08/21/15, Vol. 6 Issue 12

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GEORGIANEWS

Latino LinQ board members and advisory board members (from left) Alejandro Garay, Leo Martinez, Estrella Sanz, Moises Prado, Greg Bautista and Kenneth DeLeón (Photo by Thomas Kerns/www.thomaskernsphoto.com)

New Atlanta organization tackles Latino LGBT needs Latino LinQ offers discussion groups, HIV prevention services and more

By PATRICK SAUNDERS A new organization has formed to meet the specific needs of Georgia’s Latino LGBT population.

Conversations about forming the organization began at the 2013 Creating Change conference, hosted by Atlanta that year and put on annually by the National LGBTQ Task Force. Latino LGBT activists, including Leo Martinez, Alejandro Lopez and Greg Bautista, started discussing what the community’s needs were and whether there was a gap to fill.

Martinez, community education coordinator for anti-domestic violence organization Caminar Latino, says that informal discussions followed, but that action wasn’t truly taken until this year.

“We started meeting again in March of this year and that’s when we really decided yes, let’s move forward, let’s do something.

Let’s talk about what the community needs and put something together,” says Martinez, who is now chairman of the board of directors of Latino LinQ. While he’s hesitant to narrowly define exactly what the Latino LGBT community’s needs are, Martinez does mention some areas.

“Some of the main things we recognized that are maybe higher up on that list are access to health care and mental health, HIV/ AIDS education, and immigration, especially with the transgender community who are at the forefront of injustices because that’s what we see the most,” he says.

However, the needs assessment is an ongoing process and the group’s board of directors continues to collect feedback from the community.

The services Latino LinQ currently offer include discussion groups, health education workshops and HIV prevention services, and referrals to other agencies based on need. The group does not have its own physical meeting space yet, so they rely on other organizations like the Phillip Rush Center, Caminar Latino, the Latin American Association and others to lend out space for its programs and events.

“The idea is to hopefully raise funds and be self-sustainable,” says Martinez, noting that they are still working on setting a budget and are in the process of applying for their 501(c)3 nonprofit status.

Latino LinQ has also started a peer support group on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at the Latin American Association. Anyone seeking more information about Latino LinQ and its services is encouraged to visit their website at latinolinq.weebly.com, email latinolinQ@gmail. com or call 678-744-LINQ (5467).

4 News August 21, 2015 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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GEORGIANEWS

Brandon White was the victim of an anti-gay hate crime in south Atlanta in 2012. (File photo)

National campaign launched to bring hate crime law to Georgia Anti-Defamation League announces campaign on anniversary of notorious Georgia lynching

By PATRICK SAUNDERS Georgia is one of five states in the nation without a hate crime law, and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has announced a campaign to remedy that and bring that number down to zero.

The 50 States Against Hate campaign was launched on August 17 and will work toward passage of hate crime laws in Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina and Wyoming while also strengthening existing hate crime laws in the other 45 states.

The announcement came at a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the lynching of Leo Frank, a Jewish man dragged from his jail cell and murdered after a trial that many historians now say was awash in anti-Semitism. The commemoration was attended by LGBT ally U.S. Rep. John Lewis, former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes and current Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens.

“The recent hate-based murders in Charleston by a white supremacist are a wake-up call that the time is now to bring

strong hate crime laws to all 50 states—including South Carolina and Georgia, which lack them entirely,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL National Director, in a statement.

Aside from the five states that have no hate crime law at all, only 32 state hate crime laws include sexual orientation, 31 include disability, 29 include gender and only 11 include gender identity.

“For the memory of the Charleston 9, for the memory of Leo Frank, for the memories of thousands who have lost their lives or have had their lives changed by a hate crime, we must correct this wrong,” Mr. Greenblatt said. “We must pass a hate crime law here in Georgia, and we must strengthen the protections in all 50 states.”

The campaign will focus on advancing four key goals, including stronger laws, better training, improved data collection and increased community awareness and reporting.

ADL has convened numerous local and national civil rights groups to support the initiative, including many LGBT groups. Locally, the statewide LGBT advocacy organization Georgia Equality and Jewish LGBT rights organization SOJOURN have signed on to the effort, and the national LGBT groups include Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, Human Rights Campaign and PFLAG National.

6 News August 21, 2015 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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NEWSBRIEFS City approves Atlanta Rainbow Crosswalks project The city has officially approved rainbow crosswalks to be painted at the intersection of 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue, with the project scheduled to be completed just in time for the Atlanta Pride Festival in October.

The approval came at an Urban Design Commission hearing on Aug. 12 attended

by Robert Sepulveda Jr., the founder of RSJdesign who is the mastermind behind bringing the public art project to Atlanta.

“This is not only a win for the LGBT community, but a win for all citizens of Atlanta, these crosswalks symbolize the diversity of our community, while spreading a clear visual message of acceptance, unity and tolerance, no matter ones race, gender, creed or sexual orientation,” Sepulveda said in a press release following the hearing.

Sepulveda plans on forming a nonprofit organization around the project as well that would use public art and community outreach to advance diversity and equality.

Robin Shahar, Mayor Kasim Reed’s LGBT advisor, is hammering out details of the installation and maintenance of the crosswalks which will then need to be agreed upon and approved by the Atlanta City Council. Sepulveda anticipates final passage at the council’s Sept. 8 meeting.

Then it’s time for installation and completion of the crosswalks, which is planned for the weekend before Atlanta Pride, which is taking place Oct. 10 and 11. The twonight job will be followed by a formal ribbon cutting ceremony.

Jury rejects ‘gay panic’ defense in murder of metro Atlanta teen Jurors returned a guilty verdict on Aug. 11 against a man charged with killing a metro Atlanta teenager for “making a pass” at him. Marquavyian Gude, 19, was convicted on charges of murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, theft by taking and weapons offenses in connection with the shooting death of 17-year-old Devontavius McClain of Griffin, Georgia.

McClain was last seen alive on April 20, 2013 when he left home to meet Gude in Atlanta. His decomposed body was found two months later, stuffed inside the trunk of his own vehicle which was abandoned in Northwest Atlanta.

Cell phone records linked Gude to Mc-

Robert Sepulveda Jr. is forming an Atlanta Rainbow Crosswalks nonprofit organization as well. (Photo via Facebook)

Clain, and Gude was also seen driving McClain’s vehicle shortly after the murder and using his debit card. The defendant tried to use the “gay panic” defense according to a press release issued Aug. 12 by Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard.

“Gude confessed to murdering McClain, but claimed it was in self-defense because the victim made a pass at him,” the press release stated. “According to Defendant Gude, he met the victim online and believed he was meeting a female, not a male. Gude could not explain why, instead of leaving, he chose to ride around with the victim for several hours before killing him.”

Gude was sentenced to life plus five years in prison.

LGBT ally Bennett pulls off upset in Georgia House race Taylor Bennett, the 29-year-old political newcomer, pulled off a surprise win in House District 80 on Aug. 11, besting former Brookhaven mayor J. Max Davis in a runoff. Bennett, a Democrat and former quarterback for Georgia Tech, beat the Republican 55 percent to 45 percent with 100 percent of precincts reporting.

The win was even more surprising be-

cause the GOP establishment put major muscle behind Davis, with Governor Nathan Deal and Congressman Tom Price endorsing and campaigning for him. Two reasons? A Bennett win would mean control of the Fulton County delegation would flip to the Democrats and it would leave the GOP one representative short of its current supermajority in the House.

Bennett made his opposition to the socalled “religious freedom” bill the centerpiece of his campaign. Many believe the bill will lead to more LGBT discrimination. His opposition stems not just from his being an employment lawyer but from the fact that his mother and sister are gay.

“As a labor and employment attorney and obviously my personal connection to the issue, watching the Georgia legislature literally try to figure out ways to discriminate, especially to the LGBT community, I didn’t want to sit by and just watch this unfold in front of me,” Bennett told Georgia Voice in an interview leading up to the election.

“I’m thinking, is my mom going to be able to come to Georgia and have lunch with her son and have to face discrimination to come see me? That was something that got at me pretty deep.”

8 News August 21, 2015 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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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.

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10 Outspoken August 21, 2015

“In the era Barbara had come of age—the pre-Stonewall, pre-Internet, pre-fifty different ways to describe your orientation on Facebook era—there was just this vast wasteland of ‘Am I the only one?!’ Into that blank, empty, and scary space of not knowing how to connect with other people like you—other lesbians and gay men, other ‘homosexuals’—there came the pioneers. Barbara Gittings was one of those: a mother of a movement.”

— Slate on the biography of lesbian activist Barbara Gittings.

(Slate, Aug. 14); Photo by Kay Tobin Lahusen

“The only time I felt free of the torment was when I stepped on the rugby pitch. Now I feel free.”

— Keegan Hirst is the first openly gay British rugby player.

(Mirror, Aug. 15); Screencap

“It feels good to be chosen but there was a time in my life when I was not chosen. I was the opposite of chosen because I was different. And I want to make sure that what makes you different right now makes you stand out later in life. So you should be proud of being different. You should be proud of who you are.”

— Ellen DeGeneres accepting the Choice Comedian award at Sunday night’s Teen Choice Awards. (Towleroad, Aug. 17); Publicity photo

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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OUT IN THE WILD

By Simon Williamson

Ticking every macho box Simon Williamson lives with his husband in heteronormatively-assimilative fashion in Athens, after a year of surviving rural Georgia.

I typically love it when sports stars come out, because it shatters the myth that gay men are anything stereotypical and that, in fact, we are a many varied beast. Along with being talented in many arenas historically dominated by women, we’re actually pretty well represented when it comes to arbitrarily masculine pursuits like shooting guns and bringing home the bacon and cooking things on an open flame (incidentally, all of these pastimes feature a long list of woman participants, too).

And so my ears pricked up when the first active British rugby player strode out of the closet this past weekend and announced to a British newspaper that indeed he enjoyed man-love.

It wasn’t easy for him, he told the paper. “I had a wife and kids. I’ve been a builder, doorman, worked in factories—I play rugby. I tick

“The new golden age of television, made possible by technological advancement, media innovation, and the proliferation of platforms and outlets for stories, must include ‘Bob’s Burgers’ in its canon.”

At best, television has the power not only to represent the highest values of our culture, but also to elevate the culture itself.

The audience in particular is pushed and challenged to imagine worlds beyond their own and to accept that these worlds are not only possible, but inevitable.

The best, most iconic shows, like “Maude” and “A Different World,” and even less obvious shows like “Golden Girls” and “Roseanne,” demonstrate just how ready people are to accept what’s being offered to them, no matter how complex or provocative, if it’s wrapped in a comedy package. If the novel “Atlas Shrugged” had been a comedy-musical written as a satire of capitalism, we would all be objectivists now.

Animated shows like “South Park” and www.thegeorgiavoice.com

every macho box. How could I be gay?”

Hmmm, I thought.

Literally none of those activities exempts you from being gay, because being gay has as much to do with marrying women and being macho as Cher has with aging.

Of course the young man’s assumptions are not his fault. He is a victim of a world in which “I tick every macho box” is a great indicator of how fucked up greater society’s attachment to typical gender roles is. Typical male behavior is actually an absurd and arbitrary standard by which we make young men live, and carve them into the shapes we want. When a penis-bearing person chooses not to partake in such typical behaviors, a large portion of the world we inhabit has absolutely no idea what to do with him.

And it means that young men everywhere

are being punished for not behaving in the correct way, and end up in marriages they hate, bound into families they may not have wanted, maintaining the pressure of keeping their sexual preference or gender incongruence a secret.

All because of, and I keep using the word, arbitrary rules we have set for how men should act.

I once saw former San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh say on TV that football was one of the few remaining parts of the world that taught boys how to be men. This insipid, vacuous philosophy is a great summary of just how imbecilic the definition of masculinity is: a game where you bash each other, chasing a testicle-shaped ball, is what makes people men? By that standard, beating your wife will make your cock bigger.

No, “being a man” is fundamentally a ridicu-

“Typical male behavior is actually an absurd and arbitrary standard by which we make young men live, and carve them into the shapes we want. When a penis-bearing person chooses not to partake in such typical behaviors, a large portion of the world we inhabit has absolutely no idea what to do with him.” lous concept, and gives no fig for anyone that doesn’t fit into the pre-planned destiny determined by the bulge in his pants. It also assumes that everyone with a bulge in their pants is a man, and everyone without one is a woman—a fundamentally flawed and transphobic concept.

As flawed as “the best man is a macho man.”

Which leads us directly to why a man could be surprised that he could want a cock up his bum even though he “ticks every macho box.”

“Macho” does not equal “not gay.”

Playing rugby or football does not make you immune to homosexuality. Marrying women doesn’t make it go away, nor does working in a factory or being a doorman or living in a conservative town. None of these things make the gayness go away. How do we know this?

We’ve all fucked people who tried them.

THE ICONOCLAST

By Charles Stephens

Quirk is new camp: on ‘Bob’s Burgers’ Charles Stephens is the Director of Counter Narrative and co-editor of ‘Black Gay Genius: Answering Joseph Beam’s Call.’

“Family Guy” seem more often than not to manifest what the cultural critic Camille Paglia meant by “anything that can be imagined should be depicted.” To that end, I will confess that I’m absolutely obsessed with the Fox show “Bob’s Burgers.” It’s my favorite show on television right now, and one of the smartest. There is a subtle and at times not so subtle subversive humor to the show that makes it edgy and endearingly quirky.

The show centers around Bob Belcher. Bob owns a burger restaurant, “Bob’s Burgers,” in a fictional coastal town. He and his wife, Linda, and their three children: Tina, Gene, and Louise, run the restaurant. It’s a workplace comedy wrapped in a family comedy.

Part of why I like the show is that it reminds me of early John Waters. One could

imagine Linda Belcher as a John Waters heroine, and her sister Gayle even more so, fanny-pack and all. One could also imagine Gene throwing a fit if he didn’t receive chacha heels for Christmas, or Tina as a version of Tracy Turnblad in “Hairspray.”

Let me also say that from my perspective, “Bob’s Burgers” improves upon the genre of adult-targeted animated comedies in that it resists overt shock-comedy and is refreshingly character-driven. When you watch “South Park,” for example, if you’re not appalled at some point during the course of the show, you feel cheated. “Bob’s Burgers” doesn’t do this, nor does it rely on the endless cutaways of “Family Guy.” That said, “Bob’s Burgers” is obviously influenced by “Family Guy,” in the same

way that “Family Guy” has been influenced by “The Simpsons.” For example, “Family Guy,” with its endless references to 1980s pop culture, including everything from “Stand by Me” to “Star Wars,” has perfected the art of turning nostalgia against itself, using comic anarchy cleverly to allow us to both love and poke fun at the decade.

Subversive comedy doesn’t distort reality, or history for that matter, as much as it clarifies it. “Bob’s Burgers,” great student that it is, has also very cleverly used 1980s films as its muse.

The new golden age of television, made possible by technological advancement, media innovation, and the proliferation of platforms and outlets for stories, must include “Bob’s Burgers” in its canon. Culturally speaking, we are in the age of “Bob’s Burgers.”

August 21, 2015 Outspoken 11

YOURWORDSYOURVOICE

Make it better now for LGBT youth

By PATRICK FAERBER Patrick Faerber is a board member of the Atlanta chapter of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) ???? and a political science major at Georgia State University scheduled to graduate in 2017.

As the chair of GLSEN Atlanta and a recent high school graduate, I have many discussions with LGBT students across Georgia. The more I talk with them, the clearer it is that they don’t want to hear about “it gets better” anymore.

Instead, they want to make it better now.

It seems that for as long as we can think back, “it gets better” has been the main token of advice the adult community has handed down generation after generation. But with today’s group of students, it’s time the entire LGBT community came together to finally win the battle of making Georgia schools more inclusive.

When we formed GLSEN Atlanta just over a year ago, the objective was to come together to support students as they go through the tox-

“We don’t cease to work, dance, eat, sing, have sex and share lives because we become old or disabled. We strive to be visible because it is important for all of us to have mirror images of ourselves.

We have made significant contributions and created legacies that must not and will not be erased.”

Why are old and disabled lesbians becoming increasingly invisible in our communities? This is not an unfair question to hurl at a queer culture that seeks able bodies and anti-aging remedies at every turn. Old and disabled members of our community are often “tolerated” as long as the truth of our lives is not acknowledged. This is especially true if one’s queer life is lived at the intersections of race, class, disability, age, and gender.

As an intergenerational couple with one partner who is legally blind, we are both black lesbians who understand how the different intersections of our identity challenge our visibility in a world where the normative view would rather obscure us and where lesbians wrestle 12 Your Voice August 21, 2015

ic environment in our schools. In 2013, Georgia schools saw eight out of ten LGBT students being verbally harassed based on their sexual orientation while three in ten were physically harassed based on their sexual orientation and one in ten were physically assaulted based on the way they expressed their gender.

The worst part is that 65 percent of students who were harassed or assaulted in school never reported it to school staff, and 56 percent never told a family member about the incident.

Despite the horrendous climate these students face in their schools, over 20 schools in the state have Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) or similar student groups designed to support LGBT students.

In schools with GSAs, students were almost 20 percent less likely to report feeling unsafe, while also reporting teachers were significantly more likely to intervene when hearing homophobic remarks.

Now, GLSEN Atlanta is trying to empower Georgia’s LGBT student leaders to go beyond GSAs to make a difference in their schools and communities.

GLSEN has partnered with Georgia Equality to create GSA Connect and the Metro Atlanta LGBTQ Student Leadership Conference. GSA Connect is a digital connection among the more than 50 middle school, high school and college GSAs in Georgia.

For the first time ever, Georgia finally has

“It seems that for as long as we can think back, ‘it gets better’ has been the main token of advice the adult community has handed down generation after generation. But with today’s group of students, it’s time the entire LGBT community came together to finally win the battle of making Georgia schools more inclusive.” a solid and unified network of GSAs full of passionate and driven students. But now, they need support from the greater LGBT community to help them make a difference.

As this year moves forward, students need adults to become involved in their school communities in many ways. You can donate and/or volunteer with GLSEN Atlanta by visiting glsen.org/atlanta, or you can also help by sponsoring GSA events.

Today’s youth are more out and courageous than ever before. As members of the LGBT community, we need to come support them and help them to finally change the way LGBT youth view school. We need to finally make Georgia schools safe and supportive places for all students.

Ageism, invisibility in Atlanta’s LGBT community

By ANGELA DENISE DAVIS & MARY ANNE ADAMS Mary Anne Adams (right) is a social worker and public health researcher who founded and is board chair of ZAMI NOBLA (National Association of Black Lesbians on Aging) based in Atlanta. Angela Denise Davis (left) is an ordained minister and certified rehabilitation counselor who founded and operates the spiritual collective Sister Harriet and the counseling and consultation service Braille South.

with their own freedom to self-identify.

Ageism and ableism within the context of our lives as lesbians threatens the fullness of our humanity. It is not a compliment when one of us is told, “You don’t look your age,” and the other is told, “You don’t look blind.” What is being said is that old lesbians and lesbians with disabilities must show up as “normal” as possible.

The lives of black lesbians must be seen and deemed worthy. We understand the high cost of invisibility in health care, public health research, employment, social spaces and most importantly in the very communities we have helped build. The social worker and public health researcher in one of us wants to emphasize the health disparities of this popula-

tion, and the ordained minister and counselor in the other wants to emphasize the stressors that negatively affect our bodies and souls.

Wherever one chooses to place the emphasis, it is a fact that old, disabled, black lesbian lives matter and have a human right to exist in this universe without curiosity and without apology.

When we do see some queer visibility, it is often limited to white gay men and white lesbians, and even within that gaze there is a preference towards young, extremely fit bodies. The type of lesbian visibility we desire is not just for those who live in the cloud of celebrity, but also those who move on urban asphalt and dusty back roads.

We strive to be visible because it is im-

portant for all of us to have mirror images of ourselves. We have made significant contributions and created legacies that must not and will not be erased.

We understand what it is to be black lesbians ignored by both heterosexual-identified culture, white queer folk and sometimes our very own. We also understand what it is like to have our sexual identity ignored and marginalized by the disability community. We know intimately the sick feeling of having our lives dismissed because of our age. We strive to be seen in the world because we are part of it. We have something important to say and will remain firmly planted until we are seen and heard. Meet us eye to eye! www.thegeorgiavoice.com

YOURWORDSYOURVOICE

Transitioning in the workplace

By CHANEL HALEY Chanel Haley is transgender inclusion organizer for Georgia Equality. She is also a senior legislative aide to ????

Rep. Simone Bell (D-Atlanta) and serves on the City of Atlanta’s Human Relations Commission.

In 1998 I began my journey to transitioning while at the same time graduating from manicuring school as a nail technician. This turned out to be a bigger mission than I could have ever thought or imagined, filled with excitement and hope, later realizing I would have a life with more lows than highs.

I was immediately hired to work at Premier Salon International inside the Macy’s in downtown Atlanta. Every day, after I had finished with my clients and networking, I would go into the salon restroom and change into more comfortable clothing. “Comfortable” for me meant women’s clothing. Unfortunately, prior to being hired I had not had enough courage to tell my boss that I had just

“If greater nondiscrimination efforts can make our state even more economically competitive for job growth and wage increase, then we have an opportunity to gain new allies in the fight for equality and equal treatment.”

The recent monumental Supreme Court decision has made for an exciting and energetic summer. However, the decision has also allowed our community to harness this energy for another important battle: Equal treatment and nondiscrimination.

One of the challenges of our cause has been to codify the economic consequences of discrimination against the LGBT community. As we certainly know, discrimination is wrong in the moral and social justice sense. But talking about the economic aspects of discrimination allows us to broaden our argument and attract powerful new allies for upcoming battles.

The corporate community, large and small, is among the leaders advancing nondiswww.thegeorgiavoice.com

started my journey toward being a woman.

Luckily for me, I had an attentive boss who noticed my transformation after work. He sat me down and had a conversation with me about it. I will never forget him asking me, “Do you really go in the bathroom and change every day?”

“Yes,” I replied. He told me that was “unacceptable.” I was thinking, “Oh no, I’m about to be fired.”

But to my surprise, the contrary was true.

He suggested holding a staff meeting before I came into the salon the next day to explain to them that my name was “Chanel,” that I was a woman and to expect me to look differently that day and every day thereafter.

I was 18 then, and I am now 35. In my pur-

suit of other careers and jobs I quickly learned that the next 17 years would not be that easy for me or for any other transgender woman living in Georgia or the United States.

Every day, transgender men and woman are faced with the uncomfortable, degrading situation of workplace discrimination. Workplace discrimination for a transgender person can include being terminated for transitioning on the job, denial of access to workplace facilities accessible to other employees, being required to use a restroom not consistent with their gender identity or presentation, harassment, allowing harassment by other employees, and/or negative employment actions not consistent with company policy that

“There are so many transgender men and women who are skilled, qualified, eager, able-bodied and ready to work given the opportunity. If only the playing field were leveled.” are taken because the person is transgender.

And of course, all of this happens only if the transgender person can make it past the hiring process. And usually they do not.

There are so many transgender men and women who are skilled, qualified, eager, ablebodied and ready to work given the opportunity. If only the playing field were leveled.

Passing The Equality Act of 2015 would ensure workplace protection for all Americans. And all Georgians would benefit from a comprehensive statewide nondiscrimination law that includes sexual orientation and gender identity to ensure protection from being fired from a job or judged for anything other than the merits of their work performance.

The high cost of LGBT discrimination

By ALLEN FOX Allen Fox is chairman of the Georgia Log Cabin Republicans and director of Competitive Georgia, a nonprofit dedicated to growing Georgia’s economy by advocating LGBT nondiscrimination. crimination protections for the LGBT community. Why is that? It is because businesses succeed when they have access to the best and brightest talent.

Georgia’s economy is one of the largest economies in the nation. Fifteen Fortune 500 companies call Georgia home, and our state is number two in the nation for entrepreneurial activity. LGBT nondiscrimination is critical to making Georgia the number one destination for innovative new businesses.

Ninety percent of the Fortune 500 companies have nondiscrimination policies covering sexual orientation. The small business community, the very backbone of our economy, supports policies of equal treatment. In a recent

poll, nearly 80 percent of small business owners support LGBT nondiscrimination efforts.

It is clear that our state’s “job creators” are moved by the words of economist Richard Florida: “Diversity—an openness to all kinds of people, no matter their gender, race, nationality, sexual orientation, is not a private virtue, but an economic necessity.”

The state of Indiana provides an excellent test case on the economic consequences of discrimination. International backlash resulted when Governor Mike Pence signed the disastrous “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” into law.

The punishment was swift and harsh; it cost the state over $250 million in eco-

nomic activity.

Thankfully, leaders in Georgia were watching. The effort to pass religious liberty legislation without nondiscrimination protections died in the Georgia state legislature in the wake of Indiana. The message was crystal clear: there are severe economic consequences when you pass discriminatory legislation.

If greater nondiscrimination efforts can make our state even more economically competitive for job growth and wage increase, then we have an opportunity to gain new allies in the fight for equality and equal treatment.

It is time for our state to listen to the job creators: discrimination of any kind is wrong, and it’s bad for a growing economy.

August 21, 2015 Your Voice 13

BLACKGAYPRIDE PREVIEW GUIDE TO THE BEST BLACK GAY PRIDE EVENTS IN ATLANTA FOR SEPT. 2-7

You name it and you can find it at this year’s Black Gay Pride Weekend. Whether it’s karaoke, a vendor marketplace, comedy show, church service, health expo, jazz brunch, movie screening, poetry slam and, oh yeah, about a thousand different parties give or take. Get your endurance up and be prepared with this handy guide to what to hit up at this year’s big bash.

Who can resist a party with the name the Naked Hustle Day Party 2015 at Magic City, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 2

Sybil and Robin S. open up for CeCe Peniston for Jukebox Jams at Center Stage, featuring beats by three DJs, doors open at 9 p.m., www.inthelifeatlanta.org

Sing it out at Hip Hop Karaoke at My Sister’s Room, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com

THURSDAY, SEPT. 3

RockStars Production presents their Welcome to Atlanta Pride Mixer at the Georgian Terrace Hotel, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., www.rockstarsproduction.com It’s the Black Gay Pride VIP Reception at the National Center for Civil & Human Rights, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com Kick things off at the Welcome to Atlanta Pride Weekend Event at Halo Lounge, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com

Get your laugh on at the ATL Pride Comedy Show featuring Ms. Sophia at the Georgian Terrace Hotel, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com

Blue Diamond Entertainment presents the Grown Folks Takeover, featuring DJ Mary Mac from New York City, The New Opus Lounge, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., www.bde25.com The men will be lining up for the White Party at Club ATL, 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., www.wassupnatl.com Party with the hard body men at RockStars Production’s 5000 Men Party at the Georgia Freight Depot, 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., www.rockstarsproduction.com

RockStars Production’s official Pride kickoff party is Sexy In The City featuring two DJs spinning hip hop and R&B, Krave Nightclub, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., www.rockstarsproduction.com

Some call it the biggest all girl party in the city, it’s the Annual Mega Friday Night Live Ladies Lounge, Compound, 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com

Keep the party going at the Annual STRIPHER event at My Sister’s Room, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com

It’s the Speak Fire – Love, Leather, Lust party at the Georgian Terrace Hotel, 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., www.inthelifeatlanta.org

The Men of Traxx present the Mega Pride Jump Off Party, Club 708, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., www.traxxatlanta.com

SATURDAY, SEPT. 5

FRIDAY, SEPT. 4

It’s the first day of the Vendor Marketplace, Georgian Terrace Hotel, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com

It’s not all about the parties, so make sure to check out the Health and Life Expo at the Georgian Terrace Hotel, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., www.inthelifeatlanta.org It’s day two of the Vendor Marketplace, Georgian Terrace Hotel, 10 a.m. to

14 Black Gay Pride Preview August 21, 2015

8 p.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com Get a little variety to your weekend by taking in the documentary “The Same Difference,” screening at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema, 12 p.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com It’s a day party as Blue Diamond Entertainment presents Chocolate City featuring DJ Chocolate, E-Villa Lounge, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., www.bde25.com Opera is the place to be for the Atlanta WETher!

Celebrity Block Party, 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., www. atlantaprideweekend.com

RockStars Production presents their Day Party, Havana Club, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., www.rockstarsproduction.com The Men of Traxx present The Zoo, their annual Black Gay Pride Weekend Block Party featuring stilt dancers, fire dancers, celebrity hosts, four DJs, three stages and a J-Sette street battle, hosted by Porsha Williams from “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” Club 708, 9 p.m., www.traxxatlanta.com

CONTINUES ON PAGE 15

Up for a movie? Try the See Us In The Life On Film at the Georgian Terrace Hotel, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., www. inthelifeatlanta.org

SATURDAY, SEPT. 5

Chris Brown: One Hell of a Nite Tour Also featuring Kid Ink, Fetty Wap, Omarion and Teyana Taylor, 7 p.m., Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, www.aaronsamphitheatre.net

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 Celebrity bartender Kelsey Nykole will be in the house for Saturday at the Anchor Bar, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., www.wassupnatl.com Turn it up at the Mega Saturday Night Live Dance Party at Museum Bar, featuring celebrity appearances like Lil’ Kim, VIP arrivals and lounge and four DJs, 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., www.rockstarsproduction.com Mature women invited to the All White Party VII at the Westside Cultural Arts Center, 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., www.bde25.com It’s just the biggest girl party in the country, that’s all, as The Legendary Traxx Girls present the Big Bang Event featuring Teyana Taylor, five DJs, two dance floors and a super surprise guest, Georgia Freight Depot, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., www.traxxgirls.com

SUNDAY, SEPT. 6

Blue Diamond Entertainment present

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Sunday Morning Service at Tabernacle Baptist Church, 11 a.m., www.bde25.com Chill with the Jazz Brunch & Poetry Slam at the Georgian Terrace Hotel, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., www.inthelifeatlanta.org Take a breather and fill up at the Soul Food Poetry Slam Jazz Brunch at the Georgia Terrace Hotel hosted

by Queen Sheba, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., www.rockstarsproduction.com Never miss the nonstop music in the park courtesy of the Annual Pure Heat Community Festival featuring live performances by Grammy-winning artists, celebrity hosts, a gospel showcase, hair battle, J-Sette competition, impersonator showcase, children’s stage and more, Piedmont Park, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com DJ Cedric and DJ Fyre and a special guest artist spark things up in the park with House of Soul, Piedmont Park, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., www.inthelifeatlanta.org

Wassup N ATL keeps the party going with the Sunday Day Party at E-Villa featuring a special guest performing live, 7 p.m. to 12 a.m., www.wassupnatl.com RockStars Production presents the Legendary Main Event at Opera, 9:30 p.m. to 3 a.m., www.rockstarsproduction.com

www.atlantaprideweekend.com Some like it hot at the SPLASHer Pool Party hosted by Tomboi Swagg and Cream de la Cream, W Hotel Downtown, 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com

Wassup N ATL presents Sunday at Jungle Nightclub, featuring a special guest performing live, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., www.wassupnatl.com

If you’re still down to keep the party going, don’t miss the Men In White party courtesy of RockStars Production, ITLA & Traxx, Havana Nightclub, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., www.havanaclubatl.com

The ladies will flock to Mansion Elan to see DEJ Loaf at the Goliath 2015, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., www.traxxgirls.com

Say hi to the birthday girl at DJ M’s Annual Birthday Bash at Strip Club, 10 p.m. to 12:45 a.m., www.traxxgirls.com

MONDAY, SEPT. 7

Ladies, find those crisp whites to wear at the Annual All White Party at Havana Club, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com

All aboard boys for the Annual Booze Crooze, with party bus departing the Georgian Terrace Hotel at 12 p.m. and the party hopping from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., www.rockstarsproduction.com The women will hit the water for the Pretty In Pink Booze Cruise at Lake Lanier, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.,

The Men of Traxx present the Foam Party Finale with drink specials, BBQ on the patio, sexy dancers and more, Club 708, 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., www.traxxatlanta.com

August 21, 2015 Black Gay Pride Preview 15

CATCHING UP WITH …

Paulina Helm-Hernandez

Queer political organizer on fighting for LGBTQ people of color, immigrants’ rights

By PATRICK SAUNDERS When someone is described in their bio as “a queer femme cha-cha girl, artist, trainer, political organizer, strategist and trouble-maker-at-large,” you know that there is a lot to unpack there.

And sure enough, there’s lots of depth to Paulina Helm-Hernandez, but she’s most well known in her role as co-director of Southerners On New Ground (SONG), the queer liberation organization that brings together LGBTQ people of color, immigrants, undocumented people, people with disabilities, working class and rural people across the region.

Helm-Hernandez was born in Veracruz, Mexico, and at age 12 made the move with her family to rural North Carolina. It was around the time that the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed, leading to a surge in migration into the U.S. of people from Mexico, Latin America and other parts of the world. An anti-immigrant sentiment began to form around her just as she was learning more English, becoming politicized, and getting angry. And this was before she even knew she was queer.

She now lives in East Atlanta Village with her partner, Ashe Helm-Hernandez, an activist in their own right working to eliminate poverty and genocide with Project South.

So, Paulina, when did you start at SONG? I began to do contract work with SONG ten years ago. They contracted me and others to do a listening campaign with other Southern LGBTQ folks who were involved in racial justice or economic justice work or community work. The question was, should SONG even exist anymore? Is there a role for SONG to play?

Around the time part of what fueled that was Hurricane Katrina had just hap-

“It’s a generational fight and we’re facing a different beast right now.

We’re part of a long legacy that we can draw from and glean lessons from, and this moment we’re facing right now around police brutality and state-sanctioned violence, around gender and violence, this is a different political moment.” pened. It was such a crisis and a lot of us didn’t know if our people were okay that we had been working with. We couldn’t reach people for days and days and days. So there was a whole question of, oh my God, when a real crisis happens the nonprofit infrastructure is not good enough if we don’t personally know each other and have each other’s cell phone numbers and don’t know how to show up outside of what the government is or isn’t willing to do.

What are the biggest obstacles in dealing with the issues that SONG addresses?

I feel like one of our biggest obstacles is definitely structural oppression, but also cynicism.

Like an attitude that these things cannot be solved?

I think so. We sometimes struggle with our lack of imagination over what else is possible. That to me has a lot to do with people getting beat down, or the law will only protect you to a certain point, or you actually don’t have any rights, or you think you have rights but you actually don’t. All of these people are struggling to reclaim their humanity in some ways for ourselves and for each other.

It’s a generational fight and we’re facing a different beast right now. We’re part

Paulina Helm-Hernandez says that the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 led her and others to realize the importance of Southerners On New Ground’s work. (Photo by Patrick Saunders)

of a long legacy that we can draw from and glean lessons from, and this moment we’re facing right now around police brutality and state-sanctioned violence, around gender and violence, this is a different political moment.

There’s some old school South stuff, there’s definitely the neo-Confederacy stuff that’s playing out post-Ferguson and in reaction to the Charleston shooting. I don’t know about you but I’m seeing people fly their little Confederate flags all over Atlanta in a way that I have not seen since I have lived here. We’re not living in a vacuum, we’re living in a region where that shit has not been resolved and we have a lot of work to do to build the multiracial alliances that will really transform the South. And it’s good that we react to crisis but sometimes the daily crisis can take over a long term vision for what else is possible.

And you’re an artist, too? What medium?

I love to paint, I love to write, both political writing and poetry and some creative writing. I’ve been really struggling to figure out how to bring that back into

my work. It’s been really awesome to work with all of these artists and culture makers. It’s been a little while. I have it in me, I came out of culture change work and knowing how important it is. There are some ways that we can talk about what we want all day long, but then you have people pull from their soul, their artistry, their third eye. It just opens up something else that’s really important politically.

So what do you do for fun when you’re not out saving the world?

[Laughs] Me and my honey spend a lot of time together. We both do the work together but also have some shared dorky interests, so whenever we can we do that as much as we can and try to go to things that feed our artistry. I try to spend as much time as I can with the little ones. I have a beautiful godbaby here in Atlanta and I have my nieces and nephews in Memphis and Kentucky and all over the region.

What else? Man ... I love to talk shit [laughs]. I used to party a lot in my 20s and now I’m tired, now I’m all about the low-key shit-talking hangout. It just gives me life [laughs].

16 Community August 21, 2015 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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OUR PAST OUR PRESENT

45

YEARS

OF PRIDE

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AR N

A T N A AT L EN

ROCKS AGAIN

LGBT E

ETHERIDGE

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MELISSA

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REVI EW

R TA I N M

Singer speaks out in advance of Atlanta tour stop

By GREGG SHAPIRO If you’ve ever attended a Melissa Etheridge concert, you know that she is a consummate entertainer.

Her casual and playful stage banter results in a relaxed and friendly rapport with the audience. She’s also a performer who comes fully alive when she is on a stage, singing and playing guitar and generally rocking out. Etheridge comes across as lighthearted and joyful, qualities that shine through, even on the most serious of songs.

On her new DVD/CD package “A Little Bit of ME: Live In L.A.,” Etheridge does a splendid job of capturing that energy over the course of more than two hours. She plays some new songs and lots of fan favorites. She is even joined onstage by the band Delta Rae on the songs “I’m The Only One” and “Monster.” I spoke with the out music legend about the live set and more in advance of her August 22 appearance at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

Georgia Voice: “A Little Bit of Me: Live in L.A.” is your third live album. How do you know when it’s the right time to release a live album?

Melissa Etheridge: I don’t think I know when it’s a good time [laughs] to release a live album. I think the opportunity presented itself. One of the main reasons I did was because I had a whole new band, new musicians. So the music pops and it sparkles and it’s new. Even if you have the Lucky Live or solo live, it’s not this band. And I think I’m getting better. It’s like, “See where I am now!” I don’t know when it’s time. I just knew that this was a new band, this was a great tour and the perfect opportunity.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 20

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

August 21, 2015 A&E 19

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

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Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

The DVD opens with a Kansas tornado. Being from the same place as Dorothy Gale, did “The Wizard of Oz” have special meaning to you growing up?

Yeah! I totally remember that we’d watch it (on TV) at the same time every year, right around Halloween. Being from Kansas, “We’re not in Kansas anymore” is the only thing that Kansas had until high school when we had the band Kansas. That was it.

Coming out here (to California), I never realized how iconic the movie is (to the gay community); all the undertones. I would say, “I’m from Kansas. I got here via tornado.”

You’ve been performing songs such as “Bring Me Some Water” and “Like The Way I Do,” both included on the DVD, for more than 25 years. How do you keep them interesting and fresh for yourself as a performer and for the audiences?

You can see on the DVD, those songs, especially “Like The Way I Do,” it goes into improvisation. I love that part of it. I love guitar playing. I wrote both of those songs when I was still playing in the bars. When I was playing it for 10 people, wishing they’d want to hear it. Now when I play it, thousands of people scream and holler and know the song.

It’s like, “Yeah, this is what I wanted. That’s what I asked for.” So it’s fun every time.

Details

Melissa Etheridge August 22, 2015 at 8 p.m.

Atlanta Botanical Garden www.ticketalternative.com your family on “Who Do You Think You Are?” Are you glad that you participated in that show?

I loved doing that so much! Believe me, when I saw that house in the end; that blew my mind. When the guy said that the house was still standing in that little town in Missouri; it’s unbelievable. There are all these old houses. They’ve really kept it. It’s amazing. It really made my past come to life. When you start to realize that your ancestors were real people with real stories and challenges and choices, it puts your own life into perspective.

Have you started writing songs for your next studio album?

Yes. I went back in to the studio for two or three days and recorded a couple of songs.

We’re thinking and we’re seeing what people are loving. Nothing I can nail down or tell you about right now. But I’m always thinking about what’s next.

Do you make an effort to perform at least one song from each of your dozen studio albums or has it become impossible to do that?

It is kind of impossible to do that. I wish I could. A two-hour set is like 15 songs. Five or six of them are the hits I want to play. That only leaves time to do a few new numbers, I usually try to get extra songs from the first, second, third and fourth albums because those are the ones that I think people really listen to over and over.

I’ll throw in something from those other years in between [laughs]. I’ll try to throw in something from “Fearless Love” or “Breakdown” or “Lucky.” It just depends on the audience.

Is there one song more than any other that you, personally, want to be remembered for?

More than any other? It kind of depends on where you are. If you go overseas, that one song is “Bring Me Some Water.” That was really a hit over there. “Bring Me Some Water” was huge in Europe and Australia and Canada. It’s different everywhere.

Earlier we talked about Kansas. It was fascinating to watch what you found about

20 A&E August 21, 2015

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August 21, 2015 Community 21

ACTING OUT

Details

‘Driving Miss Daisy’ OnStage Atlanta 2969 East Ponce De Leon Ave. Decatur, GA 30030 Aug. 28–Sept. 5 www.onstageatlanta.com

By JIM FARMER

Gearing up for ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ He’s been acting a long time, but Nat Martin has appeared in the award-winning “Driving Miss Daisy” more times than any other show he’s done. The comedy-drama, written

by Alfred Uhry, opens next week at OnStage Atlanta for a limited engagement with an out director — Cathe Hall Payne — and a mostly gay cast, including Martin as Hoke and DeWayne Morgan as Boolie. We caught up with Martin recently to get his take on why the play means so much to him.

Georgia Voice: So how many times have you played the role of Hoke now?

Martin: This is my ninth production, most in the Atlanta area. The first time I did it, I did it at Center Stage New York. I got a phone call out of the blue and the (original) actor wasn’t able to do it. We rehearsed for two weeks and then we were up. I did it with Neighborhood Playhouse when they were in Decatur and with

New Depot Players in Conyers before this.

What is it about Hoke that you like so much?

I am not affiliated with a lot of theaters that are doing shows with character roles for African-Americans. I am thrilled any time I get to do it. Hoke reminds me of a combination of my mom and my dad. What he goes through is some of the things they have gone through in their lives. I can’t say I haven’t had any prejudice in my life, but not as much as they have had.

My father told me about a time when African Americans couldn’t even get on the trolley in Atlanta. In Avondale Estates, black people had to be on their way home by five or there was a problem. Things have changed, at least for me to be able to have a home there.

What makes this version special?

saying the piece was dated, but in light of some of the things that have happened in the United States, especially in regards to race relations, it is obviously not the case. We still have not found a way to have conversations about race relations.

Out actor Nat Martin says that the character of Hoke reminds him of his parents.

(Courtesy photo)

I really like working with Cathe. She will defer to the character; find out how they feel. And DeWayne was a surprise to me. When Cathe told me she was going to cast him, I had not seen him in a role like this. But he is very good.

Is this as topical now as when it was written?

There was a time when I remember someone

How long have you been acting?

I have been acting for a really long time, since I was a kid doing puppet shows in the basement. My first show here was “Camelot” at Neighborhood Playhouse. A favorite role was in “Second Samuel,” written by Pamela Parker. I got to go to Australia in 2010 for the international debut for the show. I also like to direct when I have time and I am also a writer.

Does being gay affect what kinds of roles you go after?

No. For me, it’s really all about the right role at the right time.

22 A&E August 21, 2015 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

EATING MY WORDS

By CLIFF BOSTOCK

Tea time at Tipple Perhaps you remember the Roman Lily Café, which opened on Highland Avenue in 1997 and closed 10 years later. Ownerchef Calavino Donati was a pioneer. Besides opening one of the first businesses in the Old Fourth Ward’s resurrection, she offered a unique menu of comfy dishes not unlike the Flying Biscuit’s, but far more innovative.

A couple of years after closing Roman Lily, she opened Urban Cannibals, a deli in East Atlanta Village, with her spouse Doria Roberts, a well known musician and activist. It closed after a five-year run, and now the two have opened Tipple and Rose Tea Parlor and Apothecary (806 N. Highland Ave., 678-705-7995, www.facebook.com/TippleAndRose) in the space vacated by Key Lime Salon in VirginiaHighland, next to Surin of Thailand. (There’s no sign as of this writing.)

What’s a tea parlor? It’s obviously a place to drink tea, but the word “parlor” reflects its additional historic role as a place to socialize. We’ve all seen pictures of Victorianera women in white gloves sitting around a white tablecloth mid-afternoon, sipping tea poured from white pots and snacking on crumpets and scones. My grandfather was a Brit and I remember the ritual quite well. I did not wear white gloves at Tipple and Rose.

It is a cozy spot with brick walls and lots of wood tables bordered by banquettes.

There are shelves of teatime accessories and apothecary items like syrups and soaps. It makes sense because tea is medicinal. The tea itself and the ritual of the tea party—no, not that kind—are calming. Of course, there are invigorating teas as well.

Tipple offers 84 varieties of tea. Incredibly, there’s a “sniffing bar.” You can open a small container and check out the bouquet.

If you sniff enough, you’ll get, you know, a tea high. I settled on a lovey-dovey rose tea from Sri Lanka. It was served in the classic white pot with a white cup and saucer.

The tray included a tiny hourglass. Roberts instructed me not to dare remove the oldfashioned tea bag from the pot until the sand had emptied—about five minutes.

There are plenty of nibbles here—salads, www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Tipple and Rose, which opened this month, has 84 varieties of tea and even a ‘sniffing bar.’ (Photo via Facebook)

sandwiches, and pastries. I sampled a salad of organic greens tossed with local peaches, apples, sun-dried cherries, toasted almonds, and a local cashew cheese. I had half a sandwich of house-made chicken salad and another of duck salad. Both were served on croissants from the Bread Garden. I recommend the duck. It has that luscious, earthy oiliness that contrasts well with the crisp bread and the other layers of flavor like sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pecans, and Dijon aioli.

I also tried a scone, my favorite pastry, baked by Roberts herself. You can order frightfully addictive house-made lemon curd or insanely rich clotted cream to spread on them. The scone was crumbly and a bit airy—flawless in its way.

Roberts and Donati are opening two new venues in the coming months. One will be a reprise of Urban Cannibals on a larger scale in the vacated location of Las Palmeras on 5th Street in Midtown. The other, Madre and Mason, will take over the location of Couscous on Dutch Valley Road. It will feature a fascinating hybrid of Southern and Latin flavors.

In the meantime, be sure to visit Tipple.

It’s open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays. You can arrange a traditional tea party by calling ahead.

Cliff Bostock is a longtime dining critic and psychotherapist turned life coach. www.cliffbostock.com.

August 21, 2015 Columnists 23

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Our Guide to the Best LGBT Events in Atlanta for Aug. 21-Sept. 3

BETS ST

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SATURDAY, AUG. 22

Michelle Malone’s unplugged CD release party with Trish Land and special guests Eliot Bronson and Laurie Ray will be a celebration and fundraiser to keep music in Georgia schools. Michelle’s new CD, “Stronger than You Think” and Trish Land’s latest series of paintings (inspired by songs from Michelle’s new album) will be available. 8 p.m., Red Clay Music Foundry, www.eddieowenspresents.com (Publicity photo)

FRIDAY, AUG. 21

Shake to your favorite old school dance tunes at the new My Sister’s Room (MSR) location in Midtown at Disco Night with the Women’s Outdoor Network (WON Atlanta). 7 p.m., www.mysistersroom.com Natalia Naman’s gay-themed “The Old Ship of Zion” runs through tonight, 8 p.m., presented by Essential Theatre, www.essentialtheatre.com

EVENT SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, AUG. 22

Warning – otters and cubs and grizzlies on the prowl. Bearracuda cranks up at the Heretic, with DJ Steve Sherwood, 9 p.m., www.hereticatlanta.com (Publicity photo)

24 Best Bets August 21, 2015

Discussion is the building block of activism.

Dancing is the building block of celebration.

Blend those two together with some radical music and you get a Political Party, with issues of agency, body politics, violence, motherhood, sex and gender, current events and more. A Womynhood panel discussion will be at 8:30 p.m. and the music starts at 10 p.m. The suggested donation is $5. Big House on Ponce, www.facebook. com/events/1508183036139262/

Celeste Holmes hosts Boys of BJ’s tonight at 9 p.m. at BJ Roosters, www.bjroosters.com The Atlanta Eagle hosts the Mr. and Ms. Atlanta Eagle Night – Pimps and Hos, 10 p.m. – 3 a.m., www.atlantaeagle.com

SATURDAY, AUG. 22

The Atlanta Friends Meeting will host a celebration of the Supreme Court marriage equality decision today. The event will include time for audience reflection on the historic law, some music by Deidre McCalla, children’s input, followed by a potluck meal. All are welcomed and childcare will be provided.

701 W. Howard Ave., Decatur 30030.

5 – 8:30 p.m. For information contact 404/377-2474 or atlantaqukers@gmail.com The legendary Melissa Etheridge brings her “This is ME. Solo” gig to the Atlanta Botanical Garden, 8 p.m., www.atlantabg.org

Actor’s Express has opened the classic musical “Rent,” with several queer characters, with Freddie Ashley directing, closing with an 8 p.m. show tonight, www.actorsexpress.com It’s two parties in one. DJ Rob Reum spins inside while DJ Daryl Cox turns up the music outside at TEN Atlanta, www.tenatlanta.com

SUNDAY, AUG. 23

Wake up and make joyful noise with the Sisters of Sequin at Gospel Brunch with performers Bubba D. Licious and Justice Counce, 12:30 p.m. followed by a 1:30 p.m. show, Lips Atlanta, www.lipsatl.com Regina Simms emcees the New Faces event with singers, dancers, musicians, drag kings and queens and more, 9 p.m., Friends on Ponce, www.friendsonponce-atl.com

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LGBT EVENT Submit your LGBT event for inclusion in our online and print calendars by emailing event info to editor@thegavoice.com Edie Cheezburger presents “The Other Show,” the most unique drag show in Atlanta. Admission is $5, Jungle, 10 p.m., www.jungleatl.com Shavonna Brooks and Destiny Brooks emcee the riotous Femme Fatale show, 11 p.m., Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com

SATURDAY, AUG. 29

The Chicago Sky come to town to take on the Atlanta Dream as the regular season nears its end, 7 p.m., Philips Arena, www.philipsarena.com

SATURDAY, AUG. 29

Come dressed as your favorite character as Southeast Black & Blue and BARCODE presents Nerds & Jocks, a fundraiser for Southeast Black & Blue, Atlanta Eagle, 10 p.m. – 3 a.m., www.atlantaeagle.com

MONDAY, AUG. 24

DJ Kevin Durard spins for the late night revelers, 3 a.m., Xion Atlanta, www.xionatlanta.com

The ‘Frozen’ sing-a-long at the Fox Theatre, as part of the Coca Cola Summer Film Festival at 1 p.m., will entertain children and frighten adults, www.foxtheatre.org (Publicity photo)

DJ Super Blue spins at Bulldogs, 893 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA, 30308, www.facebook.com/bulldogsbaratlanta.com

Nicole Paige Brooks, Mychelle LaCroix DuPree and Mo’Dest Volgare host Wild Out Wednesdays at Felix’s, www.felixsatlanta.com

TUESDAY, AUG. 25

THURSDAY, AUG. 27

Writing With Intent is a monthly writing class led by Charis Circle Executive Director Elizabeth Anderson.

The focus shifts from month to month but the specific goal is to provide artistic accountability in a busy world and offer some academic insight outside the academy.

All are welcome to attend. This is a Charis Circle From Margin to Center Literary Program and the Suggested Donation is $10. 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com Aces high! Tuesday night is poker night at The Model T, beginning at 7 p.m., www.modeltatlanta.com “American Idol” runner-up Crystal Bowersox performs at Eddie’s Attic with Maia Sharp, Linda Taylor and Von Strantz, 8 p.m., www.eddiesattic.com

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 26

Ruby Redd’s Birdcage Bingo starts at 8:30 p.m., with $3 well drinks all night, then Tyler King hosts Beauty and the Beat karaoke at 11 p.m., The Hideaway, www.atlantahideaway.com

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Warm summer days provide a great opportunity to put yummy food on the grill and have a great cookout! Kick It with SPARK is a monthly program for LGBTQQ youth of color (16 – 25) to have a dedicated space to socialize, build community, and find resources. It will be held every fourth Thursday of each month.

August’s event will be open to the family and friends of attending youth. This month is the Cookout edition, 6 – 8 p.m., Phoenix III Park, www.sparkrj.org Come out to the lesbian-owned Twisted Soul for Food Fighters Thursday.

Every Thursday enjoy $5 drink specials and complimentary hors d’oeuvres at the bar, www.twistedsoulkitchenandbar.com

FRIDAY, AUG. 28

Out On Film hosts the Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (AGLCC) Fourth Friday mixer at Mixx Atlanta, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., www.outonfilm.org “Driving Miss Daisy” bows at OnStage Atlanta with an out director – Cathe Hall Payne – and a largely gay cast, through Sept. 5, 8 p.m., www.onstageatlanta.com

THURSDAY, SEPT. 3

SAGE Atlanta hosts a social hour and games at 10 a.m. and then a general meeting at 11 a.m., Phillip Rush Center Annex, www.rushcenteratl.com Come line dance at the Heretic tonight with free lessons beginning at 8 p.m. and then an open dance at 9 p.m., www.hereticatlanta.com The Hideaway hosts Ian Aber for Hot Mic comedy nights, 10 p.m., www.atlantahideaway.com Faces Lounge in Marietta’s new All Star Cabaret is every Thursday at 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. with the likes of Heather Daniels and Coco Chanelle, 138 Powers Ferry Road, Marietta, GA 30060

SUNDAY, AUG. 30

Charis is proud to once again host friends from LostintheLetters. This reading features Scottish writer Helen McClory with her debut book “On the Edges of Vision.” This is a Charis Circle From Margin to Center Literary event.

The suggested donation is $5. 6 - 7 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com

MONDAY, AUG. 31

They’ve been doing it for 15 years and have never been better. The Stars of the Century hit the stage at Jungle for an unforgettable show led by emcees Miss Sophia and Joe Jackson. Featuring performances by Necole Luv Dupree, Archie Bonet, Stasha Sanchez, Raquel Lord, Damoni Hall Dickerson, Trinity Bonet and more, 11 p.m., www.jungleatl.com

TUESDAY, SEPT. 1

The all-new Latino Tuesday kicks off with DJ Karlito, Blake’s, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 2

Enjoy games with hairy men at Woofs Game Night, 8 p.m., www.woofsatlanta.com It’s Amateur Night every Wednesday at 9 p.m. at BJ Roosters, www.bjroosters.com

EVENT SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY, AUGUST 27

Join Charis in welcoming Tamara Winfrey-Harris, whose new book “The Sisters are Alright” exposes antiblack woman propaganda and shows how real black women are pushing back against distorted cartoon versions of themselves. Winfrey-Harris delves into marriage, motherhood, health, sexuality, beauty and more, taking sharp aim at pervasive stereotypes about black women. This is a Charis Circle Founding the Future of Feminism event, with a suggested donation of $5. 7:30 – 9 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com (Publicity photo)

August 21, 2015 Best Bets 25

presenting the 2015-2016 Season TITO PUENTE JR. ORCHESTRA September 25 HUANG YI & KUKA October 1-2

CYRILLE AIMÉE February 20 OKWUI OKPOKWASILI: MAYA BEISER March 5

An Evening with Radiolab’s

DORRANCE DANCE March 9-10

SISTER OUTSIDER October 16 SPANDA DANCE COMPANY

PAST FORWARD

October 25

SANDRA WRIGHT SHEN November 5-7 MAVIS STAPLES & JOAN OSBORNE: SOLID SOUL

ZAP MAMA April 1 An Evening with

MARC BAMUTHI JOSEPH April 7 LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO April 9-10 LUCIDITY SUITCASE: RED-EYE TO HAVRE DE GRACE

November 18

April 13-16

DJ SPOOKY:

PEACE SYMPHONY

November 19

JAKE SHIMABUKURO November 20 DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER December 12

EARL KLUGH April 23 Special Presentation

MALPASO DANCE September 19, 8 pm A co-presentation with the National Black Arts Festival

THE SOUL REBELS December 18 ROGER GUENVEUR SMITH: RODNEY KING January 15-16 MARK GINDICK : WING-MAN January 19-23 POSTSECRET: THE SHOW February 6

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26 Columnists August 21, 2015

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By MELISSA CARTER

Pitching a fit at Enterprise

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February 24-27

STREB: FORCES October 8-9 JAD ABUMRAD October 10

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID

details and more events at

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I thought it was a good idea. I mean, what could go wrong when traveling alone with a 10-month-old?

I recently flew to Florida to meet Katie Jo and our son for a vacation, and since she had to return to Atlanta before me, I rented a car to bring my son and I home.

Upon arrival in Atlanta, my thinking was that I’d drive to my car at the airport, transfer the luggage, and then return the rental. Best laid plans...

First, my Park and Ride lot was closed. All the gates, oddly, were lowered on a Saturday afternoon, so I was forced to take the packed rental to Enterprise. An employee suggested they take me to my car in the rental so I wouldn’t have to deal with the luggage and baby twice, for which I was relieved.

As we left, their driver asked, “Where are we going?” I showed him my parking ticket, and he responded by asking me the same question. I pointed in the general direction of the lot, but the system of one-way streets around the airport prevented us from going out the way I came in. He made a few turns, which took us off the main path, then pulled into a gas station.

“You go in and ask.”

“Excuse me?” I responded, shocked.

“You go in and ask,” he said, pointing to the entrance.

I asked him how would the gas station attendant know the way any better than he did, especially since he worked at the airport? I also reminded him my son was in the car, and there was no way I was leaving without him or wrestling him out of the car seat for what I knew was a fruitless venture.

In frustration, I signaled him to go back to Enterprise so I could figure things out back there. He followed my instructions, parked in the rental lot and got out of the still-running car without a word.

“Perfect storm” is a term that describes the devastating result when separate forces

“I didn’t move toward her; I yelled at her as I opened the car doors and began pulling my bags to the curb. I was letting her and everyone else know I would simply sit there with my kid and call a cab, since I just wanted to be home and would figure out how to come back and get my car later.” come together in a pretty dramatic clash.

For me the fact I had been up part of the night with a teething child, had been on the road all morning, and had no idea how I was going to get my carload of items—or us—home opened up the floodgates. I became that mother, the one who pitches a fit in public, and in a half-yell/half-cry kind of way.

I exited the car shortly after my driver and began addressing a manager in my range of vision. I didn’t move toward her; I yelled at her as I opened the car doors and began pulling my bags to the curb. I was letting her and everyone else know I would simply sit there with my kid and call a cab, since I just wanted to be home and would figure out how to come back and get my car later.

The manager, Kiley Kirkpatrick, wasn’t going to have that. She braved my hysterical rant, putting my bags back in the rental.

Kiley took my parking ticket, called the lot, put its exact address in her GPS, and took me there herself. She physically moved a lowered gate, got me in, and entertained Mr. Carter until I’d emptied the rental.

Can one person make a difference?

Absolutely. Kiley went above and beyond for an agitated customer I’m sure she would have rather avoided, and in doing so, made sure I’ll rent with Enterprise again. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

SOMETIMES ‘Y’

Love, hope, success, family, security.

By RYAN LEE

On Stonewall and ‘the first brick’ Larry Kramer has always been my type of jackass.

The iconic gay curmudgeon came to mind during the progressive confusion and outrage over two Black Lives Matter activists storming the stage at a Bernie Sanders rally, commandeering the microphone from the speaker of honor, then chastising the liberal candidate and crowd for acquiescing to white supremacy. Regardless of the substance or merits of the BLM protest, the reaction of many liberals reminded me of the backlash directed toward Kramer and the organization he founded, ACT UP, during the height of the AIDS crisis.

Many upright LGBT Americans, along with heterosexual allies, objected to the rowdy and belligerent antics of ACT UP—protests that were decried as misguided, counterproductive and antagonistic.

Independently, many of these actions were absurd and ineffective, or sabotaged progress and repelled would-be sympathizers; but on the whole, they were critically necessary, and undoubtedly successful in saving gay lives and revolutionizing patient advocacy across health care.

I adore Sanders, who has an admirable record on equality matters, but also a dogmatic focus on class that dangerously mutes the impact of skin color (and sexual orientation) in such discussions. I believe he can sharpen his understanding of the unique experiences and obstacles minorities endure, just as the BLM demonstrators can more fully develop and hone their tactics.

While I was contemplating the similarities between BLM and ACT UP, Kramer descended from his throne of gay history to, with characteristic orneriness, chastise those who were threatening to boycott the movie “Stonewall” after the trailer showed a cisgender white boy throwing the first brick in the historic riots.

“Don’t listen to the crazies,” Kramer wrote in a Facebook comment to “Stonewall” director Roland Emmerich. “As with so much history there is no way to ‘prove’ a lot of stuff, which allows artists such as yourself (and me I might add) to take essences and attempt to www.thegeorgiavoice.com

“I consider [Larry] Kramer a role model and hero, but his gay world, art and history have always been almost exclusively white, so it’s no surprise that he would be indignant toward others demanding representation.” find and convey meaning and truth.”

At one point, Kramer asks those protesting the film “Where the fuck were you,” an audaciously idiotic question from someone who himself wasn’t at the Stonewall Riots.

I consider Kramer a role model and hero, but his gay world, art and history have always been almost exclusively white, so it’s no surprise that he would be indignant toward others demanding representation.

LGBT historian David Carter divided those who were present during the first night of rioting into two general categories: have and have nots.

Among the latter were white, black and Latino homeless youth, drag queens and other outcasts who had nothing to lose and were no longer willing to let the police take their dignity; the other group was composed of closeted professionals, most of whom were white men, who were willing to sacrifice their dignity to avoid jeopardizing their privilege.

It was also a group of exclusively white gay men who urged “peaceful and quiet conduct” in lieu of the rioting that changed our world.

While there was no “first brick,” Carter credits a bull dyke who was “tall, stout, with a short, mannish haircut” with igniting the riot, while drag queens and street kids pelted law enforcement into a defensive position.

The same artistic license that transformed this character into a pixie lesbian in the “Stonewall” trailer could have—and most certainly should have—been employed to capture the diverse “essence” of how that historic uprising began.

Cleo Meyer, Agent 1776 Peachtree St NE Atlanta, GA 30309 Bus: 404-817-0960 cleo@cleomeyer.com

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