Georgia Voice 06/21/24, Vol. 15 Issue 7

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THE BLESSING AND CURSE OF AGING

I’m 25 years old, and I think about aging often. I have loved aging so far. The flexibility and freedom of my youth have allowed me to transform from one person to another within the span of only months. I have enjoyed collecting memories and experiences, both good and bad, and I’m learning more about myself and coming more into my own with each passing day.

I truly feel like I am the best version of myself, wiser and more patient and content than I was when I was younger — but at the same time, my preexisting back pain has gotten worse and more pervasive. I can no longer eat fast food without feeling like crap only a few hours later. My knees hurt when I wear the wrong shoes, and a lot of my savings go toward health care.

I try to live my life conscious of the inevitable impacts of aging. I don’t want to be ignorant of the fact that I am growing old, that the flexibility and freedom of my youth will one day dry up, and I don’t want to be left without the foundation that will make entering middle and old age (God willing) an experience I can cope with. I have been more mindful this year of my health than ever before. I prioritize mobility, strength, and endurance over maintaining a certain body type. I build my savings when I can. I put my energy into fostering genuine, longlasting connections with my friends. I don’t drink, do drugs, or smoke.

All these decisions make me feel much better in the present and I know will have to be maintained throughout my early adulthood to benefit me in the long run. I feel hopeful

that living a life conscious of the effects of aging will make my life better, but still, it scares me. In the words of my father when I told him I was working on this issue, “Aging sucks.” No matter how much preparation I do, no matter how conscious I am of my body and health, if I am given the gift of living into old age, I will lose my mobility, energy, physical capability, and, perhaps the most frightening of all, potential.

When I fear aging, I think of my grandfather, who is in his 80s and has now been retired for as long as he worked. He survived the loss of his wife of 50+ years to cancer and still says hi to her urn when he gets home. He loses friends and acquaintances regularly, he struggles to get up sometimes, and he spends almost every day the same, alone with his books — and yet, he once told me he’s never

been bored a day in his life simply because he enjoys his own company.

I also think of my friend Michael, who died at 24 and will never get to experience any of that. If I had the power to give Michael the gift my grandfather was given — a full life marked by a legacy of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; a strong relationship with himself; and a devoted, lifelong love — I would in a heartbeat. Yes, aging sucks, but what a blessing it is.

This issue is dedicated to both the blessings and the struggles of aging. It is a testament to the wisdom and living history within our elders as well as a guide to navigating the difficulties of becoming old, especially for LGBTQ seniors. I’m sure it is not easy, but here, you are not alone.

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS

Katie Burkholder

Staff reports

Read these stories and more online at thegavoice.com

American Cancer Society Releases Pioneering LGBTQ Cancer Report

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has released a groundbreaking new study, “Cancer in People who Identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Gender-nonconforming (LGBTQ+)” to coincide with the start of Pride month in June. The data in the report delves into every aspect of cancer care and treatment and reveals that at every point, LGBTQ people were discriminated against and found access to care difficult if not insurmountable. The study also revealed that LGBTQ people had elevated risk factors for cancer, particularly in breast, cervical, prostate, and colorectal cancers, and that in turn led to more cancer while other factors keep queer and trans people from accessing care.

The report reveals the latest statistics on the prevalence of cancer screening and modifiable risk factors in LGBTQ people. More than 40 percent of all cancers in the general population are attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors, such as tobacco use, excess body weight, alcohol consumption, and unhealthy diet— these were all higher in LGBTQ people.

There is also a review of the literature on cancer occurrence and obstacles to cancer prevention and treatment for those same LGBTQ groups. These new and comprehensive findings are published in the medical journal “Cancer” and also in what ACS calls a “consumerfriendly” journal, “Cancer Facts & Figures 2024 Special Section: Cancer in People Who Identify as LGBTQ+.” The 18-page report has a plethora of details for LGBTQ people, but the key finding is that stress and discrimination are defining factors in how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and gender-nonconforming people access cancer care and that disparity is leading to far worse outcomes at every level.

ACS says that the greatest health disparity faced by LGBTQ+ communities is the “presumption-of-care gap,” by which they

mean the fear that a provider will refuse care due to gender identity or sexual orientation. ACS says that rather than being a misperception for LGBTQ+ patients, the concern is “especially valid for the 20 percent of this population who reside in the nine states where it is legal to refuse care to LGBTQ individuals due to ‘conscience clauses’ that allow healthcare providers, staff and insurers to deny care and services based on personal and religious beliefs.”

Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director of cancer surveillance at the American Cancer Society and senior author of the study said in a statement, “One of the biggest take-aways from our report is that LGBTQ people are probably at higher risk for cancer yet experience multiple barriers to high-quality healthcare access like discrimination and shortfalls in provider knowledge of their unique medical needs.”

Siegel said, “Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to prevent and detect cancer early, which is why it’s so important to remove these roadblocks for this population.”

Supreme Court Rules to Preserve Access to Abortion Medication

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a much-anticipated decision against efforts by conservative doctors and medical groups challenging access to mifepristone, one of two pharmaceuticals used in medication abortions. As a result of the high court’s decision, access to the drug won’t change.

Associate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the court, reversed a lower court decision that would have made it more difficult to obtain the drug, which is used in about two-thirds of U.S. abortions. The ruling however was narrow in scope as it only addressed what is known as legal standing in a case.

SCOTUSblog senior court reporter Amy Howe noted that Kavanaugh acknowledged what he characterized as the challengers’ “sincere legal, moral, ideological, and policy objections” to elective abortion “by others” and to FDA’s 2016 and 2021 changes to the conditions on the use of the drug.

But the challengers had not shown that they would be harmed by the FDA’s mifepristone policies, he explained, and under the Constitution, merely objecting to abortion and the FDA’s policies are not enough to bring a case in federal court. The proper place to voice those objections, he suggested, is in the political or regulatory arena.

The White House released a statement from President Joe Biden on Supreme Court Decision on  FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine:

“Today’s decision does not change the fact that the fight for reproductive freedom continues. It does not change the fact that the Supreme Court overturned  Roe v. Wade two years ago, and women lost a fundamental freedom. It does not change the fact that the right for a woman to get the treatment she needs is imperiled if not impossible in many states.

The abortifacent drug mifepristone is marketed under the brand name Mifeprex. PHOTO VIA DANCO LABORATORIES

Atlanta Is Losing Its LGBTQ Spots

Tragedy struck the LGBTQ community when a fire of unknown origin broke out at the former Atlanta Eagle location at 306 Ponce de Leon Avenue on Thursday, June 6. Atlanta Fire Department could not comment on the ongoing investigation.

The fire at the former Eagle occurred less than two weeks after a fire broke out at Blake’s On the Park on May 26, temporarily shutting down the bar. After some moderate damage was repaired, Blake’s has since reopened.

Though the former Eagle’s doors were closed at the time of the fire, queer spaces and memories in Atlanta are dwindling. In less than 10 years, 10 LGBTQ bars in Atlanta have permanently closed.

Henry’s closed last November when its owners could not afford a rent increase. The Hideaway also closed its doors last year. In recent years, we also lost Swinging Richards in 2022, Joe’s on Juniper in 2021, TEN in 2020, The Model T and Grant Park Tavern in 2019, Burkhart’s and Midtown Tavern in 2018, and Jungle in 2017.

The former Atlanta Eagle building and signage stood tall after first responders put out the fire early Friday morning, sparking hope for people like Atlanta Eagle owner Richard Ramey, who moved the leather and queer bar from Ponce to 1492 Piedmont Avenue in 2020. Ramey was a patron of Atlanta Eagle for 10 years before he became an owner in 1997.

“The thought of it being gone was very heart-wrenching that night,” Ramey said in an interview with Georgia Voice. “But I still

feel like there could be a little hope … I was talking to Mayor Andre Dickens about an Atlanta Gay History Center with gay exhibits and chang[ing] them out throughout the year and highlight[ing] parts of our city that have offered so much.”

Ramey recalled the bittersweet night he shared with the Eagle community on the last night at its former location.

“One of my fondest memories will always be the last night [the former location was] open,” Ramey said. “I heard all the stories of how people were still together, and they met [at Atlanta Eagle] 20–25 years ago, and their relationship is still going strong. To listen to my community [about] what that space meant to them will always be so rewarding to me. It makes it feel like it was worth all the blood, sweat, and tears that I went through through

the years to make sure that place stayed open.”

Though its future is unclear, the former Atlanta Eagle will continue to be a landmark for the LGBTQ community. After almost 30 years, Ramey knows the life of Atlanta Eagle comes from the loyal patrons and support from the queer community.

“I’ve always told my customers, ‘Without y’all, we’re nothing but a building,’” Ramey said. “So, I’m so happy that a lot of our Eagle family still has a new place to be and a new safe space to come and express themselves.”

Join Ramey and the Eagle family for Drag Down South ‘24 at City Hall in East Point on June 22 at 7pm. Tickets and more information are available at atlantaeagle.com/event/dragdown-south-24. Visit the new Atlanta Eagle location at 1492 Piedmont Ave.

Tragedy struck the LGBTQ community when a fire of unknown origin broke out at the former Atlanta Eagle location at 306 Ponce de Leon Avenue on Thursday, June 6. SCREENSHOT VIA YOUTUBE

Adalei Stevens

AARP Brings Awareness to Specific LGBTQ Elder Needs

In an effort to continue to bring awareness to the issues faced by LGBTQ adults and understand their experiences, AARP has curated a series of reports called the

Cassandra Burton,  AARP Senior Research Manager

There are more than 2.4 million people aged 50 and over identifying as LGBTQ in the United States — a number that is expected to double to 5 million by 2030. As the LGBTQ community grows and ages, its needs for appropriate, affordable, and adequate housing, health care, and financial security will also increase. These considerations are important to ensure a life of dignity and respect.

Just as the LGBTQ community has many dimensions, so too does its individual and community needs. While many lump the LGBTQ community together as one group, there are many intersectionalities and varied experiences to consider. For

example, some grew up in an era when being out of the closet meant they could be jailed, humiliated, or deemed mentally ill and could face the prospect of being institutionalized. Many are aging alone because of the devastation of the AIDS crisis or because they are estranged from family, and others are LGBTQ seniors of color who have experienced prejudice based on their race and ethnicity — in addition to their sexual orientation and gender identity.

In an effort to continue to bring awareness to the issues faced by LGBTQ adults and understand their experiences, AARP has curated a series of reports called the Dignity Series.

The latest report, AARP Dignity 2022: The Experience of LGBTQ Older Adults, found:

• Eight in 10 (82 percent) LGBTQ older adults do not feel like they have the social supports they need as they get older;

• Almost three-quarters (72 percent) of survey respondents fear that they will be discriminated against when buying a home solely because of their sexual orientation;

• And four in 10 (41 percent) LGBTQ older adults are concerned about having to hide their identity to access suitable housing as they age. The fear is greater for transgender and nonbinary adults, with almost six in 10 (58 percent) expressing concern about needing to hide their identity to access housing options. These individuals may already face discrimination just for being older, let alone being LGBTQ.

While being a part of the community in some ways looks very different today from previous generations, the reports show that there are shared experiences among community members — regardless of age.

AARP has curated reports like these since 2017 in an effort to understand the experiences of older LGBTQ people, to increase the understanding of the community, and to highlight the diversity that exists among LGBTQ people. The next report in the series, Dignity 2024: The Experience of LGBTQ Adults, is set to be released following the AARP plenary at the National LGBTQ Health Conference at Emory University on August 16, 2024.

For more information about the AARP Dignity Series, please visit aarp.org/LGBTQdignity.

Dignity Series. PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ G-STOCK STUDIO

Best in the Biz: Woofs Sports Bar COMMUNITY

A monthly queer business spotlight

Adalei Stevens

This month’s LGBTQ business spotlight is on Woofs Sports Bar. We sat down with owner Gregory Hughes to discuss the ins and outs of his business.

When was Woofs founded and how long have you been in business?

November 2002. We’ve been in business for [almost] 22 years.

Why was the business founded?

I used to host a Super Bowl party from 1993 to 2002, and the party grew every year to the point I had over 400 people coming through my house on Super Bowl Sunday. So, [I] along with some other people decided that maybe it was a good time to find a bar or open a bar. We used our Super Bowl email list to get the word out to everyone, and we’ve been successful since.

How is business now compared to pre-pandemic?

We moved in 2019 and right after the move, we did see an increase in business. Business fell off in 2020 to 2021, maybe 2022, but we have since rebounded, and we’re now probably a little bit better than we were in 2019. COVID put a big kibosh on everything for a while, but we stuck to our guns. One reason we survived COVID was our kitchen, because we have a full restaurant and kitchen, and that [helped] us when things were tight during COVID.

What are the greatest challenges of running your business?

The greatest challenge is landlords. Of course, COVID was a challenge. Currently, our expenses for everything since post-COVID have gone up. It costs us more for food, liquor, maintenance, and work. Everyone charges a travel fee just to look at the problem … If you

talk to any restaurant owner now, they'll tell you the biggest challenge is all their expenses have gone up on everything … Unfortunately, we are losing more and more of our gay bars and restaurants, or gay-friendly bars and restaurants. A lot of that is [because] the rents have gone up so high that it’s just not feasible to be here. We’ve lost things like Henry’s. We’ve lost Joe’s on Juniper to development. [We’ve lost] places that gays used to go and just enjoy themselves in a greater atmosphere. That’s why I say [having a] landlord is one of the big challenges to real estate. Real estate in the city of Atlanta is just getting really, really cost-prohibitive.

What are the greatest rewards?

The greatest reward for me is giving back to the community. We try to support and sponsor a lot of gay sports leagues. We are usually open to having fundraisers for LGBTQ businesses and nonprofit organizations. The best thing we can do is give back to the community in some way, to help them and have a place where people are comfortable being themselves in a nice environment.

Anything you want to share with readers?

We have Music Bingo and a take on trivia called Family Feud. We try to stay true to our sports heritage, but we're open for everyone to come and enjoy the restaurant.

Woofs Sports Bar PHOTO VIA INSTAGRAM

Atlanta Prime Timers Keeps Older LGBTQ Men Social

The Atlanta Prime Timers is a social organization of LGBTQ men over 40. Founded in 1989, the group is the third oldest chapter of Prime Timers Worldwide, an organization created to provide social support for older queer men.

“It’s a wonderful organization because as people get older, they tend to isolate more,”

Atlanta Prime Timers Membership Director Jason Calvert told Georgia Voice. “This is even more so in the LGBTQ community, because a lot of people don’t have relationships with their families, and several are single. Isolation can lead to a higher risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s, so it’s good to have social opportunities.”

The group has over 150 members, with the youngest member in his 40s and most members being over 55. Around half of the group is single, and several couples have been together between 20 to 50-something years.

“A couple of years ago they lowered the age requirement to join down to 21 to be more inclusive,” Calvert said. “We make the joke that we need wheelchair pushers.”

Atlanta Prime Timers gathers for around 30 activities per month, many of which are ongoing events. Some events are weekly, like the group’s yearslong tradition of catching up over a cup of coffee.

“Every Wednesday morning we meet at Panera Bread to have coffee and snacks,” Calvert said. “It’s usually a big crowd. The least I’ve seen there is around 8–10, but we sometimes have over 20 people. On Saturday we do the same thing, but at Brooklyn Bagel & Deli in Ansley Mall with a smaller crowd

of three to eight people.”

Other events take place monthly. For the first Saturday of every month, the group hosts a potluck cookout or game night with anywhere from 40 to 70 people attending. A new tradition is the monthly movie lunch, where group members see a movie after grabbing food at Golden Corral.

“The second Tuesday of every month is a PALS charity bingo event at Lips,” Calvert said. “The prime timers hosted one three months ago, and we had over 40 prime timers show up. We raised a lot of money for PALS, and it was a lot of fun. The theme was

Mrs. Roper, a character from the television show ‘Threes Company’ from the ’70s. It turned out to be the most popular theme there was. Almost half the people there were dressed up as her, it was awesome.”

Of course, every member doesn't attend every event, so most gatherings have a turnout of anywhere from eight to 80 people. New events pop up all the time, and members can communicate through emails and the Atlanta Prime Timers’ website to invite others to outings like movies and karaoke.

Some members are very involved, some may only attend a few events, and others join for

the benefit of discounted tickets to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and other theatres.

“We go to museums all the time, different parks, and tours; we usually have at least two a month,” Calvert said. “A lot of them are recurring. We go, and then we go the next year or the year after. I think we’ve hit just about every museum in the Atlanta area and there are three museums in Cartersville we went to.”

With hundreds of events to attend each year, group members are never at a loss for things to do. The group has even gone ziplining and is planning another outing soon. When it comes to Calvert’s favorite events, he enjoys any time spent surrounded by friends.

“I like the Christmas parties because we have more people show up at that,” he said. “Fourth of July and Memorial Day we do a big cookout. I like the events with large crowds. One of my favorites is just potluck game night where everybody brings a snack to share, and we play board games.”

For only $30 a year to be a member, some people just join to show support, and even some members who move away continue to give. The organization is open to any men attracted to men, including trans and bisexual men.

For those considering joining, Calvert offers these words of support:

“What drawback is there to having a bunch of people to spend time with, especially for older men who tend to sit at home alone,” he said. “You can never have too many friends.”

To learn more about Atlanta Prime Timers, visit atlantaprimetimers.com.

Luke Gardner

Prime Timers members COURTESY PHOTO

Mental Health and LGBTQ Seniors

There are 1.5 million LGB adults age 65 and older in the U.S. For all seniors, aging poses many mental health issues — but for these LGB as well as trans and gendernonconforming elders, mental health is an even more pressing matter.

Due to a lifetime of discrimination, LGBTQ elders are more likely than their straight cis peers to lack proper community support, adequate health care, and financial security, thus putting them at higher risk for mental health issues, according to a report from SAGE. LGBTQ seniors are at higher risk of being diagnosed with depression and anxiety and experiencing social isolation. Thirty-nine percent of LGBTQ elders have experienced suicidal ideation in their lifetime, and 31 percent have symptoms of depression — two to three times higher than the general older adult population in the U.S. These stats are higher for transgender elders: 48 percent have experienced symptoms of depression and 71 percent reported a history of suicidal ideation.

Past employment discrimination that today’s elders lived through may have made it more difficult for them to secure stable employment and save for retirement and aging, and health care discrimination often leads to a lasting distrust in psychiatrists and other health care providers — making health care needs more difficult to seek out for LGBTQ elders.

“We’ve seen that a history of discrimination and stigma oftentimes led to higher rates of unemployment,” Sherrill Wayland, the Senior Director of Special Initiatives and Partnerships at SAGE, told Georgia Voice “We’ve known that LGBTQ older adults historically lacked employment protections. So, if we think about our oldest LGBTQ elders, they grew up at a time when they did not have employment protections, when it was very common for people to be fired because they identified as [LGBTQ] or to not even be hired because people might’ve assumed things about their sexual orientation

and gender identity. These factors lead to higher rates of unemployment, and not being able to save money, which can then lead to higher rates of housing instability and food instability … If you have stable housing, then your mental health and your health overall [are] more like to be strong.”

Anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and legislation, which has seen an increase in recent years and more often targets LGBTQ youth, also has a severe mental health impact on LGBTQ elders.

“We’re seeing so much anti-LGBTQ political rhetoric that’s happening and legislative concerns that are targeting LGBTQ people,” Wayland said. “We know that these bills and things that we’ve seen across the country are largely targeting our youth, but we also know that that has a negative impact on our older adults. So anytime we start to see

this negative LGBTQ political rhetoric, it’s impacting both our youth and our older adults. For older adults, if they’ve had a lifetime of experiences with discrimination, stigma, and potentially violence, this can be trauma-inducing. It can almost be similar to post-traumatic stress syndrome.”

SAGE combats these unique mental health stressors by offering LGBTQ seniors resources to help them find reliable housing and financial support. They also recently launched HearMe, an app dedicated to connecting seniors with somebody to listen.

“HearMe is one of our newer programs,” Wayland said. “It’s LGBTQ-owned and -operated. The program is really there to help provide that sense of support for someone. Somebody who’s registered for the program can send a text to the HearMe number and

be connected with a volunteer who's there to really listen to their concerns.”

For many older people facing increased rates of social isolation, loneliness, and even trauma responses to widespread homophobia and transphobia, the connection offered by HearMe makes a huge difference.

“What we’re seeing from the data is that people are reporting by the end of their conversation that their mood is better,” Wayland said. “Their mental health is being positively impacted just by that connection.”

LGBTQ seniors who are dealing with a serious mental health crisis are urged to call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 to receive immediate help. To find aging resources and sign up for HearMe, visit sageusa.org.

Katie Burkholder

For many older people facing increased rates of social isolation, loneliness, and even trauma responses to widespread homophobia and transphobia, the connection offered by HearMe makes a huge difference. PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ JOSE_ESCUDERO

Bruce Garner on Coming Out, Religion, and Activism

Bruce Garner is a lifelong Atlanta resident, a pillar in the LGBTQ community, and an activist for people living with HIV. He was born at St. Joseph’s Infirmary (now St. Joseph’s Hospital) and grew up in Ormewood Park and Grant Park before graduating from East Atlanta High School and Emory University.

As a child, Garner attended Southern Baptist churches, but not the sermons.

“I wouldn’t go to the preaching service because I got tired of old, fat, bald-headed, sweaty white men yelling at me, telling me I was going to hell and they didn't even know me,” Garner said in an interview with Georgia Voice.

As a teenager seeking a different relationship with God, he found solace and safety in asking faith-challenging questions in the Episcopalian Church. Even though Garner didn’t come out until years later, his new church leaders silently accepted his queer identity when he was a teenager.

As a young adult, Garner met many gay fraternity brothers before he graduated from Emory with a degree in biology — that he’s never used. After graduating, Garner moved out of Atlanta to pursue advocacy work in other Georgia cities and returned to the closet.

In fear of losing his job and sense of safety, Garner did not live openly as a gay man until he moved back to Atlanta in 1979 when he bought his home in Piedmont Park, where he lives today.

for LGBTQ people during the HIV/ AIDS epidemic and beyond earned him an honorary doctorate from Berkley Divinity School of Yale University in October 2016. He has also served on the Board of Directors of Lost-n-Found Youth in Atlanta, the Board of Directors of AID Atlanta for a total of 12 years, and the Ryan White Metropolitan Community Health Care Planning Council, among others.

His continued work for people with HIV/ AIDS began during the epidemic when he lost over 200 friends and was diagnosed with HIV himself in 1982. Garner’s writings about life, love, and loss in the LGBTQ community and HIV/AIDS can be found in a named collection of his works at the Rose Manuscript and Rare Book Library of his alma mater, Emory University.

Though “a lot of it has been progress,” Garner hopes for better for the LGBTQ community.

Garner fondly recalled the first Pride parade he marched in without hiding his face under a hat and sunglasses.

“I finally just said, ‘screw this,’” Garner said. “I'm out of the closet. Go away. If you can’t do it, that’s not my problem.”

Garner has been outspoken in the past about the importance of coming out, but says he

Garner came out to his father when he was 29 years old, discussing details about selling a friend’s car between veiled questions and confirmations about Garner’s sexual orientation. Though he’d planned to come out to his mother first, “God had other plans,” Garner said.

“still get[s] a small knot in [his] stomach” when coming out to crowds of people, particularly in religious spaces.

Garner has commissioned and served on several boards, including the Commission on LGBTQ Ministry of The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta and the Metropolitan Atlanta HIV Health Services Planning Council, and was the only openly LGBTQ Deputy or Alternate Deputy in Province IV of The Episcopal Church for 20 years before more were elected.

Beyond faith-based groups, Garner’s advocacy

“Gay marriage is great. Not all of us are interested in marriage,” Garner said. “Not all of us are married. Not all of us are coupled. So, while that’s great for the people who can fit into that category, there’s more out there for the rest of us. We should be part of the entire landscape of the general community, not just the gay community … If we could get a national law prohibiting discrimination based on orientation, gender identity, and expression, then that’s when we have, I think, accomplished the greatest goal we could have.”

Garner encourages young LGBTQ people to create community, have intergenerational conversations, and read about queer history.

“Once you lose community, it’s difficult to build back up,” he said.

Adalei Stevens

Bruce Garner is a lifelong Atlanta resident & HIV activist. COURTESY PHOTO

Five Queer Atlantans Over 50 to Know

Katie Burkholder

When it comes to finding older role models, Atlanta is home to so many incredible and inspiring members of the elder LGBTQ community. If you’re looking for some people to turn to, here are five Atlantans over 50 who have been making a difference for decades.

Mary Anne Adams

Mary Anne Adams, MSW, is a 69-year-old Black lesbian activist, social worker, and public health researcher at Georgia State University, where she has done work in LGBTQ health, HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, and childhood mental health.

She is the founder and Executive Director of ZAMI NOBLA, the National Organization of Black Lesbians on Aging. ZAMI NOBLA is dedicated to building a base of power nationwide for Black lesbians 40 years and older, focusing on service, advocacy, and community action research.

“I looked around and didn’t see any viable entities in Atlanta working on aging issues in the LGBT community, particularly with Black lesbians,” Adams told Georgia Voice in 2016. “So, aging myself, I had a dog in this fight … We were very intentional about making sure this was a national organization based here in the South because there’s so much work being done in the South, so much working being done in [Atlanta] that is never acknowledged.”

Lorraine Fontana

Lorraine Fontana is a 77-year-old lesbian activist and founder of the Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance, one of the oldest and longest-running lesbian feminist organizations in the country. The organization was founded in 1972 in response to a frustration with the lack of inclusion in the Gay Liberation Front and Atlanta Women’s Liberation. She also served as the ALFA representative to the National Anti-Klan Network and worked with Black White Men Together to pass an anti-racist, anti-discrimination ordinance in bars across

Atlanta in the ’80s.

“Intersectionality — we didn’t have that term [when we founded ALFA] but it was obvious to those who started ALFA,” she told Georgia Voice in 2015. “We always wanted to stay connected to other issues. I’ve always done that … It was clear from the experiences of those in the Black community trying to get into predominantly white clubs that they were discriminated against. The bars would triple card people, say this is a private club. I was an ALFA person working with BWMT because I thought it was important. And I would go with a group to gay bars to make sure they were following the ordinance, make sure they posted the policy in the bar.”

Despite being in her mid-70s, Fontana is still an active member of the community and

can be found at protests and demonstrations across Atlanta. She is involved with the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition, Charis Books, the Atlanta Grandmothers for Peace, SAGE Atlanta, and Southerners on New Ground.

David Cowan

If you’ve been to an accessible event hosted by Atlanta Pride or the City of Atlanta, chances are you recognize David Cowan. Cowan is a deaf and gay American Sign Language interpreter who has become a mainstay interpreter at Pride events and has interpreted conferences held by Governor Brian Kemp, the 2017 Women’s March, and Black Lives Matter and anti-Trump rallies.

“I have interpreted and worked with marginalized groups of people. I enjoy

working with these groups who share the same principles as ours,” he told Georgia Voice in 2017. “For example, American Sign Language is our language. No more language appropriation for profits. No more cultural appropriation. No more language deprivation. As for Atlanta Pride, Black Lives Matter, Anti-Trump, Women’s March, it’s really all about equality. No more oppression based on our skin color, our gender, our differences, our languages, and our sexual orientation.”

DeeDee Chamblee

DeeDee Chamblee is an HIV/AIDS activist and the founder of LaGender, a nonprofit for and by trans women of color. Chamblee founded LaGender in 2001 to address the needs of trans Atlantans surrounding issues like HIV/AIDS, homelessness, incarceration, mental health, and violence.

Chamblee was the first Black trans woman to be honored by former President Barack Obama; she was selected as a “Champion of Change” during the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. She was also the first trans woman inducted into the 2020 Leading Women’s Society, an honor bestowed upon HIV-positive women nominated by their communities.

Rickie Smith

Rickie Smith is the President of In The Life Atlanta, which has been the official organizer of Atlanta Black Pride for over 25 years.

“[Atlanta Black Gay Pride is] about educating our people, getting our people registered to vote and remembering the community where you live,” he told Georgia Voice in 2016. “Once the music stops in the club, we’ve still gotta live in this community. This is not so much about the nightlife, it’s about our life in general. Somebody needs to stop and take a look at what’s going on around us and how we can shape the landscape of what’s going on around us … It’s important to realize you need a reason to celebrate Pride. Find out what you need to be proud about instead of just dancing in the street.”

Clockwise from top left: DeeDee Chamblee, Rickie Smith, Mary Anne Adams, David Cowan, and Lorraine Fontana COURTESY PHOTOS

Aging Resources for LGBTQ Seniors

Katie Burkholder

Aging is a difficult process. It’s expensive, it’s frightening, and it’s often lonely — especially if you’re an LGBTQ senior. If you’re embarking on the aging process or supporting an elder family member, we’ve got some resources covering housing, financial support, and community building to make aging a little bit easier.

Housing and Financial Support

If you’re looking for a respite provider near you or your loved one, whether you’re seeking an assisted living facility, at-home care, or anything in between, visit the ARCH National Respite Network at archrespite. org/caregiver-resources/respitelocator. You can also find assisted living facilities, nursing homes, retirement communities, or other forms of elder housing near you at seniorhomes.com

Belmont Village is an assisted living and memory care facility in Atlanta that offers LGBTQ-friendly care — the only one in the state listed by assistedliving.com. Belmont Village provides judgment-free inclusive care to all seniors and offers amenities like chefprepared meals three times a day, nonmedical transportation, and planned group outings and activities. To learn more, visit belmontvillage. com/locations/buckhead-atlanta-georgia. If you’re open to leaving the state, Carefree Cove is a gay and lesbian retirement community in North Carolina’s High Country.

Georgia ranks 22nd in the country for senior living and housing. However, despite being on the cheaper side nationwide, elder care is still very expensive here. The average assisted living cost in Atlanta is $3,717 per month, according to the 2024 Senior Living Report — almost $2,000 higher than the average rent cost. If you or a loved one is struggling financially and not yet interested in or able to enter a nursing home, you can receive financial assistance for medical and nonmedical alternatives to a nursing home placement through the Community Care Services Program. If you’re deemed

eligible, you can get financial support to go to services like medically supervised group day programs; state-licensed personal care homes; in-home, 24-hour electronic two-way communication systems for emergencies; home-delivered meals; and more. To be eligible, you must have a functional impairment caused by physical limitations and approval by a physician of the need for an intermediate level of nursing home care and be Medicaid eligible.

To request CCSP services, call 866-552-4464.

If you are an LGBTQ widow or widower, you qualify for state-sponsored financial support via Social Security survivors benefits if you were married for at least nine months at the time of your spouse’s death or you would’ve been if not for unconstitutional state laws preventing you from doing so. Eligibility

is also based on how long your partner was employed and your current marital status. To apply, call 1-800-772-1213.

Community and Mental Wellness

Many LGBTQ elders live alone because of a history of family rejection or lack of connection, increasing their risk for social isolation and loneliness, according to a 2023 report from SAGE. If you are experiencing social isolation, you can speak to an empathetic listener through SAGE x HearMe, an app providing a safe and inclusive space to text with someone when you’re feeling lonely, stressed, or anxious. You can learn more about HearMe on page 11 or online at sageusa.org/hearme.

If you’re in need of in-person connection, you can join the Atlanta Prime Timers, a social club for older gay men. Upcoming

events include their weekly morning joe meetup at Brooklyn Bagel in Ansley Mall every Saturday, a lunch and movie outing on June 25, an at-home movie at a member’s house on June 30, bowling on July 7, PALS Bingo at Lips on July 9, and much more. You can learn more about Atlanta Prime Timers on page 10 or online at atlantaprimetimers.com.

If you need help coping with the process of aging, Eldercare is an online group discussion held every third Sunday of the month at 10:30am dedicated to aging, death, retirement, elder care, bereavement, illness, and dying, held by the Drepung Loseling Monastery. Most content is secular in nature, but some resources based on Buddhist spiritual practices may also be included. The next meeting will be on July 21. You can find more information on meetup.com.

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ PEOPLEIMAGES.COM - YURI A

Aging in Queer Time

Anaia Wesley

We’re all familiar with the timeline that life is “supposed” to follow. You get a degree, get a job, then start a family. It can feel as if you’re being pushed to perpetuate a system rather than pursue your own individual needs and desires. Should your life follow its own rhythm, you may be treated as bordering on failure in the now watchful gaze of your peers and family, all wondering the same thing: will you catch up or fall further behind?

While we have all been pushed to accept existence within this framework, it is in the theory of Queer Temporality that we can understand why adherence to this script often fails to provide joy and security for queer people.

In “In a Queer Time and Place,” J. Jack Halberstam explores the nontraditional relationship that queerness has with space and time. Her work calls into focus a timeline assumed by the culture at large, one

meant to gauge the progress of an individual from adolescence to adulthood. Currently, society measures adulthood by progression through the life milestones of postsecondary education, career, marriage, and mortgage, before finally assuming “true” adulthood by having, and raising, children. Adherence to this schedule influences the current social and cultural norms. Regardless of their reason, those unable to follow this timeline can be shamed and othered for it. Labels like “lazy,” “entitled,” or “childish” are ruthlessly applied to individuals with their own needs and visions for life. It is here that the issues with the script become obvious. Any number of factors, such as race, class, identity, trauma, or disability can result in an altered relationship with life’s expected timeline.

Halberstam explores how queerness exists in opposition to this expected timeline, something she calls “chrononormativity.”

Rather than living life following a preordained script, queer temporality transcends the normative relationships with the time and

space that cis straight people often better identify with. This results in the formation of new checkpoints to measure and divide portions of one’s life. Time is spent in ways unique to the queer experience: discovering emergent identity outside of childhood, in transitory time as bodies undergo genderaffirming care and in the delay between consultations and approvals, on mourning a childhood spent closeted. Every individual queer person will have their own chronology beyond the normative, all equally valid in their existence.

Even beyond individual differences, there have been shared moments which result in new perspectives for an entire generation of queer people. A notable instance that Halberstam points to is the AIDS epidemic, during which the focus shifted from planning a life of longevity to a life of planned joy in the face of potential annihilation. The COVID-19 pandemic saw a new generation of queerness face a similarly widespread change in the relationship with time, as isolation during

lockdown provided a shared stalling of presumed timelines and connection.

It is only natural that queerness would occupy its own time, and that aging would come to be marked by new milestones which can only exist by bucking old assertions of what “should be.” This is a wonderful thing. Through the embrace and rediscovery of identity, we find ourselves free to pursue a timeline and life of our own creation.

There is beauty and joy in the reclamation of time and identity. You can find it in community gatherings filled with diverse and storied people eager to share in the beauty of living life in genuine pursuit of their truth. The spaces we occupy and the people we commune with become the lens we use to view our new relationship with the world and the time we spend in it, and we will continue to choose to live life at our tempo, work when we can, dance as we please, and experience our queer joy unfettered by the bounds of chrononormativity.

IMAGE VIA PEXELS

The Magical Mystery Tour of Pride Month Graphic Novels

Wonder Woman made me do it. I was three years old and obsessed with her comic books. I made my poor parents read them to me over and over, until covers and nerves were shredded. My mother noticed I was picking out words and trying to read sentences.

“This kid goes to school now!” Mami yelled. So at the age of four, I was packed off to Sister Maria Immaculata’s kindergarten and learned to read. Not just comics, of course. But I never really left them.

As a college student desperate to come out in the 1970s, there was no queer positivity or presence. I read the Zap! comics by R. Crumb-type artists. Psychedelic and counter-cultural stuff, yes. But queer? No.

Fast forward four decades and now, in June, a number of comic purveyors publish special Pride editions. DC and Marvel, the two main U.S. comic/graphic novel publishers, have dropped multiple Pride anthologies over the years.

If you’re a fan of comics, your salivary glands go into Raging River mode. If not, you really should still take a look.

“DC Pride: A Celebration of Rachel Pollack” is unusual, due to Rachel Pollack’s unusualness.

Pollack (1945–2023) was a Jewish trans woman from Brooklyn with a wife and the

author of tons of award-winning science fiction and magical realism writing, tarot and kabbalah, and multiple comic books. A professor of Creative Writing at Goddard College and of English at State University of New York, she frequently wrote on trans life and issues. She plunged us into her swirling kaleidoscopes of dimensionhopping, barrier-shattering storylines and included her trans heroine, Coagula.

Rabid neo-Nazis menacingly follow a group of wild women in the primordial forest, chanting, “Fire our rage! Cleanse us of fear! Bless your daughters, THE PACK MENSTRUAL SAVAGES.”

In one panel, Rachel’s alter ego wears a button reading, “Put a Transsexual Lesbian on the Supreme Court” as she recounts to a friend about her tryout for the Justice League (of which Wonder Woman is a member), and not making it: “I suspect they liked my powers but couldn’t handle ME.”

Those of us who care about the “L” in LGBTQ are so often disappointed or infuriated by the left-in-the-dust treatment we too often receive. So, imagine the climactic joy many experience with “Marvel’s Voices Pride — X-Men: The Wedding Special #1” which is all about the wedding of the mutants Mystique and Destiny. For decades, fans have justifiably read the mutants in “X-Men” comics as queer. These two are explicitly so.

The cover hypes Mystique and Destiny’s Never-Before-Told Wedding Revealed at Last!

Beautiful mutants each, one blue-skinned,

the other not. The uninitiated may still become engrossed in the stories swirling around them (a collection of different teams of writers and artists present different takes on this special day).

Special Day problems of course pop up … Something borrowed? “The 9mm or the .45?”

After a razor-thin run ahead of a pursuing pack of the Law, Mystique literally crashes into the ceremony: “Marry us, son. Quickly!”

Kurt, also known as Nightcrawler: “Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“We spit on the law!”

Kurt: “Do you take this woman to be your wedded wife?”

“Yes! Always! Forever!” Each has died and been resurrectec in past stories.

Regrettably, story and character norms in the comics universe can be a bit difficult to understand for the uninitiated. But they can enjoy anthologies such as “DC PRIDE 2024: Venturing to the Farthest Reaches of

the DC Universe!” The 10 stories here, by 10 different creative teams, present great joy and heartbreaking challenges.

The book contains ads for outfits like TransLatin@Power (you can scan the QR code inside to learn and donate) and PFLAG. org/ReadWithLove to inspire readers to take action against the forces of darkness seeking to erase any instance of LGBTQ presence and any actual history from the public sphere.

Note that “Moms Against Liberty,” as I call them, are catching up to these comics. So buy a ton and donate them!

Marvel does not have an anthology book this year. Instead, it concentrates on Marvel celebrates Pride Month 2024 by focusing on LGBTQIA+ characters & straight allies by swapping out “variant” comic covers (see thepopverse.com/marvel-pride-month-2024).

It’s good to see even a brief presentation of America Chavez, the first Puerto Rican super-powered, brown-skinned lesbian heroine. There are Black characters and Asian characters too!

Happy Pride!

María Helena Dolan

A panel from “DC Pride: A Celebration of Rachel Pollack” PHOTO COURTESY OF DC PRIDE: A CELEBRATION OF RACHEL POLLACK

Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne Direct ‘Am I OK?,’ Juan Pablo Di Pace Headlines ‘The Mattachine Family’

Jim Farmer

When the lesbian romantic comedy, “Am I OK?” debuted at Sundance in early 2022, the audience reaction was great, the film received strong reviews and it got picked up for distribution. Then — it disappeared for more than two years. Now it’s finally available to see.

Written by Lauren Pomerantz and directed by Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne (a couple in real life), the film stars Dakota Johnson and Sonoya Mizuno as Lucy and Jane, respectively, who are best friends whose bond is put to the test when Lucy realizes she is attracted to women.

Notaro had worked with Pomerantz before, and they became friends.

“We had a similar sensibility and really amused one another,” Notaro said. “Getting the screenplay sent my way with Stephanie — it felt like the humor was there, and it felt there was a nuance to this coming out story that people would likely connect to. It wasn’t about being 17 or 20 coming out. [Lucy] is 32, and I think Stephanie related because she came out later.”

What Allynne liked so much is that this was a

story not about someone who faces obstacles such as religion or family holding them back from coming out, but it’s the inner struggle.

Both women — making their directorial debuts here together — agree that the script felt personal and authentic.

Lucy and Jane’s friendship is important to both of them, and there is concern Lucy’s attraction to women will affect their relationship.

“Tig and I talked about that — we don’t have that best friend that we bounce everything off of,” Allynne said. “So, we loved that part of Lucy’s struggle was telling Jane. How come she hasn’t told her and why has she

held that for so long. Is that lying to a friend? There’s this idea of coming out to yourself, the world, and to your best friend that has been next to you the whole time.”

After the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, when HBO Max bought distribution rights, the film virtually disappeared, but Notaro and Allynne were relieved to hear it was airing in June.

“With everything shifting at HBO and HBO Max, all of that, the massive shift, so many projects got put on the back burner or maybe just went away forever,” Notaro said. “We did not know what was going to happen to this. Then we got a call that this was coming out. We thought — I guess we’ll have to have a coming out party for this!”

In the new comedy-drama, “The Mattachine Family,” Thomas (Nico Tortorella) and Oscar (Juan Pablo di Pace) are a gay couple who, when their first foster child returns to his birth mother, discover they have different thoughts about the idea of family. It’s a very personal work for its director, Andy Vallentine, and his husband/writer Danny.

After Di Pace received an email from his agent about the script, he auditioned and met the Vallentines over Zoom, then did a

chemistry read with actors.

“Apparently something worked,” he said with a laugh.

He was very drawn to the material and realized it meant a lot for the Vallentines.

“I think this is personal in subject matter, based on their experience and wanting to have a kid, which they did after the movie,” Di Pace said. “They manifested their baby by making a film. The other side is — I understand this is their first feature and that in itself is huge. It does not look like a first feature. It is special to be a part of something like this. [The Vallentines] were my example. Afterwards, I went off and did my own film. Andy is my mentor in a way.”

The actor feels the balance between Thomas and Oscar is the soul of the film.

“You can see their struggle and their genuine love for each other,” he said. “It’s a relationship where they don’t want the same things but love each other deeply. It’s kind of a tragic love story. You see the hurt and the relationship is very real and grounded. It’s very easy in a queer couple to say, ‘You want this, I want this, so bye,’ but this is not the case for them.”

“The Mattachine Family” has a rich ensemble that includes Emily Hampshire, CarlClemons Hopkins, and Heather Matarazzo.

“We were so lucky to have so many incredible actors from stage and television,” Di Pace said. “But my favorite was Nico — I may have had a bit of a crush on him during filming. Plus, he was the one I had the most scenes with.”

MORE INFO

“Am I OK?” is now streaming on Max

“The Mattachine Family” is now available on all major streaming platforms and is on Blu-ray disc June 25

“The Mattachine Family” PUBLICITY PHOTO

Dakota Johnson stars in “Am I OK?” PUBLICITY PHOTO

Katie Burkholder

Myah Ross Monroe’s House of Love

JUNE 21, 9PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

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

Ron Pullman

JUNE 21, 11PM

ATLANTA EAGLE $5 cover.

Drag Down South ’24

JUNE 22, 7PM

EAST POINT CITY HALL

You’re in for an amazing night of drag performances at Drag Down South '24, presented by Atlanta Eagle & City of East Point. This free event features hosts Richard Ramey and Bubba Dee, along with amazing performers like Shawnna Brooks, Misti Shores, Lena Lust, Myah Ross Monroe, and more.

Fourth Saturdays

JUNE 22, 8PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Music by Matt Effect. $5 cover

Atlanta Eagle Cabaret

JUNE 22, 9PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

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

The Unwrapped Burlesque Show: Ashnikko Edition

JUNE 22, 9PM

MY SISTER’S ROOM

Starring Candi Le Coeur, Avecti Cuthroat, Fallon Fatale, Bleu Pearl, and Thomas A. Eddyson. $10 cover.

Karaoke Night

JUNE 23, 7:30PM

THE T

TRANSISTANCE! A Trans and Non-binary Cabaret and Open Mic

JUNE 25, 7PM

7 STAGES THEATRE

Resistance & performance go hand in hand!

Come enjoy trans-tastic performances & participate in the open mic at TRANSISTANCE, a part of the Southern Fried Queer Pride 2024 festival. Featuring Lauren Jones, Royca Hall, Tucker AYE ALXNDR, and Yutoya Avaze Leon. Hosted by Koochie Koochie Ku. Tickets via Eventbrite.

Country Night

JUNE 25, 8PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Show up at 8pm for the dance lesson before line dancing the night away with DJ Dice at 9pm!

Trivia Night

JUNE 25, 8:30PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Hosted by DJ DeWayne.

AFRODISIAC: A Black Sex Workshop

JUNE 26, 7PM

7 STAGES THEATRE

What does liberated Black sexuality look like? How does Black sexual pleasure connect to liberation? Come discuss this and more at AFRODISIAC, a part of the Southern Fried Queer Pride 2024 festival. Featuring panelists Marla Stewart, Sir Noah, and Supa Suga Snatch, plus a live impact play demo with Supa Suga Snatch

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

Giolí and Assia

JULY 5, 10PM

DISTRICT ATLANTA Tickets at bit.ly/GIOLIASSIAATL2024.

and V. Tickets via Eventbrite.

The Vast Unsaid: A Lesbian Dance Party

JUNE 26, 9PM

AISLE 5

Featuring DJ sets by Alexis Curshe and Aasha Adore, plus a live performance by Jamee Cornelia, as part of Southern Friend Queer Pride’s 2024 festival. RSVP at sfqp.info/tvufest24.

Karaoke Night

JUNE 27, 9PM

THE T

Rock Haus Karaoke

JUNE 27, 9PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Hosted by Raqi.

Peach Pit Pageant All-Stars

JUNE 27, 10PM

7 STAGES THEATRE

Past winners and runners-up of the Peach Pit Pageant compete for the title of Mx. Peach Pit All-Star, as part of Southern Fried Queer Pride’s 2024 festival. Your contestants are Canzara SZN, JayBella Bankz, Paege Turner, Tuna Fiasco, and Yutoya Avaze Leon. Tickets via Eventbrite.

Hawt Sauce! A Queer Dance Party

JUNE 28, 9PM

CONTINUES ON PAGE 23

LGBTQ NIGHTLIFE FORECAST JUNE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22

AISLE 5

The iconic queer dance party is back to heat up the dance floor as part of Southern Fried Queer Pride’s 2024 festival! Featuring DJ sets by Brian Rojas, Gemynii, Jsport, and Yoni Yacht Club. Tickets at sfqp.info/hawtsauce24.

Myah Ross Monroe’s House of Love

JUNE 28, 9PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

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

T4T! A Trans and Non-Binary Dance Party

JUNE 28, 9PM

STAR BAR

Bob Moses

JUNE 28, 10PM

DISTRICT ATLANTA

Tickets at collectivpresents.com.

Sweet Tea! A Queer Variety Show

JUNE 29, 10PM

AISLE 5

Take a sip of Atlanta’s longest-running queer variety show of music, drag, burlesque, and more as part of Southern Fried Queer Pride’s 2024 festival. Featuring KHX05, King Perka Sexxx, Linqua Franqa, Qween Quan, and Sunbody, plus DJ sets by Cochino. Tickets at sfqp.info/ sweettea24

Lauren Sanderson Live in Concert

JUNE 29, 11PM

Save the date for this trans and non-binary dance party, a part of the Southern Fried Queer Pride 2024 festival! Featuring DJ sets by Abby Dear, Gorp, Jaguar, and Zaida Zane. Tickets via Eventbrite.

MY SISTER’S ROOM

Tickets at mysistersroom.com.

Atlanta Eagle Cabaret

JUNE 29, 9PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

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

Utopia

JUNE 29, 10PM

DISTRICT ATLANTA

Tickets via Eventbrite.

SEBB Kinked Night: Locker Room Sports Gear Party

JUNE 29, 9PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

This quarter, Southeast Black and Blue are hitting the locker rooms and donning all forms of sports gear, from cleats and baseball caps to jockstraps and jerseys and everything in between! $5 cover.

Karaoke Night

JUNE 30, 7:30PM

THE T

Trivia Night

JULY 2, 8:30PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Hosted by DJ DeWayne.

Karaoke Night

JULY 4, 9PM

THE T

Rock Haus Karaoke

JULY 4, 9PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

Hosted by Raqi.

Myah Ross Monroe’s House of Love

JULY 5, 9PM

ATLANTA EAGLE

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

Giolí and Assia

JULY 5, 10PM

DISTRICT ATLANTA Tickets at bit.ly/GIOLIASSIAATL2024.

Ron Pullman

JULY 5, 11PM

ATLANTA EAGLE $5 cover.

Celebrating Generations of Pride

AARP believes in celebrating the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community across all generations. That’s why we offer tools, programs and services to help you get the most out of your fabulous life. We all want to live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives. AARP is committed to creating a new vision of aging for LGBTQ+ individuals, their families and allies—one focused on equity and inclusion and complete with diverse experiences, powerful stories, and innovative ways for everyone to pursue their passions—joyfully, openly and proudly!

Get to know us at aarp.org/pride

/aarpgeorgia

@aarpga

@aarpgeorgia