09/10/21, Vol. 12 Issue 12

voice

georgia VOL.12 • ISSUE 12

ABOUT THE COVER: Cover image by Shutterstock.com / Sean Pavone

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BUSINESS

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EDITORIAL

Editor: Katie Burkholder

kburkholder@thegavoice.com

Editorial Contributors: Cliff Bostock, Melissa Carter, María Helena Dolan, Jim Farmer, Lawrence Ferber, Buck Jones, Dante Rhodes, Ed Salvato, John Tanzella, Steve Warren

PRODUCTION

Art Director: Rob Boeger rboeger@thegavoice.com

SALES

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Sales Executive: Jim Brams jbrams@thegavoice.com

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Publisher Emeritus: Chris Cash

FINE PRINT

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4 Editorial September 10, 2021

GUEST EDITORIAL

The Resilience of LGBTQ Travel “As travel slowly comes back, the resilience of LGBTQ travelers should never be underestimated.

History has shown that we are among the first to return to exploring the world when given the all-clear after a crisis, we are intensely loyal to the businesses that treat us with respect and make us feel genuinely welcomed, and we are armed with substantial spending power.”

John Tanzella, President/CEO of IGLTA, the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association Less than two years ago, when IGLTA proudly announced that for the first time ever, Atlanta had been chosen to host its annual global convention in 2021, the world was a very different place — and travel was a very different beast. It was December 2019, and none of us yet had a clue that such bizarre-sounding things as lockdowns, social distancing, double masking, and vaccination cards would soon become a part of our daily lives or that travel would be riddled with a host of ever-changing rules and restrictions.

As an organization, IGLTA found itself close to the heart of the COVID-19 crisis early on.

Its 2020 annual global convention had been slated for May in the northern Italian city of Milan, but when it became clear by early March that Milan was suffering greatly as one the first global COVID-19 hotpots, IGLTA made the difficult decision to postpone its convention for the first time in its 37-year history. “The outbreak of the coronavirus has left all of us with many unknowns,” we said in a release at the time — which of course proved to be a massive understatement as the proceeding months played out.

But throughout the centuries, LGBTQ people have proven to be nothing if not resilient — for many of us, after all, this isn’t our first pandemic. Even as we find ourselves yearning for the simplicity of the way we used to travel, we know that the old ways were never perfect, and moreover that we can’t reset things to exactly where they were before — nor should we. This is a time to embrace innovation, foster creativity, and celebrate diversity in all forms.

We can redouble our efforts to champion equity and inclusion in the travel industry, not only as it pertains to LGBTQ travelers, but also to ensure that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) travelers are an integral part of the LGBTQ travel narrative.

IGLTA has also used this quieter time in travel to reinforce our commitment to making the future of LGBTQ travel easier for everyone by expanding our series of exclusive travel guides, which now include

John Tanzella

COURTESY PHOTO

more than 30 free guides focusing on individual countries, and several guides dedicated to specific aspects of travel unique to our collective community, including LGBTQ safety, traveling with HIV, and trans safety. Our marriage equality guide integrates our partnership with Destination Pride to easily share LGBTQ laws, rights and social sentiment around the world.

As travel slowly comes back, the resilience of LGBTQ travelers should never be underestimated. History has shown that we are among the first to return to exploring the world when given the all-clear after a crisis, we are intensely loyal to the businesses that treat us with respect and make us feel genuinely welcomed, and we are armed with substantial spending power. The strong LGBTQ desire to return to travel was documented in a survey supported by our IGLTA Foundation last year, and it has only grown stronger as restrictions have continued.

We’ve all been dreaming of the big vacation we can take safely when the coast is clear— but it’s becoming more and more evident that this pandemic won’t be “magically disappearing” anytime soon. We at IGLTA believe that there’s no time like the present to start prioritizing travel in our lives again, even for trips that might not happen right away.

The new set of travel variables before us may feel daunting or even overwhelming, but it’s important to remember that many facets of

travel are still within our control. In fact, while airlines, hotels, and other travel entities have imposed some new restrictions, they’ve also relaxed many others, and in general are much more lenient in terms of rebookings.

If it’s been a while since you’ve worked with a travel advisor — or even if you never have at all — now is an excellent time to do so, since they can not only help you navigate the latest pandemic-related travel landscape but also assist you with keeping abreast of always-shifting national laws surrounding LGBTQ issues.

As our members from all over the world come together this week for networking and education at our 37th annual convention in Atlanta, we eagerly look forward to experiencing your wonderful city and its world-famous hospitality. Our opening reception takes place at the Georgia Aquarium and our legendary Voyage fundraiser for the IGLTA Foundation will happen at the Delta Flight Museum. Our 2021 IGLTA Honorees will include Atlanta Black Pride Weekend, which will receive our 2021 Pathfinder Award.

Our speakers will include esteemed Atlanta LGBTQ trailblazers and leaders, and on Saturday during our annual Volunteer Event, our members will safely spread out across the city to donate their time to community service organizations like AID Atlanta and AHF. We hope to meet you soon, whether it’s this week in Atlanta, or in some distant corner of the globe as we travel safely in the days to come.

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NEWS BRIEFS Staff reports Read these stories and more online at thegavoice.com Atlanta Pride Cancels In-Person Events for 2021 Amid the exponential COVID-19 case growth in Georgia and the ongoing public health emergency, The Atlanta Pride Committee (APC) has announced that they have canceled the Atlanta Pride Festival and Parade scheduled for October 9-10, 2021.

The Board of Directors along with the Executive Director, Jamie Fergerson, consulted with Atlanta Pride Medical Directors, Dr. Jason Schneider, and Dr. Eliot Blum, as well as renowned and internationally respected public health expert Dr. Carlos del Rio, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, leaders of local hospital systems, and other public health officials. After these consultations a review of public health data and confirming the City of Atlanta’s moratorium on issuing Class ‘A’ permits, the organization made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 Atlanta Pride Festival and Parade.

In the interim, APC asks everyone to do their part by getting vaccinated, wearing a mask, and following all public health guidances so we can gather together for the Atlanta Pride Celebration in 2022.

Fantasy Fest Parade and Street Fair in Key West Canceled Key West’s Fantasy Fest parade and street fair on Duval Street will not take place this year to protect against the potential spread of COVID-19 and its variants.

Organizers stressed the overall October 2231 festival and many of its scheduled events will continue, while encouraging attendees to abide by COVID protection protocols.

“Fantasy Fest will look different this year, but it is not canceled,” said festival director Nadene Grossman Orr. “Signature events like the Headdress Ball and Pet Masquerade are still planned, and there will be plenty of individual masquerade parties and other festival favorites to enjoy.”

Both the parade and street fair typically draw tens of thousands of people to Key West’s historic downtown. Fantasy Fest was 6 News Briefs September 10, 2021

Atlanta Pride

FILE PHOTO BY ROB BOEGER

established in 1979 and has since earned international acclaim for its pageantry, lavish parade floats and themed costume parties.

Grossman Orr said the event schedule at fantasyfest.com is to be updated in coming days and urged people to check it regularly. The festival’s COVID-19 policy can be viewed at fantasyfest.com/covid-19-safety-protocols/.

Out Front Theatre Announces 2021-2022 Schedule After more than a year of offering digital streaming content, Out Front Theatre Company is returning with in-person performances for the 2021-2022. The LGBTQ theatre just announced the schedule for this season.

“We are a very fortunate company to have made it through the last year, and we’re very excited to have the opportunity to return to the stage this season,” Paul Conroy, the founder and Producing Artistic Director of Out Front, said in a press release. “The Out Front team spent the last year-and-a-half to improve on what we do best, and this upcoming season is the result of that hard work. We are still a young company, but that makes us scrappy and ready to think outside the box on how we tell stories.”

The full 2021-22 schedule includes the following: “Xanadu” (October 21 – November 14, 2021), “The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes” – Holiday Edition (December

10 – 19, 2021), “All the Natalie Portmans” (February 3 – 19, 2022), “When We Last Flew” (March 17 – April 2, 2022), and “Homos, Or Everyone in America” (May 5 – 21, 2022).

Season tickets for the 2021-2022 season are now available and include a flex-pass option for patrons to purchase up to three shows in one package. Single tickets are also available. For more information on Out Front Theatre Company’s upcoming season, visit OutFrontTheatre.org.

New Survey of LGBTQ Southerners is Now Open The Campaign for Southern Equality (CSE) and Campus Pride have announced the launch of the Survey of Southern LGBTQ Experiences, a new research project dedicated to understanding the needs, experiences, and priorities of LGBTQ Southerners.

The survey is available to any LGBTQ person living in the South ages 18 or older in both English and Spanish. It covers a wide range of topics, including LGBTQ-related policies, experiences with coming out and family/community support, conversion therapy, violence, bullying, discrimination, health care, HIV, substance use, and more.

LGBTQ Southerners can find the survey at our website, thegavoice. com/community/new-survey-of-lgbtqsoutherners-is-now-open/.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

TRAVEL

Get Out!

LGBTQ travelers show how to travel safely this fall Ed Salvato, courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association Read the full article online at thegavoice.com.

The surprising data that fully vaccinated people could transmit the coronavirus came shockingly from Provincetown, Massachusetts, with a 90% vaccination rate. Ptown quickly tightened restrictions requiring masking at all indoor locations and proof of vaccine at all entertainment venues — interventions that worked. As of press time, the positivity rate there is much lower than that in much of the rest of the United States and it remains one of our top recommendations this fall and beyond.

Ptown demonstrated a successful response — stressing safety, yet continuing to deliver a deeply satisfying experience.

Read on for our favorite queer-friendly destinations striving to create a safe space for you and strategies for navigating the increasingly complex world of pandemic travel.

Safe, beautiful and fun LGBTQ-friendly destinations, experiences and accommodations beckon whether you seek to recharge your batteries, deplete them, or a little of both.

Safe and Queer Destinations • Provincetown, Massachusetts, is our very own home beyond the rainbow as suggested by this year’s Carnival theme. Book far ahead for popular weeks (July 4, Bear Week, and Carnival), but we recommend visiting outside of the most popular times for a less frantic and more enjoyable stay. There are diverse LGBTQ-oriented events almost every weekend through New Year’s Eve. For more information visit ptown.org and provincetownforwomen.com.

8 Travel September 10, 2021

• Fort Lauderdale and Miami remain the beating heart of LGBTQ-friendly Florida despite the barbaric state-level response causing the Sunshine State to be among the worst-hit in the U.S. by the pandemic.

Fort Lauderdale has been world-renowned for its authentic and inclusive vibe for all visitors since 1996. Over 1,000 local businesses have taken the Safe & Clean Pledge. Likewise, Miami has implemented the Greater Miami Travel Guidelines and Destination Pledge accessible from the destination’s homepage (miamiandbeaches. com/travelguidelines) outlining how safety measures are being implemented throughout the community.

• Puerto Rico is the undisputed LGBTQ capital of the Caribbean, enticing visitors with reliably warm, sunny weather and a sincere outreach to queer travelers. Despite unfortunate, highly publicized attacks on local transgender people, Puerto Rico boasts a visible and vibrant trans community and nightlife options that specifically cater to queer and nonbinary folks. This helps create a safer and more comfortable environment than other warm-weather destinations in the Caribbean or Mexico, which lack venues for a trans community that mostly lives in hiding.

For more information, visit discoverpuertorico. com/things-to-do/lgbtq-travel.

• Philadelphia makes for a fun urban weekend getaway. Once the kids are back in school and the lines at the Liberty Bell disappear, you’ll find a warm, walkable and LGBTQ-friendly city. Find LGBTQ restaurants, safe nightlife, engaging events and recommendations galore at Visit Philly (visitphilly.com/lgbt). Pro tip: Try to schedule a half day at the Barnes Foundation art collection (barnesfoundation.org).

Philadelphia

PHOTO BY J. FUSCO FOR VISIT PHILADELPHIA

• Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Wait, what? Yep, this charming Midwestern town is our top unexpected recommendation. You’ll find historic cultural venues, a walkable entertainment district with plenty of top-notch live music and theatrical performances, a delectable culinary scene and a truly warm welcome. Find trip-planning recommendations at the destination’s website (tourismcedarrapids.com/lgbtq).

Queer Cruises and Land Vacations Cruises are coming back, and it may be surprising to hear that they are probably the safest vacation you can take. According to Randle Roper, CEO at LGBTQ vacation company, VACAYA, “with cruise lines soon to mandate that all guests and crew members must be vaccinated, cruise ships will be among the very safest locations on the planet — with the entire population vaccinated.

Making sensible choices like masking and social distancing while ashore, cruisers can avoid infection altogether.”

Resort vacations are also safe, with similar universal vaccination requirements and plenty of room for guests to spread out. VACAYA’s big 2021 fall events include their all-inclusive Mexico Resort vacation (October 30– November 6) and their New Orleans Cruise (November 14–22). In 2022, there are only two trips that still have rooms available as of

press time: their Caribbean Cruise (January 10–17) and their all-inclusive Costa Rica Resort (June 5–12). Information and booking are available at myvacaya.com.

Not only will queer tour companies get you there and back safely, “they also can ensure your money is being spent with other welcoming, progressive and even queer business and individuals around the world,” according to Robert Sharp, founder of Out Adventures (outadventures.com). Visit their site to read about their New Year’s Eve trips to Thailand and Cuba and in 2022, their Iceland Winter trip, and four back-to-back Croatia small group cruises, which are starting to sell out.

R Family Vacations is one of our top recommendations for planning an incredibly fun and satisfying tour or cruise in the company of other queer travelers and allies.

In 2022, R Family offers land tours in Thailand and Ireland, an LGBTQ group on board a cruise in Alaska, and a magical allqueer full-ship-charter Uniworld river cruise in Northern Italy, among other trips. For more information, visit rfamilyvacations.com.

New York City-based Ed Salvato is a freelance travel writer, instructor at New York University and the University of Texas at Austin’s NYC Center, and an LGBTQ tourism marketing specialist.

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when freedom rings, answer Philadelphia is calling. Plan your visit.

VisitPhilly.com

pack light plan big for philly

TRAVEL

Southern Spirit: A Queer Vacay in Historic Savannah, Georgia Lawrence Ferber, courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association

Savannah’s Yes Queen! Drag Pub Crawl. My hubby and I were the sole queers participating besides the delightful Venezuela-born queen and aspiring fashion designer leading the tour, Marie Con, and her lowkey boyfriend. It basically entailed Marie creating a loud public spectacle while we searched for her fictitious sugar daddy, Richard (aka “Dick”), stopped at nongay bars for drink specials, and, at her insistence, grabbed each other’s butts to form human centipedes while crossing the street. It was a bit #MeToo and I really wished #TimesUp, but I did cull valuable intel from Marie about the scene and local drag collective, House of Gunt, before fleeing early.

Read the full article online at thegavoice.com.

The ghost of Kevin Spacey haunts this room.

Actually, it’s the ghost of a rich, gay antiques dealer and preservationist, Jim Williams, who Spacey portrayed in the 1997 film, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” although the latter is more likely to impart chills and cringe these days. I’m touring the Mercer-Williams House, one of Savannah’s most famous 19thcentury homes, including the actual study where Williams shot and killed his hustler boy toy, Danny Hansford (played by Jude Law in the movie — I’m sure many queens would welcome his specter), reportedly in self-defense.

Adapted from gay author John Berendt’s bestselling 1994 nonfiction novel, director Clint Eastwood’s movie shined a Hollywood spotlight on Savannah and its quirky denizens, including iconic transgender entertainer The Lady Chablis, who famously played herself, regularly performed at LGBTQ bar Club One, and sadly, passed away in 2016. In 2019, 14.8 million visitors came for Savannah’s mix of historic architecture, gorgeous willowdraped parks, movie locations (including the spot where Forrest Gump sat on a bench babbling inane philosophies about chocolates), a buzzing riverside entertainment zone and live-and-let-live genteel Southern attitude.

Bless their hearts!

Today the lush, compact and walkable port city boasts an even more progressive open queerness. There’s the vibrant Savannah Pride over Halloween weekend, the hipster Starland District, an influx of creative young energy thanks to Savannah College of Art and Design and — being one of America’s most haunted cities — an expanding population of spirits (including the drinkable type at Ghost Coast Distillery).

10 Travel September 10, 2021

Savannah

PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT SAVANNAH

Digging Your Scene: Savannah’s To-Dos To get one’s bearings in Savannah, a tour is well-advised, and there are dozens listed on official tourism website Visit Savannah, from trolley to bicycle to themed walking tours. The latter include Black heritage, food, local indie boutique shopping, ghost/haunted (I’ll get to that later!), and openly gay guide Jonathan Stalcup’s engaging Architectural Tours of Savannah, which we joined and enjoyed.

Stalcup juxtaposes structures and stories with photos of Savannah’s evolving cityscape since its founding in the 1730s by General James Oglethorpe and, as it turns out, some sassy queer facts if you take him aside post-tour.

Many essential attractions are historic, educational and kid-friendly in nature, including the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, Bonaventure Cemetery, and 100-plus-year-old Leopold’s Ice Cream, which draws snaking, hours-long lines of tourists daily for old-timey frozen treats (pro tip: there are two satellite Leopold’s locations at the airport with little to no wait).

Incorporating an antebellum railroad depot in its design, the contemporary SCAD

Museum of Art hosts multidisciplinary, provocative exhibitions by international talents like queer French artist Mehryl Levisse, whose immersive “White Wig,” featuring five sculpted wigs by Parisian drag queens, will be on display through December 12, 2021. Artwork and home goods by SCAD’s own faculty, students and alumni, plus books, accessories and more, fill out sister retail space shopSCAD. Nightlife in the Garden of Good and Evil If you’re a natural at networking, befriending queer locals is well-advised, since even before COVID-19 hit, private house parties were Savannah’s dominant form of local socializing and nightlife for LGBTQs (Grindr and Scruff, we’re giving you the stink eye). Only one LGBTQ bar, the multilevel dancing and drag queen destination Club One, still stands — there are 18 and up nights, a plus for SCAD students — since the delightfully divey Chuck’s Bar closed in 2019.

As with many cities, drag shows have become a magnet for godforsaken decidedly un-gay bachelorette parties and rowdy (albeit ally-ish) heterosexuals. This certainly proved true with

We didn’t flee early, however, from another popular and quintessential Savannah afterdark activity: a ghost tour. Although hoping for the guide known as “Prince,” who styles himself like the iconic late musician, our adults-only Sixth Sense haunted tour was led by the black-clad “Lady Ravenwood,” whose ensemble included an LGBTQ rainbow and a shiny pair of steampunk glasses.

Being a skeptical Scully to my hubby’s I-want-to-believe Mulder, I rolled my eyes as Ravenwood told us of murder victim ghosts and flashed images of blue orbs hovering on her phone, and I begged for a spirit or demon to attach itself to us to spice things up (“Burn sage!” my hubby’s fellow true believer friend texted in a panic). Alas, no blue orbs or demons followed us home, but darned if glowing happy memories of Savannah don’t frequently haunt and beckon us back.

New York-raised entertainment and travel journalist Lawrence Ferber has contributed to publications including Entertainment Weekly, New York Magazine, National Geographic Traveler, The Advocate, NewNowNext, The NY Post and TripSavvy. He also co-wrote/cocreated the 2010 gay romcom “BearCity” and authored its 2013 novelization.

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Find Your Way Home!

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September 10, 2021 The Pink Page 11

TRAVEL

More than Just the White House An LGBTQ-friendly guide to visiting Washington, DC Katie Burkholder Our nation’s capital is best known among tourists for its abundance of American history. With world-famous museums and sites like the Smithsonian, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and, of course, the White House, DC isn’t exactly a hidden tourist gem. However, with a bustling arts scene and active LGBTQ community, the city is more than just museums and monuments.

Must-See Productions DC’s diverse array of theaters has reopened with an amazing lineup of shows, from the spellbinding story of an African American sports legend to the epic musical love story featuring Orpheus, Eurydice, Hades, and Persephone.

Visit the Arena Stage (1101 6th Street SW) to catch a showing of “Toni Stone” from now until October 3. The play follows the inspiring story of the titular Stone, the reallife athlete who was the first woman to play in the Negro Leagues and play professionally in a men’s league in the ’50s. More from Arena includes “Celia and Fidel” on October 8– November 21, set in 1980 as 10,000 Cubans seek asylum at the Peruvian Embassy and Castro, in a fictional conversation with the revolutionary Celia, decides whether to be mighty or merciful.

Productions showing at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (2700 F Street NW) include “Hadestown” October 13–31; a performance produced in collaboration with choreographer Ronald K. Brown and vocalist, composer, and bassist Meshell Ndegeocello October 21–23; and “Come Home: A Celebration of Return” November 6–14, which will feature a musical tribute to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Other shows include “The Amen Corner” 12 Travel September 10, 2021

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC from September 14–26 at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW); “My Lord, What a Night” from October 1–24 at Ford’s Theatre (511 10th Street NW), “Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski” from October 6–17 at the Michael R. Klein Theatre at the Lansburgh (450 7th Street NW); N from October 23–November 20 at the Keegan Theatre (1742 Church Street NW); and “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical” from November 23–December 5 at the National Theatre (1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW).

LGBTQ To Do’s Come into town next month to catch the Miss Adams Morgan Pageant, a Halloween masquerade party and pageant that’s not to be missed. Come in costume and enjoy a night of incredible performances.

Also in October is the Reel Affirmations

Film Festival, the city’s annual LGBTQ film festival (akin to our Out On Film) presenting international, documentary, short, and feature films from all over the world, as well as the 17th Street High Heel Drag Race, a race of 100 or so costumed drag queens drawing in thousands of spectators the Tuesday before Halloween.

When it comes to gay nightlife, DC has a lot to offer. Unfortunately, the DC Eagle, the District’s oldest and largest LGBTQ bar, has permanently closed. But you can still stop by Green Lantern (1335 Green Court NW), where shirtless men can drink for free on Thursdays (yep, you heard us!). Other queer faves include Uproar (639 Florida Avenue NW), a favorite among DC’s bear community, and A League of Her Own (2319 18th Street NW), a neighborhood bar catering to queer women.

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / ERIK COX PHOTOGRAPHY

Where to Stay According to Queer In the World, a website dedicated to curating LGBTQ travel guides for the world’s most fabulous destinations, DC’s most LGBTQ-friendly stays include Kimpton Carlyle Hotel Dupont Circle (1731 New Hampshire Avenue NW), Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square (806 15th Street NW), and The Hay-Adams (800 16th Street NW).

For the environmentally conscious, goDCgo has a Hospitality Ambassadors Program that recognizes hotels and lodging for their commitment to sustainability, with levels from Bronze to Platinum. You can find a list of ambassadors on their website, godcgo.com.

For more information on Washington, DC, tourism, visit washington.org. To keep up to date with DC’s LGBTQ news, visit WashingtonBlade.com.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

TRAVEL

Your Day in the A: Highlights from Destination Gay Atlanta, out now!

Katie Burkholder

The extensive breakfast menu is available until 1pm. Monday–Saturday and includes Smoked Gouda Grits, Hot Maple Quinoa Cereal, and delicious gluten-free Buttermilk Pancakes.

Welcome to Atlanta! Whether you’re a tourist, visitor, or a longtime ATLien, this great city has a slew of LGBTQ-friendly activities and attractions for you to enjoy. That’s why we publish Destination Gay Atlanta (DGA) every year. This annual travel guide details everything you need to know about LGBTQ Atlanta: the best restaurants, shopping, hotels, events, venues, theaters, gyms, and attractions, plus a list of LGBTQ-owned businesses in the city, a rundown of our favorite gayborhoods, and so much more.

You can pick up a copy of Destination Gay Atlanta in hotel lobbies across Atlanta or at Boy Next Door Menswear (1447 Piedmont Avenue NE) or read it online at thegavoice.com/ destination-gay-atlanta. For now, allow us to plan your day in the A with some of our favorite LGBTQ-friendly picks from this year’s DGA.

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After your belly is full, spend your afternoon shopping. Visit Charis Books and More in Decatur (84 S Candler Street) to find your newest read. Charis is the oldest independent feminist bookstore in the South and offers a huge collection of feminist and queer fiction and nonfiction.

If you’re doing a day in Atlanta right, it starts with breakfast (or brunch — get your beauty sleep!) at MetroFresh (931 Monroe Drive; 1360 Peachtree Street). This LGBTQ-owned spot is perfect for starting your day off fresh and affordably.

Then swing by Little Five Points, the stomping grounds of Atlanta’s artsiest folk.

While there, pick up your favorite album on vinyl at Criminal Records (1154 Euclid Avenue NE) or Wax’n’Facts (432 Moreland Avenue NE), a secondhand fashion find from Rag-O-Rama (1111 Euclid Avenue NE), and a funky graphic T-shirt from The Junkman’s Daughter (464 Moreland Avenue NE).

Satiate your appetite after your shopping spree with lunch at Henry’s Midtown Tavern (132 10th Street NE). Owned by proud LGBTQ Atlantan Maureen Kalmanson, this spot is perfect for eating al fresco on its huge deck. We suggest starting the meal off with the delectable Deviled Eggs as an appetizer.

Take a midday nap to rest up for a night of theater, cuisine, drinks, and partying.

Enjoy a gourmet Southern dinner by out chef Deborah VanTrece at Twisted Soul Cookhouse and Pours (1133 Huff Road NW, #D) before catching an LGBTQ show at Out Front Theatre Company (999 Brady Avenue NW). Stop for a drink and a game of pinball or Mortal Kombat at the uber fun and LGBTQ-owned Joystick Gamebar (427 Edgewood Avenue) before partying the night away at Atlanta’s newest gay club, 840ATL (840 Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard).

September 10, 2021 Travel 13

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

(bik-TAR-vee)

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:  Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months, and may give you HBV medicine.

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:  Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.  Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that may have been hidden in your body. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.  Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.  Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.  Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.  The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).

These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains:  dofetilide  rifampin  any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider if you:  Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.  Have any other health problems.  Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.  Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:  Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.  BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other.

Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

GET MORE INFORMATION  This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.  Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5  If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, KEEP ASPIRING, and LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: February 2021 © 2021 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0369 04/21

BVYC0369_BIKTARVY_B_10X10-5_GeorgiaVoice_Dimitri_r1v1jl.indd All Pages

DIMITRI LIVING WITH HIV SINCE 2018 REAL BIKTARVY PATIENT

KEEP ASPIRING.

Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

BIKTARVY® is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

See Dimitri’s story at BIKTARVY.com.

Featured patient compensated by Gilead.

Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the previous page and visit BIKTARVY.com.

3/31/21 12:27 PM

TRAVEL

Getaway to Cartersville Katie Burkholder Chances are you’re missing out on this secret gem of Georgia. Only 45 minutes outside Atlanta, Cartersville is the perfect spot for a weekend getaway if you’re looking for something easy, close, and tons of fun. From unique museums, beautiful natural scenery, rich local history, to a bustling downtown area equipped with shopping, dinner, and drinks, Cartersville has something for everyone. Check out any (or all!) of these amazing attractions the city has to offer and explore more at VisitCartersvilleGA.org.

MUSEUMS

Bartow History Museum 4 E. Church Street BartowHistoryMuseum.org

Immerse yourself in the history of Bartow County, from Cherokee habitation in the early 19th century to events shaping the area today. The museum is housed in the refurbished 1869 Courthouse building.

Explore exhibits in the feature exhibition gallery; Dellinger Family Gallery; and “The Nook,” a hands-on interactive exhibit complete with an authentic 1940s telephone booth, general store items, and old-fashioned school desk. Tickets are $7 for adults.

The Booth Western Art Museum 501 N. Museum Drive BoothMuseum.org

At 120,000 square feet, this gem is the world’s largest permanent exhibition space for Western art in the world and the only of its kind in the Southeast. The Booth’s permanent collection features Western art, Presidential portraits and letters, and Civil War art, allowing visitors to “See America’s Story” with paintings, sculpture, photography, and artifacts. The current exhibits include CAPTIVATED: Rossin’s Southwest and BEYOND (through September 26), Booth Photography Guild Annual Exhibition (through November 7), and Graham Hobart: Out of Africa and Into the West (through January 23). Tickets are $13 for adults.

16 Travel September 10, 2021

The Booth Western Art Museum Savoy Automobile Museum 3 Savoy Lane SavoyMuseum.org

Savoy is a car lover’s dream! Explore the history of automobiles in this brand-new museum including 65,000+ square feet of four exhibition galleries, presentation theater, and on-site café, plus a 30,000+ square-foot storage garage and outdoor pavilion fit for car shows, concerts, cruise-ins, swap meets, and more. Opening soon.

Tellus Science Museum 100 Tellus Drive TellusMuseum.org

Tellus is a world-class natural history and science museum spanning over 120,000 square feet. The museum features four main galleries — the Weinman Mineral Gallery, the Fossil Gallery, Science in Motion, and the Collins Family My Big Backyard — along with a 120-seat digital planetarium and an observatory with a state-of-the-art 20-inch telescope. Tickets are $17 for adults.

OUTDOOR ATTRACTIONS Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site 813 Indian Mounds Road

PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

GaStateParks.org/ EtowahIndianMounds

This major Mississippian Period Cultural Center was home to several thousand Native Americans from 1000 to 1500 A.D. and is now one of Cartersville’s most popular attractions. Explore the Etowah Archaeological Museum before taking in the sights atop the site’s largest mounds, which stand at 63 feet tall and cover three acres.

Admission is $6 for adults.

Old Car City USA 3098 U.S. Route 411 OldCarCityUSA.com

Old Car City is a 34-acre classic car junkyard, the largest known in the world. Find more than 4,000 rusted cars, including Elvis Presley’s last automobile, and the owner’s extensive Styrofoam cup folk art collection along six miles of walking trails. Admission without a camera is $20 and with a camera is $30, cash only.

SHOPPING AND FOOD

4 Way Lunch Corner of Main Street and Gilmer Street

Exploring the history of Cartersville doesn’t have to be limited to museums; visit 4 Way Lunch to experience Georgia’s

oldest restaurant without a telephone. This simple diner opened way back in 1931 and continues to please customers with its delicious burgers and hot dogs.

Downtown Cartersville Entertainment District Church, Main, Erwin, and Tennessee streets

Looking for a fun weekend out while you’re visiting? The Entertainment District is the place to be! Grab yourself an adult beverage to go from one of the district’s chef-owned eateries and bars to enjoy while you stroll and shop. Open container is only available Thursdays–Saturdays and restricted to drinks served in Entertainment Districtapproved cups — no BYOB! Largos 214 E. Cherokee Avenue Largos214.com

This brand-new farm-to-table dining experience brings the fresh tastes of Northern California wine country to Cartersville. Savor a menu that includes Confit Duck Leg, Grilled Watermelon and Salmon Salad, Pulled Pork and Goat Cheese Crostini, and Soy Togarashi Trout.

Reservations are accepted.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

MARÍA HELENA DOLAN REELING IN THE YEARS

Remembering 1987 María Helena Dolan

with a flawless shell and just-out-of-the-cow ricotta, making a believer out of you.

It’s after the 1987 March for Lesbian and Gay Rights, and all the queers have gone home.

But really, I was thinking about the civil disobedience. We’d had a full morning of training and were assigned to affinity groups.

Groups needed names, mine was “Shameless Hussies.” One young lady was an ACT-UP activist in New York, another a lesbian mother from the Midwest, the third from Vermont, the fourth a student at Amherst. Crazy — I happen to attend Boston’s Pride parade in 1988, one among 30,000 other marchers, and an attractive young lady approaches me, pointing her finger, asking, “Wasn’t I arrested with you?” Great come-on line. “Yes ma’am.”

About a week after the march, I have dinner with my supportive-but-very-conservative parents at Murphy’s. My father likes the wine list, and Madre loves the desserts. I am in accord with both of them.

They ask how it all was, meaning ‘some outstanding color, where you stayed, what you ate, that sort of thing.’

But yes, it was serious. We massed at the base of the court steps and spread out into the shadows. As the first civil disobeyers were dragged out, hands zip-tied behind their backs, some cops placed white gloves over their hands.

Ooh, people got pissed. Chants of ‘’Your gloves don’t match your shoes!’’ started up.

“Well, it felt incredible. Just the energy from all those people! They say 500,000 people viewed the AIDS Quilt on the National Mall. I have my press pass, so I climbed the overlook tower: as far as the eye could see, the panels just went on and on. I cried. My girlfriend took the photos. It was beautiful and it was heartbreaking.”

I shake myself. “Uh, I think it was more like 300k at the March. We filed past the White House — and you know RayGun has done nothing for this emergency.” I put up my hand. I do not want to hear any swirled shit about “the mother fucking President,” as Whoopi Goldberg called him. Whoopi pushed a brother in a wheelchair the whole length of the march, which seemed to have no end. But there was a lot of high- and lowminded stuff in between.

Poor Alan Schindler’s mother carried a color 8x10 framed picture of her murdered son. I was one of many who ran up and hugged her and told her how sorry we were for her loss.

I don’t mention this.

“You know, we stayed in Charlottesville …”

Madre claps her hands and, wide-eyed, asks, “Did you go to Monticello?” We are garden 18 Columnist September 10, 2021

March for Life poster

A police captain circulated through the arresting pas de deux masses, quietly but forcefully saying, “Keep your opinions to yourselves.”

COURTESY PHOTO

sluts, loving to tour wherever we can.

“Well of course. Why would we stay there otherwise? We were at this great bed and breakfast in an 18th century house, with afternoon cookies and open bar, and handbaked muffins in the morning.”

“We spent an entire afternoon at Monticello.

I brought you a plant chart.”

“Great!”

I say nothing about a house built on slavery nor the fathering of enslaved children and on and on. This isn’t the moment for a history lesson.

“And it was crazy getting arrested …”

Forks are thrown down, sour expressions

appear, and Madre grits her teeth as she says, “Oooh, why did you tell us? We didn’t want to know!”

“Well Madre …”

I mentally return to the dinner. “Well, we were placed in buses. And I contributed my C note to the D.C. system. It was either that or serve 60 days.” Madre’s eyes widen considerably, and my father asks, “Do you need any money?”

“No!” Well, shit.

“Okay. I will say that we went to an Italian restaurant run by Neapolitans. We thought we’d been transported to the Bay of Naples.

Linda’s Italian, she said it was as good as anything she ever had in Italy.”

My mother, who is Italian American and grew up with Amalfians and Bay of Naples people, had a tear in her eye as I described a cannoli

“Naw, I’m good. Oh — my girlfriend and some of our Atlanta comrades greeted me when I was released, and we all walked over to Chinatown for dinner. It was close, and the food was great.”

There is considerable eye rolling. But I’m used to it.

Good dinner though. Like that hummingbird cake. Madre always says, “I can feel it going right to my hips.” But she never turns it down. Me neither.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

BUCK JONES THE FRENCH CONNECTION

Voyage, Voyage A local’s guide to traveling France Buck Jones It was 1987, and I was “studying” French at a language school in the middle of France.

The truth is I was a horrible student, and instead of taking my French lessons seriously I ventured off to visit local chateaux that dotted the villages surrounding the small provincial town of Tours. Playing on the radio at the time was a French song that perfectly captured my sentiment from that summer of discovery — “Voyage, voyage” by Desireless.

It’s a catchy dance number that worked its way up the European music charts that year, and the lyrics sung by the French singer beckon the listener to travel, visiting all of the vastness of the world. For this budding globetrotter from a small town in South Carolina, it was a tantalizing siren call.

Today, I call France my home. After sixteen years of living in Paris, there are still many places left for me to discover in this diverse country. For many, the first thing that comes to mind when they think of France is wine and cheese, and in this case, the cliché rings true. The French take their wine and cheeses très seriously. But there is also an abundance of regional cuisines and delicacies that make traveling outside of Paris a wonderful adventure.

Take, for instance, Bretagne, or Brittany, as it is called in English. The home of the crêpe and cider, this charming region juts out from the rest of the mainland of France as if reaching for its Celtic neighbors in Ireland and Wales, which is actually not far from the truth. It got its name from the exiled tribes of Britons who fled England when overrun by the invading Angles and Saxons in ancient times. Today this rocky, windswept region is home to charming hilltop villages that overlook the Atlantic and has some of the oldest historical sites in Europe dating back to the 5th century B.C. With its own unique language that is a cousin of Celtic 20 Columnist September 10, 2021

Phare du Petit Minou in Plouzane. Brittany, France.

Irish (breton), Bretagne is a distinct country within a country.

Similarly, in the southwest near Spain is the Basque country of France. Perhaps its most famous city is Biarritz, with its worldrenowned surf culture thanks to the significant waves that barrel in over the continental shelf on the Atlantic seabed. With its sunny, warm climate and easygoing lifestyle, Basque country is the home of tapas — delightful finger foods that are offered at sundown.

There a visitor can fill a plate with a variety of local delicacies; usually each one is around a Euro each ($1.20) and a veritable feast for those on a budget — even better when paired with a delicious glass of chilled sangria. As for understanding the Basque language, good luck. It is its own unique tongue unlike any other known language in Europe, its origins still a mystery to language scholars.

Continuing our tour of the Hexagon, as the French call their six-sided country, is the region most Americans are familiar with when they think of France outside of Paris.

Provence is in the southeastern corner next to Italy, and was originally colonized by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Indeed, the extensive remnants of those civilizations are omnipresent in the region, with the cities of Nimes, Arles, and Orange having the most impressive reminders of their ancient origins.

Vast aqueducts, imperial temples and baths, even massive theaters and arenas that rival

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

what one can find in Rome and North Africa are popular tourist sites. Of course the local wine vineyards are world-renowned as well, as is the fresh, seafood-rich “Mediterranean diet” that Provençale cooking promises.

But my favorite place in France is Paris.

Whether a first-time visitor or someone who frequents the City of Lights often, the best way to experience Paris is from a traditional sidewalk café. The terrasse is a quintessential Parisian experience. From that three-foot-by-three-foot piece of real estate you are renting, you can enjoy the human comedy (or tragedy) that is unveiled before you while sipping your wine or enjoying a breakfast croissant and espresso.

Finding your own little café is part of the fun of exploring the city. Each neighborhood has its own distinct personality, with some more bustling that cater to a midday business crowd and others slightly more relaxed, only coming to life once the sun has crept behind the surrounding buildings and what passes for smiles emerge on the local Parisian faces.

My personal recommendation is to explore the neighborhood of Montorgueil and the streets and byways emanating from the Marais on the right bank of the Seine, or if you find yourself on the left bank, the charming, winding walk between Saint Sulpice and the Odéon on Saint Germain des Près is among my favorites.

Save a spot for me on the terrasse.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

September 10, 2021 Ads 21

DANTE RHODES THE GAYLY DOSE

Queer Art: Participating is the First Step to Appreciating “Queer visibility in art is vital to our forward movement as a society.

We as a society are built on the foundation of people seeking inspiration from those who seem familiar to them and appear to share the same experiences.”

Dante Rhodes, Co-Host, The Gayly Dose Being queer in today’s society comes with many setbacks and hurdles. While we have made strides forwars, there is so much work left to do to break down the hateful infrastructure built into the world we live in. This infrastructure contributes to an overall lack of support not only for the things we do, but for the things we produce. Whether it’s getting overlooked for a promotion, getting chosen last to participate in a game, or simply being unrecognized, it has been shown to us time and time again that we still get the short end of the stick more often than not.

This treatment easily gets passed on to the art community as people often view queer art with an expression I refer to as “freak goggles.” Instead of seeing the beauty in it, they view it as taboo or unnecessary. This diminishing view of art is not only harmful in the present, but it suppresses the ability for the next generation of queer people to see and understand those who came before them. This is shown in our current social landscape; we love and admire so many artists from generations past, but they couldn’t express their true, queer identity.

Queer visibility in art is vital to our forward movement as a society. We as a society are built on the foundation of people seeking inspiration from those who seem familiar to them and appear to share the same experiences.

It’s not being unapologetically queer merely for the sake of expression, but in a way that passes the torch to the next LGBTQ creative.

Prism, a Shutterstock Employee Resource Group, put it best: “Many works from queer 22 Columnist September 10, 2021

art to use on it. It is important that we use these resources to our advantage because when one of us wins, we all do in some way.

Queer visibility in art is vital to our forward movement as a society.

Until queer art is celebrated in the same way that all art is, there is an increased need for our community to rally around to ensure they receive their due respect.

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / MONKEY BUSINESS IMAGES

artists came to be thanks to strong support systems, something consumers today can help contribute to by seeking out the work of LGBTQ photographers, illustrators, videographers, graphic designers, and more. By supporting members of the queer community in their artistic endeavors, consumers and customers can both support a marginalized group as they create art from a unique perspective, and also aid in maintaining their individual livelihood.”

For anyone curious as to how you can support queer art: Be Social!

The easiest way to become a patron is to share someone’s artwork on social media. In the digital age, we have digital art. Whether it’s graphic design or animation, sharing not

only provides a chance to inspire and gain traction, but reposting increases exposure and garners potential clients. This is a direct contribution to their creative space and contributes to their sustainability as a human being. This can enhance the sense of connection between you and the artist and that is invaluable.

Buy It! There’s also the opportunity to support queer in the fiscal sense. We spend so much on frivolous things, but redirecting just some of our spending could move mountains for queer artists in any space. Instead of buying a T-shirt from a fast fashion company, support a smaller queer-owned fashion line like MCE Creations. Buying a new phone case?

There are queer artists who design incredible

Prism sums it up best: “In an ideal world, all queer art would sit on the same pedestal as artwork produced by a straight artist. Just like their straight counterparts, LGBTQ artists have stories to tell, which is why their vision and the resulting art has and always will matter.”

Dante (@thedanterhodes) is the Founding Chief Host and Lifestyle Editor of The Gayly Dose, an Atlanta-based podcast hosted by an all-gay cast. Unique in its mission and follow-on format, weekly episodes are known for their real conversations about things that matter to the community and their listeners.

Purposefully candid and brutally honest, the cast speaks on a range of topics including monogamy, body issues, coming out, dating apps and growing up gay in the church. Listen at thegaylydose.com.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

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September 10, 2021 Ads 23

A&E SPOTLIGHT

The All-Star Tell-All Kylie Sonique Love reflects on the sixth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars” and her win

from earlier seasons faltering when they get to “All Stars,” but you obviously didn’t have that problem. Did you experience any difficulty at all adjusting to “All Stars” after more than a decade of being off of “Drag Race”?

I had to pack my memories of season two up and throw it out and not even claim it. Both I and the show are so completely different since then. Like I said, I just wanted to be sure I was in a good place mentally and physically so that whatever happened I could take it on without any hesitation.

Katie Burkholder Eleven years ago, Kylie Sonique Love (then known simply as Sonique) made history when she came out as transgender, becoming the first competitor on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” to do so. Now, the Georgia native has made history again by winning herself a spot in the Drag Race Hall of Fame. She took home the title of All Star at last week’s finale, killing her final lip-sync (with a smooth slip-turnedsomersault save) in an over-the-top spiked holographic gown.

Let’s shift over to the Rudemption twist, which brought back Eureka and made the top four a top five again. What were you feeling when you learned about it?

It was just really cool to see all the girls come back [and lip-sync]. It was just so good to be able to just watch drag again. If you watch the episode, I’m literally smiling the whole entire time. I love drag! I love watching it, and I love how it makes me feel. It makes me feel inspired, and I know if it makes me feel like that, then those girls up there competing to come back to this amazing show are feeling all these emotions. It just made me so happy, because I know what it feels like to want to come back and show who you really are.

I had the immense pleasure of sitting down with Kylie, who divulged all the season’s details — from getting the call to winning the crown and all the twists, obstacles, and self-love in between.

Quotes have been edited for clarity and conciseness.

How were you feeling when you learned you were going to be on “All Stars”?

When I first learned I was going to be on “All Stars,” initially I was excited and then when I hung up the phone reality hit me. I was like, “Oh my god, I have three weeks to prepare for something that’s going to be talked about for the rest of my life.”

We were in the eye of the storm of the pandemic — I was basically living off of everything I had saved up. I was pretty much down to $200 in my account. I had contemplated moving back to Georgia [from L.A.] right before I got the call. But I’ve struggled before in my past. I’ve made it work before, let’s make it work again. I have a pretty good support system, so I reached out to other artists and friends to see if they could help out. I was able to figure it out, but

Kylie Sonique Love

COURTESY PHOTO

having three weeks to prepare was a struggle.

All in all, it was an obstacle, but I’m used to obstacles in my life. Like all the other ones, I got through it.

What do you think was the biggest challenge during the season for you — whether an actual challenge or a personal moment?

I think, for me, my challenge was a mental one. I knew this was something I wanted to come back and do for a very long time.

I just don’t think season two was a [proper] representation of who I see myself as. I wanted to make sure that I was in a good head space.

I would meditate, I would try to be cautious of what I put in my body, I wasn’t smoking

24 A&E Spotlight September 10, 2021

weed, I wasn’t smoking cigarettes, I was eating healthy. I would have notes all up in my hotel reminding me to stay humble and use my voice — because that was something I didn’t get a chance to really do in my initial season — and not let my ego be the driver of the competition for me. What I’ve learned from my past is that whenever I rely on [my ego] and things don’t work out, I tend to beat myself up. That’s not a way to treat myself, especially in a competition.

I really wanted it to be a positive experience for me and for it not to just be a moment, but a movement. I wanted to look back and be proud of everything I did and said.

And it paid off! There’s this trend of girls

One final question, and it’s the obvious one: What does winning and being inducted into the All Stars Hall of Fame mean to you?

For trans people who don’t get to see trans people win in anything in life, to see a trans person win is incredible. It means the world to me, but I gotta keep moving. Winning is temporary.

This is an opportunity for me to try to do all the things I’ve ever wanted to do. There’s so much more I want to do. I want to pay homage to all the people who went out and lived their dreams and didn’t need permission from anybody. We don’t need permission to be ourselves.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

Here’s to the ones who came before.

The trailblazers who wouldn’t take “no” for an answer and forged the path ahead.

Tower celebrates their achievements and raise a glass to the future!

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STEVE WARREN OUT ON FILM

Two-in-One Out On Film Opens Live and Virtually September 23 Steve Warren Read the full article at thegavoice.com.

Directing a festival like Out On Film, happening September 23 through October 3, may sound glamorous and exciting, but there are easier ways to make a living, especially during a pandemic. Just ask Jim Farmer, who’s preparing to launch his second Out On Film of the COVID era, this time at various physical locations as well as online.

“It’s much harder this year,” Farmer said. “We had to learn how to do virtual last year but we were able to. But doing a physical festival as well as a virtual one is basically two festivals in one. The guidelines tend to change a lot, so we are planning a physical event but can switch to an all-virtual one if need be.”

The theatrical engagements, mostly at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema, are still scheduled for most films, but proof of vaccination will be required for admission.

While the virtual aspect expands the festival’s reach without requiring travel, many of the films will only be streamed to the tri-state area of Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama.

Each will stream for seven days after it goes online, but once you start watching one, you’ll have 24 hours to finish it.

More information is available at the Out on Film website, outonfilm.org, where you can buy tickets for in-person and virtual events.

These are my reviews of ten of the festival’s films that I was able to preview.

RECOMMENDED FILMS: FIREBIRD Sept. 23, 7pm, Landmark Midtown Art Cinema; Sept. 24 virtual In some ways we weren’t so different from our Russian enemies during the Cold War. 26 Out On Film September 10, 2021

See You Then

PUBLICITY PHOTO

Firebird is a true story of forbidden gay love in the military, specifically an Air Force base in Soviet-occupied Estonia. Sergey (Tom Prior, who also co-wrote) is a private, weeks away from discharge in 1977, when he’s assigned as aide to a newly arrived lieutenant, Roman (Oleg Zagorodnii), a fighter pilot. They bond over a mutual love of photography and the arts, and time being limited, it isn’t long before the lieutenant gets into the private’s privates. The story continues over five more years. It’s beautifully filmed, with the international cast speaking Russian-accented English. The attitude toward gays took me back to my days in the U.S. Army, but I never found my Roman there.

that hour is the heart of this first feature by director and co-writer Mari Walker, and her execution sold me. Kris (Pooya Mohseni) and Naomi (Lynn Chen) were lovers for three years in college, before Kris transitioned.

Kris left Naomi without a word 16 years ago, and they haven’t seen each other since. Now Kris, in L.A. from Phoenix for a conference, invites Naomi, who’s married with two kids, to get together and catch up. Their catching up catches us up on their story, their time together, and their lives since. The drama, when it arrives, is less satisfying than the more casual moments, perhaps because we’ve become attached to the women and don’t want unhappiness in their lives.

SEE YOU THEN Sept. 24 virtual

INVISIBLE: GAY WOMEN IN SOUTHERN MUSIC Sept. 25, 6:30pm, Landmark Midtown Art Cinema; Sept. 26 virtual

The idea of eavesdropping for an hour on a conversation between two women I don’t know is not a big selling point for me. But

When I read that Invisible was about lesbians

who had written hits for country music stars, I thought it would make an interesting article – but a film? No way. Was I wrong! Not only has gay filmmaker T.J. Parsell made the topic cinematic, but he’s found enough interesting material to fill a book. Subjects include k.d. lang, who quickly crossed over to pop after starting her career in country; Chely Wright, who had some #1 hits until she hated the closet so much she almost shot herself; Cidny Bullins, who was androgynous rocker Cindy Bullins before transitioning at the age of 61; and Pam Rose, often partnered with Mary Ann Kennedy as Kennedy Rose. Their stories and many others make this a treasure trove of detail for country music fans and LGBTQ activists with an interest in the arts.

BOULEVARD: A HOLLYWOOD STORY Sept. 26, Noon, Landmark Midtown Art Cinema; Sept. 27 virtual CONTINUES ON PAGE 27 TheGeorgiaVoice.com

STEVE WARREN OUT ON FILM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

the car she’s offered to give him. While there, he forges a check on her account. Russell, who once hoped to be an actor, works occasional drag gigs as “Fishy Falters.” The film is as ambiguous about drag as it is about Russell, featuring several numbers that are highlights. Both lead actors rise above the material but make you wish it was better.

Those of us who have been showbiz queens forever are always surprised to hear new stories about old favorites or a new twist on an old story. Leave it to Jeffrey Schwarz, who reveals how a gay couple, Dick Hughes and Richard Stapley, hooked up with the iconic Gloria Swanson and almost beat Andrew Lloyd Webber to Broadway by 40+ years with a musical version of Swanson’s Sunset Boulevard. By the mid-’50s, Stapley’s MGM contract had run out and Swanson, who hadn’t made many films since the birth of talkies, had only made one since her signature role of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. It was her idea to bring Norma to the stage in a musical, and she proposed it to the young men when they offered her a role in another show they’d written. We follow Schwarz as he plays detective in search of the details, including old interviews with the deceased principals.

RAW! UNCUT! VIDEO! Sept. 27, 9pm, Landmark Midtown Art Cinema; Sept. 28 virtual

REBEL DYKES Sept. 28, 7pm, Landmark Midtown Art Cinema; Sept. 29 virtual The mostly English women in Rebel Dykes are lesbians who came out during or shortly before the reign of Margaret Thatcher (1979-90), who rained on the parade of LGBTQ people despite being Britain’s first female prime minister. The rebel dykes were the most active of activists and partied hard at Chain Reaction, where there were live sex shows and mud wrestling, as well as dancing to punk music, some from allfemale bands. This documentary combines the recent memories of many of the women involved with some clever animation and film and video clips of the era. Though some pioneering claims sound dubious, there’s plenty of good information amid nostalgia that will be revelatory for many.

POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA Oct. 2, 8pm, Out Front Theatre Company; Oct. 3 virtual For over half an hour, I kept wondering whether Potato Dreams of America would just be my favorite film of the festival or my favorite of the year. It’s bright, creative, satirical and full of surprises. Potato (Hersh Powers) is obviously gay as he approaches adolescence in 1985 Vladivostok, when TheGeorgiaVoice.com

Landlocked

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the Soviet Union is beginning to crumble.

Liberals like his mother, Lena (Sera Barbieri), exult at the possibility of new freedoms, while conservatives like his grandmother (Lea DeLaria) prefer things the old way. Lena signs up with a mail-order bride company and is eventually chosen by John (Dan Lauria). She (now Marya Sea Kaminski) and Potato (Tyler Bocock) move to America, the source of movies they’ve loved, even when they had to watch them in secret.

The midsection descends into melodrama, but the beginning and end are worth seeing.

LANDLOCKED Oct. 3, 2pm, Out Front Theatre Company; Oct. 4 virtual No one speaks in haste in Landlocked, a very Georgia film directed and co-written

by Macon-born Timothy Hall. Nick (Dustin Gooch) hasn’t seen his father – now a woman, Briana (Delia Kropp) – in 23 years. They haven’t spoken since, but when his mother

dies, Nick contacts Briana and, at his wife’s urging, invites her to go along to St. Simons Island to spread his mother’s ashes. Once Nick and Briana get together on their road trip, the pace picks up and the rest of the film moves reasonably. Kropp won me over a lot faster, making my feelings toward the film do a 180 and helping me understand why awards groups are starting to drop the gender restrictions for their acting categories.

FLAWED, BUT INTERESTING: JUMP, DARLING Sept. 24, 7pm, Landmark Midtown Art Cinema; Sept. 25 virtual I wouldn’t have missed one of Cloris Leachman’s last performances, and she doesn’t disappoint as the nonagenarian grandmother of Russell (Thomas Duplessie).

The script stacks the deck against Russell, making him difficult to like. He walks out on his longtime lover, who’s apparently been supporting him, to visit Grams and collect

When you hear there’s a documentary about a company that made gay fetish videos between 1985 and 1997, does it pique your interest because: 1) it may be well made artistically; 2) it could be of value historically and nostalgically; or 3) PORN!!!? I’ll admit I went into Raw! Uncut! Video! as a three, but I came away a two. Even though the film shows more cocks than I’ve seen in one place since a party decades ago, because of the context the only thing they aroused was my curiosity.

Former Drummer editor Jack Fritscher and Mark Hemry, his husband of nearly 40 years, formed Palm Drive Video to make videos that not only appealed to fetishists but also portrayed safe sex at the height of the AIDS crisis. Comments from former “models” in the videos and others make some good points about the need to preserve even the least easily assimilated aspects of our history.

DISAPPOINTING: THE SIXTH REEL Sept. 24 virtual Cinephiles and bitchy queens may be drawn to this new film starring Charles Busch, who co-wrote and -directed with Carl Andress.

They should leave disappointed. Jimmy (Busch) is “a small-time dealer in movie ephemera … more notorious than admired,” who discovers the last reel of a “lost” Lon Chaney film amid the hoarded junk of a deceased author and film critic. His niece (Julie Halston) is with Jimmy when he finds it; and soon there’s a fight to decide whether to preserve the film and show it to the world or sell it for a profit to a collector who might lock it away forever. A serious story could be written about this preservation vs. capitalism topic. Busch has decided to go for comedy instead, but for all the laughs he elicits he needn’t have bothered.

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JIM FARMER ACTING OUT

Acclaimed LGBTQ Stage Musical ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ Becomes New Film Jim Farmer Like most 16-year-olds, Jamie New has dreams.

His are a little different from his classmates’, however; he fantasizes about becoming a drag queen.

The new film, “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie,” opening September 10 in Atlanta, is based on the celebrated stage musical of the same name with music by Dan Gillespie Sells and book and lyrics by Tom MacRae. It stars Max Harwood as the titular character.

Harwood, Lauren Patel (who stars as Jamie’s best friend Pritti Pasha) and director Jonathan Butterell recently visited Atlanta for a screening of the film and a press day.

Butterell, who — like Harwood — is out, originated the 2017 stage musical inspired by the 2011 television documentary “Jamie: Drag Queen at 16.” The director watched the documentary and it changed his life. “I watched this 16-year-old working class kid from a community I knew well say, ‘I want to be a drag queen,’” he recalled. “I watched the support of his mother and how his community shifted and allowed a safe space.

I felt I needed to tell this story, and I felt I needed to tell this as a musical. I needed to take it to my home in Sheffield.”

Harwood watched the musical a year before he auditioned and knew and loved the music, so when the opportunity came to audition, he was ready to go. In many ways the actor related to Jamie.

“I grew up not as openly gay, I did not come out until I was about 18, but definitely my head was out of the classroom,” said Harwood. “I was always creative, always wanted to be the star of my own movie.”

Patel was the opposite of Jamie in high school — studious, keeping to herself, and stressing 28 Columnist September 10, 2021

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about exams. Harwood jokes that Jamie and Pritti are like chalk and cheese, balancing each other out. “Jamie probably has more strategy and ideas of how he can do things and Pritti is more logical,” said Patel. “They could both use a little more of each other’s sensibility.”

Growing up in a working-class community as a gay kid, Butterell didn’t have the opportunities Jamie did. “I was a queer kid, quite feminine, and I needed to find a way of expressing myself,” he said. “I had supportive and had loving parents, but I felt like I could not have done [what Jamie does] in school. I did not have any aspirations to be a drag queen. I just wanted to be out there telling stories.”

“Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” was originally set for release last October, but was delayed because of COVID-19 before being sold by Disney to Amazon.

It was vital for the director to have an openly queer and effeminate kid at the center of the story. “Very often that character is not portrayed as the hero of the story; they are often portrayed as the sideline comic character,” Butterell said. “They are the comic relief, or they are the victim. I did not want to do either. I wanted to make sure that the character was not a victim and it wasn’t a coming out story. There are some wonderful coming out stories, but I wanted to tell the story of any young person taking their place in the world.”

The director saw very little positive representation when he was growing up, but he is happy to see that has changed over the years.

In the film Jamie meets Hugo Battersby, a former drag performer (played beautifully

by Richard E. Grant) who provides him

with guidance. Butterell wanted to pay homage to drag queens from another era who risked their lives and did so away from today’s accepting society, one where drag is mainstream. “From Stonewall onwards and before that, I wanted to make sure that story was told,” he said. “I was a young person during that time in the ’80s where there was a law called Section 28, which criminalized the promotion of homosexuality. We had to get on the street to march to say we are valid a part of this society and we had to get out with placards. Drag queens were there and there was such a diversity. I wanted to make sure that story was told too.”

MORE INFO “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” opens September 10 at the Plaza Atlanta and then streams on Amazon Prime September 17.

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MELISSA CARTER THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID

Second Grade Accident Melissa Carter Parents and teachers often set rules for children without giving vital details necessary for the child to know exactly what they mean. Adults take for granted their general knowledge of things that a little kid simply doesn’t understand. When I was little, I was a rule follower, but not one to ask a lot of follow-up questions. So, when I learned you cannot go to the bathroom during class unless it’s an emergency, I left it up to my interpretation to determine what that meant.

One day in second grade, we were asked to work on a project during quiet time. Our desks were rearranged in several patterns during the year, and this time we were in a big square around the room facing the center, with the teacher’s desk as the keystone of the pattern. I suppose that allowed the teacher to check papers more easily inside our seating area. It also meant you only had two people near you for distraction: one to your left and the other to your right.

It was during this time I realized I needed to pee. We were near the end of the school day, so the milk I had at lunch had filled my bladder. Becoming increasingly uncomfortable as time passed, I got up to ask my teacher if I could go to the bathroom down the hall. She told me, “Only if it’s an emergency.”

What exactly is an emergency? I never had the heart to ask anybody that important followup question, because I really didn’t know.

Somehow, I settled on the answer that an emergency was diarrhea or vomit — basically things you couldn’t control. My situation was neither, and I made the dire mistake of nodding and going back to my seat.

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I wasn’t going to be able to hold it until the end of school. I knew it and began to weigh my options. I was sitting by two guys who were paying no attention to me as they were fighting boredom with whatever it took not to catch the teacher’s attention. As I squirmed in my plastic chair, I realized there was a dip in the seat where your butt goes.

If I scooted up toward the front enough, the dip could serve as a catchall for the urine that was aggressively asking me for a place to go.

So that’s what I did. I peed in my seat.

Embarrassment ebbed as sweet relief dominated my thoughts and the pee indeed pooled into my seat as planned.

It’s funny in a panic what you’ll convince yourself of. I was certain no one noticed and proceeded to the sink for a few trips to grab paper towels to soak up and throw away the evidence. Nevermind my soaked pants or any smell that was beginning to catch the attention of those right beside my chair.

We make the joke about what assuming can do to you as an adult, but let’s not forget to communicate exactly what we mean to children and add to their sight words the term “clarify.”

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CLIFF BOSTOCK OLD GAY MAN

Be Nicer to All the Sad Young Men Cliff Bostock Read the full column online at thegavoice.com When I was 21 and just out of college, I took a newspaper job in a Southern Gothic town.

I was dizzy all the time — to the extent I went to the emergency room one day and they told me I had the “common problem” of blood that was too thick. I drove home to Atlanta to see my doctor here, who handed me two prescriptions — one for Valium to curb my anxiety-caused hyperventilation and one that said, “Get out of that hell hole.”

Which I did.

My plan was to enroll in grad school at UGA, so I headed there one day to look for a place to live. I stopped by a tiny weekly newspaper in Oconee County to ask if they needed any part-time help. “We don’t need any part-time help, but you could be editor, if you like.” Sure, why not?

Did I mention that I was married at 20?

My wife, Lulu, wasn’t happy when I rented a small house on a barely traveled road that sat in front of a chicken house three times its size, next to a pasture full of goats. After a year, we moved to Athens, but we soon needed more money. So, we moved to another small town for two years.

My parents said from the start, “You were awarded a fellowship to Yale. We sent you to live in New York, and you were offered incredible jobs. You rejected the fellowship and turned down the jobs. Why are you living in these hell holes?” Honestly, I wasn’t really sure.

When we were living in Athens, Lulu and I went to an Italian restaurant and piano bar every Friday night. One night, the pianist sang the strangely melancholic “Ballad of the Sad Young Men.” I’d never heard it, and I can honestly say very little has ever engulfed me with so much grief so quickly. My blind heart’s yearning suddenly broke into full view.

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The song describes the lonely life of gay men, sitting in a bar, at a time when gay love was all but impossible. It became a gay anthem of grief that paradoxically drove the hedonistic ’70s. The song opened my eyes to myself. I knew my gay “impulses” were forbidden enough to get me into big trouble, but I never understood the toll their denial took on me. Eventually, I realized my entire life was built around avoiding the truth of love.

The song obviously answered my parents’ practical questions. I ran away from Yale, from New York, and much more because I was invariably confronted by my yearning for unlawful love. After I found safety in marriage, I for a time waved this away as impulse — like craving a candy bar now and then. It was two years before I really understood that I married and dragged my wife, an immigrant, to a place where I thought I could hide from everything. It didn’t work, of course. Our marriage ended after barely five years.

Why am I telling you this story? It’s about history. I wrote a column a year ago about the pleasure of nostalgia, constructing memories of what it was like to be gay in years past.

I love that, but it too often comes with the grueling complaints of the elders about the youngsters: They don’t appreciate how hard we worked for the freedom they have. They don’t even know how much incredible fun we had. The bars are all closing so they don’t have any sense of community. They shouldn’t call themselves queer. On it goes, substituting so much toxic amnesia, fabrication, and envy for real inquiry and support.

The story of queer people still often begins in isolation and pain: standing alone on the playground, being bullied, or forced to conform. And, most depressing, we too often treat our own kind, like the queer young, much the way we were treated. That makes us blind as well as old and far from wise.

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