09/29/17, Vol. 8 Issue 16

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GEORGIA NEWS

BeltLine trails, high-rises raising the bar on LGBT establishments Development boots out Jungle, brings new customers to Ansley Square

and then come in and enjoy food and beverages,” Honnewell said.

Mixx, which recently adopted a new logo as well as a new look, redid its front entrance and bar, with upcoming plans to fully develop the outdoor terrace. According to its website, “the patio will be demolished and rebuilt as a fully enclosed dining area. There will be a new smoking area. We will construct a large terrace for outside dining with access to the BeltLine.”

The bar expanded its hours, aims to provide Sunday brunch and refers to its new image as “sort of a 21st century Backstreet.”

Oscar’s and Felix’s are in a slightly different position than Mixx and Burkhart’s. They do not back up to the BeltLine, but are visible to folks who walk out the front of those bars to explore the rest of Ansley Square.

“Everybody’s been talking about making the front of theirs more presentable,” said Chad McDaniel, general manager at Oscar’s, adding he’s been making strategic improvements to the patio as well. “I’m anxious to see if we get a lot more foot traffic. We have seen a lot of new faces come through. I don’t know if it’s because all the bars are doing something different.”

By DALLAS ANNE DUNCAN It’s no secret that real estate in Atlanta is booming. Construction on the BeltLine and residential high-rises combine forces to make major changes to Atlanta’s LGBT culture.

The latest casualty is Jungle, one of the triangle of bars defining gay nightlife on Cheshire Bridge Road. After 13 years, owner Richard Cherskov announced via Facebook that mid-November will mark the final curtain.

“I’ve tried everything to convince our new building owners to renew our lease, but the fact remains that they feel our business is not compatible with the new apartments they are building next door. Curiously, they have decided not to give us an extension during construction. I understand developers have a right to develop, but it still stings,” Cherskov’s statement said.

“Nightlife has changed so much in such a short time, but some things remain comfortingly familiar: the pounding music, the vibrant performers and the thrill of the chase.”

He encouraged Jungle patrons to continue supporting all forms of Atlanta nightlife, bittersweet advice coming from the favorite club.

Jungle isn’t the only club facing difficulties related to development — the owner of The Model T, a LGBT bar located in the Ford Factory Lofts next to the BeltLine’s vanguard, Ponce City Market, fears that rising rent costs combined with a slow customer season could force them out. Model T’s direct pathway access to the BeltLine is cut off due to construction on the new Kroger next door.

“I hate to hear that Model T is having problems, and hopefully a lot of the existing businesses along the BeltLine won’t get displaced as rents go up,” said Don Honnewell, general manager of Burkhart’s.

Addressing the potential Though construction has its critics in LGBT bar owners, it also has fans, notably in the Ansley Square area off of Piedmont www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Ansley Square bar Mixx recently rebranded and began expanding its building. Renovations are complete on the front and there are plans to develop a terrace dining area to entice visitors walking along the BeltLine. (Renderings via Instagram)

Avenue. There, Mixx and Burkhart’s back up to the BeltLine trails, and several gay bars in that shopping center are in the midst of renovations to attract more customers arriving on bike and on foot.

“I could see the potential way back in the early part and I’ve been thrilled about it. I think it’s the best thing to happen to Atlanta in many, many years and that’s exciting, to see the BeltLine just taking on a life of its own and see how the community is coming together more and more,” Honnewell told Georgia Voice. “How it might affect Burkhart’s, I’m looking forward to whatever changes come. I look forward to this section of the BeltLine being developed and I actually visualize down the road more and more of our customers using the BeltLine to get from

either their apartment or condo or wherever they’re at. Being able to come and enjoy themselves and not worry about getting back home since they’re either walking or bicycling, since we do serve alcohol — I’d much rather have our customers walking and being able to walk home.”

Honnewell started implementing the renovation plan about a year ago: rebuilding taller fencing to the patio, improving the overall patio atmosphere and creating a better pathway to the BeltLine.

“We’ve had increased business, but I’m not sure we could attribute it to the BeltLine. Yes, to some extent, because we’ve had some guys come off the BeltLine with their bicycles and we’ve been able to provide a temporary area for them to chain them up,

Ansley bars staying strong “I do believe that the people new to the BeltLine, living and working on the BeltLine, are exploring as I have and it’s just a matter of time before they explore our patio and our business, just because it’s easy and right on the BeltLine,” Honnewell said.

Honnewell said Ansley Square has been owned by the same company for many years.

He was unsure of the exact parameters of Burkhart’s lease in the shopping center, but assured Georgia Voice the business is “solid.”

McDaniel said Oscar’s is on a five-year lease. He said rents have not gone up for the bar either — “knock on wood” — but added increased rent does make sense if there are more new customers and thus increased revenue.

“We have a good relationship with our landlord,” Honnewell said. “The bars — Mixx, Oscar’s, Felix’s — they’ve been great in that they recognize and they appreciate us as tenants. We provide a good nightlife. … We’re spending quite a bit of money making major improvements. We plan on being here for a long time.”

September 29, 2017 News 3

GEORGIA NEWS

November special elections will fill vacated state House, Senate seats More than 20 candidates on ballots in metro Atlanta, Athens

By DALLAS ANNE DUNCAN The next big election cycle isn’t supposed to happen until 2018, but Georgia is less than two months’ shy of several major statewide races to replace elected officials running for higher office.

In the state Senate, Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) left to join the Atlanta mayoral race, and Hunter Hill (R-Atlanta) that of the governor. On the House of Representatives side, former state Reps. Stacey Abrams (D-Atlanta) and Stacey Evans (D-Smyrna) resigned their seats in the General Assembly to make runs for governor; Rep. Regina Quick (R-Athens) left after being appointed to a judgeship in the 10th Superior Court District; Rep. Geoff Duncan (R-Cumming) put his hat in the ring for lieutenant governor; and Rep. Chuck Williams (R-Watkinsville) was pulled to lead Georgia Forestry Commission.

Special elections for those seats will be held in November. Georgia Voice took a look to see who’s in the running for these districts.

Georgia House, 26th District Formerly represented by Duncan, the 26th District is most of northern and eastern Forsyth County. Only three candidates qualified for the race so far: Republicans Marc Morris and Tina Trent, the latter of whom is a political writer, and Democrat Steve Smith, a retail manager.

Georgia House, 42nd District Evans has only one candidate up for her seat, which covers parts of Smyrna and Marietta. Teri Anulewicz, a Democrat from Smyrna, is a consultant who aims to win the spot of the gubernatorial hopeful.

Georgia House, 89th District Abrams, the former House Minority Leader, has four Democrats hoping to pick up where she left off in leading her Atlanta-based district. Bee Nguyen is a nonprofit director, and David Abbott, Monique Keane and Sachin Varghese are attorneys. Nguyen is

There are seven announced special elections coming up to fill seats in Georgia’s state House and Senate. Candidates include openly gay financial counseling supervisor Marckeith DeJesus in the Senate’s 39th District and Bee Nguyen — former staffer for out Rep. Sam Park — and LGBT equality supporter Sachin Varghese in Senate District 6. (Photos via Facebook)

also the former chief-of-staff for openly gay state House Rep. Sam Park (D-Lawrenceville), and she served as his campaign manager during the 2016 election cycle. Both she and Varghese specifically cite standing for equality as an issue of note in their platforms.

Georgia House, 117th District It’s a battle between just two candidates to fill Quick’s spot and represent parts of Clarke, Jackson, Barrow and Oconee counties. Deborah Gonzalez, a Democrat, is an attorney, and Republican Houston Gaines is a public relations consultant.

Georgia House, 119th District Just down the road from Quick’s district is that of Williams, which covers a third of Clarke and the remainder of Oconee County. Four hopefuls declared their desire to take over this seat: Republicans Lawton Lord, a funeral director, project manager Marcus Wiedower and Steven Strickland, director of business development and alliances; and Democrat Jonathan Wallace, a software development manager.

Georgia Senate, 6th District Hill’s district, which incorporates parts of Sandy Springs, Atlanta, Vinings, Smyrna, Oakdale, Fair Oaks and Dobbins, has a packed race.

On the Republican side, real estate agent Charlie Fiveash, attorneys Leah Aldridge and Matt Bentley, businessman and con-

sultant Leo Smith and Kathy Eichenblatt, the chief operating officer for Smart Door & Delivery, all have their hats in the ring.

Democrats in the race are dentist Dr. Jaha Howard, attorney Jen Jordan and Taos Wynn, a nonprofit president and marketing consultant. Jordan, according to her campaign website, was the one to bring a 2015 lawsuit against the Secretary of State’s office after discovering a data breach that affected millions of Georgians.

Georgia Senate, 39th District Fort’s seat over Atlanta, College Park, Union City, East Point and South Fulton is a highly contested district as well. Four Democrats — public service professional Elijah Tutt, paralegal Linda Pritchett, financial counseling supervisor Marckeith DeJesus and Planned Parenthood Southeast’s public policy leader and Democratic Party of Georgia Vice Chair Nikema Williams — challenge Republican commercial real estate broker Nick Carlson. DeJesus, who is gay, specifically lists “LGBT community concerns” on his campaign site as an issue he’s passionate about tackling if elected. Voters may remember his name from the 2016 state House election, where he challenged incumbent Rep. Mable Thomas (D-Atlanta).

Coming up in 2018 Though this November is reserved for special and local elections, including the races for Atlanta mayor, Atlanta School Board and Ful-

ton County Commission, voters may want to start keeping an eye on upcoming races.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, Sec. of State Brian Kemp and state Sen. Michael Williams (R-Cumming) all entered the governor’s race, but did not resign their existing elected spots. All three signed pledges over the summer saying if elected, and if a “religious freedom” bill similar to 2016’s House Bill 757 crosses their desks, they will sign it. This was a change for Cagle, who over the 2017 legislative session said these policies were not a priority anymore.

Also in the governor’s race are Clay Tippins, a Republican businessman, and Libertarian Doug Craig, former chair of the Georgia Libertarian Party.

State Sen. Josh McKoon (R-Columbus), notable in the LGBT community for leading the fight to pass those so-called “religious freedom” bills over the past several legislative sessions, announced in January he won’t run for re-election in 2018. He plans to run for Kemp’s office, but has not left his Senate seat.

And on Sept. 18, lesbian state Rep. Keisha Waites (D-Atlanta) announced she’s resigning her House seat to run for Fulton County Commission chair. It is not clear when the special election to fill her District 60 seat will be held.

For maps to see if these are elections you’re eligible to vote in, please visit www.thegeorgiavoice.com.

4 News September 29, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

In adults with HIV on ART who have diarrhea not caused by an infection IMPORTANT PATIENT INFORMATION This is only a summary. See complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or by calling 1-844-722-8256. This does not take the place of talking with your doctor about your medical condition or treatment.

What Is Mytesi?

Mytesi is a prescription medicine used to improve symptoms of noninfectious diarrhea (diarrhea not caused by a bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on ART. Do Not Take Mytesi if you have diarrhea caused by an infection. Before you start Mytesi, your doctor and you should make sure your diarrhea is not caused by an infection (such as bacteria, virus, or parasite).

Possible Side Effects of Mytesi Include:

Tired of planning your life around diarrhea?

Enough is Enough Get relief. Pure and simple. Ask your doctor about Mytesi.

Mytesi (crofelemer): • Is the only medicine FDA-approved to relieve diarrhea in people with HIV • Treats diarrhea differently by normalizing the flow of water in the GI tract • Has the same or fewer side effects as placebo in clinical studies • Comes from a tree sustainably harvested in the Amazon Rainforest What is Mytesi?

Mytesi is a prescription medicine that helps relieve symptoms of diarrhea not caused by an infection (noninfectious) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Important Safety Information Mytesi is not approved to treat infectious diarrhea (diarrhea caused by bacteria, a virus, or a parasite). Before starting you on Mytesi, your healthcare provider will first be sure that you do not have infectious diarrhea. Otherwise, there is a risk you would not receive the right medicine and your infection could get worse. In clinical studies, the most common side effects that occurred more often than with placebo were upper respiratory tract (sinus, nose, and throat) infection (5.7%), bronchitis (3.9%), cough (3.5%), flatulence (3.1%), and increased bilirubin (3.1%).

Should I Take Mytesi If I Am: Pregnant or Planning to Become Pregnant?

• Studies in animals show that Mytesi could harm an unborn baby or affect the ability to become pregnant • There are no studies in pregnant women taking Mytesi • This drug should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed A Nursing Mother?

• It is not known whether Mytesi is passed through human breast milk • If you are nursing, you should tell your doctor before starting Mytesi • Your doctor will help you to decide whether to stop nursing or to stop taking Mytesi Under 18 or Over 65 Years of Age? • Mytesi has not been studied in children under 18 years of age • Mytesi studies did not include many people over the age of 65. So it is not clear if this age group will respond differently. Talk to your doctor to find out if Mytesi is right for you

What Should I Know About Taking Mytesi With Other Medicines?

If you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicine, herbal supplements, or vitamins, tell your doctor before starting Mytesi.

What If I Have More Questions About Mytesi?

For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

To report side effects or make a product complaint or for additional information, call 1-844-722-8256.

Rx Only Manufactured by Patheon, Inc. for Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. San Francisco, CA 94105 Copyright © Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

For Copay Savings Card and Patient Assistance, see Mytesi.com

Mytesi comes from the Croton lechleri tree harvested in South America.

Please see complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com.

NP-390-14

• Upper respiratory tract infection (sinus, nose, and throat infection) • Bronchitis (swelling in the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs) • Cough • Flatulence (gas) • Increased bilirubin (a waste product when red blood cells break down) For a full list of side effects, please talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.

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.

RELIEF, PURE AND SIMPLE

GEORGIA NEWS

Fenuxe, Peach ATL, Goliath now under same ownership Turnover, lawsuits affect Atlanta’s glossy LGBT media publications

By DALLAS ANNE DUNCAN

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which Peach ATL was a rebrand. It is unclear how much, if any, effect the suit had on the change in ownership, as requests for interviews have not been returned as of press time.

Sawyer, joined by fellow plaintiffs Charles “Chip” O’Kelley and Martin Marshall — known in the gay publishing world as Matt Neumann — sued Thompson in May 2014.

According to the complaint, Thompson seized the assets of David Magazine and transferred them to DRT Media, of which he was the sole owner. The plaintiffs claim Thompson “breached several agreements and transferred assets to avoid fiduciary duties” to them.

The case is ongoing, and most recently Thompson was cited by the court for failing to produce documents regarding those assets, and involvement by the plaintiffs. That led to a court-appointed receiver going out to find what was desired. His report, issued in late August, showed less than $10,000 in now-frozen bank accounts for DRT Media,

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Allegations fly in David Magazine lawsuit Georgia Voice previously reported on a lawsuit involving Sawyer and David Thompson, the owner of the late David Magazine, of

PEACH ATL MEDIA, LLC ,I N

It’s official: Peach ATL Media, LLC, Goliath Media, LLC and Fenuxe magazine are all owned by the same person.

Brian Sawyer, who became listed as the registered agent for the former two earlier this summer, confirmed to Georgia Voice staff last week that he owned all three publications. Fenuxe appears to be a relatively new acquisition: articles of incorporation were filed with the Secretary of State’s office on Sept. 14, with the new company name Fenuxe Magazine Manegement, [sic] LLC. Fenuxe was previously published by TW Media Group, which was administratively dissolved on Dec. 7, 2016, according to the Secretary of State’s office, though the magazine has been continuously publishing since.

Tyler Calkins, owner of TW Media Group, was the publisher/editor-in-chief of Fenuxe, at least as of the Sept. 8 issue.

Sawyer also is the organizer and authorizer for BMSMedia, LLC, which was formed in July and is listed on the Fenuxe website as the design company for the publication.

The new ownership changes came along with most of the staff leaving Peach ATL and Goliath: Most recently, Russ Youngblood, who served a sales role, left that position and now works with Project Q Atlanta, along with former Peach ATL and Goliath Editorial Director Mike Fleming. Fleming co-founded Project Q, and was editorial director of Peach ATL and Goliath until Sept. 8. His departure follows that of William Duffee-Braun, who was publisher and registered agent of the two magazines until Sawyer took over. Art Director Tanner Gill is gone as well.

archived records from David and other publications, computer hardware and web domains as assets of Thompson’s company.

That report also noted billable hours for “receipt and review of Agreement between Sawyer et al and Peach ATL Media LLC.” Attempts to learn what that agreement entailed were unsuccessful as of press time.

The day it all began To get to what led to the lawsuit, we must go back years earlier, to Feb. 8, 2010, when Gaydar Magazine, Inc. was incorporated. A man named Luis Francisco Lopez Rodriquez, also referred to as Luis Lopez, purchased 50 percent of the assets of Gaydar from Grady Odom. Odom, at the same time, transferred his remaining 50 percent to Marshall/Neumann. Shortly thereafter, Sawyer got involved as a part owner. According to court documents, Thompson was aware of the ownership transfers.

Gaydar famously outbid the former Southern Voice staff about a month later for the ownership of their former publication, which shuttered in November 2009 after its parent company filed for bankruptcy. In that transaction, Gaydar also purchased the assets of David Magazine. This put Rodriguez/ Lopez, Marshall/Neumann and Sawyer in charge of Gaydar, David and Southern Voice

by March 2010. At the time, there was a lawsuit involving David Magazine and its printer.

DRT Media was formed in direct result of the lawsuits against David Magazine. When asked in his deposition what the purpose was for forming the company, Thompson responded, “Because David Magazine, Incorporated was damaged … from multiple lawsuits and bad credit. I mean, derogatory credit.”

Sawyer and his plaintiffs allege that Thompson, aware of that lawsuit, then began conniving his way to owning the magazine. He “fraudulently induced Marshall to

6 News September 29, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

GEORGIA NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 sell his shares,” claiming “there were insufficient funds to satisfy the settlement amount due.” However, court documents claim that both David Magazine and Sawyer had enough money to cover that settlement.

“Thompson … deceived Marshall about the available funds and threatened that David Magazine, Inc., would lose David Magazine if Marshall did not transfer his ownership to Thompson in exchange for paying the settlement amount to the plaintiff in the printer litigation,” court documents state.

Marshall/Neumann then created a stock purchase agreement to transfer 100 percent of the David shares to Thompson for $100, which he claims he never received. He was also only a partial shareholder in David Magazine — leading the plaintiffs to charge that the ownership transfer never happened. They further allege that Thompson misled Sawyer into then selling his 25 percent stake for $2,000.

Sawyer also created a severance agreement for David and Southern Voice, requesting payment of $4,546.32. Thompson paid $757.72, then “opposed Sawyer’s claim for unemployment insurance benefits by falsely stating that Sawyer was terminated for misconduct.”

While all this was happening, Chip O’Kelley, another plaintiff in the Sawyer suit, was David Magazine’s chief operating officer. Thompson, according to court documents, entered into an agreement with him for 25 percent ownership in the magazine, “continuing his role … managing the dayto-day operations of David Magazine, including finances, printing, human resources and all management tasks.”

The lawsuit then alleges that because Thompson only paid for (and therefore owned) the 25 percent formerly belonging to Sawyer, and then transferred that 25 percent to O’Kelley, he no longer owned any part of David Magazine — but “converted … and transferred it to DRT Media.”

DRT Media started publishing David Magazine with some slight rebrands, “without the authority of the shareholders,” the lawsuit claims.

Will the real owner please stand up?

Sawyer, O’Kelley, Rodriguez/Lopez and Marshall/Neumann wanted the court to find that they were the rightful owners of Gaydar, Southern Voice and David, and they wanted www.thegeorgiavoice.com

to recoup both attorneys’ fees and the money they claimed to be owed, at least in the cases of Sawyer and O’Kelley. They also wanted it to be noted that David Magazine should have never changed hands to DRT Media in the first place.

Thompson denied the claims, saying in a counter claims document that “plaintiffs are

not entitled to punitive damages,” and that their “rambling facts are so vague, ambiguous, nonspecific and lacking in detail that Defendant cannot reasonably be required to frame a proper responsive pleading.”

In one paragraph, Thompson also says “O’Kelley currently disseminates information on the Internet to this day that he is COO of T:7.458”

David Magazine which is a fabrication.”

Sawyer and O’Kelley were previously owners of Atlanta Pearl Day Committee, which hosted a nonprofit benefit at Six Flags Over Georgia, but allegedly never handed over the donations, according to Project Q. Pearl Day was created in 2007 and administratively resolved in 2011.

Every story in the rainbow Stirring romances. Inspiring dramas. Uplifting biographies. Pride comes in many stories. XFINITY X1 is the first to provide a diverse, complete, community endorsed LGBTQ entertainment experience.

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September 29, 2017 News 7

NEWS BRIEFS Georgia Tech police shoot and kill Pride Alliance president Scout Schultz, president of the Georgia Tech Pride Alliance, was shot and killed by campus police around 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 16.

Schultz, who used the singular pronoun they, identified as bisexual, gender non-binary and intersex, according to the Pride Alliance website. They were a senior computer engineering major and biomedical engineering minor.

Schultz, 21, was allegedly walking barefoot and carrying a multipurpose tool.

Georgia Tech police later said Schultz called the police on themselves, reporting there was an individual walking on campus with a knife and possibly a gun. In cell phone videos shot by students nearby, Schultz is seen walking toward officers outside of the Curran parking deck. Schultz can be overheard telling officers to shoot. They were instructed several times to drop the multipurpose tool, and after about 60 seconds of not complying with the demand, a gunshot sounds and screams are heard. Schultz was shot in the heart and died after being transported to Grady Hospital.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “a multipurpose tool found on the ground is believed to be the knife Schultz held. The tool did not show an extended blade.”

Following Schultz’s death, the Georgia Tech Progressive Student Alliance issued a list of demands from university leaders, which included providing safe spaces for LGBT students inside the student center, deeming single-stall bathrooms on campus as gender-neutral, providing crisis intervention training for all police officers and providing funding for more counselors available to students.

Burglars kill gay Stone Mountain man Theodore Moore, 48, was shot and killed during a home invasion on Sept. 25, DeKalb County police say.

Burglars forced their way into the home and locked Moore’s husband in a closet when Moore returned from walking his dog. The house was ransacked for more than an hour, and the suspects took off with televisions in the victim’s car, WSBTV reported. The car was later found several streets away.

According to neighbors, Moore’s house

Georgia Tech students and faculty began placing flowers and notes in memory of slain Pride Alliance President Scout Schultz the day after they were killed. (Photo by Patrick Saunders)

was targeted several weeks before, prompting him to purchase and install security cameras. It is believed that those cameras caught the killers on film.

One neighbor remembered Moore as the type of man who would give the shirt off his back. He and his husband were only married about two months before the murder.

DeKalb County police ask anyone with additional information to give them a call.

The non-emergency line is 678-406-7929.

Georgia Equality releases first round of endorsements Georgia Equality endorsed candidates in 20 races that will be voted on Nov. 7 in the metro Atlanta area.

In Atlanta, Cathy Woolard was endorsed for mayor and Alex Wan for City Council president. Courtney English, Matt Westmoreland, Carla Smith, Amir Farokhi, Liliana Bakhtiari, Kirk Rich, Howard Shook, Anna Tillman, Andrea Boone and Joyce Sheperd were the picks for City Council at-large and

posts for districts 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12. Woolard, Wan, Bakhtiari and Rich are openly LGBT candidates in those races.

For Atlanta School Board, Georgia Equality endorsed Leslie Grant, Tony Burks, Eshé Collins and Kandis Wood Jackson in districts 1, 2, 6 and 7.

Ted Clarkston is the pick for mayor and Laura Hopkins the open city council post in Clarkston, and in Doraville, council recommendations are Joseph Geierman and Stephe Koontz, both of whom are LGBT. “The Georgia Equality Board of Directors will issue an endorsement for a candidate who we feel is best placed to advance our policy agenda,” the group said in a news release.

“The lack of an endorsement should not necessarily be viewed as a negative reflection of a particular candidate’s views on LGBT issues in general. In some instances, the board did not make an endorsement if there were multiple candidates with evenly matched views on LGBT issues, or in races where an incumbent was running unopposed.”

8 News September 29, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Start the film, start the conversation

BY PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com

“Movies belong in that discussion when we’re talking about the arts affecting change.”

PO Box 77401 • Atlanta, GA 30357 P: 404-815-6941; F: 404-963-6365

EDITORIAL

Editor: Patrick Saunders psaunders@thegavoice.com Deputy Editor: Dallas Anne Duncan dduncan@thegavoice.com Editorial Contributors: Ashleigh Atwell, Cliff Bostock, Melissa Carter, Jim Farmer, Shannon Hames, Ryan Lee, Robbie Medwed, Matt Schafer, Dionne N. Walker, Simon Williamson

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Art Director: Rob Boeger rboeger@thegavoice.com

BUSINESS

Managing Partner/Publisher: Tim Boyd tboyd@thegavoice.com

SALES

Sales Executive: Dixon Taylor dtaylor@thegavoice.com Business Advisor: Lynn Pasqualetti Financial Firm of Record: HLM Financial Group National Advertising: Rivendell Media, 908-232-2021 sales@rivendellmedia.com Publisher Emeritus: Chris Cash

FINE PRINT

All material in Georgia Voice is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of Georgia Voice. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied.

The appearance of names or pictorial representation does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons.

We also do not accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers.

Unsolicited editorial material is accepted by Georgia Voice, but we do not take responsibility for its return. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject or edit any submission. Guidelines for freelance contributors are available upon request.

A single copy of Georgia Voice is available from authorized distribution points. Multiple copies are available from Georgia Voice office only. Call for rates. If you are unable to reach a convenient free distribution point, you may receive a 26-issue mailed subscription for $60 per year. Checks or credit card orders can be sent to Tim Boyd, tboyd@thegavoice.com Postmaster: Send address changes to Georgia Voice, PO Box 77401, Atlanta, GA 30357. Georgia Voice is published every other Friday by The Georgia Voice, LLC. Individual subscriptions are $60 per year for 26 issues. Postage paid at Atlanta, GA, and additional mailing offices.

The editorial positions of Georgia Voice are expressed in editorials and in editor’s notes. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Georgia Voice and its staff.

To submit a letter or commentary: Letters should be fewer than 400 words and commentary, for web or print, should be fewer than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must include a name, address and phone number for verification. Email submissions to editor@thegavoice.com or mail to the address above.

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In May 2012, Vice President Joe Biden gave an interview on “Meet The Press” where he said he was “absolutely comfortable” with same-sex marriage. That comment and others during the interview made headlines around the world, especially considering that President Obama until then was still saying he was “evolving” on the issue.

The vice president’s off-the-cuff remarks forced the president’s hand, and four days later, he announced in an interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts (oh, hey fam!) that he supported samesex marriage — officially the most important endorsement of marriage equality in the world up to that point, and probably still to this day.

In that same Biden interview, a line stuck out about how “Will & Grace” “probably did more to educate the American public than almost anything anybody’s ever done so far.”

Now somehow that sentence is both comforting and terrifying at the same time, but regardless, it was a classic example of the impact that pop culture and other artistic endeavors can have on politics and the fight for equal rights.

Movies belong in that discussion when we’re talking about the arts affecting change.

“Philadelphia” was the first major Hollywood film to tackle AIDS and homophobia.

The 1993 film helped destigmatize those subjects and got people talking about HIV in particular in a way they never had before.

“Trevor” was the 1994 Oscar-winning short film about a 13-year-old boy who attempts suicide after being rejected by his friends because of his sexuality. That film led to the creation of the Trevor Project, the 24-hour confidential suicide prevention hotline for LGBT youth that has undoubtedly saved countless lives over its nearly two decades in existence.

This week and through Oct. 8, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Out On

10 Outspoken September 29, 2017

FEEDBACK “Atlanta Pride announces 2017 festival line-up,” Sept. 14 “Especially excited about Ty Herndon!”

-B. Andrew Plant via Facebook “Fire, flooding cause My Sister’s Room to shut down for weeks,” Sept. 15 “I feel so bad! We need to come out and support when they reopen.”

-Misa Ly “I’m so sorry this happened. We love y’all.”

-Nikki Peebles Riley via Facebook “Georgia Tech police shoot and kill Pride Alliance president,” Sept. 18 “So sad! The results of an individual in mental distress … mental health awareness!”

-@ducky_65 via Twitter “As a straight ally I am outraged! Too bad I wasn’t able to make the vigil on Monday, but I was coming home from the People’s Congress of Resistance in Washington. I will gladly help with other actions if I can, and look forward to the Pride festival in October.”

-Freya via www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Film festival, one of the largest and longestrunning LGBT film festivals in the country.

Every year’s lineup is a snapshot of what issues we as a community are either already talking about, or should be talking about.

Now, it’s not all about politics or activism of course. There are plenty of laugh-outloud comedies in the mix as usual, but there are also many opportunities to be inspired and motivated to action as well.

I recently spoke with one of the Out On Film actor-filmmakers, Fawzia Mirza, a Pakistani Muslim lesbian whose “Signature Move” screens Oct. 6. She told me she looks at art as “artivism.”

“There are the people who, when something happens, they’re the first to make the phone calls or organize the rally or show up at the rally or make the noise,” she said. “Then there’s the people who raise money. There’s the people who write letters, there’s the people who write articles, there’s the people who organize vehicles and venues. And then also there’s the people who make art and have a voice that ways. There are people at all ends of the spectrum at all times and all of those voices matter.”

That’s an excellent summary of all of the roles that all of us can play in the conversation on any given issue, now more than ever.

Happy 30th, Out On Film. You’ve never looked better.

“So good that this is getting front page worldwide attention this morning; despicable and blatantly wrong.”

-David Wilson via Facebook “When are we gonna address police state violence?”

-Dawn Gibson via Facebook “The police’s role is to also protect the public as well as themselves from harm.

Mentally unstable people are not predictable and based on the 911 call made by the suspect, they were said to be carrying a gun.”

-Mike DiVergilio via Facebook “Violent protests, arrests on Georgia Tech campus follow Scout Schultz vigil,” Sept. 19 “Who gives a fuck about their damn police cruiser?! There was someone in pain and in need, and the cops shot them and stood there as they screamed, bleeding to death.”

-Dana Fuchko via Facebook Want to be featured in Feedback? Leave a comment to a story via social media or on our website, or email editor@thegavoice.com with the subject line “Feedback.” www.thegeorgiavoice.com

OUT IN THE WILD

By Simon Williamson

On reacting to bigotry with violence Simon Williamson lives with his husband in heteronormatively-assimilative fashion in Athens, after a year of surviving rural Georgia.

It isn’t that I haven’t been exposed to the parts of the US that hate us. My husband is from a small former steel town in Pennsylvania. Before moving to Athens, we lived in the southern tip of Newton County – technically in the metro area, but really in the middle of nowhere: one of those places where a gas station selling Confederate flags is where we did a lot of our grocery shopping.

But twice in the last two weeks or so, my husband and I have had to confront people who yelled gay slurs at us. Once on the street in Athens, and another in a gas station – by the worker behind the desk – in Nashville.

The former directed at me, the latter directed at him.

In terms of the history of discrimination,

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neither of these really scaled high. I have written before about how I felt in danger at a Garth Brooks concert I went to in Birmingham a few years ago, and how we left a rodeo in Athens because we were afraid of being attacked. Neither of these more recent incidents made me feel in danger, but they really pissed me off, and both times I considered attacking the perpetrator.

Now, I get there’s a whole First Amendment thing going on here and Americans are perfectly allowed to say whatever the hell they want. But as someone who realizes the power dynamic at play – for every one of us there are at least six to 13 of them, depending on what numbers you believe – I feel like a strike back can be justified. It isn’t that I

“Straight people who want to fuck with us, or couldn’t give a shit about us – and that’s about half, if the 2016 election is anything to go by – can make us feel like we might be in danger by, quite literally, shouting one word at us.” want to hit anyone, but it is completely unjust in my mind that people, with one or two words, can make me feel in danger by merely looking for an insult.

I was drunk during the first incident and was ready to go and put the guy’s nose through the back of his head before my husband stepped in and warned me I have a citizenship application pending, and committing assault wasn’t likely to look good on my record, especially since the US really loves to jack off hard on its merciless attitude toward criminals.

Free speech is something I hold very dear.

But it isn’t an equitably distributed right.

Straight people who want to fuck with us, or couldn’t give a shit about us – and that’s about half, if the 2016 election is anything

to go by – can make us feel like we might be in danger by, quite literally, shouting one word at us. We can’t do that.

There is nowhere straight dudes feel unsafe because LGBT people have some sort of systemic power over them. There is nowhere they have to be worried about being killed by us, or beaten up by us for no reason other than they hate who we are. They have the power to make us shit ourselves. And we don’t have the power to do it back. So as lovely as it would be to knee a bigot’s balls into his undercarriage, we don’t really have the option to do that.

So as things stand, I am probably not going to beat a bro who yells “faggot” as me and my spouse walk past. But I’m going to send a fucking cookie to anyone who does.

September 29, 2017 Outspoken 11

OUT ON FILM

Out actor Alan Cumming stars as lead character Sam in the movie ‘After Louie,’ which hits the Out On Film festival Oct. 1.

(Publicity photo)

Alan Cumming

on playing AIDS crisis survivor ‘After Louie’ star also plays gay tennis player in ‘Battle of the Sexes’

By DALLAS ANNE DUNCAN

and both sides I understood. I know people who are very smug about the past and exclude young people from it. I also know young people who don’t have an interest in their legacy and the past and who went before them.”

History comes with a generation gap: those who lived it, and those who came after.

The movie “After Louie,” starring out actor Alan Cumming and debuting in Atlanta on Oct. 1, provides a vehicle to examine that division.

“To see both sides of that argument presented, that was what I was really excited about doing the film for,” Cumming told Georgia Voice.

Cumming’s character, Sam, is an AIDS activist and member of ACT UP who saw the death of friends and loved ones during the 1980s and ’90s. He’s unsure how to deal with the younger generation and their seeming complacency about how the LGBT community got to where it is today, until a member of the new generation challenges his perceptions. “’After Louie,’ it’s a story about a man who’s kind of trapped in the past and kind of angry about young people who didn’t go through the AIDS crisis, and the younger guy who feels rightly so, that he wasn’t part of the war; he’ll never be part of the war,” Cumming said. “It’s interesting, the two sides of a story,

Sex, sexuality and a ’70s tennis match Playing an out, gay activist was strikingly different than the other role audiences can see Cumming take onscreen this summer.

He also portrays Ted Tinling, the late tennis player, fashion designer and British spy in “Battle of the Sexes.”

“It’s kind of that funny thing that everybody knew that [Tinling] was gay, but he couldn’t really be open about it, “ Cumming said. “I kind of find that whole thing fascinating, that you don’t actually say something even though you all understand it. The silence of it: you’re not heard, you’re not seen and in plain sight.”

“Battle of the Sexes” is set in the 1970s during the famed tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.

In addition to silence about Tinling’s sexuality, “Battle of the Sexes” includes sexist rhetoric as well as anti-LGBT sentiment toward’s King’s same-sex relationship. Cumming said it was amazing to see how the movie verified “that men liked to say those things

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Alan Cumming plays the late tennis player, fashion designer and British spy Ted Tinling in ‘Battle of the Sexes,’ starring Emma Stone and Steve Carell (above). (Courtesy photo)

and women didn’t think to complain.” He said King didn’t watch the recording of the match for 25 years, and when she did, she became furious hearing how the announcers spoke about women’s sports at the time.

“I hope that people are reminded of what an incredible woman Billie Jean is and how much she changed our society, really,” Cumming said. “If she’d lost that match, the women’s movement would have been set

back hugely, and so she’s really entangled to where women are today.”

And despite the progress, Cumming said there’s still a long way to go, “especially now with Trump in power.”

“You’re seeing attacks against women, attacks against LGBT people’s rights. We have to be vigilant and we have to keep eroding the layers and layers of sexism and homophobia that still exist,” he said.

September 29, 2017 Out On Film 13

OUT ON FILM

‘Happy’ follows Augusta gay artist’s journey Out On Film opener a sign of the times

do a TED Talk and share his story in that venue, which Zimmerman said was much more nerve-wracking than sitting in front of a single camera for the movie.

Zimmerman will be on hand for Out On Film, along with 600 commemorative Happy buttons, featuring the robot illustration that inspired the movie.

By DALLAS ANNE DUNCAN Ask Georgia’s own Leonard “Porkchop” Zimmerman, an Augusta native, what it was like having his life turned into a film, and the answer he provides is “weird.”

“Originally … I kind of didn’t want to do it,” Zimmerman told Georgia Voice. “After thinking about it and speaking with some close friends about it, it was like, if my story could help somebody going through loss or battling with stuff, then it would be stupid of me to not do this. Pardon my French, but I lived through some heavy shit and I feel like I came out the other side a much better person.”

“Happy: A Small Film with a Big Smile,” is the opener at this year’s Out On Film festival, screening at 7 p.m. on Sept. 28. “Happy” tells the story of Zimmerman losing his partner, Brian; his ways of coping with the loss; and ultimately the creation of an art campaign of the same name that’s taken the world

‘Happy: A Small Film with a Big Smile’ is the story of Augusta, Georgia, artist Leonard ‘Porkchop’ Zimmerman. (Courtesy photo)

by storm — or, well, by yellow robot sticker.

“I thought it was just going to be about the yellow sticker and robot with a posse, but it’s kind of my biography,” Zimmerman said. “Everything it took to get to where I am today and how basically I worked myself out of a hole. I’d pretty much lost interest in anything and had to completely start over.”

Film director Michael Patrick McKinley approached Zimmerman after hearing him

Finding happiness “It’s no secret that I thought I’d met the man of my dreams, and then he fell ill and died and my life kind of completely fell apart,” Zimmerman said. “This isn’t in the movie, but at one point it was late one night, I yelled to God to take me out. There was silence. At that moment, I was kind of like, he doesn’t care enough to take me out, so something still has to be done.”

The yellow Happy stickers Zimmerman created in 2012 now appear all over the globe, including one in Iceland and some in Japan, given to Buddhist monks.

“The whole Happy campaign is bringing a little more cheer into the world,” Zimmerman said. “It’s just to make people smile. …

People don’t realize that I’ve lost a partner or have come from a very dark place, but if I

can share a smile with somebody — it’s scientifically proven, a smile is contagious.”

The Happy campaign almost came to a screeching halt last November, however.

“When 45 became president, that day I was in a daze,” Zimmerman said. “I’m stopping doing Happy because if I’m not happy, there’s no need to lie about it. Then I was like, wait a minute. This is exactly when we need Happy. This is when I up my game.”

And though Happy isn’t political or religious, he’s put more into the campaign since the election.

“Life can really suck at times, but I’m glad I’m still here because I see every day, there’s so much more worth being alive for that at the time I couldn’t see,” Zimmerman said. “I take the time to watch the sunsets and look for the bears in the clouds. There’s so much good in life, even though there was a time I didn’t think there was anymore.”

Zimmerman hopes the “Happy” film will inspire audiences, especially folks going through difficult times.

“I still miss my Brian. But because some good has been able to come from this, I think it shows the resilience of people if we tried,” Zimmerman said.

‘Freak Show’ illustrates red state hysteria Director Trudie Styler’s feature debut stars Bette Midler, Laverne Cox

By SHANNON HAMES When Out On Film released the roster for 2017’s festival, “Freak Show” was one of the films set to be screened on Oct. 5 at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema. This brilliant movie is about boldly confident, eccentric gay teen Billy Bloom (played by Alex Lawther), raised by a fabulous (although alcoholic) mother played by Bette Midler. He is forced to move to a “red state” to live with his Southern father in a small town where Christ is king and girls are homecoming queens – that is, until Billy decides to run.

“We never mentioned where this story

took place other than a ‘red state’ because I never wanted to blame one state and exonerate another,” said director Trudie Styler, who you may also know as the wife of Sting.

“When we premiered the film in Berlin, I was criticized by young [15-16 year old] members of the audience. They said, ‘Come on! This is far-fetched. People aren’t homophobic anymore. That all happened over 30 years ago!’

“Thanks to the formidable Angela Merkel,” Styler said, “Germany has certainly repaired itself emotionally to the extent that its 15-yearolds there can say ‘Homophobia? What? Nonsense!’ Although great that they feel that they live in a fairer environment, we know the reality is that it’s certainly not the case in the United States and many other parts of the world.”

Styler’s careful acknowledgment of the role that fundamental Christianity plays in

Alex Lawther plays gender-bending gay teen Billy Bloom in ‘Freak Show,’ playing the Out On Film festival on Oct. 5.

mistreatment of Billy. However, she also nods approval to believers like housekeeper Florence (played by Celia Weston), a true heroine whose Christ-like loving kindness towards Billy ultimately brings healing.

The biggest surprise about “Freak Show” is its resistance to plot formulas.

“We wanted it to reflect how life is, not how it would be in a rose-tinted environment,” the director said.

Although Styler will not be in attendance at the screening, she noted that “it’s only because of another travel commitment that I will not be at Out On Film. I am so proud that it will be screened in Atlanta and I hope that everyone enjoys it.”

the roots of homophobia is seen in several characters who use scripture to justify their

For the full-length version of this story, go to www.thegeorgiavoice.com.

14 Out On Film September 29, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

OUT ON FILM

Out On Film

marks 30 years with crowd-pleasing slate Film critic Steve Warren assesses this year’s field of entries

By STEVE WARREN Thirty rhymes with flirty, dirty and maybe some other words we associate with our favorite LGBT films. In journalism, it signifies the end of a story, and to hippies it was the age after which a person couldn’t be trusted.

As Out On Film hits the 30-year milestone it’s in good health and certainly trustworthy, longer and with more films than ever. This year’s festival runs Sept. 28 – Oct. 8, primarily at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinemas. Alternate locations are noted in the reviews below and online, but it’s always wise to check the festival’s website for last-minute changes.

Speaking of reviews, I’m known as a tough grader. I never give four stars (****), “A MILLION HAPPY NOWS” (***) (Sept. 29, 7:15 p.m.)

Made by soap opera veterans for soap opera fans, this drama rises above that level, approaching the quality of “Still Alice,” which won Julianne Moore an Oscar for portraying a woman with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Soap actress Lainie Allen (Crystal Chappell) turns 50, wins the Emmy and loses her memory. Lainie doesn’t lose her partner, Eva (Jessica Leccia), but retires and they move to an ocean-view house.

It’s a lovely love story with some relatively happy moments and flawless performances, but be prepared to have your heart broken.

“GOD’S OWN COUNTRY” (***) (Sept. 30, 7:05 p.m.)

Johnny (Josh O’Connor) provides the primary labor on his family’s Yorkshire farm, occasionally finding men for casual sex. For lambing season his father hires Gheorghe (obscenely handsome Alec Secareanu), a Ro-

because to me that indicates perfection. If you just want to be entertained, informed and/or empowered by a film and are more forgiving of its flaws, you can add at least half a star to my ratings. If you think everything you see is the best thing you’ve ever seen … that’s kind of insane.

But to decide what to see, you should look beyond the shortcuts. Read the capsule reviews below for an idea of what the films are about and their most significant pluses and minuses, and the longer reviews online at www.thegeorgiavoice.com for more details. Also check other opinions, because if we all agreed, there’d be no need for more than one critic in the whole world.

Happy 30th, Out On Film! Long may you wave that rainbow flag of film! manian, to help. Johnny and Gheorghe hook up and Johnny starts learning sex can have an emotional component. It can’t be easy finding such good actors who can do farm chores and intense male-male sex scenes.

Debuting filmmaker Francis Lee’s powerful love story offers hope of finding detours to anyone stuck in a dead-end life.

“HELLO AGAIN” (***) (Sept. 30, 9:05 p.m.)

For better or worse, you’ll never see the like of “Hello Again” again. Based on Michael John LaChiusa’s 1994 Off-Broadway musical that was suggested by Arthur Schnitzler’s “La Ronde,” it tells 10 short, sexy stories, with one character from each rolling over into the next. After a wholly hetero first half, the gayer second half pairs Martha Plimpton with Audra McDonald and Tyler Blackburn with T.R. Knight and then Cheyenne Jackson. While not loving “Hello Again,” I admire director

Clockwise from top: Filmmaker Francis Lee makes his debut with ‘God’s Own Country,’ true crime documentary ‘The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson’ and Audra McDonald and Martha Plimpton star in ‘Hello Again.’(Publicity photos)

Tom Gustafson for being true to his vision, even if many viewers won’t share it.

“WOMEN WHO KILL” (** ½) (Oct. 1, 11:15 a.m.)

Writer-director Ingrid Jungermann also stars in this low-key thriller and deadpan comedy that’s maybe even a romance. She plays Morgan, who does a weekly podcast about female serial killers with her ex, Jean (Ann Carr). Morgan becomes involved with her secretive stalker, Simone (Sheila Vand), while Jean’s research shows Simone is a serial killer’s daughter, perhaps a killer herself. If I don’t completely “get” “Women Who Kill,” blame my dude handicap. It’s one of the most lesbian movies ever made!

“NO DRESS CODE REQUIRED” (***) (Oct. 1, 11:30 a.m.)

The Happiest Ending Award goes to this documentary about the two-year struggle of

two beauticians, Víctor and Fernando, to marry in Mexicali, Mexico. Despite a Supreme Court ruling, the city throws one roadblock after another in their path to the altar, making their final victory that much sweeter. Brush up your Spanish because the director doesn’t like silence and the subtitles can barely keep up with our heroes’ wall-to-wall chatter. Even if you miss some details, you’ll share their frustration and celebrate their ultimate victory.

“THE FABULOUS ALLAN CARR” (***) (Oct. 1, 3:15 p.m.)

Following acclaimed documentaries about Tab Hunter, Divine and others, Jeffrey Schwartz creates another well-rounded portrait of a gay entertainment figure: the late Allan Carr, the rare producer who became a celeb. His career had the highest highs (Hollywood’s “Grease,” Broadway’s “La Cage aux Folles”) and lowest lows (“Can’t Stop the Music,” the 1989 Academy Awards). Everyone

16 Out On Film September 29, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

bad-tempered blonde with a low tolerance for others’ imperfections, is required to undergo sensitivity training to keep her job at a university research lab. Her trainer, Caroline (Jill E. Alexander), is a bubbly red-haired lesbian with a partner and young daughter.

Can this be a romcom without breaking up a happy home? Writer-director Melissa Finell paints herself into a corner and finds a brilliant way out for a happy ending. Phillips is sensational and “Sensitivity Training” made me laugh out loud!

“SIGNATURE MOVE” (***) (Oct. 6, 7 p.m., Out Front)

Immigration lawyer Zaynab’s (co-writer Fawzia Mirza) Pakistani mother (Shabana Azmi) lives with her and tries to find her a husband. Zaynab finds a potential wife, Alma (Sari Sanchez), but not without conflicts. In a subplot, a client gives Zaynab wrestling lessons and she winds up competing in a lesbian tournament. Somewhere between a lite drama and a heavy romcom, “Signature Move” is quite possibly the best Chicago-made lesbian film since “Go Fish.”

“THE UNTOLD TALES OF ARMISTEAD MAUPIN” (***) (Oct. 6, 11 p.m., Out Front)

Clockwise from top: Writer Carlos Contreras and director/brother Ernesto Contreras’ ‘I Dream In Another Language,’ Sari Sanchez and Fawzia Mirza in ‘Signature Move,’ and Todrick Hall in ‘Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall.’ (Publicity photos)

attended Carr’s Hollywood parties, but at a certain point the women and straight men would leave and the real party would begin.

“THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON” (***) (Oct. 1, 5:15 p.m.)

This true crime documentary recalls a beloved drag performer and activist who, with her friend Sylvia Rivera, helped put the “T” in LGBT. When Marsha was found floating in the Hudson in 1992, it was ruled a suicide by police who didn’t bother to investigate. Victoria Cruz of the NYC Anti-Violence Project resurrects the cold case and is determined to solve it. Oscar-nominated director/co-writer David France has done a praiseworthy job of telling and illustrating the various stories that come together in the process.

“SCREWED” (***) (Oct. 1, 9:10 p.m.)

In this quirky Finnish perspective on www.thegeorgiavoice.com

coming-of-age clichés, Miku’s (Mikko Kauppila) parents haul him off to their summer cottage. Somehow they’ve never met their closest neighbors, including Elias (Valtteri Lehtinen), a more experienced boy Miku’s age. They become inseparable, but is it a summer romance or a casual flirtation? The scene where Miku comes out to his mother is priceless. Filmmaker Nils-Erik Ekblom can take me on an unfamiliar path through familiar territory anytime.

“I DREAM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE” (*** 1/2) (Oct. 2, 7 p.m.)

This marvelous film about preserving ancient cultures mixes the natural, the unnatural and the supernatural. A young linguist visits a remote Mexican village to record the last living speakers of a vanished tribe’s language. Unfortunately, they haven’t spoken to each other in half a century. Two heterosexual love stories develop, one in the present and one in the past, while we

await a gay angle. Writer Carlos Contreras and director/brother Ernesto Contreras make their world accessible on their terms, if you’ll leave yourself open to enchanting surprises.

“BEHIND THE CURTAIN: TODRICK HALL” (***) (Oct. 4, 7 p.m.)

YouTube sensation Todrick Hall shoots 16 videos in two weeks before releasing his “Lemonade”-inspired visual album “Straight Outta Oz,” then tours a stage version. If this preview doesn’t do “Oz” justice, it does better by Todrick, a man of many talents, from his ‘90s childhood as a gay African-American in smalltown Texas to his busy summer of 2016. Filmmaker Katherine Fairfax Wright shows some problems, but not their solutions. She’s got a lot to cover and covers most of it very well.

“SENSITIVITY TRAINING” (***) (Oct. 4, 7:05 p.m.)

Dr. Serena Wolfe (Anna Lise Phillips), a

From a Raleigh-raised teenage Republican to an out (and outing) best-selling author, Armistead Maupin’s had quite a journey. In Jennifer M. Kroot’s gossipy documentary, he holds nothing back, from working for Jesse Helms to coming out at 25 to taking San Francisco gay life mainstream via “Tales of the City” to having sex with Rock Hudson and later outing the actor when he died of AIDS. If you don’t know Maupin, his “Untold Tales” will prepare you for the fourth “Tales of the City” miniseries Netflix has announced.

“SATURDAY CHURCH” (***) (Oct. 7, 7 p.m., Plaza)

This coming-of-age story of a gay African-American is “Moonlight” with drag instead of drugs, or a hybrid of “Moonlight” and “La La Land.” When teenaged Ulysses’ (Luka Kain) father dies, stern Aunt Rose (Regina Taylor) helps mind him and his younger brother. Already caught wearing his mother’s clothes, Ulysses visits Greenwich Village, where he’s adopted by four former runaways, three dressed as women.

Kain’s performance ensures your sympathy, and writer-director Damon Cardasis softens the intensity with singing and dancing to keep you from being traumatized by things that befall Ulysses.

September 29, 2017 Out On Film 17

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OUT ON FILM

Love and wrestling collide in

‘Signature Move’ Pakistani Muslim lesbian meets Mexican-American lesbian in modern romantic comedy

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com Fawzia Mirza was getting frustrated. The actor was going out on auditions and found there were a lot of limitations on the casting process and on the kinds of stories being told.

“Being someone who identifies as Pakistani and Muslim and queer and a woman, there are often these narratives of what each of those identities means,” she told Georgia Voice. “So oftentimes, I was feeling as though I wasn’t any of those things enough to play the role, even though I was all of those things in real life.”

So she went out and created the roles, recruiting a co-writer named Lisa Donato and writing her first feature film, “Signature Move,” which is screening at Out On Film on Oct. 6, followed by a post-screening Q&A with Mirza.

“Signature Move” is a modern romantic comedy about a Pakistani Muslim lawyer named Zaynab (played by Mirza) who begins a romance with a confident Mexican-American woman named Alma (Sari Sanchez) – a secret Zaynab tries to keep from her recently widowed mother Parveen (Shabana Azmi), who is on the lookout for a husband for her only daughter.

Oh, and there’s wrestling. Alma’s mother is a former Luchadora, which piques Zaynab’s interest because she has recently taken up lucha-style wrestling with a former pro wrestler.

Mirza worked out with a trainer to get her strength up to take the pounding that some of the wrestling scenes required, but stunt doubles were used for the more risky moves. You can’t kill the star, right?

“You can’t,” she said. “Sometimes you might want to, but you can’t.”

Art as ‘artivism’ The story – minus the wrestling – is inspired by Mirza’s real life. She was dating a Mexican woman who she found connections with across family, food and culture. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

‘Signature Move’ co-writer and star Fawzia Mirza (right) based the romantic storyline of the film on a real-life relationship she had. (Publicity photo)

“We found that what people might think are seemingly different communities actually have a lot in common,” Mirza said.

A rather appropriate message to send in a film then, considering who occupies the White House right now, no? “[The film] wasn’t made as a reaction to the current political climate,” she said. “Putting Muslims and Mexicans in the same sentence was not something that was a reaction to our administration, but it definitely is a fascinating testament to the time.”

For the writer-actor, she looks at art as “artivism” – one important facet when talking about the larger struggle for equal rights.

“There are the people who, when something happens, they’re the first to make the phone calls or organize the rally or show up at the rally or make the noise,” she said. “Then there’s the people who raise money. There’s the people who write letters, there’s the people who write articles, there’s the people who organize vehicles and venues. And then also there’s the people who make art and have a voice that ways. There are people at all ends of the spectrum at all times and all of those voices matter.”

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Out and Proud

Singer-songwriters Anne Steele and Matt Alber kick off Pride at City Winery

By SHANNON HAMES

Earlier this month, the Atlanta Pride Committee announced the kick-off event for 2017 Atlanta Pride: Anne Steele and Matt Alber will perform at City Winery on Friday, Oct. 6. Steele, a lesbian vocalist, wife and mother met Alber, a singer/ songwriter/filmmaker based in Portland, on a gay cruise. The pair made a musical as well as friendship connection and enjoy www.thegeorgiavoice.com

performing together whenever they have the opportunity.

“I fell in love with his voice and his kind heart,” Steele said. “Earlier this year, he was playing San Francisco Pride and asked me to join him in that show. It was a blast. Then I told him how much I wanted to play Atlanta and asked if he wanted to join me. It made sense for us to play during Pride because we are both out artists. So, we reached out to City Winery and Atlanta Pride, and it all fell into place. To be able to start the whole thing off is quite an honor.”

Singers separately working on docu-series, solo tour Both artists are working on different projects right now.

“I’m working on a new family docuseries about today’s LGBTQ+ teens called ‘Room To Grow,’” Alber said. “We’ve been filming the lives and stories of over 40 amazing individuals in four countries since March and we’re blown away by the brave kids and families we’re meeting. ‘Room To Grow’ premieres this December on YouTube, free for everyone. Next spring, we’ll be taking the series on the road with screenings in schools, churches and community centers nationwide. If folks want to learn more or help us reach the finish line, we have set up a tax-deductible crowd-funding site at moreroomtogrow.org.”

Steele is on the brink of a new tour called “Welcome to the Big Top” that will begin in New York two nights after the At-

lanta show. The show features her singing covers and original songs interwoven with stories from her life.

“I feel like my life is like a three-ring circus,” she said. “One minute, I’m on stage with Cyndi Lauper and Boy George at the Beacon Theater and the next minute, I’m driving six teenage girls to dance and stopping on the way to buy tampons.”

In fact, when our interview took place, Steele and her wife, Kelli Carpenter, had just returned from taking their son, Blake, to look at colleges now that he’s a senior in high school. Steele spoke graciously about her work, her wife and co-parenting four children while wrangling the family dog, as CONTINUES ON PAGE 26

September 29, 2017 A&E 25

Details

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

Atlanta Pride Presents An Evening With Anne Steele and Matt Alber Oct. 6 at 8 p.m.

City Winery Atlanta 650 North Ave. N.E. #201 Atlanta, GA 30308 Tickets $20-$35 www.citywinery.com/atlanta

if to accentuate the “Big Top” point. In addition to shuttling teens to dance and seniors to college, the couple also just saw their oldest son, Parker, join the Marines.

“He goes to boot camp at the end of October,” Steele said. “The world we’re living in is so scary. It wasn’t our dream for him to have such a dangerous job, but more than anything, he really wants to be a Marine.

It’s scary but we will support him where we know he’ll be happy and successful.”

‘Artists wine’ to commemorate show, benefit Pride After chatting to both artists about influences, the topic shifts to what they’re personally listening to.

“I’ve been listening to my brother’s band, Deep Dark Blue, a lot lately,” Alber said.

“I’m super into vinyl right now, so I’m in throwback mode,” Steele said. “I’m listening to a lot of old Madonna, Michael Jackson, Annie Lennox, Culture Club, Erasure, etc. I am truly obsessed with Sara Bareilles. Sara and Adele truly inspire me to be a better writer and to be brave and to share my words. It takes a lot to put your heart out there. It’s so much easier just to interpret someone else’s lyrics because then you never have to let someone inside your own mind and heart.”

Inspiration for these two doesn’t only come in the form of other musicians. On the topic of LGBT heroes, both Alber and Steele can easily name those trailblazers that have won their admiration.

Anne Steele recently performed alongside Cyndi Lauper and is on the brink of a nationwide solo tour and Matt Alber’s music has been featured in ‘The Fosters’ and ‘Bones.’ (Courtesy photos)

“Armistead Maupin,” Alber said. “His stories helped me find myself when I first moved to San Francisco. He and his partner, Chris, have become dear friends since then.

Another hero of mine is Mel White. He wrote a book called ‘Stranger At The Gate’

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

26 A&E September 29, 2017

about his experience as a gay man growing up in the Christian church. It changed my life and opened the door for me to accept and love myself.”

Steele went even closer to home with her answer.

“My wife, Kelli Carpenter, and her business partner, Gregg Kaminsky,” she said. “They started ‘R Family Vacations’ 14 years ago so that gay families could travel together without fear of being judged. Back when it started, the world was a much different place. It was incredible that the kids of gay couples could look around and see families just like theirs. It began as a charter cruise each year, but has since turned into a community. We have watched these children grow up together. Lifelong friendships have been made while taking their annual family vacation.”

Regarding her upcoming show in Atlanta, Steele said, “I have friends who live there. They have been begging me to come for so long. I can’t wait. Matt and I are thrilled to be able to help kick off Pride and to meet everyone!”

City Winery will sell a special bottle of “artists wine” at this event. It will feature Alber and Steele on the label. A portion of the proceeds are traditionally given to a nonprofit that the artist chooses. Alber and Steele asked that their wine proceeds be given to Atlanta Pride.

“We want to encourage everyone to buy the wine,” Steele said. “Not only will Matt and I sign it, but they will be giving back to Pride!”

To advertise, contact: sales@thegavoice.com

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

ACTING OUT

By JIM FARMER

‘Boy’ tackles gender identity at Theatrical Outfit For a theater company that rarely stages LGBT fare, Theatrical Outfit has two gaythemed plays in its new season. Besides Topher Payne’s “Perfect Arrangement” next spring, the company just opened the new drama “Boy.” Anna Ziegler’s play is based on the story of David Peter Reimer, whose genitals were mutilated during a circumcision just after he was born. A doctor convinces the parents to raise their male son as a girl – and years later it has serious repercussions on the young man in question.

Clifton Guterman, who is gay and works as Theatrical Outfit’s associate artistic director, plays the titular character, with the openly gay Melissa Foulger directing it. Tom Key, the company’s artistic director, stars as the doctor.

Guterman had been following the play’s off-Broadway debut, and when he got hold of the script. he knew it would be a great fit somewhere in Atlanta. After a local reading of the play, his company jumped on it.

“I was so happy and surprised that Tom loved it so much in the reading that he put it in the season,” Guterman said.

It’s the first professional staging outside of New York.

The main character was born Sam, but was then named Samantha. Later, when he learns the truth, he changes his name to Adam Turner. Guterman plays Adam as well as Samantha ages 6 – 12.

The character’s gender change happened in the late 1960s, well-removed from today’s society with more awareness of transgender people.

“It was a different time in terms of how we do research and how we trust the medical community,” Guterman said. “This family had a terrible thing happen. They had a huge choice to make. They were told the child would have a better life if he were raised as a girl.”

Guterman dove deep into his research getting ready for the role.

“I read the biography of the boy it is based on. Our play is set in America, not Canada, and has a different ending, but it is heavily based on his case. There is also a BBC docu-

Left to right: Daryl Lisa Fazio, Clifton Guterman and Magdelynn Mills in ‘Boy.’ (Photos by David Woolf Photography)

Details

“Boy” Through Oct. 15 Theatrical Outfit The Balzer Theater at Herren’s Atlanta, GA 30303 www.theatricaloutfit.org

mentary on him. I think it’s a great play for right now – all about gender identity.”

He is quick to add that this isn’t the Caitlyn Jenner story or a play about transitioning.

“It’s about a child who has a choice made for him, and that choice continued to be

made for 15 years. His parents never told him. He suspected something was different about him all along. Now he has made the choice to return to his original gender as a boy. In his 20s, he is trying to date a woman for the first time. He’s also trying to make

amends with his parents,” Guterman said.

The decision to do two gay plays in one season was never planned. Rather, it evolved.

Since taking over as associate artistic director, Guterman and Key have had conversations about plays Guterman loves.

“At the same time we had decided to do Topher’s play, we thought, if we are ever going to be able to do work like this and open that door wider, it would be the time,” Guterman said.

Foulger was fascinated by the story.

“There has been so much about gender lately,” she said. “I though it needed some representation in theater and in our culture. With this, I want people to understand and think about the choices we make for others and that people need to live their authentic self.”

28 A&E September 29, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

September 29, 2017 Ads 29

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EATING MY WORDS

October 13, 2017

By CLIFF BOSTOCK

In search of scrumptious chicken in Atlanta

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Tommy, my longtime friend and frequent dinner companion, recently experienced a health crisis that requires he eat as close to no salt as possible. Last week, our usual Friday night dining pals went in search of chicken, which is easier to find unsalted. If it’s impossible to find, he usually eats a salad. The search ended up bringing to mind some of my favorite venues that specialize in chicken, salty or not.

Our first effort was to dine at Gio’s Chicken Amalfitano (1099 Hemphill Ave., 404-347-3874, facebook.com), next to the wildly popular Antico Pizza. It’s my favorite of all, but the traffic on Hemphill looked like rush hour, seriously. I suggest you go a weeknight or for lunch, but if you haven’t tried it, go for god’s sake.

We passed The Colonnade (1879 Cheshire Bridge Rd., 404-874-5642, colonnadeatlanta.com), whose fried chicken, far from salt-free, is definitely among my favorites in the city. There’s also my second fave, fried chicken livers, along with presumably less salted herb-roasted chicken. But we weren’t in the mood.

We actually ended up at a longtime gay fave, Roasters (2770 Lenox Rd., 404-2371122, roastersfresh.com). I hadn’t eaten here in a decade or more. I was never very impressed with the restaurant that, besides straight-up rotisserie chicken, serves it over salads as well as in chili, soups and sandwiches.

It didn’t seem very gay anymore, perhaps because of the grim décor of large wood booths that inhibit the see-and-be-seen fashion of all current restaurants. We sat outside at a table of four, across from a gigantic community table of what appeared to be freshmen chicken. I mean bros. Our adorable server was 18. In other words, we were gay geriatrics.

All of us except Tommy ordered plates of half a rotisserie chicken with two sides. I got a baked potato, which I seriously have not eaten in probably 20 years. I loaded it with sour cream and some butter. Not bad, but I have no inclination to eat another one before

Cliff Bostock’s visit to Roasters was better than he expected, minus the décor.

(Photo via Facebook)

I die. A wedge of lettuce with blue cheese dressing and bacon bits competed with the Colonnade’s, as did a basket full of yeast rolls and cornbread muffins.

Tommy, alas, ordered a salad of mixed greens with mandarin oranges, berries, crumbled blue cheese and marinated grilled chicken. I would guess it was the menu’s least salty dish for real.

My verdict? Quite a bit better than I expected in every way, from the service to the rotisserie chicken, minus the décor.

Here are a couple other places with chicken I like because it’s spicy: Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken (231 Peachtree St., 404-996-2837, plus other locations, gusfriedchicken.com).

Memphis-style, searingly hot and spicy fried chicken you won’t believe. I crave it a lot.

Eats (600 Ponce de Leon, 404-8889149, eatsonponce.net). This ridiculously cheap restaurant – a Georgia Voice Best of Atlanta winner for Cheap Eats, in fact – has been around for years. Get your chicken grilled with barbecue sauce, jerk seasonings or lemon-pepper. The jerk is my favorite by far, exceeding many “authentic” Jamaican spots in town. It’s not fiery but has a strong kick.

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

30 Columnists September 29, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Believe in the Believe in the the

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I will offer Atlanta Police Department 4 Peter’s Plan for LGBTQIA+ resources to our schools so that they can Peter’s Plan for LGBTQIA+ share best practices in reducing bullying and suicide rates for LGBTQIA+ students.

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Our Guide to the Best LGBT Events in Atlanta for Sept. 29 - Oct. 12

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FRIDAY, SEPT. 29

“Abigail/1702,” the sequel to the classic “The Crucible” written by out playwright Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, has an 8 p.m. curtain tonight, running through Oct. 15 at Aurora Theatre, 128 East Pike St., Lawrenceville, GA 30046, www.auroratheatre.com (Publicity photo)

FRIDAY, SEPT. 29 – SUNDAY, OCT. 1

EVENT SPOTLIGHT FRIDAY, SEPT. 29

Singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco performs at Center Stage tonight at 8 p.m., 1374 W. Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30309, www.centerstage-atlanta.com (Publicity photo)

32 Best Bets September 29, 2017

The 6th Annual Gentlemen’s Ball Weekend is a three-day celebration featuring a series of events that are sure to engage, enlighten and entertain. The highlight of the weekend is The Gentlemen’s Ball: We Are ROYALTY, a blacktie fundraising gala and awards program that celebrates the accomplishments of gay, bisexual and transgender men of color who have significantly contributed to enhancing the quality of life of the minority LGBT community and who have demonstrated a commitment to social change. Locations to be announced, www.facebook.com/ events/156422124915293

SATURDAY, SEPT. 30 – OCT. 1

The Sweet Auburn Music Fest is one of the South’s largest multi-genre music festivals in Atlanta. It serves as a destination point for many people to rendezvous with

old friends and colleagues and as a family environment to hear great live music and enjoy food and beverages in an outdoor setting, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., www.facebook. com/events/1827727870802606

SATURDAY, SEPT. 30

Positive Impact Health Centers presents The Gentlemen’s Foundation’s 3rd Annual Health Men’s Health & Wellness Fair, powered

by AARP, with food, activities for the kids and all sorts of medical screenings, 10 a.m., - 2 p.m., Vision Church of Atlanta, 704 Ormewood Ave. S.E., Atlanta, GA 30312, www.facebook.com/ events/1753230068303714 It’s Georgia Voice Day at Out On Film’s 30th anniversary LGBT film festival tonight, beginning today at 10:30 a.m., including films such as “Chavela,” “God’s Own Country,” “Hello

Again” and several shorts programs, Midtown Art Cinema, 931 Monroe Drive, Atlanta, GA 30308, www.outonfilm.org Ladyfest Atlanta returns for its third year. The event serves as an intentional, queer, feminist space for women and non-binary people. The annual festival brings together Atlanta-based artists, innovators and activists to share their work and speak out on local issues. The day includes workshops, comedy, music, film and more, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., 368 PONCE, 368 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.facebook.com/ events/1449542568458287 Woofs Atlanta is hosting a beer bust for For the Kid in All of Us during the Georgia-Tennessee football game, 1 – 4 p.m., 2425 Piedmont Road N.E.,

CONTINUES ON PAGE 33 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4

Discover “LUZIA,” where a waking dream transports you to an imaginary Mexico. “LUZIA” is the newest Cirque du Soleil experience to come to Atlantic Station. Shows run through Nov. 19, 8 p.m., 1380 Atlantic Drive N.W., Atlanta, GA 30363, www.facebook.com/events/285797858498680 (Publicity photo)

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32 Atlanta, GA 30324, www.facebook.com/ events/754341424745115 At Drag Queen Storytime with Miss Terra Cotta Sugarbaker, Ms. Sugarbaker will share her favorite stories, including Todd Parr’s “Be Who You Are” and Leo Lionni’s “A Color of His Own,” 3 - 4 p.m., Ponce de Leon Branch Library, 980 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E, Atlanta, GA 30306, www. facebook.com/events/1968178943426418 The Lost-n-Found Youth Variety Show will feature song, dance, art, spoken word and drag, 6 – 9 p.m., Jungle Atlanta, 2115 Faulkner Road N.E., Atlanta, GA 30324, www.facebook.com/ events/294142287658246

SUNDAY, OCT. 1

Sunday Funday at Zocalo will support the AIDS Walk Atlanta & 5K Run with DJ NEON the Glowgobear and $20 all-you-can-drink margaritas, 187 10th St.

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

N.E, Atlanta, GA 30309, www.facebook. com/events/809115659290469

events/1930370820570026

MONDAY, OCT. 2

Come join a diverse group of people at the Rainbros Lunch Meet-Up, 12 – 1 p.m., Roxx Tavern, 1824 Cheshire Bridge Road, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.facebook. com/events/334011823721345

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. 7 – 8:30 p.m., Charis Books and More, 1189 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.charisbooksandmore.com The PFLAG support group for parents and families of LGBT children meets tonight from 7:30 – 9 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, 1605 Interstate 85/ Frontage Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, www.uuca.org

TUESDAY, OCT. 3

Let’s Talk Midtown: A Conversation with Atlanta’s Mayoral Candidates, is hosted by Colony Square and Midtown ATL, 1175 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30309, www.facebook.com/

THURSDAY, OCT. 5

Building on the activist tradition of consciousness-raising groups, each month Charis Books and More invites community members to join The Personal is Political: Feminist Vent to talk about personal issues or societal issues they are trying to deconstruct. The group will use intersectional feminist strategies as tools to talk through these issues. 7:30 – 9 p.m., 1189 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.charisbooksandmore.com

FRIDAY, OCT. 6

Out singer/songwriters Anne Steele and Matt Alber play City Winery

CONTINUES ON PAGE 34

EVENT SPOTLIGHT WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4

Gays for Plays tonight see Theatrical Outfit’s “Boy,” based on the true story of an Iowa boy raised as a girl after an accident. The show explores how the repercussions and realities of that choice unfold and alter lives years later. Discounted $20 tickets are available, which includes a drink from the concession stand. 7:30 p.m., The Balzer Theatre at Herren’s, Atlanta, GA 30303, www.facebook. com/events/1904369853121340/ (Publicity photo)

September 29, 2017 Best Bets 33

SATURDAY, OCT. 7

The Atlanta Grilled Cheese Festival comes to Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark along the Atlanta BeltLine today. Restaurants from all over Atlanta will be serving up bites of melty, cheesy goodness all day long for your tasting pleasure, 12 – 6 p.m., 830 Willoughby Way N.E., Atlanta, GA 30306, www.facebook.com/ events/238340033307032 (Publicity photo)

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33 Atlanta for the first time, helping to kick off Atlanta Pride weekend. Steele comes in from New York City and Alber brings his Portland vibes to the stage. See story on page 25. 8 – 10 p.m., City Winery Atlanta, 650 North Ave. N.E., Suite 201, Atlanta, GA 30308, www.facebook.com/ events/1951842095071973

SATURDAY, OCT. 7

The first annual Joan P. Garner Walk & Health Fair is today. This special occasion commemorates the life of the late Fulton County Commissioner Joan P. Garner.

Organizers want to keep her memory alive through this annual walk and health fair at a facility that was once in her district.

To RSVP, visit fultoncomm5.nationbuilder. com/2017JoanGarnerWalk, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Oak Hill Child, Adolescent & Family Center, 2805 Metropolitan Parkway S.W, Atlanta, GA 30315, www.facebook.com/events/1987572501260331 Come experience the excitement of the Pamplona Running of the Bulls, but without all the goring! The “bulls” in this event are none other than your Atlanta Rollergirls. After a mini processional to the “rollerbull pen” by the Wasted Potential Brass Band, the bulls will be released

34 Best Bets September 29, 2017

and will chase participants to the finish line (and the afterparty) at Orpheus Brewing! There will be a DJ, food trucks and other fun activities after the run, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Piedmont Park, www.facebook. com/events/891686314303790 The March for Dignity, Justice and Truth fights back against the Trump administration. 1 – 7 p.m. 461 Edgewood Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30312, www.facebook. com/events/137600763510835 The Still Too Busy to Hate - 10th & Piedmont Building Wrap Unveiling Party is today, hosted by Rainbros, 5 – 7 p.m., 991 Piedmont Ave. N.E,, Atlanta, GA 30309 www.facebook.com/ events/1330585970401478 Join The Atlanta Light the Night event, sponsored by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The event raises funds for treatments that are saving the lives of patients today, 5:30 – 10 p.m., assembling at the Charles Allen gate entrance of Piedmont Park, www.facebook.com/events/708986779296846 The fundraiser Velvet: A Night at the Cabaret features individual members of the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus and the Atlanta Women’s

THURSDAY, OCT. 5

Outrepasser: A Look at Gender, is an art exhibit opening tonight and running through Oct. 15 at Theatrical Outfit, in conjunction with the company’s version of “Boy,” 6 – 7:30 p.m., 84 Luckie St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303, www.facebook.com/ events/511296132539226 (Courtesy image) Chorus, 7 – 10 p.m., Out Front Theatre Company, 999 Brady Ave. N.W, Atlanta, GA 30318, www.facebook.com/ events/162421134322704 Transgender Housing Atlanta Program is hosting a Missy Elliott video dance party at the Rush Center tonight, 7 – 11 p.m., 1530 DeKalb Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.rushcenteratl.org

SUNDAY, OCT. 8

Atlanta Pride Festival 2017 is quickly approaching and organizers want to spread the word! Join today at the Krog Street Tunnel for an afternoon of painting the bridge, as well as sign making for the Dyke March and Trans March, 1 – 4 p.m., www.facebook.com/

events/2000035633541129 SOJOURN hosts the holiday-themed SOJOURN in the Sukkah - Gesher L’Torah, Congregation Gesher L’Torah, 2 – 4 p.m., 4320 Kimball Bridge Road, Alpharetta, GA 30022, www.facebook.com/events/347390182386495

MONDAY, OCT. 9

Some of the greatest indie filmmaking minds from the Southeast converge in Atlanta for a week-long celebration of southern cinema at Y’allywood Film Fest 4, 7 Stages, 1105 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.facebook.com/ events/1895992040720097

CONTINUES ON PAGE 35 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

FRIDAY, OCT. 13

Atlanta Pride kicks off the celebratory event with its Aquarium Party, before the biggest Pride in the Southeast gets cranked up over the weekend, 7 – 11:30 p.m., 225 Baker St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30313, www.atlantapride.org (Courtesy photo)

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TUESDAY, OCT. 10

Help celebrate the two-year anniversary of the LGBT Institute. LGBT Advisory Board members will be on hand to discuss their work as well as Dr. Eric Wright, who leads research. Women and Gender Collections Archivist Morna Gerrard will lead guests on an exclusive sneak peek at some of the most fascinating LGBT artifacts and memorabilia.

It will be a relaxed night with wine and hors d’oeuvres, great conversation and networking, 6 – 8 p.m., Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library, 100 Decatur St. S.E., Atlanta, GA 30303, www.facebook.com/ events/231031474090679

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 11

Randy Rainbow, the comedian and YouTube sensation, appears at Jungle Atlanta tonight in a benefit for Lostn-Found Youth. The event, hosted by the incomparable Bubba D. Licious, is

sponsored in part by The Rivers Edge campground, Tito’s Vodka, Project Q Atlanta and the Georgian Terrace Hotel. 7 – 10 p.m., Jungle Atlanta, 2115 Faulkner Road N.E., Atlanta, GA 30324, www.facebook.com/ events/116452715735392

Visit www.squirt.org to hook up today Jerusalem House presents

OPEN BAR

Halloween Party

Emory University’s Office of LGBT Life celebrates National Coming Out Day with Out On Campus, 12 – 2 p.m., Cox Hall Ballroom, 201 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, www.lgbt.emory.edu

THURSDAY, OCT. 12

SAGE Atlanta’s bi-monthly meetings occur from 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of each month, Phillip Rush Center Annex, 1530 DeKalb Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307, www.rushcenteratl.org The Heretic hosts Country Pride tonight, 8 p.m. – 3 a.m., 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road N.E, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.facebook.com/

Totally radical costume contest with bodacious prizes!

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

SATURDAY OCTOBER 21, 2017 7:00–11:00 p.m.

Gnarly new venue!

Gallery 874 874 Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard NW Atlanta, GA 30318

Tito’s Handmade Vodka!

Slammin’ complimentary cocktails!

Totally primo food!

Fresh beats by DJ Kimber!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LGBT EVENT

Submit your LGBT event for inclusion in our online and print calendars by emailing event info to editor@thegavoice.com

Atlanta’s most triumphant

www.jerusalemhouse.org/halloween

Grab your fab friends, score an outrageous costume, and buy your tickets for a righteous

good time!

21 and up, ID required September 29, 2017 Best Bets 35

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID

By MELISSA CARTER

When a quick errand turns awkward I am a fan of the idea that we should embrace ourselves for all we have to offer, no matter how different those traits are. However, I wish the rest of the world would learn to accept us as we are too.

I want to focus on the physical differences among us, since beauty is still considered a most important asset. For women, the ideal beauty standard consists of thick hair, a small waist, fresh one-tone skin and a perfectly symmetrical face. I offer none of these, but I do contribute my unique qualities to the world. They consist of oily hair that needs to be washed several times a week, raccoon eyes I inherited from my father and grandmother and a set of hips that are thinner than my waistline, making it a challenge to keep my pants on. So when I make a quick trip to run an errand and don’t take the time to hide my natural attributes, the reaction can be quite comical.

Such was the case the other day when I had to drop a package off at a FedEx store.

Knowing it wouldn’t be a highly involved trip and that I wouldn’t see too many people, I headed out sans shower and makeup to display the seemingly damp hair and dark circles. I also pulled on some ill-fitting women’s jeans – ill-fitting because women’s jeans assume all girls have an ass. I do not, and because of that I have to constantly pull them up at the waist. In fact, that is the case with just about all my pants. Hey, at least I put a bra on.

I noticed as I pulled into the parking lot there was a sub shop next to the FedEx office and I decided to run in and get something to-go after I was done dropping off my package. When I walked into the empty restaurant, I was greeted by the staff, but I noticed that once I began to give my order and attempt to joke with the cashier that most conversation on their end came to an abrupt halt. They rang up the order and gave me my drink cup, but the two people behind

“I will say this is the first time at complete avoidance by people who have seen me unkempt.

Usually there are stares and people asking me if I feel OK. Little kids have on more than one occasion asked if I’d been hit or in a car accident.” the counter gave a lackluster attempt to hide their effort to avoid eye contact with me. In fact, they avoided looking at me altogether as they worked to fill my order.

I became instantly self-conscious, took my cup and headed to the restroom. Confused, I went about my business and washed my hands. Then I saw what they must have seen, someone who looked like a stereotypical druggie. Forgive what seems like an insensitive description, but I was trying to figure out why they wanted me quickly out of the store and realized that must be it. I’m sure my natural ability at bubbly conversation was confused for some nervous high and need for food to satisfy a craving.

I will say this is the first time at complete avoidance by people who have seen me unkempt. Usually there are stares and people asking me if I feel OK. Little kids have on more than one occasion asked if I’d been hit or in a car accident. By this point I’m used to it, but if someday while you’re out and you see a woman looking pitiful, know she isn’t in danger. She just didn’t feel like getting ready before heading out to get lunch.

Melissa Carter is recognized as one of the first out radio personalities in Atlanta and has been heard over the years on B98.5 and Q100. In addition, she is a writer for the Huffington Post. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCarter.

36 Columnists September 29, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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SOMETIMES ‘Y’

By RYAN LEE

LGBT and taking a knee If anyone thought the protest raging through the NFL was not a LGBT issue, the Atlanta Police Department recently reminded us why we should all be taking a knee.

Despite the focus on the national anthem and the white supremacist in the White House, Colin Kaepernick began kneeling to draw attention to police going unpunished for killing and bullying African-Americans across the country.

Only a tiny percentage of the brutality that police inflict upon black people is physical. Police fabricate laws and regulations to further exploit power dynamics and deny the powerless (across skin colors) rights that the privileged take for granted.

Atlanta has a tradition of suspending its 12 a.m. closing time for bars during three-day weekends, and club-goers across the city were raising glasses as the Sunday party extended into Monday this past Labor Day. Yet, somehow, the corner where hundreds were gathered for Black Gay Pride was the only place in Atlanta where police officers were unaware of the city’s extended bar hour policy, even when it was printed out and shown to them.

Officers dispatched paddy wagons to a scene where they knew no crime was committed, closed the bars hosting Pride parties two hours early and swept black LGBT folks out of Midtown like they were vermin rather than US citizens with civil liberties.

This was the second time in less than a decade APD illegally shut down Black Gay Pride, as in 2009 I wrote about how officers descended on the traditional Sunday gathering in Piedmont Park “with swiftness and might — a dozen cruisers lining the street with their lights blaring ... a parade of motorcycle cops arriving for back-up and another dozen cop cars circling the park ordering everyone to leave, even though the park didn’t close for another hour.”

As a reporter that evening, I asked an officer why police were clearing the park early and was told a stampede had occurred after a fight between people armed with guns. I knew that was lie because I happened to have

“[The Atlanta Police Department] would have gotten away with it this time, too, except the establishments they illegally closed on Labor Day were owned by white people, meaning there were credible witnesses who could tell the media and politicians about the injustices they had seen and endured.” been near the center of the stampede, which lasted about 30 seconds and was followed by folks laughing that they started running.

APD ignored open records requests for police reports or any radio communication that led to the raid on Black Gay Pride in 2009, said it was fireworks rather than gunshots that caused the commotion, and ultimately denied officers had closed Piedmont Park before the proper hour.

And they got away with it. They would have gotten away with it this time, too, except the establishments they illegally closed on Labor Day were owned by white people, meaning there were credible witnesses who could tell the media and politicians about the injustices they had seen and endured.

Still, the only repercussion for APD routinely treating Black Gay Pride like the Stonewall Inn is the reassignment of an unnamed shift commander. APD has not released the officer’s name or personnel record, but, in what APD considers transparency, let the public know he’s gay – so, nothing to see here.

I’m inspired by TEN owner James Nelson’s refusal to let APD pretend this was an administrative oversight, rather than the deliberate targeting of Black Gay Pride. A lot of white LGBT Americans have gotten on bended knee in recent years thanks to marriage equality, but many more will need to kneel before there is an end to police brutality in all its forms.

Ryan Lee is an Atlanta writer.

38 Columnists September 29, 2017 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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