09/02/16, Vol. 7 Issue 14

GEORGIANEWS

Lost-n-Found Youth reinstates co-founder Rick Westbrook Move caps chaotic week for Atlanta LGBT homeless youth group

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com Lost-n-Found Youth’s board of directors reinstated Rick Westbrook as executive director after a week they’d like to forget that included Westbrook’s demotion, community backlash and mass resignations that decimated their board.

The move happened at a passionate and sometimes contentious board meeting on Aug. 26 at the organization’s offices, where around 40 people—including supporters and critics of Westbrook’s, former volunteers and board members and others—crowded into a board room to witness the proceedings and speak their minds. The board’s decision to reinstate cost them another board member though, as Liliana Bakhtiari resigned in protest, got up and walked out of the meeting as it became clear the vote was about go in Westbrook’s favor. That leaves Lost-n-Found with just four remaining board members—chair Bruce Garner, treasurer David Little, Marci Alt and Jesse Peel—and makes Bakhtiari the eighth member to resign since the Aug. 22 announcement of Westbrook’s demotion.

There were 12 board members as of Aug. 22, but a series of resignations followed that day’s move to demote Westbrook to outreach director and the ensuing community backlash. Chris Burgess, Michelle Groover, Ed Smith-Lewis, J. Harry Shannon, Charlotte Cagle, Keith Hollingsworth, and Maureen Kalmanson all resigned.

“I always want Rick to be the face of the organization but we grew to such a size – we had a lot of issues,” Bakhtiari said in her comments on what transpired throughout the week leading up to the board meeting.

“This organization is bigger than Rick, bigger than anyone in this room. It is about our youth and this past week, people have completely lost sight of that.”

Growing pains and transparency issues “Growing pains” was a frequent topic throughout the meeting, with Westbrook and www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Rick Westbrook (left, in purple shirt) was reinstated as executive director of Lost-n-Found Youth on Aug. 26. (Photo by Patrick Saunders)

the board reiterating that in a press release issued immediately following the meeting.

“While the normal developmental period for a new nonprofit is around 15 years, that timeline gets contracted to about five years for nonprofits founded in response to crisis situations,” the statement read. “We are a few months short of the fifth anniversary of our founding. While we regret that some of our growing pains have played out publicly, we remain committed to our mission and rebuilding the trust of the community we serve. Similarly we are working to insure that we have additional staff and board members committed to those we serve.”

Transparency was another topic of discussion both in the meeting and online in the days leading up to it, with many in the community (including former board members and employees) criticizing Westbrook and the board for not being more transparent about their practices. Westbrook vowed that they would supply any financial documents they’re legally required to make available, and that links would be added to the group’s website with their latest form 990 and 2016 approved operating bud-

get, which Westbrook said was $800,000 for this year but added that they will likely bring in over $1 million.

As of Aug. 30, the 2014 and 2015 financial audits and IRS 990 forms are available on the group’s website, but the 2016 approved operation budget was not.

Group searches for operations director, new board members Much of the criticism against Westbrook was about his trying to do too much and getting involved in areas that don’t play to his strengths, with even some of his supporters conceding as much in public comments during the meeting. He took it in stride in an interview after the meeting was over, saying, “Admin’s not my thing. That’s why I need a director of operations.”

Clayton Skinner resigned as COO on Aug. 23, a day after being named director of operations, telling the Georgia Voice that he never formally accepted the position.

“The issues surrounding homeless youth in Georgia and the Southeast, and in particular the incredible struggle of LGBTQ young people in our community, can and should be the

focus of our attention,” Skinner wrote in his resignation letter, which the Georgia Voice obtained a copy of. “Recent events compounded with ongoing issues, many of which the community are not be fully aware, have led me to believe that my personal efforts can be better spent towards this endeavor in other ways, outside my current role with Lost-n-Found. It is with this in mind, that I respectfully offer my resignation as Chief Operating Officer to the Board of Lost-n-Found Youth, Inc.” While Westbrook says he hopes to convince Skinner to reconsider, the search to fill the position is on, as is the search to fill the eight vacant positions on the board. Westbrook says he has a stack of resumes of people interested in joining that he’s passing on to the board to review.

Looking back on Lost-n-Found Youth’s chaotic week, the newly renamed executive director turned things back to what many in the meeting said they needed to turn back to—Atlanta’s LGBT homeless youth.

“It’s a good thing for my kids because my kids can see, ‘Look, the community supports y’all. They want y’all to have what you need.’

And we’re going to do whatever it takes.”

September 2, 2016 News 3

GEORGIANEWS

18-year-old Atlanta newcomer starting LGBT empowerment conference Georgia State freshman Tarek Ellis on creating nonprofit, replicating its success in Atlanta

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com Tarek (pronounced ta-REEK) Ellis was a newcomer when he arrived at Friendly High School in Fort Washington, Maryland in 2014. The openly gay junior noticed something wrong right away.

“I noticed how the LGBT community was being treated in the school,” he tells the Georgia Voice. “We had a transgender teacher who was misgendered a lot, we had students that people made jokes about. I heard the word ‘faggot’ all the time.”

He wanted to do something about it, but instead of going the common route and trying to change the attitudes and behavior of the offenders, he instead wanted to give the victims the confidence and the communication skills they needed in order to overcome such incidents and grow into more self-assured people.

So, after proposing his idea for an LGBT student empowerment club to the principal, and after getting the all-clear once he lined up a teacher to sponsor it (“It was perfect.

A gay black man and a white transgender woman. It was amazing.”), Caring Colors was born. They expected five or six students at the first meeting but 20 to 30 showed up instead, hungry to study together, talk about issues at school and at home, work on confidence and public speaking and more.

He later applied for and became the LGBT liaison for Prince George’s County so he could create Caring Colors chapters at other schools in the area, eventually recruiting 10 schools.

Now Ellis wants to replicate the model here. So he’s planning an LGBT empowerment conference called the Next Step LGBTQ Conference scheduled to occur in late spring/early summer 2017. And if you haven’t already received a phone call or an email from the laser-focused Georgia State freshman about it, you more than likely soon will.

Coming out and moving forward The Tarek Ellis you see now is not the same one you saw early on in his freshman

Tarek Ellis, 18, plans to have the Next Step LGBTQ Conference in late spring/early summer 2017. (Photo by Patrick Saunders)

“I moved and I wasn’t going to let them have all the fun in Maryland, so I was like, ‘How can I make this bigger and better.’ I knew I was moving to Atlanta so I said, ‘I want to help the community that I’m in because this is my new home.’”

—Tarek Ellis on creating the Next Step LGBTQ Conference year of high school. Something changed though after he came out as gay that year.

“When I came out, I felt like ‘Look, this is my biggest secret, and you can’t tell me anything.’ My grades got better, I got more confident. I found out who I really was for the first time in my whole life, and that’s the best feeling,” he says.

He says bullies would never target him because of the confidence with which he carried himself, but of course not all youths have the same experience after coming out. So Caring Colors became a way for him to help the victims get the same confidence he had.

Ellis eventually did an internship at the National Institutes for Health, became a Point Scholar, got an invite to attend the White House Summit on African-American LGBTQ Youth in June, and nabbed a scholarship to Georgia State.

Students were worried that once he left for Atlanta that Caring Colors would fall apart, so Ellis created an executive board of students that would help schools learn how to start gay-

straight alliances and Caring Colors chapters at their schools so the mission would carry on.

“I moved and I wasn’t going to let them have all the fun in Maryland, so I was like, ‘How can I make this bigger and better,’” Ellis says. “I knew I was moving to Atlanta so I said, ‘I want to help the community that I’m in because this is my new home.’” Enter the Next Step LGBTQ Conference.

Getting to know Atlanta Ellis has been busy making contacts in and learning about Atlanta’s LGBT community, and is in the process of forming a planning committee, which already has six members, including Georgia State University Professor Eric Wright and Point Foundation board member Louis Gary.

One common sentiment he’s heard is that many young LGBT people move to Atlanta to escape the oppression they experienced at home, but they don’t have many plans or goals once they get here—they just want out. He says the Next Step LGBTQ Conference will

provide them with the resources they need, connect them with scholarship opportunities and colleges looking for applicants, as well as companies that are hiring. He also envisions financial workshops to teach people how to handle their money.

“Tarek is an example of the spirit of a Point Foundation Scholar,” Gary says. “A key quality in the selection of scholars are individuals whom have actively pursued leadership roles in LGBTQ causes in addition to their scholatic achievements. We are excited that Tarek has chosen to make his impact from Atlanta.”

Ellis met Christian Zsilavetz at the White House conference in June, and the Pride School Atlanta executive director has similar sentiments.

“Tarek is amazing and confident and believes in justice for LGBT [people],” Zsilavetz says.

Find out more about Caring Colors and the Next Step LGBTQ Conference at www.caringcolors.org. To contact Tarek Ellis, email college.ellis31@gmail.com.

4 News September 2, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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NEWSBRIEFS Georgia GOP lawmaker: Anti-gay policies driving party ‘toward extinction’ State Rep. Allen Peake (R-Macon) says the prospect of Donald Trump in the White House “scares the bejeebies out of me” and laments that the party’s treatment of the LGBT community, Hispanics and African-Americans is driving the party “toward extinction.”

Peake made the comments about Trump in an interview with the AJC, then followed up with reporter Greg Bluestein a few hours later via email with what he calls his “Republican manifesto,” where he talked about the party’s treatment of minority communities.

After acknowledging that his assessment of Trump and the future of the GOP might be the “death blow” to his political future, Peake writes, “The reality is that Donald Trump as our nominee makes me incredibly fearful for the future of our party. We have alienated Hispanics and African-Americans, both groups who would support us if we stuck to an agenda focused on jobs and the economy. We have made ourselves enemies of the gay community. And from discussions with my gay brother, many would support us, because many are moderate on social issues but fiscally conservative.”

Peake also writes that millennials have written off the GOP because of the party’s stances on medical marijuana and marriage equality.

“So, as a party, we are basically working ourselves toward extinction,” he writes.

“And if we don’t do some soul searching and make efforts to reach out to these groups, that’s where we end up.”

Peake was a co-sponsor of state Rep. Sam Teasley’s (R-Marietta) so-called “religious freedom” bill in 2015. He later opened up about the difficulties of supporting such bills due to them exposing his gay brother Merwin Peake to more anti-LGBT discrimination, and cited his brother again earlier this year while trying to work with Gov. Deal and House Speaker David Ralston on the controversial HB757.

Anti-LGBT Georgia pastor charged with child molestation A Georgia pastor with congregations in Atlanta, Brunswick and Jacksonville who said victims of the shooting at LGBT Orlando nightclub Pulse “got what they deserved” has been charged with child molestation.

Authorities say Ken Adkins, pastor of the

Republican state Rep. Allen Peake (r) with his openly gay brother Merwin (l) outside of a subcommittee meeting on SB129 in 2015. (File photo)

Greater Church, molested a young man in his church, the victim’s home and in different areas across Brunswick. The Florida TimesUnion reports that he faces charges of child molestation and aggravated child molestation.

The incidents possibly occurred in 2010. The legal age of consent in Georgia is 16.

Adkins was a controversial figure in Jacksonville politics for his fight against the city’s proposed LGBT anti-discrimination ordinance, claiming that the law would make it easier for sexual predators to find victims in bathrooms.

After the Pulse shooting in June, Adkins tweeted, “Been through so much with these Jacksonville homosexuals that I don’t see none of them as victims. I see them as getting what they deserve!!”

Adkins, 56, has asked to be put on unpaid leave from the church and his wife said she will serve as acting pastor. The investigation is ongoing.

Friends of Diamond Lil launch fundraiser in advance of memorial service Friends of Diamond Lil, the iconic Atlanta drag queen who died earlier this month, have started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for her memorial service.

Diamond Lil died on Aug. 9 of complications from cancer, leading to a massive outpouring of tributes from Atlanta’s LGBT community and beyond. Friends launched the online fundraiser on Aug. 26 and surpassed the $1,000 goal within three days, raising $1,150

total from 20 donors. Any remaining proceeds after expenses from the service will go to Lil’s favorite charity, Lost-n-Found Youth.

“Diamond Lil gave so much to our community so please let’s give back,” the GoFundMe campaign read.

Lil passed away at age 80, with the announcement being made on the entertainer’s official Facebook page. She was born in Savannah and dressed in drag for the first time when she was five years old, performing publicly in drag for the first time at age 18.

She moved to Atlanta in the early 1960s and proceeded to perform in the gay bars of the time, including Mrs. P’s on Ponce de Leon Avenue and Chuck’s Rathskellar and Rose Room on Monroe Drive. She was called the “Queen of the Jukeboxes” as she was featured on jukeboxes around the Southeast—unique among female impersonators as she often performed in her own voice and composed her own songs.

Lil continued to perform throughout Atlanta in the decades that followed, including at Manuel’s Tavern and Mixx. In recent years, Lil scooped up several notable awards. Georgia Voice readers voted Lil as Best Icon in the 2014 Georgia Voice Best of Atlanta awards. And in 2015, Atlanta Pride and Touching Up Our Roots honored her in the first ever Our Founding Valentines event celebrating LGBT pioneers, trailblazers, and community builders.

The memorial service will take place Sept. 17 at the Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta.

6 News September 2, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

“

You are not invincible. HIV happens to anybody, anywhere, anytime.

Once you know your HIV status, you are in better control of you.

”

— Young Black Gay Menʼs Leadership Initiative

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8 Outspoken September 2, 2016

“The LGBT community has come too far to lose its seat at the table. We are certain that Secretary Clinton will be the president fighting for the collective economic and social longevity of America’s 1.4 million LGBT business owners.”

—Statement from the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce endorsing Hillary Clinton, the first time they have ever given a political endorsement (Washington Blade, Aug. 26); (Official photo)

“Frank Ocean, a sexually fluid black man who attempts to defy gender, is just the outsider to take on America in 2016.”

—The Daily Beast, in a review of Frank Ocean’s much-anticipated new album “Blonde” (The Daily Beast, Aug. 25); (Official photo)

“Mr. Gattine, this is Gov. Paul Richard LePage.

I would like to talk to you about your comments about my being a racist, you c**ksucker. I want to talk to you. I want you to prove that I’m a racist. I’ve spent my life helping black people and you little son-of-a-bitch, socialist c**ksucker.

You … I need you to, just friggin. I want you to record this and make it public because I am after you. Thank you.”

—Maine Gov. Paul LePage uses gay slurs in a voicemail left for a state lawmaker. (Towleroad, Aug. 26); (WikiCommons photo) www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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IN THE MARGINS

Creepoftheweek

We are family, let’s act like it

Peter LaBarbera and the ‘homosexual-transgender agenda’

By Ashleigh Atwell

Ashleigh Atwell is a queer lesbian writer and organizer born and raised in Atlanta, GA.

“It’s frustrating for someone like me: a late bloomer that may or may not be all the way lesbian. Where do I fit? Where is my community? Can I enjoy myself at both Prides with these questions floating around?

I don’t know.”

I didn’t come out to the world until I was 23 years old.

Prior to that, I was in a long-term heterosexual relationship that began when I was a 19-year-old college sophomore. The first few years of my young adulthood were spent living a lie and at a month shy of my 27th birthday, I’m still playing catch up.

When other LGBTQ people speak of their escapades and baby gay experiences, jealousy sweeps over me. I don’t have stories because I spent so much of my time hiding. I don’t feel like I have a true community despite not only living but being born in Atlanta, a supposed LGBTQ. I don’t know where I fit.

These feelings usually sit in the periphery of my mind but ATL’s impending Pride season have brought them to the forefront. Not to mention, this city doesn’t have the best social climate.

Atlanta is a segregated city and that extends to its LGBTQ populace. The white LGBTQ and black LGBTQ are separate to the point where the latter has its own Pride celebration. The lines go even deeper than that. Gay men and lesbians maintain separate spaces and it’s definitely a man’s world.

Lesbian spaces are hard to come by especially if there isn’t a party involved. We don’t have well-known apps like Grindr and Jack’d. It gets worse for people who are transgender or bisexual. Despite trans issues being more visible than ever, transphobia and transmisogyny are rampant. Trans people are a spectacle or oddity and god forbid you tell a Midtown gay he isn’t allowed to say “tranny.”

10 Outspoken September 2, 2016

Bisexual people are stuck in the middle of two communities that want to dictate their choices. Straight people believe women are just experimenting and men are just gay. Gay people have some sort of abandonment issue. In the lesbian groups I frequent, bisexual women are outcasts and regarded with vitriol.

This is a sad reality considering the history behind our Pride celebrations. Despite what Hollywood wants you to believe, an angry white twink with a brick didn’t start the Stonewall Riots. People like Marsha P. Johnson, a black transgender woman and Sylvia Rivera, a bisexual Latina, did the work that started it all. Rumor has it that Marsha was the one with the brick and Rivera was a seasoned activist before and after the riots. They dedicated their lives to this movement despite continuous disrespect and abuse. Rivera was famously booed during a Pride celebration less than five years later. Johnson’s cause of death is still unsolved 25 years after she was found floating in the Hudson River. History is repeating itself. Despite us gallivanting down the street in glitter and rainbow feathers, trans women are dying at an alarming rate and we’re ignoring these deaths. If anyone bring this or biphobia up, they’re considered a wet blanket.

It’s frustrating for someone like me: a late bloomer that may or may not be all the way lesbian. Where do I fit? Where is my community? Can I enjoy myself at both Prides with these questions floating around? I don’t know.

I just want us to be better to each other.

We call ourselves a community, let’s act like it.

By D’ANNE WITKOWSKI On Aug. 19, Americans For Truth About Homosexuality President Peter LaBarbera released a “report” for Accuracy in Media, an organization that isn’t actually interested in accuracy so much as paranoid that the “liberal media” is out to get them.

In “Media Myths of the HomosexualTransgender Agenda,” LaBarbera writes, “The purpose of this report is to expose and refute some of the longstanding statistical lies and propagandistic myths of the LGBT … activist movement. With media support, homosexual and leftist activists now openly campaign to banish dissenting conservative voices. This dangerous dynamic gives the homosexualtransgender lobby nearly full rein to advance its agenda.”

LaBarbera’s “report” doesn’t really offer anything new. It’s more like a “greatest hits” of anti-LGBT talking points.

But what I’m most interested in is what he calls “The 10% Myth.” LaBarbera tries to get to the bottom of just how many LGBT people there are in the U.S. LaBarbera writes, “The 10 percent myth served its purpose of projecting enormous ‘gay’ political strength when

the movement was still weak.”

In other words, the LGBT movement was just pretending to be 10 percent of the population for the political clout.

LaBarbera Peter LaBarbera then throws out some other much smaller numbers eventually coming to the claim that LGBT people are about 3 percent of the population. To which I say, “Who cares?” Who cares what the percentage is? It’s not an easily ascertained or verifiable number. It’s as if LaBarbera is arguing that once a minority falls below a specific percentage then it’s okay to declare them inhuman.

And he is. Because for LaBarbera, LGBT people are inhuman. That is, in fact, the cornerstone philosophy of his hateful organization Americans For Truth About Homosexuality. Then again, until we know the exact percentage of the U.S. population who are members of LaBarbera’s little club, how can we even be sure they even exist at all?

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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KIA COMEDY FEATURED INTERVIEW

CUTS LOOSE Atlanta lesbian comedienne on creating a following, building awareness through the laughs

By SHANNON HAMES Fashion, comedy and equality. These are on the gay agenda of Atlanta lesbian Kia McCall Barnes. This onetime teacher left the classroom when she was outed to her employer by her insurance company. She then made a career change and is now a successful comedienne with shows lined up this Friday and Saturday night for Black Gay Pride weekend.

She spoke with the Georgia Voice about her interracial marriage, her activism for the LGBT community and her stand up homo-humor that makes people laugh, then leaves them to think.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 19

Kia Comedy is making two appearances during Black Gay Pride Weekend, Sept. 2 and 3.

(Courtesy photo)

BLACKGAYPRIDE

IN YOUR OWN WORDS

Atlanta LGBT African-Americans open up about taking pride in their identity It might be Black Gay Pride, but Atlanta’s black LGBT community is not limited by that narrow description. There is so much more to each person in the community than that, so we asked a number of people about what ways they identity themselves, and why it’s important to embrace their whole identity.

John Kimble III “In a world where so many people are categorized and labeled, it is important to identify who you are early on, before the masses can do it for you. I have always identified myself as a mixed race individual, coming from a mixed home with an African-American father and an Irish/Native American mother.

I was told early in life by my father that I was ‘Not black, Not white, I could never be just one but I am the best of both and to never forget that.’ Him telling me this early in age helped me to embrace both of my cultures, without the fear of not being black enough or white enough in the eyes of my peers.

Being a proud gay multi-racial male has helped to shape me into the strong and open minded person I am today. I embrace who I am by simply embracing all of me and living in my truth.”

service has enabled me to help both children and adults who are suffering from many forms of abuse and marginalization. This led me to complete a master’s in social work, to work with children in need, and to a life of activism to promote equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. There was nothing poetic about my life but my love of Christ has provided it with a rhythm of love, salvation, and hope.”

Darlene Hudson “As a small I child I recall being very awkward - not feeling pretty. Later in life I was mistreated for being an out black lesbian. So I had to learn there were other ways to define ‘me’ that were positive. I began to think about those things that made me feel good—such as church, music, and helping others—and embrace them to shape who I am. Learning to see a ‘new beauty’ and embrace it ultimately led me to a wonderful life of service to people and my community.

There were times I did not feel good about myself because of what someone else may have said about me - I didn’t let it stop me. I would just practice playing my saxophone a little longer and as a result excelled in music and eventually would go to college on a music scholarship.

My belief that God called me to a world of

Tim’m West “Fortunately, I’ve done the self-work to accept that my blackness, queerness, my various talents as a poet, lyricist, or as an educator and youth advocate, are part of the unique tapestry that marks my humanity.

Do I give voice or reason to those who’d disaffirm the things about me that make me special, being HIV-positive included? Should I be a slave to anyone’s dictates about how I live my best life in service to others? My ancestors knew a lot about being denied freedom; about others telling us how to live or be.

So I courageously flaunt every ounce of liberty I have for those who couldn’t. I dismiss identity politics that would ask if I’m more black than queer or other such ridiculousness. To accept that ‘I’m all that and then some’ is to accept the call that I have a bit

Clockwise from top left: John Kimble III, Amina Abdul-Jalil, Micky Bradford, Tim’m West, Darlene Hudson and Damonte Pettygrue. (Courtesy photos)

more good to do in the world.”

Amina Abdul-Jalil “Queer Muslim black femme would be me in four words. I love being black. Period. I love the words ‘queer femme’ together. I love it because it is me in so many ways - from the way I dress to my meandering conversations, it is truly me.

I’ve found that being a femme in a queer world where femmes are overlooked makes me equally odd. Similarly, I was and still am the oddball in my family.

My siblings and I were raised Sunni Islam and for various reasons, I’ve looked at other religions. I can honestly say no matter how many times I entertain other faiths, my heart stays with it. I had no choice in reconciling these polarized ids because they live within me. I used to worry that I was alone until I realized that all I had to do is be.

It’s much easier said than done but it’s gotten easier with time.”

Damonte Pettygrue “I identify myself as a young African-American gay male, who is HIV-positive. I embrace my status, and live my life like an open book.

Being able to do so required me to understand

my value and potential. It was imperative that I embrace my identity so that I am ale to be the best, most successful man I can be.”

Micky Bradford “What a time to be alive! I’m always excited for Pride weekend. I can’t get the J-setting, the voguing, and otherwise dancing on beat at White Pride. I chuckle softly when non-black folks call Labor Day pride ‘Black Gay Pride’ all spelled out. Clocking the gap reminds me that now more than ever, we have to celebrate while we can.

Being proud to be black is less about buying into an individual identity and more about recognizing we need our culture, our joy, and (most importantly) each other. 20 transwomen were killed this year that we know of. The average life expectancy of a transwoman of color is 35. I’m 25 this year. My joy and where I find community are less about how I identify and more about how the state will or won’t value my life.

The world is still learning that gender comes in more than two; we are more than pink and blue. So I fight, I organize, I love, I laugh, I read, I vogue, and I pay no mind to the rest [insert nail emoji]. What a time to be alive! Black. Trans. Gender nonconforming.

25. Happy Pride, y’all.”

14 Black Gay Pride September 2, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

BLACKGAYPRIDE GUIDE TO THE BEST BLACK GAY PRIDE EVENTS IN ATLANTA FOR SEPT. 2-6

SATURDAY, SEP. 3

Join 4,000 of your closest friends at The Legendary Traxx Girls Big Bang Event featuring Trina and Remy Ma at the Georgia Freight Depot, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com (Courtesy photo)

FRIDAY, SEP. 2

The Gilead Community Luncheon takes place inside the Mitchell Ballroom of the Georgian Terrace Hotel, noon, www.atlantaprideweekend.com Who can resist a party with the name the Naked Hustle Day Party 2016 at Magic City, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com AIDS WORKS and the National Federation of Black Gay Prides hosts a VIP Mixer at The Livingston, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com

Rockstars Production wants you at The Dope Boy Day Party. It’s their official Black Pride 2016 pregame party. Location TBA, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., www.rockstarsproduction.com Get your laugh on at the ATL Pride Weekend Comedy show hosted by Kia Comedy, Georgian Terrace Hotel, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com Grown Folks Takeover is a 30+ event featuring DJ Mary Mac NYC at Haven, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.,

16 Black Gay Pride September 2, 2016

www.atlantaprideweekend.com Come party with thousands of sexy men and catch a live performance by recording artist Teyana Taylor at the annual 5000 Men Block Party at Club Rain from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., www.traxxatlanta.com The Annual Mega Friday Night Live Ladies Lounge is going down at the Museum Bar featuring a live performance from Cardi B, 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com “Love & Hip Hop: New York’s” Cardi B

hosts the HOTLANTA Mega Party with 5,000+ men in attendance at Georgia Freight Depot, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., www.rockstarsproduction.com

SATURDAY, SEP. 3

AARP presents the Atlanta Black Gay Pride Health Fair at the Center for Civil and Human Rights, 10 a.m. To 3 p.m., www.states.aarp.org/region/georgia Club Opera is the place to be for the annual WETher! Celebrity Block Party hosted by Erica Mena, Temper & Gizzle, Brittany Duet & Renaye Diaz,

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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

Above: K. Michelle; Right: rapper Trina (Courtesy photos)

Black Pride’s sexiest men will be in the building for the Ultimate Indoor and Outdoor Day Party at Kapture, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., www.rockstarsproduction.com

food Poetry Slam Jazz Brunch hosted by spoken soul icon Queen Sheba at the Georgian Terrace Hotel from noon to 3 p.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com

Miami invades ATL as rapper Trina performs live at Obsessions, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., www.rockstarsproduction.com

Never miss the nonstop music in the park courtesy of the Annual Pure Heat Community Festival starring K. Michelle, Trina, Towanda Braxton, Young Dro and more, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com

The Legendary Traxx Atlanta’s Black Pride Weekend Mega Party featuring a live performance by June’s Diary, three floors, state of the art décor and a plush terrace level at Museum Bar, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., www.traxxatlanta.com It’s going to be one Epic 708 Street Party featuring New York and DJ Vjuan Allure at Museum Bar, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., www.traxxatlanta.com

SUNDAY, SEP. 4

Rockstars Production promises to rock Pride with the sexiest men, music, food and signature cocktails during Fit Men Who Brunch. Location TBA, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., www.rockstarsproduction.com Soulbar at Pal’s Lounge is hosting the Culture Club Day Party, 5 p.m. to midnight, www.atlantaprideweeekend.com

Get a little variety in your weekend by attending the Same Difference Viewing Film Festival and Atlanta Dream Game at Philips Arena, 11 a.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com

Get ready for Labor Day amplified at The Main Event, with five national DJs, private VIP areas, cabanas and VIP bottle service. Location TBA, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., www.rockstarsproduction.com

Take a breather and fill up at the Soul-

“Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta’s” Mimi

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Faust, Karlie Redd and Ariane Davis are the headliners for the 2016 Celebrity Showtime Sundays at Mansion Elan, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com

Bash at Onyx Strip Club, 10 p.m. to 12:45 a.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com

MONDAY, SEP. 5

The women will hit the water for the Pretty in Pink Booze Cruise on Lake Lanier, 1 p.m. to 5 a.m. Party buses depart Georgian Terrace Hotel at noon sharp. www.atlantaprideweekend.com Cool down with the Some Like It Hot Daytime Rooftop Party hosted by Eva Pigford at Suite Lounge, 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com Blow out the candles with Traxx Girls owner DJ M during her Annual Birthday

Ladies and gentlemen, find those crisp white tees to wear at the Annual All White Party at ENIGMA Lounge, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com Hop on for the Annual Party Bus Ride to Strip Club and White Party, 10:30 p.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com

TUESDAY, SEP. 6

Cap off your Black Gay Pride Weekend with the Pride Edition of Spotlite Karaoke hosted by Olympic Gold Medal Winners Angel McCoughtry and Brittney Griner, Soul Bar at PALS Lounge, 8 p.m., www.atlantaprideweekend.com

September 2, 2016 Black Gay Pride 17

On the right Traxx Traxx Girls owner Melissa Scott on celebrating 10 years of bringing the heat to Black Gay Pride

By J. MATTHEW COBB Now a decade old and strong and with a firm grip on promoting sisterhood, pride and perseverance, Traxx Girls has successfully molded the city of Atlanta as a leading destination for LGBT travelers during Black Gay Pride Weekend and throughout the year.

Driving the engine at Traxx Girls is Melissa Scott, a lifelong Atlantan who specializes in lesbian party planning. Scott, on the verge of a power-packed itinerary for Black Gay Pride Weekend which include hit recording artist K. Michelle and Olympic Gold Medalists Angel McCoughtry and Brittney Griner among many, many others,

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 The Georgia Voice: By the time we go to print, you will have just hosted a local fashion show for lesbians. How did your role come about?

Kia Comedy: Yes, I am hosting an event called “Dapper: The Andro (androgynous) Fashion Show”. Some friends and I were talking one day about fashion shows when it crossed our minds that there never seems to be anything to highlight clothing for androgynous lesbians. We decided to put it together. The designers are also members of the LGBTQ community and everyone involved is happy that it’s a community event.

The response has been huge.

In addition to your comedy and dabbling in androgynous fashion, you’re also a human rights activist.

Yes. I’m going to participate in a symposium at the Center for Civil and Human Rights. My presentation, called “Queer Questions,” is about LGBTQ history, progress, issues that we still face, current legislation and action points that can be taken.

What do you see as the biggest issues facing the LGBTQ community right now?

The fact that we can be fired or face housing discrimination just for being gay here in www.thegeorgiavoice.com

It takes about 200 volunteers and 150 staff members to pull off the effort over the weekend.

Tell me about the headliners and performing artists you have in the lineup this year for the Pure Heat Community Festival.

This year, “Love & Hip Hop” has a major showing with Mimi Faust, Cardi B, Erica Mena, Karlie Redd, Ariane Davis, Trina, and K. Michelle. Big coincidence, but these are the people that are hot right now. We are excited to also have Eva Pigford and Trina and Towanda Braxton. We just added Young Dro to the park, which is fantastic. He is a heterosexual male that is showing support to the community and unaffected by what others think.

At the end of the day, we will always work hard to deliver A-plus entertainment during this weekend of unity.

sat down with the Georgia Voice to talk about the organization, its long run, career highlights and what’s to come.

Traxx Girls is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. What sparked the inspiration for Traxx Girls and Black Gay Pride Weekend?

We started hosting events for Pride due to demand. At the time there was a need for organization and Atlanta needed a larger scale of events in general for the LGBT community.

With ten years of being in existence, can you tell me some of your personal highlights from over the years.

Nicki Minaj will always be a super highlight for me. She was someone my business partner Durand Robinson always wanted.

He wanted to see Nicki and oh boy! So did the rest of the world. Another highlight has

Details ATL Pride Weekend Comedy Show Friday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m.

Georgian Terrace Hotel

Queer Comedy Jam Saturday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m.

The Metroplex Theater Georgia is pretty concerning. We need to get involved in helping to pass ENDA to prevent workplace discrimination. Working somewhere and having to live in the closet can be terrifying. You know the light bill is coming at the end of the month so you live in fear of being found out and fired. When I was a teacher, I couldn’t speak out.

Tell your teacher story…

After gay marriage was legalized, I asked my insurance carrier if I could add my wife to my policy. They said if I wanted to add her, we’d have to get two separate policies which would have cost twice as much as adding her on my own. The insurance company said they could ask the school I taught at to see if they might accommodate. I said, “Don’t do that!” Because I taught at an inner-city African-American male charter school that was mostly black Muslims. I knew there would be trouble if the school found out.

They made the inquiry anyway. Immedi-

Traxx Girls owner Melissa Scott says bringing Nicki Minaj to Black Gay Pride Weekend was a ‘super highlight’ for her. (File photo)

to be the first time we did the Pure Heat Community Festival. We was afraid no one would come. It was like 4 p.m. and we were there alone since 11 a.m. Then all of a sudden, it was like it rained people!

Including the community events, how many volunteers does it take to make all of this come together?

To read an extended version of this interview, go to www.thegavoice.com.

ately, I went from being department head, team lead and teacher of the month to where I could do no right. I had to go out on medical leave for stress and then resigned because it just got too crazy.

It ended up being a good thing for me. It freed up my time so that I could pursue my dream of being a comedienne and aggressively start touring with the support of my wife, Kenzie.

How did you meet your wife?

My wife is a die-hard WNBA fan and had court-side seats. I went to the games just to see the girls. I was up in the nosebleed section with the peons. We would see each other at the games but we never spoke. She ended up messaging me on social media and acted like she wanted to go play basketball with me.

That was a lie. [laughs] But we developed a relationship from that and three years later, here we are still going strong. We got married in DC before the Supreme Court decided to give us a pinch of freedom. I’d also like to add that we are an interracial couple.

You have built quite a following for your comedy in Atlanta.

The Atlanta comedy scene is huge. As I started performing, I kept noticing that I was sitting through shows where half the jokes were making fun of gay people. I decided to

join Queer Comedy Jam because they highlight LGBTQ comedians and entertainers.

It’s great because we’re not the ones being joked about now.

Through my work with Queer Comedy Jam, I’ve built a network of LGBTQ comedians that help me tour more. Now, I’m going to their cities and bringing my show, Lez Laugh, to their city. The show that we’re doing in Atlanta (September 3rd) for Black Gay Pride is going to have the best LGBTQ comedians from all over the country.

Is your comedy mostly about gay things?

Mostly. When I tell my jokes, I address issues that affect us. I present it in a way where it’s funny, but it creates an awareness that although we can laugh about it, it’s a real issue that needs to be dealt with. For example, I tell the story about when my wife told her dad about us. She called him and said, “Dad, I have something to tell you.” He said, “Baby, I’ve been waiting for this a while. Just go ahead and say it.” She said, “I’m in love with a woman and we’re getting married.” He said, “Oh, thank God! I thought you were going to tell me you were dating black guys.”

People laugh at the event but then the issue is planted in their minds. Comedy is my disguise. I’m taking Lez Laugh all over the country. I’m proud to represent and entertain the LGBTQ community.

September 2, 2016 Black Gay Pride 19

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MARIAH: 25 YEARS IN AND THRIVING Hitmaking singer wraps Vegas residency, begins worldwide tour and ‘docu-series’

By CHRIS AZZOPARDI I told my mom I interviewed Mariah Carey and she cried. “I know how much this means to you,” she said, verklempt.

She knows Mariah saved my life. I was 10 and confused and gay when I first heard her voice. It was one of those meant-to-be moments: A friend eagerly, and thankfully, played me the cassette single of “Emotions.” That voice, all seven octaves, captivated me, changed me. Years later, when I heard the curly-haired, hand-wavey songstress singing pickme-ups like “Hero,” “Make It Happen” and “Can’t Take That Away (Mariah’s Theme),” I was lifted beyond those signature high notes.

Nearly 25 years after first hearing her voice on cassette, my phone rings.

It’s Mariah Carey, the sales-crushing icon with a whopping 18 No. 1 singles, the five-time Grammy winner, my childhood lifeline, our ally. We talk about Vegas, where she’s wrapping up a headlining spot at The Colosseum CONTINUES ON PAGE 28

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

September 2, 2016 A&E 21

ACTING OUT

By JIM FARMER

Out actor talks return of ‘The Threepenny Opera’ to Atlanta Next week, the play with music “The Threepenny Opera” – known for its score including numbers such as “Mack the Knife” – opens at 7 Stages to launch the company’s 38th season. Written in the 1920s by Bertolt Brecht, this version – directed by Michael Haverty – brings out actor Don Finney back to the stage. We caught up recently with Finney – a veteran of the company – to talk about the show, his amoral character and his return to acting after a long layoff.

Hello, Don. How did you get involved in this production?

I got a call from Heidi (Howard, the company’s artistic director) asking if I would be interested. I have always wanted to do it.

I went in assuming I would be looked at for Mr. Peachum but when I got to the audition they had me learn Mrs. Peachum’s number and the rest is history.

For those not familiar with the piece, tell us a little about it.

It’s basically just a crime story about the catching of the most notorious gang leader in London. It is filled with characters who are not the nicest people in the world. It’s also filled with lust, sex, guns, and violence.

Tell us about your character.

My character, Mrs. Peachum, is probably the darkest in the play. She will do anything to get what she wants, but she is trapped in a horrible marriage, a marriage of convenience. She’s in a very dark place.

Why does this hold up?

There are so many human aspects. One of the most important things about the play is how its power and corruption really resonate now. There seems to be something in the world today where people feel trapped.

Just look at our election now, and what’s happening in the U.K. with Brexit.

The interesting thing is that there is a lot of comedy in the play but when done well, it turns your mind inside out. It’s almost like a nightmarish cartoon; there is something profoundly human that comes out of it. On top of that, there is this fabulous score.

Out actor Don Finney stars as Mrs. Peachum in the 7 Stages production “The Threepenny Opera.” (Courtesy photo)

Details

‘The Threepenny Opera’ 7 Stages 1105 Euclid Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307 Through Sept. 25 www.7stages.org Is there any significance to the fact that a gay man is playing this role?

I don’t know that there is one. I don’t look at it that way personally. I look at it as an actor taking on another role. If anything, it might make her more monstrous.

Why did you take a break from acting?

I walked away for a while. I didn’t think I was getting what I wanted out of it. There were other things in life I wanted to pursue.

How has theater changed since?

You walk in and the cast is very young.

Yet the wonderful thing is, for me, coming back, I do feel like I am home. I have worked at 7 Stages for years. I have known Heidi forever. Bryan Mercer is doing the music and he and I have known each other 30, 35 years.

The surprising thing is to work with all these young people and they look up to me.

What can gay audiences get from the show?

Besides the human element I mentioned earlier and the score, we have a really hot leading man. And a fat man in a dress. I think it’s going to be fun.

22 A&E September 2, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

professional artists series

The Wholehearted

by Stein Holum Productions

Dee Crosby is a world champion boxer taken down in her prime by her own husband, and determined for redemption–no matter the cost.

This is theater with the impact of a prize fight, a ruthless look at violence in sports–and in the name of love.

Performance Space: The James E. Dull Theatre in the Ferst Center on the Georgia Tech Campus.

Thursday, September 15 7:30 pm Friday, September 16 8:00 pm Saturday, September 17 8:00 pm Presenting Partner Funded in part by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Theater Project, with lead funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Call now for tickets!

404-894-9600

details and more events at

arts.gatech.edu

24 Ads September 2, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

EATING MY WORDS

By CLIFF BOSTOCK

Atlanta’s restaurants played vital role in social justice struggles Much of the fight to integrate Atlanta during the civil rights movement occurred in restaurants.

The most shocking and shameful example here was the Pickrick Restaurant, owned

by Lester Maddox, who actually became governor of Georgia for one term in 1971 after closing his restaurant. Ole Lester refused to comply with the Civil Rights Act. When black troublemakers attempted to go in the restaurant, the patrons grabbed axe handles stored by the door and chased them into the parking lot. Incredibly, the axe handles, nicknamed “Pickrick drumsticks,” were sold by the thousands as souvenirs.

The most famous restaurant of the period, Paschal’s (180 Northside Dr., 404-5252023) is still open, albeit in a different location from its original. This is the restaurant where, it’s often said, the civil rights movement was hatched by Martin Luther King, Jr. and his circle of “communist rabble rousers.”

Notably, both of these restaurants served soul food, brought here by people of African heritage and shared with white Southerners. How is it that people like Lester Maddox and Paula Deen never stop to consider that cooking, as shared heritage, is an invitation to a shared table?

It was obvious to me, even as a teenager, that racism and classism don’t just wound the hated minority. They also deprive the racist himself of the wonder and new associations that arise in stepping out of one’s comfort zone, as happens with travel. By the time I was 15, I was taking the bus from the lily-white suburbs to downtown Atlanta, exploring AfricanAmerican culture, eating in cheap restaurants and frequently causing a stir being a kid with the only white face in sight. The people I met downtown, especially in a school where I did volunteer work, taught me a lot about living with marginalization. I was mindful of that when I finally emerged from the closet.

When I did come out, illegal segregation was still common in Atlanta’s gay bar scene, well into the ’80s. It wasn’t unusual for bars to require three pieces of identification from black patrons and usually none from white ones. It still seems odd to me that many gay www.thegeorgiavoice.com

ATLANTA’S FIRST URBAN WINERY, INTIMATE MUSIC VENUE, RESTAURANT/BAR, & PRIVATE EVENT SPACE

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Paschal’s Restaurant (shown in an undated photo and now) was a frequent stop for Martin Luther King, Jr. and his inner circle.

(Photo via Facebook)

white men are racist, as if they can’t relate their own status as a long-oppressed minority to that of African-Americans.

The adventure doesn’t end with racism.

Now we’re rife with xenophobia. During the last 25 years, Atlanta has exploded with restaurants opened by first- and secondgeneration immigrants – enough to inspire the Donald to build a wall around Atlanta.

I love these restaurants because they are an opportunity to continue the interchange of cultures through usually superlative cuisine.

If you’re still shy about that, just take one step into a Mexican taqueria or Vietnamese pho shop on Buford Highway.

So, understand, white people, that black people and other minorities are being fully assimilated in America, but they still honor their unique heritage. Spare us all the claim that if there’s a Black Pride there should be a white one. White Pride occurs every day and because it does, it necessitates celebration by diverse cultures to preserve their heritage.

Get yourself to a subterranean Korean restaurant on Buford Highway and you’ll get a delicious taste of feeling like an outsider.

WASABASSCO BURLESQUE EARLY & LATE SHOWS

SEPT 10

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THREE WOMEN & THE TRUTH:

MARY GAUTHIER, ELIZA GILKYSON & GRETCHEN PETERS

SEPT 28

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Cliff Bostock is a former psychotherapist now specializing in life coaching. Contact him at 404-518-4415 or cliffbostock@gmail.com.

BOOK YOUR PRIVATE EVENT TODAY! VINOFILE MEMBERS CAN PURCHASE TICKETS

48 HOURS IN ADVANCE 650 NORTH AVENUE, SUITE 201, PONCE CITY MARKET 404.WINERY1 | CITYWINERY.COM/ATLANTA September 2, 2016 Columnists 25

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Our Guide to the Best LGBT Events in Atlanta for Sept. 2-15

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SATURDAY, SEPT. 10

Tonight is the Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade. Make your masterpiece lantern at home or take a workshop. The parade line-up will begin at 7:15 p.m. on Irwin Avenue at the start of the Eastside Trail and will step off at 8:15 p.m. and finish in Piedmont Park at Park Tavern. The Lantern Parade kicks off the season of Art on the Atlanta BeltLine, the largest public art exhibit in the southeast, www.facebook.com/events/731986073606741 (Photo via Facebook)

FRIDAY, SEPT. 2 – MONDAY, SEPT. 5

The 2016 Peach International Championships, presented by the Atlanta Team Tennis Association (ATTA), brings tennis players in from all over the country, in different categories and age divisions, DeKalb Tennis Center, www.facebook.com/ events/1726004371020258

FRIDAY, SEPT. 2 – SUNDAY, SEPT. 4

EVENT SPOTLIGHT FRIDAY, SEPT. 2 – MONDAY, SEPT. 5

Get your sci-fi/superhero on as DragonCon hits town, with all sorts of events and appearances and the infamous parade, this year on Sept. 3, five downtown host hotels, www.dragoncon.org (File photo)

26 Best Bets September 2, 2016

The Decatur Book Festival continues the busiest weekend in Atlanta with several LGBT speakers throughout the weekend, including Jericho Brown and Libby Ware, Decatur Square, decaturbookfestival.com

FRIDAY, SEPT. 2

“Little Men,” the new film by criticallyacclaimed filmmaker Ira Sachs (“Love is Strange,” “Keep the Lights On”), opens at the Tara Theatre today.

The Alliance Theatre previews the highly anticipated musical “The Prom,”

about a high school student who wants to bring her girlfriend to the prom – and all hell breaks loose. Directed by out director Casey Nicholaw, 7:30 p.m., through Sept. 25, www.alliancetheatre.org

SATURDAY, SEPT. 3

Actor’s Express’s version of Stephen Sondheim’s “Company,” directed by Freddie Ashley with a cast including Libby Whittemore, has a performance tonight at 8 p.m., running through Sept. 11, www.actorsexpress.com

SUNDAY, SEPT. 4

Come to the Blackout Night, Special Edition tonight with DJ Chris Kind, from 7 p.m. – 2 a.m., Atlanta Eagle, www.atlantaeagle.com Enjoy Brut with DJs Dan Darlington and Peter Napoli at 10 p.m. tonight at the Heretic, www.hereticatlanta.com

MONDAY, SEPT. 5

The PFLAG support group for parents and families of LGBTQ children meets at the Unitarian Universalist

Congregation of Atlanta today from 7:30 – 9 p.m., www.uuca.org

TUESDAY, SEPT. 6

It’s Twisted Tuesdays night at My Sister’s Room with drink and food specials and free chips and salsa, with doors opening at 6 p.m., www.mysistersroom.com Latino Tuesday at Blake’s features beautiful men, DJ Melo spinning great music, and a half-priced menu, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 7

Join author Robert P. Jones to discuss the United States’ current political landscape, including the rise of cultural protectionism, racial tensions and the Black Lives Matter movement, and the apocalyptic tone of arguments regarding LGBT rights, and how they have been influenced by the waning power of white Christian America. The event is open to the public, but registration is requested here: http://bit.ly/2aWY9by, 6 – 8 p.m., 510 Kilgo Circle, Atlanta, GA 30322

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 Enjoy dinner and drinks at the fabulously creative Agave Restaurant in Cabbagetown tonight in support of GLAAD. The restaurant will be donating 20 percent of your food and beverage purchase to the cause. 6 – 9 p.m., www.facebook.com/ events/1606490412982877 The Lawrence restaurant is being taken over and transformed for a post-dinner cabaret show, welcoming Neon Burgundy’s Caribbean Cruising drag show and New Orleans’ Cane & Table’s bartender Alex Anderson, a former Lawrence mixologist. The free after-dinner show will feature a local drag performance by Hydrangea Heath and fantastic cocktails, including $6 cocktails all night, 10 p.m., 905 Juniper St., Atlanta, GA 30309

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

THURSDAY, SEPT. 8

It’s back. Come to the “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” viewing party tonight beginning at 8 p.m. at Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com Serenbe Playhouse opens their version of Yasmina Reza’s play “ART” tonight at 8 p.m., at Atlanta Contemporary, running through Sept. 11, 535 Means Street, Atlanta, GA 30318, www.serenbeplayhouse.com/shows-events/special-events/ intimate-indoors Enjoy a Dinner With the Divas - Cher, Beyonce, Tina Turner and more – at Lips Atlanta tonight, www.atldragshow.com

FRIDAY, SEPT. 9 – 11

Family Weekend in Atlanta is an event for parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, their children, extended families, prospective families and friends in the South. The weekend is full of family activities, programming and community building. Friday sees a family dance at the Phillip Rush Center with DJ Sed from 7 – 9 p.m., on Saturday, events will be held at the Children’s Museum and at The World of Coca-Cola; and on Sunday is a Listening Party at the Atlanta History Museum with StoryCorps, www.familyequality.org/get_involved/

events/southern_events/ family_weekend_in_atlanta

FRIDAY, SEPT. 9

Get ready to drool! It’s Jocks in Jerseys night at Woofs Atlanta, www.woofsatlanta.com 7 Stages Theatre opens its 38th season with Bertolt Brecht’s “The Threepenny Opera.” 8 p.m., through Sept. 25, www.7stages.org

SATURDAY, SEPT. 10

DJ Eric spins for Code Voodoo, tonight at 10 p.m. at the Atlanta Eagle, www.atlantaeagle.com

SUNDAY, SEPT. 11

Pagano, the turntable legend from the UK, comes back to Xion for a morning of magic beginning at 3 a.m., www.facebook.com/ events/1023442057737108

MONDAY, SEPT. 12

Play Texas Hold ‘Em for free tonight at 8:30 p.m., Friends On Ponce, www.friendsonponce-atl.com

TUESDAY, SEPT. 13

Enjoy Happy Hunk Hour tonight from 4 – 6 p.m. featuring half-priced appetizers, www.joesonjuniper.com

Join Charis in celebrating the release of Atlanta writer Makeda Lewis’ “Avie’s Dreams.” Part activity book, part surrealist poem, “Avie’s Dream” takes an interactive and wildly introspective approach to afro-feminist self-discovery and girlhood. 7:30 – 9 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com J’s Lounge is the home for Rainbow Tuesdays, with Dymond Onasis and Nicole Paige Brooks leading the fun and DJ Destin providing house music, 1995 Windy Hill Road #1, Smyrna, GA 30080

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 14

Get your ABBA on for Disco Bingo tonight, presented by PALS Atlanta. The emcees are Bubba D. Licious, Edie Cheezburger, and Jaye Lish, with special guest Erica Lee. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the program begins at 7:30 p.m., Jungle, www.palsatlanta.org

THURSDAY, SEPT. 15

Sampson McCormick, an AfricanAmerican comedian, author, and GLBTQ activist, screens his film “Not By Sight” tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Regal Atlantic Station Stadium 16. www.tugg.com/ events/not-by-sight-kgek

September 2, 2016 Best Bets 27

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 at Caesars Palace, as well as what she thinks of the passing this year of so many music greats.

You’ve been a lifeline for many of your LGBT fans, including myself, because you’ve showed us that even an outsider can find his or her place. When was the first time in your life you were exactly the person you wanted to be?

Wow. The first time I can think of, and this is a great thing that actually incorporated work and fun and being free and music, was when I made the video for “Honey” (in 1997), and I went swimming in the shoes. It was just… I always wanted to have the freedom to be myself and I wasn’t in a situation where that was OK; I wasn’t allowed to because of that, uhh, first relationship (to ex-husband and then-Sony Music head Tommy Mottola). I had to overcome a lot to get through that, but that video – prior to that, I always had to settle for less than I wanted to be, and I wasn’t allowed to be who I was.

And it really took a lot of courage. It wasn’t just like, “I’m gonna make a video.” It was, “I am moving on with my life, and I have to for my own self because I’m trapped in a situation.”

I know what you’re saying – I’ve been there. I mean, I’ve not made a music video...

(Laughs) Treat the music video as “I had a great time somewhere!” But it included me doing work and making a video, which for me, that’s not really work if it’s fun. And then also just all the elements that I love: the beach, the water, the freedom, the whole narrative of the thing. But yeah, it took a while to get there.

You’re doing some of your earliest songs during your Vegas residency. How has your voice and your approach to singing these songs, some of which are over 20 years old, changed?

You know what, certain days I’m like, “Oh, this is a really good day for me; I had a lot of vocal rest today and blah, blah, blah,” and some days for me I have to be a little bit more experimental and play around on stage because maybe it’s not as strong for that minute. Really, I just think I’ve become more confident and more experimental in a good way, if you know what I mean, in using different parts of my voice and things. I always did it, but I was more “stick to the script” and “don’t go off on a tangent.” You know, I think that people kind of like the tangents that I have! (Laughs) Singing tangents.

Breaking a high heel on stage tangents; whatever the case may be.

28 A&E September 2, 2016

We’ve seen a lot of greats pass away in the last several years: Prince, Whitney and David Bowie. In what ways do their untimely deaths have you reflecting on your own legacy and what you want that to be?

It’s really interesting: I loved Prince and I still do. I love his music, and I’ll always have it, and I grew up listening to Prince, ya know what I mean? I was lucky enough to get to know him, but before I knew him I was listening to his music as an adolescent, as a kid, so his passing was very… I really felt like he was one of those people who would be around for a really long time because he just was kind of ageless in a lot of ways.

But in terms of me reflecting on my legacy?

I’m not at that place right now. I’m still very much doing fun, creative things that, you know, I don’t want to go into a long, drawn out thing about, but a lot of different projects. Some movie things. I’m getting ready to go back in the studio really soon, and obviously I’m doing this residency in Vegas. It’s really fun, but I’m not trapped there. I can do other things. We just got back from the European tour, which was amazing audiences, and then we went to Africa, so it’s like, all that stuff is great.

But what do I think my legacy will be? It’s really hard for me to answer that. I just hope the fans who’ve been so supportive of me throughout my whole career will have my music and it’ll make a difference in people’s lives as you told me it did for you, which is amazing, because not everyone knows songs like “Outside” or “Looking In” or “Close My Eyes.”

“I was a wayward child”… trust me, I know those words by heart.

Trust me, I do too. “...with the weight of the world that I held deep inside.”

Is the weight lifted?

You know what – is the weight lifted?

Ahhh, I think that it’s different now. It’s just different. ... I don’t want that to be misinterpreted; I don’t want you to misinterpret that. I just mean like, in a lot of ways there are other things that are the “weight of the world” to me. Like my life now, I have other responsibilities. I was really writing that about the child version of me; I really did have the weight of the world on my shoulders as a kid, that’s how deep it felt for me.

After this interview was conducted, the E! network announced that Carey will star in a “docuseries” called “Mariah’s World,” which follows the life of the singer as she begins her The Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour around Europe and plans to get married. The show premieres December 4, 2016. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID

By MELISSA CARTER

Sweepin’ the clouds away with Mr. Carter Full circle. When life comes together in this way it’s worth taking a moment to drink it in. One such moment happened when my son, Mr. Carter, discovered “Sesame Street.” He isn’t even 2 years old yet and has already mastered the iPad. When he isn’t trying to Skype with Grandma Millie Pete, his favorite pastime is the PBS Kids Video app, where he has access to Elmo anytime he wants. Having grown up with “Sesame Street” myself, I can’t help but tear up when the famous harmonica notes begin and I watch him sway to the same theme song I heard countless times when I was his age. He could care less about my favorites, Bert and Ernie or Big Bird, but how fulfilling it is to have a television program last long enough to be generational.

The program that comes a close second on Mr. Carter’s favorites list is another familiar show, “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.” Familiar because it takes place in the Land of Make Believe from its inspiration, “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.” All the creatures we got to know as kids like Daniel Striped Tiger, X the Owl, and Henrietta Pussycat are now grown with their own children, and those kids are the focus of this modern animated series. Its theme song is based on Mr. Roger’s original, and another tune that choked me up when Mr. Carter began to obsessively repeat it.

I can’t help but think of what other shows Mr. Carter might pick up from Mom. There’s the original “Electric Company,” highlighting the talents of Morgan Freeman and Rita Moreno and responsible for the choice of Spiderman as my favorite superhero. Then there’s Bugs Bunny, a staple of Saturday mornings in my house and the one cartoon that can bring back memories of my father’s bellowing laugh at the antics of Wile E. Coyote and Foghorn Leghorn.

Just reminiscing about them has inspired me to purchase these classics and place them in toddler-eye view, in case someone makes the www.thegeorgiavoice.com

“I have come to understand that part of our basic human condition is the need for acceptance, to be part of something or someone, and the acceptance by a child of the things his or her parents loved can be the ultimate fulfillment for that adult.” choice to view them himself. Just saying.

I have come to understand that part of our basic human condition is the need for acceptance, to be part of something or someone, and the acceptance by a child of the things his or her parents loved can be the ultimate fulfillment for that adult. Being able to already share the same experience of my first television shows with my son is incredibly satisfying, and I can’t help but feel like a little kid again when watching him learn these lessons for the first time. His first words in Spanish, the letter of the day, and reciting numbers with The Count to name a few. He isn’t old enough to realize, however, the most important lesson about life can be found in that very nostalgic song, since as an adult it’s way too easy to allow fear to separate yourself from the world.

Come and play, everything’s a-ok.

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

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September 2, 2016 Columnists 29

SOMETIMES ‘Y’

By RYAN LEE

My daily molestation of straight men It sucks to be mistaken for a pervert, as I learned this past weekend when I was caught doing something I do almost every day.

My young nephew and I went to the World of Coke on Saturday, and on our way home we went down the Great Escalator of the Peachtree Center MARTA station, which I figured could thrill a 7-year-old as if it were an urban Wonder of the World. My nephew didn’t disappoint in his awe, and given the option, he soaked up the 2-minute ride instead of walking down the escalator.

About midway down, it occurred to me that we were standing side-by-side, and I twisted my head backward to make sure we weren’t blocking anyone who wanted to pass.

I was relieved no one was behind us, but suddenly realized that an attractive woman in flattering clothing had just passed me going up the escalator.

I chuckled about how it might seem like I swiveled my head to look at her booty and up her skirt, but then turned I my head forward and saw about 10 other people on the “up” escalator behind her, many of them looking at me, believing I was looking at her, and none of them looked humored. I could hear them sighing about what pigs men are, and know their breath would have been mine had I witnessed what they thought they saw.

Daily, I see women trying to get to work, grab something to eat or ride the train while being bombarded with catcalls and other disrespectful overtures; men using their dogged eyes to undress a woman in less than three seconds, and let their gaze linger on and explore her body. This visual lust feels worse than whistling or lame pick-up lines, as if I am watching a woman being held hostage by the thoughts of a man (and often several men) whose existence she didn’t notice.

It’s disturbing to witness this play out countless times a day, even though I benefit from it in my frequent molestation of straight men. When I see men helping themselves to an unwitting woman, I usually help myself to a generous glimpse of their bulge.

“It feels immoral to let my imagination consecrate its desires without the slightest consent from the other man (and often several men), and I know it perpetuates misogyny and rape culture. Of course there’s a sense of justice in subjecting abusers to their own misdeeds, and a testicular satisfaction in supplanting straight men atop the sexual food chain.”

I look to see if it grows, then imagine it growing, then I imagine us doing things that would keep them from getting into heaven.

They are naked in less than two seconds, and filled with a sudden curiosity about stimulated penises and prostates.

It feels immoral to let my imagination consecrate its desires without the slightest consent from the other man (and often several men), and I know it perpetuates misogyny and rape culture. Of course there’s a sense of justice in subjecting abusers to their own misdeeds, and a testicular satisfaction in supplanting straight men atop the sexual food chain.

I wrestled with these conflicting instincts when I was boarding a bus the other day and noticed a shirtless, glistening man in flattering shorts running toward me. I strained my periphery vision to enjoy the dowsing of muscular sweatiness that was passing by, then willed my focus toward paying my fare.

That’s when I saw that, discretion be damned, the female MARTA driver had lifted her sunglasses and was craning her neck to reach her mental orgasm with the jogger. I almost got jealous for a moment, but figured I had him first.

Ryan Lee is an Atlanta writer.

30 Columnists September 2, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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