The Georgia Voice - 8/1/14, Vol. 5 Issue 11 by Georgia Voice

Make conversation before you make out.

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

facebook.com/StartTalkingHIV

@TalkHIV

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The BMW 320i

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O F D E C AT U R

*Figures based on 24 mpg city/36 mpg hwy for 320i. May change as result of EPA testing. For model year 2015 or later vehicles sold or leased by an authorized BMW center on or after July 1, 2014, BMW Maintenance Program coverage is not transferable to subsequent purchasers, owners, or leasees. Please see bmwusa.com/UltimateService or ask your authorized BMW center for details. Special lease and finance offers available through BMW Financial Services. ©2014 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks. For model year 2015 or later vehicles sold or leased by an authorized BMW center on or after July 1, 2014, BMW Maintenance Program coverage is not transferable to subsequent purchasers, owners, or leasees. Please see bmwusa.com/UltimateService or ask your authorized BMW center for details. Special lease and finance offers available through BMW Financial Services. ©2014 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.

EDITORIAL

Editor: Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com

IN THIS ISSUE OF GA VOICE

08.01.14

THE GEORGIA VOICE

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

Deputy Editor: Patrick Saunders psaunders@thegavoice.com

NEWS

6| News In Brief 7| 10 things to know about Georgia marriage lawsuit 8| Democratic AG candidate says same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional

Art Director: Rob Boeger rboeger@thegavoice.com

CONTRIBUTORS

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

DRAG

10| ATL photographer documenting drag scene 11| The Armorettes kick up heels in fight against HIV/AIDS 11| Stars of the Century divas not just an illusion 12| Lips provides city’s only full drag and dining establishment 13| LeBuzz’s weekly show features legendary queens

BUSINESS

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

Atlanta gay photographer Blane Bussey’s work includes taking pictures of drag queens in ‘natural settings’ such as MARTA. Page 10

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

In loving memory of Mike Ritter, 1965-2014

OUTSPOKEN

via Equality Florida

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

FRIENDS & FOES IN THEIR OWN WORDS

FINE PRINT

“This intolerance in the name of tolerance is hypocrisy. Support for the definition of marriage as one man and one woman is not anti-gay, it is pro-traditional marriage.” —???????

—Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, saying marriage equality advocates are intolerant. (MSNBC.com, July 23)

COLUMNISTS

19| Outside the Box: Bill Kaelin on how love thrives in separate neighborhoods 25| You Gotta Laugh: Ian Aber doesn’t joke about homophobia in comedy 26| That’s What She Said: Melissa Carter seeks more lesbian romance 27| Sometimes ‘Y’: Ryan Lee is sipping tea with Kermit the Frog

“One term for talking trash about someone is ‘throwing’ this, like a big elm tree might do.” —A clue Alex Trebek gave on Jeopardy—the answer is ‘throwing shade.’ (Slate, July 25)

via Facebook

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

“A state’s constitution cannot insulate a law that otherwise violates the U.S. Constitution. The United States Constitution would be meaningless if its principles were not shielded from the will of the majority.” —Judge Sarah Zabel in her ruling striking down Florida’s same-sex marriage ban. She stayed her own order until an appeals court rules. (Miami Herald, July 25)

via Facebook

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.

A&E

• 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. 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.

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; • Having sex when partying (with drugs, including alcohol); • Using IV drugs; and/or

Most people report some nausea at the beginning of this treatment. It usually goes away. Your health care provider can help address side effects.

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. Contact us at 404.355.3788. PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) also is available at Pride. Call for more information.

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.

2014 Winners for Best Doctor and Best Pharmacy

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David Morris, MD Medical Director, Family Practice, Certified HIV Specialist

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.

Rodney Fox, PhD APRN, Nurse Practitioner, Certified HIV Specialist

PrEP is a serious decision you make with your health care provider. Advertorial feature sponsored by Pride Medical, Inc.

GA VOICE | 6

08.01.14

NEWS

NEWSIN BRIEF LEAKED MEMO FROM MICHELLE NUNN’S CAMPAIGN DETAILS LGBT FUNDRAISING

A leaked strategy memo for Congressional candidate Michelle Nunn shows that LGBT voters are considered a prime source for raising $300,000 for the campaign to defeat the Republican candidate David Perdue. The campaign’s internal document outlining the campaign’s strategy was first reported by the National Review Online. The 144-page memo includes a statement on same-sex marriage that is far different from the one Nunn discusses publicly. When Nunn announced her candidacy one year ago this month, she said she personally supports same-sex marriage but believes the issue should be left up to the states. That position has not changed. At a May 21 LGBT fundraiser, Nunn reiterated that she believes the issue of same-sex marriage should be left up to the states, said Atlanta attorney Dan Grossman, who attended the fundraiser to find out her position on this issue. But from the leaked memo, Nunn’s position seems to indicate she supports marriage equality. From a section of the document setting forth fundraising goals there is this:

LGBT

Opportunity: Michelle’s positions on gay marriage and the HRC endorsement provide a huge opportunity for mobilizing this community and their substantial resources. Message: I believe everyone has the right to enjoy the commitments and benefit of marriage to the person they love. This is not a position shared by my opponents, so I hope you’ll join me on this journey and lend me your full support so we can win this race. Potential Anchors: Cathy Woolard, Ken Britt, Tony Conway, Edie Cofrin Projected Goal: $300,000 Those the campaign has targeted as LGBT volunteers includes a who’s who of Atlanta’s gay politicos, including philanthropist Edie Cofrin, Ken Britt, Tim Cairl, Jeff Graham of Georgia Equality and Reese McCranie, former spokesperson for Mayor Kasim Reed and now spokesperson for Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Another section outlines significant holidays and events taking place each year, including LGBT History Month in October. The memo does not mention major October LGBT events Atlanta Pride and Out on Film. The issue of gay marriage is listed as one of Nunn’s vulnerabilities in a section titled “Pushback Documents.” In a Feb. 14 interview with the Marietta Daily Journal, Perdue told the newspaper his support of same-sex marriage depended on

Michelle Nunn (File photo)

what the people wanted. “As for supporting or opposing the right of same-sex Georgians to marry, Perdue said Georgians have already passed a constitutional amendment banning that action,” the story states. “As a senator, I’ve got to uphold that, so I support that, whatever the law of the land is in Georgia,” he told the MDJ. “As a U.S. senator, I’m not going to get involved in state decisions like this. It’s a constitutional amendment. If that changes, then I will support that with the population.” The Nunn campaign did not return a request for comment. —Dyana Bagby

FORMER ATLANTA POLICE LGBT LIAISON CLAIMS SEX DISCRIMINATION IN FEDERAL LAWSUIT

The Atlanta Police Department’s former LGBT liaison is suing the city of Atlanta in federal court, claiming anti-gay bias from a fellow employee and that the department used her grand mal seizures as reasons to demote her and threaten to fire her. Darlene Harris, who also goes by Dani Lee Harris, filed the suit in U.S. District Court on July 22. The lawsuit, however, has been in the works since late 2009 following the botched raid on the gay bar, the Atlanta Eagle, in September 2009, and following her filing a complaint in April 2010 with the APD’s Office of Professional Standards alleging sexual discrimination and defamatory language by a co-worker. In December 2009 and April 2010, Harris suffered two grand mal seizures and Darlene Harris asked the APD to help accommodate her with the disability as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 2008. The APD denied any

www.theGAVoice.com help or assistance, according to the lawsuit, and in fact “retaliated” against her. According to the lawsuit, Atlanta Police administrative assistant Sandy Bradley demeaned Harris at work by referring to her sexual orientation and sexual identity in two separate incidents, one on Feb. 18, 2010, and again on April 13, 2010. Bradley told Harris, who had come out publicly as intersex, “Why you gay, I don’t understand?” the suit states. Bradley also told Harris she was “confused” and told her “why can’t you settle in with a man and get the same feelings or emotions from a heterosexual relationship.” The suit states Bradley went on to say, “I want to tell you something Harris, I really like you, but what I don’t like about you is that you walk around here like a fucking man with a dick.” Bradley also told Harris, “if she ever had kids at the APD she would not be comfortable having her kids around the Plaintiff.” The APD and the city have not yet returned a request for comment. —Dyana Bagby

GEORGIA ATTORNEY GENERAL WILL DEFEND STATE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BAN

Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens will defend the state’s 2004 same-sex marriage ban. The announcement was made via a brief Olens’ office filed July 21 in response to Lambda Legal’s federal class action suit challenging the ban. The brief is defendant Debbie Aderhold’s motion to dismiss. Aderhold is the state registrar. From Olens’ motion to dismiss: “Plaintiffs may well be right that our nation is headed for a new national equilibrium on same-sex marriage. Indeed, in the last several years, at least eleven states have decided to expand their definition of marriage to include same-sex couples through the democratic process. “And it seems as though each month new opinion polls are released showing increased public support for such changes in additional states. But judicially imposing such a result now would merely wrest a potentially unifying popular victory from the hands of supporters and replace it instead with the stale conformity of compulsion. This Court should reject Plaintiffs’ invitation to disregard controlling precedent, decline to anticipate a future ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, and dismiss Plaintiffs’ claims in their entirety.” Lambda Legal senior Sam Olens attorney Tara Borelli said Olens was making the same tired arguments that have been struck down by numerous other federal courts. “But of course every court since Windsor that has considered the issue has had no trouble seeing that the plaintiffs aren’t seeking some new right, just some time-honored right to marry that protects everybody else,” Borelli said. — Patrick Saunders

NEWS

www.theGAVoice.com

08.01.14

GA VOICE

10 things to know about Georgia’s marriage lawsuit Flurry of briefs leaves a lull to assess the state of the case

Sam Olens, a Republican, announced that his office would defend the state’s 2004 same-sex marriage ban. The announcement was made via a brief Olens’ office filed July 21, which was a motion to dismiss on behalf of defendant Debbie Aderhold, the state registrar. Legal experts panned Olens’ brief, with Kreis, the constitutional scholar, calling it “a very weak case.” Hillel Levin, an associate law professor at the University of Georgia and an expert on same-sex marriage rulings, says, “Unsurprisingly, these are the exact same arguments that have been rejected time after time by other courts around the country over the past year.”

By PATRICK SAUNDERS There is perhaps no greater development in Georgia LGBT history than the filing of Inniss v. Aderhold, the federal class action lawsuit that’s attempting to strike down Georgia’s 2004 same-sex marriage ban. There’s not going to be a quick “Law & Order”-style conclusion to the case, but we’re at a point where many briefs have just been filed and it will likely be September before we have another development. So let’s take a step back and assess the case, figure out where we are in the process and what people can do in the meantime to help.

Judge William Duffey

WHO ARE THE PLAINTIFFS?

Christopher Inniss, 39, and Shelton Stroman, 42, of Snellville, have been together for 13 years. They adopted a child and because the fathers have different last names, there is often confusion with teachers and physicians. When Stroman tried to legally change his last name, he was “berated” in court by the judge for wanting to share the last name of another man, the lawsuit states. n Lesbian couple Rayshawn Chandler, 29, and Avery Chandler, 30, of Jonesboro. Rayshawn is a flight attendant with Delta Air Lines and Avery is a police officer for the Atlanta Police Department and a member of the U.S. Army Reserve. The two legally married in Connecticut on June 26, 2013, and they are planning to have children, according to the suit. n Michael Bishop, 55, and Shane Thomas, 44, have been together for eight years. They have two young children. They filed for a marriage license in Fulton County Probate Court on April 10 and were denied. n Jennifer Sisson, 34, whose wife, Pamela Drenner, 49, died after a long battle with ovarian cancer on March 1. The couple legally married in New York on Feb. 14, 2013. When Sisson went to make funeral arrangements in Georgia, she was told, under Georgia law, she could only choose Drenner’s marital status as “never married,” “widowed,” or “divorced.” The death certificate eventually read “never married,” causing tremendous pain to Sisson, according to the lawsuit.

Know The Players

WHO ARE THE DEFENDANTS?

n Deborah Aderhold, State Registrar and Director of Vital Records. n Brook Davidson, Clerk of Gwinnett County Probate Court. n Judge Pinkie Toomer, judge of Fulton County Probate Court.

WHY ARE THOSE THREE BEING SUED?

Aderhold, the state registrar, is being sued for denying an amendment to Drenner’s death

BLUE: PLAINTIFFS RED: DEFENDANT BLACK: JUDGE

HOW DID THE OTHER TWO DEFENDANTS RESPOND TO THE LAWSUIT?

Attorneys for the other two defendants, Davidson and Toomer, filed briefs later the same day Olens did. The lawyer for Davidson argues that the defendant has to follow the letter of the law in her duties. The majority of Judge Toomer’s response is boilerplate and does not contain any constitutional bombshells, mostly stating that as a judicial officer she is required to comply with state laws and the Georgia Constitution and that this role also grants her “absolute judicial immunity” to such claims.

SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? certificate recognizing her as legally married to Sisson in another state. Davidson and Toomer, the Gwinnett County Probate Court clerk and Fulton County Probate Court judge, respectively, are being sued in their official capacities for denying marriage licenses to the gay plaintiffs seeking them, therefore denying them their constitutional rights, the suit states.

WHO ARE THE LAW FIRMS DEFENDING THE PLAINTIFFS?

n Lambda Legal, a civil rights organization focusing on the rights of the LGBT community and those living with HIV/AIDS n Lambda Legal’s co-counsel White & Case, a law firm with 40 offices worldwide that’s over 100 years old n Local counsel Bryan Cave, an international law firm with an Atlanta office

WHO IS THE JUDGE AND WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT HIM?

Judge William S. Duffey Jr. was randomly assigned to Inniss v. Aderhold, per court procedure. Duffey was a deputy to independent counsel Kenneth Starr in the Whitewater investigation, which looked into the real estate investments of Bill and Hillary Clinton and their associates. He then served as campaign finance chairman to President George W. Bush

before appointment to the bench by him. That might dishearten those worried about Judge Duffey’s political affiliations, but the legal experts the GA Voice interviewed about the issue were not concerned. Alex Reed, an assistant law professor at the University of Georgia and an expert on same-sex marriage rulings, said “I think it’s easy to look at who they’re appointed by or what careers they had prior to being a judge and predict how they might rule,” he says. “But I’ve been skeptical of a lot of that, particularly around the issue of same-sex marriage.”

WHAT DO THE LEGAL EXPERTS THINK OF THE STRENGTH OF THE CASE?

All of the constitutional law experts the GA Voice spoke to for insight on the suit sang the praises of the legal team and the plaintiffs, with expert and HRC Atlanta co-chair Anthony Kreis calling it “a masterful piece of legal strategy.” Reed points out the teams’ inclusion of plaintiffs with children and plaintiffs who are police officers or who have served in the armed forces, saying it humanizes the legal issue for those who don’t know someone who is gay or lesbian.

IS GEORGIA ATTORNEY GENERAL SAM OLENS GOING TO DEFEND THE BAN?

As expected, Georgia Attorney General

In a July 25 court filing, Judge Duffey granted the plaintiffs an extension of time to respond to Aderhold’s motion to dismiss (i.e. the Olens brief), and they now have until September 5 to do so. So the ball is back in Lambda Legal and the rest of the plaintiffs’ team’s court. Then Attorney General Olens has the right to file a reply brief.

WHAT CAN I DO IN THE MEANTIME?

The GA Voice has not made any official endorsements for this November’s elections, but for those who want to put the people in office who can make the largest impact in striking down Georgia’s same-sex marriage ban, they would do well to know who Greg Hecht is. Hecht, the Democratic nominee for Georgia Attorney General who will face Olens in November, has announced his support for same-sex marriage and confirmed that if elected, he would not defend the ban. So if Hecht should win, and the case is still going on when he takes office, he would be in a position to drop the state’s defense in Inniss v. Aderhold. Hecht’s stance on the issue is sure to make him a major draw for the LGBT community and the more progressive blocs of Georgia voters as they head to the polls in November. Also, Georgia Equality, the state’s largest LGBT political and advocacy group, continues to monitor the situation and is always in need of volunteers.

GA VOICE | 8

NEWS

08.01.14

www.theGAVoice.com

Greg Hecht: Ga. same-sex marriage ban ‘unconstitutional’ Dem candidate draws line against Republican incumbent Sam Olens By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com The Democratic candidate for attorney general is the first major Georgia candidate to speak out in support of same-sex marriage and promises if elected he will not defend the state’s constitutional ban. Greg Hecht, Democratic nominee for Georgia Attorney General, spoke to the GA Voice about his support of same-sex marriage, blasting Republican Attorney General Sam Olens’ support of the ban and intention to defend it in federal court. “The Georgia law violates peoples’ right to share in the freedom to marry. It discriminates against people and is unconstitutional,” he said. “Over 20 courts nationwide have determined the law to be unconstitutional and the attorney general is wasting tremendous resources defending discrimination, ignoring corruption and not doing his job. We would not defend [the ban] and we would

Greg Hecht (Photo via Facebook)

put money into prosecuting corruption and put resources into protecting children.” Hecht also confirmed that he believes in marriage equality both from a constitutional perspective in his potential capacity as attorney general, and personally as a citizen. When asked if he had always supported marriage equality or had “evolved” on the issue, as many other politicians have phrased it, the candidate said, “Most of us have evolved and know that it is a law that discriminates and we have evolved into understanding that this discrimination should not stand.”

Attorney General Olens’ motion to dismiss Inniss v. Aderhold, the federal class action lawsuit attempting to strike down Georgia’s same-sex marriage ban, includes a statement that describes being gay as a “personal choice.” “The State … respects the important, intimate, and personal choices that Plaintiffs have freely made,” the brief states. “But the U.S. Constitution does not convert every ‘important, intimate, and personal decision’ into a fundamental right immune from the democratic process.” When asked to clarify, Olens’ spokesperson Lauren Kane said, “The brief was strictly referring to the family-related choices Plaintiffs have made and seek to make.” Kane did not answer whether Olens believes being gay is a choice, however. Hecht was direct when asked the same question. “We do not believe it’s a choice,” he said. Olens is embroiled in a controversy concerning a memo he failed to disclose during an ethics investigation of Gov. Nathan Deal. In the July 2012 memo obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, state ethics commission director Holly LaBerge says she was threatened and pressured by Deal’s office to make the case against him go away.

LaBerge claims that while she was on vacation, Deal’s chief counsel Ryan Teague said to her over the phone, “It was not in the agency’s best interest for these cases to go to a hearing … nor was it in their best political interest either.” And the memo states that Deal’s chief of staff Chris Riley allegedly texted LaBerge, “So since you are at the beach, with your feet in the sand and probably something cold to drink. Does this mean we can resolve all DFG (Deal for Governor) issues by Monday? :)” Olens’ office says LaBerge did not give them the memo until August 2013, but it was still never released as part of the investigation and only surfaced once the AJC made an Open Records Request for it. Hecht cited the memo controversy as one reason for the timing of his announcing support for marriage equality. “The memo showed coercion from the top. At this point in time, with that memo and the attorney general making the case for a law that has been struck down in 20 cases, we felt it was time to say the attorney general was being political,nonsubstantive and not fighting corruption,” he said. “We have to put justice above politics and right now the attorney general’s office is putting politics above justice,” he added.

A TIP ABOUT SECONDHAND

SMOKE

IF YOU WANT A SINGING CAREER, STAY AWAY FROM SECONDHAND SMOKE.

Ellie, Age 57 Her partner, Karen Florida

Ellieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s severe asthma attacks were triggered by secondhand smoke at work. She and her partner have to live with its effects forever. If you or someone you know wants free help to quit smoking, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW. #CDCTips

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GA VOICE | 10

DRAG

08.01.14

www.theGAVoice.com

DOCUMENTING DRAG

Atlanta photographer believes in beauty of queen culture By DYANA BAGBY dbagby@thegavoice.com

Two years ago, Blane Bussey picked up a camera and started photographing Atlanta drag queen Edie Cheezburger outside her natural habitat of nightclubs and bars. Placing a glorious drag star in so-called normal settings appealed to the 30-year-old artist, and Bussey hasn’t put down his camera since. “This was nothing I ever thought I would get involved with,” he says from the living room of the house in West Atlanta he shares with Nathaniel Jeffrey, aka Mo’Dest Volgare. “I didn’t go to drag shows. I was one of those people that always said, ‘there are so many drag shows in this town.’ Then I shot Edie and it was so interesting how they came out.” The idea of shooting queens was part of an idea to put different kinds of gay people in natural settings. When he was shooting Edie in a wooded area, for example, a Latino family walked into the shoot. “It was interesting to see all the different types of people coming together. These are people you would think don’t necessarily get along. But that exchange with that family was amazing. What we were doing could be seen as being quite weird. But we took the shame out of it and projected it as a fun thing to do,” he says.

SEEKING ALL GENERATIONS OF ‘LEGENDARY CHILDREN’

Bussey is one of the founding members of Legendary Children, a team of queer Southern artists celebrating Atlanta’s new rising stars in the drag scene. Bussey is now focusing his energy toward the history of Atlanta’s drag scene and seeking out photos from the past to include in future photography installments. So far, he’s got a box of old photos from Nicole Paige Brooks representing the early 2000s. So far, though, Brooks’ photos are the only ones he’s been given. He’s hoping others will be willing to trust him with their memories so he can help record the “legendary children” of years past. “Drag queens are not all like what you see on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’” he says. “Some have been here forever. They have lived interesting lives. I want to document their experiences. And that’s the trick part—getting them to loan me their photos.”

Bussey envisions perhaps blowing some of the old photos up, putting them on Tumblr, creating shows around the actual prints. The idea came to him after the first Legendary Children show. “We had these big prints and Mo’Dest asked what will happen to them after we are dead,” Bussey says. So what does happen to photos taken of a certain point in time that are a snapshot of Atlanta’s LGBT life? There are LGBT history projects at local libraries and universities where some of this is archived. But Bussey is going for a specific subset of gay culture—the entertainers who, he says, paved the road for much of the freedom he can enjoy as an openly gay man. “Documenting their lives is important because it shows respect. I respect what they have done for me. What they did in our community created a community for me to be in,” he says. Also, it’s interesting to notice the changes over the years in clothes, the community, the queens themselves.

FAMILY PARALLELS

A preliminary showcase of his archive project is a photo album including pictures from Nicole Paige Brooks’ early days, his early life as a young gay man living in New York and Polaroid snapshots of his family. All are from about the same year, around 2000. For Bussey, combining drag family with his bio-

Top: Gay artist Blane Bussey captures Atlanta drag queens Mo’Dest Volgare and Nicole Paige Brooks riding MARTA. Above and right: Blane Bussey is archiving older pictures from Atlanta’s drag scene, including these of Nicole Paige Brooks and EJ Aviance, as part of a project to document the scene’s history. (Courtesy Blane Bussey)

logical family is important to the project and shows how the two play significant roles in his life as a gay man. “Nicole and Mo’Dest are my family now. I wanted to show the parallels,” he says. Bussey funds his art working as a stripper at Swinging Richards and as a bar-back at Jungle. He hopes one day to make a fulltime living doing the work he loves. And one day, he hopes, the large prints of drag queens hanging in his home will be hanging in a museum or on the walls of

someone else’s home. “I want to represent the diversity in our world through my work. That is my main mission,” he says. “I don’t want things to be exclusionary. I lived so much of my life feeling excluded.”

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CAMP IT UP

The Armorettes kick up their heels in the fight against HIV/AIDS By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com

Which drag troupe has been doing it in Atlanta for a span of five decades? And which one donates 100 percent of their tips to the fight against HIV/AIDS? The Armorettes of course, who haven’t lost a step, as they proved by being voted ‘Best Drag Show’ by readers in GA Voice’s 2014 Best of Atlanta awards. But HIV/AIDS fundraising wasn’t the original intent of the group. The Armorettes started because, well, the Atlanta Falcons sucked. In the late 1970s, gay men would gather at the late, great Armory on Sundays to watch the Falcons games. But the team was horrible in those days, so bar manager Greg Troia hit upon an idea to keep the crowds around—a camp drag troupe. And the Armorettes were born. Soon after, the AIDS epidemic hit and the group’s focus changed. “The group took on the mission of raising money to care for

the men and women who were dying before their eyes,” says Trashetta GaLore, aka Kevin Crumsey. The Armorettes claim to be the first and only drag troupe in Atlanta that donates all of its tips to charity. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence do the same, but they don’t classify themselves as a drag group. Funds get spread around to multiple HIV/ AIDS charities, particularly those who don’t receive a lot of support elsewhere. “In other words, the little guys with big hearts,” GaLore says. The group has raised more than $2 million for AIDS support services since its inception.

‘WE ARE NOT BOUND BY WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE BEAUTY’

The Armorettes experience isn’t always politically correct, and, honestly, what drag show is? But it’s always funny, and even heartwarming as those who have witnessed the group end the night with a sing-along to “No Day But Today” from the musical “Rent” will tell you. “You will leave the show entertained, feeling loved and we will make you rethink your feeling on drag,” GaLore says. And she’s quick to answer when asked what appeals to the group about doing camp as opposed to other kinds of drag.

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GA VOICE

The Armorettes got their start in 1979 as a way to get football fans to stick around the Armory. (Photo by Stefan Shagwell, courtesy of The Armorettes)

“The freedom of expression,” she says. “We are not bound by what is supposed to be beauty. We can and are political. Camp drag queens define themselves and are not defined by pop culture.” And they don’t define themselves by a particular age either, as you’ll see Armorettes from age 25 (Ryan Gray aka Shalita Salad) to 55 (Darrel Boatright aka Vivian Valium, who joined back in 1991).

FINAL ARMORETTES SHOW IN MIND

It’s clear where the Armorettes get their inspiration. GaLore recalls one fan who approached her after a show.

“He said he had been diagnosed with HIV and was depressed and was thinking of killing himself,” she says. “He said seeing us had renewed his spirit and will to live.” And you rely on them to keep doing it again every Sunday night at Burkhart’s and every third Saturday of the month at The Heretic, but there is an end date in mind for the final Armorettes show. “We will be here again until we find a cure for HIV/AIDS,” GaLore says. “Then and only then will we go gently into the night!” The Armorettes perform every Sunday at Burkhart’s at 8 p.m. and every third Saturday at the Heretic, also at 8 p.m.

CREATING MORE THAN JUST AN ILLUSION Stars of the Century divas wowing audiences for 15 years By DYANA BAGBY dbagby@thegavoice.com

Niesha Dupree founded the popular Stars of the Century drag troupe 15 years ago. (Photo by Dyana Bagby)

Niesha Dupree takes the stage and commands the audience to pay attention. And they do, with awe, respect and most definitely love. The founder of Stars of the Century is an Atlanta icon and her troupe one of the longest-running drag shows in the city. When she takes the stage, the people line up, handing her bills after bills after bills. This crowd is a heavy tipping crowd and it’s easy to see why. Fifteen years ago, Dupree founded Stars of the Century at the late Traxx Club where the show garnered a reputation for classy solo performances, on point crowd-pleasing productions and, yes, biting humor coupled with a fabulous queen scene. Now the troupe performs every Monday at Jungle. The bawdy and hilarious Miss Sophia, formerly of V-103 fame, is the emcee for the show and on a recent Monday opens with

a risqué gospel number that energizes the crowd like no Sunday sermon has before. This is a show everyone in Atlanta who loves drag must experience. Other original members include Stasha Sanchez, Necole Luv Dupree and Jasmine Bonet. During a recent show, Sanchez performed to the beautiful Anita Baker ballad, “Sweet Love,” complete with trembling lips on the high notes. Her crown from her recent pageant victory as Miss Heavenly in New Orleans sparkled under the mirror ball. Miss Sophia kept the crowd entertained with her renowned raunchy humor. And if you sit in the front row be prepared to have her tease you, sit in your lap or demand you tip her. Everyone in the crowd can’t get enough of this campy queen. Stars of the Century and its many queens have been performing and competing in pageants (and winning many of them) for approximately two decades. They plan to continue their performances of slow, timeless ballads and high-energy and high-kicking contemporary dance numbers for many years to come. This show proclaims proudly “it is all an illusion,” but there is no denying the packed crowds always love what they see.

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OPEN UP

DRAG

She says that about half of the entertainment staff is gay but that most of the audience is straight. Although, as always, the gays come out in force for brunch—Gospel Brunch that is, hosted by Licious and Justice Counce. And visitors shouldn’t feel shy and sit on their hands. “It’s very participatory,” Licious says. “You are encouraged to get up and dance and sing along.”

AND SAY ‘WORK’ Lips provides city’s only full-time drag and dining establishment By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com In a building on Buford Highway, just a drag queen’s eyelash north of North Druid Hills Road, lies a place like no other in Atlanta. It’s the city’s only full-time drag and dining establishment, and it’s drawing a diverse group of visitors five days and eight shows a week. It is Lips. The club boasts an impressive list of notable queens on its 24-strong roster, including local legends Charlie Brown and Bubba D. Licious along with established veterans like Savannah Leigh and Monica Van Pelt. Promising up-andcomers like GA Voice Best Drag Queen winner

Evah Destruction are also part of the show. The idea for Lips sprouted from the mind of a Studio 54 regular named Yvonne Lamé, who drew inspiration from the famous New York City club during its heyday and dreamed of one day opening up a big, shiny, over-the-top club of her own. That day came in 1996 with the opening of the flagship Lips location in New York City, quickly followed three years later by a second location in San Diego, a third in Fort Lauderdale in 2008 and finally Lips Atlanta last September.

‘LIKE A DRAG QUEEN’S JEWELRY BOX EXPLODED’

The dining-and-drag concept isn’t a new one, with cabaret-type theaters featuring drag queens going back as far as the 1940s and 1950s in New York City. Lips’ office and reservations manager Bubba D. Licious hosted a Monday night show at Nickiemoto’s for nearly a decade before the restau-

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STYLES RANGE ALL ACROSS THE BOARD

Gia Sunflowers is just one of the lovely ladies of Lips. (photo via Facebook)

rant closed up shop. Cowtippers has also done it before, and you can even order up something from the kitchen during drag shows at Blake’s and Burkhart’s. But as those who have visited can attest, the Lips experience is something completely different. Once you walk in the door you’re surrounded by all things that shimmer and shine, a sea of pink and teal and red and gold with bedazzled mirrors, revolving disco balls and huge chandeliers reflecting the sparkly madness back and forth across the entire club. “As Yvonne says, it’s like a drag queen’s jewelry box exploded,” Bubba D. Licious tells the GA Voice.

If you go to Lips expecting one certain type of drag, forget it, because the entertainment is all across the board in terms of drag styles. “There’s everything from the campy Armorettes-type entertainment, then we have the former Miss Gay Black America,” Licious says. “We have major title holders in national drag … and we have a lot of the younger girls that are like what you see on ‘Rupaul’s Drag Race’ that are more androgynous.” As far as cost, there’s a $15 food minimum with a $5 cover charge added onto the check for Sunday through Thursday shows and $10 added for Friday and Saturday shows. Reservations are suggested for tables, and if you want to take in a Friday or Saturday show, both of which are hosted by Charlie Brown, Lips recommends booking it two weeks in advance. There are no separate checks, and if you have a problem with that, try taking it up with your waitress—who, yes, will be a drag queen. So good luck with that.

DRAG

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GA VOICE

Head OTP for some drag diva TLC LeBuzz’s weekly show features legendary queens By JACY TOPPS Atlanta’s drag scene does not limit itself to only Inside the Perimeter. Right outside the renowned border is the conservative city of Marietta and gay bar LeBuzz, serving up drinks and entertainment for nearly 20 years. The bar’s biggest draw is its Saturday night drag show, The Divas Cabaret, started in December 2007. Originally a weekend show on Friday and Saturday nights, the Cabaret added an additional Friday night show to the lineup. The original host was Nicole Paige Brooks, who took a break from hosting to shoot the second season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Destiny Brooks was part of the cast and later began hosting her own show on Fridays and filled in on Saturday nights while Nicole Paige Brooks was hoping to be crowned by RuPaul herself, a queen whose beginnings whose roots go back decades to dancing in Atlanta bars. Destiny Brooks continues to host and the cast includes the legendary Heather Daniels,

The weekly shows at LeBuzz in Marietta include drag queens and drag kings performing, such as Ashton Cooter. (File photo)

Iysis Dupree and Kitty Love Antoinette, and has included such well-known performers as Monica van Pelt. Destiny books a new guest each week to maintain diva variety in the show and the queens have added several traditions to include birthday shots, the infamous stripper pole, and the witty, sometimes politically incorrect, monologue at the show’s opening.

“I think the show is special at LeBuzz because it is a true show bar—we have a stage, curtains, and dressing room,” says Heather Daniels. “We feature drag kings, queens, live singers, femme girls and more. We are truly a inclusive show.” No one can discuss the drag scene without mentioning the drag kings. Thursday nights at LeBuzz is all about the ladies. The

bar’s award winning KING Show features the South’s largest and hottest cast of drag kings, hosted by Niko Giavanni and featuring hot performances by Kaymen Syder Cooter Giavanni, Ashton Cooter, TheSir Issac Giavanni and many more special guest performers. And if you ever get the desire to unleash your inner king, Thursday night also includes a stripper pole and an amateur king contest with the winner chosen by the audience. After the show there’s no reason to leave and most stay for the dance party featuring DJ Birdman USA in the booth. Countless entertainers, kings and queens, singers, celebrities and newcomers have performed at LeBuzz over the years and there is a wide variety of guests on stage and in the audience. LeBuzz also hosts over a dozen pageants every year and multiple special events including the fifth annual Marietta Pride 2014 celebration that will be held Sept. 10-13. There is no cover before 10 p.m. for 21 and over. After 10 p.m., the cover charge is $3. On Saturday night the cover is $5 for VIP guests. There are often deals for cover charges, so watch social media networks for announcements. And for drink specials, make sure to head to the bar and ask for Cherie Olivier, voted Best Bartender by GA Voice readers in the 2014 Best of Atlanta issue.

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COMMUNITY

Celebrating the best The fifth annual Best of Atlanta awards party was held July 17 at the Georgian Terrace and hundreds gathered to celebrate the winners and finalists. Gay comedian Ian Aber served as the emcee of the night while Best of Atlanta DJ five years running Vicki

Powell provided the beats. Free cocktails were supplied at the party by Barefoot Wine and Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beverages while tasty treats were available to attendees by Henryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Midtown Tavern, Campagnolo and Green Ginger Delicious Asian Fusion. Southern Sweets

offered up some delicious desserts as well. This year, there were some 100 categories readers voted on for the annual Best of Atlanta issue with tens of thousands of voters voting online. (Photos by Russ Youngblood)

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SAY ! S U WITH Y REMON E C T N ME OMMIT 11, 2014 C R E E D B I O R AP OCT ATLANT ., SATURDAY, TOWN 11:00 A.M ATLANTA MID W .ORG

APRIDE ATLANT

14 0 2 , 1 r e b y Octo b e n i l ms n r o o r f e / t g s i r o g . Re pride a t n a l t a . www

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Too weird to live An interview with Panic! At the Disco’s Brendon Urie BY GREGG SHAPIRO

anic! At the Disco made headlines after being targeted by the hateful and absurd Westboro Baptist Church when the church’s members rewrote one of the pop band’s songs, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” to the uninspired “You Love Sin What A Tragedy.” The picket-perky church then showed up at the band’s performance last month in Kansas City. So Panic! At the Disco welcomed the extremists with open arms, promising to donate $20 to the Human Rights Campaign for every picketer that showed up. Only 13 picketers participated, and Panic! At the Disco decided it was only fair to make their donation an even $1,000 to HRC as well as donating five percent of merchandise sales. Nothing like turning anti-gay hate into LGBT activism. Brendon Urie, 27, the man (and naked body) behind the much-discussed music video for his band’s single “Girls/Girls/Boys,” is a proud and open supporter of the LGBT community. He’s talked openly about his past homosexual experiences and believes people should embrace their full identities. Panic! At the Disco, which began its existence as an emo act when the band members were still in their teens, has morphed into a more mature rock band, writing and performing hook-heavy and accessible pop songs for listeners of all ages. The songs on the band’s latest album, “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!” continue to display two of Panic! At the Disco’s strongest attributes: clever use of electronics, including keyboards and beats, and a distinct theatricality. Shapiro: For the uninitiated few, Brendon, would you please say something about how the band came up with the name Panic! At the Disco? Brendon Urie: [Laughs] Sure. We were 17 years old at the time and we were listening to The Smiths and this other band from Orange County called Name Taken, ironically enough. In a Name Taken song lyric, they actually say “panic at the disco,” which makes no sense. There’s really no connection or relevance to the song itself. So, it was either that or “burn down the disco” by The Smiths (from their song “Panic”). For whatever reason, we just thought Panic! At the Disco just sounded kind of cool [laughs].

Aug. 17, 7:30 p.m. Chastain Park Amphitheatre http://tinyurl.com/puav9bm www.panicatthedisco.com

wanted to make a record that touched on some honest topics lyrically, but musically I wanted to have a party record that I could dance do with my friends. Shapiro: The “Love is not a choice” refrain on the song “Girls/Girls/Boys” has special meaning at this time when same-sex marriage is making strides in many states across the country. Would you say “Love is not a choice” is a long-held sentiment for you or something that you’ve only recently come to? Brendon: It’s definitely been the case for as long as I can remember. I’ve always felt that way. A song, for me, is just an easier way to portray an honest feeling; especially on this last album. The way I wanted to attack these goals that I set for myself; I wanted to be more honest and straightforward. For me, that lyric, “Love is not a choice” is true. I’ve never been able to explain better or clearer than in that lyric right there. I honestly believe that you love whom you love. It’s not a choice. Some people say, “Being gay, being straight, that’s a choice. You choose to do it.” I beg to differ; I don’t think that’s true. I love all kinds of people. I just wanted to celebrate that fact. Shapiro: Panic! At the Disco is on tour throughout the summer. What can people expect from a Panic! At the Disco concert? Brendon: There’s a lot of stuff you can expect, honestly [laughs]. This time around, for this tour, I wanted to make it a more energetic show. The energy has definitely changed over the years, but this time around, it’s a nonstop hour and a half. There are a couple of slower numbers in the set, but you almost don’t notice it until the end because you are probably so worn out at the end of it. I know I’m worn out from the workout [laughs]. I’m hoping the audience is worn out as well. It’s definitely a challenge to get through. It’s great! I love it!

Publicity photo

Shapiro: In keeping with the “Disco” of the band’s name, the songs on ‘Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!’ continue to incorporate synths and dance beats. Brendon: I’m a huge fan of electronic music, dance music, disco, anything that gets me up and dancing, honestly. I’m a hell of a dancer [laughs]. I like to have a good time. For whatever reason, electronic music has pushed itself into the realm of dance now with EDM (electronic dance music). You just want to get up and move. That’s really what inspired this last album. I just

PANIC! AT THE DISCO

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THEATER BY JIM FARMER

Weird Sisters singing ‘Cowboy Song’ Gay-friendly troupe’s new production wrangles woman’s journey to happiness Christen Orr likes taking on new challenges—and the new play “Late: A Cowboy Song” gives her one. The latest by the LGBTfriendly The Weird Sisters Theatre Project, written by playwright Sarah Ruhl, is currently playing on the Actor’s Express stage. In the show, Mary (Kellie Criss, one of the Weird Sisters founders) has married her high school sweetheart, Crick (Jacob York), whom she has known since grade school. The two are happy together until a face from the past shows up. Red (Orr) is a cowboy who has also known Mary for a while. The play takes place over the course of a few years and holidays. The women are in their mid to late 20s and Orr feels they are in different places when they meet again and connect. “I think for Mary, it’s a little more sudden,” Orr says. “For Red, when she sees Mary opening up to her, starting to enjoy her life and see her happy, the connection continues to grow. Red lets her talk about everything to her.”

DETAILS ‘Late: A Cowboy Song’ Through August 5 Actor’s Express 887 W. Marietta St. Atlanta, GA 30318 www.actorsexpress.com

Red, played by lesbian actress Christen Orr in the production of ‘Late: A Cowboy Song,’ listens to her dear friend Mary, played by Kelly Criss. (Courtesy photo)

Ultimately the play is about Mary’s journey toward chasing her happiness and figuring out what being happy means, says Orr. “She can live a life where she is … living a routine, or she can follow what makes her happy from day to day, what makes her want to live life,” she says. “That is her friendship with Red. She discovers a lot more about herself.” Getting ready for the part took some time. “With (musical director) Daniel Hilton’s help I kept practicing guitar,” she says. “I knew

how to play but he wrote really beautiful music. We played around with classic tunes and country tunes. That is the way Red expresses her emotion, through music, and that is something Mary did not have in her life.” In all, Orr performs eight numbers and is quite comfortable doing so. Another element of the character was emulating how a cowboy walks and speaks. “It’s very confident,” she says. “They know themselves. It’s a very simple lifestyle.” Orr admits to being a huge fan of playwright Ruhl. “She gives you every single thing in the text, but every line is important,” says Orr. “[The play] has a lot of hidden meanings and metaphors that, throughout the process until opening we were going ‘Oh,’ discovering more and more how word choices affect later things in the play. You continue to discover this character. I think people will think about these characters long after what they saw.”

Orr moved to Atlanta during the spring of 2011 after graduating from Valdosta State University. “There is so much going on (in Atlanta) and you can be a real actor,” she says. One of her theatrical highlights is “Spring Awakening” at Actor’s Express and being part of the company’s intern program. “I got to do work that suited me and explore things I didn’t in college,” she says. One of the people who took her under his wing early on was Brian Clowdus, artistic director of Serenbe Playhouse. She is handling the design for Serenbe’s new “Oklahoma!” which involves many lassos and whips. “He said I want some of these fights to be as much fun as possible and some to be really scary,” she says. “He gave me creative freedom to do it.” Since its debut in 2011, Weird Sisters has not been shy about producing work with lesbian characters. Last summer’s “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche” was a comedy about closeted women and the threat of Communists taking over their town; in 2012 the company produced a superb version of “Anton in Show Business.” “They are extremely open to choosing material such as that,” says Orr. “I am having a great time working with them. I feel like they are going to be around for a long time. They produce quality work.”

COLUMNISTS

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OUTSIDE THE BOX ‘Buckhead Betties’ and a new boyfriend Love thrives in separate Atlanta neighborhoods I used to always say that I could see myself staying with someone forever as long as he had his apartment on 10th Street and I had mine on 14th Street. I liked the idea of having separate spaces even if it was only four blocks away. When my boyfriend was looking for a new apartment, we both realized this plan would no longer work for us. We would need more than a few blocks to separate us, or else we would be shacking up on a nightly basis. In other words, if he moved to Midtown we might as well move in together. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and in the interest of taking our time, we decided that it would be best for him to find an apartment in another neighborhood. Buckhead was the perfect choice because it was just far enough to keep us calm with our new relationship and carry on. We recently found out that Buckhead is a completely different world from Midtown when we walked up Peachtree hand-inhand on a Friday night with no set plans, wondering if the “Buckhead Betties” would welcome us with open arms. First of all, it’s amazing how different our city looks when you get out of your car and simply walk. The Buckhead streets feel like a metropolis with bustling traffic, new towering high-rise apartments, hip restaurants and bars, while the sidewalks on Peachtree pass interesting landscapes, including bridges that cross railroad tracks, trains and streaming creeks. We were definitely not in Midtown anymore. On our adventure my boyfriend noticed a place he had heard about numerous times called the Georgia Grille, located in the awkward Peachtree Square Shopping Center. We decided to investigate what looked like a lifeless spot attached to an Office Depot and were immediately transported to another world. A bouncy woman named Beth greeted us, saying she was “the only girl server in the joint and that all the other waiters were really cute boys however she was the best.” She promptly sat us next to a table full of gays, making us feel right at home, and

Photo by Lisa Jordan Bill Kaelin is the owner of Bill Kaelin Marketing Events and Consulting Agency in Atlanta. www.BillKaelin.com

when I told her I had lived in Atlanta for 20 years but had never heard of this place she simply replied, “Then you didn’t know the right people.” Beth continued to school us, explaining that the Georgia Grille had been around for 25 years. It isn’t named after the state, but rather the artist Georgia O’Keefe, and is inspired by the food of the Southwest. She explained that all newbies had to try the legendary Lobster Enchiladas and Chile Relleno. Since my boyfriend and I love a woman in control we happily obliged. The Chile Relleno was a saucy, golden, cheesy masterpiece that melted in our mouths and the Lobster Enchilada was like nothing we had ever tasted, with massive chunks of lobster tail in every bite. Beth checked on us midway through delivering two more margaritas that we didn’t ask for but happily accepted and spoke for us since our mouths were full: “It’s sick right?” We replied with a smiling: Mmmmmhmmm. I asked Beth some more questions about this hidden gem of a restaurant, owned by Chef Karen Hilliard, explaining I wrote for a gay publication. She smiled, saying “The Georgia Grille is a place that you only know about if someone tells you.” She then put her hand on my shoulder with a squeeze and said “That being said, bring on the boys, honey.” Feeling like we were on vacation in another city, my boyfriend and I walked home gushing over how you can find acceptance and love almost anywhere in Atlanta, not just in Midtown. We were falling in love with our second home and wondered if we could stay together forever, having the best of both worlds with one home in Midtown and the other just a few short miles north in our new gayborhood called Buckhead.

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Eating my words BY CLIFF BOSTOCK

La Hacienda dishes up some authentic Mexican Restaurant sits where gay-fave Silver Grill once did Gays of a certain age suffer a common disease: nostalgia. Every location we pass in Midtown evokes memories—places we lived, places we told five different tricks we were virgins, places we dined with friends. I suffered a major episode recently when I dined at the new La Hacienda (900 Monroe Drive, 404-941-7890, www.la haciendamidtown.com). The restaurant is located where the Silver Grill operated for decades. Unless you’re over 40, you probably don’t remember the original place. It was an iconic blue-collar diner whose clientele became largely gay as rural refugees immigrated to the “Gay Capital of the South” during the ’70s. A matronly staff toted classic Southern cooking to the table (including canned vegetables), evoking bittersweet memories of Macon mamas. It closed in 2006, after nearly 60 years, and was reincarnated for a while, with a somewhat different name. That didn’t work and the building sat empty for what seemed like a few years. (If you’re truly nostalgic, Google Diamond Lil’s song “Silver Grill Blues.”) The owners of La Hacienda, who operate two other restaurants in Newnan and Fayetteville, demolished the Silver Grill building and created what is fundamentally a carbon copy of a zillion other terra-cotta-colored Mexican restaurants. That’s not to say it’s ugly. In fact it’s got a quite pleasant dining room—yay for the portrait of Frida Kahlo!— and one feature that may put Zocalo and Frogs, across the street, at risk: a rooftop patio. Inclement weather kept me from checking it out, but everyone knows that guzzling margaritas on a roof is more fun than a keg party at a frat house. The menu is kind of campy—leatherbound and stitched with a cover that looks like it was lettered with a wood burner (sort of like the wallets we constructed in crafts class in elementary school). Inside is the typical endless list of dishes and I’m in no position to make a judgment after one visit. The restaurant is significantly Tex-Mex, but it does have far more authentic Mexican influence than most restaurants in town. For example, I ordered shredded pork in a decent mole sauce, juicy with the requisite shot of chocolate. Moles are becoming more popular, but it’s still difficult to find a really good one outside Rosa Mexicano, Zocalo and Nuevo Laredo Cantina. I folded the pork into

Delicious Molcajete Camarón, bacon-covered shrimp, is one of the many items on the menu at the new La Hacienda restaurant. (Photo by La Hacienda)

flour tortillas with (inevitable) refried beans and some pico. A friend ordered carnitas— chunks of pork—cooked in a green sauce. The carnitas aren’t really carnitas, but I’ve given up looking for those in our city. They are too labor-intensive, I presume. The pork chunks are supposed to be slowly fried in a pan until they are crispy. These weren’t but the restaurant gets props for a good green sauce. Another friend ordered three carne asada tacos—not my favorite. The grilled steak was highly seasoned with that odd blend of pointed spices, usually shaken from a jar, that I used to eat in Houston but never encountered during my year in Mexico. But most people do seem to dig the stuff. There are plenty of other examples of clearly authentic dishes—try the tacos de lengua (beef tongue) or al pastor—but you can pig out on your favorite Tex-Mex fajitas. Just visit La Hacienda’s website for a view of the full menu. Note that the restaurant is open for lunch as well as dinner. Lunch specials will give you a low-cost chance to check out the food. Finally, the service is terrific. The young staff, mainly Latino, won’t call you “sweetie” like the ladies at the Silver Grill did. Nor, thank God, will they call you “papi.” And ohhappy-day, I didn’t encounter a mariachi band. I don’t drink, so I never find it much fun when a band blares trumpets tableside until I give them $5 to go away.

Cliff Bostock, PhD, is a longtime Atlanta dining critic and former therapist who now specializes in life coaching.

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Event spotlight

bout Tell us aBT event your LGays to submit your

ow There are tw inclusion in our online r fo t n event ve e T LGB ubmit your S . rs a d n le ail and print ca eGAVoice.com or e-m h .t w . w info to w AVoice.com ditor@theG details to e

FRIDAY, AUG. 1

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Photo by Dyana Bagby

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Gavin DeGraw and Matt Nathanson perform as part of Concerts in the Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, 7 – 10 p.m., www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org Halcyon brings its guitar wizardry to Eddie’s Attic tonight, 7:30 p.m., www.eddiesattic.com

FRIDAY, AUG. 1 Edie Cheezburger and the cast of “The Other Show” with special guests perform as part of their weekly drag show at Jungle, 9:30 p.m., www.jungleatl.com

Hannah Thomas comes back to Atlanta for a Writer’s Round show with Emily Kate Boyd and Sylvia Rose. Thomas recently opened for Indigo Girls at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and has been touring with Kristian Bush of Sugarland and Antigone Rising. 8 p.m. at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs, www.steveslivemusic.com

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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

SATURDAY, AUG. 2

Fall Rugby 101 with the Atlanta Bucks introduces the game. There will be a scrimmage and then cookout and social to follow. 9:30 a.m., Walker Park, 224 Memorial Terrace SE, Atlanta, GA 30316, www.facebook.com/atlantabucks

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

Photo via Facebook

MONDAY, AUG. 11 Get to know Real Youth, a new organization for LGBTQ youth and allies in Atlanta. Organizers will give an overview of the group, introduce the board members and host an open dialogue for the community. 7-9 p.m., Philip Rush Center, www.facebook.com/RealYouthAtl

“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” closes at Serenbe Playhouse today, directed by out Brian Clowdus, with an 11 a.m. performance, www.serenbeplayhouse.com 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, www.uuca.org Eat some good food and enjoy quality female company at the Lesbian 50+ Potluck Social, sponsored by SAGE Atlanta, 6 – 8 p.m., Rush Center, www.rushcenteratl.org Watch Meryl Streep have fun and Pierce Brosnan try to sing at the Fox Theatre’s screening of “Mamma Mia,” part of the Coca-Cola Film Festival, tonight at 7:30 p.m., www.foxtheatre.org It’s time to get out of the city and into the glow of the Red Light District of the River’s Edge Campground, hosted by Patrick & Todd on campsites 68 & 69. The evening will feature DJ Diablo Rojo of Atlanta’s ManShaft events spinning music.

SATURDAY, AUG. 9

Atlanta-based, internationally touring singer/songrwriter Doria Roberts headlines the Variety Playhouse for her 12th annual birthday show. There will be cupcakes. ‘Nuff said. Doors open at 7 p.m., www.variety-playhouse.com, www.reverbnation.com/doriaroberts

SOMETHING GAY EVERY DAY!

Bookmark www.thegavoice.com to get your daily dose of local LGBT events. Red theme attire is requested. 8 p.m. – midnight, The River’s Edge, www.CampTheRiversEdge.com The Atlanta Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and The Atlanta Eagle present Jockstrap Sister Twister tonight, 9 – 11 p.m., Atlanta Eagle, www.atlantaeagle.com The Atlanta Bucks Rugby Football Club has teamed up with the Charlotte Royals Rugby Football Club to compete in the Bingham Cup this year hosted in Sydney, Australia. The Send-Off

Party is tonight with drinks, gummy bear shooters and no cover before 11 p.m., 10 p.m. – 3 a.m., Heretic, www.hereticatlatlanta.com

SUNDAY, AUG. 3

The Atlanta Dream take on the New York Liberty at Philips Arena, 3 p.m., www.philipsarena.com Enjoy a matinee of the Weird Sisters Theatre Project’s new lesbian-themed “Late: A Cowboy Song” at 6 p.m. this evening at Actor’s Express, www.actorsexpress.com

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

MONDAY, AUG. 4

FRIDAY, AUG. 8

The Pride Kickball Summer League has games on Monday nights at 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Piedmont Park, sponsored by Blake’s on the Park. For more information, visit www.GoKickball.com/Atlanta 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, providing a facilitated space to discuss gender, relevant resources, and activism around social issues. This is a project of the Feminist Outlawz. This event is co-sponsored by Charis Circle’s Strong Families, Whole Children Program. There is no suggested donation for youth participants of this program but adults and allies may make a donation in support . 7 – 8:30 p.m., Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.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

SATURDAY, AUG. 9

Monica Van Pelt presents Synergy at 11 p.m. at Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 6

$5 tacos, tequila and beer are on tap at Amsterdam Atlanta from 6 – 11 p.m., www.amsterdamatlanta.com Karaoke Wednesdays brings together DJ M and Twee as well as hosts Jack Daddi and Missy Come, thousands of songs and $5 Smirnoff drinks, My Sister’s Room, www.mysistersroom.com 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., www.actorsexpress.com

THURSDAY, AUG. 7

SAGE Atlanta hosts its social hour with games and more, 10 – 11 a.m., Phillip Rush Center, www.rushcenteratl.org LeBUZZ hosts a king show featuring the South’s largest cast of drag kings—hosted by Niko Giavanni— as well as a dance party, www.thenewlebuzz.com

FRIDAY, AUG. 8 – SUNDAY, AUG. 10

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

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

TUESDAY, AUG. 5

Team Trivia with Wil, 9 – 11 p.m., Atlanta Hideaway, www.atlantahideaway.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

Blakes hosts Glitter Bomb, 75 minutes of high-energy illusion, at 11 p.m., www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com

Cockpit Atlanta is the home for YouTubesday ‘90s mix, with VJ Ayem, www.facebook.com/cockpit.atlanta

The Shout Show is a monthly showcase of LGBT artists – musicians, poets and filmmakers—at the Rush Center Annex, 7 – 9 p.m., www.rushcenteratl.org

The Atlanta chapter of PFLAG meets tonight, 7:30 – 9 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, www.uuca.org 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

GA VOICE

Photo by Dyana Bagby

Celebrate Friends on Ponce’s 10th anniversary featuring a free buffet while it lasts, plenty of games including pool, darts and poker, and a night of entertainment with one of Atlanta’s most beloved entertainers, Miss Regina “Boom Boom” Simmons, 6 p.m. to midnight, www.friendsonponce-atl.com

08.01.14

SUNDAY, AUG. 10

Still up? Come dance to the sounds of DJ Ana Paula at 3 a.m. at Xion, www.cariocaproductions.com/ $2 well drinks are on tap all day and night at Sunday Funday at Bulldogs, 893 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30309 Keyshia Cole comes to Atlanta for her Point of No Return tour with special guest Adrian Marcel. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., show starts at 7:30 p.m., the Tabernacle, www.tabernacleatl.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-andpiedmont/promotions/Sex-Kitten-with-Angelica-DPaige

MONDAY, AUG. 11

Making Space: A Community Writing Group for Activists, Healers, and Every Day Heroes is a writing group for those who work, move or spend time serving others through human service and community professions (psychologists, educators, social workers, etc). The group will use writing as a means for deepening understandings of private and public journeys, relationships, work and how we make space for ourselves (or don’t) in the midst of it all. This is a Charis Circle From Margin to Center Literary Program. The suggested donation is $10. 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.com Playwright and author Pearl Cleage visits the

Stonecrest Library to read and sign copies of her new book “Things I Should Have Told My Daughter: Lies, Lessons & Love Affairs.” This is a Georgia Center for the Book Event. It is free and open to the public. 7 p.m., http://dekalblibrary.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, AUG. 12

Stories on the Square is an open mic event for true personal stories to be told within a max seven minute time limit. At the Famous Pub, 7:30-9 p.m., www.facebook.com/storiesonthesquare Ruby Redd and Angelica D’Paige are the emcees of Drageoke, 10:30 p.m. at Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com Join Charis Circle for an all-day dine out at Apres Diem. Stop by on your midtown lunch break, before your afternoon grocery shopping at Trader Joes or for a night cap and dessert after catching a movie next door. Mention you are dining out for Charis Circle and Apres Diem will donate 15 percent of your check to support the work of Charis Circle. 11:30 a.m. to midnight, http://apresdiem.com/

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 13

Loosen up and settle in for some exercise with yoga at the MISTER Center, 5:30 p.m., www.mistercenter.org Volunteer Days and Nights is a great opportunity to gather with other invested Feminist Women’s Health Center volunteers and make new connections and friendships. You’re guaranteed to meet other feminists when you lend a helping hand. 6 – 8:30 p.m. Munchies and drinks provided! Email

nextwave@feministcenter.org for more details or go here to RSVP: www.feministcenter.org Join the Decatur Women’s Sports League for bowling every Wednesday night this summer at 7 p.m. at Suburban Lanes, atlantasuburbanlanes.com Get your boogie on! PALS Atlanta hosts Disco Bingo, with hosts Bubba D. Licious, Kimora Layou and Brent Star, 7:30 p.m., Jungle, www.jungleatl.com 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 showtime at 8:45 p.m., www.lipsatl.com Primetime Wednesdays dance party revs up from 10 p.m. – 3 a.m. at Sutra Lounge, www.sutraloungeatl.com

THURSDAY, AUG. 14

The “From Charm to Harm: The Guide to Spotting, Naming, and Stopping Emotional Abuse in Intimate Relationships” book launch party is tonight. Atlanta psychotherapist and author Amy Lewis Bear will talk about ten emotional abuse tactics that are difficult to recognize and what to do about them. She will answer questions and sign books. This is a Charis Circle Urban Sustainability and Wellness event; the suggested donation is $5. 7:30 – 9 p.m., Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.com

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Atlanta Fuck Yeah! is back again with the August edition of its monthly free show at Star Bar. Join host Noe Goldfarb Gonzalez as he presents music by Dylan Michael, R. Garcia and the Nerd Parade, Waking The Bates and Cinema Novo, 9 p.m., The Star Bar Atlanta, www.starbar.net Brent Star hosts Game Night at G’s Midtown every Thursday from 9 – 11 p.m., www.communitashospitality.com/gs-midtown

UPCOMING FRIDAY, AUG. 15

MEAK Productions presents a pre-anniversary event/Black Gay Pride fundraiser. Details forthcoming, www.facebook.com/meakproductions All hail Madge. It’s the annual Madonna-rama party with an entire evening of her music. DJ Diablo Rojo will be spinning the beats and showing tons of videos, live performances, mash-ups, b-sides,

SATURDAY, AUG. 16-SUNDAY, 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 www.charlottepride.org

TUESDAY, AUG. 19

Tori Amos comes to town with her new studio album, “Unrepentant Geraldines,” 8 p.m., Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, www.cobbenergycentre.com

THURSDAY, AUG. 21

History of Black Gay Atlanta Pride Press Conference and Media Mixer hosted by Meak Productions will feature organizations, event producers and club promoters participating in the annual Atlanta Black Gay Pride event over Labor Day Weekend. 7 p.m., Hyatt Atlanta Midtown, www.facebook.com/meakproductions

FRIDAY, AUG. 22

The 2014 AGLCC Community Awards Dinner will recognize local LGBT businesses and business professionals. This event is the culminating celebration for a year of advancing, networking, and educating Atlanta’s LGBT community. 7 – 19 p.m.,

Atlanta Marriott Marquis. Tickets available at www.atlantagaychamber.org

File photo

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remixes and rarities. Y’all are encouraged to dress up in your fave Madonna looks. Come early to one of the biggest parties of the year. 10 p.m., Mary’s, www.marysatlanta.com

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SATURDAY, AUG. 23

The 2nd annual Ready for Hope pool party is today with DJ Neon, 12 noon to 5 p.m. Money raised will go to AID Atlanta, 1293 Woodland Ave. SE, Atlanta, GA 30316 The Guys as Dolls show is a drag extravaganza featuring a bevy of beauties to raise money for the 2014 AIDS Walk. Featured performers include Tara Kotta, Kimora Layou, Sue Nami, Paige Turner, Stella D’oro, Misti Shores, Charlene Boufontaine, Regina Carter, Jordan Mathews, East Point Possums, Berlinda Wall, Holly Walden and the comedy talents of Bob Killough. Proceeds donated to Ready For Hope. Tickets are $8 in advance/$10 at the door. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and showtime is 6:30 p.m., Jungle, www.jungleatl.com Aerosmith’s Let Rock Rule tour comes to the ATL with special guest Slash. 7:30 p.m., Philips Arena, www.philipsarena.com

SUNDAY, AUG. 31

The Ladies at Play Atlanta Labor Day Sunday Bash is tonight at Tongue & Groove, with DJ LilBad AzzDj E, Thundersnatch drummer Krystal Meth, and DJ Deejay Frye, and VIP options available, 10 p.m. – 2:30 a.m., www.tandgonline.com

FRIDAY, AUG. 15

High Heels & High Time is a femme variety show to benefit Charis Circle, with performers including Sid Robinson, Malika Freydberg, Al Schlong, Hanne Blank, Kenyetta Chinwe, Fiona Zedde, Adriana and Kathleen DelaneyAdams, as well as a bake sale. Tickets are $10, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m., Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.com

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08.01.14

GA VOICE

YOU GOTTA LAUGH ‘Slur play’ not funny Homophobia rampant in comedy Ian Aber is a comedian who happens to be gay who also happens to be a gay comedian, so deal with it already.

The old adage “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” just doesn’t seem to ring true anymore. Nowadays, in an age where any idea, no matter how virulent, stupid or pointless, can be shared with the world in an instant, it seems that words have taken on more substance in the cultural mind. I am a stand-up comedian and it is a vocation of words and ideas. At times it can be a cultural battleground disguised as an evening of comedy. Stand-up is one of the few spaces where it is still encouraged to speak freely on any subject and through the magical power of laughter some really serious topics can be discussed in a way that is entertaining, enlightening and inclusive. In theory. Honestly, It can be an unsafe space in terms of trigger words and ideas. There is a lot of homophobia that occurs in and around comedy that ranges from outright offensive and defamatory to well meaning but ignorant. There is also the casual homophobia practiced by many who would consider themselves our allies. Not to say they are not allies—their politics and moral values are pro-equality—but sometimes their mouths aren’t. Many straight comedians like to practice what I have termed “slur play.” This is where they casually utilize slurs among their peers and friends in an unspoken, tacit, consensual agreement that all the use of slurs is viewed categorically as inoffensive and not meant “that way.” As in, “yeah, I called you a faggot but I didn’t mean it ‘that way.’” I can’t count, anymore, the number of times I have heard a straight comedian call me a faggot “playfully” oor ask if they can run a “gay” joke by me and then say the most offensive things and sit patiently waiting for my stamp of approval or a laugh. My reactions have ranged from righ-

teous anger to gritting my teeth to biting my tongue and smiling. I like to think the moral high ground burns more calories on account of the incline. When pressed for a reason why a seemingly progressive, open-minded individual would say these things, it always boils down to the misconceived notion that the word faggot has another benign meaning. Louis CK has a bit on the word faggot that is often referenced in this defense. Google Louis CK and faggot and you’ll find it—he’s like the Anita Bryant of the word now, according to me, just now. Louis CK asserts that he uses the word faggot because he used it as a child and didn’t know what gay was then and used it to mean stupid. So basically, he is going to use it for nostalgia’s sake, as if it is part of his heritage and to not use it is to deny that heritage. How noble and brave. The joke feels like an excuse to say “faggot” over and over again and it is written and delivered under the false assumption that most straight comedians believe—that there are no gay people in the audience. That slur, like all slurs, is a tool of oppression and the same heteronormative power structure that created the slur has now created the defense and apparently has a spokesperson in Louis CK. There is so much conversation about what people should and should not say and everyone is polarized in one direction or the other. The only positive thing I can say about slurs, and I’ve got to end on a high note, is they really help identify the bigots in our lives. Visibility is crucial for our community but not just our own—spotting the bigots in their natural habitat can be very useful. It could lead to teachable moments or act as an early advance warning to avoid contact or mobilize counter measures.

Meet your future with confidence. LESLIE A. COOK, JD, CFP®, CDFA™ Financial Advisor 825 Juniper Street Atlanta, GA 30303 404.564.4265 leslie.a.cook@ampf.com ameripriseadvisors.com/leslie.a.cook

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08.01.14

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THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID Looking for lesbian love Movie romances leave much to be desired My sister is a fan of romantic comedies. They make up her entire DVD collection and she often watches them as a way to relax. I must confess when I watch those same movies I see something completely different on the screen. That’s because I am too busy imagining the leading men in them as women. Don’t get me wrong. There are plenty of straight couples I enjoy watching, but they’re usually part of movies in other genres— like action or sci-fi—where their romance is born from other circumstances. The “boy-meets-girl, girl-falls-for-boy” storyline of mainstream romantic comedies doesn’t apply to my life. So when they’re on while I’m at home trying to relax, I have to take matters into my own mind. Like the other night, when I had the house to myself and it was just the TV and me. “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” was the first thing that popped up. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a movie about teenage best friends who are separated for the first time one summer. We follow the haphazard first romances of these young women, but of course none of them falls for a girl. Except when I watch it. Except when I watch it, my brain says they’re all gay and eager to share their misadventures with each other upon being reunited. Another offering was “The Proposal.” Sandra Bullock plays a Canadian editor-in-chief of an American publishing company who forces her assistant Ryan Reynolds to marry her so she won’t be deported. I just imagine she’s heading home with Scarlett Johansson to meet her family before the wedding. “This Means War” was also on while clicking through the remote. Here we have a couple of CIA operatives played by Tom Hardy and Chris Pine fighting each other violently once they realize they are both dating Reese Witherspoon. Replace the guys with Michelle

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

Rodriguez and Rosario Dawson and you’ve got a movie. But it’s not the lack of a lesbian storyline that can be frustrating. I would argue for the altering of “American Pie,” which I also flipped through. In that movie four straight teenage boys enter a pact to lose their virginity by prom night. Why couldn’t this group of guys be gay, trying to do the same thing? “One time at band camp” would have a whole new meaning. So would the reason behind Jason Biggs’ love of pies. I also saw the aforementioned Ms. Witherspoon on another channel in “Legally Blonde.” IMDB describes the movie like this: “When a blonde sorority queen is dumped by her boyfriend, she decides to follow him to law school to get him back, and once there learns she has more legal savvy than she ever imagined.” Keep all the same cast, but make Elle transgender. That raises the bar considerably. TV shows like “The L Word,” “Orange Is the New Black” and “The Fosters” are such a sight for these sore lesbian eyes, for giving me mainstream leading couples I don’t have to alter in my mind. And there are a growing number of other shows whose supporting cast is part of the LGBT community. But we still have a long way to go. It’s a shame that on any given night the some 900 channels on my TV offer very little in the form of lesbian romance, to say nothing of depicting them with an A-List cast of characters. Maybe someday while I’m at my sister’s the DVDs to choose from will be more diverse. She could stand anxiously in the doorway asking which one I’d rather see: the one with the incredible chemistry between Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline, or that tearjerker with Jennifer Lawrence and Dakota Fanning.

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08.01.14

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SOMETIMES'Y' Sipping tea and a green frog The flattering theft of black gay culture Bert and Ernie have some new company in the Queer Muppet Suite following the recent outing of Kermit the Frog. Miss Piggy must be in full-bore rampage mode—but that’s none of my business. *Sip* Sesame Street’s leading man has dominated the summer on social media, with an endless stream of Kermit memes offering a visual manifestation of an iconic black gay catchphrase: sipping tea. Forget “Word of the Year”; the Oxford Dictionary folks ought to create a “Linguist of the Year” award, with the inaugural recipient being the black gay ballroom scene. Tea. Read. “One term for talking trash about someone is ‘throwing’ this, like a big elm tree might do,” Alex Trebek said during the recent “Jeopardy” teen tournament. “What is ‘Shade’?” a contestant replied, inducing a proud tear from the eyes of many black gay men across America. The vernacular they have developed for decades has influenced the way we talk in 2014; familiar to white teenage girls on “Jeopardy,” celebrated in acceptance speeches at the BET Awards and immortalized on the internet by a green Muppet. “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” has been one of the most salient bridges in this export of language, each season the female cast members appropriating more words from their expressive black gay sidekicks. We can kiki about the playful borrowing of phrases, but the Bravo show has also revealed unfortunate aspects of the mainstream infatuation with black gay slang. While the delight and affection the Atlanta housewives feel toward their Judys seems evident, the behavior and statements of most of the cast members inspire doubt that they fully recognize the dignity and value of black gay men. They have picked up black gay slang fluently, but their tongues range from clumsy to venomous when they talk about queens, faggots and the qualities of gay men.

Ryan Lee is an Atlanta writer.

More broadly, the popular embrace of black gay terminology has not correlated with tolerance and appreciation for the people whose vernacular has been pillaged. The group responsible for crossover trends from voguing to “Yasssss” remains among the least visible in popular media, and most marginalized within its communities: gay and black. African-American aunties and girlfriends, even brothers and homeboys, laugh while throwing shade and sipping tea, yet cling to the conviction that the gay men in their lives are broken and going to hell. White LGBT culture values black gay slang and style more than it does the experience and input of that population in the movement’s narrative and priorities. Even within the larger black gay community, the ballroom scene that has broken more ground in pop culture than any other segment of LGBT expression, is often judged, slandered and emasculated. There has also been a diluting of the ballroom vernacular as it’s passed through black gay culture, the white gay community, black heterosexuals and, ultimately, to Alex Trebek: “tea” is now a generic synonym for gossip instead of the “T”ruth, “shade” no longer requires nuance, and “kiki” is a noun that originated with the Scissor Sisters. Cultural bartering occurs constantly. Black gay culture is influenced by everything from hip hop to “The Devil Wears Prada”; much attention has recently been paid to white gay men channeling their inner black woman, and the LGBT movement has co-opted Bert and Ernie to the point that the closeted gay roommates have become cover boys for marriage equality. In some ways it’s an achievement that aspects of black gay life have claimed such an impressive share of the pop culture exchange market, even if the trading doesn’t always feel even or fair. There is value in visibility, but appropriation without acknowledgement and reverence of origins is a flattering form of theft.

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