Darian Aaron, Hunter Buchheit, Melissa Carter, María Helena Dolan, Rich Edlredge, Jim Farmer, Chris McCain, Peter Rosenstein, Cynthia SalinasCappellano, Gregg Shapiro, Adalei Stevens
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GUEST EDITORIAL
Welcome to Atlanta Pride
Chris McCain, Executive Director of Atlanta Pride
Happy Pride, Atlanta! Whether this is your first Atlanta Pride festival or you’ve celebrated with us for decades, we welcome and celebrate YOU.
For more than 50 years, Atlanta Pride has been a cornerstone of Atlanta’s LGBTQ community. What began in 1970 as a small gathering in Piedmont Park has grown into the largest Pride festival in the Southeast. It’s also the largest free Pride festival in the country — which is only possible thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, supporters, and the dedication of hundreds of volunteers who give their time this weekend and throughout the year.
The theme of the 2024 Atlanta Pride Festival is “United With Pride” — a simple, yet powerful message for our community. Throughout its history, Atlanta Pride has stood as a beacon of unity, creating space for our community to unite for justice and equality. Especially this year — a year in which LGBTQ people in Georgia and across the country have faced attacks on our rights and ability to live freely and openly as our true selves — we must come together and ensure that our collective voice is heard. If you haven’t done so already, make your plan to vote in November’s election. This year is pivotal for our community and our country.
During the Atlanta Pride Festival, we expect more than 350,000 people to make their way to Piedmont Park to enjoy exciting entertainment on our two stages, explore the hundreds of vendors in our marketplace, and experience the diverse community that comes together. Atlanta Pride truly has something for everyone!
Among the many incredible things happening during this year’s festival, I want to highlight a few that you won’t want to miss. From Ava Max headlining the Coca-Cola Main Stage on Saturday night to the country’s largest outdoor drag show, Starlight Cabaret, closing out our festival on Sunday, we have a fabulous and
diverse lineup of entertainers. A new addition this year is our Sunday afternoon tea dance, “A Chaka Moment ... in the Park,” hosted by the phenomenal DJ Ree De La Vega. Be sure to stick around after the parade and enjoy great music and even better vibes!
Within the festival, we’re also excited to present two exhibits showcasing our community’s history in partnership with Georgia State University and Emory University. On Oak Hill, we’re proud to display 20 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, a moving and emotional tribute to those lost to AIDS. Through these exhibits, we encourage you to learn more about and reflect on some of the incredible people and moments that have shaped our community.
Families will enjoy our Family Fun Zone, which has been moved to the heart of Piedmont Park near the playground. Throughout the weekend, we’ll have a plethora of fun activities for children and youth, including face painting and mask
making, book readings with Drag Story Hour, and much more. Nearby, check out our Artist Market, featuring 20 local artisans and craftspeople displaying their talents and imagination.
Along with planning this year’s festival, 2024 has been a year of reflection and growth for our organization. Over the past nine months, our team has been engaged in a strategic planning process, which has included input and participation from across our large and diverse community. We will be announcing our new strategic plan in the coming weeks, and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you.
As we gather this weekend, let us remember that Atlanta Pride is more than just a twoday event — it is the embodiment of our community’s resilience, love, and courage. By gathering in the heart of our city, we honor our rich history as we work toward a better future where all of us can thrive as our true and fullest selves. This year, and every year, may we be United With Pride.
Chris McCain (right) with Malik Brown, the Director of the Mayor's Division of LGBTQ Affairs. PHOTO COURTESY OF ATLANTA PRIDE
Staff reports
Read these stories and more online at thegavoice.com
Biden’s Acknowledgement of LGBTQ History Month ‘Consequential’
President Joe Biden signed a letter acknowledging Equality Forum’s LGBTQ History Month launch event, writing that “by celebrating stories of bravery, resilience, and joy, your example inspires hope in all people seeking a life true to who they are.”
Malcolm Lazin, Equality Forum executive director, said Biden’s letter is “consequential.” He noted that one year before the White House delivered a proclamation for Black History Month, it issued a letter signed by the president.
“It’s our hope that next year, our nation’s 47th president will issue that proclamation for LGBT History Month,” Lazin said.
Equality Forum is an LGBTQ civil rights organization with an educational focus based in Philadelphia. The group’s work includes coordinating LGBTQ History Month, producing documentary films and overseeing the application for and installation of government-approved queer historic markers.
When spearheading LGBTQ History Month for the first time back in 2006, Lazin said many pushed back against the idea. Some media outlets claimed it was trying to turn straight people gay or promote pedophilia.
But Lazin said the homophobic reactions died down when people were educated on topics that typically weren’t taught in a widespread way.
“We were demonized, marginalized, and vilified,” Lazin said. “One of the certain principal ways you’re going to make headway is if you humanize who we are, and also educate people about the important contributions we make to our common society.”
The reality of what LGBTQ History Month has become today is more than the work of one organization; Lazin said it’s the combined effort of local communities that are curious about their own history.
“While we could not possibly take on doing the history of all the cities around the country or in North America or around the world, it really has helped to encourage people to appreciate that history and to make sure that it is well documented,” Lazin said.
Harris Campaign Ramps Up LGBTQ Engagement as Election Day Nears
Vice President Kamala Harris has eked out a narrow lead in the latest polls, but slim margins in seven key battleground states are still likely to decide the outcome of the election, which experts say will be the closest America has had in decades, if not more than a century.
And LGBTQ voters, who comprise a larger share of the electorate than ever before, are expected to play a major role in November.
With just over a month until Election Day, the Harris-Walz team is in overdrive enlisting key surrogates and staff to fan out across the U.S. With a focus, of course, on Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
“We’ve got to make sure we compete everywhere,” Harris campaign co-chair Rep. Robert Garcia said. “So, wherever I can be, I’ll be.”
The congressman headlined an event with the LGBTQ community in Phoenix for Out for Harris, the campaign’s LGBTQ-focused national organizing effort. Queer voters are “always engaging and always asking questions,” he said, eager to discuss “their future and their rights and how dangerous Donald Trump would be for them.”
Up next for the congressman is another trip to Nevada and then to Pennsylvania, he said.
In his conversations with voters, Garcia said, Project 2025 – the 900+ page governing blueprint for a second Trump term – is often top of mind, notwithstanding the former president’s efforts to “skirt or dodge” the extreme plans detailed in the document.
“It’s clear that this is the Donald Trump agenda. I think everyone knows that, and we’re going to continue to hammer home that it’s also very bad for LGBTQ people,” he said, noting that Project 2025 contains “all sort of horrible things,” including plans to roll back and revoke rights like LGBTQinclusive workplace protections while advancing policies like “book bans [that target] our community in schools.”
More broadly, Garcia said, “there’s no question that Donald Trump is bad for gay people. I mean, look at the Supreme Court…just on the courts alone, how could you argue any differently?”
National LGBTQ Engagement Director Sam Alleman stressed that the Harris campaign does not take support from LGBTQ voters for granted.
“We have to work to earn these voters’ votes, too. And I think the program we are building is so indicative of that, and it’s truly our goal beyond just LGBTQ rights — we’re communicating with voters, LGBTQ voters, and equality voters about the full range of our platform and what we’re doing, because we firmly believe it will benefit them. Extraordinarily.”
Rep. Mark Pocan was honored with Equality Forum’s International Role Model Award at the Equality Forum’s launch event. WASHINGTON BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY
Black M.A.M.A.S. are Leading the Fight for Reproductive Justice
After the Superior Court of Fulton Count issued a ruling on September 30 that would undo the restrictive six-week abortion ban in Georgia, the Georgia Supreme Court reinstated the ban on October 7.
The ruling comes after two Black women, Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, died due to the restrictions of reproductive and maternal healthcare in Georgia, according to reports from ProPublica.
Even though 60 countries have liberalized abortion care and reproductive rights in recent decades, The Center for Reproductive Rights found that 40 percent of women (of reproductive age) live under restrictive laws.
The New Georgia Project is a nonpartisan civic engagement endeavor that has become Georgia’s largest voter registration and turnout program. Stacey Abrams, the first African American female major-party gubernatorial nominee in the United States, founded the non-profit organization in 2013.
The New Georgia Project supports campaigns like Black M.A.M.A.S., a reproductive justice group. M.A.M.A.S. stands for “Meaningful Action for Maternal Advocacy and Safety,” signaling the group’s dedication to women and birthing people across Georgia.
“We organize around birth justice in Georgia, specifically better reproductive and birthing care for Black women and birthing people,” according to the group’s mission statement.
Reproductive Justice Organizer, Ja’Maé Rooks, spoke with Georgia Voice about the choices, or lack thereof, she was given in the reproductive healthcare system. A few years ago, when Rooks was rushed to the emergency room for what she thought was
food poisoning, she learned she was six weeks pregnant.
“I was told that if I did proceed with the pregnancy, the baby would have a very low chance of making it and I could possibly dim” Rooks said. “So, I chose to terminate, which was very hard, because I felt like I didn’t have a choice. There wasn’t really any other options given. And in seeing that I didn’t have options, I made it my mission to make sure that all options are presented in a way that women, specifically Black women, don’t feel pressured into doing one thing or the other, and that they have full autonomy over their birthing process.”
Rooks defines a key aspect of her organizing
as “birth justice,” which gives the birthing person space, autonomy, and accessibility to a safe birth with advocates supporting them during prenatal, postnatal, and postpartum care.
“In a perfect world, people would just mind their business and allow people to have autonomy over their own bodies in a very much space,” she said.
Over 40 percent of Georgia counties are considered “maternal health deserts,” meaning they lack adequate resources and medical centers for birthing people. Maternal health deserts are more likely to impact Black mothers, who are three times more likely to die in Georgia due to birthing complications.
“If doctors would have paid attention, if doctors would have taken action. These two Black women would still be here,” Rooks said. “With the Black M.A.M.A.S. campaign, we are very pro-Black …We want to make sure that our Black folks are taken care of to the utmost, due to the fact that it has been proven time and time again, that we are seeing as experiments or test studies, we are seen as less than human and humane.”
Fannie Lou Hamer, a civil rights and voting activist before she died in 1977, went to the hospital to get a tumor removed from her uterus. Without her consent, Hamer woke up a victim of forced sterilization after her surgeon performed a hysterectomy as a means to reduce the Black population. The mutilation was widespread in a racist South, insidiously called a “Mississippi appendectomy.”
“We will not allow them to erase history and what has been done, and we will not allow them to continue to treat us as they did,” Rooks said. “Reproductive justice and maternal health care is not just a woman’s issue. Everybody in that woman’s life is affected; from her partner, be it however they choose to show up, to her family. This is an all-person issue, and everybody is affected by this.”
The Black M.A.M.A.S. campaign hopes to reduce Georgia’s maternal health deserts by creating and supporting birthing centers, like Genesis Birth Concepts located at 2788 Bayard Street, Suite 100 in East Point. The Black, female-owned and operated business will add a birthing center to its women’s health clinic in 2025.
For the holiday season, the clinic is accepting non-perishable donations, toys, and clothes for families in need. Visit genesisbirthconcepts. com and newgeorgiaproject.org/campaigns/ reproductive-justice-for-ngp to learn more.
Adalei Stevens
PHOTO BY PEXELS.COM
Southern Fried Queer Pride Loses Space for CLUTCH Community Center
Katie Burkholder
After four years of fundraising and developing a community space, Southern Fried Queer Pride has announced that they lost the space for the CLUTCH Community Center following issues with landlords.
On September 24, SFQP released a post on Instagram updating the community, writing they broke the five-year lease they signed in December 2023 because they “experienced a series of aggressive tactics from the landlords — from delaying permits to refusing to meet the agreed-upon building codes.”
“After four years of rejection from properties across Atlanta unwilling to support our mission, this moment felt like a triumphant step toward full autonomy and a brighter
future,” the organization said. “We would finally have a needed space to expand and grow into, along with our community. As of May 2024, we no longer have our space. Our dream was shattered.”
According to SFQP, the landlords of the space reneged on their agreement to offer rent-free occupancy until SFQP reached full operational capacity and bring the building to code, pressuring the queer organization to pay rent “for an unfit space.” SFQP launched their fundraising campaign for CLUTCH in August 2021 and spent $21,000 of raised funds for inspections, architectural work, and permits — all of which was lost.
“The experience has been a bitter pill to swallow, but a hard-earned lesson on the challenges marginalized communities face
in securing safe and accessible spaces,” the organization said.
CLUTCH was set to be a Black queer- and trans-owned brick-and-mortar space for the LGBTQ community to commune, heal, and build by offering artist studios, performance venues, community meeting spaces, and a community garden.
Following the unfortunate update, SFQP
will focus on rebuilding their team and refining their programming before relaunching a fundraising campaign to recover the money that was lost and continue to pursue CLUTCH Community Center.
To help Southern Fried Queer Pride fundraise for CLUTCH Community Center, visit southernfriedqueerpride.com/clutchcommunity-space.
Rome's ‘Kava Den’ Disrupts Small-Town Narrative, Emerges as LGBTQ Haven
Read the full story online at thegavoice.com.
While Atlanta has developed a reputation for being a bastion of LGBTQ equality, Rome, Georgia, despite its picturesque Southern charm, gives no outward indication of the same. Yet, Traveling Gypsies and Kava Den, one of the city’s most beloved small businesses, has become a haven for LGBTQ locals. The hour and fifteen-minute drive from Atlanta to Rome can feel like stepping back in time. There are no Pride flags lining the streets or store windows downtown, but inside the Kava Den, as it's called for short, is a utopia of progressiveness in the most unlikely place.
“It’s like it’s an energy force,” Sami Gravedoni said, describing the gravitational pull the two-and-a-half-year-old business she shares with her husband Jim Gravedoni has on the local community that congregates at Kava Den long after last call for its signature Kava and Kratom elixirs.
Married for 18 years, the Gravedonis relocated to Rome from central Florida in 2022 after retiring from successful careers in the moving and storage industries. The unique
name for their thriving business comes from Sami’s early childhood experiences and their collective desire as straight allies to create a space where all people feel welcome.
“I moved all over the place, continuously. Not outside of Florida, but still, every time I turned around and would get comfortable,
we’d move,” Sami said. They eventually roamed to Rome and settled in, creating a coffee shop that felt like home.
Hayden Lane, 31, an out transgender man and Rome native, was one of Kava Den’s early customers. He is now one of two “Kavatenders,” both LGBTQ, employed at
the Gravedoni business.
“It’s very hard to find employers in places like this, and where I work is the most accepting,” said Lane, who is one of the most visible trans people in Rome’s LGBTQ community.
Lane says he has chosen to be out about his gender identity in Rome despite any potential backlash.
“If someone asked me if I’m part of the LGBTQ community, I absolutely would say yes,” he said. “And I tell people, too, that don’t even know that I’m a trans male, hoping that if they don’t understand, they want to understand. How can you make these places grow if you’re not open about who you are? We’re not those monsters in the closet that you think we are.” Lane told Georgia Voice that the impact of having a space like the Kava Den in Rome is “huge.”
Love Thy Neighbor
Deleta Christie, 43, is also a Kavatender. A pansexual mother of four children, two of whom are LGBTQ, Christie first entered
Darian Aaron
Traveling Gypsies and Kava Den PHOTO BY DARIAN AARON
the Kava Den three weeks after it opened. She quickly became a cheerleader for the inclusive space to anyone willing to listen while simultaneously encouraging the Gravedonis to hire her.
“I think most people feel like they’re part of the family within the first couple of visits, and that’s definitely something we strive for,” Christie said. “We want everyone, regardless of their gender or how they identify sexually, we want them to feel like they are part of the family, and I think that’s something that’s not heard of, especially in a bar atmosphere. You’re not going to find that if you go to most of the bars in Rome.”
“The Bible says love thy neighbor as you love yourself,” Jim said. “I don’t care what my neighbor looks like. I love him. If you can’t take care of another human being and respect that person the way you respect yourself, then you might need to talk to someone.”
For the Kavatenders, Jim’s use of the Leviticus 19:18 scripture in support of queer people is a welcome change, given how conservatives have weaponized passages from Leviticus against LGBTQ people, many of whom are also people of faith. It’s a fact that Christie, who is not entirely out to her religious family, still wrestles with when she and Lane meet LGBTQ patrons at Kava Den with similar traumas.
Lane’s visibility and advocacy as a trans person in Rome deeply resonates with Christie, who is parenting a trans child.
“Knowing that he can be an example for other trans kids, and even my child — I can tell them to come talk to Hayden,” Christie said. “He’s great, and I think it’s amazing that he’s able to be open about his journey. I love him. That's my little bro.”
Lane and Christie acknowledge the “community within a community” the Gravedonis have created and revel in being
able to show up as their authentic selves to work, which hasn’t always been an option.
“I truly know they love me for who I am,” Lane said. “They give me the chance to be myself and have a job where I love what I do. I’ve never been accepted as much as I have from them anywhere else.”
Sami says the not-so-secret ingredient to Kava
Den’s reputation among LGBTQ Romans is simple: “Getting to know somebody past their gender, past their sexual [orientation], past their political views — getting to know that person as a whole is where it's at,” she said. “I think we’ve changed, and we’re changing them one by one here.”
Learn more about Traveling Gypsies and Kava Den at travelinggypsiesandkavaden.com.
The owners and staff of Traveling Gypsies and Kava Den PHOTO BY DARIAN AARON
Mystic District Marketplace Returns with Halloween Event
Katie Burkholder
Later this month, Atlanta’s ghosts, ghouls, and gays will come out to play. Mystic District Marketplace, a queer witchy night market embracing the magic of art and curiosities, returns for its first Halloween event since 2020 with The Clockwork Coven edition on October 19 from 6pm-midnight at Westside Motor Lounge.
Don your best spooky attire for this steampunky soiree and enjoy an hourlong drag and burlesque show showcasing some of Atlanta’s greatest queer talent, with performances by “Boulet Brothers’ Dragula” season five star Jarvis Hammer, Mecca Mwah, Brie Fromage, Eden, Poptart, Hannibal Montannibal, and host Royal Tee.
The night will also include music from Naomi., Sudie, and JordyWonerland; witchy curio vendors offering tooth gems, tarot readings, plant magic, massage, vintage clothing, metaphysical fare, taxidermy, and more; a steampunk adornment workshop; captivating fire and circus performances; interactive art and photo opportunities; and delicious food and drinks.
“This event is all about creative expression, inclusion, and honoring the power of the queer and feminist communities in Atlanta,” Liz Peña, the producer and founder of Mystic District Marketplace, said. “We’re thrilled to be back at Westside Motor Lounge and grateful for their partnership.”
Other highlights of the event will include a
surprise meet-and-greet, performances by spooky poets, and Threads of Enchantment, The Art of Costuming, a live panel on costume and fashion design. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a raffle benefitting a local mutual aid organization with over $2,000 in prizes (you’ll get a free raffle ticket if
you come in costume!), and the first 50 guests will receive a free Mystic District t-shirt.
Tickets are available for $33.33 online via Universe and $44.44 at the door. Learn more by following Mystic District on Instagram @mysticdistrict.
Fire entertainment at Mystic District 2023. PHOTO BY GRACE KELLY
IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®
This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY® and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.
MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY
BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:
� Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months, and may give you HBV medicine.
ABOUT BIKTARVY
BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.
BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS.
Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains:
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Tell your healthcare provider if you:
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POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY
(bik-TAR-vee)
BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:
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Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.
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Pulse Performance: Electrifying Workouts Made for Modern Life
It’s not news: Atlantans are busy. From school to work, long commutes in grueling traffic to busy weekends packed with dozens of local events, Atlanta and its people are always bustling, always in motion. In the hectic race of daily life, it can be difficult for many to find time to care for themselves, their physiques, and their health. Runs are interrupted by work calls; walks are abbreviated, just long enough to let the dogs get some fresh air; gym plans are canceled in lieu of long to-do lists. Almost without realizing it, people in the 21st century let their health and fitness fall to the wayside out of no fault of their own.
That’s where the new, technologically enhanced era of fitness comes in.
Glenn Braunstein is the founder of Pulse Performance, a high-tech fitness studio in Buckhead. Although he has long had a focus on health and wellness, his transition into the fitness world is fairly new.
“I spent 30 years working for very large technology companies in corporate America,” he told Georgia Voice. “Last year, I was tired of it, and I decided that I wanted to do something different.”
As a first-time business owner, he became the first franchisee of Pulse Performance, which is originally based out of Austin, Texas.
It doesn’t take long to understand Pulse’s namesake. The studio is focused on rapid muscle growth through the use of Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS), a method first employed by the physical therapy and rehabilitation world to help people quickly build muscle after injuries. When Pulse clients go in for sessions, they are equipped
Clients at Pulse Performance can pick and choose what workouts and services they want to partake in, spending anywhere from $50-60 per session to $1,500 a month on all services multiple times a week. COURTESY PHOTO
with electrodes that are controlled and monitored by a Pulse trainer. As clients work out, the electrodes deeply target muscles, even some that aren’t stimulated by or reachable through regular workouts.
Appointments are short and efficient, and EMS sessions are often used in tandem with the other services Pulse offers. Truflex focuses on body sculpting, targeting specific muscle
areas like the abs utilizing EMS technology administered by licensed estheticians. One short Truflex session can be equivalent to thousands of crunches, saving clients hours on floor mats and gym commutes. To ensure that muscles repair and rejuvenate rapidly, Pulse’s Infrared Fitness Pod utilizes infrared light to reduce inflammation, soreness, and lactic acid buildup so that clients can bounce back quickly and return within a week or even a few days.
The efficiency of the sessions means that results appear swiftly, attuned to clients’ unique objectives.
“We want to customize programs completely based on clients’ needs,” Braunstein said.
Clients can pick and choose what workouts and services they want to partake in, spending anywhere from $50-60 per session to $1,500 a month on all services multiple times a week. Working with the Pulse staff, clients set goals for weight loss, muscle gain, and body recomposition, which is monitored through the use of an in-house 3D body scanner that analyzes people’s body composition in detail. Whether they want to supplement their workouts outside of Pulse or use Pulse services to the fullest, clients’ regimens are highly individualized. And for first-time clients that may be unsure if EMS is right for them, Pulse offers a free first workout.
Looking forward, Braunstein hopes to deepen and expand the Pulse community.
“Our community right now is made up of our ecosystem of a small staff and a constantly growing member base,” he said. “I want to expand as one large Pulse family.”
With plans to open new locations past the Buckhead area northward into high-demand markets, Glenn’s vision remains grounded in the fundamental goal of Pulse.
“Everything we do is tied to the one single goal of helping people build muscle, burn fat, and do it fast — faster than any traditional methods out there,” he said.
To learn more about Pulse Performance, visit pulseperformancestudio.com.
Hunter Buchheit
Voters 50 Plus Decide Elections
Vanessa Payne, AARP Georgia State Director
This election year is already marked by a lot of noise and very little agreement. However, there is one thing we know for sure: voters 50-plus decide elections. In fact, they are the majority of voters in every election, and candidates who don’t recognize the power of these voters are unlikely to win.
Here’s how we know this to be true: for all 50 states and all 435 congressional districts, AARP analyzed data for the 2020 elections to show exactly who was deciding elections. More specifically, in Georgia, 51 percent of the electorate in 2020 was age 50-plus. In 2020, 55 percent of Georgia’s voters 50plus were women, 27 percent were African American, and 33 percent were from rural areas of the state.
So, what are the priorities of voters over 50? They want candidates to address the issues that matter most to them and their families,
including challenges like caring for their loved ones and protecting their hard-earned contributions to Social Security.
Caregiving
According to AARP research, more than 48 million Americans are family caregivers –that's one in five voters. AARP is mobilizing this significant slice of the electorate to fight for commonsense solutions that will save caregivers time and money and get them more support.
Family caregivers are the backbone of a broken long-term care system, helping with everything from buying groceries and managing medications to bathing and dressing. They often put their own finances and jobs at risk to care for loved ones. America’s family caregivers provide more than $600 billion in unpaid care each year, saving taxpayers billions by keeping loved ones at home instead of in Medicaid-funded nursing homes. Georgia’s 1,260,000 unpaid family caregivers contribute more than 1.18
million hours of unpaid care each year, valued at approximately $16.3 billion.
A recent AARP survey shows that most voters – 70 percent – say they are more likely to support a candidate who backs proposals that support family caregivers, such as tax credits, paid family leave, and respite services. An overwhelming 75 percent of voters over 50 say it is important for Congress to help older Americans live independently in their homes instead of in nursing homes.
Social Security
Voters aged 50 and over also are focused on the sustainability of our country’s Social Security system. If Congress doesn’t act in the next 10 years to protect and save this program – which is vital to American workers of all ages – it could be cut by 20 percent, an average of $4,000 a year. A cut like that could be devastating to retirees who paid in and earned their Social Security through a lifetime of hard work.
Voting Information
Voters aged 50 and over know they can count on AARP for nonpartisan information about when, where, and how to vote, and the candidates’ positions on their policy priorities. We don’t tell our members or anyone else who to vote for, but we are committed to making sure all voters have the information they need to make their voices heard in the 2024 elections.
Here in Georgia, 2.5 million voters over 50 have long been the deciders in elections. Candidates who want to get elected should pay close attention to these voters and the issues they care about. This isn’t their first time to vote, nor their last.
AARP is standing with Georgia voters by providing reliable election information they need to make their voice heard in November.
Find out how to register, details on mailin voting and polling places, plus all the key voting deadlines for Georgia at aarp. org/gavotes.
This election year is already marked by a lot of noise and very little agreement. However, there is one thing we know for sure: voters 50-plus decide elections. PHOTO COURTESY OF AARP
We're in Your Corner
People today can spend nearly half their lives over the age of 50. That’s a lot of living. So, it helps to have a wise friend and fierce defender like AARP in your corner and in your community so your money, health and happiness live as long as you do.
AARP offers information on when, where and how to vote, and local resources and tools to help you achieve your goals and stay connected. Find us at aarp.org/gavotes.
Electing Harris is an Imperative for LGBTQ Community
Read the full column online at thegavoice.com.
Since before 1969 and Stonewall in New York, activists have fought, many literally risking their lives, for the rights of the LGBTQ community. Fifty years ago, in 1974, Congresswoman Bella S. Abzug (D-N.Y.) introduced the original Equality Act in Congress. While we have made huge progress since that time, including gaining marriage equality, the rights of the LGBTQ community are still far from guaranteed.
Too many today don’t realize after 50 years, Congress still has not passed the Equality Act. Just as after 101 years since it was introduced in Congress, the ERA has still not been added to our Constitution. The LGBTQ
community must understand in 37 states you can get married on Sunday, and fired from your job, and thrown out of your home, on Monday. Donald Trump and J.D. Vance are okay with that. That is what they mean when they keep saying they want states to have the right to make decisions on equality. They are OK with states taking women’s rights away, and not guaranteeing the rights of the African American community. They are not only okay with that, they are fighting for it.
So, it is imperative for the LGBTQ community to come out in huge numbers to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. If we care about our future, and future generations, it is crucial Harris and Walz win. We need to believe politicians when they talk about what they believe, when it comes to people’s rights. We can debate foreign policy, and the Affordable Care Act. We can debate issues impacting the border. But what
should never be a debate in this great nation of ours, is the notion that we are “all equal with certain inalienable rights” and that we have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That we will always work toward a more ‘perfect union.’ Those are all the things Donald Trump, and J.D. Vance, oppose.
They are happy to take us back to the time women couldn’t control their own healthcare; to when African Americans had to fight for their right to vote. To when members of the LGBTQ community had to hide who they were born to be, to protect their health and safety. Trump was presented with a pledge by the Christian nonprofit, Concerned Women for America, and asked to sign it. It stated “a person’s ‘gender identity’ doesn’t overrule their sex,” and that if he becomes president again, “all federal agencies will be directed to uphold this fact in every policy and program at home
and abroad.” Such a promise would have wideranging implications, the form emphasized, “affecting schools, prisons, shelters, health-care providers, the military and more.” He signed it.
We can vote for Harris and Walz, who have shown us who they are. Vice President Harris is part of the administration that has done more for the LGBTQ community than any in history. Harris is talking directly to the LGBTQ community when she says, “We will not go back.” We will not go back into the closet. We will not go back to being afraid to acknowledge who we are, who we were born to be. Instead, we will go out and vote proudly to defend our future, and the future of LGBTQ generations who come after us.
Peter Rosenstein is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.
Peter Rosenstein, Washington Blade via the National LGBTQ Media Association
Remembering Cliff Bostock
Burkholder
Last month, both Georgia Voice and Atlanta experienced a deep loss as long-time columnist and mainstay in queer Atlanta journalism, Cliff Bostock, passed away, succumbing to his documented battle with cancer.
Cliff was deemed Atlanta’s “first openly gay columnist” in 1978, and for the almost 50 years that followed, he continued to offer his distinct, witty, and razor-sharp voice to Atlanta. Cliff was the editor of Creative Loafing from 1982 to 1991 and remained a contributor to the publication, writing about food for his Grazing column and psychology for his second weekly column, Headcase. He also wrote about food with a column in Georgia Voice from 2014 until 2020, when he shifted his writing to focus on his experiences and thoughts as an aging gay man in his column, Old Gay Man, which he continued up until his death — even documenting his experience with dying after being diagnosed with a brain tumor behind his left eye in March 2024. His work was also featured in the AJC’s Sunday Magazine and Atlanta Weekly, Etcetera, and Georgia Trend
Given his interest in psychology, attuned observational skills, and deep wisdom, it’s no surprise Cliff would become a life coach, helping people work through creative blocks, cope with midlife and retirement-age transitions, and navigate LGBTQ issues.
It was an honor to work with and learn from Cliff. He was whip-smart, hilarious, and cynical only in the ways he needed to be. He had a discerning eye and impressive wisdom. He was snarky, but never, ever cruel. It was a breath of fresh air to work with someone whose opinions were so precisely formulated (and often, correct) and whose sense of self was just as well-defined.
It was doubly an honor to publish his final reflections on his cancer diagnosis, columns in which he exhibited his characteristic
intelligence and ability to see so clearly what others don’t: the truth.
“In the last few years, I ended long friendships with a few people who repeatedly banished me after I said or did something offensive,” Cliff wrote for Georgia Voice in April. “Then, after months or even years, they would reconnect with me. How did it take me 25 years to remember that this was exactly what my often-cruel mother did to me throughout my childhood and adolescence? With her and with them, there was never processing to help me understand my error, much less theirs. I knew the inevitable outcome, yet I kept handing them the axe. I tell myself: Don’t live that way.
The poodle rat that eyes you in the kitchen, the unknown child who directs your eyes upward, the crazy people who stare at your stupid shoes, the teacher who whines for you to look the other way, and the sprig that captures your seeing heart when it turns unexpectedly into a flower — look for the poetry in your life. Yes, I know that my anxiety will increase when I begin treatment but, hey, my ashes — and yours — will forget it all.”
Cliff was an inspiration to me as an editor,
writer, and person, and he will be sorely missed.
“Rest in peace, Cliff,” Tony Paris wrote for Creative Loafing. “You’ve left us with a giant hole, one never again to be filled with your razor-sharp wit, your wisdom, your unique observations and interpolations on life. You made us laugh. You made us cry. You made us think. Ever perceptive and unyielding. You never held back.”
“I share a broken heart with many who knew and loved Cliff Bostock,” Neil Burns wrote in a tribute posted to Facebook. “Many did not love him as he wrote on controversial topics, especially when they were unpopular at the time. He was a mentor and life coach to me for 30 years. I continued to see him until recently when his health prevented him from doing so. His death came too soon for me, and I was unprepared for the enormous loss in my framework of support and seeing life from another perspective.”
“When I was a little gay kid growing up in the suburban wilderness known as Smyrna, one of the few connections I had to the ‘gay world’ was Creative Loafing, and Cliff's writing in
particular, where he was always dining with his ‘partner’ at some fabulous, exotic restaurants, eating food I could barely imagine,” Tony Leonard wrote on Facebook. “… I had the pleasure of dining with Cliff many times, even managing to end up in his column on occasion (the price being that he constantly picked food off your plate ‘so I can write about it’). Every meal was memorable, often more for his humor and conversation than the food.”
When Pride Comes
Before My Own Fall
Cliff Bostock
Editor’s note: This is a republication of Cliff Bostock’s final column with Georgia Voice, originally published on June 7, 2024, in honor of his passing.
Happy Pride. I’m proud that on the last Wednesday in May, I completed my 30 rounds of radiation therapy at Emory Winship Cancer Institute in Midtown. Usually, the clinic sends people off with a bell-ringing ceremony in which staff members serenade the patient. I deferred on the ritual, but I must say my experience at Emory Winship has made me seriously reconsider my reactively negative opinions about medical care. Every doctor, nurse, and staff member there has been an angel. It’s always the bureaucracy behind the medical care that is most vexing to the workers as well as patients.
Part of my rationale for avoiding the staff’s sweet serenade was knowing that my journey is not over. I won’t know for months if the radiation has helped obliterate PacMan, as I’ve nicknamed the smiling tumor with a gaping mouth behind my left eye, and I will likely have to proceed with more chemotherapy for months, even though my doctors tell me it will likely have no effect. Whatever the treatment I continue to get, it’s all palliative.
CONTINUES ON PAGE 28
Katie
Cliff Bostock PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26
Glioblastoma multiforme, my cancer, is inevitably fatal within a year or two.
This is the third column about my experience. When I reached two weeks of receiving radiation, the side effects hit me — fatigue so devastating that I totally forgot to write last month’s column. My mindset has remained in an almost dreamy state, alarmingly suffused in nostalgia for my youth, for thinkers and poets I’ve long admired. I go to the gym daily, and those 90 seconds between sets are filled with those questions about destiny and purpose that plague most of us in our youth but usually subside as we settle into the routines society — specifically capitalism — requires of us.
Weirdly, I’ve had a sudden onslaught of requests for initial consultations and several requests for media interviews. I thought at first this was provoked by my writing about impending death, but that’s not the case. Anyone whose work is helping others can
tell you that your personal state of mind deeply affects the state of your practice. I listen to clients, most in their 20s, tell me their stories as my own story is coming to a close. Without exception, the first thing that I want to say is, “There’s nothing wrong with you. Stop pathologizing yourself.”
Yes, that’s maybe simplistic. We live in a society that requires an underclass to preserve capitalism. When I was a spooky teenager, I found a book by Eric Fromm on my mother’s shelves. She was a bibliophile, to say the least, but didn’t seem to think things through. Thus, she could be reading books by a psychoanalytical Marxist like Fromm and Jacqueline Susann’s “Valley of the Dolls” at the same time. I never got the full, traditional sex talk from either parent. On top of Ms. Susann’s softcore porn, I got a copy of “Catcher in the Rye” instead. My parents, rabid Republicans, didn’t blink when they saw me reading “The Communist Manifesto,” but they were demonically homophobic and subscribed to that Freudian notion that it was appropriate to repress the
id to preserve civilization. Indeed, even when I was in my 20s and married to a woman, my mother would show up at the office of my therapists, for whom I was paying, and sit in their waiting areas for hours until they’d talk to her. Why? Because she loved me, she said. I think it likely had much more to do with confronting psychiatry’s dictum that mothers are the cause of all misery.
This is Pride month. Many queer people like to think the days of overt oppression are over. Clearly, they are not. Let the Log Cabin Republicans fly their freak flags at half-mast but watch them step into line when it comes to the economics of oppression. This grants them a smidge of masc normality to beat their chests with their manicured hands. I know things are better for those who are open and know that the fundamental conflict remains the same: the right to love. So, yay, whatever! We can get married and the IRS knows that’s a good thing for the government (although any person who’s been married a minute knows that the $60K wedding was theater that will be eclipsed by erectile dysfunction
during the honeymoon, to say nothing of the day your spouse comes home with a moneysucking infant they found at — I don’t know — maybe a humane society facility for lost babies).
The quest for a grant of normality from the dominant culture is what we all seek, even as our shamans — the drag queens and leather boys — shout that our bodies demand respect and celebration for their oddity, not their conformity. (That’s why so many A-list gays attempted to ban them from early Pride parades here.) Queer people know, even amid the strife, the value of imagination and creativity. We are heirs to god-given nonconformity and our every act of love, sacred or profane, is a blessing for the entire culture.
As I take the next steps toward my own death, I want to feel mindful of this legacy I’ve been granted. I want to feel the inherent love and beauty in every cell of our world and in every memory of so many loving friends who have died before me.
Meet Your Atlanta Pride 2024 Grand Marshals
Every year, Atlanta Pride honors a handful of influential people and organizations who are making a difference for LGBTQ Atlantans with the title of Grand Marshals. These remarkable individuals and groups have made significant contributions to Georgia’s LGBTQ community and beyond, and this year’s lineup exemplifies the year’s theme of “United with Pride.”
"We are incredibly honored to have such an extraordinary group standing "United With Pride" this year," said Chris McCain, Executive Director of Atlanta Pride. "Each Grand Marshal has made significant contributions to the LGBTQ community, and their dedication to equality and
inclusion is truly inspiring. We look forward to celebrating their achievements and the vibrant diversity of our community at the 2024 Atlanta Pride Festival."
Meet this year’s diverse group of LGBTQ game changers:
Taylor ALXNDR (Southern Fried Queer Pride)
TAYLOR ALXNDR is an Atlanta-based social activist, community organizer, and drag performer. As the founder of House of ALXNDR and Southern Fried Queer Pride, a grassroots organization supporting LGBTQ arts and activism, they have championed black and brown trans youth since 2014. Their inspiring, committed work continually creates inclusive and creative spaces for queer
and trans communities across the South.
Jorge Estevez (Channel 2 Action News)
Jorge Estevez is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and anchor for WSB-TV Channel 2, where he leads the 5pm and 11pm newscasts. With over 20 years of experience, Jorge has covered major events, including the Pulse nightclub shooting and Hurricane Maria. He is passionate about engaging with Atlanta’s diverse communities and enjoys staying active and exploring pop culture.
Lost-n-Found Youth
Lost-n-Found Youth is an Atlanta-based nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth. Founded in 2011 by local activists, the organization emerged
in response to the lack of support for unhoused queer youth in existing shelters. Since its inception, Lost-n-Found Youth has provided emergency housing, support services, and resources to help LGBTQ youth transition off the streets and into safer, more stable environments, fostering hope and inclusion.
R. Darlene Hudson (Southern Unity Movement)
R. Darlene Hudson is an activist and cofounder of the Rustin Lorde Breakfast, known for her decades of advocacy for social justice, including HIV/AIDS awareness, homelessness, and racial inequity. As a leader of the Southern Unity Movement, she has
Clockwise from left: Taylor ALXNDR; Lost-n-Found Youth; Jorge Estevez; and R. Darlene Hudson COURTESY PHOTOS; TAYLOR ALXNDR PHOTO BY DJ PULCE
Adalei Stevens
Patrick’s Day parade in 2016.
worked to unify and uplift the Black LGBTQ community through education, advocacy, and cultural activities. The Southern Unity Movement focuses on leadership development and promoting Black LGBTQ history and culture.
Atlanta Freedom Marching Band
The Atlanta Freedom Marching Band has been a vibrant force in the LGBTQ community for nearly 30 years, spreading joy and pride through music. Founded in 1993, the band has performed at numerous Atlanta events, including Pride, the Dogwood Festival, and the Atlanta AIDS Walk. As part of the Atlanta Freedom Bands, their performances unite and uplift, embodying celebration and solidarity. They were the first LGBTQ group to march in Atlanta’s Saint
Amber Moore
(Real Bois Talk, Inc.)
Amber Moore is a passionate advocate and founder of Real Bois Talk, Inc., an organization dedicated to empowering queer and transmasculine individuals of color. Through her work, she addresses health disparities and promotes a positive representation of African American, masculine-identified gay women. Amber's commitment to creating inclusive spaces for dialogue and support has significantly impacted the community, fostering awareness, education, and positive health outcomes for marginalized voices.
Dr. Elijah Nicholas (The Global Trans Equity Project)
Dr. Elijah Nicholas is a visionary leader and global advocate for trans rights and equity.
With over 20 years of leadership experience, he founded The Global Trans Equity Project (GTEP), which champions the dignity and well-being of transgender individuals worldwide. Dr. Nicholas combines his expertise in leadership, technology, and nonprofit management to drive impactful change, focusing on racial, health, and education equity, particularly within the Black community and for transgender and non-binary individuals.
Roger Rutkowski (Atlanta Socializers)
Roger Rutkowski is a passionate community leader and founder of the Atlanta Socializers and Mountain Men of North Georgia LGBTQ social clubs, creating welcoming spaces for connection and support in metro Atlanta. As Manager of Legal Services at Mercedes-Benz, he also chairs the LGBTQ
Unity Group, promoting visibility and inclusion. Roger's vibrant personality and fidelity to fostering relationships make him a vital figure in Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ community, bridging corporate, nonprofit, and social circles.
Angeria Paris VanMichaels (Honorary Grand Marshal)
Angeria Paris VanMichaels, Atlanta native and winner of “RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars” season nine, has become an international drag sensation. Known for her Southern charm, elegance, and captivating performances, she first won hearts on season 14 of “RuPaul's Drag Race.” Currently based in Los Angeles, Angeria continues to shine on stage, screen, and beyond. As the 2024 Honorary Grand Marshal, she returns to inspire and uplift the Atlanta LGBTQ community at Pride.
Clockwise from left: Angeria Paris VanMichaels; Atlanta Freedom Marching Band; Roger Rutkowski; Dr. Elijah Nicholas; and Amber Moore
PHOTOS VIA FACEBOOK OR COURTESY PHOTOS
BE A SUPER VOTER
STATE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES
HD6: Cathy Kott
HD30: Kim Floria
HD35: Lisa Campbell (i)
HD37: Mary Frances Williams (i)
HD42: Gabriel Sanchez
HD44: Danielle Bell
HD46: Micheal Garza
HD47: Debra Shigley
HD48: Laura Murvartian
HD50: Michelle Au (i)
HD51: Esther Panitch (i)
HD52: Shea Roberts(i)
HD53: Susie Greenberg
HD54: Betsy Holland (i)
HD56: Bryce Berry
HD57: Stacey Evans (i)
STATE SENATORS
SD7: Nabilah Islam Parkes (i)
SD21: Lillia M. Lionel
SD34: Kenya Wicks
SD38: Rashaun Kemp
SD40: Sally Harrell (i)
HD60: Sheila Jones (i)
HD71: Kwasi Hudson
HD83: Karen Lupton (i)
HD86: Imani Barnes (i)
HD97: Ruwa Romman (i)
HD98: Marvin Lim (i)
HD99: Michelle Kang
HD100: Jennifer Ambler
HD101: Scott Holcomb (i)
HD105: Farooq Mughal (i)
HD107: Sam Park (i)
HD108: Jasmine Clark (i)
HD120: Andrew Ferguson
HD121: Eric Gisler
HD136: Jeff Lowe
HD147: Ariel Phillips
PRECINCT
SD41: Kim Jackson (i)
SD46: Gareth Fenley
SD48: Ashwin Ramaswami
SD56: JD Jordan
Atlanta Pride’s Entertainment Lineup at a Glance
music maker” by Wussy Magazine.
Along with incredible vendors and an amazing parade, Atlanta Pride weekend includes two days of multiple stages chock full of extraordinary entertainment, from local performers to global superstars! Meet this year’s performers and find your new favorite artist before they take the stage this weekend!
Saturday
Voices of Note
Small groups from the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus and Atlanta Women’s Chorus will take the stage to kick off the weekend’s entertainment!
Shooting Star Cabaret
This year’s edition of the Shooting Star Cabaret will include performances by Alabama, Ariana D. Monroe, Canzara ALXNDR SZN, Cherry DeVille, Cora Nova, Eileen Slightly, Enzo Deep, Eros Etoile, Hannibal Montannibal, Jacey Rockett, Lola Mami, Lucky Nicole, Mrs. Ivana, Naja X Supreme, Ruby Iman Starr, Thomas A Eddyson, and Vanity Iman Cavali – plus host Mona Lott!
Out Front Theatre Company
Out Front, Atlanta’s premier LGBTQ theatre company, takes the stage ahead of their staging of “Hairspray,” which kicks off on October 24!
Naomi.
Naomi. is an Atlanta-based singer-songwriter whose sound is reminiscent of artists like Doja Cat, PinkPantheress, and Billie Eilish. After her debut in 2019 with her single “Babe,” Naomi. was deemed “Atlanta’s brightest new
Naoma and the Sundaze
Naoma and the Sundaze is an eight-person Disco Funk band based out of Atlanta. Their most recent album, Goddess of Groove, was released on October 4.
Nachlanta
Nachlanta is an Atlanta-based Bollywood fusion dance group that is returning to the Atlanta Pride stage!
Lucas Kade
Lucas Kade is a trans effeminate dancer, dreamer, and witch.
Kyle Dion
Kyle Dion blends the sounds of R&B, soul, and pop to create a distinct sound that has garnered him collaborations with artists like Kali Uchis (“Your Teeth in My Neck”), UMI and DUCKWRTH (“Play Too Much”), Kari Faux (“Purr”), and Ja Rule (“Placebo”).
Cello/Phn
Cello/Phn is an Atlanta-based alternative R&B and psychedelic musician and songwriter. He performed his latest single, “Fennin’”, at this year’s Atlanta Black Pride festival.
Mila Jam
Mila Jam is a Georgia-raised trans singersongwriter. Her song “Faces” has been deemed an anthem for the LGBTQ community, focusing on self-acceptance, inner beautiful, and a sense of belonging; the music video features Laverne Cox, Tituss Burgess, Candis Cayne, Geena Rocero, Peppermint, Zackary Drucker, Trace Lysette, and Nathan Lee Graham.
Cakes da Killa
Cakes da Killa is a rapper who came to prominence in the queer explosion of hiphop in New York in 2012. Currently based in Atlanta, Cakes da Killa blends hip-hop, house, and EDM and cites artists like Erykah Badu, Busta Rhymes, Lil’ Kim, Nicki Minaj, and Bette Midler as influences.
Monét X Change
Monét X Change rose to prominence after competing on the tenth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars 4.” She currently co-hosts the podcasts “Sibling Rivalry” with Bob the Drag Queen and “Ebony and Irony” with Lady Bunny.
Ava Max
This year’s headliner is Ava Max, best known for her breakthrough 2018 single “Sweet but Psycho.” The pop star as often been compared to Lady Gaga for her music and “ostentatious presentation,” and her influences include Gaga as well as Beyoncé, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Fergie, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera. Her latest single “Spot a Fake” was released on September 19.
Sunday Starlight Cabaret
This year’s legendary drag show – the largest outdoor drag show in the country – will
feature performances by Drew Friday, Tania Dupree, Aspen York, Ran Diosa, Taejah Thomas, Queen Essence Hall, EllaSaurus Rex, Aqua de Laroja, Destiny Brooks, Raquel Rea Heart, Mona Lott, Cici Nicole, Majik Sebastian Cassedine, Coco Iman Starr, Brigitte Bidet, Mr. Elle Aye, Shawnna Brooks, Niesha Dupree, Lena Lust, Jarvis Hammer, the winner of Dragnificent 2024, and host Phoenix!
Sweet Tea Variety Show
Southern Fried Queer Pride presents this allages variety show featuring Beyond, Charlie Xile, Hannibal Montannibal, Alexandria Dion, DJ Cochino, and host Taylor ALXNDR!
The Candybox Revue
The Candybox Revue is an award-winning Atlanta burlesque ensemble and entertainment company full of sparkling burlesque glamour, musical theatre, and Vegas-style Bump and Grind. The Candybox Revue has been a mainstay in Atlanta for a decade, earning the honor of the Reader’s Choice Best Burlesque Troupe from Creative Loafing in 2019.
A Chaka Moment… in the Park
Chaka Khan Hacienda, one of Atlanta’s favorite queer parties, comes to the park and closes out Pride weekend with Honey Balenciaga, Uniiqu3, Ocean Kelly, Jake Jonez, Montre, Divoli S’Vere, Ree de la Vega, and Gorp!
Katie Burkholder
Ava Max headlines this year’s Atlanta Pride festival. PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK
TASTES FROM MIDTOWN’S BEST RESTAURANTS BEVERAGE TASTINGS + DESSERTS + MUSIC
Atlanta Pride at a Glance: What’s Happening This Weekend?
From October 12 to 13, tens of thousands will flock to Atlanta for the biggest Pride celebration in the Southeast. Atlanta Pride returns for its 53rd year to Piedmont Park with the usual festival full of vendors, music, and live entertainment this weekend – but that’s only the beginning of what the weekend will offer. From late-night parties and drag shows to marches and familyfriendly activities, Atlanta Pride will be a weekend packed full of fun, unity, and love for everyone.
*All-ages/family-friendly event
Official Atlanta Pride Events
2024 Pride Kickoff
October 11, 7pm
Georgia Aquarium
Start your Atlanta Pride weekend festivities at the most iconic attraction. Meet old friends and new while exploring the largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere. The music and jaw-dropping décor are sure to dazzle! This award-winning event is one of the best LGBTQ parties in Atlanta. Tickets at georgiaaquarium.org/events/event/2024pride-kickoff.
Pride Yoga*
October 12, 9am
Piedmont Park Dock
This all-levels yoga class will be instructed by KashiAtlanta!
Drag Story Hour*
October 12, noon
Piedmont Park Picnic Pavilion
Bring your friends and family to enjoy stories, coloring, and lots of fun with drag
Family Fun Zone!
Recovery Meetup
October 12, noon
Piedmont Park Greystone Patio
This intentional space will serve as a time to gather and find mutual support. The meeting is open to those on all paths of recovery.
Trans March*
October 12, 1:45pm
Corner of 10th and Charles Allen
Electric Circus
October 12, 10pm
Domaine ATL
My Sister’s Room takes over Domaine for the ultimate sapphic Pride party, featuring fire shows, aerialist performances, a burlesque revue, go-go dancers, and appearances by Tif Der from “The Ultimatum Queer Love”! Tickets at mysistersroom.com.
54th Annual Atlanta Pride Parade*
October 13, noon
Civic Center Station to Charles Allen Gates of Piedmont Park
The Atlanta Pride Parade is the biggest event of the Festival, drawing in over 100,000 people along the streets of Midtown Atlanta! Assembly begins at 9:30am near Civic Center MARTA Station.
SWEET TEA! A Queer Variety Show*
October 13, 5pm
Piedmont Park
This march celebrates and promotes the visibility of the trans community! Line-up begins at 1:15pm.
Bi+ Pan March*
October 12, 3:30pm
Corner of 10th and Charles Allen
This march celebrates the bisexual and pansexual communities, with support from Bi+ Georgia. Line-up begins at 3pm.
Dyke March*
October 12, 5pm
Corner of 10th and Charles Allen
This march is dedicated to the empowerment of sapphic women (trans-inclusive)! Lineup begins at 4:30pm.
Southern Fried Queer Pride’s longest running queer variety show comes to the Community Stage at Piedmont Park (on Oak Hill, near the 10th Street entrance) for Pride, with performances by Alexandria Dion, Beyond, Charlie Xile, and Hannibal Montannibal, DJ sets by La Cochino, and hosted by Taylor ALXNDR.
Nightlife
RuPride Friday
October 11, 8pm
Future Atlanta
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” icon Alyssa Edwards
Katie Burkholder
performer Shi at the
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” icon Alyssa Edwards headlines RuPride Friday at Future Atlanta PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK
headlines, along with Cici Nicole, Raquel Rea Heart, Coco Iman Starr, and hosts Destiny Brooks and Phoenix! Tickets at future-atlanta.com.
Wonderland
October 11, 8pm
My Sister’s Room
Featuring Avery Cyrus, The Sirens, Jasmine, Lucky, Carmen, Tokyo, Caro, Drew Friday, and DJs Michael Wulf and Face. Hosted by Jen Chase Daniels and Kia Comedy. Tickets at mysistersroom.com.
Show Your Pride
October 11, 10pm
Believe Music Hall
Featuring Mohammad and GSP. Tickets at gaboyevents.com.
Sugar Shack! A Queer Pride Dance Party
October 11, 10pm
529
Calling all qts to the dance floor! You’re invited to kick off Pride with Southern Fried Queer Pride. This party will feature DJ sets by Aasha Adore, Esme, and Yoni Yacht Club and performances by Canzara SZN, JayBella Bankz, Pressure K Friday, Yutoya Avaze Leon, and Taylor ALXNDR. Tickets at sfqp. info/sugarshack24.
Atlanta Pride – Jack Chang
October 11, 11pm Atlanta Eagle
$10 cover.
Pride Underground
October 11, 11pm
Underground Atlanta
Ring Pride weekend in by dancing the night away with Kevin JZ Prodigy, Aja Miyaka-Mugler, Jash Jay, Ree de la Vega, and Legendary Jeter Gorgeous Gucci! Tickets at posh.vip/e/pride-underground-with-kevin-jzprodigy-and-aja-miyakemugler.
Afterglow
October 12, 3am
Future
Featuring Shane Marcus and Karsten Sollors. Tickets at gaboyevents.com.
Parton Your Pride Brunch
October 12, 11am
El Valle
Parton Waters is back and excited to share the stage again with the incredible talents of EllaSaurusRex, Mary Lou Pearl, Lola Mami, and Boy Howdy. There will be a Country Pride costume contest with prizes – so get ready to don your boots, wigs, and rhinestones!
Pride Tea Dance
October 12, noon
Woofs
Enjoy beers and music from DJ Mister Richard!
Bottoms Up! Drag Brunch with Mirage
October 12, 12:30 pm
City Winery
Mirage from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” headlines this fabulous boozy drag brunch, along with Nicole Paige Brooks, Brie Fromage, Drew Friday, Edie Cheezburger, and Molly Rimswell!
Crush
October 12, 8pm
My Sister’s Room
Featuring The Sirens and Sirenettes, Caro Fire, Luxe, Eros Estoile, Buffy, and DJs Mary Mac, Face, and K Reeves. Hosted by Kia Comedy. Tickets at mysistersroom.com.
MOTHER! with Katya and Mirage
October 12, 8pm
Underground Atlanta
Katya and Mirage from “RuPaul’s Drag
Pride Day Party
October 13, 4pm
My Sister’s Room
Close out Pride with bottomless mimosas and Bud Light draft, go-go dancers, burlesque shows, a wet t-shirt contest, and more! Tickets at mysistersroom.com.
Short Shorts and High Socks Tea Dance
October 13, 4pm
Atlanta Eagle
Neon the Glowgobear DJs this free day party!
Atlanta Pride – Pat Scott
October 13, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle $10 cover.
Race” headline, along with an incredible lineup of local talent, including: ALT3R; Brigitte Bidet; Cherry, Chastity, and Chucky DeVille; Cici Nicole; Drew Friday; EllaSaurus Rex; JayBella Bankz; Pressure K Friday; Taylor and Tucker Aye ALXNDR; and the winner of Little Mx WUSSY 2024. Tickets at wussymag.com.
100% Genuine Big ol’ Slice of Atlanta Gay Pride Main Event
October 12, 10pm
Coca-Cola Roxy
Featuring Rosabel. Tickets at gaboyevents.com.
T4T! A Trans and Non-Binary Dance Party
October 12, 10pm
529
Get TRANSported to the party with DJ sets by Abby Dear, Gorp, and Taylor ALXNDR, plus performances by Boy Howdy, Lola Mami, Mr. Elle Aye, and Yutoya Avaze Leon. Tickets at sfqp.info/t4toct.
Atlanta Pride – Ryan Willing
October 12, 11pm
Atlanta Eagle $10 cover.
Afterglow 2
October 13, 3am Future
Featuring J. Warren and Paulo. Tickets at gaboyevents.com.
100% Genuine Big ol’ Slice of Atlanta Gay Pride Closing Party
October 13, 10pm
Masquerade Featuring Cindel and Micky Friedmann. Tickets at gaboyevents.com.
Afterglow 3
October 14, 3am
Future
Featuring Kevin DuRard and Deanne. Tickets at gaboyevents.com.
Community and Culture
Practice with Pride! Yoga Class*
October 12, 11:30am
The Supermarket
Kick off Atlanta Pride with an all-levels yoga class led by Jimmy Urciuoli E-RYT! Tickets via Eventbrite.
Community Art Making*
October 13, 2pm
Charis Books and More
Local trans and disabled artists Barry Lee and Noah Grigni host this free, safe, and accessible space for collective healing through art, in partnership with Afrocentric Montessori and ATL Parent Like a Boss. Art supplies will be provided potluck-style. No reservation or ticket required.
Mirage from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” headlines MOTHER! with Katya and Mirage PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK
NOV 16–DEC 15
World Premiere BUSINESS IDEAS is an award-winning comedy about getting rich (or not?), and whether money really buys happinessone cup of coffee at a time.
By MILO CRAMER
Directed by MATT TORNEY
FEB 13–MAR 16 2025
World Premiere It’s not only hell that breaks loose in this groundbreaking, form-defying, laugh-out-loud new drama.
By ZORA HOWARD
A Co-Production with Goodman Theatre
Produced in association with Sonia Friedman Productions, Khaliah Neal and Thomas Swayne
MAR 29–MAY 4 2025
World Premiere
Served up with outrageous humor and truth, THE RESERVOIR reminds us that sometimes the path forward isn’t the one we expect.
By JAKE BRASCH
Directed by SHELLEY BUTLER
In Partnership with Denver Center for the Performing Arts & Geffen Playhouse
Directed by LILEANA BLAIN-CRUZ
Living Walls is Taking Up Space on Atlanta’s Walls
When Monica Campana moved to the U.S. from Peru in 1998, she was looking for somewhere that felt like home. She found that sense of belonging in the world of street art, and 12 years later, she would help found Living Walls, a nonprofit organization harnessing the power of murals for good.
Living Walls started as a grassroots effort to organize muralists from around the world, and after a couple years of this organizing, Campana began to recognize who dominated these spaces: white male artists.
“After a few years of seeing that there weren’t a lot of people that looked like her, [Monica] recognized the power that she had in that role to be a little more intentional about the stories we’re sharing, the people we’re working with, and the diversity that is [represented] in the public space,” Tatiana Bell, the communications director for Living Walls, told Georgia Voice.
Today, the organization is using public art to catalyze conversations about social change. During our conversation, Bell was on site for a new mural the organization is working on: a piece in Decatur Square on reproductive justice (aptly timed, given the recent overturning and subsequent reinstatement of Georgia’s sixweek abortion ban). Earlier this year, Living Walls unveiled a huge project: I Am Mine/We Are Ours, at the intersection of Arizona and Dekalb Avenues. It consists of work from six women and nonbinary artists across different cultural identities reflecting on radical love and self-assured identity as an act of resistance.
Along with the subject matter of Living Walls’ murals, the organization’s activism extends behind the scenes, as they give marginalized artists well-paid opportunities
that are often gatekept from them.
“We really are noticing the power of taking up space in the public space like this — not only in communicating a message, but representing what it means to pay an artist really well, especially since contemporary art spaces are still very much white maledominated,” Bell said. “What does it mean to give that paycheck to Black, nonbinary artists, or people who aren’t seeing themselves and seeing people like them become successful artists?”
The opportunities Living Walls offers are more than just a paycheck; they’re a chance for artists to have creative autonomy, to spread a message that means something
more than paint on a wall. As for the impact?
Living Walls’ murals connect people with their neighborhoods and communities, bringing them into the physical world and making art accessible to all.
“[The wall in Decatur I’m looking at] was one of the first walls that I saw when I was introduced to Living Walls; it was a mural by William Downs,” Bell said during our conversation. “At the time, I was working at the Zuckerman Museum of Art, which is an art gallery in Kennesaw, and I had seen William’s work there, but to see his work in a public space like this and knowing that it was something I could visit all the time, I was just really excited that this artist was taking up the space. At that time it was 2020, so I
was getting connected to what public spaces I could come and sit and be in.”
After 14 years of providing accessible and diverse art to Atlanta, Living Walls isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Work from Living Walls has extended beyond Atlanta, to Birmingham, Miami, and even as far as Paris and Mexico City, and they will continue to grow and foster the power of visual storytelling to make Atlanta and the world beyond a better — and more beautiful — place.
If you’re a queer artist interested in working with Living Walls, visit livingwallsatl. com/work-with-us. To keep up with the organization, follow it on Instagram @ livingwallsatl.
Katie Burkholder
“Nothing Can Destroy the Spirit of the Earth” by Karaoke Rodriguez PHOTOS COURTESY OF LIVING WALLS
We have tons of things planned for the month of October.
Bring your group to Parker’s. We have space for 1 or 100 make your reservations now!
We are also hosting Chef Sean Streete October 24th for a four course Caribbean Dinner! instabio.cc/MrStreete
Throughout the entire month, we're thrilled to announce our partnership with Cathead Distilleries and Farmers Jam for the Giving Kitchen’s Dining with Gratitude. Join us in supporting this incredible cause!
Empowering Communities: How Adrienne Gates and P.O.W.E.R. Lift Up Queer and Underrepresented Voices in Atlanta
Read the full article online at thegavoice.com.
Adrienne Gates is the embodiment of social work in action. As the founder of P.O.W.E.R. (Pathways of Wealth and Economic Resources), a humanitarian initiative based in Atlanta’s West End, Adrienne brings a holistic, communitycentered approach to helping the city’s queer and underserved communities thrive. During our interview, a revolving door of patrons — seeking food, job resources, and more — reflected the heartbeat of the organization: a lifeline for many who feel left behind.
We sat in the headquarters of P.O.W.E.R. in the West End. Boxes of aprons for the upcoming food pantry lay stacked on a chair and surrounding floor. Adrienne said, “Whatever you put out, it gets going.” This ethos is evident every Thursday at 1:30pm, when P.O.W.E.R.'s food pantry opens its doors to hundreds of people. But food isn’t the only offering. P.O.W.E.R. serves a much larger mission: addressing critical needs like job readiness, financial literacy, and health education, while fostering a community where everyone belongs.
P.O.W.E.R.’s origins trace back to Adrienne’s experience in tax preparation in 2017–2018. She realized many of her clients lacked basic financial skills — whether it was budgeting, navigating promotions in their careers, or understanding taxes.
“People didn’t know how to maintain paying their bills, get better jobs, or even access food,” Adrienne said. To address these gaps, she started offering classes in resume writing, job interviewing, and basic computer literacy, helping people navigate their way to better opportunities.
The results speak for themselves. Every week, P.O.W.E.R. serves over 280 people, sometimes reaching as many as 300 during emergency events, such as hurricanes. But beyond survival, Adrienne aims to equip people with skills that allow them to thrive.
One of the standout features of P.O.W.E.R. is its commitment to intersectionality. Adrienne has built a team that includes Indigenous folks, trans individuals, people living with HIV, and volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds.
“Quamisha LittleFeather, who grew up on a reservation, and I have such different experiences,” she said, emphasizing the importance that P.O.W.E.R.’s staff and volunteers mirror the diversity of the people they serve.
“I believe anyone can benefit from our services,” Adrienne said. Whether it’s helping someone pay a utility bill, providing health care navigation, or ensuring that transgender and queer individuals feel welcome, P.O.W.E.R. is a grassroots operation that has become an essential part of the community.
In addition to economic empowerment, P.O.W.E.R. also focuses heavily on health education. Many community members are untested or unaware of their sexual health, so Adrienne began organizing health fairs to offer free STI, diabetes, and cholesterol testing. Partnering with AIDS Atlanta’s Men Engagement Group and A Vision for Hope, the organization has expanded its outreach, growing from 35 to 87 people receiving regular health services. Adrienne proudly noted that three people were recently linked back to care through their programs.
Despite its grassroots origins, P.O.W.E.R. continues to grow. Adrienne spoke excitedly about future plans — expanding services to provide more housing for the unhoused, offering utility assistance, and strengthening ties with other community organizations. The key to their success, she believes, is staying connected to the people they serve.
“When you come here, you’ll get a sense of privacy, sisterhood, and brotherhood,” she said. “No matter your background, you will leave here with a sense of ‘this was cool, this was nice.’”
P.O.W.E.R. also works to improve the reception of their services by appointing Community Ambassadors who assist people with applications and other needs.
“We’re a small operation, but we make sure to send Ubers for people who need to get here,” Adrienne said. “It’s about meeting people where they are, with ‘right now’ solutions.”
Adrienne’s vision for P.O.W.E.R. is as inclusive as it is ambitious. With an advisory board that includes trans and queer individuals, people with lived experiences of HIV, homelessness, and substance abuse, and even a community member with a Ph.D., Adrienne ensures that the organization reflects the community it serves.
Her approach to leadership and advocacy has made P.O.W.E.R. an integral part of Atlanta Pride.
“We mix and mingle with everybody — at pop-ups at Morehouse, walking in the parades — it’s like a family reunion,” she said. “You never know who you’re going to see.”
Looking ahead, P.O.W.E.R. has exciting events planned, including a Trunk or Treat for children and a Get Out the Vote campaign, as well as a move to a bigger office. With each initiative, Adrienne hopes to expand the impact of P.O.W.E.R. while keeping her focus on the people who need it most.
“What company do you know where you can get in touch with the CEO?” she said with a laugh. “I want to stay involved with the community we serve.”
To learn more about P.O.W.E.R., visit poweratl.org.
Cynthia Salinas-Cappellano
The P.O.W.E.R. Atlanta team COURTESY PHOTO
10 Tips to Stay Safe and Respectful in the Park
Atlanta Pride is about having fun, but you can only have fun in an environment that’s safe. Over 300,000 people will be in Piedmont Park this weekend, and it’s every single person’s responsibility, to themselves and others, to foster an environment that allows everybody to have a great time. If this is your first Pride or you just need a refresher, here are ten tips to keep you and your friends safe and the people around you comfortable and happy.
1. Don’t take photos or videos of people without their permission. At Pride, you’re going to see some fabulous and maybe even outrageous outfits, hairstyles, and makeup. If you see someone who looks so good you have to memorialize it in your camera roll, ask them before you take a photo or video. Not only is it good manners (if you have a habit of taking photos of others in public without their consent, knock it off!), being at Pride may put some of us in a vulnerable position with our families or employers. They might not want photographic evidence of their attendance, even if only on a stranger’s camera roll.
2. Be open-minded and kind. Maybe, instead of seeing someone and wanting to take a photo, you want to judge them for how they dress or present. Nobody can control what goes on in your mind, but regardless of whatever opinion you have about kink at pride or what a trans person should look like, do not do anything that would make someone feel uncomfortable or unwelcome. This includes staring, pointing, shaming, and bullying (even if you think they can’t hear you — someone else can). While the LGBTQ community is not a monolith and we all have
a variety of opinions, experiences, and ways of expressing ourselves, Pride is about what unifies us, not what divides us. Bring it back to childhood: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
3. Know who the volunteers are.
If you need help or information, you’re going to want to be able to identify the Atlanta Pride personnel. Volunteers are in yellow shirts, lead volunteers are in blue shirts, event staff are in black shirts, security is in chartreuse shirts, market staff are in red shirts, and information is in pink shirts.
4. Know where the officer stations are.
In the case of an emergency, you should contact the nearest volunteer who will connect
you with a police officer or member of the EMS team. However, if you need or want to find a police officer, they will be at Park Drive and Monroe, the 12th street gate, the 14th street gate, and Orme and Park Drive.
5. Stay hydrated.
Some medical emergencies are unavoidable, but dehydration isn’t! There are six water stations throughout the park: one at the 12th street entrance, three around the Meadow, and two more along the vendor booth path. Even (and especially) if you’re drinking alcohol, make sure you’re getting plenty of water in between your boozy beverages.
6. Watch your drink.
Pride is a celebration of love and community, so
we want to assume that everybody who comes does so with only the best intentions. However, even if that is the case, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Never leave an open drink unattended and never drink something somebody you don’t know and trust hands you.
7. Keep it simple.
Bring only the essentials: a water bottle, phone, wallet, keys, sunscreen, and maybe a clack fan. The more you have with you, the more you risk losing — and with 300,000 attendees, the chances of getting lost items back are slim.
8. Set a meeting place with your friends. If you’ve ever been to a festival, you know that bad service or a dead battery may leave your cell phone unreliable. Have a plan, just in case you get separated from your group and have no way of communicating with one another, to meet somewhere: even if it’s My Sister’s Room at midnight.
9. Don’t leave trash behind.
Be respectful of the park and clean up after yourself! There will be plenty of trash cans throughout the park, so there’s no excuse to not throw that trash away!
10. Be mindful of others.
At the end of the day, all you need to do at Pride is to be respectful of those around you. This means respecting personal space, asking for consent when touching anyone in any way, reading and responding to non-verbal cues of discomfort, and asking for and respecting others’ pronouns! We’re all here to have a good time and show up authentically as ourselves, so it’s all our jobs to create a safe and loving space for us to do so.
Katie Burkholder
Piedmont Park PHOTO BY ROB BOEGER
The Fierce Eve Adams, 1891–1944
True story: Jonathan Ned Katz brought me out as a queer historian. As a baby dyke, I read his “Gay American History — Lesbians and Gay Men in the U.S.A.” (1976), sat back, and said “hole-lee sheet!” How was this info never accessible before now? I’d stumbled upon a treasure chest, running my hands through the riches.
Fortunately, Katz has never ceased to research and write, which is how we get Eve Adams.
I’d been seeing little articles about Eve for a while. Turns out, much of Eve’s info published online is derived from Katz’s amazing book, “The Daring Life and Dangerous Times of Eve Adams” (2021).
Eve’s story is both fascinating and hard to bear. Born Jewish in (now) Poland, Eve was unusually well educated for a girl in traditional Jewish small-town life and spoke six languages, including Yiddish, French, and English.
Feeling the effects of pogroms and official antisemitism, not to mention misogyny, the diminutive 21-year-old made it to New York in 1912 with passage paid by an uncle. She joined the massive influx, which meant 40 percent of the people living in New York at that point came from elsewhere.
The official U.S. Immigration intake form had a category for “Race or People.” Eve was assigned “Hebrew.” More accurate would be “lesbian crossdresser who would craft her own life as best she could amid the ferment of the times.”
And that ferment boiled with the constant movement of peoples, passions and ideas: Communists, Socialists, anarchists, suffragists, militant laborites, feminists, Jews, Catholics; activists in anti-militarism, anti-racism, and anti-lynching; those who espoused birth control, free love, and antimarriage; Yiddish and Italian activists.
And the dreadful nativist Protestant Evangelicals, aligned with KKK terrorists, Southern Redeemers (the Confederacy’s “Lost Cause” continued), and Prohibitionists — all of whom viewed the incoming immigrants as a huge river of murderers, thieves, rapists, drunkards … all foreign, hostile, dirty, with ways that must be extirpated.
Well, new world, new life. Wearing men’s clothes and chopped-off hair, the former Chawa Zloczower claimed her name: Eve, first woman. And then, whimsically, Adams.
Now, how to make a living? First, hang out with all the anarchists, including Emma
Goldman. Provide language lessons? Tedious and not so remunerative. Less respectable but more fun? Go on the road, becoming one of the many “tramps” who crisscrossed the U.S.
Eve supported herself by selling subscriptions to radical magazines, even way out west.
Returning to New York, in 1925 Eve selfpublished “Lesbian Love,” a slim collection of her short stories describing real women’s erotic lives, with companion drawings. Printed just for friends, or as a gift.
She opened “Eve’s Place,” a tea room in the
Village. For a couple of decades, Greenwich Village had been part of the real stirrings of public queer life. Men, of course, had bathhouses and bars, periodically facing official scrutiny.
“Sapphists” lived in the Village, and ladies from elsewhere gathered in spots like Eve’s Place for tea, setups (customers supplied the illegal alcohol), and a sense of community. Intermittently, such places were subject to official harassment.
Regrettably, Eve was on the police’s radar. A distinctly disagreeable, self-aggrandizing male “artist” betrayed her to Immigration in mid1925, charging that young girls were being seduced at her place. A policewoman was sent to entrap Eve. The unsatisfying encounter meant confiscated copies of “Lesbian Love” and proof of Eve’s moral turpitude and dissemination of obscene literature.
Eve endured multiple hearings, spent 18 months in prison for her “crimes” and was deported to Poland in 1927. No place for this Jewish, crossdressing Anarcho-Dyke. Thankfully Eve made it to Paris by 1929. While eking out a living, she unexpectedly found love with performer Hella Olstein Soldner.
When the Nazis appeared in 1940, the couple fled to southern France, where Eve worked with the Resistance, according to Jude Cramer for Into.
They didn’t have enough money to leave France, and the Nazified Vichy government began rounding up “nonnative” Jews for transports headed east to concentration camps. The couple’s luck ran out with arrests and deportation in December 1943. They never returned.
Today, we have Eve’s remarkable story: a woman who lived fiercely on her own terms, and she is now receiving the attention she deserves. In Paris, there is an “Eve Adams” street in the 18th arrondissement, acknowledging her as a “pioneer activist for women’s rights.”
María Helena Dolan
Eve Adams HISTORICAL PHOTO
Lincoln’s Sexuality
I think I watched the entirety of what television has to offer during the pandemic, so when relaxing on the couch I now tend to explore more random offerings I haven’t seen. One recent choice was a documentary about Abraham Lincoln. There was one glaring omission from this particular film, and that was the issue of the President’s sexuality.
While there is no definitive evidence to support the claim that Lincoln engaged in physical sexual relationships with men, this film was quick to explain this practice was more commonplace in the 19th century, especially in the context of limited living space. However, in a recent article in The Spectator, they point out that Lincoln shared a bed with his bodyguard, Captain David Derickson, during his presidency, which sparked gossip in Washington society.
According to the article, the speculation about Lincoln’s sexual orientation traces back to the 1830s. His stepmother noted his disinterest in women, and his letters often contained affectionate language directed towards male friends. Lincoln’s close friendships with Billy Greene and Joshua Speed, with whom he reportedly shared beds, are frequently highlighted. However, mainstream historians caution against reading these arrangements as inherently sexual, arguing that such practices did not necessarily imply erotic intentions in the context of the era.
Lincoln’s personal life included a romantic connection with Ann Rutledge, a young woman he admired deeply, evidenced by his heartfelt elegy after her untimely death in 1835. In 1841, he married Mary Todd. However, the Lincolns maintained separate bedrooms in the White House, which has led some to interpret Lincoln’s close relationships with men as potentially indicative of a different sexual orientation.
Carl Sandburg, in his biography of Lincoln published in the 1920s, suggested that there was “a streak of lavender” in the president, a phrase later removed from subsequent editions, which has been interpreted by some as a nod to Lincoln’s possible homosexuality or bisexuality.
We may never come to a definitive conclusion about Lincoln’s personal life due to a lack of any conclusive evidence, but I find the way people interpret his sexuality indicative of where we are as a society. I’m always fascinated watching these documentaries that include some of the greatest minds in our world who are hesitant to admit Lincoln might have been gay. In the movie I saw, one
lecturer made a point to say that Lincoln loved the ladies very much and that they loved him. It was an awkward, seemingly forced point that made me laugh out loud.
So, what does a biography on Abraham Lincoln have to do with Pride? Being confident in who you are allows others to see your true self. Regardless of the struggle, we as a community still face, what a long way we have come from the days of complete silence and speculation about one’s life. On the cusp of what I hope will be the election of our first female president, I realize we may have already had a gay or bisexual president. You just wouldn’t know it to watch documentaries like these.
Melissa Carter
Main: President Abraham Lincoln; Inset: Captain David Derickson PUBLIC DOMAIN HISTORICAL PHOTOS
‘Your Story Will Be Told’: Charlie Brown’s ‘Bitch of the South’ Co-Writer Reflects On Working With The Drag Legend
By Richard L. Eldredge, exclusive for Georgia Voice
I awoke to a text: “It’s not good news. If you want to see him, please do.” I drove immediately to Piedmont Hospital to see Charlie in the ICU and visit with his husband Fred. Sepsis had set in after his second heart valve surgery. On March 21, shortly after sunset, Charles H. Dillard, best known as his fierce and funny Atlanta drag persona Mr. Charlie Brown, quietly slipped offstage. The former ruler of the drag cabaret at the 24-hour gay disco Backstreet was 74.
While saddened by his passing, as the cowriter on his memoir “Bitch of the South,” I knew the gift he had left behind for
us — his inspiring, trailblazing life story. While dressing for his celebration of life, I remembered our final conversation. Charlie was anxious about his upcoming surgery. I tried to reassure him after the book had been rejected by dozens of publishers.
“All you have to do is focus on your recovery,” I said. “Fuck ‘em. We’ll put this out ourselves. Remember, we got the book across the finish line. Your story will be told.”
The project had started during the COVID-19 lockdown as a series of weekly phone calls. It became a fearless first-person account of how the grandson of a rural Tennessee Missionary Baptist preacher escaped his small Southern town to transform himself into one
of America’s most beloved drag performers. It detailed Charlie’s queer activism, his indefatigable AIDS fundraising, and his touching 45-year love story with Fred.
Charlie left nothing unsaid. We laughed our way through his Backstreet-era misadventures, cried as he remembered friends lost to AIDS, and got angry as he raged about his home state’s so-called “drag ban.”
Now I had to figure out a way to get our 60,000-word manuscript off my laptop and into the hands of his grieving friends and fans. So we started Ardmore Avenue Publishing, set an October 1 release date, and got busy editing and designing a book, using dozens of Charlie’s own photos.
Last week, 400 of Charlie’s fans received a bright blue envelope with his memoir inside. Demand has been so great we’ve placed a follow-up print order. One fan even posted an unboxing video of the moment his copy arrived. It reduced me to tears. I had kept my word to a drag legend who had become a cherished friend.
As we struggled to learn how to publish and distribute a book this summer, one thing kept me going. I remembered my final conversation with Charlie and our last words to each other: “I love you too, bitch.”
For more information on “Bitch of the South,” please visit ardmoreavenuepublishing.com.
CULTURE
Eddie Izzard Stops in Atlanta on New Tour
Jim Farmer
By any standards, Eddie Izzard is a legend, be it in comedy, acting or being outspoken as a transgender artist. Izzard brings her REMIX tour Live event to Sandy Springs October 25 and 26.
The tour started in October and lasts through November, pausing for what Izzard calls “a little election you’ve got coming up.” The tour makes a return to Atlanta for Izzard, who starred as “Big Bad” Wolfe in the 2015–2016 television series “Powers,” which was filmed locally. Being in the U.K. with no definitive idea about Atlanta, she was impressed by the area and its “groovy people.”
Izzard was seven when she decided she wanted to act. Her mother had passed away a few years before and after seeing a play, Izzard knew she needed that audience reaction and affection. She tried serious acting and was not getting roles, then discovered Monty Python and realized it could be possible to specialize in comedy. By 16, she definitely knew she could do that for a living, and after decades in the industry, she can now turn from the likes of Shakespeare to surreal comedy, which she calls completely different.
“I look at the dramatic work and the comedic work as day jobs,” she told Georgia Voice. “I have two day jobs, and you are not supposed to have two day jobs. Film and dramatic work is my first love, but it is great doing comedy.”
A one-person run of “Hamlet,” which debuted in September 2023, made its way to New York earlier this year and was a career highlight. In all, Izzard gave her own spin to 23 roles.
“In my stand-up, quite often I play two or three characters who are talking to each other and I realized I could do it dramatically,” she said. “‘Great Expectations’ was the first one we did, which got a great reaction, and I wanted to do ‘Hamlet’ in a similar style. I am going to be doing it across the world in 2025 — Australia, New Zealand, anywhere I can take it. It’s very hard to do and draining with all these characters, but I do love doing it.”
Back in 1985, Izzard came out as transgender. It wasn’t easy.
“I knew it wasn’t [going to be] a walk in the park,” she said. “But mentally I thought I was in a good place to do it, and I thought if people are aggressive in the streets or shout at me, I’ll stand up for myself and push and fight
for myself, so that is what I did from 1985 on. Even though people say it is noisy and there are a lot of arguments now, when I came out there were no arguments. Even though it is noisy, it is a lot better than it was. The rightwing talks about culture wars, but there is no war going on, it’s not invading frontiers. The right-wing wants to spin; they deal in fear. We carry on, soldier on. Some transphobic people hate that I exist, but trans people exist, gay and lesbian people exist. It is our time to go through it, and we’ll keep pushing.”
Izzard has been an icon and trailblazer, but is modest about her accomplishments.
“I was being very selfish,” she said. “I was trying to help myself because you have to help yourself to get to a good place, a place where you feel okay. I thought [it would be great] if anyone else could see what I was doing and say ‘I am kind of like that.’ I don’t want to take too much praise, though, because I am standing on the shoulders of giants who came before me who did great work.”
Politics is very important to the performer. In August of last year, she began a campaign for Parliament, but was not chosen. When Izzard was 18, she thought she should enter
politics, but realized she loved creating things more. Her political passion has remained, however.
“I am a determined bastard, and I think I have a positive vision,” Izzard said. “My vision for the world is that everyone has the right to a fair chance in life.”
Unsurprisingly, she is not a fan of Donald Trump.
“I think it’s the dying throes of the extreme right,” she said. “Trump gives permission to people to behave in a way that they did in the 1950s or 1930s. He harkens back to a Nazi past. He is not that bright and doesn’t seem that intelligent, and he has no shame; he lies with every breath. If he actually said something truthful, I think it would be a shock to the world. He is fake, and he is not really part of humanity. I encourage people to follow Taylor Swift’s advice. People don’t listen to my advice, but they listen to hers.”
Eddie Izzard’s REMIX tour Live runs October 25 and 26 at the Byers Theatre at Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center. Purchase tickets at citysprings.com/events/ eddie-izzard-remix.
Eddie Izzard PUBLICITY PHOTO
Zee Zee, piano Friday, October 18, 2024
Doug Varone and Dancers
October 25–26, 2024
PUBLIQuartet—Rhythm Nation Friday, November 1, 2024
American Railroad Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens
Saturday, November 16, 2024
Emmanuel Pahud, flute and Alessio Bax, piano
Friday, January 24, 2025
Emory Jazz Fest with David Sánchez, saxophone Friday, February 14, 2025
Daniel Hope with Polish Chamber Orchestra Friday, February 28, 2025
New York Voices Friday, March 21, 2025
Imani Winds and Boston Brass Friday, April 11, 2025
CULTURE
Sir Tebias Reflects on a Year of ‘Leather Mentorship’
After almost 25 years in the kink and leather community, writer J. Tebias Perry decided to fulfill what he calls his “social responsibility to pass my knowledge on to the next generation” by writing “Leather Mentorship,” the 101 rundown on leather, kink, and fetish lifestyles.
The book is a blueprint for newcomers to the leather community as they navigate their relationship with their mentor or mentee, including information on the vetting process, insight into the struggles they may face, and what mentorship should (and shouldn’t) look like, inspired by Perry’s many years and experience within the community.
“I’ve seen people fall into holes of sexual deviancy and exploitation, and I wanted to give them a blueprint of how [mentorship] should be and how mentorship should not be,” Perry told Georgia Voice. “I’m not opposed to sex during mentorship, but I do feel that there’s a major influence that you have over the mentee when you’re mentoring them, and sex should not be the middle point or the bargaining tool to influence people. I wrote this book solely so that people wouldn’t fall into the same pitfalls that I fell into many, many years ago.”
While the book is catered to leather newbies, “Leather Mentorship” also acts as a crash course refresher for seasoned vets — and the reception from both the New and Old Guard has been overwhelmingly supportive. The book launched last year in Sydney, Australia, with a launch event that was more than Perry ever expected.
“When we think book signing, we’re thinking, ‘Oh, this going to be something
brief, something small, like at a coffee shop,’” he recalled. “Hell no. It was this huge, fourstory bar with a sea of Leatherman and Leatherwomen, like 150 people, and I sold out of all my books.”
The last year since the release has been “insane,” Perry says, filled with keynote speaking engagements, leather competitions, podcast interviews, and book events in DC, Baltimore, Philly, and New York. Despite being booked and busy, Perry already has
his eye to the future, working on the likely two-volume “Leather Leadership,” which he hopes will be ready for release in the middle of next year.
For those who are newcomers to leather, Perry emphasized the importance of taking your time and relying on trust.
“Get under someone that you trust, leave the sex out, and don’t rush,” he said. “Start slow and get behind someone that is consistent
with what they’re saying.”
Perry’s passion for leather shines through in his book, and he hopes people curious about the community will pick it up and consider joining a community that means “family… structure… discipline… honoring those who came long before us, and continuing the legacy of leather.”
You can purchase “Leather Mentorship” by J. Tebias Perry on Amazon.
Katie Burkholder
Sir J. Tebias Perry PHOTO VIA INSTAGRAM
CULTURE
Nico Lang on Trans Kids, the Emotional Toll of Hate, and ‘American Teenager’
Katie Burkholder
Two years ago, Nico Lang saw a need. Amid rampant transphobia and legislation targeting trans youth, trans kids and their families needed a book to see themselves represented as vulnerable, joyful, and human. Thus came, “American Teenager: How Trans Kids are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era.” Lang’s new release gives readers a window into the lives of Wyatt, Rhydian, Mykah, Clint, Ruby, Augie, Jack, and Kylie, eight trans teens from across the country, all with vastly different stories but one distinct thing in common: they’re all just kids, looking toward a brighter future.
Lang will be coming to Atlanta on October 19 at for a Q&A and reading of “American Teenager” at Charis Books and More at 2pm. Ahead of the event, Lang sat down with Georgia Voice to discuss the book, the emotional weight these kids have to bear, and mobilizing toward a better world for them.
Quotes have been edited for clarity.
Take me back to that moment you realized you had to write this book in 2022: what was going on? Why did you feel this book was necessary?
In 2021, there was a bill that was put forward in Texas that would have labeled parents of trans youth as child abusers if they allowed their kids to transition, even socially. I had naively assumed that we could just educate people right, that people just need the right information. But I recognized that there was something else going on, that we lost any sense of good faith during the discussion. If we are starting from a place that parents of trans youth are child abusers if they just affirm their kids and if they love their kids for who they are, there is no good faith there. There's nothing that we can build upon in order to have a conversation. With this book, it's
about not only reinstalling that good faith in this discussion, but humanizing trans kids and their families. Trans kids are human. They're kids just like everybody else, and they deserve rights the same as all other children.
It’s clear while reading it that this book represents the connection between the personal and the political. Can you talk
about that connection and how important the power of humanization is in the face of misinformation and transphobic rhetoric? When I was in Texas with Ruby, who is one of the subjects from the book, she had mentioned that when she testified to her legislature against a trans sports ban there, that they didn't even listen to her. The lawmakers would be on their phones or on their computers or staring
at the ceiling or looking at the floor — they did anything they could to avoid just looking her in the eye and recognizing her humanity.
You see that again and again and again. When I was in West Virginia with Mycah, another one of the subjects from the book, they went to the legislature for a hearing to support trans kids who were speaking out against anti-trans legislation there, and a lot of the lawmakers didn't even show up that day. Their desks were totally empty. They do that on purpose. They do that to avoid recognizing these kids as people, as their constituents, who deserve protections like any other constituents in their district. By ignoring these kids and erasing them and pretending that they don't exist, it justifies all manner of harm against them.
These are kids who have school, they have commitments that they're juggling, they want to go to the prom, they want to just hang out with their friends. They shouldn't have to be dealing with all this. What 15- or 16-year-old has the resources to mobilize a statewide movement to protect themselves?
You see how hard this is for the kids in this book. You see how much they go through, or how much more they go through because of the ways in which their home lawmakers are discriminating against them.
It’s obviously highly emotional to come to grips with how these kids are being treated. What was the emotional process for you like, with living in proximity with these kids and witnessing that firsthand?
Really hard. It's one of the hardest things I've ever done. I was really thrown into the deep end here with these kids who have experienced really, really extreme, unfathomable trauma, and it was really hard to negotiate that with them, because I'm not anyone's therapist, but you kind of end up being people's therapist because they're
Nico Lang holding up his book “American Teenager: How Trans Kids are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era.” PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK
working through these things with you that they've never really talked about in depth with anybody. Writing this book was very, very, very hard on my mental health. When I was done with this book, I'd been feeling really horrible and anxious. I went to the doctor, and my blood pressure was 160 over 100, it was very high. It shows you just how much of a toll this takes on you.
I don't think I'll ever be quite the same person as I was before. This experience has just really changed me — in ways that aren't so great, but also in ways that are really great. I have these communities all across the country now. I have these families that I'm going to know for the rest of my life who feel like families to me. It was a struggle to write this book, but it was also such a gift.
I think that definitely translates in the book, it’s a very special relationship between you and these kids. How did you choose which
people you wanted to include in the book? Obviously, the voices in the book are really diverse, and that was important to me, because I wanted to continue just expanding representation, and I wanted to give people a platform who I just don't feel like have had enough of one. When we tell many different kinds of stories, it's just more interesting. Telling the same story over and over again would have just gotten really boring. Like, what would be the point?
I needed folks who I felt like trusted me right away, and that I trusted them, because from there, we could go to somewhere that was really special. I wanted this book to just feel like so much more than these trans kids have ever been given in terms of representation. I really wanted to give them the chance to feel truly seen and truly heard and to feel like all parts of themselves were represented.
What can people expect from your event at Charis on October 19?
Rachel Garbus Benítez from Wussy is going
to host a little discussion with me; we're going to talk about the book for about 45 minutes. I'll probably read a little bit from it, then we'll open up to audience questions on what interests them about the project and about the book, or if they've already read it, the thoughts that they had while learning about these kids’ stories. I've only done one event so far, that was at the Baltimore Book Fair, and it was really lovely. To see how supportive people were and how much it meant to them, that was really gratifying. The fact that people are really responding to it, it just feels like the fulfillment of every fantasy I've ever had. It's just like living in a dream, and I hope that dream continues and doesn't become a nightmare. I think it really depends on if somebody gets J.K. Rowling a copy of this book — my whole life could be ruined, but for now, I'm just really grateful.
Is there anything you’d like to add that we didn’t cover?
My publisher originally pushed to release the book in June. I didn't see this as just
being a Pride Month book. To me, it's more important that it's an election book, because if people pick up this book and they care about what happens to these kids, then they should vote like it. In just over a month, we will decide whether the next President of the United States will be the first Black woman ever elected to the White House or a megalomaniac who has made it very clear that he intends to repeal all manner of trans rights if elected to the White House, that includes protections for trans kids. I just want to vote for a safer country for these kids.
“American Teenager: How Trans Kids are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era” is available for purchase from Charis Books and More in-person and online. To learn more about the “American Teenager” event on October 19, visit charisbooksandmore.com/event/ american-teenager-how-trans-kids-aresurviving-hate-and-finding-joy-turbulentera-nico-lang.
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Don’t miss... Lips - Drag Dining, Piedmont Park - home of Atlanta GAY Pride, Buford Highway International Corridor, Mary’s - Karaoke Bar, Charis Books & More.
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CULTURE
Q-Music: Independent Queer Artists to Listen to During LGBTQ History Month
Gregg Shapiro
Not everyone wants or can get a major label record deal. Fortunately, going the indie route affords everyone the opportunity to have their music heard by potential fans.
After releasing albums on the Arista and Velvel labels, as well as Indigo Girl Amy Ray’s Daemon Records, lesbian singersongwriter Michelle Malone found a home on her own indie SBS Records. Her aptly titled new album, “Southern Comfort” (SBS) is where Southern rock and country music intersect, with the title track about homesickness being a perfect example. “I Choke On My Words” is a stunner and deserves to be a hit for Malone (or anyone wise enough to cover it). Also noteworthy are “I Want To Be In That Picture,” “Like Mother Like Daughter,” “One Track Mind,” and “Wine and Regret.”
Since the mid-2010s, gay singersongwriter Jim Andralis has been making consistently powerful and memorable music. Andralis’ firm belief in “the power of love and the power of music” has sustained him and his fans over the course of five remarkable albums, including his latest, “Ghosts” (jimandralismusic.com), available on spooky, cloudy grey vinyl. Andralis populates the album with fittingly haunting songs such as the devastating “5 Minutes” about the love and loss of a dog; “You,” about his friend the celebrated late singer and vocal coach Barbara Maier Gustern; “Brooklyn”, Andralis’ response to Hugh Ryan’s book “When Brooklyn Was Queer”; and “Run Hit Cry,” about finding a way through hard times (which is bolstered by Matt Colburn on trumpet). Andralis’ inclusion cover of Annie Lennox’s “Love Song for a Vampire” is a perfect fit in this setting.
“Dooda” (mattyfrank.bandcamp.com) is the new album by Durham via NYC queer singer-
songwriter/multi-instrumentalist (including Omnichord!) Matty Frank. Frank’s musical style comes across as a combination of Rufus Wainwright and Sufjan Stevens’ theatricality and inventiveness (“Moonflower” and “Fabulist”), Billie Eilish experimentation (“Moth”), contemporary country rock (“Wasted”), and even a touch of Hedwig (“Circle of Sand”). Even with all those audible influences, Frank has succeeded in creating an original and captivating album that benefits from repeated spins.
Queer singer-songwriter Mike Maimone is one of those prolific musicians whose talent can’t be confined to one space. As a solo artist with a voice that recalls young
Tom Waits (and piano skills to match), he’s as comfortable making pop music as he is working the country croon (as he is currently doing in Nashville). As the lead vocalist of Mutts during the 2010s, he demonstrated that he could work well with others over the course of a few albums. To commemorate the eleventh (!) anniversary of Mutts’ timeless album “Object Permanence,” it’s being rereleased in a newly remixed version as “Object Permanence XI” (8Eat8). In addition to the gorgeous back-to-back numbers “Prizefighter” (which deserves to be a hit) and “Out of Tune,” Mutts tear things up on “No Loot” and “Pickpocket.”
It's always fascinating to see what becomes of
the queens in their post-“Drag Race” period. Genderfluid Pandora Boxx (who made quite an impression on viewers with her Carol Channing impression) has returned to “RuPaul’s Drag Race” a few times over the years and performed at numerous live shows and theatrical events. For their debut album “Boxx” (pandoraboxx.com), they wrote all the songs and even included one in which they could wheel out the Channing impression (“Raspberries”). Of the ten tracks, including “Gay” (with its “OK to be gay” message), seven are straightforward club bangers. Boxx doesn’t possess an especially powerful singing voice, and the closing track “Scurvy” should be avoided like, well, scurvy. Nevertheless, it sounds like they’re having fun, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Queer Canadian folk/roots singersongwriter Jeffery Straker returns with his ninth studio album “Great Big Sky” (jeffstraker.com). Anyone who doubted that Canadians could turn up the torch and twang as well as the folks in Nashville or Austin were proven wrong by Shania Twain and k.d. lang. Straker shares Twain’s ability to prove that there are no borders when it comes to country tunes. Standout numbers include “Better Than What We Found,” “More Than Two By Fours and Timber,” the country swing of “Brand New Light,” and the beautiful “Dandelions.”
Led by queer frontwoman Jen Dot and featuring trans musician Jesse Fevvers, Chicago quintet Beastii makes rip-roaring dance punk on its new album “Follower” (beastie.bandcamp.com). At just over two minutes in length, the second track “The Limit” exemplifies the spirit (and blistering brevity) of early classic punk. “Spilt Milk” and “Butch Beach” conjure images of surfers riding the waves of Lake Michigan, while “Evil Eye” and “Trusted Mystik” represent darkwave at its eeriest.
Pandora Boxx PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK
‘A Third Way’ Explores Gay Couple Who Open Their Relationship
Lee Osorio grew up seeing plays at Actor’s Express, including queer shows by playwrights such as Steve Yockey and Samuel D. Hunter, so it felt natural for him to mount the world premiere of his “A Third Way” there.
“It’s exciting to be part of that tradition,” he told Georgia Voice.
Osorio’s new play — based in Atlanta, directed by Lauren Morris and the winner of the Del Shores playwriting competition — is about the issue of whether to open up a relationship after it gets a little stale, as its characters start to question some major aspects about how they live.
Nico (Braian Rivera Jimenez) and Matt (Brandon Lee Browning) are at the heart of the story. Osorio says Nico is a queer middle school teacher and Latino man who has gotten to the point, like many, where he has checked all the boxes in life and doesn’t know what is next.
“He is married and found the boy and the dream house and has his dream job, but what comes next?,” Osorio said. “Looking down the barrel at the next 70 years, what does he have to look forward to?”
Nico is really interested in having kids. His partner Matt is gay and was raised in an evangelical church, so has worked to distance himself from more traditional ideas of marriage.
“He still has a lot of that internalized homophobia and still has a lot of ideas of
what the structure of a marriage should look, which is homonormative,” Osorio said. “I think an interesting development throughout the script is seeing how Matt journeys from being maybe a stereotypical Atlanta white gay to embracing a queerness that is bigger than that.”
As the married couple open their relationship, they meet Haamid (Ian Sawan), an artist and bartender in Atlanta. A connection develops between Matt and Haamid.
“I think Haamid sees in Matt a lot of stability that he has not seen in his life and Matt sees in Haamid a freedom to be who you are, unapologetically,” Osorio said. “And so they start a relationship not under full transparency with either Haamid or Nico. Thinking about the long-term implications of that is what the play is about.”
At some point after they meet Haamid, Nico decides they should close their relationship. The arrangement has brought some spice back into their love life and they are doing better,. yet Matt doesn’t want to do that and isn’t able to articulate that in a way, so he continues to see Haamid on the side without Nico knowing — and without Haamid knowing he doesn’t have permission.
The fourth character is Erica (Cecilia Leal), Nico’s best friend since college. According to the playwright, she is in a similar boat to Nico. A successful interior designer who owns her own firm, she doesn’t quite know what the future holds. When she finds out she’s pregnant, that complicates where she thinks she is going and makes her question what she wants to do with her life.
Osorio sees both pros and cons to open
relationships and they are the same thing.
“The pro is that you have to have really good communication — and the con is that you have to have really good communication,” he said. “It forces you to be really honest about what you want and what you need — and be honest about the fact that you can’t get everything you need from one person, as much as the homonormative model has told us that ‘once you find your soulmate, that person will give you all the intellectual and romantic and financial stimulation and stability you could ever need.’ The reality is that we can’t get everything we need from one person and that can be a painful thing to talk about. It forces couples to be really honest about what they need and it’s an ongoing shifting conversation. It’s never just a one and done.”
The play is based in large part on a past relationship Osorio had.
“We did not open our relationship,” he recalled. “What would have happened if we had? Would that relationship have been able to continue if we had been more honest and have more open communication?”
Osorio thinks much of the art he’s seen about opening a relationship ends up being really negative about the idea.
“It’s that [idea of] ‘we tried it and at the end we have to go back to being monogamous because it almost destroyed our relationship, or it did destroy our relationship and we ended in a sad space,’ says Osorio. “I think this is a play that has a much more hopeful and realistic view of what it takes to build a family that actually serves us.”
“A Third Way” runs through October 27 at Actor’s Express
Jim Farmer
“A Third Way” PHOTO BY SATURNBLU PRODUCTIONS
Greetings!
On behalf of Atlanta's hospitality community, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the Atlanta Pride Festival. As a global partner with the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, Atlanta takes great pride in being the LGBTQ+ capital of the South and a destination that welcomes all visitors.
Our city is a fantastic place to visit as Atlanta was named to misterb&b's 2024 list of top destinations for LGBTQ+ travelers. Atlanta Black Pride Weekend is held each Labor Day and celebrates diversity within the community. Atlanta Pride Festival is a week-long celebration in Octob er and is the largest of its kind in the Southeast. The event draws members of the LGBT Q+ community, al l ies and advocates together, concluding with National Comi n g Ou t Day.
I encourage you to visit Centennial Olympic Park surrounded by world-class attractions including Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame, Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola and National Center for Civil and Human Rights. The center is home to the LGBTQ+ Institute which develops and implements programming to advance equality through research and education.
As the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Atlanta served as the catalyst for the American civil rights movement. The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park explores the life and history of Dr. King, allowing visitors to follow in his footsteps and honor his legacy.
Atlanta's arts and culture scene generates offerings unmatched in the South. You'll find an array of visual arts, music and theatrical venues across the destination such as Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Fox Theatre, High Museum of Art and Museum of Design Atlanta. Out Front Theatre Company tells LGBTQ+ stories through theater and performing arts in Atlanta's Westside, and don't forget to explore Midtown to see our iconic rainbow crosswalk at the intersection of 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue.
Since 2013, Atlanta has earned a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index, which measures the inclusiveness of cities. Adorned with personality and pride flags on many businesses and homes, Atlanta's intown neighborhoods champion the LGBTQ+ community.
For a quick and easy approach to finding places to eat and things to do and see in Atlanta, visit DiscoverAtlanta.com. Once again, we extend a warm welcome and hope you have a wonderful time in Atlanta.
Sincerely,
William Pate President and CEO Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau
Jim Farmer
Free Spirits: An On-Demand
Halloween Stream
Now through October 31
Virtual
Voices of Note presents: Free Spirits: An On Demand Halloween Stream. Including a plethora of spooky songs, Free Spirits presents choral selections that range from Orban’s “Daemon Irrepit Callidus” all the way to “Time Warp” from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” This online stream of the Voices of Note 2023 live concert will provide something for everyone and get you into the Halloween Spirit.
The Lion King
Now through October 20
Fox Theatre
The beloved musical “Disney’s The Lion King” has returned to the Fox Theatre.
Atlanta Pride
October 11-12
Piedmont Park
It’s that time again — come to Piedmont Park and enjoy Pride weekend with hundreds of thousands of your closest friends!
A Third Way
October 12, 7:30pm, through October 27
Actor’s Express
In conjunction with the Del Shores Foundation, Actor’s Express opens the gay themed “A Third Way,” by Lee Osorio. Nico and Matt’s marriage is on shaky ground. When they decide to open their relationship, they test the boundaries of love, sex, intimacy and fidelity. Will they discover a new way to strengthen their bond…or will three become too much of a crowd?
PFLAG Support Group
October 20, 2:30pm
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta
The PFLAG support group for parents and families of LGBTQIA+ children meet in person today.
Trans and Friends
October 21, 7pm for youth, 8pm for adults
Charis Books and More
Trans and Friends is a youth-focused group for trans people, people questioning their own gender and aspiring allies, providing a facilitated space to discuss gender, relevant resources and activism around social issues.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
Distillery of Modern Art
Join OUT Georgia for 4th Friday Networking @ Distillery of Modern Art with Culinary Adaption.
Hairspray
October 25, 8pm, through November 9 Out Front Theatre Company
The 1950s are out, and change is in the air! “Hairspray” winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, is a family-friendly musical, piled bouffant-high with laughter, romance and deliriously tuneful songs. It’s 1962 in Baltimore, and the lovable plussize teen, Tracy Turnblad, has only one desire — to dance on the popular “Corny Collins Show.” When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to sudden star. She must use her newfound power to dethrone the reigning Teen Queen, win the affections of heartthrob, Link Larkin, and integrate a TV network… all without denting her ‘do.
LGBTQ Book Club
October 26, 10am
Virtual
Tituss Burgess
October 21 ,8pm
City Winery
City Winery Atlanta presents Tituss Burgess. Emmy and SAG-nominated, Tituss Burgess has quickly emerged as one of the entertainment industry’s most versatile and dynamic performers, with his work in television, film, and theater generating both critical and commercial acclaim. Tituss most recently starred as Harold Zidler in “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” on Broadway and appeared in Season 2 of the hit Apple TV+ series “Schmigadoon!”
He starred in the hit Netflix comedy series “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” earning nominations for four consecutive Emmy Awards, a SAG Award, and two Critics’ Choice TV Awards.
Nikkya Hargrove in Conversation with zahra alabanza
October 23, 7:30pm
Charis Books and More
Charis welcomes Nikkya Hargrove in conversation with zahra alabanza for a discussion of “Mama: A Queer Black Woman’s Story of a Family Lost and Found.” In this searing and uplifting memoir, a young Black queer woman
fresh out of college adopts her baby brother after their incarcerated mother dies, determined to create the kind of family she never had. Nikkya Hargrove spent a good portion of her childhood in prison visiting rooms. When her mother — addicted to cocaine and just out of prison — had a son and then died only a few months later, Nikkya was faced with an impossible choice. Although she had just graduated from college, she decided to fight for custody of her half-brother, Jonathan. And fight she did.
The Mean Gays: Live
October 23, 8pm
City Winery
City Winery Atlanta presents The Mean Gays: Live. Viral comedy duo, Aaron and Jake — aka The Mean Gays — broke out at the end of 2023. They are approaching 3M followers across TikTok, IG and other platforms. They have created a range of comedic characters that have built a life of their own on social media. And for the first time, they are taking it on the road.
4th Friday Networking
October 25, 5:30pm
The LGBTQ Book Club is a group for LGBTQ folks and allies to read queer-themed books and books by queer authors. The aim is to have diverse, thought-provoking discussions about queer identity, history, and topical issues. All are welcome to join. This month's book is “The Membranes” by Chi Ta-Wei. No registration is required. This Zoom link will allow you to join the meeting at any time: https://us02web.zoom. us/j/85007056372
Southern Bears Dinner
October 27, 5pm
Desta Ethiopian Kitchen
Join the Southern Bears tonight for dinner at Desta Ethiopian Kitchen!
Hocus Pocus vs. Rocky Horror Picture Show
October 27, 9pm
My Sister’s Room
It’s Hocus Pocus vs Rocky Horror Picture Show at My Sister’s Room, hosted by Taylor ALXNDR with performers such as Boudreaux, Dottie Com and more!
Who’s Got “It”: Halloween Edition
October 28, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle
Cici Nicole presents Who’s Got “It” Halloween edition with a $100 prize for Best Costume!
The Lion King
THEATRE
The beloved musical “Disney’s The Lion King” has returned to the Fox Theatre.
Photo via Facebook
COME SYMPHONY WITH US
Where the LGBTQ+ community comes together to experience symphony concerts.
MEMBER EVENTS:
NOV 23 | Sat: 8pm Haydn + Mozart + Walton
JAN 23 | Thu: 8pm
BEETHOVEN PROJECT: Symphonies 1 + 3
MAR 27 | Thu: 8pm
ROBERT SPANO Conducts Scheherazade
JUN 7 | Sat: 8pm
OUNDJIAN Conducts Mahler Symphony No. 7
“One of the most unique and memorable event series in Atlanta.” – The
LGBTQ NIGHTLIFE FORECAST OCTOBER 11-25
Katie Burkholder
For Pride weekend nightlife events, turn to page 42 or visit thegavoice.com.
RuPaul’s Drag Race:
Global All Stars Viewing Party
October 11, 8pm
Atlanta Eagle
Myah Ross Monroe’s House of Love
October 11, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle
$5 cover.
Candela
October 12, 10pm
District Atlanta
Featuring DJ EU and DJ Eduardo Franco. Tickets via Eventbrite.
Witchy Vision: Practical Magic
October 14, 7pm
Plaza Theatre
Wussy screens this Halloween classic starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman! Come in your best costume, grab a specialty cocktail, and enjoy the show! Tickets at plazatheatre.com.
Trivia Night
October 16, 7:30pm Woofs
Ruby Redd’s Birdcage Bingo
October 16, 8pm
Atlanta Eagle No cover!
ALT3R
October 16, 10pm Star Bar
Join ALT3R girls Hera Kane, Katrina Prowess, and Eden, along with their incredible line-up of performers, for Little 5 Points’ favorite monthly drag show! $10 cover.
Music Bingo
October 17, 7:30pm Woofs
Rock Haus Karaoke
October 17, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle
Hosted by Raqi.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
SABAI: North Star Tour
OCTOBER 18, 10PM
DISTRICT ATLANTA
Tickets at collectivpresents.com. Photo via Facebook
RuPaul’s Drag Race:
Global All Stars Viewing Party
October 18, 8pm
Atlanta Eagle
Myah Ross Monroe’s House of Love
October 18, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle $5 cover.
SABAI: North Star Tour
October 18, 10pm
District Atlanta
Tickets at collectivpresents.com.
Ron Pullman –Third Fridays
October 18, 11pm
Atlanta Eagle $5 cover.
Mystic District:
Clockwork Coven
October 19, 6pm
Westside Motor Lounge
Ring in spooky season with a bang at this incredible night market, complete with a drag and burlesque show, live music and DJs, witchy curio vendors, a fire and circus performance, a
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steampunk adornment workshop, immersive art, delicious food and drinks, and so much more!
Tickets at universe.com/events/mystic-districtmarketplace-the-clockwork-coven-editiontickets-932VJQ.
Shalloween with Anetra
October 19, 9pm
My Sister’s Room
Get ready for ATL’s most fabulous Halloween drag show and costume contest, featuring Anetra from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Ada Manzhart, Brigitte Bidet, Cola Fizz, Drew Friday, JayBella Bankz, and Tucker Aye ALXNDR. Tickets at wussymag.com.
Elderbrook
October 19, 10pm District Atlanta
Tickets at bit.ly/ELDERBROOKATL2024.
Country Night
October 22, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle
Show up at 8pm for the dance lesson before line dancing the night away with DJ Dice!
Trivia Night
October 23, 7:30pm Woofs
Ruby Redd’s Birdcage Bingo
October 23, 8pm
Atlanta Eagle No cover!
Witchy Vision: Hocus Pocus
October 24, 7pm Plaza Theatre
Wussy screens this Halloween classic starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy! Come in your best costume, grab a specialty cocktail, and enjoy the show! Tickets at plazatheatre.com.
Music Bingo
October 24, 7:30pm Woofs
Rock Haus Karaoke
October 24, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle Hosted by Raqi.
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Global All Stars Viewing Party
October 25, 8pm
Atlanta Eagle
Myah Ross Monroe’s House of Love
October 25, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle
$5 cover.
It’s Murph: Food for the Soul Tour
October 25, 10pm
District Atlanta
Featuring special guests &friends and Jev. Tickets at bit.ly/ ITSMURPHATL2024.
Elderbrook
OCTOBER 19, 10PM
DISTRICT ATLANTA
Tickets at bit.ly/ELDERBROOKATL2024. Photo via Facebook
