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We’re All Born Naked…
More than 30 years ago, Judith Butler explored and theorized on the performativity of gender in their book, “Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity.”
“The effect of gender is produced through the stylization of the body and, hence, must be understood as the mundane way in which bodily gestures, movements, and styles of various kinds constitute the illusion of an abiding gendered self,” they wrote. “…[W] oman itself is a term in process, a becoming, a constructing that cannot rightfully be said to originate or to end.”
RuPaul echoed a similar sentiment in layman’s terms (or should I say gayman’s terms?) in 2014: “We’re all born naked, and the rest is drag.” While not all of us are drag queens, the performance of gender is something that impacts us all.
So-called “feminist” critics of drag claim that drag queens use stereotypes of women to turn us into caricature. Even if all drag performers were attempting to be female illusionists (which, if you’ve been to any sort of alternative drag show, you know is certainly not the case), this raises the question: where does one’s construction of femininity as a cis woman cross the line from caricature into something “genuine”? If a drag queen constructs their persona off stereotypes because they have big boobs and wear dresses and makeup and heels, then, by that logic, so do the cisgender women for
whom all of that is also true.
When you understand the fact that, whichever way you decide to perform femininity, masculinity, or gender fluidity, it is a performance nonetheless, it opens you up to new interpretations of how you choose to perform.
Drag has liberated my own expression as a woman. Watching drag performers interpret gender in different, creative, and inventive ways (especially at alternative shows like DragOn’s Den or Alt3r) drastically transformed how I interact with my own interpretation of gender. Seeing my womanhood as a costume or even a character, both an earnest part of me and an alter ego, is so much more fun than assuming it to be something “natural” — especially when the assumptions of femininity inevitably feel unnatural; I no longer feel as if something is wrong with me or push myself to uncomfortably conform to that assumption, I simply adjust the way I wish to perform.
Sometimes, I like to be feminine by wearing
over-the-top makeup and attention-grabbing clothes and showing significant cleavage. However, that performance no longer feels natural when, for example, I’m on my period. I’m bloated and exhausted, so I prefer to wear comfortable, loose-fitting, masculine silhouettes that I feel award me less visibility than my high femme presentation does in public. Instead of feeling like my body isn’t “worthy” of the more stereotypically feminine performance, I feel as if I’m honoring the gender expression that feels the most authentic to me in that moment.
That’s what drag offers us: the possibility for invention and reinvention. It gives us the power to define ourselves instead of giving that same power away to institutions and assumptions that were never made for us, the freedom to feel good enough in a world that profits off our insecurity. The recent widespread legislative attacks against drag are an attempt to police our honest and inventive expression, to make evil the imagination of something new, outside the bounds of social construction — attacks that will never be successful.
PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/JG FOTOGRAFIA
Katie Burkholder
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Read these stories and more online at thegavoice.com
LGBTQ Issues Absent from Trump-Biden Debate
At their televised debate in Atlanta on June 27, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump traded barbs on issues from abortion and election integrity to immigration and foreign policy. The 81and 78-year-old candidates even argued over who is a better golfer.
Absent from the discussion, however, were matters of LGBTQ rights that have animated national politics in this election cycle with the presumptive Republican nominee promising to weaponize the federal government against queer and trans Americans as the president pledges to build on his record of expanding their freedoms and protections.
ABC News will run the second debate scheduled for September 10.
The president’s performance was widely criticized as halting and shaky, with White House reporter Peter Baker of The New York Times writing that Democratic Party leaders are calling for him to be replaced at the top of the ticket.
Leading up to the debate, advocacy groups urged the candidates to defend their records on and policy proposals concerning LGBTQ rights, with some arguing the discussion would advantage President Joe Biden’s campaign, as reported by The Hill’s Brooke Migdon.
As the community celebrated Pride this month, the Biden-Harris 2024 team made significant investments in paid media and the Out for Biden national organizing effort to court LGBTQ voters, who are expected to comprise a larger share of the electorate than ever before.
“This will be an enormous slight to our community if LGBTQ questions are not asked during this debate,” GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis said. “Our community is deeply affected by where these candidates stand.”
“I hope we see a substantive conversation on the records of these two men for the fight for a more equal society,” said Brandon Wolf, national press secretary at the Human Rights Campaign.
“A vast majority of people in this country support an America that treats people with dignity and respect; they support an America that prevents people from experiencing discrimination and harm simply because of who they are,” he said.
“That is where the American people largely are, and I hope we get an opportunity on that stage to see the contrast between these two candidates.”
State Department Hosts Meeting on LGBTQ Rights and Foreign Policy
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday hosted a group of LGBTQ activists and politicians from around the world at the State Department.
The event — described as a “Convening on U.S. Foreign Policy: National Security, Inclusive Development, and the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons” — took place before the State Department’s annual Pride Month reception.
“Forty-five years ago, thousands gathered in D.C. in what became the first national march for LGBTQI+, demanding their voices be heard,” said Thomas-Greenfield in a post to her X account that showed her speaking at the event. “We must continue to carry forward the spirit of these pioneers and fight for equal rights and dignity for all.”
President Joe Biden in 2021 signed a memo that committed the U.S. to promoting LGBTQ and intersex rights abroad as part of his administration’s overall foreign policy.
“LGBTQI+ rights are human rights,” said Blinken. “Our government has a responsibility to defend them, to promote them — here and everywhere.”
Blinken noted consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized in 64 countries, with the death penalty in 11 of them.
He specifically highlighted Uganda’s AntiHomosexuality Act and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government’s “smearing scapegoating, stigmatizing LGBTQ persons — vilifying them with degrading labels, denying them equal rights, normalizing violence against them.” (Gay U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman this month marched in the annual Budapest Pride parade.)
Blinken noted Iraqi MPs earlier this year “passed legislation that punishes same-sex relations with up to 15 years in prison.” He also pointed out that Indonesian lawmakers approved a new criminal code banning extramarital sex.
“In a nation where same-sex couples cannot marry, these laws effectively make all samesex conduct illegal and they undermine privacy for all Indonesians,” said Blinken.
Blinken noted seven countries — Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Namibia, Singapore, the Cook Islands — have decriminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations over the last two years. He also highlighted Greece, Liechtenstein, and Thailand this year extended marriage rights to same-sex couples, and other countries are banning socalled “conversion therapy.”
“These achievements are possible because of incredibly courageous human rights defenders and government partners on the ground, but I believe America’s support is indispensable,” said Blinken. “When we engage — sometimes publicly, sometimes privately, sometimes both — when we share our own knowledge and experience, we can and we do achieve change.”
Blinken also announced the U.S. now considers sexual orientation and gender identity are part of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that took effect in 1976.
Trump-Biden debate. SCREEN CAPTURES VIA CNN
Missouri and Ohio Lead the Country in Anti-Drag Legislation
It’s been over a year since a federal judge struck down the Tennessee drag ban. The bill’s broad language targeting “adult cabaret performances” in public spaces only succeeded in receiving a permanent injunction from federal judge Tommy Parker. Florida’s attempt to ban public drag shows also obtained a permanent injunction in November.
Missouri and Ohio are the only states with active legislation that would ban drag shows and limit gender expression if passed. In Missouri, four bills await further action after being introduced in the General Assembly at the start of the 2024 session. In Ohio, HB 245 could be mistaken for one of Missouri’s drag bans. It is currently the most advanced after its second committee hearing. The legislation, under the guise of protecting children, denotes gender-bending as a sexual offense that children should not be subjected to and to be kept within “adult cabaret performance.”
MISSOURI
HB 1650
Introduced by Republican Rep. Mazzie Christensen in early 2024, HB 1650 outlines insincere concerns for child safety and drag performance while imposing rules about gender expression. The bill takes several opportunities to define where drag performers and trans people are allowed to exist only during “adult cabaret performances.” Careful to emphasize children’s safety as the basis and frequently defining sexual contact throughout, HB 1650 not so subtly implies that people who are in drag or trans are child predators. The bill seems to be at a standstill but not defeated as of the date of publishing.
HB 1849
Rep. Ben Baker introduced an anti-drag bill
in January this year. HB 1849 is a similarly worded legislative attack on the rights and expression of drag performers and trans people as Rep. Cook’s HB 2300 and Rep. Christensen’s HB 1650. Unsurprisingly, Baker preceded this filing with HB 1848, which would allow concealed carry in places of worship. Baker’s other sponsored bills also include bans on “Chinese-owned social media applications” and limitations on genderaffirming healthcare in the forms of HB 2141 and 2830, respectively. For now, however, Baker’s other bills appear to have lost steam. Though HB 1849 is not currently scheduled for hearing, it is considered as advancing.
HB 2300
Another bill that uses the same coded language
to limit freedom of expression comes from Rep. Bennie Cook, who also proposed an anti-trans sports bill regarding children and adolescents (HB 1184) that did not survive the introduction. HB 2300 would disallow “male or female impersonators who provide entertainment, or similar entertainers,” to exist outside of, again, “adult cabaret performances.” The bill has not moved since being introduced at the start of January.
SB 1187
Sen. Mike Moon, like his peers in the House, proposed (for the third time) a bill that would “modify provisions relating to sexually oriented businesses…without regard to an individual's psychological, chosen, or subjective experience of gender.” SB 1187
is not a unique bill in Missouri’s 102nd General Assembly. Several state senators and representatives hope to instate specifics about gender expression and queer spaces. Moon’s agenda becomes clearer when considering another recently sponsored bill, SB 1234, which offers an optional religious marriage license and states that “marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman.” SB 1187 is in limbo and will likely be defeated.
OHIO
HB 245
Ohio Representatives Angela N. King and Josh Williams took several pages from Missouri’s book when introducing antidrag legislation in HB 245 last November. Taking care to be specific about gender expression, HB 245 states, “performers or entertainers who exhibit a gender identity that is different from the performer's or entertainer's gender assigned at birth using clothing, makeup, prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts, or other physical markers.” HB 245 is the most advanced of the above-listed bills, making it the most dangerous for trans people and drag performers in Ohio. If signed into law, HB 245 would join the 44 anti-trans bills currently in effect in the U.S., according to the Trans Legislation Tracker.
Conservative attacks and advances on LGBTQ rights are as dangerous as they are ridiculous and unconstitutional, but until the federal level takes action to protect gender expression, we can expect bills like these to continue popping up.
As Senator Heidi Campbell from Nashville points out, “The law is obviously meant just to be hateful because the obscenity statute already covers this … what it’s really done is have a chilling effect on our LGBTQ community and our vibrant drag community."
Adalei Stevens
Missouri and Ohio are the only states with active legislation that would ban drag shows and limit gender expression if passed. PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ ALEXLMX
A Confused Biden and a Deranged Trump
President Biden drew concerns following the first debate of the 2024 election While Trump refused to deal with any of the issues.
Sad state of affairs after first presidential debate
Peter Rosenstein, Washington Blade via the National LGBTQ Media Association
Joe Biden was clearly ready with some facts for this debate, the sad part is he couldn’t articulate them. He sounded raspy and lost track of what he was saying in the first few minutes of the debate. He did get better as the debate progressed but came off sounding and looking like an old man. For those of us hoping he would sound like he did at the State of the Union or the speech he gave on anti-Semitism, it was a huge disappointment.
So, where his campaign goes from here is anyone’s guess. Behind the scenes, some Democrats are calling for him to step down as the candidate. But that is much more difficult than it seems at this time. And then, will there be a fight for who the candidate will be? Will it automatically be Kamala Harris, or will it be someone else? So many unanswered questions over the next couple of weeks.
The only positive takeaway for Democrats
from the debate was how deranged Donald Trump sounded. He refused to deal with any issue, refused to say he would accept the results of this election, refused to acknowledge climate change, or January 6, and kept saying how the states should control the issue of abortion, and women’s health. Every one of these things should be frightening to so many people. It is clear if Trump is elected, we will have a dictator in the White House, who believes Hitler did good things. His election is scary for women, young people, Black Americans, and the LGBTQ community. If states control issues related to any of these groups, they are screwed.
One of the very few good lines Biden got across was when he said 40 high-level Trump appointees, members of the Cabinet, and his vice president have refused to endorse him, as they know him best. People need to take their word for how bad he will be should he be reelected. Trump kept talking nonsense, and it was hard to keep up with the lies. The moderators didn’t call him on any of it, but CNN has said before the debate they wouldn’t. But then Biden missed so many chances to call him on the garbage he was spouting. I kept hoping he would turn to
him and say clearly, “You can’t believe all the BS you are spouting. You sound like a deranged six-year-old and someone who would take our country down the tubes.”
I accept the fact Biden speaks more slowly and softly – though after the debate his team said he had a cold. He could have addressed that at the beginning of the debate, if it was true, and explained his voice to the audience. And while we know he has a stutter, it sounded so much worse during the debate than it normally does. Was it nerves? Maybe, but difficult nonetheless for him and for those listening. However, we must have compassion for anyone with any kind of disability.
Then, one has to ask, was he over-prepared for this debate? Was he so scripted he didn’t dare say anything off-script? When he did go off-script, though, they got into this thing about golf handicaps and both sounded so childish.
Biden did manage to talk about the things he has accomplished and the successes of his first administration, of which there have been many. First, bringing the country successfully out of the pandemic. He spoke
about unemployment being the lowest it has been in decades and the more than 15 million jobs created since he took office. He was honest about inflation and the fact that not all the economic successes the country is experiencing are trickling down to every American. He understands that rent and grocery bills are still too high. He made clear he wants to raise taxes on the rich and Trump wants to lower them. He had a plan to ensure Social Security would stay solvent, Trump had nothing as usual.
Finally, I was surprised that in his twominute closing, Biden didn’t go back to the issues of abortion, climate change, and saving democracy. Did his debate prep team tell him not to? If so, they were wrong. Whether it remains Joe Biden on the ticket or someone else takes his place, I am 1,000 percent committed to do everything I can to see Democrats are elected across the board. It is clear to me – and should be to all decent people – that electing Donald Trump and his MAGA Republicans will be the end of our country as we know it today.
Peter Rosenstein is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist.
PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ PHOTOSINCE
New Drag Brunch Haus Blend Makes Drag Accessible and Intimate
In the former office of Georgia Voice, 22-year-old drag artist Thea Trickality is bringing a new drag brunch to Atlanta that seeks to make drag intimate, authentic, and accessible to both audiences and performers.
Thea moved to Atlanta in January from Richmond, Virginia, and brought with her the idea to host a drag brunch in a coffee shop, like she did back in Richmond.
“I was introduced to coffee through my partner who’s a drag performer and barista,” she told Georgia Voice. “We started doing shows back in Richmond in a coffee shop, and what was beautiful about that was seeing the particular community come out for that show.”
She wanted to find a venue owned by someone who genuinely cared about drag — not just the money drag could bring in. Ash Coffee was the perfect fit to be the home of Haus Blend.
“[Ash is] very authentic,” Thea said. “Especially at a time where drag is everywhere, it’s really important to me to make sure that the venue hosting the drag cares about it; it’s so easy to, especially for Pride Month, bring a performer or show in for no good reason. The connection between owner and performer is important to me, and I think [that translates] to the audience members. There’s a good vibe here.”
The coffee shop atmosphere brings with it the opportunity to make drag accessible to performers and audiences who are sober or not interested in being in nightlife spaces. It also opens up the possibility for all-ages shows — but don’t expect every Haus Blend show to be family-friendly.
“I prefer to keep my brunch shows at 18+
just because of the stories that I like to share and the way I like to interact with the audience,” Thea said. “However, there is the opportunity for it to be all ages … [Although,] just the same as you wouldn’t take kids to every single movie that’s in theaters, you wouldn’t take them to every drag show that's in your city.”
Being a small coffee shop, the venue offers audiences the chance to experience the performers up close and personal. Every seat is in the front row, and Thea plans to take this intimacy to the next level with how she and other performers interact with the audience.
“I love to greet people as they come in, I like
to bring you your drink or your food,” she said. “Even having Taylor DJ in drag, I love creating the fantastical environment of the drag performers who put this on are in drag doing real things — and then they’re also performing. There’s duality in that.”
Haus Blend launched on June 16 with its first show at Ash, featuring Thea and her partner Pony Boy, CoCo Iman Starr, Aqua De’Laroja, and Taylor ALXNDR as the Haus DJ. The event was a huge success, but Thea is ready to keep improving.
“We did sell out, and the audience was really enthusiastic,” she said. “Someone told me that if intention was worth its weight in gold,
I’d be rich. [I want to execute my intentions], and I’m learning that that takes time. Doing two to three shows in a day [in Richmond], I got very used to making things happen quickly. But that doesn’t always ensure that they’re quality, right? I want to teach myself to really perfect things.”
Haus Blend’s second show will take place on August 18 at Ash Coffee. Tickets start at $15 for general admission and $40 for admission, brunch, and bottomless mimosas. To purchase tickets, visit theatrickality.com/ tickets. To keep up with Thea Trickality, follow her on Instagram @thea.trickality. You can buy tickets for Haus Blend on August 18 online at theatrickality.com.
Katie Burkholder
Thea Trickality (left) brings a new drag brunch to Ash Coffee, with Taylor ALXNDR (right) joining as Haus DJ. STAFF PHOTO BY KATIE BURKHOLDER
Sitting Down with Wigging Out Winner Ketamina (aka Ryan Wharton)
Katie Burkholder
For six weeks, amateur drag performers took the stage at Future Atlanta to compete on behalf of LGBTQ charities in Georgia and beyond. The first season of Wigging Out raised a total of $11,000 for LGBTQ nonprofits — $2500 of which came from Ryan Wharton’s winnings; Ryan took home the crown as Ketamina. We sat down with Wharton to discuss his win, the experience of performing in drag for the first time, and the charity he competed for.
Quotes have been edited for clarity. Read the full interview online at thegavoice.com.
What was it like to perform in drag for the first time? Were you scared at all?
I don’t really have fear — going into week one, you could not tell me that I wasn’t a trained dancer. I just went into it with the mindset of like … I want to win. Phoenix was like, ‘We’re not going to be hard on you. It's not like Dragnificent, it’s for charity. We know it's for amateurs.’ I was like, ‘Oh, no, I want to be treated like you would judge anyone else, whether they've been doing it for five or 10 years’ — which she did.
What was your experience on Wigging Out like? What were the highlights of the competition for you?
For the first three weeks, I was really getting my feet in and learning. Learning my words was more of a challenge than I thought it was going to be.
I never wanted to take the easy way in the competition, even though I knew there would be faults and failures each week, I still swung way outside of my comfort zone. I was constantly trying to push myself and be as creative as I could.
Winning four challenges felt really good.
I knew I’d have my core group of friends supporting me each week, but I did not realize by the end, I was going to have like, like 80 to 100 people showing up on a Tuesday for me. I was just mind blown by that. Also getting to see these looks that I made and I worked really hard on each week gain such praise from the judges — each week, I had at least one judge or one of the professional drag queens backstage like wanting to buy what I was wearing — that was really cool because I really hadn't flexed that muscle in years.
You decided to compete on behalf of Rainbow
Railroad. Tell me about that organization and why you decided to choose them. My charity was Rainbow Railroad, which is all about helping queer people all across the world immigrate to safer countries as far as queer rights go.
I have a friend who runs another charity called TRANS ASYLIAS in New York. They help trans women of color get their immigration status to the U.S., and they are a sister charity of Rainbow Railroad. I’ve gotten to meet some of these refugees over the years of working with my friend, I’ve seen the effect of money and where that goes,
and how that can change someone’s life that I may never meet, and maybe never know like the full impact that that may have, but I know that it's happening.
Rainbow Railroad doesn’t always deal specifically with getting people immigration status because sometimes immigrating isn't necessarily the best option for someone. Sometimes they do have families they have to take care of, and they just need help as far as getting them into a safer place where they are currently living. They’ve got a multistep approach to how they handle each case that is given to them, starting with allocating funds to helping them where they are currently and then, as needed, helping them emigrate to a safer place.
What’s the future of Ketamina? Will you do drag again?
I will say that Ketamina is dead. I have figured out the new name, I think I’m gonna start going by Drama, I think it describes my personality and my drag.
Dragnificent starts back in a month, and I think I’m going to do it, because I just want to see if I could win again. I liked the competitive aspect of drag more than I thought. I love the art side of drag and pushing the boundaries of what drag can be, but I really like beating people!
Anything you’d like to add?
Phoenix has mentioned she wants to do this again. When this comes back around in about a year, I would say it was a really, really rewarding experience. It was a lot of work, but I really want to encourage people who have ever given it a thought to try it out and just see what comes of it. As someone who was already very confident going into Wigging Out, I left believing I could do anything. It really does push you to become a better version of yourself in or out of drag.
Ryan Wharton performs in Wigging Out as drag persona Ketamina. COURTESY PHOTOS
Phoenix’s Dragnificent Has Transformed Atlanta Drag for 15 Years
Dragnificent is a drag competition that has shaped the Atlanta drag scene for years, creating space for all types of drag, platforming new entertainers, and helping launch careers to international stardom. The competition was founded over a decade ago by RuPaul’s Drag Race season 3 alum Phoenix.
“It’s something I’m extremely proud of,” Phoenix told Georgia Voice. “It started as just this tiny little competition with the winner getting like $500. Now, we are about 15 seasons in. We just posted about starting auditions. The amount of applications that are already coming in, and the excitement and the buzz, it’s great.”
Today, the competition has grown into a staple of Atlanta drag, with locals looking forward to it all year. Dragnificent is specifically for drag performers with under five years of experience and was started as a way for new performers to dip their toes into the waters of drag.
“Drag is tough to get into,” Phoenix said. “I didn't have a lot of competitions like this, where not only are you getting your feet wet with a stage, but you’re also being critiqued by established performers. I wish something like this would have been around when I started 23 years ago.”
In its early years, Dragnificent was held at Jungle, a gay club that closed in 2017. It was here that the show began its long-held tradition of launching new performers into the spotlight.
“Violet Chachki did Dragnificent,” Phoenix said. “Abhora from ‘Dragula,’ she did Dragnificent years ago. I remember her on stilts walking in Jungle as this creature; it was insane. ‘Dragula’ winner Biqtch Puddin, and [‘Drag Race’ all stars] Angeria
Paris VanMicheals and LaLa Ri also did Dragnificent. When you ask them, they all will tell you that Dragnificent was a huge influence in their drag. Violet has said in so many interviews that Atlanta helped shape her to be who she is today.”
Over the years, Dragnificent moved from Jungle to the Heretic to Midtown Tavern before finding its forever home at Future. The location isn't the only way the competition has changed, however. For starters, the prize is now ten times as big, cashing in at $5,000. The crowds have grown larger over the years, and the types of drag in the Atlanta scene have grown more diverse.
One thing that hasn't changed about Dragniificent is the premium quality of the judging panel. Phoenix stressed the importance of a judging panel that respects all types of drag, has decades of experience, and a variety of skill sets, never critiquing a performer on something they can't tell them how to fix.
“Taejah can sew anything, so she could help you with that,” Phoenix said. “Tahjee Iman is a well-rounded queen and an insane lip-sync artist. Taejah has been with me for a long time.
I’ve had Brigitte Bidet as a judge; Raquell Lord and Shawnna Brooks have judged. I love Brigitte being the host of Dragnificent because she’s competed, and she’s won AllStars. She knows what that’s like and how the contestants are feeling at the moment.”
A hallmark of Dragnificent has been the competition’s diversity in opening up to every type of drag entertainer including bearded queens, creature-esque drag, and drag kings. In 2022, Deacon Slanders became the first king to win Dragnificent.
“I love Deacon, and I think he is such an artist,” Phoenix said. “Everything he presents is so thought through and conceptual and creative. I was so proud that he took home the win.”
Last year’s winner of Dragnificent was drag queen Chucky DeVille.
“Chucky and Ran Diosa exploded in the scene. It makes me so proud to watch them and know that I was a small piece of their launch into nightlife,” Phoenix said. “I love every one of those queens so much. I feel like such a proud mom watching them. Lala Ri did Dragnifcent and is one of my drag kids
now. I’ve taken her under my wing the past several years, and watching her on Drag Race and touring the world is so great.”
Three years ago, Phoenix launched the Atlanta All-Stars competition for former Dragnificent contestants and entertainers with more years in the business. So far, there have been three winners of Atlanta All-Stars: Cici Nicole, Brigitte Bidet, and Ivy Fischer. Each of them took home a prize of $10,000, an impressively large prize for a local competition.
“Cici Nicole won the first All-Stars and did a Janet production and danced her face off, and the place went wild,” Phoenix said. “When Taejah and Brigitte competed together two All-Stars ago, that was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen in a nightclub. It was phenomenal. They did three different performances and every single one was just amazing. This past All-Stars season, Arrianna Paris – the theme was ‘Drag in the Future’ – came out in this airbrushed glow-in-thedark floral moment that was mindblowing. It went viral because it was so stunning.”
While this year’s All-Stars crown has already been snatched by Ivy Fischer, a new season of Dragnificent begins August 13, almost one month after the audition show on July 16. Phoenix said the judges are looking for artists who respect the art form and who bring something different to the stage.
“Every season I’m so entertained,” she said. “If I stopped doing this right this second, I would still go to a drag show tomorrow. I’m a fan of drag. I get so excited with All-Stars and Dragnificent because a competition brings out your absolute best. There is so much talent in Atlanta and I’m honored to bring so much of it to a stage.”
For more information on shows and tickets, visit future-atlanta.com.
Luke Gardner
Phoenix proudly stands beside last years Dragnificent winner, Chucky DeVille. COURTESY PHOTO
Dotte Com Discusses Mental Health as a Black Performer
If you don’t know her yet, Dotte Com is a local queen who has performed all over the city since 2017. For years she has dazzled crowds with her performances, which showcase a fusion of her drag and cosplay influences. She is also the organizer behind NeonBlk, a monthly all-Black drag show at Mary’s.
Initially, Dotte found her start in cosplay scenes where, due to the fear of backlash, she would perform only as characters with a similar complexion to hers. Her worry was not an unfounded one. While the cosplay scene has worked to become more inclusive over time, there still exists a vocal minority of people who maintain hostility toward POC performers ‘dressing outside of their race’. Dotte thought it best to restrict her pool of potential cosplays to characters with the same complexion.
“A lot of cosplayers, when I first started, really decreed accuracy, so you want to look like the character, and I included the skin tone,” Dotte told Georgia Voice. “So, I kind of boxed myself in with a list of characters I wanted to do. Like, okay, this character’s Black, so I’ll do this character, and this character’s Black, and this character’s Black, but it felt so limiting.”
After some soul-searching, she decided to risk ridicule to gain the freedom of donning the cosplays she had always kept in her heart. As she began to attend conventions with her new looks, she found nothing but support from the community. Each appearance she made from then on helped to further cement confidence in her.
“I feel like we get very used to thinking that we’re not good enough, [so] we don’t really recognize when we are good enough,” she said. “When people compliment us, I feel
it’s like: ‘No, that’s somebody who took time out of their day and took their breath to say how awesome they think you are. That’s not up for debate.’”
Around the same time, Dotte would find herself freed from another similar restriction. After seeing Dax ExclamationPoint compete on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” she realized that she could have the freedom to explore an even wider set of characters. Until this point, to perform femme characters she would instead do a sort of ‘boy-drag’ where she
would play them as men. Using a femme presentation to bring out nuances of their original depictions was far more exciting and authentic to her. With this, the last pieces of Dotte Com were formed at the intersection of drag and cosplay.
These changes have allowed her to explore a wider and unrestricted range, while also working as the first steps forward in an ongoing effort to find true selfacceptance. Despite her consistent shows and successes with managing NeonBlk, she
would frequently confront questions of her worthiness. Growing up with Trinidadian parents in a culturally white neighborhood had left her in a recurring struggle with her racial identity. As she began NeonBlk, she would battle with the idea that she may not be “Black enough” to run an all-Black show.
“In the first few years of doing NeonBlk, I didn’t feel like I was American enough, or culturally Black enough, to even be doing it,” she explained. “I think there are so many things that happened [that] helped me get more used to that. I feel like it doesn’t matter if I feel Black enough because, at the end of the day, I’m perceived as Black – you can tell. So, even if I don’t get all the references, I’m still going through America the same way that the next Black person is. So that was like realizing that I’m in this with everybody else, you know, we’re all going through the same type of struggles, at least.”
With time, Dotte would reduce the grip of imposter syndrome – although she admitted that it was still a work in progress, she had found that similarly to gaining the confidence to perform unrestricted, her self-assuredness was also built through community support. By being continually accepted with open arms, she came into a new mindset: nobody is the picture-perfect representation of any group.
“It’s just so eye-opening that there’s not any one way to be Black,” she told Georgia Voice “Just like there isn’t one way to be queer and there’s not one way to be gay. Know whatever way you have it, is valid. At the end of the day, I’m also more than just Black, it’s only one part of my identity… it’s a weird combination that we all struggle with.”
For more information on Dotte Com or NeonBlk, follow @thedottecom and @ neonblkdrag on Instagram.
Anaia Wes
Atlanta drag performer Dotte Com PHOTO VIA INSTAGRAM
Trans Pastor: It Is Time for Christians to Repent for Harming Trans People
Rev. Kalie Hargrove, The Center for Prophetic Imagination
As a trans woman who is ordained in a nonaffirming denomination, I am often asked why I am still a Christian. I have been expelled from seminary for being trans, have had Christian family members publicly condemn me, and have had online strangers with “Christian” in their bios tell me how much better the world would be if I killed myself.
While I have my list of reasons for continuing in my faith, the one that drives me the most to speak out is the fact that Christianity is my tradition. Not just the positives, but most importantly, the negatives. As faith leaders, especially white Christian leaders, we must recognize the fact that we are part of a tradition that is aggressively targeting trans rights in the U.S., and we have a responsibility to work to change that.
Last fall, there was a hearing for Georgia’s Senate Bill 88 that was open for comments from the public. While I sat there, I watched as the senators and sponsors of the bill used their Christian faith to justify their attempt to remove LGBTQ protections in the State of Georgia.
This is not the first time that Christianity has been used in the state to further injustice and discrimination. Georgia has a history of opposing human rights on the basis of Christian tradition. Throughout Reconstruction and Jim Crow, many Christians were vocally supportive of segregation, redlining, and voter restrictions that harmed Black Georgians. It was also Christians that supported the police raids on predominantly Black queer establishments that began the “Stonewall of the South” with its raid on Ansley Mall Mini-Cinema. Regardless of our personal thoughts and
Rev. Kalie Hargrove COURTESY PHOTO
positions as individuals of faith or as a congregation, we also need to recognize that we are just as responsible for our tradition’s actions as those who use it to promote inequality and bigotry.
Even today, it is professing Christians who are leading the way in pushing for antitrans laws in our state. U.S. representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has bragged about being a Christian nationalist, has also been known for her intentional antitrans rhetoric and pushing anti-trans narratives at the national level. In our state government, Senator Carden H. Summers has led the way in passing anti-trans laws by writing Senate Bill 140, which stripped trans youth from access to genderaffirming care, while holding to and citing his Christian beliefs and rallying other Christian politicians to join in the removal of trans rights to health care.
Part of being a faith leader is recognizing the fact that we are called to more than just
being teachers. We are also called to take part in leading our tradition in new directions. We must be leaders undoing the harm we took part in creating.
So, this year, I am urging our Christian religious leaders to join in the movement to change the way our tradition has shown up in the world and in our communities. Our tradition needs leaders who will proactively change course and work to reverse the harm Christians have caused. Simply put, our tradition needs repentance:
• Repent for the theologies used to kill and oppress others by letting go of our adherence to teachings that excuse slavery, genocide, and bigotry.
• Repent for the votes we used to elect officials from within our traditions that institutionalized systemic racism and queerphobia by actively engaging with the political landscape and encouraging others to be politically active in social justice.
“To the queer community, our Black, Indigenous, and people of color siblings, women, immigrants, and every marginalized group in between, you deserve better. Our faith tradition has failed you by perpetuating the harm we face today and have faced throughout Georgia’s history. It is time for our faith to repent.”
— Rev. Kalie Hargrove
• Repent for our comfort as the privileged tradition upheld by Eurocentric supremacy by working to tear down the very ideological frameworks that hold our tradition superior by association.
• And mostly, we must repent for our silence. As faith leaders, we need to be the ones showing up and speaking out. We may minister in our religious buildings, but we also need to minister in our Capitol building. We must be there for “the least of these” and lead the repentance of our tradition through our actions, not our mere words.
For the 236-year history of Georgia as a U.S. state, our tradition has tried to “bless the Lord and Father, but with [our tongues] we curse the people who were made in the image of God” (James 3:9).
To the queer community, our Black, Indigenous, and people of color siblings, women, immigrants, and every marginalized group in between, you deserve better. Our faith tradition has failed you by perpetuating the harm we face today and have faced throughout Georgia’s history. It is time for our faith to repent.
Songs for the Midwest Princesses
If you like Chappell Roan, you’ll love this playlist
Adalei Stevens
Chappell Roan exploded into stardom this year after releasing The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, a sincere and bold exploration of queerness, femininity, and heartbreak. “HOT TO GO!,” “Red Wine Supernova,” and her most recent single, “Good Luck, Babe!” are upbeat, ’80s-inspired tracks about sweet starts and bitter exes. Her voice is moving and elevates the album’s captivating pop melodies. Her Tiny Desk concert showcased her vocal abilities and iconic style. The lipstick on the teeth, the wig, and the glove/dress combo embody the album’s sympathetic synth-pop heroine.
She paid homage to the late drag queen and comedienne Divine in her latest Pride performance in Louisville, Kentucky. Chappell’s love of drag extends beyond her wardrobe. On tour, she books local drag performers to open her show. When she came to Atlanta, Drew Friday, Taylor Alxndr, and Cookie Dlite opened the show at Buckhead Theatre.
Chappell has said drag has had a major influence on her onstage character, but she doesn’t feel like she’s completed her evolution.
“I feel like another girl in the local drag competition. Like another girl on Drag Race. I don’t think I’m a judge yet,” she said in an interview with NME.
The album captures the highs and lows of developing an identity as a young queer person, and I can’t get enough. If you can’t either, here are some recommendations based on your favorite song from the album:
“Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl”
“REIGN DANCE” BY SIREN
Suppose your favorite Chappell tune is the playful denouncing of archaic dating rules set
to a solid synth beat. You should tap into the hypnotic power of “Reign Dance” by Siren.
The group is a Brooklyn-based, Black and brown trans music collective that released its first project, THE GREAT OFFERING: VENUS UNDERWATER, earlier this year. Asanni Armon, s.e.r, Demi Vee, PHARAOH RAPTURE, WHATSGOOD!, and SunChild became friends in 2016 before forming the powerhouse musical group.
Of the album’s multigenre exploration, RAPTURE said in an interview with Them,
“One of the things that we were all able to do was really prove that there's no genre that Black queer people don't have any business inside of, because we did create them all.”
“After Midnight”
“DANCE (DISCO HEAT)” BY SYLVESTER
For you, nothing beats a funky bass line that lets you lose yourself somewhere in the middle. As you might’ve guessed, “Dance (Disco Heat)” by Sylvester is as funky as it gets. Sylvester was an L.A.-based singer at the height of disco who played with gender, both in his singing voice and personal style.
Known as the “Queen of Disco,” Sylvester’s early EDM tracks still earn royalties even decades after his passing, all of which go to two HIV/AIDS charities, Project Open Hand and the AIDS Emergency Fund.
“Feminomenon”
“MINI HEARTBREAKS” BY SUDIE What if “Feminomenon” were rewritten by Grimes and sung by Kate Bush? That’s “Mini Heartbreaks” by Sudie. Atlanta-based and classically trained, Sudie releases her debut album, “Doldrums End,” on July 12, with an album release show at 529 in EAV on Friday, July 19. Tickets are available at bigtickets.com/events/529.
“Red Wine Supernova”
“BABE” BY NAOMI.
The iconic hook behind “Red Wine Supernova” has the same allure as the electropop track, “Babe,” by Naomi. The up-andcoming queer artist hails from Atlanta, but her ethereal vocals are otherworldly. Like Roan, Naomi.’s rich tone and unique vocal stylings take listeners on a journey
through the first moments of an irresistible connection under the club lights.
“HOT TO GO!”
“HANDS UP” BY NOEL NIKS
As different as these songs may seem on the surface, “HOT TO GO!” and “Hands Up” by androgynous rapper Noel Niks are confidence anthems. Niks’ lyrical performance and commitment to cunt can be appreciated on his newest album, Boys Can Be Girls Too.
Listen to the full playlist:
1. “REIGN DANCE” by SIREN
2. “Deep in Vogue — Introducing Lourdes & Willie Ninja” by Malcolm McLaren & The Bootzilla Orchestra
3. “Dance (Disco Heat)” by Sylvester
4. “Fortune Teller” by Rett Madison
5. “lily” by Kara Jackson
6. “Mini Heartbreaks” by Sudie
7. “Act of God” by Gossip
8. “If It Wasn’t True” by Shamir
9. “Babe” by Naomi.
10. “Hands Up” by Noel Niks
Clockwise from left: Siren; Sylvester; and Noel Niks PHOTOS VIA INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK
New Documentary Looks at the Rise of Disco, Including LGBTQ Trailblazers and Recording Artists
It was the most popular music of the 1970s — and it came about almost unintentionally. The new docuseries, “Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution,” looks at the early days of the music form and how it changed the world.
The comprehensive series, told in three parts, is directed by Grace Chapman, Shianne Brown, and Louise Lockwood, with Georgian Candi Staton as one of the numerous interviewees.
Chapman wanted to bring as much detail as she could to the series while also showcasing many of its subjects.
“Disco people have got this image in their head of what disco is and for people who have looked at it a bit more in depth we knew this wasn’t the true story,” Chapman said. “It wasn’t just Studio 54. From an intellectual and artistic perspective, that is what captivated me about this subject. From a personal perspective, I grew up at a time when I remember disco.”
Her years growing up in Belfast featured plenty of violence and war; getting on the dance floor allowed people to forget their troubles.
For Brown, she wanted to unpack the socioeconomic and political landscape of the movement.
“I wanted to look at that intersection between the music and the politics, because there are so many avenues for the audience to learn about disco — where it came from, the legacy of it today and how we can honor and celebrate those voices,” Brown said.
Disco began in the basement bars and loft apartments in New York as a way for
those who felt persecuted to gain visibility and freedom and inclusion. It became a worldwide sensation and made icons of many gay men and Black women before some in society began to resent and target it.
“In America, particularly on the East Coast, there was so much economic deprivation and so much oppression of minority communities that they were never going to succeed within the mainstream,” Chapman said. “If you were queer, Black, Latino, a woman, you were not getting a chance in a United States overseen by Nixon, still reeling from the Vietnam War. You went out and made your own life, where you could be accepted, that you loved and didn’t have to be shaped by the structures and the authorities. In New York, people were being driven out and priced out and ghettos were being created and people stepped into the ghettos. They said we are going to take this and make it beautiful — and they did.”
Two of the central figures of the time were (openly gay) DJ Nicky Siano and
David Mancuso. Chapman calls Siano the godfather of disco.
“During Stonewall, he ran bars for people (who were) told not to be in public spaces,” Chapman said. “Prior to Nicky was David Mancuso and The Loft. This man opened his doors for people to dance. His place was one of inclusivity.
The co-director sees a parallel between predisco days and now.
“It might seem like a long time ago, but we’ve had our own mirror image lately with the economic collapse and people have gone out and created art in warehouses recently,” Chapman said. “It’s happening where I live in Hackney and in [London] and these places are filled with creatives going, ‘I’ve got no money, and we don’t have the opportunities that were there for previous generations, but we are not going to be ground down by it; we are going to make our own life.”
One of the subjects in Brown’s third episode
mentions that dance floors do what countries and governments can’t — they unite people.
“When you are on that dance floor and listening to culture it doesn’t matter who you, where you come from,” Brown said.
Staton was one of the recording artists whose career took off during this time. The singer told producer and friend David Crawford about the story of her love life and the man who threatened her and her children.
“I was so frightened of him, and David was writing down what I said,” Staton said. He later told her he was going to write her a song that lasts forever.
Staton recorded “Young Hearts Run Free” in 1976, and it is now regarded as one of the greatest dance songs of all time.
She credited Gloria Gaynor with breaking the glass ceiling during that time.
“Before Gloria came out with ‘I Will Survive,’ women weren’t singing those type of songs, up-tempo ones,” she said. “Women were singing sad songs. [After that song’s success], women could be strong and have a life other than what they were singing about. We were free finally to do what we wanted to as artists.”
“Young Hearts Run Free” became almost a gay anthem, she said.
“Gay men would love to dance to it; they felt freedom,” Staton said. “Honestly, the gay community is some of my biggest fans. When I go somewhere half the place is filled up with gay men. I love them and they love me back.”
MORE INFO
“Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution” is airing on PBS, PBS.org, the PBS app and PBS Passport
Jim Farmer
“Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution” PUBLICITY PHOTO
BEST BETS THE BEST LGBTQ EVENTS HAPPENING IN JULY
Jim Farmer
Fem Friday with Kia Comedy
JULY 5, 8PM
MY SISTER’S ROOM
Kia Barnes and Caliwood attempt to find your funny bone at Fem Friday, with DJs Excel and K Reeves.
Sesame Street: The Musical
JULY 6, 10AM, 1PM, AND 3PM, THROUGH AUGUST 4 CENTER FOR PUPPETRY ARTS
Join Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, Grover, Rosita, Bert, Ernie, Oscar the Grouch, The Count, Gabrielle, and a whole host of honkers, Martians, and other Sesame Street favorites as they appear onstage in their very own musical. Filled with live puppetry, iconic songs fans know and love, and new compositions by Tom Kitt, Helen Park, and Nate Edmondson, “Sesame Street: The Musical” is designed for both the young and the young-atheart, including furry fun for fans of all ages.
Beach Blanket Bingo
JULY 9, 6:30PM
LIPS ATLANTA
Come support PALS Atlanta at Beach Blanket Bingo — Drag Bingo with a great cast of performers/hostesses.
Atlanta Dream vs. Las Vegas Aces
JULY 12, 7:30PM
GATEWAY CENTER ARENA
The Atlanta Dream take on the Las Vegas Aces tonight!
Let’s Dance Prom 2024
JULY 13, 7PM
MUSEUM OF DESIGN
A benefit for Brave Trails, Let’s Dance Prom 2024 is tonight, with an afterparty to follow!
Trans and Friends
JULY 15, 7PM FOR YOUTH, 8PM FOR ADULTS
CHARIS BOOKS AND MORE
Trans and Friends is a youth-focused group for trans people, people questioning their own gender, and aspiring allies, providing a facilitated space to discuss gender, relevant resources, and activism around social issues.
Sip and Spin Karaoke
JULY 23,10PM
FRIENDS NEIGHBORHOOD BAR
Get your Mariah on at Sip and Sing Karaoke tonight!
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
Janet Jackson
JULY 21, 8PM
STATE FARM ARENA
Sing “Rhythm Nation” and more as Janet Jackson returns to town tonight!
Photo via Facebook
Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema
JULY 24, 7:30PM
VIRTUAL
Charis welcomes Caden Mark Gardner and Willow Catelyn Maclay in conversation with Millie De Chirico for a discussion of “Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema,” a radical history of transness in cinema, and an exploration of the political possibilities of its future. In the history of cinema, trans people are usually murdered, made into a joke, or viewed as threats to the normal order — relegated to a lost highway of corpses, fools, and monsters. In this book, trans film critics
Caden Mark Gardner and Willow Catelyn Maclay take the reader on a drive down this lost highway, exploring the way that trans people and transness have evolved on-screen. Register at https://www. crowdcast.io/c/corpses-fools-monsters
Barbie Screening
JULY 18, 8:50PM
1005 PEACHTREE ST NE
Come see the sensation “Barbie” for free as part of Midtown Movie Night, sponsored by Midtown ATL and Out On Film, featuring a costume contest and other fun events!
Junie B. Jones Is Not a Crook
JULY 19, 8PM, THROUGH JULY 28
ONSTAGE ATLANTA
Out director Cathe Hall Payne directs “Junie B Jones Is Not a Crook,” tonight!
Backstreet Anniversary
JULY 19, 10PM
HERETIC ATLANTA
Take a dance down memory lane at the 20-year anniversary of the closing of Backstreet Atlanta, featuring DJ Rob Reum.
PFLAG Support Group
JULY 21, 2:30PM
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF ATLANTA
The PFLAG support group for parents and families of LGBTQ children meets in person today.
Janet Jackson
JULY 21, 8PM
STATE FARM ARENA
Sing “Rhythm Nation” and more as Janet Jackson returns to town tonight!
Sip and Spin Karaoke
JULY 23,10PM
FRIENDS NEIGHBORHOOD BAR
Get your Mariah on at Sip and Sing Karaoke tonight!
Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema
JULY 24, 7:30PM
VIRTUAL
Charis welcomes Caden Mark Gardner and Willow Catelyn Maclay in conversation with Millie De Chirico for a discussion of “Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema,” a radical history of transness in cinema, and an exploration of the political possibilities of its future. In the history of cinema, trans people are usually murdered, made into a joke, or viewed as threats to the normal order — relegated to a lost highway of corpses, fools, and monsters. In this book, trans film critics Caden Mark Gardner and Willow Catelyn Maclay take the reader on a drive down this lost highway, exploring the way that trans people and transness have evolved on-screen. Register at https://www. crowdcast.io/c/corpses-fools-monsters
Cabaret
JULY 25, 7:30PM, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 1
ACTOR’S EXPRESS
Actor’s Express transforms into the Kit Kat Club, a decadent hotspot in anything-goes 1929 Berlin. An idealistic young American meets an eclectic circle of Berliners, most notably Sally Bowles, the
outrageous chanteuse determined to keep the party going at all costs. But everything is destined to change as the storm clouds of war gather on the horizon. Full of memorable classic songs like “Wilkommen,” “Mein Herr,” “Maybe This Time” and, of course, the title song, Cabaret is one of the great masterpieces of the American stage.
LGBTQ Book Club
JULY 27, 10AM
VIRTUAL
The LGBTQ+ Book Club is a group for LGBTQ+ folks and allies to read queer-themed books and books by queer authors. The aim is to have diverse, thought-provoking discussions about queer identity, history, and topical issues. All are welcome to join. This month's book is “How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures” by Sabrina Imbler. No registration is required. This Zoom link will allow you to join the meeting at any time: https://us02web. zoom.us/j/85007056372
Under the Sea!
JULY 27, 6PM
PIEDMONT PARK GREYSTONE POOL HOUSE
An aquatic adventure like no other, the Joining Hearts weekend main event Under the Sea! Is here, featuring DJ Dan Slater spinning tunes straight from Australia. New for this year, everyone will be allowed into the Greystone building to enjoy complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and food from Zaxby's. The VIP and Ultra VIP area will have upgraded food and beverage options galore. The night will end with a fabulous fireworks display.
Southern Bears Dinner
JULY 28, 5PM
57TH FIGHTER GROUP RESTAURANT
Join the Southern Bears tonight for dinner tonight in Decatur.
Funny Girl
JULY 30, 7:30PM, THROUGH AUGUST 4 FOX THEATRE
The sensational Broadway revival of “Funny Girl” – now touring with a stop this week in Atlanta -dazzles with one of the most celebrated musical scores of all time, including classic songs “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” and “People.” This bittersweet comedy is the story of the indomitable Fanny Brice, a girl from the Lower East Side who dreamed of a life on the stage. Everyone told her she’d never be a star, but then something funny happened — she became one of the most beloved performers in history, shining brighter than the brightest lights of Broadway.
Katie Burkholder
Ron Pullman
JULY 5, 11PM
ATLANTA EAGLE $5 cover.
The Kitty Pool Party
JULY 6, 2PM
MIDTOWN BEACH CLUB
My Sister’s Room presents this sexy pool party with DJs, gogo dancers, and a fire show! Tickets at mysistersroom.com.
Coyote Queer After Party
JULY 6, 8PM
MY SISTER’S ROOM
Featuring performances by Jasmine, Carmen, Mariah, Lucky, Peach, and Lexie! Tickets at mysistersroom.com.
Atlanta Eagle Cabaret
JULY 6, 9PM
ATLANTA EAGLE
Featuring Lena Lust, Shawnna Brooks, Misti Shores, Elea Atlanta, and Niesha Dupree. $5 cover.
InvAsian
JULY 6, 10PM
DISTRICT ATLANTA
Get ready for a night of fierce femininity and electrifying beats at InvAsian: Ladies Night! Get ready to experience an unforgettable evening celebrating women's empowerment through music, performance, and unique cultural fusion. Tickets at districtatlanta.com.
Sunday Funday with Coyote Queer
JULY 7, 6PM
MY SISTER’S ROOM
Featuring performances by Jasmine, Lucky,
Peach, Greer, Lex, Carmen, and Mariah, plus music by DJ Michael Wulf. Tickets at mysistersroom.com.
Country Night
JULY 9, 8PM
ATLANTA EAGLE
Show up at 8pm for the dance lesson before line dancing the night away with DJ Dice at 9pm!
Trivia Night
JULY 9, 8:30PM
ATLANTA EAGLE
Hosted by DJ DeWayne.
Jammin’ Feud
JULY 10, 7:30PM WOOFS
Jammin’ Music Bingo
JULY 11, 7:30PM WOOFS
Rock Haus Karaoke
JULY 11, 9PM
ATLANTA EAGLE
Hosted by Raqi.
Disco Dollz with Roxxxy Andrews
JULY 12, 8PM
FUTURE ATLANTA
Roxxxy Andrews, a front runner on this season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars,” is back in Atlanta for Disco Dollz, hosted by Phoenix and Destiny Brooks. Tickets at future-atlanta.com.
Malone and Ms. Mada
JULY 12, 10PM
DISTRICT ATLANTA
Tickets at collectivpresents.com.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
Malone and Ms. Mada
JULY 12, 10PM
DISTRICT ATLANTA
Malone (Pictured) and Ms. Mada spin tunes at District Atlanta. Tickets at collectivpresents.com. Photo via Facebook
Atlanta Eagle Cabaret
JULY 13, 9PM
ATLANTA EAGLE
Featuring Lena Lust, Shawnna Brooks, Misti Shores, Elea Atlanta, and Niesha Dupree. $5 cover.
How to Kink – Formal Tea Service
JULY 16, 8PM
ATLANTA EAGLE
Presented by Southeast Black and Blue, Shepherd will share with you the history of tea, proper brewing, recipes for delicious goodies,
and the etiquette of service and partaking.
Trivia Night
JULY 16, 8:30PM
ATLANTA EAGLE
Hosted by DJ DeWayne.
Jammin’ Feud
JULY 17, 7:30PM WOOFS
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Jammin’ Music Bingo
JULY 18, 7:30PM
WOOFS
Rock Haus Karaoke
JULY 18, 9PM
ATLANTA EAGLE
Hosted by Raqi.
Crankdat and Lizzy Jane
JULY 19, 10PM
DISTRICT ATLANTA Tickets at collectivpresents.com.
Ron Pullman
JULY 19, 11PM
ATLANTA EAGLE $5 cover.
Suds and Studs
JULY 20, 2PM
ATLANTA EAGLE
With a wet t-shirt contest, great prizes, a bear
wash, bull riding, shots, and more, it’ll be more than your typical beer bust!
Atlanta Eagle Cabaret
JULY 20, 9PM
ATLANTA EAGLE
Featuring Lena Lust, Shawnna Brooks, Misti Shores, Elea Atlanta, and Niesha Dupree. $5 cover.
Country Night
JULY 23, 8PM
ATLANTA EAGLE
Show up at 8pm for the dance lesson before line dancing the night away with DJ Dice at 9pm!
Trivia Night
JULY 23, 8:30PM
ATLANTA EAGLE
Hosted by DJ DeWayne.
Jammin’ Feud
JULY 24, 7:30PM
WOOFS
Jammin’ Music Bingo
JULY 25, 7:30PM
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
Venture X Defined by
Paul Van Dyk
JULY 26, 10PM
DISTRICT ATLANTA
Paul Van Dyk (pictured) Tickets at bit.ly/PVDATL2024.Photo via Facebook
