The Georgia Voice - 8/2/13 Vol.4, Issue 11

Rainbow Days: LGBT crowds flock to Six Flags Over Georgia on Aug. 10. Page 15

Risky gay PDA Best Bets Melissa Carter sounds off on recent The hottest upcoming anti-gay incidents. Page 26 LGBT events. Page 22

08.02.13

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

EDITORIAL

Editor: Laura Douglas-Brown lbrown@thegavoice.com

IN THIS ISSUE

PETS

4 | Pet people: Meet LGBT Atlantans who build their careers around helping animals.

6 | Your furry family: Readers’ adorable pet photos.

9 | PALS helps ill people keep their pets.

9 | All about our cover dog

FEATURED STORY

Deputy Editor: Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com

NEWS

11 | Recent cases highlight LGBT domestic violence problem 12 | Gay-led Better Georgia brings progressive voice to state politics 13 | News in brief: U.S. Senate candidate on gay marriage, Russian anti-gay laws spark boycott, and more

Web Manager: Ryan Watkins rwatkins@thegavoice.com Art Director: Mike Ritter mritter@thegavoice.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Melissa Carter, Jim Farmer, Shannon Hames, Topher Payne, Matt Schafer, Steve Warren, Ryan Lee

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

BUSINESS

Sales Manager: Marshall Graham mgraham@thegavoice.com Sales Executive: Anne Clarke The Clarke Agency aclarke@thegavoice.com National Advertising: Rivendell Media, 908-232-2021 sales@rivendellmedia.com

FINE PRINT

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

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

A single copy of the Georgia 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 Georgia Voice, PO Box 77401, Atlanta, GA 30357. The Georgia Voice is published every other Friday by The Georgia 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 Georgia Voice are expressed in editorials and in editor’s notes. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Georgia Voice and its staff.

To submit a letter or commentary: Letters should be fewer than 400 words and commentary, for web or print, should be fewer than 750 words.

Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must include a name, address and phone number for verification. Email submissions to editor@thegavoice.com or mail to the address above.

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

Photo courtesy Six Flags via Facebook

15 | RAINBOW DAYS AT SIX FLAGS

OUTSPOKEN FRIENDS & FOES IN THEIR OWN WORDS

“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”

—Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church, telling reporters that he would not judge priests for their sexual orientation. The former pope, Benedict XVI, had said gay men should not be priests. (New York Times, July 29)

Photo by Dale Price, Port of San

Associate Publisher: Tim Boyd tboyd@thegavoice.com

Photo courtesy presidencia.gov.ar

Publisher: Christina Cash ccash@thegavoice.com

“I would not worship a God who is homophobic, and that is how deep I feel about this. I would refuse to go to a homophobic heaven.”

—Retired South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, speaking at a recent United Nations gay rights event.

(Washington Times, July 26)

“[Julie] Hermann and her partner Dr. Leslie Danehy are the proud parents of a seven-year old son, Aidan.”

— Julie Hermann, the first woman to serve as athletic director for Rutgers University and the second female athletic director in Big Ten history, coming out in her official biography on the school website scarletknights.com (USA Today, July 29)

Publicity photo via Rutgers Facebook

15 | Rainbow Days set to draw LGBT crowds to Six Flags 17 | Theater: ‘The Producers’ at Atlanta Lyric Theatre 19 | Photos: GA Voice ‘Best of Atlanta’ Party, Joining Hearts, Backpack in the Park, Marietta Pride 21 | A&E in brief: Atlanta Pride goes VIP, transgender Navy SEAL reads in Atlanta

COLUMNISTS

26 | That’s What She Said: Melissa Carter on the risks of gay PDA. 27 | Domestically Disturbed: Topher Payne needs a magic school bus.

Public domain photo

THE GEORGIA VOICE

“If you take men and lock them in a house for five years and tell them to come up with two children and they fail to do that, then we will chop off their heads.”

— Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, stating at a rally that homosexuality “seeks to destroy our lineage” and Zimbabwe will not “accept the homosexuality practice” even if it costs the country U.S. aid. (News Day, July 25)

Pet People

4 | GA VOICE

NEWS

08.02.13

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Mobile vet: ‘My love is my profession’

By DYANA BAGBY

Daniel Benboe, a zookeeper at Zoo Atlanta, hangs out with some of his ring-tailed lemur friends. (Photo courtesy Zoo Atlanta)

Atlanta zookeeper: ‘We are the first eyes and ears’

By DYANA BAGBY When Daniel Benboe was a child, his mother would not let him have a pet dog or cat. So he would walk to a nearby creek and bring home a frog or snake, “much to her horror,” he says with a laugh.

Now 41, Benboe works as a zookeeper at Zoo Atlanta, a job he’s held for approximately 14 years. Currently working with the two female African elephants, Benboe said he’s been fortunate to work in all areas of the zoo — except with the giant Pandas and with carnivores.

“I knew I wanted to be a zookeeper since kindergarten,” he says.

In high school, Benboe got a job as an intern working with Zoo Atlanta’s birds and reptiles. He kept applying for jobs as they came open so he’s worked with birds, small mammals, amphibians, primates, large mammals, rhinos, giraffes, antelopes and zebras. And now, elephants.

“Most keepers stay in one area. I always wanted to work in different areas and become good in all areas,” he says.

The primary objective for Benboe and all other zookeepers is to ensure the physical and emotional health and quality of life for the animals.

“We are the first eyes and ears,” he says. “We are the first to notice their diet, if they are suffering from boredom. Animals cannot really communicate when they are sick. And with wild animals, they only show they are sick when it is too late.”

Keepers must observe each animal for long periods of time. Part of that is to train the animals to participate in their own captive management, Benboe says.

Through building trust and training techniques, zookeepers can train animals to walk themselves into their own enclosures for a medical exam or roll over to their side for an ultrasound, Benboe explains.

The two female elephants Benboe works with are Tara and Kelly. They are both 30 and weigh an average 8,000 pounds. They were orphans before coming to Zoo Atlanta in the mid1980s.

Exercising them regularly is important because they do not walk 25 miles a day like they would in the wild. The elephants also love to paint with brushes or by blowing colors out of their trunks, Benboe says.

“Between all that fun stuff, we are picking up lots of poop. Hundreds and hundreds of pounds of poop a day,” he says. All of it goes to compost.

Being a zookeeper is a lot of physical work, but Benboe loves it because, as he likes to say, he’s the only gay guy in Atlanta who doesn’t need a gym membership. And Zoo Atlanta is actually filled with many LGBT employees, he added.

He’s been working with Tara and Kelly for six months, and knows how intelligent they are.

“The best experience for me right now is being a student to elephants. They are training me on how to train them,” he says.

Dr. M.G. McReynolds, a mobile veterinarian, has been treating animals in and around Atlanta since 1986, fulfilling a calling she said she’s had since she was a child.

Growing up on a farm with a dad who was a cattle breeder, McReynolds said she had a “rich childhood” filled with all kinds of animals who were part of the family.

“I was always interested in science and medicine, so it was a natural segue to go into veterinary medicine — much to my parents’ chagrin,” she says. “They asked are you sure you don’t want to be a real doctor.”

But McReynolds, who is gay, knows she made the right decision.

“I love what I do,” she says. “I’m one of the few people I know who my love is my profession. It’s a real privilege.”

On her family’s farm, McReynolds said only dogs were allowed to stay inside the house while the cats fended for themselves outside and in the barn.

“I was more of a dog person when growing up because the cats we had were very aloof and not allowed in the house. When I went to vet school and started having pets in the house, I became more aware of the feline species,” she says.

In the early 1990s, she worked at an all-cat clinic and discovered she preferred working with cats.

“Not that I don’t love dogs, but I prefer working on cats. We speak to each other more, in a non-verbal way. They just know I’m in charge and I’m there to help,” she says.

McReynolds is currently living with her daughter and they have three cats and one dog between them. One thing she believes all people need to learn before rushing out to get a cute kitten or puppy is that you are entering into a long-term commitment — sometimes up to 18 years or longer.

McReynolds also has three rules she likes to let cat owners know: don’t declaw your pet, spay or neuter your cats by the time they are six months old, and start early on behavioral inter-

Dr. M.G. McReynolds, shown with her cat, Jellybean, is a mobile vet who specializes at in-home euthanasia, allowing pets the peace of familiar surroundings.

(Courtesy photo)

vention so cats will not tear up your expensive furniture.

As a mobile vet, McReynolds also offers euthanasia for pets in the comfort of their homes through her business, Transitions Home Euthanasia (http://transitionshomeeuthanasia.com) “When I first started this, it was a process every time,” she says.

“Sometimes I turned people down. But the more you do it, the more you realize it is a gift to these animals to end their suffering,” McReynolds adds. “Let your animals die with dignity.

Don’t prolong their lives for us.”

But there is plenty of happiness, too. When a family gets a new kitten, McReynolds says she enjoys watching the animal grow up to be part of the family.

“But I totally adore all that I do,” she notes.

And as for her parents — “They are very happy for me,” she says.

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08.02.13

GA VOICE | 5

Meet four LGBT Atlantans working to help animals Pit bull rescuer: ‘Continue to educate and not judge’

By DYANA BAGBY Nehemiah Falber is 19, works two parttime jobs and attends Georgia Gwinnett College. He also has a boyfriend.

So, he’s pretty busy. But not busy enough to keep him from working to rescue animals.

Falber volunteers every weekend with his mother at local animal shelters to walk dogs and clean out their pens and helped create an organization, Stubby’s Heroes, to rescue dogs, especially pit bulls.

Stubby’s Heroes was founded last year by his mom, Johanna Falber, and Lizz Dorsey, who also is a DJ at many lesbian parties. The group works to eliminate breed specific legislation that targets dogs such as pit bulls.

The goal of Stubby’s Heroes is also to educate policy makers and the public that certain breeds aren’t dangerous — it’s the people who raise them that make them dangerous.

It was six years ago when Falber moved with his mom from Long Island to metro

Atlanta. They went to a Kroger where there was a woman with a box full of puppies.

“She told us if she didn’t get rid of them she was going to have to take them to the shelter. So we picked one out and named him Charlie, a golden retriever/springer spaniel mix. We thought he was going to be small but now he weighs 140 pounds,” Falber says.

That was their first rescue.

After that, his mother began researching more about dogs, especially about dog pounds and animal cruelty.

“I was like 13 or 14 and since then we started going to shelters every weekend to walk the dogs and help care for them,” he said.

They also started volunteering with the Coalition to Unchain Dogs and held the first Bully March last October in Piedmont Park to show the public what a gentle, loving breed the pit bull can be.

Falber and his mother now have three pit bull mixes as well as Charlie and a cat.

“I do have a love for animals. Pit bulls are

so popular with dog kennels especially in kennels in Atlanta. I feel they are very neglected. There is this bad connotation about them — that they are naturally evil. That’s just not true,” he says. “It’s the way we raise them.”

Falber says it can become depressing when they are not able to rescue an animal and it has to be euthanized. But the key is to keep your eye on the bigger picture, he says.

“I try to keep my emotions out of it. Once you put you emotions in it, it becomes more about you and less about the dog,” he says.

“Of course I do get sensitive when I learn about a dog being put down. But who else will do this if we don’t?” he asks.

Stubby’s Heroes is named after Sgt. Stubby, who was believed to be a pit bull mix and was the most decorated dog during World War I. “To think this awarded war veteran would be outlawed now is a shame,” Falber said. “We are going to continue to educate and not judge.”

Nehemiah Falber with Honey, one of his pit bull mixes. (Courtesy photo)

Pet cremation provider: ‘I love my pets so it just made sense’

By SHANNON HAMES When Christine Hunsaker and her partner, Kellie Rowker, lost a pet, their experience didn’t go well. Having a background in the funeral business, Hunsaker saw a need for grieving pet-owners to have the same compassionate care for their deceased pet as for a human family member or friend.

“When our little dog Casey died, we had a terrible experience,” Hunsaker said. “I thought, ‘I run a cremation company that handles thousands and thousands of human beings. Why can’t I start a similar business that treats the pets nice and the people nice?’

I knew the human side really well and I love my pets so it just made sense to me. ” In 2005, she opened the doors of Paws, Whiskers & Wags. Hunsaker built the business on being totally open and transparent.

“Anyone, anywhere at any time can come here and be there through the whole process,” she says. “The number one thing that anyone wants to know when they lose a two-legged or a four-legged loved one is where you take their loved ones and can they go there.

“They want to know that when they get their pet back, this is really their pet. At our

Christine Hunsaker (left) founded Paws, Whiskers & Wags after she and her partner, Kelly Rowker, lost a beloved dog. (Courtesy photo)

place, they can see the process from start to finish,” she says.

One of their clients, Alyssa Easton, said that this fact alone is why she chose to have her pet cremated at Paws, Whiskers & Wags.

“My dog, Tennessee, had a tragic death. I was heartbroken and trying to find a place to have her cremated. There was no place that would guarantee that I would get her specific ashes. Christine allowed me to accompany my dog through the whole process and I knew I had the remains of my dog. It was so comforting,” Easton says.

When dealing with the loss of a loved one, Paws, Whiskers & Wags also knows that people don’t stop hurting right away.

For this reason, they offer a grief counseling group that meets on the first Tuesday of each month. It is led by a therapist and is free to anyone who they have served or their extended family.

Each year, they also have a “Celebration of the Pets” gathering where pet owners come to commemorate the loss of their loved one.

It’s held at the DeKalb County Auditorium.

People submit photos of their pets which are displayed on the big screen. Then, there is a candlelight vigil.

“All the seats are filled and its standing room only,” Hunsaker says.

She relates a story of how she helped a special client who worried how his young twin daughters would deal with the death of the family’s dog.

“I told him that the important thing was

that they learn about loss and grief and how to manage it,” Hunsaker recalls. “The next day, he brought the girls in with love letters to the dog. He held them up, one in each arm, and showed them through the operations window our cremation machine. …

He said, ‘Well this lady is going to put our dog in there and that machine is going to carry her really fast up to Heaven. We’re going to get ice cream and when we come back, we will be able to see the angel dust left behind that will let us know that she made it to Heaven. ’ “He found a way to let them know that everything was going to be okay. ”

6 | GA VOICE

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08.02.13

Your furry

friends

Baxter and Boris

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Mimi Roscoe

Enjoy these cute pet photos submitted by GA Voice readers.

Scrubs and Roscoe Cooper

Audio

In memory of Reggie Isis

In memory of Boo Kitty

Kitty Boo-Boo

Molly Angel

Whitney

Kilo

Maggie

Leah

Sugarbutt

Weston and Gentry

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GA VOICE | 9

PALS provides pet care to ‘help a friend keep a friend’ Founded in height of HIV crisis, nonprofit now serves ill, elderly

MORE INFO PALS Atlanta 2115 Liddell Drive NE Atlanta, GA 30324 404-876-PALS www.palsatlanta.org

By JIM FARMER Kevin Bryant’s love for animals is one reason he is the executive director of PALS (Pets Are Loving Support) Atlanta – and why he’s even in the Atlanta area.

Bryant was living in Denver when the area passed a law forbidding pit bulls, with no grandfather clause for those who already had the dogs as pets. Refusing to give up his own pit bull Murphy, he was forced to move and he chose to come back to Atlanta.

Bryant volunteered around town for three months before getting hired at PALS, where he worked for seven years now. Murphy has since passed on but Bryant has a new pit bull, Arrow.

His love for his own pets helps motivate Bryant to fulfill PALS’ mission. The 22-year-old organization, whose motto is “help a friend keep a friend,” was founded to help people with HIV care for their pets. As HIV became a more manageable health condition for many, the organization expanded its client base to include those with other illnesses, disabilities and the elderly. Clients can’t earn more than $25,000 per year to qualify.

PALS currently has approximately 500 animals in the program, all dogs and cats. The organization requires that a new client have the pet for more than two years to qualify for service. A client can have no more than two pets per household. In the case that a pet does

About our cover dog

pass away, the owner is allowed to get a new one, but he or she has to adopt an adult pet.

The care includes free food and free basic veterinary care, sponsored by the Atlanta Humane Society and the Veterinary Center of Buckhead.

Many of the clients PALS Atlanta is known for its monthly Bingo fundraisers, which it advertises on its float have been with the pro- for the Atlanta Pride Parade. The next event is set for Aug. 14 with a disco theme. (Photo gram since the begin- by Brent Corcoran / RNZ Photography) ning, and approximately 75 percent are LGBT Each month brings new patrons and it’s people, Bryant says. New client requests come not just LGBT people — Bryant says heterodirectly to him.

According to Bryant, PALS receives money sexual allies have become fond of the event. from private donations and events. A grant PALS also benefits financially from the Pet Cothe organization used to receive is no longer tillion, held every year by Piedmont Bark.

One of the clients using PALS is Daphany funded and he’s had to scramble to replace Dubois. She is disabled and was referred by a that money.

“This year has been tough, but we have managed to continue our mission,” he says.

“The community has really rallied behind us.”

The organization’s signature fundraiser is PALS Bingo, hosted by Bubba D. Licious and held the second Wednesday of every month, now at Jungle Atlanta. Bryant says the event raises some needed cash but the real advantage is the exposure it provides to the organization.

Courtesy photo

Adorable Dalmatian chosen from photos submitted by readers Name: Babygirl Age: Almost six years old Parents: Stephanie 0’Neal and family Favorite activities: Dog park every day, sometimes twice! She loves to run, fetch, and be outside. She also loves being a guard dog! … She sits atop our back porch on alert watching the surroundings. Dalmatians have a strong hunting instinct and are excellent stalkers of most any prey.

Favorite places to go: Again, dog park!

Also Brusters Ice Cream and hanging her head out of the window of any car ride.

When being naughty: She has the tendency to go “walk-a-bout” on her own in the neighborhood if given half a chance.

Stephanie says the best thing about Babygirl is: Absolutely everything! Anybody who knows me knows I love my dog… She is my world. She is my best friend, my loyal companion, sometimes my partner in crime.

She’s a peek through the blinds because she hears my car and is excited standing there waiting for me, a big wet kiss (and she does kiss), a member of our family, and a very special place in my heart. My love for Babygirl is beyond words.

friend, after having to take one of her dogs to the Humane Society after he got sick.

Dubois is very grateful to PALS and admits she probably would not have been able to keep her “boys” — dogs Hampton and Goliath — if it had not been for the nonprofit.

“They are my family,” she says.

Because PALS had been so good to her, she likes to volunteer her time back to the organization.

Currently, Bryant is the only PALS staff member. The organization has nine board members and approximately 350 volunteers and is always looking for donations and extra volunteers.

10 | GA VOICE

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GA VOICE | 11

LGBT domestic violence: ‘We have to start naming it’

By DYANA BAGBY Crystal Parker was found in her upstairs bedroom, dead with a gunshot to her head. Charged in her killing is her ex-partner, Danielle Parker.

Crystal Park was a corporal with the East Point Police Department and her death made headlines across the nation. But what exactly led up to the killing over the July Fourth weekend will only be known to the two women, who, according to their friends, had recently broken up.

The Fulton County Police Department is being tightlipped about the investigation and will only say the two were roommates, without acknowledging they were a couple.

“That is not something we are going to go beyond. Our information right now is this was a roommate status. We have no confirmation of anything else,” said Cpl. Kay Lester, spokesperson for Fulton County’s police department, in an interview with the GA Voice.

But friends have told the GA Voice and other media outlets that the two were partners, and the woman behind bars facing murder charges changed her name to her ex-partner’s last name.

The police report on the shooting includes only a short narrative: Danielle Parker is accused of Officers arrived killing her ex-girlfriend, an East on the scene after Atlanta police officer. (Photo Crystal Parker’s courtesy Fulton County Sheriff’s friend went to Department) Parker’s house looking for her and found the back door open.

“We located a person unresponsive in the upstairs bedroom,” the report states.

The Parker case comes just a month after the conclusion of another local high-profile lesbian intimate partner violence case. WNBA star Chamique Holdsclaw pleaded guilty in June to aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and other charges.

In November in Atlanta, she terrorized her ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Jennifer Lacy, by breaking out Lacy’s car windows with a baseball bat and then firing a gun into the car. Holdsclaw was sentenced to three years probation and a $3,000 fine.

But is domestic violence, now more com-

Recent cases highlight need for community resources monly referred to as intimate partner violence, or IPV, a major issue in LGBT communities?

CDC: ‘VIOLENCE AFFECTS EVERYONE’

A groundbreaking study by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention shows that lesbians and gay men reported IPV and stalking victimization (including text messaging, emails and GPS) over their lifetimes at levels equal to or higher than those of heterosexuals.

The CDC study is based on data gathered from the very first National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), conducted in 2010. In 2013, the CDC released an analysis of the data from respondents who identified as lesbian, bisexual or gay.

According to the study, two-thirds of lesbian women (67.4 percent) reported having only female perpetrators of intimate partner violence while most gay men (90.7 percent) reported having only male perpetrators of intimate partner violence.

“The report just goes to show violence affects everyone regardless of sexual orientation,” said Mikel Walters, PhD, an author of the study who works in the CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention.

Data like this has never been collected before, Walters explained, and it gives a strong foundation for further research in this field.

Transgender people were not included in the study, Walters said, because not enough people identified as such in the survey. But she said there is definite interest in gauging intimate partner violence in the transgender community because “we do recognize that as a community their victimization is not highlighted, especially at the national level.”

HELP FOR LGBT SURVIVORS

Founded in 2008 as a grassroots organization, United4Safety was the only known organization in Georgia to focus on gay survivors of IPV. “The idea was we would be helping lesbians, but then we quickly realized we were serving more men,” said Elijah Davis, board chair of the group that is now a non-profit.

Since 2008, United4Safety served approximately 40 men, including transgender men,

DETAILS THEHEALTHINITIATIVE.ORG The Health Initiative Lesbian survivor support group Every Monday, 7 p.m.

404-688-2524, ext. 112 Phillip Rush Center

United4Safety 404-200-5957 www.united4safety.org

violence, Davis said, including the major push from most gay organizations to focus on marriage rights and being accepted as equals.

Also, even among heterosexuals, there is so much focus on female survivors rather than men, so the mentality persists that men don’t get beaten, he added.

More than anything, Davis said, people have to recognize this is happening and not shrug it off.

“First, we actually have to start naming it.

We can’t call an ex-partner someone’s roommate,” he said. “Doing so doesn’t speak to the dynamics of the relationship and that the violence was actually IPV.”

BATTERERS ‘SELF-FOCUSED, NARCISSISTIC’

Mikel Walters of the CDC helped conduct the first national study on intimate partner violence within the lesbian, bisexual and gay communities that was released this year.

(Photo via CDC)

who identified as survivors of intimate partner violence.

Through group sessions, facilitators helped the men identify patterns that lead to physically and emotionally abusive relationships. Sometimes the men just needed help relocating. And for transgender survivors, United4Safey offered temporary housing rather than sending them to anti-trans city shelters, Davis said.

United4Safety is currently becoming a program of the Health Initiative, which already has a support group for women survivors of IPV as well as a support group for batterers. The plan is to have United4Safety completely under the Health Initiative’s umbrella by the end of August, with no planned interruption of services, Davis said.

Davis said he’s seen men stay with their abusive partners because they are HIV positive and on that partner’s health insurance policy.

To leave would mean giving up medication that keeps them alive.

There are many reasons why LGBT people don’t really know much about intimate partner

Alex Delaney contracts with the Health Initiative to facilitate a group for lesbian batterers who are typically referred through the court system.

A major issue Delaney sees is police officers unfamiliar with lesbian or gay IPV. The officers will respond to a scene, notice one woman or man is larger than the other and automatically assume that person is the attacker. That’s not always the case, Delaney stressed. And sometimes the officer has no idea what is going on and arrests both people because the victim tried to fight back.

United4Safety has trained some officers in the Atlanta area, but there is still much that needs to be done in this area, Davis said.

For Delaney, working with batterers is just as important as working with survivors — batterers have to learn their behavior is unacceptable.

“We try to get them in touch with how it is to be oppressed as a lesbian and apply that to them oppressing their partners,” she explained. “Batterers tend to be very self-focused, narcissistic. If they can learn to value their partner’s opinion, way of life, understand where they are coming from and that they are also struggling through life, it becomes harder to hurt them.”

Delaney said more people need to intervene when they see a friend or someone they know in an abusive relationship. And she agreed with Davis that the issue needs to be named for what it is.

“I’ve yet to see a media report [on the Parker case] that this was domestic violence. The language used is housemate or roommate. But this is not accurate,” Delaney said.

“It doesn’t allow the public to see that, yes, this does happen in lesbian relationships. It has a negative impact,” she said.

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NEWS

www.theGAVoice.com

Better Georgia aims to build progressive majority Gay executive director says group plans to tap voter frustration

MORE INFORMATION Better Georgia www.bettergeorgia.com

By RYAN WATKINS Athens-based Better Georgia is a nonprofit political advocacy organization with the mission of addressing real problems faced by Georgia’s residents, something its gay executive director says the state’s politicians simply do not do.

Founded in 2011 by Bryan Long, Better Georgia is a progressive response to the state’s political leaders who are decidedly conservative. But Long says that Republican leadership or not, it is still possible to solve problems and advance progress in a way that benefits all Georgians.

“Most Georgia voters already know that we’re on the wrong track. They know that the policies we have now aren’t working for our schools, our hospitals and for many people who live here. And in large numbers, Georgia voters want to see their local schools fully funded with full calendars and no teacher furlough days,” Long said.

“Georgia voters want to see the Affordable Care Act fully implemented so that we don’t leave more than 650,000 people without health insurance. The key is make sure voters are informed when they walk into the ballot box and to have competitive races across the state,” he said.

Though it is non-partisan, Better Georgia is most assuredly a progressive organization.

“We have one single goal: build a progressive majority in Georgia,” Long said.

Long spent the better part of his career working in media. He’s worked for CNN, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Atlanta Business Chronicle. But most recently, he was at media relations / PR firm Jackson Spalding.

Long also sits on AID Atlanta’s board of directors.

“I left a great career at a great PR firm because I truly believe Georgia’s state government isn’t living up to its full potential,” Long said. “In fact, I believe our government is hurting most Georgians. Conservative policies and lock-step conservative leaders are pushing Georgia back and making the state look more like Alabama and Mississippi.”

Better Georgia has already raised more than $200,000 in 2013. An overwhelming majority of donations are from small, individual donors, according to Long. The average donation is just $43.

“We started with a single donor and a $10,000 check to now more than 4,000 donors,” Long said. “98.8 percent of those are small donors. For too long, the political debate in

Bryan Long (at right with U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.) says he founded Better Georgia in 2011 with the mission of building a progressive majority in the state legislature, but LGBT issues are unlikely to advance in the near future. (Courtesy photo via Facebook)

Georgia has been limited to the right and the far right. Better Georgia is here to change the political debate so we can change the state.”

LGBT rights, like adoption, employment non-discrimination and marriage, are important causes for Better Georgia, Long said. The reality, however, is that until Georgia’s political climate under the Gold Dome changes, it’s unlikely much progress can be made on gay rights.

“We are a multi-issue organization and we’re prepared to fight for progressive values on any topic,” Long said. “But it’s important to remember that every statewide elected official and a supermajority of the General Assembly are all conservative Republicans. We need to fight them where they are.

“That means that LGBT issues won’t play a large role in the General Assembly. Our conservative leaders simply don’t care enough to advance any meaningful legislation. To change Georgia law, which currently allows for workplace discrimination of gay, lesbian and transgender workers, we will need to replace most elected leaders and their conservative agenda,” Long added.

The task will not be easy, Long acknowledged, but he argues that many of the issues Better Georgia hopes to highlight fall within how mainstream voters actually feel. He hopes Better Georgia can find support among the state’s dissatisfied voters.

www.theGAVoice.com

GA. DEMOCRAT RUNNING FOR U.S. SENATE BACKS GAY MARRIAGE

Michelle Nunn, a Georgia Democrat who announced July 23 her bid for the U.S. Senate, supports marriage equality for same-sex couples.

“I also believe that marriage is not only a legal construct, but a sacrament, and every religious institution has to be able to define it for themselves,” Nunn told the Atlanta U.S. Senate candidate Michele Journal-Consti- Nunn (Publicity photo) tution.

Nunn told the AJC she personally supports gay marriage but agrees with the recent Supreme Court decisions leaving the definition of marriage to individual states. Georgia voters passed a constitutional amendment in 2004 limiting marriage to one man and one woman.

Nunn, CEO of the Points of Light Foundation, is the daughter of former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), who fought for the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on gay service members while in office but later supported repeal.

NEWS

NEWSIN BRIEF U.S. Senate race, Winter Olympic boycott and more gay couples as well as oppositesex couples.

READ While the registry does not MORE ON provide any legal rights due to Georgia’s 2004 constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, it does add a level of symbolic recognition to couples and their relationships. According to the Williams Institute, AVONDALE ESTATES Avondale Estates has the highest concentraCREATES DOMESTIC tion of same-sex couples in Georgia.

The Avondale Estates mayor and board PARTNERSHIP REGISTRY Avondale Estates, the home of state Rep. of commissioners approved a resolution on Karla Drenner, the first openly gay state July 22 to create the registry. Avondale Eslegislator in Georgia, has now established tates joins Atlanta, Fulton County and Atha domestic partnership registry for its resi- ens-Clarke County in offering domestic partdents. The registry extends to lesbian and ner registries.

She joins a crowded field vying to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (D-Ga.), including prominent Republican U.S. Reps. Paul Brown, Phil Gingrey and Jack Kingston and former Secretary of State Karen Handel.

The election takes place in 2014.

THEGA

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CALLS TO BOYCOTT OLYMPICS OVER RUSSIAN ANTI-GAY LAWS

A recent crackdown on gay rights in Russia is fueling calls for boycotts of Russian products and the 2014 Winter Olympics, set for February 2014 in Sochi, Russia.

RUSA LGBT, a group for Russian-speaking Americans, is among those calling for a boycott of the Winter Olympics, while some gay bars are boycotting Russian vodka and other products.

Recent attacks on gay rights in Russia include a law against “gay propaganda” that allows even tourists to be arrested, violence against LGBT Pride events, and bans on Russian children being adopted in any country with marriage equality.

Boycott supporters want to call attention to these policies, while those who oppose the Olympic boycotts — including several LGBT organizations and athletes — fear a boycott will hurt athletes who have trained for years to compete without prompting the country to change its policies.

All Out, a global gay rights group launched in 2010, and Athlete Ally, a U.S.-based organization that promotes LGBT inclusion in sports, released a joint statement July 29 calling on a political solution rather than a boycott.

Two openly gay Olympic athletes — retired diver Greg Louganis and figure skater Johnny Weir, who plans to compete in Sochi next year — have also stated their opposition to a boycott.

www.theGAVoice.com

By LAURA DOUGLAS-BROWN LGBT crowds will gather Saturday, Aug. 10, at Six Flags Over Georgia for the fourth annual Rainbow Days at the popular amusement park. While the park will be open to the general public, Rainbow Days gold ticket holders can also access special entertainment and dining.

“We’re most excited about our new sponsors, all of our new attendees as well as the old ones, the commitment ceremonies and of course the unification of the LGBT community,” says Carmen Smith, managing partner of Atlanta Premier Events Group, which produces Rainbow Days with presenting sponsor Gayborhood.

The goal of the event is to offer a fun-filled day for LGBT attendees while also sending a message about unity and diversity, and organizers hope attendance will top 3,000.

“This event is to show people that we are humans too, regardless of our sexual preference,” Smith says. “We’re no less than anyone else and we deserve equality on all aspects.

We will show up in record numbers and show unification so that everyone else will know that we are here, we are proud, and we are equal.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

As with the similar Gay Day at Walt Disney World in Florida, Rainbow Days attendees are encouraged to wear red t-shirts to stand out among the other park patrons.

“We are selling our own red t-shirts online. We are planning a huge Sea of Red photo and would like all attendees to purchase a red shirt or to wear red to the park,” Smith says, while adding, “although we encourage this, it is not required.

Please come in any comfortable attire and make sure you bring walking shoes.”

Rainbow Days offers tickets at three different price levels, as well as an option for Six Flags season ticket holders to gain access to special Rainbow Days amenities.

For $50, the Gold Package includes park admission, parking and entry into the private Rain-

bow Days pavilion with entertainment and an all-you-can-eat buffet.

The Silver Package ticket, for $41.99, includes park admission and parking, while the Basic Package for $36.99 includes only park admission, without parking. Those who already have Six Flags season passes can pay $23.99 to add entry to the Rainbow Days pavilion with entertainment and buffet.

All tickets are available on the Rainbow Days website, www.rainbowdaysatsixflags.com. A portion of proceeds from the event will be donated to two LGBT nonprofits: the Health Initiative, which focuses on health and wellness, and Lost-N-Found Youth, which helps homeless LGBT young people.

Last year’s Rainbow Days brought in national entertainers, with ‘80s pop icon Tiffany and DJ Cazwell performing.

This year’s entertainment, available to Gold Package holders in the pavilion, focuses mostly on local and regional talent. Performances are slated from DJ Trevor, drag kings Azn and Maile,

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the Athens Showgirls, Alissah, Twinn City, GA Voice “Best Musician” winner J. Tyler and Dylan Michael. Miko Evans serves as host.

SAY ‘I DO’ AT SIX FLAGS

Love can be a roller coaster, so why not say “I Do” at an amusement park? New for this year at Rainbow Days is a group commitment ceremony slated for 4:30 p.m. in the private Rainbow Days pavilion area.

“We wanted to celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court striking down of DOMA,” Smith says.

“We are people too. Our relationships matter just as much as anyone else’s. This is to show people that we are here and we are not going anywhere.”

Smith says response to online registration for the commitment ceremony has been “absolutely amazing.”

“We’d like to keep an accurate list so we do not leave anyone out. That is why we are encouraging pre-registration,” she says. “We will consider walk-up couples for the commitment ceremonies but they have to be at the park by 3 p.m. and possess Gold Package tickets.”

Registered commitment ceremony participants who hold Gold Package tickets will also be entered into a drawing for a reception dinner or cocktail party at Warren City Club for up to 50 guests. It includes wedding photography and a wedding cake.

The winner will be announced during the dinner buffet, which takes place in the pavilion at 6 p.m.

The Sheraton Atlanta Hotel offers a special $99 rate for Rainbow Days attendees.

A Rainbow Days after-party is set for 10 p.m. at 10th & Piedmont, featuring go-go boys, a DJ and live vocalists. There is no cover charge.

The 2012 Rainbow Days event drew throngs to Six Flags Over Georgia to enjoy rides, food and special entertainment. (Ride publicity photo via Six Flags on Facebook; 2012 Rainbow Day photos by Brent Corcoran)

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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THEATER BY JIM FARMER

‘Producers’ ‘Keep It Gay’ Acclaimed musical takes stage at Atlanta Lyric Theatre

Although Alan Kilpatrick has played the role of Max Bialystock in “The Producers” before, the gay performer relishes taking on the character in the Atlanta Lyric Theatre production opening Aug. 9.

“As I’ve said, I didn’t learn that **** just to do it once,” Kilpatrick says.

Winner of more Tony Awards than any other production, including Best Musical, “The Producers” is based on Mel Brooks’ 1968 film with Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel. It opened on Broadway in 2001 and became a sensation. (Ironically, it was also made into a 2005 movie with much of the original stage cast but bombed).

Kilpatrick’s Max Bialystock is an old-school Broadway producer whose latest show is a critical and commercial dud, closing after one performance.

“He is down on his luck,” Kilpatrick says. “He can’t produce a hit.”

Max is not deterred, though. When naïve accountant Leo Bloom visits him the next day, he convinces Leo to work together. Their plan is to raise two million dollars to produce a show, hire the worst creative people they can find, make the worst musical ever, have it close and keep the profits. The play they decide to pursue is “Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden.”

A very prominent subplot of “The Producers” involves Roger De Bris, the outlandishly gay director — the worst in the city, Max feels — who Max and Leo hire to stage the musical. Roger lives with his male lover Carmen (his “common law assistant”) and they are surrounded by all sorts of flamboyant gay men in their home.

When Leo and Max go to visit, it’s a culture shock for Leo. “Max has probably seen this before, but not Leo,” Kilpatrick says.

Brooks has deliberately made the scene, and the signature number “Keep it Gay,” over the top.

“It’s a juxtaposition between the feel of 1959 and the feel of 2013,” Kilpatrick says. “We tend to be politically correct now but the show is not politically correct and that is one of the things I love about it. That scene is sort of a spoof of how the straight community perceived gay people at that time.”

The rest of the cast includes Christopher Kent as Leo, Vatican Lokey as Roger and Meg Gillentine as Inga, the sexy blonde who enters Leo’s life. Gillentine has moved back to the area after a considerable amount of time in New York, including starring in several Broadway productions.

Alan Kilpatrick plays Max Bialystock in ‘The Producers’ at Atlanta Lyric Theatre. (Publicity photo)

DETAILS “The Producers” Aug. 9 – 25 Cobb Civic Center’s Anderson Theatre www.atlantalyrictheatre.com

Kilpatrick first took on Max as few years back when the Gainesville Theatre Alliance staged the musical.

“This show is so big,” he says. “The first time was about learning everything. I came in before uptight but now that I’ve done it I’m able to relax and explore the character more. I’ve found that I’m better prepared to offer myself.”

It’s a frantic piece but he’s having fun.

“This is exhausting, but you leap in with both feet,” he admits. “You don’t worry about the energy level.”

The performer took on an administrative role with the Lyric three years ago. He is now the company’ associate artistic director.

He has been content for a while to split his time between acting and directing. He still loves both, even when it is time-consuming.

“I can go from doing administration to grabbing a bite to eat to doing a show,” Kilpatrick says. “You can get overextended if you’re not careful. But this is the life I chose. I can’t complain.”

After several years at the Strand Theatre in downtown Marietta, the Lyric has moved to a new location: the Cobb Civic Center’s Anderson Theatre, a 600 seat venue. This is their 34th season and their 2013-2014 slate includes “Guys and Dolls,” Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Ladies,” “Annie,” Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” and Monty Python’s “Spamalot.”

Kilpatrick will star in “Guys and Dolls” and direct “Spamalot.” “The Producers” is directed

by Brandt Blocker, the company’s artistic director.

On Stage ONGOING

“Young Frankenstein” Through Aug. 17 Onstage Atlanta www.onstageatlanta.com Out performers Jeffery Brown and Cathe Hall Payne are in the cast of this musical version of the Mel Brooks comedy.

“Les Miserables” Through Sept. 8 Aurora Theatre www.auroratheatre.com A number of gay actors appear in the ensemble of this lavish musical, based on the Victor Hugo novel and a Tony and Oscar winner.

UPCOMING

“Harmony” Sept. 6 – Oct. 6 Alliance Theatre www.alliancetheatre.com Barry Manilow writes the songs for this world premiere musical about six young men who join forces in 1920s Germany and take the world by storm.

“Trash” Sept. 6 – Sept. 28 The Process Theatre at Onstage Atlanta www.onstageatlanta.com Johnny Drago’s world premiere is described as “The Glass Menagerie” meets “Hoarders” meets Anna Nicole Smith. A former D-movie starlet meets a handsome stranger. DeWayne Morgan stars.

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EVENTS Photos by Dyana Bagby and Dan Lax GA VOICE ‘BEST OF ATLANTA’

After two months of record-breaking online voting, GA Voice honored our readers’ favorites in dozens of categories at our 2013 “Best of Atlanta” Party, held July 18 at the Georgian Terrace. (Photos by Dyana Bagby)

JOINING HEARTS

Crowds thronged the Piedmont Park Aquatic Center on July 20 to enjoy beats by DJ Joe Gauthreaux and Luis Perez while raising money for Joining Hearts, a non-profit dedicated to providing housing for people with HIV. (Photos by Dan Lax)

Find full photo albums from all of these events online @ www.thegavoice.com NORTH GEORGIA MARIETTA PRIDE

Popular Marietta gay bar LeBuzz played host to North Georgia Marietta Pride from July 2628. The fourth annual event is put on by the North Georgia Rainbow Coalition; this year’s event benefited the Health Initiative. (Photos

by Dyana Bagby)

BACKPACK IN THE PARK

Sponsored by the nonprofit For the Kid in All of Us, the annual Backpack in the Park benefit took place July 28 at Cator Woolford Gardens. Admission to the eighth annual event was the cost of one backpack filled with school supplies for needy kids. (Photos by Dan Lax)

Buy Early & savE!

September 6–October 6 Tickets @ 404.733.5000 alliancetheatre.org/harmony Groups 404.733.4690

Series on the Alliance Stage

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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A&E IN BRIEF

Kristin Beck, a transgender former Navy SEAL, visits Atlanta Aug. 3-4 for two events sponsored by First Metropolitan Community Church. Beck drew national headlines in June when she came out as transgender with the publication of her memoir, “Warrior Princess.”

“It’s an amazing story of loving yourself as God loves you,” says Rev. Dr. Paul Graetz, senior pastor of First MCC. “Our true spiritual journey can only begin when we discover selfacceptance. God loves us just as we are and we are called to discover that kind of love for ourselves.”

Beck served in the Navy for 20 years as Chris Beck, including serving in combat and earning the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. Beck

decided to transition to living fulltime as female after retiring in 2011.

First MCC will host a wine and cheese welcome reception for Beck on Saturday, Aug. 3, at 7 p.m. at the church. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

Beck will also speak at the church’s 11 a.m. service on Sunday, Aug. 4. Everyone is welcome to attend, according to Graetz.

ATLANTA PRIDE INTRODUCES SPECIAL VIP PACKAGE FOR 2013

The Atlanta Pride Committee recently announced a VIP program for this year’s festival, which is set for Oct. 12-13 in Piedmont Park. Tickets start at $175 when purchased in

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in advance also include entry into the VIP/ Sponsor Party at the popular Atlanta Pride Kickoff Party at the Georgia Aquarium, which takes place Oct. 11.

“APC is excited to offer a new way for community members to experience our festival,” Executive Director Buck Cooke said in a press release. “As our festival has grown and expanded, we want to offer a more robust VIP experience for our supporters.”

VIP passes are available online at www. atlantapride.org.

Trans ‘Warrior Princess’ comes to town, Pride goes VIP, and more TRANSGENDER FORMER NAVY SEAL SPEAKS IN ATLANTA

08.02.13

JUSTUS ATL HOSTS RAINBOW JAM TO SUPPORT YOUTH-LED GROUP

Kristin Beck (inset), author of ‘Warrior Princess,’ visits Atlanta for two events Aug. 3-4. (Photo courtesy Kristin Beck via Wikipedia)

advance but jump to $200 if purchased the weekend of the festival.

Atlanta Pride remains a free festival, but the VIP tickets will provide buyers with a private seating area for the main stage in Piedmont Park’s meadow, private restroom facilities and other goodies. Passes purchased

JustUs ATL, an organization for LGBTQQA young people, hosts its second annual Rainbow Jam on Friday, Aug. 9. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event runs until 9 p.m. at the Arts Exchange.

Entertainment provided by the youth includes dance, comedy, music, poetry, acting, visual arts and more. Suggested donations for admission are $18 for adults, $6 for youth and $3 for children. Contributions go to JustUS ATL’s goal of opening a youth community center.

JustUs currently offers weekly discussion groups at Positive Impact’s MISTER Center and group and individual counseling on the second, fourth and fifth Thursdays of the month at the Phillip Rush Center.

Details of the group’s services and the Rainbow Jam can be found at www.justusatl.org.

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Publicity photo via Facebook

Event spotlight

SATURDAY, AUG. 3 International DJ/Producer Cindel, the King of the Drums, visits Jungle, www.jungleatl.com

BEST BETS CALENDAR

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FRIDAY, AUG. 2

Publicity photo via Facebook

“American Idol” runner-up Crystal Bowersox performs two shows, at 7 and 9:30 p.m., at Eddie’s Attic, www.eddiesattic.com

Photo by Dyana Bagby

Youth-led JustUsATL hosts its 2nd Annual Rainbow Jam, with a variety of dance, drama, drag, poetry, comedy and much more, 6:30 – 9 p.m. at the Arts Exchange, www.justusatl.org

two w ur online There are lusion in o c in r fo t n it your LGBT eve ars. Subm ice. d n le a c t n Vvo and pri ww.theGA or@ w to fo in t even to edit ail details -m e r o m co e.com. theGAVoic

Presented by The DooGood Society, The First Friday’s Featured Artists show is a new series at dooGallery, with pieces by BattyCatty Designs on tap tonight, 8 – 11 p.m., www.doogallery.com The Heretic is the home for the Mister app launch party, with DJ Chris Griswold, beginning at 10 p.m., Heretic Atlanta, www.hereticatlanta.com $5 Dirty Sue Martinis are irresistible at The Hideaway, www.theatlantahideaway.com

Angelica D’Paige hosts “The Fab Five” drag show revue with an amazing line-up of performers, 11 p.m. at Burkharts, www.burkharts.com

MONDAY, AUG. 5

Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin perform at 8 p.m. at Atlanta Botanical Garden, http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/

SATURDAY, AUG. 3

The Atlanta Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence host their annual yard sale benefitting the MISTER Center. Find your bargains from 9 a.m.

– 3 p.m. at First Existentialist Congregation, www.firstexistentialist.org Grab your tie-dyes for the peace-filled Hippie Gathering’s Love-in Atlanta at Piedmont Park at 12 p.m., http://bit.ly/18K9xii Kenny Chesney and the Zac Brown Band perform at 5 p.m. at the Georgia Dome, www.gadome.com

FRIDAY, AUG. 9

bout Tell us aBT event your LG ays to submit your

Kick off the beginning of the weekend at Woof’s TGIF, beginning at 5 p.m., www.woofsatlanta.com

The Grown & Sexy Party heats up with DJ Smash at 10 p.m. Fridays at Mixx, www.mixxatlanta.com

SUNDAY, AUG. 4

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Photo by Russ Harrington

22 | GA VOICE

An interactive event that educates on HIV and the social issue justices around it, “A Fly in the Wall” blends music, dance, art and spoken word, at 6:30 p.m. at the Rush Center, www.RushCenterAtl.org Matchbox 20 and Goo Goo Dolls team up at 8 p.m. at Lakewood Ampitheatre, http://lakewoodamphitheatre.org/

SUNDAY, AUG. 4

Jonas Brothers perform at 7 p.m. at Chastain Park, www.ChastainPark.com

SOMETHING GAY EVERY DAY! Bookmark www.thegavoice.com to get your daily dose of local LGBT events.

The Armorettes perform at 8 p.m. at Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com The Lady Shabazz hosts Flashback Showgirls at 8 p.m. at 10th & Piedmont, www.10thandpiedmont.com

MONDAY, AUG. 5

P-FLAG hosts its monthly Atlanta support meeting from 7:30 – 9 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, www.uuca.org Stars of the Century is a weekly drag tradition at 11:30 p.m. at Jungle, www.jungleatl.com

TUESDAY, AUG. 6

Join SAGE Atlanta for Team Trivia the first Tuesday of the month, 7 – 10 p.m. at Trackside Tavern, www.tracksidetavern.com

Tuesdays, Thursdays and early Saturdays are Three Legged Cowboy country nights at the Heretic, www.hereticatlanta.com Every Tuesday, sing out at Mary-oke starting at 9 p.m. at Mary’s, www.marysatlanta.com

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 7

Meak Productions and CEO Miko Evans hold a press conference/pre-anniversary mixer detailing his 10 year anniversary plans, from 5 – 9 p.m., 200 Office, www.200-office.com Get your downward dog on as yoga returns to the MISTER Center from 5:30 – 7 p.m., www.mistercenter.org Atlanta Pride and Charis meet to plan the 2013 Dyke March, 6 – 7 p.m., Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.com

CALENDAR

Enjoy tacos, tequila and beer from 6 – 11 p.m. at Amsterdam Atlanta, www.amsterdamatlanta.com

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Event spotlight

Photo by Brent Corcoran / RNZ Photography

THURSDAY, AUG. 8

Traxx Atlanta hosts Turnt Up Thursdays, hosted by MC Byrd, from 9 p.m. – 3 a.m., www.traxxatlanta.com

Photo by Dyana Bagby

www.theGAVoice.com

Photo by Dyana Bagby

Come enjoy $3 cocktails at the “Where the Party At?” night at Phase One, www.wassupnatl.com

FRIDAY, AUG. 9

As part of Black and Blue weekend, a new Mr. Southeast Rubber is crowned tonight, 3:30 p.m. – 3 a.m., Atlanta Eagle, www.atlantaeagle.com Lesbian social group Fourth Tuesday has its Happy Hour at Mixx Atlanta, from 6 – 9, www.mixxatlanta.com

The Hannah Thomas Band is joined by special guests Hannah Aldridge and Marge Loveday for an 8 p.m. show at Eddie Owen Presents at the Red Clay Theatre. www.eddieowenpresents.com

The weekend fun begins early as Blake’s hosts the Rainbow Days at Six Flags pre-party, 9 p.m., Blake’s, www.blakesonthepark.com

SATURDAY, AUG. 10

Justin Bieber brings his Believe tour to Philips Arena at 7:30 p.m., www.philipsareana.com DJ Diablo Rojo performs at the Red Light District Party at River’s Edge, 8 p.m. - midnight, where patrons are encouraged to wear red attire – or less, www.camptheriversedge.com/ Get your dance shoes on for the “Fire! 2013” party at The Inventor’s Loft, beginning at 8 p.m., www.FireIceAtl.com

e he

The Atlanta Eagle and Southern Bears host the Tidal Wave Party with DJ Coqui, 10 – 11 p.m., Atlanta Eagle, www.atlantaeagle.com

DJ Alexander spins at the Jungle, beginning at g at 9 10 p.m., www.jungleatl.com Shavonna B. Brooks leads “Extravaganza” at 11 p.m. at Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com

hold a ailing , 200SUNDAY, AUG. 11 Knomie Moore hosts a fundraiser for Amber Divine, who has been unable to work due to s to medical issues. 6-7 p.m. at Burkhart’s Pub, www.burkharts.com 2013

SUNDAY, AUG. 11TUESDAY, AUG. 13

“Many Faces. One Dream” is an LGBT eco-

Publicity photo by Randall Granier

SATURDAY, AUG. 10

Get ready to ride the Scream Machine, the Dahlonega Mine Train and more with hundreds of area LGBT friends at Rainbow Days at Six Flags, www.rainbowdaysatsixflags.com

nomic empowerment tour focused on communities of color. Tracks include “Starting Your Business” and “Taking Your Business to the Next Level.” Tickets are $25 and are available through the National Black Justice Coalition at www.manyfacesonedream.com

MONDAY, AUG. 12

The Atlanta Poker Club hosts Texas Hold ’em Night at Friends on Ponce, www.friendsonponce.com Knomie Moore hosts Jukebox Drag at 8 p.m. each Monday at the Heretic, www.hereticatlanta.com

TUESDAY, AUG. 13

Mixx Atlanta hosts Piano Night with David Reeb at 8 p.m., www.mixxatlanta.com Charis’ in-house counselor Mara Collins discusses the feminist ethics of the new edition of the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” at 7:30 p.m., Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.com Ladies, get ready to boogie on the second Tuesday of the month at Gurlz Retro Tuesdays

from 5:30 – 8 p.m. at McGowan’s Oakhurst Pub, www.mcgowansoakhurstpub.com

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14

Author Sheri Booker discusses her new book, “Nine Years Under: Coming of Age in an Inner City Funeral Home,” at 7:30 p.m. at Charis, www.charisbooksandmore.com

SATURDAY, AUG. 10 The Maria Gabriella band performs at 8 p.m. at My Sister’s Room, courtesy of Absolut Vodka, www.mysistersroom.com

Donna Summer and Gloria Gaynor and more – it’s disco night at PALS Bingo at 7:30 p.m. at Jungle Atlanta, www.jungleatl.com

THURSDAY, AUG. 15

Atlanta City Council candidates Matt Rinker and David Cox will be present at the AEN (Atlanta Executive Network) Third Thursday event, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m., Hudson Grille Midtown, www.aen.org LeBuzz hosts Atlanta’s Original Ladies Night, with special guests and a drag king competition, beginning at 11 p.m., www.thenewlebuzz.com

CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

Publicity photo via Facebook

This one’s for the ladies – Traxx Girls present a Summer Foam Party at My Sister’s Room, www.mysistersroom.com

SATURDAY, AUG. 10

SUNDAY, AUG. 11

It will technically be Sunday morning, but you will still be partying from Saturday night as DJ Serving Ovahness appears at Xion, starting at 3 a.m., www.cariocaproductions.com

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UPCOMING EVENTS Angels Pet Rescue is the beneficiary as the Atlanta Dream takes on the Connecticut Sun, with donations and pet supplies being collected beforehand at the pregame event at Taco Mac at Philips Arena from 5 – 7 p.m. and the game from 7:30 – 10:30 p.m., www.philipsarena.com Contestants will compete for the titles of Mr., Mrs. and Bootblack Leather at the Hideaway Leather Contest 2014, beginning at 5 p.m. tonight at Roy’s Hideaway Campground, www.royshideaway.com The award-winning “The House I Love In” screens at the Third Friday film series at 7 p.m. at First Existentialist Congregation, www. firstexistentialist.org

SATURDAY, AUG. 17

A playoff double bill – the Atlanta Rollergirls skate twice today, at 5 p.m. and again at 7:30 p.m., at the Yaarab Shrine Center, www. atlantarollergirls.com Alterna-grass band Roxie Watson performs with Brian Perry for an 8 p.m. show at Eddie Owen Presents at the Red Clay Theatre. www.eddieowenpresents.com

SUNDAY, AUG. 18

Sexy Josh Groban performs at 8 p.m. at Chastain Park, http://www.chastainseries.com/ Auditions for OurSong, the South’s pre-eminent gay and lesbian mixed chorus, begin tonight; to audition call 404-487-8717 or send an email to Info@OurSongAtlanta.org Bruno Mars brings his hits to Philips Arena at 7:30 p.m., http://www.philipsarena.com/

TUESDAY, AUG. 20

Author Melody Moezzi discusses her “Haldol and Hyacinths: A Bipolar Life” at 7:30 p.m. at Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.com

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 21

Play The Match Game and Family Feud at the monthly Big Gay Game Show, benefiting Lost-N-Found Youth. 7:30 – 10 p.m., Jungle Atlanta, www.jungleatl.com

THURSDAY, AUG. 22

Holly Williams performs at Red Clay Theatre at 8 p.m., www.eddieowenpresents.com

Photo courtesy the Independent Film Channel

FRIDAY, AUG. 16

FRIDAY, AUG. 16

The ACT UP Atlanta film festival, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the organization, begins tonight with “United in Anger: A History of ACT UP” at 7 p.m. and “How to Survive a Plague” Aug. 17 at 10:30 a.m., St. Mark United Methodist Church, www.stmarkumc.org/

FRIDAY, AUG. 23

The Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce hosts the 2013 Community Awards Dinner at 7 p.m. at the Intercontinental Buckhead, www.atlantagaychamber.org Amanda Lepore joins The Other Show XXXL at 9:30 p.m., Jungle Atlanta, www.jungleatl.com

MONDAY, AUG. 26

Benefiting Susan G. Komen For the Cure and the Atlanta AIDS Fund, the annual Jeffrey Fashion Cares event is tonight at 7 p.m. at the American Cancer Society Center, www.jeffreyfashioncares.com

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 28 Atlanta Pride hosts the Trans March Planning event at Charis at 6 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com

THURSDAY, AUG. 29MONDAY, SEPT. 2 Experience a throwback to summer camp with color wars, swimming and singing around the campfire, plus DJs, live performances and more as Gay & Lesbian Adults Camp hosts a women-only event over Labor Day Weekend in Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Registration is due by Aug. 16. www.glaclgbt.com

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COLUMNISTS

www.theGAVoice.com

MELISSA CARTER

THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID The risks of gay PDA Equality is as simple as a safe ride home A simple cab ride home is the last place you would expect to be targeted for being gay. But last weekend that is exactly what three women experienced in Oregon.

A Broadway Cab driver is accused of forcing Kate Neal, Shanko Devoll, and one of their friends out of his cab early one morning, after he witnessed Neal and Devoll being affectionate. Making matters worse is the fact he dropped the women off on the side of an interstate.

“He started shouting some pretty hurtful and homophobic things. And then he proceeded to pull over on the freeway and let us out of the cab. I didn’t realize at first what was happening, but the more he yelled, the more clear it became,” Neal says.

She told him that she would get out of his cab but she didn’t want to get out on the interstate. When he refused to move, they had no choice but to exit the vehicle.

A second cab from the same company came by and picked them up, but once that driver spoke with their previously cabbie, he then pulled over and kicked them out of his cab.

Instead of walking along a dark and dangerous interstate, the ladies decided to climb an embankment and scale a nearby fence. Once they were able to flag down a police officer he said he was looking for them, having been dispatched to find two women who had skipped out on their cab fare.

Neal says the officer called the company to let the company know that they would not be paying the fare and then he took them home.

The first cabbie has been suspended, and the president of Broadway Cab issued a statement saying the company is dedicated to non-discrimination and diversity.

Oregon state law requires taxis to have

Melissa Carter is also a writer for Huffington Post.

She broke ground as the first out lesbian radio personality on a major station in Atlanta and was one of the few out morning show personalities in the country. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCarter

working cameras inside of them, and the couple has since hired a lawyer who says the video will demonstrate that Devoll and Neal were discriminated against.

Straight friends are often surprised when I tell them that I am cautious about when and where I show affection to Katie in public. If we are alone and not in a “gay-friendly” area of town, I am more reluctant to hold her hand or give her a kiss on the cheek.

And if I do decide to show her affection in areas I am unsure about, that decision feels like an act of rebellion rather than something natural any couple would participate in.

Holding hands is something straight couples take for granted. For gay couples, it could be a catalyst for a hate crime.

Earlier this year a gay couple in California was kicked out of a mall for holding hands and kissing. In the past several years a lesbian couple was kicked out of a Gertrude Stein exhibit in San Francisco (of all places) for holding hands, and a lesbian couple was told, after kissing at a Minnestoa Twins game, that kissing in public violated the Ten Commandments.

If a man and a woman were told to stop holding hands or kissing in public, it would be laughable. But for gay couples, thought has to go into that simple act when it happens in public, especially gay women who may be easier targets.

Fortunately for Neal and Devoll, they arrived home safe thanks to a Portland police officer who treated them with respect.

As our laws become more and more inclusive, we have to remember that equality isn’t just about the law, sometimes it means just being able to get a safe ride home.

COLUMNISTS

www.theGAVoice.com

TOPHER PAYNE

Domestically

08.02.13

GA VOICE | 27

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Topher Payne is an Atlanta-based playwright, and the author of the book “Necessary Luxuries: Notes on a Semi-Fabulous Life.” Find out more at www.topherpayne.com

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My cousin Gail was given to acts of generosity which would instantaneously backfire — if she gave you the shirt off her back, she would immediately be arrested for indecent exposure.

She allowed a recovering addict to stay at her place for a while, and he set her trailer on fire.

She rescued a litter of Boston Terriers someone had left in a box on the highway, and they all turned out to have rabies.

Her day job was as a rural route school bus driver for the county, and they let her take the bus home at the end of the day. I have no idea if this is standard practice for school bus drivers, or if maybe she’d worked something out, but she used it as her primary vehicle. She took that bus to the Kroger.

When it wasn’t in use, it served as a playhouse for her daughter and all us cousins. We’d have sleepovers in it, with plenty of room for everybody. In many ways, school buses serve as a very practical family car and recreation facility.

Given her penchant for regrettable altruism, her access to a vehicle which could hold 60 people, and the fact that said vehicle came with an attached stop sign which could stop traffic absolutely anywhere she pleased, Gail had a real weakness for hitchhikers. She had absolutely no standards; nobody was too creepy or too filthy.

If she saw a need, she’d slam on the brakes and invite them aboard. If they seemed potentially violent or otherwise untrustworthy, she would tell her passenger to sit in the back and tell them she had a gun. Which she did. On a school bus.

Sometimes I think you really have to be from Mississippi to fully appreciate my childhood memories.

When I was 10, my parents hosted Thanksgiving, and Gail arrived in the big yellow bus with three Australians who were biking across America. They had not been actively seeking a ride, but she’d seen them on the drive to our house and had chased them down, honking the horn until she ran them off the road and offered them some turkey. One can only imag-

ine what the scenario had been like from their perspective.

I’d never encountered Australians before — the only time I’d met anyone from another country was when we hosted an Up With People performer from Canada. A Canadian guest wouldn’t have been all that exotic, except that her name was Venus, she had hair extensions, and she was black. Our family had black friends, but none of them had ever used our shower, and I had a lot of questions about how she washed and dried her hair.

The Australians didn’t have hair extensions, but they did all talk like Sandy from “Grease,” which just happened to be my favorite film, so I was able to speak to them in what I considered to be a very close approximation of their native accent until I was instructed by my sister to “Stop that right now before I choke you to death.”

As far as I know, Gail never had a bad experience picking up hitchers in the magic school bus. She met her fair share of drunks, a legion of young families who didn’t speak English but were quite grateful, and a category I’d never considered: grumpy old men in overalls whose families wouldn’t let them drive anymore. In collecting their stories, she likely learned more about the human condition than I’ll never know.

Just last week, a couple driving to a Dave Matthews Band concert discovered the hitcher they stopped for was Dave Matthews. Superman even hitchhikes in “Man of Steel,” meaning it’s his preferred mode of transportation, and that dude can fly. So if you want to meet a celebrity or a superhero, it’s a good way to do it.

I am the owner of a broken automobile without the funds to repair it, living in a city not designed for pedestrians. There are no sidewalks in my part of Decatur. MARTA scaled back our neighborhood service due to budget cuts, and my husband’s job requires consistent access to his car. We’re doing the best we can for the moment.

But as cars fly past me on Memorial Drive, I can’t help but think how nice it’d be to see a magic school bus come along.

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