients, he has felt uncomfortable around other contractors at roofing conventions and other industry events.

“People take a double look at you and wonder what business you have doing what you’re doing,” he said.

While Rotter prefers to hire within the LGBTQ community, Rainbow Roofers employs a number of allied crew members as well — several of whom are women, who as of 2022 only make up 10.9 percent of the

entire U.S. construction workforce.

Above all else, Rotter is about personally taking care of clients and their homes in a friendly and open manner.

“On the house, the roof is the most important aspect,” Rotter said. “That’s what protects everything under there … I’m the boots on the ground. I’m very much a part of my job. I enjoy what I do.”

As for the future, Rotter’s greatest hope is to eventually expand and bring Rainbow Roofers to other LGBTQ homeowners and families outside of Atlanta.

To set up a free in-home consultation with Rainbow Roofers, you can visit rainbowroofers.com or call Rotter at 404-680-6777.

COURTESY IMAGE

“There’s a lot of prejudice. I’ve heard comments from other roofers, and a lot of times the prices are higher for LGBTQ people. You would be surprised.”

— Gerry Rotter, owner of Rainbow Roofing

A Home Away from Home

The gay campground to visit this summer

Sukainah Abid-Kons

Located in Collins, Georgia — about a three and a half hour drive from Midtown — The Hideaway Campground is one of Georgia’s premier gay campgrounds.

Roy McLeroy and his husband, Eduardo Hernandez, were inspired to open their own campground by the trips they had taken to different gay campgrounds, such as The River’s Edge, which is also in Georgia. Together in the early 2000s, McLeroy, his mother Dorothy Karesh, and Hernandez decided that they wanted to buy land to start a gay campground.

McLeroy was working as a truck driver at the time and living in California with his husband. The three originally set their sights on Texas as the location for their future business, but quickly found that the options there were quite expensive and decided to expand their search to the Southeast.

“We looked in Texas first, and it was hard to find land there,” McLeroy told Georgia Voice. “Then we found this campground [in Georgia] that was already existing, but it was very small and not successful.”

After visiting, McLeroy and Hernandez decided to buy and flip the existing facility.

“We fell in love with it,” McLeroy said about the campground. “It was perfect, because it was out of the norm; it wasn’t in the city, it wasn’t near any major highways, and that’s exactly what we wanted.”

After purchasing the site, McLeroy and Hernandez transformed it from a small campground into a luxurious getaway

that offers a premium stay for everyone’s preference, from spaces to pitch a tent to deluxe cabins. In 2007, The Hideaway Campground opened to welcome gay visitors from across the country.

Beyond renovating and managing the facility, McLeroy and Hernandez also worked to establish close ties with the community around Collins. McLeroy said that he and his partner made sure to get to know the local sheriff and business owners, many of whom are friends and supporters of the campground today.

“We’re really proud that the community here has grown to know us and really care about us,” McLeroy said.

Introductions weren’t initially easy; McLeroy said that there were more than a few members of the local community who didn’t want a gay campground in the area.

“It was very difficult at the beginning, because we’re in the Bible Belt and we got some pushback from some people,” McLeroy said. “But I feel that we really changed a lot of people’s opinions.”

McLeroy showed the community that he and the visitors to his campground weren’t bad people, they were just people. While it took time, community members eventually came to accept and support McLeroy’s business, and now local vendors will partner with The Hideaway and come to the campground for events, such as fundraisers that The Hideaway has hosted that have raised thousands of dollars over the years.

After more than 14 years of owning and managing The Hideaway, McLeroy said that his favorite part of running the campground is the stories that he hears from visitors. The Hideaway is open 12 months a year,

but McLeroy said that his guests’ positive experiences make the workload worth it to him. Visitors have made lifelong friends and met their partners while staying at The Hideaway, and McLeroy said he loves knowing that his campground was what brought people together.

“It’s a job from morning to night, seven days a week, but it’s worth it,” he said. “When we see people meeting here, it’s worth it.”

The Hideaway offers day and night visit passes and also has a waitlist for those who want to reside on the property permanently. McLeroy said in the future, he hopes that the business can continue to grow and accommodate more guests and residents, offering potentially life-changing visits for even more people.

If you are interested in visiting The Hideaway, you can book at royshideaway.com.

The Hideaway Campground COURTESY PHOTO

Stonewall: MYTHS, TRUTHS, VISIONS

María Helena Dolan

Read the full column online at thegavoice.com.

This account will no doubt cause some distress for many, but I feel compelled to tell truths about Stonewall, instead of merely passing on myths.

Yes, mythologies are important and provide glue to establish and spread shared identities — identities so under fire at this moment. Yet our peoples and our true stories are so often glorious! We need to love those who built our shared legacies, even if it was unintentional. I wish I’d known just a smattering of this stuff as a baby dyke in the ’60s, when I twisted around miserably, thinking I should be doing … something? And no matter what that might be, I felt so clearly like I was the only one of whoever and whatever.

Thankfully, times have changed. There is now information and clear chances to jump into something grander than yourself. That presupposes queer kids still have access to materials, perhaps even a Target Pop-up Pride shop (the shop we patronized recently in Brunswick sits on the main traffic area in the store’s middle, and no one fluttered an eyelash at my rainbow-y purchases).

But can we expect baby queers to join something without accurate accounts detailing who we are, how we got here, how we might defend ourselves based on past experience, how there have been millennia of recorded history of same sex love? For example, in Egypt we find

Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep, the “Overseers of the Manicurists of the Palace of the King” (Pharaoh) nearly 4,500 years ago. Current archaeological evidence puts us even further back.

Those are facts. Here are more.

Myth: the Stonewall Rebellion was carried out solely by Black and Latin trans women. Whose riots constituted the actual rebellion?

If we look at the famous Fred W. McDarrah photographs taken on the second riot night, we see a preponderance of white “street rat” kids (“street rat” was the self-title many of the kids gave themselves, kids with essentially nothing and nowhere to go).

Were there Black and Latin participants? Of course. How many? We just don’t know. As per usual with an New York City raid, a larger percentage of people of color were arrested. After arraignment, using fake ID, most of them vanished like smoke. Did they return? Who can say? There are people who are unidentified throughout the photographs.

Myth: the neighbors complained and wanted Stonewall shut down. Actually, there were few neighborhood complaints. More typical was the reaction of Shirley Evans, who lived in the Village with her two children. According to “The Stonewall Riots: The History and Legacy of the Protests that Helped Spark the Modern Gay Rights Movement,” “Up until the night of the police raid there was never any trouble there. The homosexuals minded their own business and never bothered a soul … It was just awful when the police came. It was like a swarm of hornets attacking a bunch of butterflies.”

Myth: Marsha P. Johnson threw the first brick. Marsha said repeatedly on the record through the years that “I did not throw the first brick … I was uptown” as the scene unfolded, and she did not get to Stonewall until around 2am. She then joined in, hurling bricks and bottles, even shimmying up a light pole and dropping a heavy chunk of concrete onto the top of a cop car, causing a cave-in.

Myth: Storme DeLarverie was the dyke who sparked the riots. Storme, who had a long career as a drag king, was slim and of average height. Interestingly enough, she called herself the “guardian of the lesbians in The Village.” She actually patrolled the streets of Greenwich Village with a concealed rifle, making sure all the lesbians and street kids were safe. If she saw any “ugliness,” she’d shut it down

immediately. She continued doing her rounds every night, even into her eighties.

The myth I really hate for probably not being true? My Puertorriqueña girl Sylvia Rivera spoke many times about what it felt to be at Stonewall then, how it was the revolution, and she wasn’t going to miss a minute of it. She often recounted that while she did not throw the first Molotov cocktail at the police, she did throw the second.

But I have lately learned that for a few years following the Rebellion, Marsha could be overheard admonishing her: “Girl you know you weren’t there.” Sylvia did provide somewhat conflicting reports during the immediate post-Stonewall years. She was a using addict and alcoholic, and it took many years before she sobered up.

Night of the Stonewall Riots HISTORICAL PHOTO

Make Cheshire Bridge Filthier

Cliff Bostock

Read the full column online at thegavoice.com.

Here we go again. Thousands of people who choose to live in the vicinity of Cheshire Bridge Road are once again clutching their pearls and praying for their children because the street that has been a sexual playground for 50 years may soon be adding another fleshy ornament — a spa named Atlanta Bath Haus.

Alfred Jay Nault, one of the owners of the constantly harassed Tokyo Valentino, purchased the building formerly occupied by Rhodes Bakery at 1783 Cheshire Bridge last winter. In February, he submitted a detailed application to the City of Atlanta’s Office of Zoning and Development to grant a “special administrative permit” to proceed with renovations. The request was formally made at an April 26 hearing, and a decision has not yet been announced at this writing.

WABE Radio and Atlanta News First have both reported on the drama. The charge to waylay the project is being led by the Piedmont Heights and Morningside-Lenox Park neighborhood associations. A petition on Change.org includes almost 2000 signatures and comments.

The comments are the usual. I particularly enjoyed this one: “On numerous early mornings, on my way to school, my 5-yearold asks why there are naked men on the sidewalk, or why they are doing [that] to each other. A bath house by the same owner as [Tokyo Valentino] will make all these already daily occurrences even more frequent. This bath house will do nothing for our community except to bring more crime, drugs, and prostitution to the neighborhood.” An apparently extremely slow driver commented, “When I drive my son to school at 7am we have witnessed numerous drug deals and sex acts in broad day light.” It’s always the innocent children,

isn’t it? Just wait until your children open those laptops, mama!

Okay, there’s this: It’s true that the rear parking lot of the old Rhodes building backs directly up to residential properties on Windermere Drive. It’s also true that the abandoned parking lot is already an unregulated gathering place for the Deplorables. It’s true too that the proposed spa likely does violate zoning regulations. It’s short on parking and, despite Tokyo Valentino owner Michael Morrison’s denial to WABE, it’s certainly an adult entertainment business, which is prohibited by the zoning code.

The annoying thing about laws regulating consensual sex is the way they force people into idiocy. It’s absurd to say that a building featuring massage rooms, Jacuzzis, a theater, a pool, and a DJ booth might not be targeting customers who are into sex play. It’s conventionally stupid — that is, even stupider — to say people who enjoy swapping sex partners in a spa are a danger to children. The problem is not the behavior. It’s the puritanical attitude so ingrained in our pointy little heads that we continue to make supposedly unconventional, open

sexual expression a crime, a psychological malady, and, of course, a sin, even when consensual. Gay people are especially used to this psychodrama, since our entire identities were damned by the church, the state, and psychiatry for years.

And that attitude is back. Idiots with actual power like Ron DeSantis are determined to exploit sexual insecurities by conflating supposedly unconventional sex players with groomers. Principal targets now are trans people and drag performers (because they have always antithetically made such a liberating impact on the imprisoned mind, including the gay mind). It is interesting, by the way, that most people presume Tokyo Valentino is only patronized by horny faggots. It’s clientele now includes as many mixed-sex, bi swingers and trans peeps. I’m sure they’d love to be bathing one another at Bath Haus at the expense of the sanity of parents who would never dream of trysting in public with a trans dominatrix who might free them for an hour from the tedium of diaper changing.

We all know why people want to suppress sexual libertines. The Bible couldn’t be

clearer. A behavior is a sin because it’s so freaking compelling. Whenever I see people trying to shut down other people’s sexual fun, I remember the good old days when televangelist Jerry Falwell raised a historically huge amount of money by sending donors video cassettes of wild times secretly filmed in gay clubs. That’s right. If you gave the founder of Liberty University enough money, he’d send you porn you could selfrighteously watch with a Bible covering up your erection. (And, of course, Liberty fired his son a few years ago after we learned that he spent seven years watching his wife fuck a pool boy he helped to buy a hostel.) Here’s a secret I learned quickly from listening to clients: everybody is a pervert. If you want to know the real story about someone, ask them to tell you about their most memorable sexual encounter in real life or in a dream. Freud wasn’t altogether wrong.

I hope a miracle allows the self-described “high-end” Atlanta Bath Haus to open. God knows, Tokyo Valentino has remained in business by fighting the city’s relentless efforts to close it for years, so who knows? Meanwhile, you neighborhood puritans need to get laid. Several times. By several strangers.

Tokyo Valentino on Cheshire Bridge Road. COURTESY PHOTO

Lesbian-themed ‘Blue Jean’ Examines Section 28, ‘Unidad’ Remembers Queer Latino Organization

Acclaimed as one of the strongest lesbian-themed movies in years, the new “Blue Jean” is in theaters now. For director Georgia Oakley, it was important to tell this story.

The film is set in 1988 England, where Margaret Thatcher’s conservative government is set to pass Section 28, a law against gays and lesbians. Jean (Rosy McEwen) is a gym teacher who has to stifle her personal life. When a new student arrives, it presents a challenge for her.

As Oakley was researching another project, she came across a newspaper article about Section 28 and was surprised that she had not heard of it, since she had been at school during the time. It lasted for 15 years in the U.K., until 2003.

“I started to piece together aspects of my own history that I had not previously understood, notably why I had grown up with a complete absence of queer role models, and why in my school there was no mention of homosexuality whatsoever,” she said. “Many of the people around me in London had not heard of it either.”

While researching, she found interviews with lesbian PE teachers who had worked under this law in the ‘80s and ‘90s and also spoke to politicians and activists who had been fighting against it. Altogether it totaled almost 50 people.

“The research phase was extensive and we continued to find out details,” Oakley said.

The director was fascinated that the situation these subjects were in forced them to splinter off their identity and attempt to juggle many identities at once.

“It was like a double life and that was not sustainable,” she said. “Most of those women ended up having some sort of mental health crisis or having to quit the profession.”

McEwen did not know about Section 28 either.

“That was why I wanted to do it, because it’s a story most people don’t know enough about,” she said.

In her eyes, Jean is a woman pretending, wearing a mask.

“She is frustrated and sad and self-destructive,” McEwen said. “I think we meet her at a time when she is balancing her plates and thinks she has everything in order — her home life and girlfriend Viv, which is very well hidden, and her school life. When [new student] Lois comes in, that disrupts things and when she and Viv start to break down, she starts to crumble. With the paranoia and these invisible shackles that she has around herself she feels

there is no way out. It’s not her fault. She is a product of this society she is in. It’s the subliminal messaging she has been receiving.”

McEwen vividly remembers Oakley telling her a story about one of the women she talked to who experienced almost exactly what Jean did.

Now streaming and available on public television throughout the month, “Unidad: Gay & Lesbian Latinos Unidos” is a documentary that looks at the Los Angeles organization Gay & Lesbian Latinos Unidos (GLLU), which was established in 1981. The organization was one of the first major queer Latino organizations in the country and the film charts its early days of activism. It’s directed by Gregorio Davila and produced by Mario Novoa.

The two also worked on the film, “L.A.: A Queer History,” currently on PBS. In it, one of the interviewees talks about LA’s history and mentioned GLLU.

“As queer Latino filmmakers, we gravitated obviously towards something we identified with and we always talked about the lack of representation growing up,” Novoa said. “As we were realizing our identity, those stories would have been important to hear and be a part of. GLUU became a really strong voice for the gay and lesbian Latino community at the time.”

Davila echoed those sentiments.

“Growing up as a queer Latino, there were no organizations or stories that I knew of,” he said. “I didn’t know of GLLU — there was no internet back then.”

Coming out of Stonewall into the queer rights movement of the ’70s, people at the time felt empowered. “They were encouraged by the Black civil rights movement and all of the movements happening from the ’60s to the ’70s were evolving,” says Novoa. “Chicano history tells us that was happening for Latinos, specifically in the Southwest of the country, so you had this empowering moment for everyone. Gay and lesbian Latinos were trying to form some sort of coalition, to work on policy.”

Although GLUU is no longer around, Davila feels that if the organization were, it would be on the cutting edge of current activism. “They have always been very adaptive; they started off all male and quickly realized they needed women in the organization. Not many people self-identified as trans, but I am sure the organization (today) would be on the leading edge of inclusion.”

MORE INFO

“Blue Jean” is now in area theaters

“Unidad: Gay & Lesbian Latinos Unidos” is available June 24 on Georgia area public television channels and is also on streaming

Jim Farmer

“Blue Jean”PUBLICITY PHOTO

Katie Burkholder

Queer Bait

June 16

Mary’s Gay pop videos with DJ Headmaster.

Hot Mess Dance Pop Party –

Pride Edition

June 16, 10pm

The Basement

Gaga and Miley and Beyonce and more! For pop lovers, this is the only night out in Atlanta where you’ll hear exactly what you want. Tickets at basementatl.com.

Fuck It Friday

June 16, 10pm

The Hideaway

Mister Richard is the DJ – no cover!

Down n Durty

June 17, 10pm

The Basement

Get down to all your favorite Dirty South anthems and club bangers! Tickets at basementatl.com.

The House Connection

June 17, 10pm

District Atlanta

With Atlanta’s finest DJs, state-of-theart lighting and visual effects, and the most immersive atmosphere, the House Connection is the perfect spot for dancing the night away. Tickets via Eventbrite.

Jorgeous from “RuPaul’s Drag Race”

June 17, 10pm

My Sister’s Room

“RPDR” dancing diva Jorgeous headlines, along with performances by Drew Friday, Edna Allan Hoe, EllaSaurus Rex, Ivy, Stella Pearl Fontaine, and more! Tickets at wussymag.com.

SaturGay Night

June 17, 10pm

The Hideaway

Dance party with flashbacks, mix ups, and mash ups by DJ Bill Berdeaux.

Karaoke Night

June 18, 7:30pm

The T

MUG CHECK!

June 18, 8pm

My Sister’s Room

MUG CHECK, a monthly open stage drag show, is back! Hosted by TAYLOR ALXNDR.

Who’s Got “IT”

June 19, 9pm

Atlanta Eagle

Do you have that “IT” factor? Every month, the Eagle awards $100 and more to the best performer, so bring your friends and supports and show ‘em what you got! Hoted by Cici Nicole and judged by Phoenix. $5 entry.

Tuesday Night Trivia

June 20, 8:30pm

The Hideaway

With DeWayne Morgan – no cover!

Maryoke

June 21, 9pm

Mary’s

Queer Bait

June 23

Mary’s Gay pop videos with DJ Headmaster.

Fuck It Friday

June 23, 10pm

The Hideaway

Mister Richard is the DJ – no cover!

Luttrell

June 23, 11pm

District Atlanta

Tickets at bit.ly/LUTTRELLATL2023.

Ansley Square Beer Bust: Stonewall Celebration

June 24, 3pm

Ansley Square

For only $10, enjoy brews from the Atlanta Eagle, Mixx, Felix’s, and Oscar’s, all benefitting

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

Jorgeous from “RuPaul’s Drag Race”

My Sister’s Room

June 17, 10pm

Joining Hearts and Stonewall Sports!

Hogtied with Eureka O’Hara

June 24, 8pm

My Sister’s Room

Eureka O’Hara headlines this fetish filled drag show, along with performances by Katrina Prowess, Luna C, Pressure K Friday, Royal Tee, and more! Tickets at wussymag.com.

SaturGay Night

June 24, 10pm

The Hideaway

Dance party with flashbacks, mix ups, and mash ups by DJ Bill Berdeaux.

ICON

June 24, 11pm

Future Atlanta

Celebrate some of the greatest musical icons with Danny Verde! Tickets at future-atlanta.com.

XION

June 25, 3am

Future Atlanta

With Moussa. Tickets at future-atlanta.com.

Karaoke Night

June 25, 7:30pm

The T

Tuesday Night Trivia

June 27, 8:30pm

The Hideaway

With DeWayne Morgan – no cover!

Maryoke

June 28, 9pm

Mary’s

Atlanta Bear Fest

Early Bird Party

June 30, 6pm

Woofs

Kick off Atlanta Bear Fest weekend at Woofs! Get registered at atlantabearfest.com.

SubWOOFer Episode 10

June 30, 11pm

Atlanta Eagle

Featuring DJ/Produer Alex Ferbeyre. Dress code is gear, fetish, and leather. $5 cover.

“RPDR” dancing diva Jorgeous headlines, along with performances by Drew Friday, Edna Allan Hoe, EllaSaurus Rex, Ivy, Stella Pearl Fontaine, and more! Tickets at wussymag.com. (Photo via Facebook)

Renter’s Delight

Ryan Lee

One of the benefits of growing up poor is a certain inoculation from the American Dream. Despite home ownership being celebrated as a rite of adulthood and a key to wealth accumulation, a childhood among lifelong renters exposed me to the benefits of being able to call a landlord when the toilet stops working and having flexibility when life veers in different directions.

While today’s apartment market has become a nightmare, limited to so-called “luxury” units at absurd prices, I’ve had a queer journey with leases across Atlanta and could make a strong case as the happiest – or even the last happy – renter in America.

Although the duplexes and triplexes that housed Midtown’s queers in the ’70s and ’80s were being converted into singlefamily homes, it was relatively easy for a single person to find an apartment when I moved to Atlanta after graduating college in 2003. Even then, $650 felt like Midtown inflation for my first studio apartment, but the upcharge was worth being a 24-year-old in the center of the gayborhood.

My apartment had an elevated ceiling, and I had to climb a ladder into a space that could hold nothing larger than a twin-sized mattress, so I described it as a “studio loft.” When I was ready for more space after two years, my landlord upgraded me to a onebedroom directly across from Piedmont Park for only $50 more.

A week after I moved in, I got an angry call from the leasing company demanding I vacate the apartment immediately. Turns out my landlord was a meth head who had been pocketing my and other tenants’ rent payments and the company was pursuing charges against him; but the lease he and I signed just days before protected me for a year.

Following that, I did obligatory stints at iconic queer complexes: Ansley Forest and the highrise formerly known as The Darlington. The former used to be nicknamed Vaseline Valley, and a ride in the latter’s elevators could lead to a hook-up two out of every five trips.

While at my last apartment in Midtown, a series of family crises resulted in four of us living in my one-bedroom unit. In haste, I found an affordable three-bedroom across the street from downtown, where I have lived since 2017.

Our complex was purchased by new owners two years after I moved in, and I braced for the inevitable rent hike and other tools of displacement that have led to the extinction of affordable housing throughout the city. Instead, the new owner was a nonprofit created by an Atlanta billionaire and dedicated to maintaining reasonably priced apartments on Atlanta’s west side.

My rent has not increased since my original lease, my leasing company was exceedingly empathetic throughout the pandemic, and I could not imagine a more advantageous housing arrangement than the one I stumbled into. I understand my bliss is temporary and dependent upon a billionaire’s benevolence, just as I struggle with a bit of survivor’s guilt knowing the perils my fellow renters are enduring.

I remain suspicious of the supposed benefits of home ownership since the folks I know with a mortgage seem no less stressed or insecure than renters and am again comforted by my failure to live up to our society’s expectations.

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / ZERBOR