The Georgia Voice - 7/18/14, Vol. 5 Issue 10

CELEBRATING

OUR LOVE FOR

LGBT

PEOPLE, GROUPS,

BUSINESSES

AND MORE

Get a few things off your chest.

Protect yourself and your partner. Talk about testing, your status, condoms, and new options like medicines that prevent and treat HIV. Get the facts and tips on how to start the conversation at cdc.gov/ActAgainstAIDS/StartTalking

Follow us online at:

facebook.com/StartTalkingHIV

@TalkHIV

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The Ultimate Driving Machine®

EDITORIAL

Editor: Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com

IN THIS ISSUE OF GA VOICE

07.18.14

THE GEORGIA VOICE

PO Box 77401 | Atlanta, GA 30357 404-815-6941 | www.thegavoice.com

NEWS

Deputy Editor: Patrick Saunders psaunders@thegavoice.com

6| Investigation into L5P attack continues.

6| ATL Gay Blood Drive major success.

6| Georgia Equality asks AG to not defend same-sex marriage ban.

9| LGBT guide to July 22 runoff.

14 | New gay men’s club opening on Cheshire Bridge Road.

Art Director: Rob Boeger rboeger@thegavoice.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Jim Farmer, Vandy Beth Glenn, Shannon Hames, Bill Kaelin, Ryan Lee, Steve Warren

BUSINESS

BEST OF ATLANTA

Publisher: Tim Boyd tboyd@thegavoice.com

Managing Partner: Christina Cash ccash@thegavoice.com Sales Manager: Marshall Graham mgraham@thegavoice.com Sales Executive: Anne Clarke aclarke@thegavoice.com

OUR ANNUAL LIST OF BEST OF ATLANTA WINNERS STARTS ON PAGE 17.

Business Advisor: Lynn Pasqualetti Financial Firm of Record: HLM Financial Group

In loving memory of Mike Ritter, 1965-2014

OUTSPOKEN FRIENDS & FOES IN THEIR OWN WORDS

FINE PRINT

Join us online: facebook.com/thegavoice twitter.com/thegavoice

“Only when I have sex!”

—Daniel Rugg Webb, comedian, artist, musician and Franklin Barbecue employee, in response to President Barack Obama asking him if he was gay after Webb told him, “Equal rights for gay people!”

Obama laughed and asked for a fist bump. (Austin Chronicle, July 11)

“The House has no present plans to draw on the services of Sir Elton John as theological adviser.”

—Bishop of Willesden Pete Broadbent at the Church of England’s General Synod in response to the part-time Atlanta resident and recording artist’s recent comment that Jesus would support same-sex marriage. (Pink News, July 12)

A&E 42| Theater: Gay director returns to Atlanta for Kenny Leon play.

44| Food: Find tasty barbecue at Buford Highway Asian Square.

46| Books: An exploration into Sally Ride’s personal life.

48| Calendar

COLUMNISTS 52| That’s What She Said: Melissa Carter’s girlfriend has the mother of all yard sales.

54| Sometimes ‘Y’: Ryan Lee hopes for best for young relatives.

“I’m just really proud of who I am. I love myself today—and I don’t everyday.

It’s something I have to work at. My career and my life changed when I started accepting and embracing myself more. I hope this inspires my other black, trans folks to pursue their dreams, too.”

—Laverne Cox after she learned she was the first transgender person nominated for an Emmy for her role as Sophia Burset in “Orange is the New Black.” (People, July 10)

Publicity photo

All material in the GA Voice is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the GA Voice. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representation does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons. We also do not accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers.

Unsolicited editorial material is accepted by the GA Voice, but we do not take responsibility for its return. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject or edit any submission. Guidelines for freelance contributors are available upon request.

A single copy of the GA Voice is available from authorized distribution points. Multiple copies are available from the Georgia Voice office only. Call for rates. If you are unable to reach a convenient free distribution point, you may receive a 26-issue mailed subscription for $60 per year.

Checks or credit card orders can be sent to Tim Boyd, tboyd@ thegavoice.com Postmaster: Send address changes to the GA Voice, PO Box 77401, Atlanta, GA 30357. The GA Voice is published every other Friday by The GA Voice, LLC. Individual subscriptions are $60 per year for 26 issues. Postage paid at Atlanta, GA, and additional mailing offices.

The editorial positions of the GA Voice are expressed in editorials and in editor’s notes. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the GA Voice and its staff.

To submit a letter or commentary: Letters should be fewer than 400 words and commentary, for web or print, should be fewer than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must include a name, address and phone number for verification. Email submissions to editor@thegavoice.com or mail to the address above.

Photo by David Shankbone

National Advertising: Rivendell Media, 908-232-2021 sales@rivendellmedia.com

17| Thanks to our readers and let’s party!

18| People 19| Community 20| Nightlife 24| Arts & Entertainment 32| Eats 36| Places 37| Pets 38| Shopping 40| Services

• Having sex when partying (with drugs, including alcohol); • Using IV drugs; and/or • Having sex in exchange for money, drugs or a place to stay.

Find a health care provider with whom you can talk frankly about your habits and come to a PrEP decision together.

Knowing your status Whether or not you are considering PrEP, you should know your HIV status. Pride Medical provides free anonymous HIV testing.

Call to schedule an appointment.

PrEP can reduce your risk of contracting HIV

Recently, the HIV drug Truvada was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for once-a-day dosing for HIV-negative males to help prevent them from becoming HIV-positive. This preventive approach is known as PrEP: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis.

Truvada also has previously been approved and prescribed not only for treatment of HIV, but also for Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP).

That is, for someone who has had sexual contact with an HIV-positive person. Truvada continues to be used in HIV-treatment regimens, as well as for PEP.

Who takes PrEP? You are a candidate for PrEP if you are HIV-negative. Once your provider verifies that you are HIVnegative, they may consider you for PrEP if these conditions apply to you: • Repeatedly having unprotected sex; • Having sex with someone you know is HIV-positive, or whose HIV status is unknown;

Risk and benefits Like many pharmaceuticals, Truvada can cause kidney problems, as well as other complications. Your health care provider will monitor you for these issues should you opt for PrEP. Most people report some nausea at the beginning of this treatment. It usually goes away. Your health care provider can help address side effects.

Truvada has been shown to be extremely helpful in reducing the risk of getting HIV, but only in people who took it daily. You cannot miss a dose, so it is a commitment you must be ready to make.

Getting PrEP? PrEP is prescribed by a health care provider (physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant). Most insurance plans pay for PrEP, though some require pre-certification and your usual insurance responsibilities – such as copay – would apply.

Again, your health care provider will want to test you regularly for side effects, HIV and STDs. Bottom line PrEP is a treatment protocol that involves the prescription Truvada to help prevent HIV. It is not for everyone and is just part of an overall HIV-prevention strategy. PrEP requires HIV testing and monitoring for side effects. You need a prescription for PrEP, and most insurance plans are paying for it.

PrEP is available at Pride Medical, which also has an in-house pharmacy for your convenience.

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PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) also is available at Pride.

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PrEP is just one part of an overall HIV-prevention strategy. It only works against HIV – not other STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). So it is not a substitute for condoms or other safe-sex practices, and it must be taken every day.

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Internal Medicine, Certified HIV Specialist

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PrEP is a serious decision you make with your health care provider.

Advertorial feature sponsored by Pride Medical, Inc.

GA VOICE | 6

NEWS

07.18.14

NEWSIN BRIEF ATLANTA’S NATIONAL GAY BLOOD DRIVE OVERWHELMING SUCCESS

The National Gay Blood Drive hit TEN Atlanta this month along with 60 other cities across the U.S. to raise awareness about the ban on blood donation by gay and bisexual men, while also collecting donations by eligible donors. Letters were sent to the FDA requesting an end to the ban, a White House petition to end the ban was signed and donations far exceeded expectations for the second annual event.

LifeSouth Community Blood Centers collected 42 units of blood and had to turn people away because supplies were depleted. A typical blood drive produces 18 to 20 donations. The National Gay Blood Drive asked gay and bi men to show up to donate blood on July 11 and bring a straight friend, ally or lesbian to donate in their place.

“It’s great because we’re doing something good but at the same time getting our point across,” drive leader Ben Nicoara told the GA Voice.

Summer is a critical time for giving blood due to the higher rates of people traveling,

it’s very critical for us to have a steady blood supply to make it available for the hospitals.”

While people came through with the blood donations in Atlanta, there is still a ways to go with the White House petition, with about 83,000 more signatures needed before July 30 in order to hit 100,000 and trigger a response from President Obama’s administration.

— Patrick Saunders

GEORGIA EQUALITY TO SAM OLENS: DON’T DEFEND SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BAN

A donor gives blood at the National Gay Blood Drive at TEN Atlanta July 11. (Photo by Patrick Saunders)

said John Andrews, district community development coordinator for LifeSouth.

“The blood only lasts 42 days but people can only donate every 56 days,” Andrews said. “So we’re already behind two weeks. So

Georgia Equality is on the offensive and is petitioning state Attorney General Sam Olens not to defend the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

“Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens has the opportunity to do the right thing and avoid wasting taxpayer money defending the indefensible. Let Sam Olens know that Georgians of all political stripes support marriage equality and don’t want to see Georgia’s leaders spend our money to be on the wrong side of history yet again,” states an email action alert from the state’s largest LGBT advocacy organization.

Lambda Legal filed a lawsuit on behalf of three gay couples and a lesbian widow on April 22 challenging the state’s same-sex marriage ban. Defendants in the lawsuit, including the State Registrar and Director of Vital Records and Fulton and Gwinnett County judges, have until July 21 to respond to the lawsuit.

In February, Olens said it is “lawless” not

www.theGAVoice.com to defend the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in response to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s public statement that state attorney generals are not required to defend same-sex marriage bans if they believe they are unconstitutional. When the lawsuit was announced, Olens’ spokesperson released a statement saying, “The Attorney General will fulfill his constitutional obligation to defend Georgia law.”

The U.S. Department of Justice will ask the Supreme Court to uphold a lower court’s decision in the Utah case seeking to overturn that state’s samesex marriage ban, accordSam Olens ing to a July 13 story by ABC News. Many other federal judges have ruled their state bans on samesex marriage are also unconstitutional since the Supreme Court’s ruling striking down a major portion of the Defense of Marriage Act. Utah officials defending the ban have said they will appeal their case directly to the Supreme Court. U.S. Attorney General Holder told ABC News that if the Supreme Court agrees to hear any marriage equality cases, the Justice Department will file a brief that “will be in support of same-sex marriage.”

Attorney generals in Kentucky, Nevada, Virginia, California and Pennsylvania said they would not defend bans on same-sex marriage in their states.

— Dyana Bagby

Police continue investigation into Little Five Points beating Man who recorded videos of the incident says it was not transphobic

BY PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com The victim of an early July assault in Little Five Points has yet to come forward and identify herself or file a police report about the incident.

The assault came to light July 1 when a series of Vine videos popped up on the user “TriAngle Square’s” profile depicting a verbal altercation in front of Stratosphere Skateboards, with the last video posted showing an unidentified man throwing the woman to the ground and stomping on her. The final video was later posted to Twitter that evening, where it went viral among the city’s LGBT community.

The woman appears to be transgender based on comments she made during the videos, but the GA Voice cannot confirm how she identifies. Video of an assault on two transgender women on a MARTA train in May led to an uproar in the community,

SURROUNDING BUSINESSES SAW NOTHING

arrests and town hall forums to address the issue of violence against the trans community.

The public affairs office of the Atlanta Police Department confirmed that as of press time the victim in the Little Five Points assault has yet to file a police report but that APD investigators are still looking into the case.

MAN BEHIND VIDEOS SPEAKS OUT

The man behind the Vine profile TriAngle Square came forward on July 3 but wished to remain anonymous. The man, a skater who frequently hangs out in Little Five Points, told the GA Voice that the woman appeared intoxicated and that the assault was not motivated by transphobia.

“I saw this homeless lady yelling and cursing all these people. She was yelling ‘fuck you’ and doing all this crazy stuff. It seemed like a usual day in Little Five Points,” he said. “She seemed aggressive and was throwing herself on the ground.”

She was asked to leave the property by a Stratosphere employee but refused to go and continued to yell, he said.

He said he started filming what was happening because what was happening was “so odd.”

The victim of an assault in Little Five Points caught on video has yet to come forward. (Screenshot via YouTube)

Another man eventually walked up to the group and the woman lunged at him, he said. That man pushed her to the ground and then stomped on her. According to the Vine user, the man stepped on her shoulder, not her head as indicated in earlier reports.

He said that onlookers helped her up and that she seemed unfazed by the attack.

“Right after it happened all the bystanders were shocked and told him off. A couple bystanders helped her up. She was intoxicated and I saw her walking away,” he said.

“She was not injured.”

The Vine user is the only witness to the attack to speak out, and none of the employees in the surrounding businesses that responded to requests for comment claim to have seen anything.

“This is the most gossipy place you’ve seen and it seems astounding that not one of us have heard anything about it,” said Susanne Gibboney, general manager at Junkman’s Daughter.

Stratosphere manager Kurtis Crocker stressed to the GA Voice that none of his employees witnessed or were involved in the incident, but says, “I have however asked the [victim] to leave the property for harassing people in front of the store on several occasions. After speaking with other business owners and employees this person has been a nuisance in the neighborhood for a few weeks now.”

ACTIVISTS RELEASE STATEMENT

Solutions Not Punishment Coalition (SNaP Co), an organization working to end violence against trans people, released a statement after the attack calling for many things, including city officials to start a public education campaign to educate people about trans and gender nonconforming issues.

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GA VOICE | 8

07.18.14

www.theGAVoice.com

NEWS

www.theGAVoice.com

07.18.14

GA VOICE

|

9

Runoff elections loom large for several gay, gay-friendly candidates LGBT guide to what to do on July 22, update on Randy New campaign

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com Runoff elections historically produce low turnout, making the role of those who do show up to the polls in swinging the election one way or another a significant one in deciding the leadership of local, state and national offices. And on July 22 there will be several races featuring LGBT, LGBT-friendly and anti-LGBT candidates that could have an effect on the community’s rights for years to come. Here’s a rundown of the races to reference (including an update on a November race) before you head to the polls.

FULTON SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE

Out lesbian and Fulton magistrate Jane Barwick faces off against attorney Shelitha Robertson in the race to succeed the retiring Fulton County Superior Court Judge Cynthia Wright, also an out lesbian. Superior Court judges mainly preside over civil complaints, real estate disputes and felony cases.

Barwick worked in private practice for two local law firms before branching out in 1995 and starting her own firm concentrating on family law. After six years at the helm, she closed her practice to attend Columbia Theological Seminary where she earned her Master of Divinity degree. She worked as in-house counsel for Atlanta Habitat for Humanity before becoming a magistrate in the Fulton County Family Division in 2012.

Robertson served as an officer with the Atlanta Police Department for 10 years and after completing law school, served as an assistant public defender for the City of Atlanta before moving on to become an assistant city attorney for the city. Robertson ran unsuccessfully for Fulton Superior Court Judge in 2010 and also for Atlanta City Council in 2009.

Robertson gained notice from the LGBT community for helping get the eight employees of the Atlanta Eagle out of jail after they were arrested in a botched raid by the Atlanta Police Department in 2009.

“It was the right thing to do,” Robertson told the GA Voice. “Having been a police officer, having listened to the facts and the issues as they were presented to me, I found there was some concern there. So I stepped in to do what needed to be done and that was get them bonds and allow them to go through the process and they were vindicated. I would do that for anybody.”

Robertson cited the diversity of her experiences when asked what sets her apart from her opponent Barwick, who was not available for an interview as of press time.

Neither candidate has received an endorsement from Georgia Equality, Stonewall

Shelitha Robertson (far left) faces Fulton Magistrate judge Jane Barwick (center) in the July 22 runoff for Fulton Superior Court judge. Gay attorney Randy New did not get enough signatures to run as an independent against Democrat incumbent ‘Able’ Mable Thomas in November for House District 56. (File photos)

Democrats or any other LGBT organization.

STATE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT

Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan takes on former City Schools of Decatur school board member Valarie Wilson for state school superintendent.

Both come armed with LGBT pluses, as Thomas Morgan has the endorsement of Georgia Equality while Wilson’s campaign manager is lesbian state Rep. Simone Bell— a fact Thomas Morgan downplays.

“There’s a difference in getting an endorsement from an organization you’ve been working with for 10 years,” Thomas Morgan told the GA Voice. “I am a friend, I’m an advocate and will stand up for them. Having someone who’s LGBT as campaign manager I don’t think really compares.”

Wilson said she will provide children with a quality public education no matter who they are, especially when it comes to safety.

“The biggest thing for me that I’ve always focused on with all children, and with the LGBT community in particular, has always been around safety and for children to be able to be who they are,” Wilson told the GA Voice. “To make sure we have strong policies and support in terms of bullying. I will always work hard to make sure that happens.”

As far as what sets them apart from each other, Thomas Morgan cited her state policy experience. However, Wilson did serve as president of the Georgia School Boards Association. Wilson cited her experience managing large staffs and budgets, first as director of Fulton County Housing and Human Services and now as executive director of the Atlanta Beltline Partnership.

GEORGIA HOUSE DISTRICT 56

The campaign of openly gay lawyer Randy

New of Kitchens New Cleghorn has taken a hit, as he has revealed he will fall short of the number of signed petitions needed to get on the ballot for State House District 56 in November as an independent. New would have faced incumbent and veteran politician “Able” Mable Thomas, a Democrat, in the race.

New needed verified signatures from from 5 percent of registered voters in the district, or roughly 1,400 signatures; the campaign ended up getting about 1,000, New said.

There were two options left to attempt to get on the ballot: wage a write-in campaign or challenge the ballot access in court.

New cites the difficulties inherent in getting so many signed petitions nowadays in his reasoning for a court challenge. The district doesn’t allow online petition signing. A hand-signed petition by registered voters in the district, names, addresses, dates of birth and more is required.

“This statute was passed more than 30 years ago,” New told the GA Voice. “People answered their door 30 years ago. Now? Not so much.

But his campaign decided it’s too late to start a costly write-in campaign and still have a chance to win, and it’s impossible to fight a court battle while simultaneously trying to run a campaign. But they won’t shut things down just yet.

“We’re going to continue to run a campaign. I will continue to say I am a candidate looking to replace Mable and take that House seat,” New said. “We’re going to do that and we’re going to spend our donors’ money and our supporters’ time and effort in a way that will maximize our chances of winning. It’s more likely than not we will run in 2016.”

Longtime LGBT activist Ken Britt ran for House District 56 in 2012 in his first bid for public office, but lost to Thomas. New is en-

dorsed by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.

REPUBLICAN U.S. SENATE, 11TH DISTRICT OF U.S. CONGRESS

Former Fortune 500 executive David Perdue is in the midst of a nasty U.S. Senate Republican campaign against U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, a 22-year veteran of Congress. The two have taken repeated shots at each other both on the air with a barrage of negative ads and in person at a July 13 debate. The winner gets the right to face Democrat Michelle Nunn in November’s election to replace retiring Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

Both men oppose marriage equality, while Kingston fought against the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and has a zero rating from the Human Rights Campaign. Perdue is more of a wild card when it comes to LGBT issues because he doesn’t have a record of votes to run on.

While Nunn supports marriage equality personally, she agrees with last June’s Supreme Court decision that the definition should be left up to the states.

Meanwhile, Bob Barr is trying to make a return to U.S. Congress with a run in Georgia’s 11th Congressional District to replace anti-gay U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey. He faces former State Sen. Barry Loudermilk in the July 22 Republican primary runoff.

Barr authored and sponsored the Defense of Marriage Act, a major portion of which was struck down last June. He ran for president in 2008 as a Libertarian and famously apologized for his role in DOMA’s passage. However, returning to the Republican Party, he now states he personally opposes same-sex marriage and believes the issue should be left up to the states.

Loudermilk has the endorsement of the Family Research Council, which has been classified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-gay hate group.

GA VOICE | 14

NEWS

07.18.14

www.theGAVoice.com

New gay ‘megaplex’ planned for Midtown Adult business Inserection on Cheshire Bridge getting major makeover

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com For those who thought owners of adult businesses on Cheshire Bridge would lay low after dodging a bullet last year by narrowly avoiding a massive overhaul to the corridor’s zoning codes, think again.

Plans are in the works for a rebranding and renovation of adult store Inserection, adding a new space that includes bondage rooms, private bedrooms, a massage area and a dance floor to the already existing adult DVDs, toys and video booth section of the facility. The name of the store would also change to Tokyo Valentino; the first Tokyo Valentino opened in Miami earlier this year.

But the owner of Inserection, which caters to largely to gay and bi men, says city of Atlanta officials are unnecessarily delaying the process, holding up the renovations of the facility that previously was on track to be done and ready for a grand opening by late July.

MIAMI LOCATION OF TOKYO VALENTINO MODEL FOR ATLANTA LOCATION

Inserection owner Michael Morrison, who is straight, says he ran into litigation issues opening the Miami location of Tokyo Valentino and he’s quick to answer why.

“The same as always. People don’t want an adult store anywhere,” Morrison tells the GA Voice. “But we won the fight and got it up there.”

The Miami location opened in April and spans 7,000 square feet. A $7.50 entry fee gives customers free reign of the facility to play pool or video games, use the private bedrooms, use the viewing booths to watch movies (most likely not the Disney variety) and more.

“Once you begin to feel at home, make your way to the movie area where couples, singles and groups can participate in a true viewing experience,” the club’s website states. “Our locking booths and bedrooms allow you to be as private as you please.”

EVENT PROMOTER TO LEASE PART OF NEW SPACE

The changeover from Inserection to Tokyo Valentino is just one of the many changes to that side of Cheshire Bridge and continuing south down Piedmont Avenue. Mama’s (formerly Taco Cabana) and a neighboring retail strip that included Artlite, Pot ‘N Pan diner and other businesses were razed last year to make way for a planned mixed-use development with a seven-story parking deck.

Inserection is getting a makeover and will become a new multi-use facility called Tokyo Valentino. (Photo by Patrick Saunders)

“We’ve got some low-level bureaucrats holding up the process. But we’re going to win.”

—Michael Morrison, owner of Inserection Future inhabitants are scheduled to include Sprouts Farmers Market.

Morrison sold the Inserection chain in 2010 but kept the Cheshire Bridge location while on the hunt for a better concept and soon hit upon Tokyo Valentino.

Gay event promoter Chris Coleman will lease out the newly renovated space (minus the video booth and retail portion of the store) from Morrison, who describes the new space as “almost like an LGBT non-alcoholic health club. It’s like Manifest but with a nicer package.”

Manifest, located off Faulkner Road, bills itself as a “members only fraternal studio for gay and bisexual men.” The club’s main draw is a back room called “The Matrix” which includes several sectioned off rooms separated by plywood with peepholes and larger holes at waist level (known as “glory holes”), a sex sling and a viewing area to watch pornographic movies projected onto a sheet on a back wall.

Coleman, who pegs the budget for new equipment alone in the five figures, uses the

term “megaplex” to describe the space he’ll be leasing.

“There will be different things going on in there but it stays in tune with Inserection and the new brand Tokyo Valentino,” Coleman says. “Bondage rooms with incredibly upscale equipment, private rooms, porn stars are scheduled to come. There’s all sorts of things happening over there.”

‘WE’VE GOT SOME LOW-LEVEL BUREAUCRATS HOLDING UP THE PROCESS’

But Morrison is frustrated over what’s not happening yet, and that’s getting his building permits so he can start renovating.

“The city is still giving us a hard time about our permits even though we’re entitled to everything we’re proposing,” he says. “This should have been done within a week but we’ve been going on for three months now.

We’ve got some low-level bureaucrats holding up the process. But we’re going to win.”

Morrison was among a group of Cheshire Bridge business owners who were targeted last year by gay Atlanta City Councilmem-

ber Alex Wan’s proposed legislation that would have changed the zoning ordinances and forced many adult businesses to close or move from the corridor by 2018. The legislation would have bypassed a grandfather clause that protected many of the businesses. The proposal passed in the city’s zoning committee, but failed in front of the full City Council nine votes to six last June.

Morrison later briefly floated the idea of running against Wan that November for his City Council seat, saying of his own past legal issues including a stint in federal prison for tax evasion, “I may not be electable, but a vote for me is a vote against Alex Wan.” He later decided against running.

Morrison was also arrested in the mid 1990s on obscenity charges and police raided his stores several times. Eventually he helped strike down the state’s obscenity law in a time known by some as the “dildo wars.”

Wan tells the GA Voice that he was not aware of the proposed changes happening at Inserection. The three neighborhood associations that abut Cheshire Bridge Road—Piedmont Heights Civic Association, Lindridge Martin Manor Neighborhood Association and Morningside-Lenox Park Association— did not respond to the GA Voice’s request for comment as of press time.

Despite the delays, Morrison says he is hopeful to soon receive the building permit for Tokyo Valentino.

2014

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BEST OF GAY ATLANTA

07.18.14

A

GA VOICE | 17

fter two months of online balloting and tens of thousands of votes cast, we present to you your favorites in dozens of categories in our fifth annual Best of Atlanta awards.

Many people like to say these awards are nothing but a popularity contest. We don’t deny that at all, because in the end, the winners are decided by one thing only: your votes.

Our first round of voting took place in May and we gave readers a chance to nominate their favorites in categories of Community, People, Places, Shopping, Eats, Arts & Entertainment, Nightlife, Pets and Services. In most cases, the top three vote-getters (or more if there was a tie) were named finalists and moved on to the second stage of multiple-choice voting, which lasted through the end of June.

Many organizations, people and businesses let their fates be determined unprompted. Others mounted organized campaigns, usually through Facebook, to convince fans and to garner votes from fans and friends and others.

Both approaches are valuable and any group or business that has a devoted fan base willing to vote every day is worth checking out.

Be sure to congratulate the winners. And if your favorite didn’t make it to the finals, plan on doing something about that next year by nominating and voting early and often.

The best part of this issue is the party we throw for it, a party for the winners, finalists and for everyone who makes this community a great place to live, work and play.

We hope to see you there on July 17 at the Georgian Terrace. We couldn’t throw the party without the kindness and generosity of the gorgeous Midtown hotel as well as Green’s Liquor and Barefoot Wine, Henry’s Midtown, Campagnolo Restaurant & Bar, Green Ginger, Southern Sweets, our emcee Ian Aber of A Bear Comedy Show and DJ Vicki Powell.

Congratulations to all our winners, and thank you to all of our communities who share their stories with us and therefore empower all of us.

Community, People and Nightlife by Patrick Saunders; Arts & Entertainment and Services by Jim Farmer; Eats by Matt Schafer; Pets and Shopping by Vandy Beth Glenn; Places by Dyana Bagby

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Above: Diamond Lil is considered an icon and GA Voice readers chose to bestow that rare title on the performer. Below right: A mural of U.S. Rep. John Lewis, winner of this year’s best straight ally and politician. (Photos via Facebook)

PEOPLE BEST ACTIVIST

RICK WESTBROOK It was a tough fight but Rick Westbrook emerged in the end as our Best Activist winner. He is a co-founder of the long-running and successful East Point Possums Show as well as co-founder of Lost-N-Found, which offers a wide array of services for the city’s LGBT homeless youth. Westbrook continues to fight the good fight every day.

Chandler Bearden placed second while Cathy Woolard came in third. n

ICON DIAMOND LIL It takes a special person to be considered an icon, and readers chose to bestow that rare title on Diamond Lil. She’s been doing drag shows in Atlanta since before Stonewall, and continues to don the dress and hit the stage to this day. If you haven’t heard this gem belt

her favorite torch songs, you’re missing out. n Baton Bob came in second and Cathy Woolard rounded out the group in third.

STRAIGHT ALLY U.S. REP. JOHN LEWIS No surprises here. Congressman John Lewis is straight royalty for Atlanta’s LGBT community, and readers came out in force to make sure it was known. Lewis is a fixture at the city’s biggest LGBT events, lending his esteemed presence and thundering voice in support of our cause. He is a true legend. n Atlanta City Councilmember Mary Norwood came in second place and state senator and gubernatorial candidate Jason Carter came in third.

POLITICIAN U.S. REP. JOHN LEWIS It takes a special politician to be chosen

over two gay finalists as the LGBT community’s favorite, but Congressman John Lewis is just that kind of special to us. When this civil rights icon speaks, his fellow members of Congress listen, and he continues to passionately speak up for our causes every day. n State Rep. Simone Bell placed second while Atlanta City Councilmember Alex Wan came in third.

ATHLETE

BUSINESS PERSON

SAM PENG Readers voted tennis player Sam Peng Best Local Athlete. Peng is an active, longtime member of the Atlanta Team Tennis Association (ATTA), the local LGBT tennis league. He’s known for having an outgoing on-court personality, a fierce competitive streak and a wicked backhand.

BOB FAWCETT Bob Fawcett is president of Trebor Productions, a motion picture and video distribution company, but is better known as the longtime owner of The Pet Set. The popular pet store has a unique selection of accessories and products for dogs and cats, as well as a grooming spa, day care play area and a boarding facility.

n Gary Durden Oswalt of the Atlanta Bucks Rugby team and a star in the Hotlanta Softball League came in second place.

Emilio Lordes placed second, Art Smith came in third and Bill Kaelin finished in fourth.

BEST OF GAY ATLANTA

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COMMUNITY LGBT BLOG OR WEBSITE

PROJECT Q ATLANTA Readers chose Project Q Atlanta (www.projectqatlanta.com) as their favorite LGBT Blog or Website and it’s no wonder why. The blog has offered an eclectic mix of community issues, event photo galleries, crime reports and sexy pics for six years now, and recently even expanded into the Houston market. n Equally Wed (www.equallywed.com) came in second place while Towleroad (www.towleroad.com) placed third.

HOUSE OF WORSHIP SAINT MARK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH When LGBT Atlanta wants to worship in a safe place surrounded by familiar faces, they go to Saint Mark United Methodist Church (www.stmarkumc.org).

The beautiful Midtown church has been welcoming the community for decades, and continues to preach the good word— equality—every week. n Congregation Bet Haverim (www.congregationbethaverim.org) placed second and New Covenant Church (www.newcovenantatlanta.com) came in third.

HIV/AIDS NONPROFIT POSITIVE IMPACT/MISTER Atlanta has an HIV/AIDS problem, and readers chose Positive Impact/MISTER (www.positiveimpact-atl.org) as their favorite group fighting it. Positive Impact has been providing HIV-related services for the community since 1993, and their MISTER program is an extension of that crucial work. n AID Atlanta (www.aidatlanta.org) came in second place while Project Open Hand (www.projectopenhand.org) placed third.

LGBT EVENT ATLANTA PRIDE LGBT Atlanta loves to get its Pride on, and they showed it by picking Atlanta Pride (www.atlantapride.org) for Best LGBT Event.

The festival, the parties, the parade and more keep hundreds of thousands flocking every year, no matter if it is summer or fall, rain or shine. Happy Pride! n Out on Film (www.outonfilm.org) came in second and HRC Dinner Gala (www.hrcatlanta.org) placed third.

LGBT CHARITY EVENT EAST POINT POSSUMS SHOW We have many of worthy LGBT charity events in Atlanta, but one stood out above

the rest and that’s the East Point Possums Show (www.eastpointpossums.com).

“The Southeast’s Largest Drag Extravaganza” offers numerous unforgettable acts and raises vital money for LGBT organizations in the process. n Joining Hearts Pool Party (www.joininghearts.org) came in second place and Toy Party (www.forthekid.org) came in third.

SPORTS TEAM ATLANTA BUCKS It was a tough battle, but the Atlanta Bucks (www.atlantabucksrugby.org) emerged victorious as Best Sports Team.

Those purple-clad rugby warriors are into their second decade of grinding it out on the field and happily celebrating afterward.

The club’s annual Purple Dress Run fundraiser is a can’t-miss. n Decatur Women’s Sports Softball League (www.decaturwomensports.com) came in second place and Atlanta Rainbow Trout (www.atlantarainbowtrout.com) rounded out the category in third.

LGBT NONPROFIT LOST-N-FOUND Roughly 750 LGBT kids are roaming Atlanta’s streets every night with nowhere to stay and Best LGBT Nonprofit Lost-N-Found (www.lost-n-found.org) is doing everything it can to help them. The all-volunteer organization has a drop-in center and thrift shop, and coming soon is a new, larger office and shelter to meet the youths’ needs. n For the Kid (www.forthekid.org) came in second place while Georgia Equality (www.georgiaequality.org) placed third.

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Clockwise from above left: The Lost-N-Found drop-in center, Saint Mark United Methodist Church, Atlanta Bucks rugby team and Positive Impact/ MISTER received top honors this year from GA Voice readers. (Photos via Facebook, file photos)

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NIGHTLIFE STRIP CLUB

SWINGING RICHARDS The boys of Swinging Richards (www.swingingrichards.com) take the sexy crown for best strip club this year, as they continue their reign as tops in all-male, all-nude entertainment for gay Atlanta.

The Northside Drive club also outlasted brief competition from Bliss, which closed its doors earlier this year. n Clermont Lounge (www.clermont lounge.net) placed second while BJ Roosters came in third.

AFTER HOURS FLEX Readers voted “private gay men’s club” Flex (www.flexspas.com) as their favorite after hours spot, surely helped by the club’s outdoor pool, rooftop sundeck, full gym, large dry sauna and other amenities—like the eye candy—that keep the boys coming back to the 4th Street spa night after night. n Swinging Richards (www.swinging richards.com) came in second place while Xion rounded out the group in third.

BEST PLACE TO MEET WOMEN MY SISTER’S ROOM When it comes to where to meet women, readers flock to East Atlanta for a night at My Sister’s Room (www.mysistersroom. com). The lesbian bar has only gotten more popular since making the move from Decatur several years ago as it continues to take the top prize year after year in this category. n Le Buzz (www.thenewlebuzz.com) finished second and Burkhart’s (www. burkharts.com) closed it out in third place.

THEME NIGHT SUNDAY SERVICE AT SISTER LOUISA’S CHURCH OF THE LIVING ROOM & PING PONG EMPORIUM You have to have faith in something,

Clockwise from below left: LeBuzz wins Best OTP Bar, the sexy men of Swinging Richards take home Best Strip Club, My Sister’s Room wins Best Place to Meet Women and Best DJ Vick Powell and her Sunday Service at Church are winners. (File photos) and when gay Atlanta wants to have fun on Sunday night, they go to Sunday Service at Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room & Ping Pong Emporium (www.sisterlouisas church.com). Best of Atlanta winner DJ Vicki Powell spins while the “parishioners” sip their drinks and soak in the fun at this Edgewood Avenue hotspot. n Heretic Country Nights (www.hereticatlanta.com) placed second while The ManShaft at Mary’s (www.marysatlanta.com) came in third place.

OTP BAR LE BUZZ Marietta mainstay Le Buzz (www.thenewlebuzz.com) took the prize again this year for Best OTP Bar. The establishment routinely draws locals but also gay visitors from North Georgia and even those ITP looking for a change of pace.

Saturday night’s Divas Cabaret hosted by Destiny Brooks is a crowd favorite. n

Blue Ribbon Grill (www.theblueribbon

grill.com) came in second place and Eastside Station (www.eastsidestation.com) placed third.

(www.marysatlanta.com) as the place to do it. “Mary-oke” host CJ keeps the Tuesday and Saturday nights rolling with over 15,000 songs at his fingertips.

NEIGHBORHOOD BAR

n Burkhart’s (www.burkharts.com) came in second place and G’s (http://www.communitas hospitality.com/gs-midtown/) came in third.

MARY’S Readers liked gay hipster hangout Mary’s (www.marysatlanta.com) the best in this category, and who can blame them with the bar’s fun vibe, popular theme nights, great music and even a love seat upstairs to share a quieter moment away from the crowd. East Atlanta wouldn’t be the same without Mary’s. n Hideaway (www.atlantahideaway.com) took second place while Woofs (www.woofs atlanta.com) rounded out the group in third.

KARAOKE MARY’S Those LGBT Atlantans wanting to belt out their favorite tune in front of a crowd (and their more shy friends who prefer to observe) picked karaoke night at Mary’s

HOTEL BAR THE LIVINGSTON AT THE GEORGIAN TERRACE The Livingston at the Georgian Terrace wins for Best Hotel Bar this year and it’s no wonder why. The sleek hotspot across from the Fox Theatre is the place to go when gay Atlantans want to get a little spiffed up and hit the town, and it’s become one of the prime spots for watching the annual Atlanta Pride parade. n Whiskey Park – W Midtown (www.gerberbars.com/whiskey-park-atlanta) took second place while Bar eleven – Loews (www.elevenatlanta.com) came in third.

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DRAG SHOW ARMORETTES SUNDAY NIGHT AT BURKHART’S Readers made it clear you can’t go wrong with the Armorettes drag show (www.armorettes.com) Sunday nights at Burkhart’s. The troupe has been going strong for over 35 years and not only puts on an unforgettable show, but fund-raises while they’re doing it, with more than $3 million raised for AIDS support services. n The Other Show at Jungle (www.

jungleatl.com) came in second place and Lips Atlanta (www.lipsatl.com) came in third.

DANCE FLOOR HERETIC When it’s time to sweat it out to some of their favorite tunes, readers picked the dance floor at the Heretic (www.hereticatlanta.com) as their favorite place to do it. Whether hosting local, national or international DJs or putting on the popular 3-Legged Cowboy nights, the Heretic knows how to throw it down.

n Jungle (www.jungleatl.com) came in second while the Atlanta Eagle (www.atlantaeagle.com) rounded out the category in third.

OVERALL BAR BURKHART’S Burkhart’s (www.burkharts.com) lands the top spot for Best Overall Bar this year.

The Ansley Square hangout keeps the customers coming with their popular karaoke nights and drag shows, pool tables, expan-

www.theGAVoice.com sive patio and friendly bartenders who can mix a cocktail up with the best. n The Atlanta Eagle (www.atlantaeagle. com) came in second place, with Blake’s On the Park (www.blakesontheparkatlanta. com) coming in third and Jungle (www. jungleatl.com) finishing fourth.

BEST PLACE TO MEET MEN BLAKE’S ON THE PARK Atlanta’s gay boys on the prowl set their GPS for Blake’s On the Park (www.blakes ontheparkatlanta.com) when they want to make a new connection. The 10th Street mainstay gives patrons a chance to chat it up in the more hopping downstairs, or head to the upstairs bar or patio for a quieter moment to get to know each other. n Popular mobile app Grindr (www.grindr.com) came in second while Flex (www.flexspas.com) came in third.

BARTENDER CHERRIE OLIVE & ANTHONY MOLLO It was an incredibly talented group of bartenders from a variety of hotspots that made the finals this year, but two came out on top and that’s Cherrie Oliver from Le Buzz (www. thenewlebuzz.com) and Anthony Mollo from Burkhart’s (www.burkharts.com). Let’s raise a glass in their honor! n Second place went to Matthew Livingtson of Mary’s and Makeda Warner of My Sister’s Room earned third place.

NICHE BAR ATLANTA EAGLE The leather community is strong in Atlanta and when the sun sets, they head to our winner for Best Niche Bar, the Atlanta Eagle (www.atlantaeagle.com). The Ponce favorite is famous for their theme nights, large deck and smoking hot dance floor. And the annual Mr./ Ms. Atlanta Eagle Contest is not to be missed. n Mary’s (www.marysatlanta.com) placed second and the Cockpit (www.thecockpit-atlanta.blogspot.com) came away in third.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT WRITER

TOPHER PAYNE Topher Payne is a prolific and awardwinning playwright who has had an incredible year so far—he won an American Theatre Critics Association Award as well as being selected as one of the “20 People to Watch in 2014” by Atlanta’s Creative Loafing.

His words (www.topherpayne.com) always ring true with his patented humor and observant nature. n Taking second is nationally bestselling mystery writer Amanda Kyle Williams, whose new book “Don’t Talk to Strangers” was just released (http://amandakyle williams.com) and Mark King (http:// marksking.com), a popular blogger, placed third.

THEATER COMPANY

ACTOR’S EXPRESS With plenty of LGBT fare, including the current “The Rocky Horror Show,” Actor’s Express (www.actorsexpress.com) is your most beloved theater troupe. Ably led by Freddie Ashley, the company has been producing buzzworthy theater for more than 25 years now. n 7 Stages (www.7stages.org) finished second and Onstage Atlanta (www.onstageatlanta.com) bows at third.

PLAYWRIGHT

TOPHER PAYNE He keeps writing and writing so it’s no surprise Topher Payne (www.topherpayne. com) wins here as well. His play “Angry Fags” won the Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award at the 2013 Suzi Awards and his play “The Medicine Showdown” (co-authored with Adam Koplan) was produced at The East 4th Street Theatre in Manhattan. The Georgia Ensemble Theatre premiered his comedy “The Only Light in Reno” and he won the American Theatre Critics Association’s 2014 Elizabeth Osborne New Play Award for an emerging playwright for his play, “Perfect

Clockwise from below left: Actor’s Express with its LGBT fare including the current run of ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ is tops with readers, Evah Destruction is your choice for Best Drag Queen, J Tyler returns as Best Local Musician and Topher Payne continues his reign as Best Writer. (File photos) Arrangement,” a play that takes a look at the hot topic of marriage equality. n Johnny Drago finished second and Timothy Gray came in third.

MUSICIAN

J. TYLER ELLINGWOOD Repeating as champion in this field is J Tyler Ellingwood (http://jtylerofficial.com), the young Atlanta artist who is becoming a force in the hip-hop field. That he’s openly gay in that field That he’s openly gay in this field makes him all the more impressive. n Steven

Binko (http://stevenbinko.com) finished second and rounding out the category are Barry Brandon (www.hausofbarry brandon.com) in third and Dylan Michael in fourth (www.dylanmichaelmusic.com).

LOCAL RADIO STATION

POWER 96.1 Power 96.1 (www.power961.com/main. html), dubbed Atlanta’s hit music station, is the top choice here. From Lorde to Bruno

Mars to Kanye West, the station keeps the songs coming at a fast clip. Among the DJs, former Atlantan Ryan Seacrest can be found doing the weekly Top 40 countdown. n Q-100 (www.q100atlanta.com) came in second and B98.5 (www.b985.com) placed third.

LIVE MUSIC VENUE

THE TABERNACLE When it comes to watching live performances, the Tabernacle (http://tabernacleatl.com) is the ATL’s favorite go-to place for concerts. Eclectic acts fill the venue nearly every week and the Tabernacle’s intimate setting makes for perfect viewing.

ing the weekly “The Other Show” at Jungle, Evah Destruction (www.evahdestruction. com/#!) is the drag queen you most love to worship. Her YouTube channel is a great way to watch some of her fiery and fabulous performances.

Evah fought her way through fierce competition from the likes of vintage drag queen Bubba Dee (www.facebook.com/BubbaDLicious) sashaying to second and the avant garde Violet Chachki (www.facebook.com/ violet.chachki) strutting to third.

DRAG KING

n Taking second is Eddie’s Attic (http:// tabernacleatl.com) and third is Center Stage (www.centerstage-atlanta.com).

JORDAN MICHAELS MCCORD Atlanta’s Jordan Michaels McCord is the top vote getter here. The award-winning drag king is recognized throughout the state and nationally and the entertainer is a perennial figure hosting/performing at My Sister’s Room.

DRAG QUEEN

n Ashton Cotter placed second and Nick Giavanni finished in the third slot.

EVAH DESTRUCTION With appearances all over town, includ-

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Funny man Brent Star, left, ran away with Best Comedian and popular local photographer Phillip Bonneau won top choice for Best Visual Artist.

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series, took top honors in this category.

DJ

n Charles Green placed second and Timothy Grey finished in third.

VICKI POWELL It wouldn’t be a party without DJ Vicki Powell spinning. She reigns supreme in this category and she shows no signs of slowing down. She hosts the popular Sunday Service parties at St. Louisa’s Church of the Living Room & Ping Pong Emporium and also spins at numerous LGBT charity events. n DJs Bill Berdeaux and Christopher Kind are your second and third choices, respectively.

ART GALLERY

HIGH MUSEUM OF ART With year-round programming, the High Museum of Art (www.high.org) is the gallery that Atlanta most fancies. The museum’s recent “Dream Cars” installation is the kind of innovative work that we’ve all grown to love, in addition to the excellent seasonal exhibitions. n Gray Miller West (www.graymillerwest. com/index.html) finished second and Decatur Market & Gallery (www.decaturgallery. com) placed third.

ACTOR

CHARLES GREEN Steven Binko, (www.stevenbinko.com) a self-proclaimed “Psychic Prince,” began his acting career in Atlanta on TruTV as well as with his own talent business and a mini-

COMEDIAN

BRENT STAR Funny man Brent Star (twitter.com/ MrBrentStar) wins here. He hosts events year-round at bars and restaurants and other special events and always brings his acerbic sensibility. He has also entered the world of stand-up comedy and performs at such venues as the Laughing Skull Lounge. n Bubba Dee joked her way into second while Ian Aber (twitter.com/ABearComedian) gagged into third place.

VISUAL ARTIST

PHILLIP BONNEAU The top choice here is photographer Phillip Bonneau (http://somamix1.tumblr.com), whose intriguing “Heroes + Villains” series has gotten national exposure over the last few years, catching on quickly with LGBT audiences. Using items found in anyone’s home, or refrigerator, Bonneau positions friends and local models as fantasy characters in sexy, suggestive and silly positions. n Clay Hood (www.clayhood.com) finished second and third place goes to Andrea Marcum.

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EATS

BEST RESTAURANT

UNION HILL KITCHEN Newcomer Union Hill Kitchen (www.unionhillkitchen.com) beat out the established eateries to win Best Restaurant of 2014. Union Hill is a new American restaurant that opened less than a year ago and is headed by openly gay chef Alexis Hernandez. Hernandez has appeared on several television shows and the name is a tribute to his hometown of Union Hill, New Jersey. n Being in Chamblee didn’t hurt Union Hill as it defeated 10th and Piedmont (www.10thandPiedmont.com) and Campagnolo (www.campagnoloatl.com), respectively, which share the same corner in Midtown.

CHEAP EATS

JOE’S ON JUNIPER Joe’s on Juniper (www.joesonjuniper. com), with its $6.95 weekday lunch deal, won over our readers to reap this category.

The house-turned-restaurant has been a longtime favorite with Atlanta’s LGBT folks for its fun atmosphere and proximity to Piedmont Park, but has added value to its offerings.

Last year’s winner, Eats (www.eats onponce.net), came in second while Chai Pani (www.chaipanidecatur.com) in Decatur took third for the second year in a row.

Clockwise from below left: Joe’s on Juniper, Radial Cafe, Après Diem and Mellow Mushroom all scored top marks for their menus and atmospheres. (Photos via Facebook)

n

DELI

JASON’S DELI Earning a rare Best of Atlanta win for chain restaurants, the Jason’s Deli (www.jasonsdeli.com) near Piedmont Park beat the competition for Best Deli. Known for its large menu and even larger space, Jason’s Deli’s 10th & Monroe location offers one of the largest spaces in Midtown for friends to meet up and hang out. n The Ansley Mall Publix (www.publix. com) finished second and Noni’s Deli (www.nonisdeli.com) was third.

VEGETARIAN

ROMANTIC

n Doc Chey’s Noodle House (www.doccheys.com) finished second while last year’s winner Chai Pani (www.chaipanidecatur.com) fell to third.

Last year’s winner One Midtown Kitchen (www.onemidtownkitchen.com) dropped to second while Parker’s on Ponce (www.parkersonponce.com) finished third, as our readers voted the same three restaurants to the top of this category.

RADIAL CAFE The farm to table breakfast favorite has expanded into evenings three times a week, and that seems to be paying off for Radial Cafe, (radial.us) as it picked up the Best Vegetarian win with our readers. Founded in 1999, the restaurant is Atlanta’s only Green Restaurant Association certified establishment of its kind.

APRES DIEM Piedmont Park-adjacent with a large patio and an abundance of small tables, Après Diem (www.apresdiem.com) claimed the number one spot in our readers’ hearts as the best place to go for a little romance.

Of course its extensive wine list doesn’t hurt its chances in this category either. n

TAKE OUT

METRO FRESH MetroFresh (www.metrofreshatl.com), the tiny restaurant just south of Piedmont Park, was voted as the top spot to get a meal to go in Atlanta. With a constantly changing menu with plenty of salads, soups and sandwiches, the restaurant has made its name as place to pick up dinner before a picnic in the park. n Doc Chey’s Noodle House (www.doccheys.com) scored another runnerup finish, with a second in take out, while K Squared Meals (www.ksquaredmeals. com) placed third.

PIZZA

MELLOW MUSHROOM This new category saw another chain restaurant take top choice as Mellow Mushroom Midtown (www.mellowmushroom.com/store/midtown) won best in show. The laid-back chain’s many locations are known for their mellow style and wide beer selection, and the Midtown site is no different. n Westside’s Antico (www.littleitalia. com) paced second while Athens Pizza (www.athenspizzaatlanta.com) finished third.

PATIO

JOE’S ON JUNIPER For the fifth year running, Joe’s on Juniper (www.joesonjuniper.com) won this category. With Joe’s white picket fence and hanging lighting, the patio is a social center for many of Atlanta’s Midtown dwellers and visitors. n Recent arrival Henry’s Midtown Tavern (www.henrysatl.com) finished second, while Cowtippers (www.cowtippersatlanta.com) was third.

NEW RESTAURANT

UNION HILL KITCHEN Not surprisingly, after GA Voice readers selected Union Hill Kitchen as Best Restaurant, Union Hill Kitchen took home Best New Restaurant as well. Union Hill Kitchen has won over fans by following the new American format of offering a menu of familiar foods that changes with the seasons.

Henry’s Midtown Tavern (www.henrysatl.com) picked up second, while Gio’s Chicken Amalfitano (www.littleitalia.com) finished third.

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MEXICAN

ZOCALO After finishing second in this category last year, Zocalo (www.zocalocreativemex. com) surged ahead to win Best Mexican Restaurant with our readers. Located near the intersection of 10th and Piedmont, the long-established eatery has been a favorite stopping place on the way to or from Piedmont Park and a favorite gathering spot to watch the Atlanta Pride parade. n Las Margaritas (www.lasmargaritas midtown.com) claimed second place while No Mas Hacienda & Cantina (nomasatlanta.com) came in third.

LATE NIGHT

HENRY’S MIDTOWN TAVERN By just nine votes, Henry’s Midtown Tavern (www.henrysatl.com) edged out the legendary Landmark Diner (www.landmarkdiner.com) for the title as ruler of the late night crowd. Named after the owner’s dog, the restaurant invites patrons to bring their own pup to sit on its patio.

Landmark Diner finished second and the iconic chain of diners known as Waffle House (www.wafflehouse.com) finished third. n

SWEET TREATS

HIGHLAND BAKERY The Highland Bakery’s (www.highland bakery.com) five locations combined to take the top spot in our sweet treats category.

Offering a full menu as well as take out and catering, the bakery has something for everyone.

Last year’s winner Café Intermezzo (www.cafeintermezzo.com) finished second while Decatur’s Southern Sweets (www.southernsweets.com) came in third. n

LOCAL CHEF

ALEXIS HERNANDEZ It probably didn’t hurt Chef Alexis Hernandez that he was a contestant on The Next Food Network Star and made appearances on CNN, as he was named Best Local Chief despite being a relatively recent transplant. He’s also named his restaurant Union Hill Kitchen after his home town in New Jersey, but Atlanta’s gone crazy for the personable chef.

Chef Patric Bell-Good of The Barrelhouse (www.barrelhouseatl.com) came in second while Chef Steven Satterfield of Miller Union (www.millerunion.com) finished third. n

Clockwise from above: Henry’s Midtown Tavern, Ria’s Bluebird and chef Alexis Hernandez, owner of Union Hill Kitchen, were tops in our readers’ hearts..

(Photos courtesy of companies)

SUNDAY BRUNCH

10TH AND PIEDMONT With its big open windows looking out onto the intersection it takes its name from, 10th and Piedmont (www.10thandpiedmont. com) dominated the brunch category. 10th and Piedmont closes at 2 a.m. on Saturday and opens again at 11, so its dedicated crowd barely has to go home.

The Barrelhouse (www.barrelhouseatl. com) placed second while the Radial Café, (radial.us) came in third. n

BREAKFAST

RIA’S BLUEBIRD A separate category from brunch, Ria’s Bluebird (riasbluebird.com) wins for dishing out the best breakfast day in and day out.

The win is the first for the restaurant after founding chef and namesake, out lesbian chef Ria Pell passed away late in 2013. n Radial Café (radial.us) was voted second, while Homegrown (www.homegrownga.com) finished third.

LUNCH SPOT

HENRY’S MIDTOWN TAVERN Henry’s Midtown Tavern (www.henrysatl. com) wins another category, taking home the Best Lunch Spot in Atlanta. With a seasonal selection of new American offerings, the casual lunch spot scored big with readers in 2014. n Metro Fresh (www.metrofreshatl.com) finished second while The Barrelhouse (www.

barrelhouseatl.com) picked up a third place.

With a full bakery and a full kitchen the local chain continues to grow in popularity.

COFFEE HOUSE

n Southern Sweets (www.southernsweets. com) finishes second for the second year in the row while Alon’s Bakery (http://alons. geomerx.com) slipped from first to third.

ANSLEY MALL STARBUCKS Starbucks (www.starbucks.com) brought upscale coffee to America and continues to come up big with our readers for its Ansley Mall Location. A place where gays come to socialize, work and study the Ansley Mall near L.A. Fitness remains a prime place to socialize or watch eye candy walk by. n Local coffee house Octane (www.octanecoffee.com) finished second while The Dancing Goats® Coffee Bar @ Ponce City Market (www.batdorfcoffee.com) wins third place.

BAR FOOD

BURKHART’S PUB Offering an array of American mainstays at affordable prices, Burkhart’s Pub (www.burkharts.com) won for Best Bar Food in Atlanta. Offering everything from wings and fries to steaks and shrimp, the menu has something for everyone. n Amsterdam Atlanta (www.amsterdam atlanta.com) came in second while gay sports bar Woofs (www.woofsatlanta.com) was third.

BAKERY

HIGHLAND BAKERY The same three bakeries from 2013 returned to the top of the category again in 2014 with Highland Bakery (www.highland bakery.com) moving from third to first.

BURGER

UNION HILL KITCHEN Winning yet another category, Union Hill Kitchen (www.unionhillkitchen.com) took home the prize for Best Burger. Offering both sirloin and salmon burgers with Stilton fries, it seems Union Hill Kitchen has found a welcome home among GA Voice’s readers. n Burger joint Farm Burger (www.farmburger.net) finished second, while coming in third was Grindhouse Burgers (www.grindhouseburgers.com).

ASIAN

GREEN GINGER DELICIOUS ASIAN FUSION Decatur’s Green Ginger Delicious Asian Fusion (www.greengingerdecatur.com) offers a pan-Asian dining experience with several Asian cultures represented on its extensive menu. Also offering delivery, this restaurant has scored with our readers. n Doc Chey’s Noodle House (www.doccheys. com) fell from first in this category in 2013 to second while Su’s Chinese Cuisine (www.suschinese.com) was third.

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PLACES

BEST PLACE TO TAKE THE KIDS

GEORGIA AQUARIUM When it comes time to keep the tots entertained, the Georgia Aquarium (www.georgiaaquarium.org) leads the pack.

With 10 million gallons of water and more than 60 exhibits including whale sharks, Beluga whales and a dolphin show, the Georgia Aquarium continues to reign in this category. n The Center for Puppetry Arts (www.puppet.org) claimed its way into second place and Piedmont Park (www.piedmontpark.org) came in third.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS PIEDMONT PARK Atlanta is blessed to have so much greenery throughout the city and locals love to bring their out-of-town friends to the massive space of Piedmont Park where they can swim, play softball or lounge in the meadow with a picnic lunch. n The Atlanta Beltline (beltline.org) strolled into second and the fairly new SkyView Atlanta (www.skyviewatlanta), the city’s own Ferris wheel, rounds out this category at third place.

BEST PLACE FOR A COMMITMENT CEREMONY ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN While same-sex marriage is still banned in Georgia, plenty of couples want to tie the knot in their home state and there’s no better place to say “I do” than at the Atlanta Botanical Garden (atlantabotanicalgarden.org). The lush greenery and all kinds of flora make this spot a beautiful place for couples to express their love and exchange vows. n Piedmont Park finished second and Park Tavern (www.piedmontpark.org) took third place.

BEST WEEKEND GETAWAY HOTEL GEORGIAN TERRACE Sometimes people need to get away in their own hometown and our readers love the escape the Georgian Terrace (www.thegeorgianterrace.com) provides as a place to get away from the daily grind.

A Midtown icon, the Georgian Terrace is located in the heart of the city’s cultural district, across the street from the fabulous Fox Theatre, and within walking distance of numerous high-end and restaurants with mouth-watering menus.

The Atlanta Beltline and the amazing art along it is the Best Free Thing Atlanta Has to Offer. (File photo) n The W Atlanta — Midtown (www.watlantamidtown.com) placed second in this category and the Westin Peachtree Plaza (www.westinpeachtreeplazaatlanta. com) came in third.

BEST FREE THING ATLANTA HAS TO OFFER ATLANTA BELTLINE Sometimes you just want to enjoy the city without paying any money and there’s no better place to do so than along the Atlanta Beltline (beltline.org), a planned 22-mile development around the city that will eventually connect 45 intown neighborhoods. Four trail segments are already open and the public is also enjoying four new and renovated parks along the trail.

Art on the Atlanta Beltline gives runners, skaters and walkers plenty to see along. n Piedmont Park came in second and the historic Oakland Cemetery (www.oaklandcemetery.com) wrapped up in third.

BEST FIRST DATE APRÈS DIEM When it comes to making a great first impression on a date, readers say the go-to spot is Après Diem (apresdiem.com).

A cocktail and a savory dinner in one of the corner tables tucked away from the crowd followed by a sweet dessert assures a second date is on the table. n 10th and Piedmont (www.communitas hospitality.com/10th-and-piedmont )placed second and SkyView Atlanta (www.skyview atlanta.com )came in third.

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PET EVENTS

PET STORE

BARK IN THE PARK Bark in the Park (braves.com/bark) lapped up first place this year for its annual baring of the canines at Turner Field. The dogs-allowed Braves game is hugely popular with Atlanta dogs and their human friends. Attendees each receive a Braves dog leash! Tickets are available for this year’s installment on Aug. 17, when the Braves face the Oakland A’s.

THE PET SET Scoring another win this year, The Pet Set (www.thepetset.com) outran the competition with its retail sales of dog and cat food, supplies, treats, toys and other products. n Wag-A-Lot (www.wagalot.com) placed second and Intown Healthy Hound (www.intownhealthyhound.com) fetched third.

n Close on its tail in second place was Angels Among Us Pet Rescue (www.angels rescue.org), which rescues dogs and cats from high-kill shelters and places them in foster care.

Pet Cotillion (www.palsatlanta.org/2014voting. htm) caught the third-place Frisbee disc.

VETERINARIAN

GROOMING

Piedmont Bark (www.piedmontbark. com) snapped up second place, with Furside n

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n Second place praise went to The Pet Set (www.thepetset.com), with Wag-A-Lot (www.wagalot.com) sniffing its rear in third.

PETS

THE PET SET Runaway favorite for first place, The Pet Set (www.thepetset.com) has been grooming and bathing Atlanta’s cats and dogs since 1982. It’s open in two locations seven days each week, and the well-trained staff knows just how to please its furry customers and their owners.

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Dogs having fun during ‘Yappy Hour’ at Piedmont Bark (Photo via Facebook) Lounge getting table scraps for third.

DOGGIE DAY CARE PIEDMONT BARK Centrally located on Amsterdam Av-

enue, Piedmont Bark (www.piedmont bark.com) took first place for its multiple award-winning services, including several kennel sizes, a variety of social events like “Yappy Hour” and high customer satisfaction.

VILLAGE VETS OF DECATUR First place in a walk this year was Village Vets of Decatur (www.thevillagevets.com), just off the Square. An institution for over a decade, it has racked up many awards over the years for its wide range of care, emergency services and associations with many animal rescues and shelters around the city. n North Dekalb Veterinary Clinic (www. northdekalbvet.com) chased behind in second place, and Ormewood Animal Hospital (www.ormewoodanimal.com) heeled at third.

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Above: Elegant furniture from By Design.

Below right: An assortmant of jewelry from Worthmore Jewelers. (Photos courtesy of companies)

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SHOPPING LIQUOR STORE

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GREENS First place this year goes to Greens (www.greensbeverages.com). The multistate chain has a wide selection of beer, wine and other spirits at its two Atlanta locations. n Mac’s Midtown (www.macsbeerandwine.com) placed second and Tower (towerwinespirits.com) was third.

JEWELRY STORE WORTHMORE Since Harris Botnick, Geri Botnick, and Joan Wasser founded it in 1994, Worthmore (worthmorejewelers.com) has served the jewelry needs of the Atlanta area. It has won acclaim both in Atlanta and across the nation. This year it won first place in this category. n Jonathan Buckhead (www.jonathan buckhead.com) took second place and Twelve (www.twelveatlanta.net) finished third.

HOME DÉCOR

BY DESIGN

By Design (www.bydesignfurniture.com) gained first place for its elegant European and International style. Its three Atlanta-

area stores have brought comfort and style to Atlanta for over two decades. n Eclectia (www.eclectia.net) came in second and Horizon Home (www.horizon homefurniture.net) took third place.

GIFT STORE BRUSHSTROKES A visit to Brushstrokes (www.brushstrokes atlanta.com) always yields unique gift items for individuals in the LGBT community, and the store has been rewarded with first place this year. n Second place went to Heliotrope (heliotropehome.com) with Stanton Design (www.stantonhomefurnishings.com) finishing third.

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FLORIST FLORAL MATTERS Floral Matters (www.yourfloralmatters. com) proved to be the first choice this year.

Jeanna and Martin provide arrangements for weddings and other events and work through all the details, from largest to smallest.

Twelve (www.twelveatlanta.net) and Foxgloves & Ivy (www.foxgloves.biz) took second and third place, respectively, with only a petal-thin margin between them. n

CLOTHING STORE JUNKMAN’S DAUGHTER Evergreen favorite Junkman’s Daughter (www.thejunkmansdaughter.com) brought home first place this year. Its trendsetting fashions and footwear have clothed hipper Atlantans for over thirty years. It’s a Little Five Points institution. Pam Majors opened the store and she really is a junkman’s daughter. n Lost N Found Thrift (www.facebook. com/LnFThrift) found second place and Boy Next Door (www.boynextdoormenswear. com) suited up for third.

TATTOO SHOP LIBERTY TATTOO Liberty Tattoo (www.libertytat2.com) inked a first place win this year. The tattoo and piercing shop is named after the daughter of the owners, Shay and Kaki Cannon. There are two locations: the original on Ponce de Leon Avenue and the second in Grant Park. n Planet Ink (planetinktattoos.com) landed in second place and third place went to Southern Star (www.southernstartattoo.com).

ANTIQUE STORE PARIS ON PONCE Paris On Ponce (www.parisonponce. com), right on the Beltline, is one of the coolest stores in town. Its Lé Maison Rouge event space is in high demand for weddings and parties. Its endless rooms are filled with everything one could imagine, “from vintage Americana to French candelabra” according to its website. n Second place went to Antiques & Beyond (www.antiquesandbeyond.com) and Eclectia (www.eclectia.net) was a very close third.

ADULT BOOKSTORE INSERECTION—CHESHIRE BRIDGE The Cheshire Bridge Road location of Inserection (www.inserection.com) won this category for 2014. It has books and DVDs to satisfy everyone’s interest, whichever

direction they tend. n Capulets (www.brushstrokesatlanta. com/OurStores.htm) reached second place and Southern Nights Video (snvonline.com) took third.

AUTO DEALERSHIP NALLEY BMW Nalley BMW (www.nalleybmw.com) took top marks. The Decatur dealership has an avid customer base, earned for its expert

service department as well as its fair and friendly sales force. n Stivers (www.stiversatlantasubaru. com) cruised into second place and Sandy Springs Ford (sandyspringsford.com) into third in a photo finish, separated by the thinnest of margins.

BOOKSTORE BARNES & NOBLE EDGEWOOD There are many bookstores in town, and

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Barnes & Noble Edgewood (store-locator. barnesandnoble.com/store/2204) is the favorite of our readers. It’s large, well-stocked and conveniently located, and it has many cozy nooks for reading (and also many Nooks for reading). n Coming in second was Brushstrokes (www.brushstrokesatlanta.com) and Charis (www.charisbooksandmore.com) earned third place.

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Roffers (www.pridemedical.com) who can place patients on his table and make them almost feel like new. As part of Pride Medical, he’s a well-trusted commodity.

SERVICES LAWYER/LEGAL

n Rounding out the top three are Any Spine Chiropractic (www.anyspine.com) and Sandy Chiropractic (www.sandychiro.com).

MIMI MCCAIN Your top choice to contact and consult with on legal matters/services is veteran Atlanta lawyer Mimi McCain (www.title law.com/aboutus.asp?id=17). An attorney for Ganek Wright Minsk PC, McCain is a founder of the Stonewall Bar Association of Georgia and specializes in residential and commercial closings and builder/developer representation.

BANK WELLS FARGO LGBT Atlantans adore their Wells Fargo (www.wellsfargo.com). It’s not just a banking establishment but also a company well known for its LGBT-friendly stance and customer support.

n In second place is Kathleen Womack (www.kwomacklaw.com) and third place Randy Fry (www.thefrylawfirm.com/).

n In second is BB&T (www.bbt.com) and third is State Bank & Trust /Midtown (www.statebt.com).

TANNING SALON ANSLEY BEACH Need a bronze body before hitting the beach, any day of the week? The winner here is Ansley Beach (www.ansleybeach. com), the longtime Midtown salon with tanning gear aplenty. Ansley Beach has been around for more than 30 years and aced this category last year as well. n In second is Palm Beach Tan (www.palmbeachtan.com) and in third Simply Sun (www.simplysuntan.com).

SPA BEAUTY BAR OF BUCKHEAD When it comes to Spa Services, Beauty Bar of Buckhead (www.beautybarofbuckhead. com) triumphs here in a tight race. With a complete array of services for hair, face and body, as well as bridal services and special events, it’s no wonder it takes the prize.

Owner Heather Levine has succeeded quickly in making this a high-fashion inspired spa.

Urban Body (www.urbanbodyfitness. com) is second and Blue Med Spa (www.bluemedspa.com) third. n

HAIR SALON BUBBLES The place Atlanta most likes for a trim is Bubbles (www.bubblesatlanta.com). Its convenient location, hours and accessible and pleasant staff—including six stylists—have not gone unnoticed. Walk-ins are welcome and the salon has both male and female clientele. n Helmet (www.helmethairworx.com) takes

second place and Beauty Bar of Buckhead (www.beautybarofbuckhead.com) takes third.

GYM URBAN BODY Your favorite place to work out is Urban Body (www.urbanbodyfitness.com), which

www.theGAVoice.com

DENTIST DR. CHIP HILL Long-time Atlanta dentist Dr. Chip Hill (www.chiphilldds.com) is the winner here.

He has worked on the teeth of thousands of patients over the years and keeps them coming back, for those seeking general dentistry needs and cosmetic ones.

Urban Body delivers the ultimate in workouts for GA Voice readers who voted it Best Gym. (File photo) has a spa/salon and a studio in addition to its fitness center. Said fitness center has a large number of personal trainers and cardio equipment. And let’s be honest—your friends all work out there too! n Gravity Fitness (www.gravityatl.com) is your second fave and third is Fit Studio (www.fitstudioatlanta.com).

DERMATOLOGIST DR. FORNEY Making skin beautiful is the mission of Dr. Forney of Dermatology Affiliates (http://dermatologyaffiliates.com), your favorite in this field. With three offices in the metro Atlanta area and in-house options galore, it’s safe to say Dr. Forney and her specialists know the latest in skin services. n Second place went to Dr. Bandarkar of Emory Clinic (http://bhandarkar-emory. clinic007.com) and third place is Dr. Jodi Ganz, Olansky Dermatology (www.olanskydermatology.com).

tops when it comes to selling or looking for a new home. He’s affable, in the know—being a member of both the Atlanta Board and Dekalb Board of REALTORS®—and certainly well-connected in the community who also is known for his volunteer work, including as a board member of Lost-N-Found Youth. n Second place goes to Toby& Brandon of Keller Williams (www.tobyandbrandon. com) and third place to Team Ellis Sotheby’s (www.teamellis.biz/Home.html).

PHARMACY PRIDE MEDICAL Pharmacies are pretty plentiful in the area but Pride Medical (www.pridemedical. com) is the favorite in this category. There’s something about visiting there for a doctor’s appointment and being able to use the onsite pharmacy that is both heavenly and customer friendly—and sensible. n Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) comes in second with Absolute Care placing (www.absolutecarehealth.com) third.

REALTOR

CHIROPRACTOR

JUSTIN ZIEGLER Justin Ziegler, team leader of Common Ground Real Real Estate, (http://commongroundrealestate.com/justin-jz-ziegler) is

DR. STEVEN ROFFERS OF PRIDE MEDICAL When Atlantans need an adjustment to get their bodies back moving the right way, the top choice is Pride Medical’s Dr. Steven

n Dr. Laura Mills (www.newfacedentistry. com) finishes in second place and Southern Smiles (www.southernsmilesga.com) in third.

FINANCIAL PLANNER LOUIS GARY OF AMERIPRISE Whether it’s retirement planning or domestic partner planning, Louis Gary of Ameriprise (www.ameripriseadvisors.com/ louis.a.gary/profile) wins here. He’s the person you most want to steer you in the right direction when it comes to money decisions. n Second place is Lynn Pasqualetti-HLM Financial (www.hlmonestop.com) and third is Leslie Cook-Ameriprise (www.ameriprise advisors.com/leslie.a.cook).

DOCTOR DR. DAVID MORRIS Dr. David Morris of Pride Medical (www.pridemedical.com) is the top vote-getter in this category. He’s board certified in Family Medicine and certified in HIV care and is an active member of the Piedmont Hospital medical staff. He also lectures and volunteers for the AIDS Alliance of Faith and Health and was a volunteer physician for the Peachtree Road Race for four years. At Pride Medical, he’s trusted, respected and treats patients like family. n In second is Absolute Care (www.absolutecarehealth.com) and in third is T. Douglas Gurley (www.tdouglas gurleymd.com).

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GA VOICE | 42

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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THEATER BY JIM FARMER

Broadway winner Kenny Leon stars in ‘Same Time, Next Year’ Gay director returns to Atlanta to bring production to stage As the co-founder of Actor’s Express, Chris Coleman watched his company grow to become a theater force. He eventually left Atlanta 14 years ago to take a job as the artistic director of the Portland Center Stage, but he’s returned for a directing gig in the justopened “Same Time, Next Year,” courtesy of True Colors Theatre Company.

Bernard Slade’s 1975 play charts the story of Doris and George, who meet in 1951, start an affair and return to the same place annually to be with each other. Oh—and both are married and have children. This version has a high-octane cast—Phylicia Rashad and Kenny Leon, the True Colors artistic director who won a Tony Award recently for directing “A Raisin the Sun” on Broadway.

Coleman, who is gay, had never read or seen the play before being contacted. “I knew the title,” he said. “It was written in 1975. I was in high school when it came out. At first I thought, ‘What an unusual choice for Kenny.’” But as Coleman read it, he became aware of its deceptive power.

DETAILS ‘Same Time, Next Year’ True Colors Theatre Company Southwest Arts Center 915 New Hope Road SW Atlanta, GA 30331 Through Aug. 3 www.truecolorstheatre.org

Tony Award winners Kenny Leon and Phylicia Rashad star in ‘Same Time, Next Year’ being directed by Actor’s Express co-founder Chris Coleman. (Photo by Josh Lamkin)

“I think it’s smartly built,” he says. “It seems very simple, but so much of it is about how the country is transforming and particularly how women’s roles are transforming. So much of the journey is Doris’ growth, from a woman who got pregnant and had to drop out of high school—with not much sense of her own worth—to a college graduate and successful business woman. (Slade)

has created a dilemma in each scene that is potent emotionally and comic dynamite.”

On the first day of rehearsal, Leon was in rehearsals for his new musical and couldn’t make it, leaving Coleman and Rashad to bond. “We wound up talking for a few hours,” he said. “She is a very bright woman, very insightful, and sees all the layers and knows what this woman is struggling with.

What is easy for Phylicia is her strength and intelligence.” What the two had to work on were the early scenes where Doris hasn’t developed her self-worth yet.

Coleman and Leon have kept in contact via email sporadically since Coleman left Atlanta. He had reached out to Leon a while back about starring in one of this plays but the scheduling didn’t gibe. The two often collaborated in Atlanta when Leon was

at the Alliance Theatre. “We both worked with each other and directed each other,” said Coleman. “We have had a good sense of each other’s sensibility.” The directing invite came out the blue, though, Coleman recalls.

Has Leon become a diva since he won the Tony? “No,” Coleman laughs. “As with all of us, as we age we become more ourselves. And what I’ve observed—there has always been the charming, charismatic public side he can summon and share. When you are oneon-one, he is quiet and reserved. He doesn’t speak unless he has something to say.”

This is the first time Coleman has returned to Atlanta to direct a show since he moved. “Freddie (Ashley, the current Actor’s Express artistic director) has reached out to me a couple of times and the timing has never worked,” he says. “But who knows?”

He is immensely proud of the fact that Actor’s Express is still around and vital. “You never know when you leave something that you started if it’s going to find its own,” he says. “I know it was a struggle for a few years to find the right leadership but the thing I am proud of and admire is that not only is it alive; it is certainly not the same theater I was running, but it’s still very much itself. It has its own personality.”

e preMier d l r o W l Musica

e preMier World l Musica

A pitch perfect blend of comedy, baseball, and steamy romance.

The quintessential story of family, friendship, and steely Southern sisterhood.

Book by Ron Shelton Music & Lyrics by Susan Werner Directed by Kip Fagan

By Robert Harling Directed by Judith Ivey

Book by Claudia Shear Music by Chris Miller Lyrics by Nathan Tysen Based on the novel Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt Directed and Choreographed by Casey Nicholaw

alliancetheatre.org/steelmagnolias

alliancetheatre.org/tuck

Based on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture written and directed by Ron Shelton

alliancetheatre.org/bulldurham With additional support provided by

October 22–November 9

September 3–October 5

If you could live forever, would you?

January 21–February 22, 2015

Tickets on sale now for the larger than life 2014/15 Season!

Searing poetry

Middle school drama

Holiday comedy

Holiday tradition

Power through dance

Family favorite

Gothic mystery

discover us. discover you.

Tickets as low as $25 @ 404.733.5000 alliancetheatre.org | Groups 404.733.4690

Series on the Alliance Stage

Series on the Hertz Stage

Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

Harlem Renaissance

GA VOICE | 44

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Eating my words BY CLIFF BOSTOCK

Ming’s BBQ doesn’t disappoint For delectable barbecue, travel to Buford Highway

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Call me today at 404.564.4265.

Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2014 Ameriprise Financial, Inc.

When July 4th rolled around this year, my Friday night dining pals and I did what good Southern boys are supposed to do. We went in search of barbecue. But we did it a bit differently. Instead of heading to a spot like Fat Matt’s, where the line coiled around the building like a pig-loving boa constrictor, we headed out Buford Highway to Ming’s BBQ (5150 Buford Hwy., 770-451-6985, www.mingsbbqatl.com) where there was no wait.

Ming’s is a hole in the wall with only a few tables, hidden inside Asian Square, a rambling block of restaurants and businesses that could have been transplanted from Hong Kong. Ming’s has been open about 15 years, I think, and, in all honesty, its sister location in Duluth (2131 Pleasant Hill Road, 770-623-9996) earns better reviews these days—mainly on the basis of the friendlier service and roomier dining room. The Buford Highway location is principally takeout.

As for the service, I actually enjoy servers who treat their work like performance art. The woman who was running the show Friday night was a trip. A bit sarcastic and impatient, she corrected our language and pointed at the clock to remind us that the restaurant was closing soon—at 9 p.m. If we wanted to eat, we better pick from the dozens of dishes on the menu pronto.

Of particular interest to me was the barbecued duck. The classic dish is one of those nostalgic, edible icons of my childhood in Charlotte. Before I was old enough to attend school, my mother used to take me to a Chinese restaurant where I was always invited to visit the kitchen. There, I’d see the fat roasted ducks—rubbed with mild spices and red dye—hanging from a metal rack. I couldn’t get enough of the fatty meat and crispy skin. There were a few Thanksgivings when my mother blew off turkey and fed our family of five two of these birds along with the traditional stuffing.

“We do not have a whole duck,” our impatient server told me, when I asked about the duck. “Sold out.” I told her I intended only to order half of one. “We have that,” she said. I turned to my friends and asked if they’d decided what they wanted to order. They were still trying to decipher the menu. “You want or not? It’s the last one?” the woman insisted. I told her, yes, fine, I wanted it. “Bring it, damn it. “ She walked to the front counter. I immediately heard the loud thwacks of a meat cleaver and the succulent duck arrived at

Ming’s BBQ on Buford Highway and its sister location in Duluth, offer the best in barbecue with a different flair. (Photo via Facebook)

the table instantly—before anyone else ordered. We nibbled demurely, waiting to dig in when the rest of our orders, including faintly crispy shrimp “donuts,” roasted chicken, and slow-roasted pork with supercrispy skin. We only ordered one vegetable— my favorite snow-pea vines sautéed with a bit of garlic.

The barbecued meats, traditionally displayed in the front window, are definitely the best choices here, but the restaurant is also known for its congee—basically porridge made from rice cooked until it falls apart. I’m not crazy about the stuff. Its glutinous texture and bland flavor require the addition of various available ingredients to avoid feeling like you’re in a 19th century London orphanage eating gruel. You’ll probably be inclined to avoid toppings like pig kidneys and tripe, but others, like shrimp and chicken, can make your bowl comfy. The restaurant opens at 9 a.m. and the congee could function like a heap of grits topped with (thousand-year-old) eggs and bacon. Well, not exactly bacon, but definitely pork.

There are also zillions of Cantonese-style noodle and rice dishes, but I promise you’ll be happiest sticking with the ‘cue, straight up with some rice on the side and a few plates of veggies. Vegetarians who crave proteins will find dishes that include bean curd and tofu.

Finally, a warning: There’s one way Ming’s resembles the Colonnade. It’s cash only. No, there are no exceptions. It’s not a big deal, though. Consider that our large meal for three cost about $40.

Cliff Bostock, PhD, is a longtime Atlanta dining critic and therapist turned life coach. 404-518-4415, cliffbostock.com

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BOOKS BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

Sally Ride’s personal, public life profiled New book explores history of first woman in space And the cow jumped over the moon.

You spent many years wondering if that were possible, although countless nursery rhyme books said it was so. Yes, a human could surely go there, but a bovine?

Eventually, you learned the truth: men and women can overcome gravity, but cows stay grounded. And in the new book “Sally Ride: America ’s First Woman in Space” by Lynn Sherr, you’ll learn some truths that weren’t so widely known.

Born at the end of May 1951, at a time when girls were usually directed toward domestic interests, Sally Ride was raised in a California household that was supportive of off-the-beaten-path lives. The Ride girls (Sally had a younger sister) never heard “I love you,” but they were encouraged to happily find their own interests.

In this atmosphere, strong-willed Ride grew to desire what was then considered to be a boy’s interest: she would “devote” herself to science. It was tennis, however, that took her to college in Philadelphia—her game was near pro quality, though she knew she lacked the discipline needed to play professionally. With that in mind, Ride headed back west and enrolled at Stanford, where she majored in physics.

It was there that she fell in love, and then fell in love again when the first relationship fizzled due to distance.

It was also at Stanford where Ride, who had always assumed that NASA would forever be off-limits to her, first learned that America ’s space program was recruiting women.

She applied. A few months later, she interviewed and tested and, after training and training, was ultimately, famously chosen to be the first American woman in space. Ride’s life as she knew it had changed forever.

But what about the people who were close to Ride? Author Lynn Sherr believed that she was; she and Ride had been friends

Lynn Sherr’s book ‘Sally Ride: America’s First Women in Space’ examines life of lesbian astronaut. (Sherr photo by Steve Fenn)

for years. Just days after Ride’s death, though, Sherr and the world learned that Ride had hidden a major part of herself by keeping secret a committed 27-year samesex relationship.

In her introduction to “Sally Ride: America ’s First Woman in Space,” Sherr explains how this book came about: her years of knowing (but not-quiteknowing) Sally Ride and the shock of learning a “private” truth. She also writes about the cultural atmosphere in which Ride accomplished her greatest dream, the space program and NASA, and the additional issues to which Ride devoted her life.

Sherr also gives readers a good sense of Ride as a person, rather than the heroine that history tends to offer. For that, I was glad. It’s always nice to perceive those we hold in esteem as human, so reading of Ride’s overwhelmingly by-the-book, reticent nature was welcome, almost comforting.

This is a personable book that doesn’t seem quite as shocking as I’m sure it might have been once—but it’s still enjoyable and, for followers of the space program, LGBT issues, and dreamers alike, it’s a must-read.

For you, “Sally Ride: America ’s First Woman in Space” will send you over the moon.

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FRIDAY, JULY 18 AND SATURDAY, JULY 19

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The Indigo Girls hit the Atlanta Botanical Gardens as part of the Concerts in the Garden series, 8 p.m. both evenings, www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org

FRIDAY, JULY 18

SAGE Atlanta sponsors a Second Hand Rose Thrift Store Visit and Lunch, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., beginning at Finders Keepers, 2130 North Decatur Rd, Decatur, GA 30033

FRIDAY, JULY 18 DJ Ralphi Rosario spins at the Heretic from 9 p.m. – 3 a.m. as a kickoff to Joining Hearts 27, www.hereticatlanta.com

The gay-themed “Yves Saint Laurent” opens at the Midtown Art Cinema, www.landmarktheatres.com

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The Third Friday Film Series presents the Oscar nominated “Good Night and Good Luck,” co-sponsored by Atlanta Democratic Socialists of America, at 7:30 p.m. at First Existential Congregation, with donations accepted, http://www.firstexistentialist.org Edie Cheezburger and her usual assortment of special guests present “The Other Show” drag event weekly at Jungle, 9:30 p.m., www.jungleatl.com It’s Mr/Ms Atlanta Eagle Bar Night with DJ Ron Pullman, 10 – 11 p.m., Atlanta Eagle, www.atlantaeagle.com

SATURDAY, JULY 19 Dr. Jamillah Karim will discuss and sign her book, “American Muslim Women: Negotiating Race, Class, and Gender in the Ummah” today. Co-sponsored by the Clarkston Interfaith Group, the event is free and open to the public, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Clarkston Public Library, http://www.dekalb library.org/branches/clarkston.html

“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” continues at Serenbe Playhouse, directed by out Brian Clowdus, through August 2, with an 11 a.m. performance today, www.serenbeplayhouse.com Thomas Hynds leads an identity theft seminar at 11 a.m. at the Phillip Rush Center Annex, www.rushcenteratl.com

SOMETHING GAY EVERY DAY!

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www.facebook.com/LGBTDanceAtlanta Jungle hosts DJ Aron and vocalist Beth Sacks from 9 p.m. – 3 a.m., for the Joining Hearts afterparty benefiting Joining Hearts, www.jungleatl.com Up early? Still reveling in Joining Hearts fun?

Stop by Xion and hear DJ Alyson Calagna, 3 a.m., www.xionatlanta.com

Lindsey Hinkle, Stephanie Callahan and Hannah Thomas join forces for an Eddie’s Attic gig, 7 p.m., www.eddiesattic.com

It’s back — Joining Heart’s annual pool party is back, raising awareness and funds to provide housing assistance to Atlanta nonprofit HIV/AIDS service organizations for people living with HIV/ AIDS. World renowned DJ/remixer/producer Manny Lehman will be headlining the Main Event Pool Party with an opening set by Atlanta’s own DJ Travis, 4 – 11 p.m., Piedmont Park Aquatic Center, www. joininghearts.org

SATURDAY, JULY 19

SUNDAY, JULY 20

SUNDAY, JULY 20

SATURDAY, JULY 19

Join LGBT Dance Atlanta for a Beer Bust to raise funds for AIDS Walk Atlanta and 5K Run. There will be $10 all-you-can-drink beer, raffle prizes, $2 jello shooters and special guest DJ Neon the Glowgobear. 1-5 p.m. at Joe’s on Juniper,

Still angry about the Hobby Lobby decision? Join the Feminist Women’s Health Center for Supremely Pissed Shenanigans & Karaoke at My Sister’s Room. Suggested donation is $5 at the door to be used to help FWHC activists. 5-10 p.m., MSR, www.feministcenter.org/rsvp GA Boy Productions and Jungle Atlanta present the official closing party for Joining Hearts weekend with a party from 7-midnight at Jungle.

On the ones and twos is DJ Kevin Durard. Tickets are $10, www.jungleatl.com Angelica D’Paige and friends — including Brent

Star and Destiny Brooks — purr up fun at Sex Kitten, with $5 burgers and Smirnoff cocktails, 8 p.m. at 10th and Piedmont, www. communitashospitality.com/10th-and-piedmont/ promotions/Sex-Kitten-with-Angelica-DPaige $2 well drinks are on tap all day and night at Sunday Funday at Bulldogs, 893 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30309

MONDAY, JULY 21

Trans and Friends: a Project of the Feminist Outlawz is a youth focused group for trans people, people questioning their own gender, and aspiring allies. This is a project of the Feminist Outlawz co-sponsored by Charis Circle’s Strong

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Families, Whole Children Program. There is no suggested donation for youth participants of this program but adults and allies can make a donation, 7 – 8:30 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com

TUESDAY, JULY 22

Dine Out for Charis at Raging Burrito.

A donation of proceeds from meals sold between 5-10 p.m. will go toward Charis Circle, www.charisbooksandmore.com Atlanta Pride Committee is also hosting a Dine Out event, this one at Agave Restaurant.

5-10 p.m., atlantapride.org Fourth Tuesday Dinner Tuesday is tonight from 6 - 9 p.m. at a Wahoo Grill, www.facebook.com/ FourthTuesdayAtlanta Carapace Raconteurs: HUNGER is the theme for this storytelling group. Bring a five to seven-minute story built around Hunger, 7:30-9 p.m., Manuel’s Tavern, www.carapacestories.com Two Step Tuesdays offer free two-step, waltz and swing lessons from 8 – 9 p.m. before an open dance from 9 – 11 p.m., Heretic, www.hereticatlanta.com Ruby Redd and Angelica D’Paige are the emcees of Drageoke, 10:30 p.m. at Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23

$5 tacos, tequila and beer are on tap at Amsterdam Atlanta, from 6 – 11 p.m., www.amsterdamatlanta.com Join the Decatur Women’s Sports League for bowling every Wednesday night this summer at 7 p.m. at Suburban Lanes, http://www.atlantasuburbanlanes.com Sara Bareilles sings some of her greatest hits with her Little Black Dress tour at Chastain Park Ampitheatre, 7 p.m., www.ticketmaster.com The Advanced Sexuality Series: Transfolks Talk Sex is a panel of trans identified folks talking candidly about their sexual experiences, what they’ve learned about their bodies during their transition and how cisgender people can do better when approaching transgender folks about sex. This event is co-sponsored by Velvet Lips and Charis Circle’s Urban Sustainability and Wellness series.

The suggested donation is $10. 7:30 – 9 p.m., Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.com Ian Aber hosts the funny Abear Comedy Show, 8 p.m., Jungle, www.jungleatl.com

THURSDAY, JULY 24

Charis hosts Can’t Get Enough! An Erotic Evening with Tenille Brown, in which the veteran erotica author and first-time editor talks about the stories she has collected for the book that highlight the

TUESDAY, JULY 22

Recording artist Beck visits the Fox Theatre in support of his newest album, “Morning Phase,” at 8 p.m., www.foxtheatre.org

essence of insatiable desire. 7:30 – 9 p.m., Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.com

11 p.m, with a cash prize and dancers galore, TEN Atlanta, www.tenatlanta.com

Come do the Time Warp at Actor’s Express with a new production of the cult classic “The Rocky Horror Show,” running through August 9, with a performance tonight at 8 p.m., ww.actorsexpress.com

FRIDAY, JULY 25

Brent Star hosts Game Night at G’s Midtown every Thursday from 9 – 11 p.m., http://www.communitashospitality.com/gs-midtown/ GLITZ: The Queer Moxie Edition featuring DJ 5 Hour Boner and the GLITZ Crue teaming up with the stars of the documentary Queer Moxie. This is a fundraiser to help finish the documentary and a chance for people to catch a sneak peek of the film that is five years in the making. 9 p.m. at Mary’s, www.queermoxie.com Decadence: A Night of Drinking and Debauchery is every Thursday starting at 10 p.m., hosted by Adam Bland and Ashley Mitchell with beats by DJ Daryl Cox. A wet underwear contest begins at

Join the Southern Bears for “Dinner With the Bears” tonight at the Colonnade, with coffee at 7 p.m. and a meal at 8 p.m., http://colonnadeatl.com Author Marja Mills discusses her book “The Mockingbird Next Door” tonight. In 2004, Chicago Tribune reporter Marja Mills moved next door to Harper Lee, the renowned and beloved author of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

“The Mockingbird Next Door” details the next 18 months of life with Harper Lee. Fans of Harper Lee will not want to miss this intimate look at the author’s life, as Mills shares a rare portrait of Harper Lee. 7 p.m., First Baptist Church of Decatur, http://fbcdecatur.com/ Charis is thrilled to celebrate the release of “Sinister Wisdom Issue 93: Southern LesbianFeminist Herstory 1968-1994.” A panel discussion will be facilitated by Charis Books and More co-owner Sara Look. Panelists include editor Rose

Norman, SONG Co-Founder Pat Hussain, writers Lorraine Fontana, Gail Reeder, Lenny Lasatera and Charlene Ball. This is a Charis Circle Founding the Future of Feminism Project. The suggested donation is $5. 7:30 – 9 p.m. Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.com Mary’s hosts its raucous Boys Room party with DJ Headmaster, www.marysatlanta.com It’s Pump Friday Nights at the Heretic, 10 p.m., www.hereticatlanta.com The M4M Hardbody Revue, hosted by Envy Van Michaels, is a competition for men with a $100 cash prize weekly, LeBUZZ, www.thenewlebuzz.com Traxx Girls night at My Sister’s Room offers drink specials, great music and lots of beautiful women, 10 p.m., www.mysistersroom.com

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Fetish Gear United hosted by Mr. SECC Leather 2014 and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to benefit the MISTER Center is a night to wear your favorite fetish gear, enjoy kinky live demos, get some new gear, and a chance to win raffle items. Free and confidential HIV testing will be provided on-site. $5 suggested donation. 10 p.m., Atlanta Eagle, www.atlantaeagle.com

SATURDAY, JULY 26

“Let’s Make a Deal,” hosted by Ken, rounds up contestants tonight at Friends on Ponce, 6 – 10 p.m., www.friendsonponce-atl.com

SATURDAY, JULY 26

NBA Hall of Fame and two-time Olympic basketball champion Nancy Lieberman join forces this evening with Grammy winning producer Khao Cates to help raise funds for the Nancy Lieberman & WorldVentures Foundation. All proceeds will go toward the Boys and Girls Club to receive their very own DreamCourt to be built at the WW. Woolfolk Location in Fulton County in the fall of 2014, 6 – 9 p.m., Westside Cultural Arts Center, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/atlanta-dream court-fundraising-gala-tickets-12176968641

The Sex Assessment: Using Grace to Critique Your Sex Partner is a workshop to give you the tools to critique your partner without hurting their feelings. Role-playing, repetition and dirty talk to gracefully arouse your partner all while qualifying them as ideal sexual partners will be used in the workshop. Hosted by Velvet Lips, 8-10 p.m., 1464 Athens Ave. SW, Atlanta, GA 30310, www.velvetlipsllc.com It’s Panther Levi/Leather night at the Atlanta Eagle, with the evening serving as a fundraiser for Ahimsa House, 10 – 11 p.m., www.atlantaeagle.com

Join Jordan Michael McCord and friends for a night of drag king fun at My Sister’s Room, www.mysistersroom.com Gay performer Guyton Maurice performs from 8 – 10 p.m. at the new Vena at Vinings, 3300 Cobb Parkway, Ste. 104, Marietta, GA 30339 Monica Van Pelt presents Synergy at 11 p.m. at Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com

SUNDAY, JULY 27

Backpack in the Park is a fundraiser for For the Kid in All of Us, with admission $30 online or $40 at the door, 12:00 – 3:30 p.m., Cator Woolford Gardens, 815 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30308 Frankly, you’ll give a damn – “Gone With the Wind” screens at 2 p.m. as part of the Coca Cola Film Festival, Fox Theatre, www.foxtheatre.org Sunday Funday at Ten Atlanta features two parties in one – DJ Rob Reum inside and DJ Rob Ansley on the patio, www.tenatlanta.com

MONDAY, JULY 28

The monthly Writing with Intent writing class this month focuses on “Poetry for Prose Writers” and how to use poetry to shake up your internal creative engine. This is a Charis Circle From Margin to Center Literary Program and the sug-

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gested donation is $10. Taught by ER Anderson, executive director of Charis Circle. 6:30-8 p.m., www.chariscircle.org Monday Night Trivia, emceed by Wild Cherry Sucret, offers chances to win up to $250 in cash and prizes, 11 p.m. at Blake’s, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com

TUESDAY, JULY 29

The Atlanta Dream take on the Connecticut Sun, noon, Philips Arena, www.philipsarena.com The inaugural meeting of Kidliterate: A book club

by Laurel Snyder and Rebekah Goode-Peoples is tonight from 7 – 9 p.m. tonight at Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.com Cockpit Atlanta is the home for You Tubesday ‘90s mix, with VJ Ayem, www.thecockpit-atlanta. blogspot.com/ Team Trivia with Wil, 9 – 11 p.m., Atlanta Hideaway, http://www.atlantahideaway.com/

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30

Loosen up and settle in for some exercise with yoga at the MISTER Center, 5:30 p.m., www.mistercenter.org Wednesday night is Piano Night with David Reed at Mixx Atlanta, www.mixxatlanta.com Monica Van Pelt, Angelica D’Paige and Viola Chachki are the hosts for Lips Atlanta’s Bitchy Bingo event, with show time at 8:45 p.m., www.lipsatl.com Primetime Wednesdays dance party revs up from 10 p.m. – 3 a.m. at Sutra Lounge, 1136 Crescent Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30309, www.sutraloungeatl.com

THURSDAY, JULY 31

The 5th Annual Marietta Rainbow Festival/ Marietta Pride will be hosted by The North Georgia Rainbow Coalition and LeBUZZ today through Sunday, August 2, www.rainbowgeorgia.org An LGBT fundraiser to support Jason Carter’s candidacy for Governor of Georgia is tonight at The Estate in Buckhead, hosted by Tony Conway and “A Legendary Event.” 6 – 8:30 p.m.

More information - https://www.facebook.com/ events/1428810357399628/?ref_dashboard_ filter=upcoming

UPCOMING FRIDAY, AUG. 1

Gavin DeGraw and Matt Nathanson perform as part of Concerts in the Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, 7 – 10 p.m., www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org

SATURDAY, AUG. 2

The Atlanta Gender Variations: Parents of

gender variant/trans children support group meets in Atlanta from 2 – 4 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, http://www.uuca.org The Inaugural 5k Run/Walk, part of Marietta Pride, will take place in the historic Marietta Square, beginning at 8 p.m., benefitting the Health Initiative, www.5kequalityrun.org

SUNDAY, AUG. 3

Phish plays the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, 7:30 p.m., www.ticketmaster.com

THURSDAY, AUG. 7

Meak Productions presents the second annual GLBT Career Fair & Technology Center Expo.

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Hyatt Atlanta Midtown, with a special networking and happy hour from 4 – 8 p.m., http://lgbtfair.meakproductions.com

FRIDAY, AUG. 8

Jay Brannon performs with opening act Richard Parsons. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with Parsons taking the stage at 8 p.m. and Brannon taking the stage at 8:45 p.m. Brannon is touring for his new album, “Always, Then & Now.” At Eddie’s

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Attic, www.eddiesattic.com Southeast Black and Blue Weekend is Aug. 8-10 and is a weekend long event of BDSM classes and demos all centered at the Atlanta Eagle. Tickets available at www.picatic.com and a full schedule of events available at www.sebbevents.com

SATURDAY, AUG. 16SUNDAY, AUG. 17

Charlotte Pride 2014 will be held in Uptown Charlotte this weekend. Each year the fest attracts more than 80,000 people. More info at charlottepride.org

GA VOICE | 52

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THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID Yard sale eulogy Saying goodbye to clutter at $3.56 a day The International OCD Foundation says “acquiring too many possessions and difficulty discarding or getting rid of them when they are no longer useful or needed” defines hoarding. Members of my own family fit that description. However, their favorite excuse for hoarding is: “I’m getting ready for a yard sale.”

My girlfriend, Katie Jo, and her mother, Mama Jo, have been preparing for a yard sale for two years. That’s right, two years.

The collection of materials for this anticipated event started in Mama Jo’s garage and slowly began to leak into ours. Our two-car garage became a one-car garage the first year, then a storage unit the following.

Even my conversations with Katie began to revolve around the illusion that these items would eventually be sold to a willing buyer.

“Don’t throw that away, because we’ll sell it in the yard sale.”

“That pile next to the door? It’s for the yard sale.”

“I’m sorry you can’t get to the Halloween decorations in the garage, but all this is for the yard sale.”

I simply got used to the clutter and privately rolled my eyes when the words “yard” and “sale” were mentioned in the same breath. Even when these two women would announce, “This is the weekend we’re going to have it,” I knew those plans would change.

And it always did.

Until last week.

I received an email from Mama Jo letting me know that she and Katie were taking Friday off from each of their jobs in order to spend the day preparing for a yard sale the following Saturday. That was a first, and a real commitment, to take a personal day to

Melissa Carter is one of the Morning Show hosts on B98.5. In addition, she is a writer for the Huffington Post.

She is recognized as one of the first out radio personalities in Atlanta and one of the few in the country. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCarter

drag their booty into Mama Jo’s driveway and stick price tags on piles of stuff.

Despite this, I was still jaded and had to see it for myself. So come Saturday morning I arrived to find Katie still sorting through her mother’s garage for more items to drag out into the sunlight while Mama Jo held court with the potential buyers. She was sitting in a chair, petting her small dog, and discussing grandchildren with neighbors as they orbited the tables like ants looking for food.

By day’s end, the tally for all this preparation and effort came to about $200. Two years of two stuffed garages for $200. Break that down and it comes to $3.56 for every day I had to step over piles to get across our home. A few trips to Goodwill would have been more valuable.

Ironically I came across an online article that day, highlighting Ohio resident and frequent yard seller Amy Hill on her secrets to a successful yard or garage sale. And they are: 1. Advertise. Advertise everywhere. If people don’t know about it, they won’t stop by.

Reality: Katie and her Mom had a few signs in the neighborhood.

2. Organize. Messy stuff every day is worth checking out. sell. Hill hangs old clothes, rather than stacking it, and puts similar items together. Reality: where there was table space, Katie put things on it.

3. Price correctly. Don’t overprice your stuff. Most people stopping by a yard sale want to pay $5 to $10 for a nice item, not $50.

Reality: a rug remains in our possession with a $75 price tag.

And my addition to that list: Don’t Take So Long to Hold One. You’ll never collect the perfect set of valuables. It’s better to have several small yard sales than one extravaganza. It will never live up to your expectation, unless your goal is $3.56 a day.

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I’m in Chicago for a week visiting family, which is always a startling reminder of the existence of children. As a single, gay, 30-something transplant in Midtown, I rarely have opportunities to share company with young people.

Back home, little people are everywhere, and my lack of dealing with children on a regular basis helps me be the cool uncle when I return. I have a tolerance for the chaos and misbehavior that quickly triggers parental discipline, so I’m known to plead for forgiveness on the disruptive child’s behalf.

“They’re just being kids,” says the man who a few sentences ago confessed to occasionally forgetting that kids are part of this world.

I also enjoy younger people because I am not burnt out on their never-ending stories, so I easily surrender to their winding, aimless narratives. It’s obvious that some of them appreciate having a discussion with an adult without being told to shoo or shut up, and I’m genuinely awed by the manifestation of their thought process, and their interpretation of our world.

Sometimes the kids put me on edge. I usually can scroll through profiles and private pictures on Jack’d without having my cell phone snatched out of my hand by a (literally) sticky-fingered four-year-old. And there’s that one toddler who stared at me like she was auditioning for the possessed lead in a straight-to-streaming horror film.

After suffering under her unwavering gaze for what felt like hours, relief came when she was distracted by a bowl of French fries. The anonymous little girl, who belonged to a friend of a friend of a friend—I told you, all sorts of children become part of my circle in Chicago—drowned her fries in ranch dressing until the Kraft bottle farted, then took the gum she was chewing out of her mouth and placed it on the rim of the bowl to save for dessert.

Midway through the meal, the piece of gum fell into the bowl and the little girl looked around to make sure no one noticed her wiping it off on her shirt, and caught me staring at her with the same dumbfounded

Ryan Lee is an Atlanta writer.

expression that she had showered upon me.

But childhood in Chicago is not always adorable, and some of the children in my family prompt sobering concern and painful conversations. More precisely, the ways some of the children are being raised, and the environment that they are being asked to develop within, are infuriating.

Sitting on the hard floor of an unlit, furniture-less living room on the South Side, I listen to my dearest relative praise the youngest of the six children living in the apartment, and her hope that they avoid the dropout, tattoo-faced fate of the two oldest sons who are now 19 and 20.

“It’s going to take more than hope for that to happen,” I say with much delicacy, but no equivocation.

“I remember when the oldest two were as sweet and promising as the younger ones are now, and anyone who was paying attention knows that they have turned out just as you would expect given this,” I continue, sweeping my arms to take in the barren, hopeless living room. “And I see nothing that has changed here that would give any hope that the younger ones are on a different course.”

It devastates me to suggest such a thing about my youngest loved ones, and it crushes my spirit to hear the most important person in my life start to cry, her shame preventing her from offering any counterargument to my denunciation of her guardianship. I try not to let her tears silence my observations; until I hear myself having the same conversation we’ve had a dozen times before.

I didn’t come to Chicago to parent parents, nor am I in any position to do so.

Everything I said was from someone who has never had responsibility for another person’s life. It’s terrifying to think about a young person being profoundly impacted by my flaws and poor decisions, and I again realize what a privilege being gay can be.

feel the love, at the corner of

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