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Happy #BiWeek
It took a long time for me to begin coming out as bi. I had the inkling that I also liked girls, but I experienced so much inner turmoil around that feeling. I was scared: scared of coming out to straight people and having to divulge my sexual history and overexplain just how I knew I was bi and not straight or lesbian, and scared of coming out to other queer people for fear that I wouldn’t be deemed “queer enough” because I was straightpassing and attracted to the opposite sex (which is obviously a necessary part of being bisexual, but felt, at the time, like an indication that I wasn’t truly queer).
Now, a couple years past experiencing that inner struggle, I know that those fears were unfounded — but I understand why I felt the way I did. Seeing people online police the sexuality of celebrities like Billie Eilish or Kit Connor, I see how biphobia and the perverse, intrusive, and dehumanizing interest in strict and overt definitions of sexuality harm real-life people.
September 16 through 23 is Bisexual Awareness Week, a week dedicated to highlighting the particular struggles of the bi+ community. Being bi feels to me like being stuck in a liminal space; biphobia exists in both heterosexual and lesbian/ gay communities and it can be hard to find somewhere you feel you belong. Negative stereotypes of bi people — that we’re sexually promiscuous, inherently nonmonogamous, and/or either straight people experimenting or gay people who aren’t ready to “fully come out” — can be perpetuated by the nonbisexual queer community, which can make a space that’s supposed to be inclusive and accepting often antagonistic toward us.
While some bi people do benefit from the privilege of passing as straight, biphobia and the liminality of bisexuality can have dire consequences. Bisexual people are at higher risk for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, suicidality, and substance use than both the general population and lesbian/gay individuals, according to a report by Fiona Watson and Dr. Mike Smith.
When my partner told his mom that I was bi, she asked him if he was worried that I would cheat on him or want to be nonmonogamous so I could also have a girlfriend. His mom is in her 60s, and I know that her comments didn’t come from a place of malice, but of misinformation, but it really brought to light how little nonbi people truly understand (and therefore respect) bisexuality. My partner’s mom’s comment was so confounding to me because, while I experience attraction to men and women in slightly different ways thanks to gendered socialization and compulsory heterosexuality, I don’t see them as distinct opposites, nor is my attraction to them two adverse halves of a whole sexuality. Just because I am also attracted to women and AFAB anatomy doesn’t mean that my boyfriend isn’t enough for me because he isn’t a woman and doesn’t have boobs or a vagina. I’m attracted to men and women, but that doesn’t mean I need to be sexually/ romantically engaged with both at all times to be satisfied.
Despite the grim realities of being bi, coming out as bi was one of the greatest things I’ve ever done. It has allowed me to embrace my queerness, find other queer friends and become more comfortable in queer spaces, and given me the freedom of truth. I love being bi, and I love the bi community. If you’re scared like I was to come out as bisexual, here are some words from poet Aleah Black to help you navigate the struggle ahead of BiWeek and know you’re not alone:
“You may be bisexual if you tried to come out to a family member and they responded, ‘Well, honey, everyone feels that way sometimes.’ You may be bisexual if you’re constantly thinking, ‘But what if I’m not actually bisexual?’ You may be bisexual if you had really intense feelings for fictional characters that adults never labeled as a crush. You may be bisexual if you have really intense feelings for best friends that were never labeled as a crush. You may be bisexual if you had a really intense falling out with a best friend or roommate that you can’t quite explain. You may be bisexual if you have often argued with people that, ‘Everyone is gay.’ You may be bisexual if you find the idea of coming out as bi cringy, attention seeking, or terrifying. You may be bisexual if you feel like you haven’t had enough experiences to ‘prove’ you’re queer. You may be bisexual if you desperately wish you were bi.”
Katie Burkholder
PHOTO BY PETER SALANKI VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Staff reports
Read these stories and more online at thegavoice.com
Intoxicated Guest Vandalizes Global Black Pride Village
Atlanta police are investigating an act of vandalism that damaged property belonging to vendors at the Global Village at Global Black Pride.
Officials say the vandalism happened at the Starling Atlanta Midtown, the host hotel of Global Black Pride, late Tuesday night, August 27. According to investigators, an intoxicated hotel guest caused the damage. At the banquet hall where the Global Black Pride Village was held, displays were thrown to the ground, tables were overturned, and the vandals defecated on a Pride flag.
“Our table was flipped over,” Toni-Michelle Williams, the executive director of Solutions Not Punishment, Co. and one of the exhibitors at the event, told WSB-TV. “All of our belongings, from brochures to hats to T-shirts, was blown all over the place. It was just a really sad scene.”
Authorities have not yet identified a suspect in the case.
Atlanta Black Pride responded to the vandalism in a statement.
“This act of hate is not just an attack on a building but a violation of our entire community,” the statement reads. “It strikes at the heart of what we stand for — unity, love, and celebrating our diverse and vibrant identities. This year’s theme, ‘Honor the Past, Be Present, Secure the Future,’ holds even more weight in light of these events. We honor the struggle and sacrifices of those who came before us, who fought for our rights and our dignity. We must remain vigilant and steadfast in the present, recognizing that the road to equality is not without its obstacles. And we commit to securing a future where every member of our community can live freely and safely without fear of prejudice or violence.”
In a statement to FOX 5, the organizers of Global Black Pride described the vandalism as a “hateful attack.”
“This act of hatred at a gathering aimed at recognizing Black and Brown LGBTIQ+ people from around the world is disheartening and deeply troubling,” the organizers said. “Despite this, we are resolute in our commitment to celebrating Black Pride. We thank the Atlanta Police Department and the Mayor’s Office for their swift action and support in addressing this situation.”
Anyone with information on the vandalism is urged to call the Atlanta Police Department at 404-577-8477.
Trump Recycles Anti-Trans Right-Wing Talking Points at Moms for Liberty Summit
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump recycled right-wing anti-trans talking points, in many cases with statements that were false or misleading, during a discussion with Moms for Liberty Co-Founder Tiffany Justice at the group’s summit in Washington, D.C. on Friday.
They did not address specific anti-trans policies Trump promised to enact if he is elected in November, which would include sweeping restrictions of the rights of, especially, transgender youth, including through heavy-handed government intervention in healthcare and education.
Nor did Trump say much about his opponents’ positions or records on trans issues, apart from a remark about how Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic 2024 nominee, might “flip-flop” on the issue, a charge that his campaign has often leveled against her.
Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz have strong records of expanding freedoms and protections for the trans and LGBTQ communities, in many cases long before taking those actions or positions would have conferred any political advantage.
Trump did not directly address a question from Justice about Walz’s move as governor to install feminine hygiene products in all of the state’s public school restrooms and facilities. Shortly after Harris chose him as her vice-presidential nominee on August 8, conservative opponents have sought to attack him on this basis, using the nickname “tampon Tim.”
Formed in 2021 to push back against Covidera mask mandates and other school policies, Moms for Liberty has since shifted its focus almost entirely to curbing the rights of LGBTQ students, teachers, and staff as well as banning educational materials, books, and classroom discussion addressing matters of sexual orientation or gender identity.
The group, considered an anti-LGBTQ extremist organization by the Southern Poverty Law Center, is closely allied with the Republican Party and staunchly supportive of Trump.
The bulk of Trump’s remarks during his conversation with Justice, however, addressed unrelated topics ranging from foreign policy to reality television programs.
However, the anti-trans rhetoric used by Trump was extreme. For instance, he repeated a debunked conspiracy theory that Algerian boxer Imane Khelif is transgender, a lie that was spread following her victory over Italy’s Angela Carini during the 2024 Olympic Games.
Later, he suggested without any evidence that children are going off to school and coming home a few days later having had “an operation” to change their gender without the knowledge or consent of their parents.
Intoxicated guest vandalizes Global Black Pride Village. SCREENSHOT VIA YOUTUBE (ATLANTA NEWS FIRST)
FallInto RHYTHM
Harmony
FEATURING Tu Tu by Stanton Welch Music by Maurice Ravel
Elemental Brubeck by Lar Lubovitch Music by Dave Brubeck
Kiyon Ross
Supported by Kathleen & Kirk Knous
Atlanta Ballet dancers in Elemental Brubeck. Photo by Kim Kenney.
Georgia Senate Committee Continues to Push for Trans Ban in Women’s Sports
Editor’s note: This article contains transphobic rhetoric.
A Georgia Senate committee formed in early August has kicked off the push to ban trans women from competing in women’s sports by hearing testimony from five former college swimmers who are suing the NCAA and Georgia Tech over a transgender woman’s participation in a championship competition.
The panel of athletes told the Georgia Senate Special Committee on the Protection of Women’s Sports on August 27 that they felt cheated when trans woman swimmer Lia Thomas competed against them at the 2022 NCAA championships held at Georgia Tech and won. One of the athletes, former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, equated Thomas’ participation with “sexual harassment.”
“Let me be clear, I label this as sexual harassment because me and the four witnesses you heard from today and the hundreds of other 18- to 22-year-old college girls were not asked for our consent,” Gaines testified. “And we did not give our consent to being exploited and exposed to a 6’4” fully naked man. Because [Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera] did nothing, that man walked into our women’s locker room … and saw me undress down to full nudity.”
In 2022, the NCAA Board of Governors set a policy that transgender athletes participating should follow the guidelines set by the international governing bodies of each sport, according to Axios. The same year, General Assembly Republicans passed a law allowing the Georgia High School Association to regulate transgender women and girl’s participation in sports. The association thusly banned participation in sports events it sponsors.
While Thomas was invited to attend the committee meeting, along with Georgia Tech officials — who the panelists argued should be held responsible, along with the NCAA, for allowing Thomas to utilize the women’s locker room and participate in the competition — Major Chief Deputy Whip Greg Dolezal, who chairs the committee, said they did not accept.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones told the committee that leaving the issue up to the Georgia High School Association was “the wrong move for us to do” and didn’t go far enough, saying he wanted lawmakers to pass additional laws in 2025.
While Jones says Republicans are “not here to marginalize any one group,” LGBTQ activists believe the attack on trans women and girls in sports is an effort to garner political power.
“It’s really hard as a sexual abuse survivor and a domestic violence survivor to hear transgender human beings being equated to anything other than trying to live their authentic lives,” Noël Heatherland, the statewide organizing manager at Georgia Equality, told the AJC. “We are all God’s children. We are all human beings and there is nothing perverse about people who are simply existing as their authentic selves.”
Cait Smith, the director of LGBTQ policy at the Center for American Progress, told the AJC that the support for banning trans athletes typically relies on anecdotal evidence instead of statistical realities.
“The trans community is actually underrepresented in sports,” she said. “While the Olympics has allowed trans women to compete since 2004, to trans women have medaled. … Many here today are focused on one student who won one final at one championship two years ago. If trans women have such a clear advantage in sports, why do we not see them winning many more championships and filling team rosters at the college level?
Katie Burkholder
Former college swimmers are suing the NCAA and Georgia Tech after trans athlete Lia Thomas (pictured) competed against them. HOTO VIA INSTAGRAM
Getting Ready for Election Day
Katie Burkholder
Come November 5, Americans will come together to participate in what LGBTQ activists are calling one of the most important elections of our time. Ahead of Election Day, we’ve got all the information you need to register and cast your vote — whether through absentee ballot, early, or on November 5.
Important Dates
Registration Deadline: October 7
Advance Voting: October 15 through November 1
General Election: November 5
Getting Registered
If you’re not yet registered to vote, you can submit an application online or by mail if you’re a U.S. citizen, a legal resident of a county, at least 18 years old, not serving a felony sentence, and haven’t been found mentally incompetent by a judge.
Register online through the Secretary of State’s online voter registration system at mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/voter-registration?IsRegiste rNow=true#no-back-button. Download and complete the postage-paid voter registration application at sos.ga.gov/sites/default/files/ forms/GA_VR_APP_2019.pdf and mail it
to the following address:
Secretary of State State of Georgia PO Box 105325 Atlanta, GA 30348-9562
Vote by Absentee Ballot
You can request your absentee ballot now through October 25, though it’s recommended that you request and submit your ballot as early as possible to give it enough time to travel through the mail. You can request your ballot online; via email, mail, or fax; or in person. You can find the steps to each process at georgia.gov/vote-absentee-ballot.
Early Voting Locations
During the Advance Voting period, Fulton County Voters can vote at any of the Fulton County Advance Voting locations noted below. Election Day, however, voters must report to their assigned Election Day polling location to cast their ballot. To find your Election Day polling place and check your registration, visit mvp.sos.ga.gov.
*denotes an absentee ballot drop box location
Alpharetta Alpharetta Library*
Buckhead Buckhead Library*
Chastain Park Recreation Center Northside Library
Cascade Adams Park Library
C.T. Martin Recreation Center*
Evelyn G. Lowery Library at Cascade
College Park
Hugh C. Conley Recreation Center
East Point
East Point First Mallalieu United Methodist Church*
Grant Park
Grant Park Recreation Center
Johns Creek
Johns Creek Environmental Campus Northeast Spruill Oaks Library
Midtown/Virginia Highlands High Museum
Joan P. Garner Library at Ponce de Leon
Milton
Milton Community Center Milton Library
Palmetto Palmetto Library
Roswell East Roswell Library*
Fulton Co. Customer Service Center at Maxwell Rd. Roswell Library
Sandy Springs Heritage Hall at Sandy Springs
North Fulton Service Center
Sandy Springs Library*
South Atlanta
Louise Watley Library at Southeast Atlanta Metropolitan Library
South Fulton
Gladys S. Dennard Library at South Fulton
South Fulton Service Center
Southwest Arts Center
Welcome All Recreation Center
Wolf Creek Library*
Union City Elections Hub
Etris-Darnell Community Fairburn Annex
Westside
Northwest Library at Scotts Crossing
Robert F. Fulton Ocee Library
The Stakes of the 2024 Election
Darian Aaron, Director of Local News: US South, GLAAD
We are living in unprecedented times.
In the coming weeks and on November 5, Americans will head to the polls to elect our next President, who will determine domestic policy for at least the next four years, affecting the lives of over 333 million Americans at home with significant influence on foreign policy and relations abroad. The choice is between a historic, forward-thinking candidate who has vowed to be a President for all Americans and a volatile candidate who has promised to be a dictator on day one. But then I remember, this is America — a country where politics is tribal, and like a Spotify or Apple Music playlist, the information we receive is often curated to reflect one’s own beliefs as well as our biases.
As someone who produces and consumes media, I frequently see those biases amplified online — including the misogyny, sexism, racism, homophobia, xenophobia, and outright lies. I tried convincing myself these opinions were isolated to Russian bots and the most unhinged social media users. That was before an unexpected encounter became a living embodiment of the disinformation and voter apathy, particularly involving voters of color, irrespective of sexual orientation and gender identity.
My Lyft driver Mando, a cishet-assuming, masculine, biracial Black man with locs, arrived at Chicago’s Midway International Airport to drive me to the downtown hotel where I’d be staying to cover the Democratic National Convention. Once inside his vehicle, the conversation quickly turned to politics.
Soon after the conversation began, I asked Mando if he was registered to vote.
“Nah. I don’t vote,” Mando said with a tinge of pride in his voice. “I’m not into politics. Besides, all politicians do is promise stuff,
and when they get into office, they never keep their word.”
In my effort to meet people where they are, I had to acknowledge that Mando’s sentiment is an honest feeling among disillusioned voters who were less than thrilled about the presidential candidates (before President Biden withdrew from the race) or America’s two-party system, or who had participated in the Democratic process previously without seeing a significant change in their quality of life. Still, hearing Mando’s resolve to sit out one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime felt like an out-of-body experience.
“You may not be into politics, but decisions will be made by our next President and Congress that will directly impact your life and the lives of people you love,” I said.
“Your vote matters.”
I tried to explain that it is not revolutionary to withhold your vote. You relinquish your right as an American citizen, leaving others with much less to lose to decide your fate.
He remained unconvinced. I couldn’t help but think about how Mando’s decision
not to participate in the electoral process is a de facto vote for the candidate who has promised to inflict serious harm on Black men by way of police immunity if elected. Mando is not a Russian bot, but his willingness to infuse misinformation about the first woman to potentially sit in the Oval Office throughout his argument sans factchecking aligns with disinformation actors’ deceitful tactics, at Mando’s peril. We walk around with mini computers in the palm of our hands daily. The time it takes to spread misinformation is better spent searching for facts from credible news sources to inform your support of your chosen candidate, and ultimately, your vote.
In her address at the Democratic National Convention, former First Lady Michelle Obama reminded us “not to squander the sacrifices our elders made to give us a better future.” With only a patchwork of rights that varies from state to state and no federal protections, anti-equality forces are determined to roll back LGBTQ progress. The civil liberties we enjoy are quickly being undone judicially with the current ideological imbalance on the Supreme Court. The next President could potentially
“You may not be into politics, but decisions will be made by our next President and Congress that will directly impact your life and the lives of people you love. Your vote matters.”
—Darian Aaron
fill two Court vacancies, with impacts on the rights of minorities to be treated equally and equitably for generations to come.
I’ve heard that reminding the 21st-century Black voter about the sacrifices and bloodshed experienced by our ancestors is a losing argument. But if we are unaware of our history, we are doomed to repeat it. Civil and voting rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer was jailed, beaten repeatedly, and narrowly escaped death when white supremacists fired 16 bullets into her Mississippi home for having the audacity to register to vote in the Jim Crow South, testimony she shared before the DNC credentials committee in 1964.
Sixty years later, Mando and potential voters like him are exercising an amount of privilege Hamer was never afforded. On November 5 — even sooner with early voting — we get to choose the kind of country we want to live in. Even in America, democracy is not guaranteed. You must vote as if you’re Fannie Lou Hamer, and your life depends on it. With the historic elevation of the first woman of color to her party’s nomination, the political climate has changed for Black and LGBTQ people, but the stakes remain the same.
Word on the Street:
How Are Readers Feeling About the Presidential Election?
Katie Burkholder
On November 5, Americans will go to the polls to decide whether former President Donald Trump or current Vice President Kamala Harris will be the 47th president of the United States. With Project 2025 looming — a conservative presidential plan that threatens the LGBTQ community, reproductive healthcare, and more — LGBTQ activists are adamant that this election is crucial to protecting our civil rights.
“This isn’t just any election,” Nik Harris the Vice President of Strategic Outreach for the Human Rights Campaign, told Georgia Voice, “I know everybody says this is the most important one, but my goodness, it truly feels like this is one of the biggest elections of our lives. We see what happens when we don’t necessarily have allies on the Supreme Court and folks supporting us, and so we do want
to make sure we’re comparing and contrasting the true differences between a Harris administration and a Trump administration.”
In a poll of Georgia Voice readers conducted via our Instagram (@thegeorgiavoice), 64 percent of respondents said they would be enthusiastically voting in this election. 29 percent reported they would begrudgingly be voting, 3.5 percent said they were not voting, and 3.5 percent indicated they would be voting for a third-party candidate.
“Harris must win Georgia to win the election,” @auntpearl21 responded to the poll on Instagram. “Her winning is vital to our freedoms. VOTE!”
While an overwhelming majority of respondents will be participating in the election, a specific call for young queer
voters yielded hesitance and opposition to voting for Harris due to the administration’s ongoing support of Israel.
“I honestly still haven’t decided [if I will be voting] and probably won’t until closer to the election,” Megan Dunn, 26, told Georgia Voice. “On one hand, the entire administration’s handling of Gaza is morally reprehensible to the point where the idea of voting for Kamala Harris makes my skin crawl. The only thing that may sway me is the fact that several Supreme Court justices are nearing retiring/ dying age, and I do think that having more Trump appointments would be catastrophic — like way more catastrophic than anything he could do as an individual in office.”
Harris has expressed her “unequivocal and unwavering” commitment to Israel’s “ability to defend itself and opposition to withholding
weapons from Israel. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks.
“Even though this election is significant in its own way, it won’t stop the genocide,” Silver Isaza, 26, said, adding that they probably wouldn’t be voting.
This apparent lack of interest in voting from Gen Z is supported by statistical evidence; in a survey done by the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, only 53 percent of people ages 18 to 29 said they would “definitely” be voting in the upcoming election, compared to almost 70 percent of baby boomers.
As of Labor Day, Harris is narrowly leading nationally by two to four percentage points, but experts say the outcome of the election is unpredictable.
‘An Embarrassment of Riches’: the Atlanta Queer Arts Alliance
In late 2019, queer arts organizations across Atlanta came together to create an alliance dedicated to uplifting the LGBTQ arts scene in the city. After being derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Atlanta Queer Arts Alliance is finally making its return.
The group, which consists of Atlanta Freedom Bands, the Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra, Our Song, Out Front Theatre, Out On Film, Southern Fried Queer Pride, and Voices of Note, is dedicated to building up the power of Atlanta’s vibrant queer arts scene through collective organizing.
“As we came out of COVID, everybody [in AQuAA] was trying to figure out — Hey, what are we doing individually, let alone as a group, collectively?” David Aurilio, Executive Director of Voices of Note and the president of AQuAA, told Georgia Voice. “We did our first event in May of this year, where we did a panel discussion, and we had some folks come in to just talk about the importance of queer arts and what that means for a community as large as Atlanta. From the support of that event, we realized together, we’re stronger, and we need to make sure that people see us and educate them that we’re even around.”
Aurilio says that having the diversity of queer arts organizations that Atlanta does is a rarity across the country, yet so many Atlantans have no idea these groups are here.
“There’s a wealth of opportunities in queer arts in Atlanta, which not many larger cities can boast about like we can,” he said. “You know, rarely do you have a queer theater and a philharmonic orchestra and three choruses — It’s just amazing that all this stuff is here, and I’m shocked still to this day that sometimes people will be like, ‘Wow, I never heard of
that! … It is an embarrassment of riches. We were recently at a conference in Minneapolis, and we talked to some cities like San Diego, and they have huge choruses, but they were like, ‘We don’t have all of the stuff that you all have.’ We’re proud of that, yet not many of our own people are aware of that.”
To spread the word, AQuAA hosted a season preview event on September 4 at Out Front Theatre Company, where each of the seven members presented a video about their organization, a speech from a representative about what’s coming up for them this season, and a performance: Out On Film screened a short film included in its upcoming festival, the choruses each did a number, and the French
Moving forward, AQuAA will continue to amplify its members’ impact by rolling out a master calendar on its website, aquaa.org, cross-promoting member events, possibly introducing an AQuAA season pass option, and increasing its collective fundraising efforts.
“Some of us can get grants because we have full-time staff,” Aurilio said of the need for AQuAA members to fundraise. “Some of the organizations do not have full-time staff, they’re all volunteers, so sometimes they don’t qualify for certain things. However, we can partner with those grants. We can get creative about how we can support one
another. Arts funding in Georgia is horrible, and that's shared with other theaters for the mainstream community. The queer arts are even more minute, so even less funding comes our way. We sell tickets and merch, but we can’t rely on just that. We need donors. We need people to support us.”
While buying tickets to AQuAA’s upcoming events is a huge support (you can use code AQUAA at checkout for 15 percent off!), Aurilio says that even making a single donation makes a significant difference and bolsters AQuAA’s ability to use its platform to make a difference for the LGBTQ community.
Katie Burkholder
horn section of the Freedom Bands performed.
Atlanta Freedom Bands PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK
FROM PAGE 12
“We are an underrepresented voice in the bigger picture of society, but our voice needs to be at the table,” Aurilio said. “[Our mission is] about educating people, and we can do that through entertainment. Entertainment opens people’s hearts, and when their heart is opened, you can educate them at the same time; they don’t feel like they’re being preached at. What’s going to get us further is just helping people correct misinformation. Ours is a voice that needs to be heard.”
To learn more about the Atlanta Queer Arts Alliance, visit aquaa.org.
Atlanta Queer Arts Alliance 2024–2025 Season
Atlanta Freedom Bands
Atlantafreedombands.com
Tucktoberfest
September 29, 1:30pm Tucker Brewing Company Free
Atlanta Pride Parade
October 13, noon
Midtown Atlanta Free
To Kids from One to 92
December 21, 7pm
The Church at Ponce and Highland
$20
Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra
Atlantaphilharmonic.org
You can buy a season ticket for $85 at eventbrite.com/e/2024-2025-atlantaphilharmonic-orchestra-season-ticketstickets-995621228897.
October 19, 7:30pm
First United Methodist Church of Tucker
December 8, 3pm
North Decatur Presbyterian Church
March 1, 7:30pm
First United Methodist Church of Tucker
April 26, 7:30pm
North Decatur Presbyterian Church
June 14, 7:30pm North Decatur Presbyterian Church
Our Song
Oursongatlanta.com Season schedule TBA
Out Front Theatre Company
Outfronttheatre.com
You can buy a season ticket for $150 at outfronttheatre.com/season-tickets.
Hairspray
October 24–November 9
Starting at $30
Murder on the Polar Express
December 12–22
$35
At the Wedding
January 30–February 15
Starting at $20
Immediate Family
March 19–29
Starting at $20
Trick!
The Musical
May 1–17
Starting at $30
Out On Film
Outonfilm.org
You can buy an all-access pass for $185 at outonfilm.org.
Out On Film 37
September 26–October 6
Landmark Midtown Art Cinema & Out Front Theatre Company
Southern Fried Queer Pride
Southernfriedqueerpride.com
Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @sfqp to keep up with upcoming events.
Voices of Note Voicesofnote.org
Holidays in the Movies: Atlanta Women’s Chorus
December 7, 2pm and 7pm Church at Ponce and Highland Starting at $30
Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus 44th Annual Holiday Concert
December 20, 8pm; December 21, 2 and 6pm Cathedral of St. Philip
Starting at $40
AWC + AGMC:
“This is Me!”
March 15, 2 and 7pm
Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church — Emory Campus
Disney Pride in Concert: AGMC
June 21, 7pm
Atlanta Symphony Hall
Our Song PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK
The Day the Closeted Lesbian Feminist Blew Tennis Apart
Pivotal moments in civil rights struggles sometimes go unremarked until long after the fact — think Stonewall. Sometimes, these moments upend stone walls, with the cracking apart thunderingly audible, visceral, and instantaneous. The much-vaunted “Battle of the Sexes,” the Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs tennis match on September 20, 1973, was one such moment.
How to explain just how gleefully the braying and spittle-spraying sexism that gushed from the determinedly anti-women’s tennis edifice was accepted? Polite talking heads decried the “masculine way” King played tennis in “ugly” togs.
Sports commentators blithely remarked that her husband had “become accustomed to walking a few steps behind his wife. Larry’s had enough of tennis, but as yet he’s not put his foot down about his wife’s future.”
But it was Riggs who lobbed the stink bombs and the IEDs. A former Wimbledon champ, he was by this time an over-thehill hustler, making a living on gimmick matches: playing in drag or among a series of chairs peppering his side of the net. He longed for the spotlight, so why not shout that no woman could defeat a man? Show those Women’s Libbers!
Meanwhile, King had been methodically smashing records for years. And there was Title IX, met with stentorian denunciations by the male sports establishment.
“In 1972, Title IX of the Education
Act established basic and revolutionary guidelines to provide adequate funding and facilities for women’s sports in federally aided schools,” Lois Decker O’Neil wrote in “The Women’s Book of World Records and Achievements.” “[Title IX means] women athletes [can] continue their competitive lives with the aid of scholarship, coaching and facilities … on a level comparable to world competitions.”
King had spent three years (’71 to ’73) forming the Women’s Tennis Association, stumping for equality in matches and pay. She also spent much time winning, and in 1972, she was the first woman to be chosen as Sports Illustrated’s “Sportsperson of the Year” and in 1973, the Associated Press’ “Female Athlete of the Year.”
“Alongside the fight against pay disparity, King was combating stereotypes that female tennis players were not as skilled,” Anna Diamond wrote in the Smithsonian. “An idea trumpeted by the gleefully chauvinistic Riggs.”
He wanted King, who kept saying no. So, he courted Margaret Court, the number one ranked woman tennis player in 1973, and an old-school “graceful and ladylike” player. He defeated her in an hour. It was the “Mother’s Day Massacre” of May 1973.
“Now I want King bad,” Riggs said. “I’m a woman specialist now.” King knew this was it, so she demanded a winner-takeall $100,000 prize ($686,000 today) — plus, ABC-TV would beam the match worldwide to an estimated 90 million viewers — more than any sporting event then or since. King knew TV could expose and explode the “macho man” bullshit. But if she lost, “I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn’t win that match. It
all women’s self-esteem.”
The match was held in the Houston Astrodome, filled with 30,000 fans, and the sides clearly demarcated. Riggs was a Kublai Khan, hauled into the stadium over a gold carpet in a rickshaw pulled by eight wellendowed women in red shorts.
King was borne in a golden litter, the interior pink satin with white and pink plumes. Cleopatra-like, four muscular, bare-chested men wearing stylized slave outfits conveyed her, with others carrying plumes on long sticks.
Riggs presented King with a huge lollipop: “a sucker.” She gifted him a squealing little piglet, named “Male Chauvinist.”
She had to annihilate him. And she did, in three straight sets.
“This was why the Riggs match mattered so much: It wasn’t just about one loudmouthed hustler,” June Thomas wrote in Slate. “It offered King a rare chance to volley back at chauvinism.”
Despite all his bets on himself — even Jimmy the Greek gave odds of 5 to 2 for Riggs — and with all the other anti“women’s libbers” globally riding on his performance, Riggs blew out early and did not catch up.
The first thing he said to King afterward was, “I underestimated you.” And he had. The ladies in my all-women dorm, many of us completely disinterested in sports, watched. And when it was over, there was much shrieking, hugging, jumping about, and various, er, refreshments. And we were not the only ones. A seeming majority in the Astrodome, and many of those 90 million watching at home, joined in.
María Helena Dolan
would ruin the women’s tour and affect
Tennis superstar Billie Jean King PHOTO BY LYNN GILBERT VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Hiding in the Closet
Mr. Carter and I were getting ready to go to a birthday party when he asked if he could pick out my earrings. Mr. Carter is already a man who enjoys feminine qualities in girls, and as the son of two mothers, he understands all that goes into a girl trying to be pretty. Encouraging this hands-on desire to help out, I said yes and told him to go ahead into my closet where I keep my earrings and select a pair.
I went to get something from another room, and when I returned, I asked how it was going. He replied, “Good,” and then added, “I didn’t see anything I wasn’t supposed to.” Smiling, I knew there was nothing embarrassing he would have come across in there and at first wasn’t sure what he was trying to hide.
Then I knew.
“You saw your presents, didn't you?” I asked.
“I didn’t see anything I wasn’t supposed to,” he replied as he pointed out the earrings I should wear.
I am one of those who shops ahead. My son’s birthday is in October, so throughout the year I might find things for both his birthday and Christmas and decide closer to the time which event gets which gift. I chose the top shelf of my closet as a place to store these items for a couple of reasons. One, I wouldn’t forget what I had, since I’d see it every day. And two, my son used to be too small to see that high up.
Not thinking it through when I said he could choose my earrings — and the fact he is now up to my ears in height at nine years old — he easily caught a glimpse of several items I had placed in my hiding spot. Nervous about getting in trouble, but still an honest soul, he found a safe way to acknowledge he was privy to something he knew he shouldn’t
have discovered. I told him he did nothing wrong, and it was my fault.
It reminded me of the time when I was around his age and made a similar discovery. I woke up in the middle of the night and wanted a glass of water. I made my way to our kitchen, but noticed the door leading to the kitchen/living area was closed, usually done to lessen the noise of the television after bedtime, so I thought nothing of opening the door and going in. But this was Christmas Eve. The scramble I heard of paper and boxes and the attempt to hide things as I walked in was comical, but I knew if I didn’t think fast, I’d be in serious
trouble for interrupting my parents.
So, I began to “sleepwalk.”
I had a history of sleepwalking, so it wasn’t something overtly ridiculous and seemed to work, as my mother helped me back to bed. I really didn’t see anything other than what I thought was a pair of high-top shoes for my brother. It turned out they were really roller skates for me, so even if I had been trying to spy on them, I would have gotten it wrong.
Both situations created the same need: a new spot for hiding gifts.
Melissa Carter
CULTURE
Talking Comedy with Matteo Lane
Gregg Shapiro
When it comes to comedy, everyone has their own ideas about what is or isn’t funny. Things that make you laugh might have the opposite effect on someone else. In the ongoing evolution of stand-up comedy, the number of LGBTQ comics continues to increase at a fast pace. While lesbian comedians have long dominated, gay male comics are making their presence felt, with Matteo Lane being far and away the best. Lane, who combines Midwestern and European influences in his material, has a distinctive delivery style that often has audience members struggling to catch their breath between jokes and laughs. It also helps that he’s easy on the eyes, very handsome with a hot gym body!
Lane will be bringing his “Can’t Stop Talking” tour to the Fox Theatre on September 22. Ahead of the show, Matteo was kind enough to make time for an interview.
Read the full interview online at thegavoice.com.
Matteo, I had the pleasure of interviewing you for the first time in 2017 in advance of your performance at the Dania Beach Casino.
I think I remember that. I wasn’t headlining, right? Was I opening for someone else?
Someone else who was not very funny. OK, now I remember, Sam Jay and I were both opening for … [laughs] yeah, I remember that.
Since then, your social media and online presence have increased greatly. How important is it to you to maintain that?
I don’t know that I think about it in terms of maintaining it so much as it’s nice to reach out and have people reach back. It’s also a great way of letting people know that I’m on tour, so they get to see what I work on all the time, which is stand-up. I don't think I’ve ever thought about it that way, as maintaining. I just think of it more as a great opportunity to express yourself and have people enjoy it.
Your conversations with comedians are inspired and hilarious, and the ones with Jessica Kirson are a particular favorite of mine.
I love Jessica!
That face! Are you having as much fun as you appear to be having?
[Laughs] Yes! What do you take me for? I wouldn't be doing it if I wasn’t enjoying it [laughs]. It’s not like it’s MGM in 1935 and I have to pretend with Mickey Rooney that I’m having a good time. I'm choosing to do this!
Speaking of Mickey Rooney, do you
know if Liza Minnelli is aware of your impression of her?
I don’t know. But I feel like I've been getting closer [laughs]. Now I’m at the point where I know close friends of hers. I don’t even think she would be offended if she heard it. I think she’s got tough skin. I think she would laugh, and probably ask me what I wanted for dinner. She seems nice. She has a memoir coming out, and at least 10 people texted me yesterday saying that I should do the audiobook.
The way the audience becomes part of your shows has become something of a trademark of yours.
They actually haven’t. It’s a big misconception. It takes a really long time to write material. I do about 20 shows a week at The Comedy Cellar in New York, strictly working on material that I’ve been writing. Twice a year, just two times a year, I record my advice special where I just talk to the audience because it’s fun and it is a skill that I have. But it allows me to also use that in place of material that I need to build for a special in the meantime. When
you come to see me live in a giant theater, I don’t do any talking to the audience. It’s all well-prepared, well-written material. It is a bit of a misconception. I understand where people would get that impression. Probably 11 months out of the year I’m consistently working on new jokes, crafting them, redoing them, practicing them over and over until they’re ready for the road. When I’m on the road, I practice them and practice them until it’s ready for a special so that it’s a fully ready, well-written special. I only do crowd work literally twice a year.
You’re going to be performing at the Broward Center in Florida in September. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has gone out of his way to make life difficult for the LGBTQ community. Is there anything you would like to say to him?
I think he needs to mind his own business. I think we can take that night as a great celebration of how strong our community is. Let’s just use this as an opportunity to show how strong we are and how we can also laugh at ourselves and have a good time. We can still celebrate life in the face of adversity.
Matteo Lane will be bringing his “Can’t Stop Talking” tour to the Fox Theatre on September 22.
PHOTO BY TROY HALLAHAN
CULTURE
Out On Film Returns on September 26
Katie Burkholder
Ahead of the 37th annual Out On Film festival’s kickoff on September 26, the organization has announced this year’s lineup of incredible LGBTQ films and shorts.
Out On Film 37 offers a diverse selection that includes 35 features (22 narrative films, 12 documentaries, and one special event), five streaming-only films and 111 shorts films (in 18 shorts programs) for a total of 151 films. In all, Out On Film will also host 15 world premieres as part of the 2024 festival.
“Our 37th Anniversary presentation is a wonderful celebration of celebrated films from all around the world and from Atlanta,” Out On Film Festival Director Jim Farmer said. “We’ve never had this much ATL in our festival. I’m also particularly proud of our short films, which includes work from Emmy nominee Nava Mau, Meg Statler, Elliot Page and Alex Hedison and Jodie Foster.”
In all, Out On Film will also host 15 world premieres as part of the 2024 festival.
Both an Oscar® and BAFTA-qualifying film festival, Out On Film will open on Thursday, September 26 with Anthony Schatteman’s “Young Hearts,” about a 14-year-old who realizes he has fallen in love with his new neighbor but interactions with family and friends bring more questions than answers.
The Southeastern premiere of Marco
Calvani’s “High Tide” will take place on Closing Night, Sunday, October 6. The film follows a young undocumented immigrant (Marco Pigossi) searching for purpose in Provincetown, who starts an intense and unexpected new romance. The supporting cast includes Oscar® winner Marisa Tomei, Jams Bland, Bryan Batt, Chrissy Judy’s Todd Flaherty and Mya Taylor.
Other notable films this year include the world premiere of “Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps,” a total redefinition of the “transition narrative” that blends archival footage, live performance, animation, and bold cinematic imagery to represent a lifetime from a trans-masculine perspective; the Southeastern premiere of “Duino,” a coming-of-age story following Matias, struggling with an unfinished movie inspired by his elusive first love to Alexander, a Swedish friend he met at an international school in the ’90s; and “What a Feeling,” following a woman who stumbles into a queer bar after her husband leaves her, and she meets someone who changes everything.
There will also be a special event for the screening of short film “Cashing Out.” In the early 1990s, at the height of the AIDS crisis, a controversial industry gave hope to thousands of dying, destitute queer people. The “viatical settlement industry” helped
terminally ill patients sell their life insurance policies for quick cash, allowing them to live — and die — with dignity. From its origins in gay activist circles to its transformation into a billion-dollar industry, the film traces the rise and fall of this morally complex business and spotlights one of its earliest investors: the filmmaker’s father. Director Matt Nadel, Scott Page, and DeeDee Chamblee are expected to be in attendance.
Along with 30 more feature films, the festival will also include the following programs of short films: “Around the World” for international shorts; “Getting Your Funny On” for comedy shorts; “Transfabulous” for shorts about the trans community; “Empowerment and Inspirations” for documentary shorts; “Music, Matinees, Memories, and More” for music videos and more; “Connections” for shorts about how we connect with one another; “Animation Extravaganza” for animated shorts; “Let’s Talk About Sex” for naughty shorts; “Latinexcellence” for Latinx shorts; “Local Shorts and Spotlight on the ATL” for shorts from Georgia- and Atlanta-based filmmakers; “Horror Shorts”; “Girl Power” for shorts from female filmmakers; “Drama Shorts”; and “Everything Under the Rainbow” for a miscellaneous array of short films.
To view the full festival schedule, visit outonfilm.org.
“High Tide” PUBLICITY PHOTO
“Young Hearts” PUBLICITY PHOTO
“Duino” PUBLICITY PHOTO
Local Productions of ‘The Color Purple’ and ‘Wild With Happy’ Feature LGBTQ Characters
Candy McLellanDavison has long been one of the most versatile performers in the city. Now she has turned to directing. She is helming Aurora Theatre’s version of “The Color Purple.”
The story has been with her for a long time.
“I saw the movie at a very early age,” she told Georgia Voice. “It became a monthly thing. I know it so well. Despite the hard things and the trauma, it has so much joy and heart. It’s the story of a Black woman who is overcoming and being resilient. It’s about sisterhood. It has all the themes that I love.”
Celie (Amitria Fanae’) plays Celie and Tiffany Denise Hobbs plays Shug Avery, the woman she falls in love with. According to Fanae’, Shug changes Celie’s life and gives her confidence.
“Shug shows me a version of love I have never experienced before,” Fanae’ said. “It did not start off that way, but I feel like for the first time in a long time outside of [sister] Nettie, this is the first person who has come along and has a conversation with Celie and cares what she thinks. I think
there is gravitational pull towards each other because both of these two women have been shunned in society.”
Hobbs calls Shug a new-age woman in this society who marches to the beat of her own drum.
“She doesn’t follow societal expectations, but she is trying to find herself and make a name for herself,” Hobbs said. “She gets out of the bondage society wants to put on her. Then she meets Celie and sees something in her that she has not seen in any other person — this honesty and capacity for love she has not experienced. She falls in love with this woman. They unlock something in each other they were not expecting. They feel so safe with each other, emotionally, spiritually and physically.”
Director McLellan-Davison wanted to put her stamp on the material.
“I feel Steven Spielberg has a white man’s lens and I have a younger millennial’s lens,” she said. “It’s taking the generations and how we view arts and putting that on and saying, ‘This is how I want to tell the story.’”
Spielberg’s version was a box office success and Oscar nominee, but it was criticized by some for being too pretty and for
downplaying the relationship between Shug and Celie.
“I did not want to shy away from that, because a lot of productions do,” McLellan-Davison said. “The love they have for each other — It’s so important to show this love. We should not shy away because it’s two women.”
Out actor Markwell Williams is part of the ensemble of Horizon Theatre’s new “Wild With Happy,” written by Oscar nominee Colman Domingo.
An off-Broadway hit from 2012, it’s about Gil (Enock King), who is trying to find the ideal resting place for his mother. After her death, he decides to have her cremated, which does not sit well with everyone in the family. Eventually, Gil winds up on a road trip with his best friend and his mother’s ashes.
Williams describes the work as a dark-ish play that creates some comedic moments out of death. Gil and his mother had had a good relationship; she knew he was gay.
“It was a very healthy relationship,” Williams said. “What this play does so well is asking without asking — how relationships become impacted when we get news that we are not expecting about someone we care about, and how that ultimately alters how we respond to the people that we love.”
The actor feels many people will be able to relate to the material.
“I don’t know many gay men who don’t have strong relationships with their mothers,” he said. “For myself, I have a strong relationship with my mom and am able to talk about things. This relationship seems very familiar and honest and true, and I thought this is something a lot of people can relate to, not just gay people. At the heart of this is the way Black women communicate with their sons.”
“The Color Purple” runs through September 15 at Aurora Theatre
“Wild With Happy” runs through September 15 at Horizon Theatre
Jim Farmer
“The Color Purple” PUBLICITY PHOTO
“Wild With Happy” PUBLICITY PHOTO
Jim Farmer
The Color Purple
September 6, 8pm, through September 15
Aurora Theatre
The Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Color Purple” has kicked off Aurora Theatre’s Season 29. Follow the unforgettable journey of Celie as she discovers her own strength and resilience in the face of extreme adversity. The joyous musical features an enthralling score that blends gospel, jazz, and blues.
Armorettes
September 7, 8pm
Heretic
They’re an Atlanta institution — the Armorettes liven up the Heretic Atlanta tonight.
Wild With Happy
September 7, 8pm, through September 15
Horizon Theatre
Horizon Theatre is currently staging Colman Domingo’s gay-themed “Wild With Happy.”
Chaka Kham Hacienda
September 8, 5pm
Underground Atlanta
Get your dance/party groove on for Chaka Khan Hacienda: Tami Gucci/Amber Valentine.
Golden Girls Drag Bingo
September 10, 6:30pm
Lips Atlanta
Come support PALS Atlanta at Golden Girls Drag Bingo with a great cast of performers/ hostesses.
Dream vs. Mystics
September 13, 7:30pm
Gateway Center Arena
The Atlanta Dream take on the Washington Mystics tonight as the regular WNBA season comes to a close.
Femme Friday
September 13, 8pm
My Sister’s Room
Come out and get your chuckle on at Femme Friday With Kia Comedy.
College Football
September 14
Woofs Atlanta College football will be available all day today at Woofs Atlanta.
The Attala Country Club
September 14, 8pm, through September 28
Onstage Atlanta
The Process Theatre Company presents Topher Payne’s “The Attala Country Club,” directed by DeWayne Morgan.
PFLAG Support Group
September 15, 2:30pm
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta
The PFLAG support group for parents and families of LGBTQIA+ children meet in person today.
Trans and Friends
September 16, 7pm for youth, 8pm for adults
Charis Books and More
Trans and Friends is a youth-focused group for trans people, people questioning their own gender and aspiring allies, providing a facilitated space to discuss gender, relevant resources and activism around social issues.
2024 Economic Inclusion Summit
September 17-18, 9am-5pm Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
OUT Georgia Business Alliance invites you to join the 2024 Economic Inclusion Summit. As Georgia’s largest annual LGBTQIA+ Business & Leadership conference of its kind, Summit brings together changemakers for a special two-day experience that challenges us to move beyond the basics toward a bold future and radically empowered community.
The Rainbow Ball –Welcome to the ‘60s
September 21, 8pm
Out Front Theatre Company
Welcome to the ‘60s! Jump back to the most colorful decade as Out Front Theatre Company kicks off its ninth season and celebrates their production of Hairspray with The Rainbow Ball — Welcome to the 60’s. Hosted by drag superstar Nina West, fresh off the latest season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars and the Hairspray national tour, this evening will be filled with food, friends, groovy fun, and the most far-out performances! Dress to impress in your most fashionable ‘60s-inspired styles and flip your wig into the biggest ‘do you can.
Southern Bears Dinner
September 22, 5pm
Bambinelli’s Join the Southern Bears tonight for dinner at Bambinelli’s.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
Dream vs. Mystics
SEPTEMBER 13, 7:30PM
GATEWAY CENTER ARENA
Out On Film Opening Night
September 26, 7pm, through October 6
Midtown Art Cinema
Out On Film starts its 37th season of LGBTQIA+ films with the Southeastern debut of the universally acclaimed “Young Hearts.”
LGBTQ Book Club
September 28, 10am
Virtual
The LGBTQ Book Club is a group for LGBTQ folks and allies to read queer-themed books and books by queer authors. The aim is to have diverse, thought-provoking discussions about queer identity, history, and topical issues. All are welcome to join. This month's book is “An Orphan World” by Giuseppe Caputo. No registration is required. This Zoom link will allow you to join the meeting at any time: https:// us02web.zoom.us/j/85007056372
AIDS Walk
September 28, TBD
Piedmont Park
Don’t miss AIDS Walk Atlanta Music Festival and 5k Run, Piedmont Park, with a schedule announced closer to the event.
Bottoms Up! Drag Brunch
September 29, 12:30pm
City Winery
City Winery Atlanta and WUSSY Mag presents Bottoms Up! Drag Brunch with Trinity the Tuck from RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, with Performances
COMING UP
Gender Creative Parenting Collective
October 2, 7pm
Virtual
The gender creative parenting collective is designed by Charis to support the ongoing development of parents and educators of self-identified genderqueer and/or trans children, teens, or young adults, as well as children who are “gender creative,” gender non-conforming, or who express themselves in ways that society deems nonnormative. The aim of this group is to offer parents tools to unlearn and dismantle homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny within their family structures, their schools, neighborhoods and faith communities so that they may better support their children and all children. Join the Zoom here — https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ tZwufu2qpzIuEtPhZD1SSTfcsqFi5HS6Dr0A
Bananarama III
October 4 & 5, 7:30pm
Lionheart Theatre
Bananarama is an annual comedy-variety-drag show benefiting Project Chimps, a chimpanzee sanctuary in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia. Buy your tickets at projectchimps.org/ events/bananarama.
by Trinity the Tuck, winner of RuPaul's Drag Race
All Stars Nicole Paige Brooks, Brigitte Bidet, Edie Cheezburger, and King Perk.
The Atlanta Dream take on the Washington Mystics tonight as the regular WNBA season comes to a close. Photo via Facebook
Katie Burkholder
Myah Ross Monroe’s House of Love
September 6, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle
$5 cover.
Ron Pullman
September 6, 11pm
Atlanta Eagle
$5 cover.
SSL Beer Bust
September 7, 3pm
Atlanta Eagle
Enjoy beer, music, and games to benefit the Southern Softpaw League team Reverse Twerk!
Atlanta Eagle Cabaret
September 7, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle
Featuring Lena Lust, Shawnna Brooks, Misti Shores, Elea Atlanta, and Niesha Dupree. $5 cover.
KING ME
September 7, 9:30pm
My Sister’s Room
This all-king drag show will feature Throb Zombie from “Dragula,” Mr. Elle Aye, Aries Alxndr, Hannibal Montannibal, and Absinthe Father Figure! Tickets at bit.ly/ kingmethrob.
Queer Figure Drawing
September 8, 2pm
CreateATL
Join Southern Fried Queer Pride for Queer Figure Drawing! Bring a sketch pad or paper, pencils of your choosing, and enjoy drawing and sketching with community – plus coffee & treats courtesy of Cafexito Coffee! Tickets at sfqp.info/qfd9824.
Sunday PupTea
September 8, 2pm
Atlanta Eagle
Shameless
Sundays
September 8, 10pm
Future Atlanta
With Kyra Mora and Tristan Panucci! Tickets at future-atlanta.com.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
Candela “360”
SEPTEMBER 14, 10PM
DISTRICT ATLANTA
Atlanta’s
Country Night
September 10, 8pm
Atlanta Eagle
Show up at 8pm for the dance lesson before line dancing the night away at 9pm with DJ Dice!
Trivia Night
September 10, 8:30pm
Atlanta Eagle
Hosted by DJ DeWayne!
Trivia Night
September 11, 7:30pm Woofs
Rock Haus Karaoke
September 12, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle
Hosted by Raqi!
Myah Ross Monroe’s House of Love
September 13, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle
$5 cover.
Candela “360”
September 14, 10pm
District Atlanta
Atlanta’s hottest monthly Latin Fusion party! Featuring DJ EU and DJ Eduardo Franco! Tickets via Eventbrite.
LET’S EAT! A Queer
Community Potluck and Board Game Day
September 15, 2pm
CreateATL
Join Southern Fried Queer Pride for food, community, socializing, and board games! RSVP for this free event at sfqp.info/ letseat915.
Trivia Night
September 17, 8:30pm
Atlanta Eagle
Hosted by DJ DeWayne!
Trivia Night
September 18, 7:30pm Woofs
Alt3r
September 18, 10pm Star Bar
Join Alt3r girls Hera Kane, Katrina Prowess, and Eden, plus their rotating cast of performers, for a night full of alternative drag! $10 cover.
Rock Haus
Karaoke
September 19, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle
Hosted by Raqi!
Myah Ross Monroe’s House of Love
September 20, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle $5 cover.
hottest monthly Latin Fusion party! Featuring DJ EU (pictured) and DJ Eduardo Franco! Tickets via Eventbrite.
