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georgia VOL.11 • ISSUE 15

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EDITORIAL

Deputy Editor: Katie Burkholder

GUEST EDITORIAL

Friend or Foe? Does a vote for trump mean you have to go?

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK / SHOTPRIME STUDIO

Bill Kaelin

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4 Editorial October 23, 2020

[Editor’s note: The author refuses to capitalize the President’s name.]

We all know them. Every single one of us have them in our lives. We all struggle with how to maneuver our relationships with them and question whether or not it is healthy to have them be a part of our world. No matter how hard it is to believe, the second term trump supporter does exist, and it might even be your own friends or family members.

It seems like a decade ago when I woke up in shock after the man who proudly boasted of grabbing women “by the pussy” became the leader of the free world. It took me months to recover, but eventually I accepted the reality. Through the help of some friends and a very well-paid therapist I tried to look at the bright side of things. Maybe his obnoxious and rude shtick was just a part of the campaign? Maybe he would chill out once he got into office? Maybe since he actually used to be a Democrat he would be more liberal with his leadership? There’s no way he could be as hateful as I feared!

Four years later, his presidency has been a bigger nightmare than we ever could have imagined. I’m exhausted, and so many of us are literally suffering from PTSD due to the constant lies, lack of humanity and overt racism. I can’t imagine how broken someone must be to say, “The past four years have been great! Four more, please.”

If you are anything like me, you’ve probably filtered 95% of all trump supporters out of your life. My newsfeed on my social media accounts plays out like one big liberal utopia. It is rare that I will see a pro-trump post, and if I do it is next to impossible to keep that person as a “friend.” Some would say that deleting someone with a different opinion would be

unfair, hateful and possibly mirroring the actions of donald trump himself, but I don’t think I would have embraced the supporters of Hitler, either. Have you ever tried to debate a trump supporter? It’s literally impossible.

Instead of actually having a conversation about your differences, a trump voter will blame Obama or Hillary or completely avoid the truth, even when the reality means a vote for trump is a vote against me.

Just weeks before the election, Republicans will push through the confirmation of the new Supreme Court associate justice: Amy Coney Barrett. This is their chance to take away the right to choose abortion, finally abolish the Affordable Care Act and attack LGBTQ rights. When I recently tried to explain to some Republican friends that their choice for president is more personal than ever, I was met with silence from some and distraction from others — even when I explained that justices Thomas and Alito were already threatening to overturn marriage equality.

The Republican platform for the 2020 convention had an agenda full of antiLGBTQ measures, making it impossible for anyone to deny that a Republican vote is a vote against me. The confirmation of Barrett will very likely allow others to refuse service to

my community under the guise of “religious freedom,” and my right to marry my partner of seven years could be gone for good.

Over the years, I’ve made the painful choice to forgive immediate family members who have chosen to vote against me. Blood is thicker than water, and as the old saying goes, you don’t get to choose your family. I do, however, get to choose my friends. The older I become, the more valuable my time gets, and lately I only want to be with friends who respect me, love me and would go to the ends of the Earth to defend me as I would them. I can give people an “out” for making a mistake in 2016, but I don’t think I can be as forgiving the second time around. The proof is there.

The hate is real, and it couldn’t be more clear where the Republicans stand in regard to me and my rights. I may have to make some tough decisions after this election and I may have to let some people go for good. You may not understand my struggles until you have to fight for your own freedoms, but one thing is crystal clear: you can’t tell me you love me and then vote for a party that wants to hurt me.

The beauty of democracy is that we all get to choose who to vote for, but I also have the choice of whether or not I want to hold you accountable for that choice.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

NEWS BRIEFS

Atlanta Eagle Relocates, Man Dies at Xion Party Staff Reports

Atlanta Eagle to Close and Relocate The Atlanta Eagle will be closing its current location on Ponce de Leon Ave. later this year and relocating.

Owner Richard Ramey announced that the bar would be closing via Instagram and Facebook live. According to Ramey, the club will have its last night on Saturday, November 14. He accredited the coronavirus for the necessity of the closure.

the investigation continues.

The Xion party was hosted by GA Boy Events, a party promotion company owned by Keith Allen Young. The event was “packed” according to the party attendee who said the tragedy “could have been avoided.”

“The Eagle is financially suffering, just like everyone can imagine,” he said. “Our sales are down about 80 percent. But the good news is the reason our sales are down is because we have such an incredible, smart community that knows we’re in a pandemic and have made the decision to stay safe and stay home, and I respect that decision.”

“The venue was packed, to overcapacity at times,” the source said in a statement sent to LGBTQ Nation. “There were no protocols in place, clearly no EMTs on-site, and staff there seemed unprepared to handle anything of the sort. It was a minimum of 30 minutes before an ambulance arrived, and I’m being generous. It was tragic. I’ve been to parties all over the world, I have never been to one without EMTs. In my opinion this could have been avoided.”

Ramey iterated that the closure is temporary, and they will be relocating to an undecided location in June of next year should the pandemic be curbed and it’s “safe for us to gather again.”

“We are not going out of business,” Ramey said. “We are not closing permanently. We’re going to come back bigger, better, stronger than ever.”

All activities at the Eagle have been moved outdoors due to the pandemic, and they will continue on until the closure in November.

Ramey said he hopes to host VIP farewell parties before the closure so small groups can have the chance to say goodbye to the building.

On Saturday (October 10), the Atlanta Pride Committee (APC) released a statement reiterating that all official Pride events were virtual and APC had no involvement with private parties that were held.

Richard Ramey photo via Facebook, Xion party photo via Twitter

Above: Atlanta Eagle owner Richard Ramey stands in front of his club. Above right: A man died at a circuit party hosted last weekend which were reportedly “packed.”

“The thought of losing our building has been very emotional for me,” Ramey continued, “but the thought of where we’re going and getting there is just so exciting.”

Watch Ramey’s announcement on our website, thegavoice.com.

The Atlanta Eagle has been a mainstay in Atlanta’s LGBTQ community for more than 30 years. It is the site of Atlanta Leather Pride, and a police raid on the bar in 2009 became a foundational moment in Atlanta LGBTQ history.

A man who has been unidentified died this weekend at an unofficial Atlanta Pride party.

The man was unconscious in the basement of BJ Roosters during Xion, a circuit party lasting from 3-7am Sunday morning (October 11), when police were called,

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

Man Dies at Unofficial Atlanta Pride Circuit Party

according to 11 Alive. The man, who has been described as a Black man in his 40s or 50s by a party goer who provided a statement to LGBTQ Nation, was pronounced dead at Piedmont Hospital about 40 minutes later.

According to the victim’s partner, he had taken ecstasy pills at the club.

Police say there were no signs of foul play or trauma, but further details are limited as

“As a marginalized community, we have always had to fight for our survival, be it with mental health, trans health issues, access to quality care, and more,” APC Executive Director Jamie Fergerson said. “In light of that, we are particularly sensitive to the need for taking all precautions to protect ourselves and each other. The most important thing is for all of us to survive this pandemic and to stay health. We have also asked the City of Atlanta and our media partners to amplify the message to have Pride at home, wear masks, and practice harm reduction related to COVID-19.”

October 23, 2020 News Briefs 5

ELECTION 2020

2020 General Election Endorsements U.S. House of Representatives: GA-2: Rep. Sanford Bishop GA-4: Rep. Hank Johnson GA-5: Nikema Williams GA-6: Rep. Lucy McBath GA-7: Carolyn Bourdeaux GA-13: Rep. David Scott

Katie Burkholder The fight for equality and representation doesn’t begin and end at the White House.

Municipal, state, and Congressional elections will determine who is writing the laws and fighting for the causes that most directly impact you and your community. That’s why organizations like Georgia Equality, the Human Rights Campaign, and Victory Fund release endorsements every year. The following local candidates have been determined by these organizations to be the best for fighting for Georgia’s LGBTQ community.

GEORGIA EQUALITY The Georgia Equality Board of Directors issues an endorsement for a candidate who they feel is best placed to advance an LGBTQ policy agenda. For more information, visit georgiaequalitypac.org. * indicates an openly LGBTQ candidate

State Senate: SD-41: Kim Jackson* SD-48: Michelle Au SD-56: Sarah Beeson

Photos via Facebook

Several LGBTQ candidates are running for offices in Georgia in the 2020 election.

Clockwise from top left: Kim Jackson, Matthew Wilson, Sam Park, Park Cannon, Justin Holsomback, and Julie Jordan (not pictured: Karla Drenner).

State Senate: SD-6: Jen Jordan SD-17: Brian Strickland SD-40: Sally Harrell SD-41: Kim Jackson* SD-48: Michelle Au SD-56: Sarah Beeson

HD-107: Sally Hutchinson HD-109: Regina Lewis-Ward HD-132: Robert Trammell HD-138: Marc Arnett HD-179: Julie Jordan*

State House of Representatives: HD-20: Ginny Lennox HD-34: Priscilla Smith HD-35: Kyle Rinaudo HD-36: James Ryner HD-37: Mary Frances Williams HD-39: Erica Thomas HD-40: Erick Allen HD-44: Connie Di Cicco HD-45: Sara Ghazal HD-48: Mary Robichaux HD-50: Angelika Kauche HD-51: Josh McLaurin HD-54: Betsy Holland HD-79: Mike Wilensky HD-80: Matthew Wilson* HD-95: Beth Moore HD-101: Sam Park* HD-102: Gregg Kennard HD-105: Donna McLeod

Municipal Elections: Athens-Clarke County District Attorney: Deborah Gonzalez Athens-Clarke County Sherriff: John Q. Williams

Cobb County Commission Chair: Lisa Cupid Cobb County Commission, District 4: Jerica Richardson Cobb County District Attorney: Flynn D. Broady Jr. Cobb County Sherriff: Craig Owens

Chatham County Commission Chair: Jason Buelterman Chatham County District Attorney: Meg Daly Heap

DeKalb County Commission, District

6 Election 2020 October 23, 2020

1: Robert Patrick

Fulton County Commission, District 2: Justin Holsomback* Fulton County Commission, District 4: Natalie Hall

Gwinnett County Commission Chair: Nicole Love Gwinnett County Sherriff: Keybo Taylor

Special Elections: State SD-39: Sonya Halpern Mayor of Clarkston: YT Bell

State House of Representatives: HD-37: Mary Frances Williams HD-44: Connie Di Cicco HD-48: Mary Robichaux HD-50: Angelika Kausche HD-51: Josh McLaurin HD-58: Park Cannon* HD-80: Matthew Wilson* HD-84: Renitta Shannon HD-85: Karla Drenner* HD-95: Beth Moore HD-101: Sam Park* HD-102: Gregg Kennard HD-109: Regina Lewis-Ward HD-132: Robert Trammell VICTORY FUND Victory Fund endorses LGBTQ candidates at every level of government. For more information, visit victoryfund.org/ our-candidates.

State Senate: SD-41: Kim Jackson

HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN HRC’s endorsements represent those who they deem “pro-equality allies.” HRC has also endorsed Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock for U.S. Senate. For more information, visit hrc.org/in-your-area/ Georgia.

State House of Representatives: HD-58: Park Cannon* HD-80: Matthew Wilson* HD-84: Renitta Shannon HD-85: Karla Drenner* HD-99: Marvin Lim HD-101: Sam Park* HD-179: Julie Jordan*

U.S. Senate: Jon Ossoff Rev. Raphael Warnock

Municipal Elections: Fulton County Commissioner, District 2: Justin Holsemback TheGeorgiaVoice.com

ELECTION 2020

Atlanta Mayor Endorses Ossoff and Warnock for Senate Katie Burkholder Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced her endorsement of LGBTQ allies Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock earlier this month, who are running against incumbents Sen. David Perdue and Sen. Kelly Loeffler, respectively.

Both Democrats are staunch allies to the LGBTQ community. On each of their campaign websites, Ossoff and Warnock pledge to fight for and support the Equality Act. Ossoff further promises to defend marriage equality, oppose President Donald Trump’s transgender military ban, and strengthen anti-bullying programs for LGBTQ youth, while Warnock ensures he will work to expand access to PrEP and “other life-saving care for all communities.”

In contrast, their Republican opponents

8 Election 2020 October 23, 2020

have solid anti-LGBTQ records. Loeffler introduced legislation back in September that would rewrite civil rights law Title IX to bar transgender students from participating in school sports aligning with their gender identity. Perdue has expressed opposition to same-sex marriage; after the Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage in 2015, he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Once again, we see a court that has overstepped its limited constitutional role rather than allow the American people to decide this issue.”

“Atlantans need Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff fighting for us in the U.S. Senate. From the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Reverend Raphael Warnock has been a strong partner in the fight for justice and making affordable health care accessible to families across our state. Jon Ossoff has spent his career working to expose corruption and the abuse of power around the world, and

today more than ever, we need his expertise to enact reform and make government work for the people,” Mayor Bottoms said in a released statement. “Together they are our future.

As communities across Georgia navigate intersecting threats to public health, equal justice under the law, corruption and the influence of dark money in politics, and the future of our planet, this moment demands that we elect leaders like Warnock and Ossoff who will take on these challenges and build a better future for our children. I am proud to support their historic candidacies for the U.S. Senate.”

Mayor Bottoms’ endorsement adds to the wide support that Warnock and Ossoff have from state and national figures, including President Barack Obama, Leader Stacey Abrams, and the Georgia AFL-CIO. “Mayor Bottoms’ strong leadership during

this pandemic has saved lives and earned her the admiration of the nation,” said Ossoff of the endorsement. “In the Senate I will partner with Mayor Bottoms to defeat this virus by empowering medical experts and to rebuild our local economy with investments in infrastructure and support for small businesses.”

“Mayor Bottoms’ work to create a more affordable, resilient and equitable Atlanta has revitalized the city we both believe in and call home,” added Reverend Warnock. “I am honored to have earned her support and look forward to carrying the twin legacies of positive evolution and inclusion embodied

by King’s city forward representing all Georgians in the U.S. Senate.”

To learn more about Ossoff and Warnock, visit their campaign websites at electjon. com and warnockforgeorgia.com.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

ELECTION 2020

More LGBTQ People Have Run for Office in 2020 than Ever Before Katie Burkholder

Racial diversity among LGBTQ candidates has increased, according to the report.

Thirty-one percent of LGBTQ candidates running this year identify as people of color, up from 29 percent in 2018 — when only 10 percent of all candidates were people of color. While the number of LGBTQ men of color running is proportional to the number of men of color in the general population, women of color are still underrepresented, running at rates half their proportion in the general population.

A record number of openly LGBTQ candidates ran or are running for office this year, according to the LGBTQ Victory Fund’s Out on the Trail report.

At least 1,006 openly LGBTQ people have run for office in 2020, a 41 percent increase since the last midterm election in 2018, when 716 LGBTQ candidates ran. At least 574 of these candidates will appear on the general election ballot in November, up 33 percent from 432 in 2018.

“More than 1,000 LGBTQ people ran this election cycle — the most in U.S. history — and we expect an unprecedented number to win on Election Day,” said president and CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund Annise Parker. “This report will show that LGBTQ

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK / LIGHTSPRING

candidates are significantly more diverse than the overall candidate population, but that we have work to do to ensure LGBTQ candidates are as diverse as America.”

2020 has also seen an increase in gay men (401 versus 332), bisexual (78 versus 39), queer (52 versus 26), and genderqueer/nonbinary (17 versus four) candidates from 2018 but a decrease in transgender candidates (34 versus 48). There was a slight increase in the number of lesbian candidates from 2018 to 2020 (204 versus 192), but a decrease in

the overall proportion of lesbian candidates to LGBTQ candidates (27 percent versus 32 percent).

According to the report, LGBTQ candidates are representing every state except for Alabama in the polls, with Texas, California, and Florida producing the greatest number of LGBTQ candidates.

In Georgia, there are at least 26 LGBTQ candidates: six campaigning for local positions, 17 for the state legislature, and three for federal seats.

Victory Fund’s endorsements reflect this year’s increase in LGBTQ representation; the organization, which is dedicated to getting LGBTQ candidates elected nationwide, has endorsed 387 candidates this year, a 40 percent increase from 2018 (274) and 117 percent increase from 2019 (178).

October 23, 2020 Election 2020 9

ELECTION 2020

Voting Before Election Day in Fulton County Early voting, absentee ballot drop-offs, and mail-in ballot tracking Katie Burkholder Whether you’re casting your vote in person or through the mail, we have all the information you need to ensure your voice is heard before November 3.

Early Voting Locations Early voting lasts from now until Friday, October 30. Unlike on Election Day, you do not have to vote at an assigned polling location during early voting. You may vote at any early voting location within your county. When you arrive at your early voting location, you’ll need to bring a valid photo ID such as a driver’s license, passport, or voter identification card (dds.georgia.gov/voter-id). View early voting hours and other counties’ locations at elections. sos.ga.gov/Elections/advancedVotingInfo.do Adams Park Library (2231 Campbellton Rd. SW, Atlanta) Alpharetta Branch Library (10 Park Plaza, Alpharetta) Atlanta Metropolitan State College (1630 Metropolitan Parkway SW, Atlanta) Buckhead Library (269 Buckhead Ave. NE, Atlanta) CT Martin Natatorium and Recreation Center (3201 Martin Luther King Jr Drive SW, Atlanta) Chastain Park Gymnasium (140 West Wieuca Rd. NE, Atlanta) Crabapple Neighborhood Senior Center (12624 Broadwell Rd., Alpharetta) Dorothy Benson Senior Multipurpose Complex (6500 Vernon Woods Drive NE, Sandy Springs) East Roswell Public Library (2301 Holcomb Bridge Rd., Roswell) East Point Library (2757 Main St., East Point) Etris-Darnell Community Center (5285 Lakeside Drive, Union City) Georgia International Convention Center (2000 Convention Center Concourse, Atlanta) Georgia State University Student Center East (55 Gilmer St. SE, Atlanta) 10 Election 2020 October 23, 2020

Georgia Tech McCamish Pavilion (965 Fowler St. NW, Atlanta) Gladys S. Dennard Library at South Fulton (4055 Flat Shoals Rd., Union City) High Museum of Art (1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta) HJC Bowden Senior Multipurpose Facility (2885 Church St., East Point) Johns Creek Environmental Campus (8100 Holcomb Bridge Rd., Alpharetta) Metropolitan Library (1332 Metropolitan Parkway, Atlanta) Milton Branch Library (855 Mayfield Rd., Milton) New Beginnings Senior Center (66 Brooks Drive, Fairburn) North Fulton Service Center (7741 Roswell Rd. NE, Sandy Springs) Northeast/Spruill Oaks Library (9560 Spruill Rd., Johns Creek) Northside Branch Library (3295 Northside Parkway NW, Atlanta) Northwest Branch Library at Scotts Crossing (2489 Perry Blvd., Atlanta) Ocee Branch Library (5090 Abbotts Bridge Rd., Alpharetta) Palmetto Branch Library (9111 Cascade Palmetto Highway, Palmetto) Park Place at Newtown School (3125 Old Alabama Rd., Johns Creek) Ponce de Leon Library (980 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta) Roswell Branch Library (115 Norcross St., Roswell) Sandy Springs Branch Library (395 Mount Vernon Highway NE, Sandy Springs) South Fulton Service Center (5600 Stonewall Tell Rd., College Park) Southwest Arts Center (915 New Hope Rd. SW, Atlanta) State Farm Arena (1 State Farm Drive, Atlanta) Welcome All Park & Multipurpose Facility (4255 Will Lee Rd., College Park) Wolf Creek Branch Library (3100 Enon Rd., Atlanta)

Absentee Ballot Drop-off Locations If you requested an absentee ballot, but don’t want to mail it in, you can drop it off at any of the ballot box locations below.

An interactive map with all Fulton County locations can be found at fultoncountyga.gov/ absenteedropbox Adams Park Library (2231 Campbellton Rd. SW, Atlanta) Adamsville-Collier Heights Library (3424 Martin Luther King Jr Drive, Atlanta) Alpharetta Branch Library (10 Park Plaza, Alpharetta) Auburn Avenue Research Library (101 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta) Buckhead Library (269 Buckhead Ave. NE, Atlanta) Cleveland Avenue Branch Library (47 Cleveland Ave. SW, Atlanta) College Park Branch Library (3647 Main St., College Park) Dogwood Library (1838 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway NW, Atlanta) East Roswell Branch Library (2301 Holcomb Bridge Rd., Roswell) Evelyn G. Lowery at Cascade (3665 Cascade Rd. SW, Atlanta) Fairburn Branch Library (60 Valley View Dr., Fairburn) Fulton County Airport (3929 Aviation Circle NW Suite A, Atlanta) Fulton County Customer Service Center at Maxwell Road (11575 Maxwell Rd., Alpharetta) Fulton County Government Center (141 Pryor St. SW, Atlanta and 130 Peachtree St. SW, Atlanta) Glady S. Dennard Library at South Fulton (4055 Flat Shoals Rd., Union City) Hapeville Senior Center (527 King Arnold St., Hapeville) Johns Creek Environmental Campus (8100 Holcomb Bridge Rd., Alpharetta) Louise Watley Library at Southeast Atlanta (1463 Pryor Rd. SW, Atlanta)

Mechanicsville Library (400 Formwalt St. SW, Atlanta) Metropolitan Branch Library (1332 Metropolitan Parkway, Atlanta) Milton Branch Library (855 Mayfield Rd., Milton) North Fulton Service Center (7741 Roswell Rd. NE, Sandy Springs) North Fulton Training Center (5025 Roswell Rd., Sandy Springs) Northeast/Spruill Oaks Library (9560 Spruill Rd., Johns Creek) Northside Branch Library (3295 Northside Parkway NW, Atlanta) Northwest Branch Library at Scotts Crossing (2489 Perry Blvd. NW, Atlanta) Palmetto Branch Library (9111 Cascade Palmetto Highway, Palmetto) Ponce de Leon Library (980 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta) Robert E. Fulton Regional Library at Ocee (5090 Abbotts Bridge Rd., Johns Creek) Roswell Branch Library (115 Norcross St., Roswell) Sandy Springs Branch Library (395 Mount Vernon Highway NE, Sandy Springs) South Fulton Service Center (5600 Stonewall Tell Rd., College Park) Washington Park Library (1116 Martin Luther King Jr Drive, Atlanta) West End Branch Library (525 Peeples St. SW, Atlanta) Wolf Creek Branch Library (3100 Enon Rd., Atlanta) Tracking Your Mail-in Ballot To track the status of your mail-in ballot, log into your My Voter Page (mvp.sos.ga.gov) and select “Click here for Absentee Ballot status” under “Absentee Ballot Request Information.”

A box will appear with the date your application request was received, when your ballot was issued, and when it was received. You can also learn the ballot’s status: either accepted, rejected, or canceled. If it was either rejected or canceled, a reason will be given.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

ELECTION 2020

U.S. Senate Races Worth Careful Attention as November Nears Lisa Keen

of the state, has seen a recent surge in support, from nine points down on October 7 to a tie on October 10. As governor, Bullock signed an executive order prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ state employees and supported the U.S. Supreme Court decision to strike state bans on marriage for same-sex couples. HRC has endorsed Bullock.

Control of the U.S. Senate is almost as important to LGBTQ people this year as control of the White House.

Under Republican control, the Senate has ignored bills to make schools safer for LGBTQ students or to stop discrimination against LGBTQ youth seeking child welfare services. While the Equality Act, to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and federally funded programs, has passed the House, it has languished in the Senate Judiciary Committee, without hearing or vote.

And, under Republican control, the Senate has “rubberstamped” confirmations, at every level of the federal court system, for nominees who have records of hostility to LGBTQ people.

Having Democrats control the Senate and the House would create a line of defense against any number of schemes President Trump might employ to declare himself the winner of the presidential race. It would also provide Congress with a realistic means of holding Trump accountable for any crimes he might commit, or has committed, against the nation and improve the chances that any upcoming U.S. Supreme Court vacancy could be filled by nominees who have a commitment to LGBTQ rights.

If Trump retains the White House, Democrats will need 51 seats in order to take control of the Senate. They currently have 47, but polling indicates they will lose one held by Alabama Sen. Doug Jones.

Michigan’s Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is also in a tough race for re-election.

Assuming Jones and Peters lose, the Democrats would be down to 45 seats and need to flip six Republican seats to take the Senate. Here are the races where U.S. Senate TheGeorgiaVoice.com

North Carolina: Cal Cunningham appeared to be running away with the election in his bid to unseat incumbent Republican Thom Tillis. Then news broke that he had been sexting with a woman other than his wife, and his polls slipped. But FiveThirtyEight.com reported last week that Cunningham appears to have survived. A recent New York Times polling shows him with a one-point lead, but RealClearPolitics’ average of polls shows him with a 4.3 point lead. HRC and Buttigieg have both endorsed Cunningham. seats have the best chance to change from Republican to Democrat: Arizona: Mark Kelly, husband of former U.S. Rep. Gabby Gifford, is running to replace first-term Republican Martha McSally. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) endorsed Kelly, saying he has been a “steadfast ally.”

An average of recent polls, calculated by RealClearPolitics.com, shows Kelly with a 8.3 percent lead, as of October 16.

Colorado: John Hickenlooper, the former governor, is leading incumbent Republican Senator Cory Gardner. The only recent poll there, conducted in early October, showed Hickenlooper up by nine points.

Hickenlooper has won HRC’s endorsement.

Georgia: Jon Ossoff, a media owner and journalist, almost won a U.S. House seat from Georgia two years ago. He had HRC’s endorsement then and now and he and special election Senate candidate Raphael Warnock (see below) have both earned gay presidential

contender Pete Buttigieg’s endorsement.

Ossoff is hoping to unseat Republican incumbent David Perdue. RealClearPolitics’ average of polls shows Perdue ahead by only one point as of October 12.

Georgia: Raphael Warnock, is the personal pastor of openly lesbian State Rep. Park Cannon, who has endorsed him, along with HRC. Warnock, while having “evolved” on issues such as marriage for same-sex couples, has welcomed LGBTQ people and promised leaders to passionately argue against anyone trying to use religion to discriminate. The Republican incumbent, Kelly Loeffler, has not been in the Senate long enough to obtain a score from HRC, but she recently introduced legislation to limit Title IX protection in educational sports to sex discrimination “based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”

RealClearPolitics calculations show Warnock leads by 7.7 points as of October 12.

Montana: Steve Bullock, former governor

Iowa: Theresa Greenfield, a real estate executive, has been consistently polling three to five points ahead of incumbent Republican Joni Ernst in recent weeks, but the “undecided” votes are running about 10 percent. She’s got the support of HRC and Buttigieg, and Ernst’s HRC score is a zero. Two early October polls showed Greenfield up by four points, but a margin of error of 3.5.

Maine: Sara Gideon, Speaker of the Maine House, might once have been considered a long-shot to unseat longtime Maine incumbent Republican Susan Collins. Collins was seen by many in the LGBTQ community as among the very few allies on the Republican side, but then she voted for Trump Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, which rendered Collins’ re-election “simply untenable,” said HRC President Alphonso David. On the other side of the aisle, Log Cabin Republicans is announcing its endorsement of Collins.

RealClearPolitics’ averaging of polls shows Gideon up by 4.2 points in early October.

October 23, 2020 Election 2020 11

ELECTION 2020

The LGBTQ Platform: Biden vs. Trump When it comes to LGBTQ issues, how do the candidates really stack up?

Republican Donald Trump While Trump’s LGBTQ coalition, called “Trump Pride,” claims he’s “the only president to openly support the LGBTQ community since his first day in office,” his campaign website tells a different story.

Katie Burkholder Democrat Joe Biden On his campaign website, Biden has a page dedicated to his extensive seven-point plan for LGBTQ equality, briefly summarized below:

Trump’s website includes no mention of an LGBTQ platform. Actually, his campaign website doesn’t include any information whatsoever regarding his plans for a second term. The “About” page includes this language: “President Trump is working hard to implement his ‘America First’ platform, continuing his promise to the American people to lower taxes, repeal and replace Obamacare, end stifling regulations, protect our borders, keep jobs in our country, take care of our veterans, strengthen our military and law enforcement, and renegotiate bad trade deals, creating a government of, by and for the people.”

Protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination.

Biden promises to enact the Equality Act during his first 100 days as president and direct his Cabinet to ensure immediate and full enforcement of the Equality Act across all federal departments and agencies. He also plans to nominate and appoint federal officials and judges who represent the diversity of the American people, including LGBTQ people, and reverse Trump’s transgender military ban.

Support LGBTQ+ youth.

On his first day in office, Biden promises to reinstate the Obama-era guidance revoked by the Trump administration which will restore transgender students’ access to sports, bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identity. He will also work to end suicide among LGBTQ young people by expanding access to mental health resources. Biden’s housing plan also calls for the passage of the Ending Homelessness Act, which will fund a comprehensive, holistic strategy to ending homelessness that will address the disproportionate levels of homelessness seen among LGBTQ youth.

Protect LGBTQ+ individuals from violence and work to end the epidemic of violence against the transgender community, particularly transgender women of color.

During his first 100 days, Biden will direct federal resources to help prevent violence against transgender women, particularly transgender women of color, and prioritize the prosecution of the murderers of transgender people. He will also strengthen and enforce the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act by increasing funding for anti-bias and hate 12 Election 2020 October 23, 2020

Photos by Gage Skidmore via Flickr

2020 Presidential candidates Joe Biden (l) and Donald Trump (r).

crimes investigation training.

Expand access to high-quality health care for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Biden promises to guarantee the Affordable Care Act’s nondiscrimination protections for the LGBTQ community and update and implement the Obama administration’s comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2025.

The Democrat also plans to ban conversion therapy by working to enact the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act. Ensure fair treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals in the criminal justice system.

Biden will work to reduce LGBTQ interactions with the criminal justice system and increase safety for incarcerated transgender people by ensuring transgender inmates have access to appropriate doctors and gender-affirming medical care.

Collect data necessary to fully support the

LGBTQ+ community.

Biden will ensure questions about sexual orientation and gender identity are included in national surveys and data collection efforts through the LGBTQ Data Collection Act, and he will direct agencies to improve data collection on other demographics, like race, ethnicity and disability status, to ensure subgroups within the LGBTQ community have their needs addressed.

Advance global LGBTQ+ rights and development.

Biden will significantly bolster the offices at the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) dedicated to promoting global LGBTQ+ rights and development and advance an inclusive human rights agenda that promotes LGBTQ rights by working with Congress to enact legislation like the Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality (GLOBE) Act, which will permanently make upholding LGBTQ rights a priority of U.S. foreign policy.

The president’s website does have a “Promises Kept” page, which details Trump’s accomplishments over the last four years.

However, LGBTQ issues don’t appear anywhere on the page; a search of “LGBTQ,” “gay,” “transgender,” and “homosexuality” yields zero results. The only accomplishment related to the LGBTQ community mentioned on the page is his initiative to end HIV/AIDS in America, which he launched in February 2019; a $2.4 billion grant to provide essential support services to people living with HIV; and a program to provide PrEP to uninsured patients for free, which was launched in December 2019.

A comparison of both candidates’ LGBTQ platforms (or lack thereof ) makes clear the difference between Biden’s and Trump’s dedication to the LGBTQ community.

However, Trump’s lack of commitment isn’t the only issue. His LGBTQ record over the last four years spells danger for LGBTQ Americans. According to GLAAD’s Trump Accountability Project, which you can find at glaad.org/trump, the Trump administration has launched 181 attacks on LGBTQ people in 1,365 days in office.

Read the full article online at thegavoice.com TheGeorgiaVoice.com

I believe that sexual orientation should not influence access or rights. For far too long, even in the Metro Atlanta region, persons along the sexuality spectrum have been forced to live in denial or only partially acknowledging who they are without fear of retribution.

As a member of Congress, I will continue the work for equality in public policy to which I was committed when I served on the Atlanta City Council. My platform and accomplishments are below, but I believe it is important to affirm the beliefs that support my work.

Why Am I Running I am running for Congress to finish the rest of John Lewis’ last year in office. He was a neighbor and dear friend to me and my family. He and his late wife Lillian Lewis mentored me in high school, college, and throughout my 15 years as an elected official on Atlanta City Council and the Atlanta School Board.

For me, serving the remainder of John Lewis’ term in Congress is not an opportunity to start building a political resume or to place a capstone on the end of my career. This is my personal obligation to continue the justice leadership that has always uplifted and fought for the LGBTQ community in the 5th Congressional District started by Ambassador Andrew Young and continued by Congressmen John Lewis.

Accomplishments • Led the installation of Rainbow Crosswalks that laid the foundation for the permanent Rainbow Crosswalks that exist now.

• My District 2 Keep It INtown small business support TV segments featured LGBTQ businesses like Charis Books & More, Highland Bakery, and USpace Art Gallery • Sponsored National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day with Alex Wan • Participation in Pride most years unless traveling • Pre-Arrest Diversion that supported transgender community in Congressional District 5 Platform 1) Stronger anti-discrimination policies inclusive of sexual orientation 2) Increase funding for federal prisons to properly house and support LGBTQIA+ persons, specifically transgendered persons 3) Restore Obama-era protections for transgendered persons in the military 4) Support birthright citizenship to children born to US Citizens who are in same-sex relationships/marriages and adoption rights for same-sex married couples 5) I will support funding for HIV research and services for those who are positive 6) In Congress, I will partner with Fulton, Clayton, and DeKalb Counties, and the state of Georgia to provide best-in-class services for those living with HIV.

Vote early today so that we win this election on

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ELECTION 2020

Misogyny in Politics How women candidates are overcoming patriarchal obstacles

MetroHealth, said she always thought things would be different when that glass ceiling was broken, but she added that watching the debate was upsetting for her.

Conswella Bennett “It took me back to my own experiences dealing with males and in particular white males,” Jones said. “They automatically want to discount what you say or think you have no knowledge base ... It’s just another form of discrimination that we are used to facing.”

It’s been over two weeks since the October 7 Vice Presidential debate, but many people, especially women, are still talking about the events of the night between Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence.

Her Term recently published research it conducted on the value of electing women into public office. Although its research paper, “Reaching the Tipping Point: The Past, Present, and Future of Women in Georgia Politics” is focused on Georgia, Coloseus said the issues are faced by women in other states as well.

Harris made history as the first black woman to be a vice presidential candidate. Prior to Harris, there have only been two women to make it onto a major political party ticket as vice presidential candidates: Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Republican Sarah Palin in 2008.

During the debate, Harris was poised and determined to make her points for the Biden-Harris campaign. It didn’t take long, however, for her to experience what many women are familiar with: overtalking and mansplaining by Vice President Mike Pence.

In an interview with Georgia Voice, Jane Kim Coloseus, Her Term executive director, said of the debate, “From a personal and professional standpoint, I was not surprised

by Mike Pence’s ways of addressing her (Harris), talking over her and not adhering to the rules of the debate that they both agreed on.”

Her Term is a Georgia-based initiative created to recruit progressive women to run for public office at the state level. The organization’s goal is to see more women take on critical elected roles — and to see every branch of our government transformed by equitable representation.

According to Coloseus, the debate was an all-too-familiar display of sexism, microaggressions, misogyny and bias. For women, and especially women of color, Coloseus noted that as a candidate Harris had to a walk a fine line during the debate: be likeable and competent, but not too 14 Election 2020 October 23, 2020

Jane Kim Coloseus: Eley Photo, Elizabeth Jones: courtesy photo

Jane Kim Coloseus, executive director of Her Term (l). Elizabeth Jones, NCBW National Third Vice President (r).

authoritative. “She had to tip toe that really fine balance,” she added.

Despite having Pence speak over her and talk past his allotted time, Coloseus said that Harris remained composed and didn’t respond or counterattack, but her facial expressions said it all. Harris’ piercing facial expressions and the steady tone behind her “I’m speaking” stuck with viewers long after the debate was over.

“They were simple expressions, but we all knew what they meant,” Coloseus added with a knowing smile. “I was really inspired

by Kamala Harris taking back her time and standing up for herself.” Pence also often disregarded attempts from moderator Susan Page, the Washington bureau chief for USA Today, to get him to follow the debate rules.

Coloseus believes that it is important for the local female candidates to create their own narratives. Reflecting on the vice-presidential

debate, she said the takeaway for women is to “amplify your voice. Take back your time and stand up for yourself.”

Like Coloseus, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. (NCBW) Third Vice President Elizabeth Jones wasn’t surprised by Pence’s treatment of Harris.

“That is the history with women, especially black women, when they move up the ranks in leadership,” Jones said in an interview with Georgia Voice.

The NCBW is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with 60 chapters represented in 28 states, one of which is Georgia. Through advocacy, the chapters work as change agents to influence policy that promotes gender equity in health, education and economic empowerment.

Jones, who was in executive leadership positions as a health care administrator for

According to the Her Term research, “American politics is still very much a ‘good ol’ boys club,’ and women candidates face more criticism and scrutiny than their male counterparts when it comes to their political campaigns ... Further, female candidates often struggle with the double blind effect, whereby they are often evaluated against a ‘masculine’ standard of leadership but a ‘feminine’ standard of likeability — and are left with limited and unfavorable options, no matter how they behave and perform as leaders.”

This is something Jones agreed with. Jones said Harris kept a smile on her face for good reason. “If you get upset visibly, it will be taken out of context,” Jones said.

“You have to be calm and resist showing emotions and any kind of anger. She had a very calm presentation although [Pence] was methodically trying to goad her, but she kept a smile on her face and was pleasant until she had to put him in his place.”

The key to women no longer enduring microaggressions and misogyny is normalizing women in leadership roles, Coloseus suggested, quoting former First Lady Michelle Obama: “When they go low, we go high.”

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

YOUR VOICE

LGBTQ History and Disability

“The work of these and many other disabled LGBTQ people has long been hidden from both our history and our current image of the community, which continues to exclude disabled people.”

Victoria A. Brownworth Disabled people have long been hidden from history, and unsurprisingly, disabled LGBTQ historical figures too have been hidden.

The LGBTQ community itself has been slow to address disability as an issue, yet some of the most beloved and most commonly invoked LGBTQ historical figures also had disabilities, among them artists Michaelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Frida Kahlo, and writers Marcel Proust, Virginia Woolf, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde and Adrienne Rich. We know these names well, yet not for their disabilities. And there are so many other LGBTQ icons, past and present, whose disabilities we ignore or fail to acknowledge as critical to their identities — and to ours as a community.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits disability-based discrimination.

The U.S. along with 153 other countries have also signed on to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which calls on all nations to adopt policies similar to the Americans with Disabilities Act. More than a third of LGBTQ people identify as having a disability. Among lesbian, gay and bisexual adults, 30 percent of men and 36 percent of women identify as having a disability. Those disabilities can be physical, sensory, intellectual and mental. The breadth of disability, like the breadth of LGBTQ experience, should be part of our recognition of our LGBTQ history and who made that history.

Five nights a week LGBTQ people can turn on CNN and see Anderson Cooper, a CNN anchor who broke ground in broadcasting as an out gay man. Cooper also has a disability that impacts 43.5 Americans: pronounced TheGeorgiaVoice.com

Beechwood, a communal living environment for disabled women, where she worked as a therapist, writer, artist, and activist.

Barbara Jordan: Screengrab, Connie Panzarino: Photo via Facebook

Left: Barbara Jordan addresses the crowd at the 1992 Democratic National Convention.

Right: Connie Panzarino

dyslexia. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 10 Americans suffers from a hidden disability like Cooper’s. Other hidden disabilities include traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, psychiatric disabilities and disabling auto-immune diseases.

keynote address at a Democratic National Convention in 1976, and she was wellknown for delivering the opening statement at the House Judiciary Committee Hearings to impeach Richard Nixon. She also created legislation to broaden the 1965 Voting Rights Act to include and protect Latinx voters.

Marsha P. Johnson, renowned for her role in the Stonewall uprising, suffered from both physical and psychiatric disabilities. In the documentary about her life, “Pay It No Mind,” Johnson said, “I may be crazy, but that don’t make me wrong.”

Jordan had multiple sclerosis, and she used a wheelchair in her later years to remain ambulatory, including when she spoke at the 1992 Democratic National Convention. In 1994, President Bill Clinton awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Another figure of the Stonewall rebellion, Morty Manford, also had psychiatric disabilities and died at only 41 in 1992 from complications of AIDS. But throughout his activist career, which began at the Stonewall Inn in 1969 when he was only 19, Manford was dedicated to the fight for LGBTQ civil rights, despite his disability. With his mother, Jeanne Manford, he co-founded PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) in 1973.

Kenny Fries is a longtime gay and disability rights activist and world-renowned poet and memoirist. Born with shortened and twisted legs, he recounted in “Body, Remember: A Memoir,” his father fainted when his maternal grandmother screamed, “My daughter gave birth to a freak!” Fries was the first disabled student admitted to a public school in New York City.

Barbara Jordan has long been an LGBTQ icon. She was the first woman to deliver the

Connie Panzarino was a severely disabled lesbian activist living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy III, a neuromuscular disorder which leads to muscle atrophy. She founded

As a Deaf gay man, Nyle DiMarco made history in 2015 when he won “America’s Next Top Model.” In 2016 he became the first Deaf contestant on “Dancing with the Stars,” which he won with professional partner Petra Murgatroyd, making disability and queer history.

The work of these and many other disabled LGBTQ people has long been hidden from both our history and our current image of the community, which continues to exclude disabled people. Disabled LGBTQ icons like Barbara Jordan felt compelled to hide both their sexual and disabled identities. But no one should have to hide their disabilities now. If Marsha P. Johnson understood the importance of that intersectionality in the 1970s, why has there not been more effort from non-disabled allies to address this in 2020?

As lesbian comedian Maysoon Zayid told Zerlina Maxwell on Peacock TV’s “Zerlina” on October 9, “Every issue is a disability issue because disability intersects with every other community. Disability does not discriminate. You’re welcome to join us at any time regardless of religion, faith, gender, economic class.”

Read the full article online at thegavoice.com.

October 23, 2020 Your Voice 15

YOUR VOICE

Election Night Tension

“Like the crash of the Hindenburg for earlier generations, or perhaps the Kennedy assassination, everyone remembers where he or she was when they heard that awful phrase, ‘Trump has been elected.’”

Buck Jones

There are certain events that become a sort of ritual for folks. When I was a kid growing up in South Carolina, each New Year’s Eve when the grownups would carry on with their drunken festivities downstairs, I would be upstairs in my bedroom listening to Casey Kasem’s Top 100 countdown of the year on WBBQ out of Augusta. At the time, it was important to me to participate in this annual bit of musical nostalgia, so I would lie in my bed in my flannel J.B. White pajamas and wonder what the next song was going to be (Oh, I hope it’s Kim Wilde’s “Kids In America!”).

But because I was an even bigger dork than listening to the radio every New Year’s indicates, I had a similar tradition for every presidential election since I can remember.

Starting in 1976 (which for those of you keeping track at home, means my Grindr age doesn’t match my legal age), I would keep the big election special edition of the local newspaper on my lap and track the results state by state as results came in over election night. If it was a big blowout (like in 1984), I might stop once the network declared a winner, and my red and blue markings on the newspaper map of the Electoral College would be only half filled in.

Since moving to Paris in 2006, I’ve been through three presidential elections, and I have a new habit adapted to the times and place.

With my husband and our slightly spoiled Jack Russell terrier, I go for a late dinner at Joe Allen, the Manhattan-style restaurant down the street from our apartment. There we join the large colony of expats and wait patiently for the first results to come in.

With Barack Obama’s election in 2008, the French national press was at the restaurant to get local reaction (elation!) to this historic 16 Your Voice October 23, 2020

so wrong, the influence of social media disinformation, foreign intervention, and the backlash of many against the Clintons.

There are many theories, and obviously nothing is certain in political life, but the shock of that fateful November night was not easily assuaged in the ensuing years.

Will November 3, 2020, be a repeat of that infamous evening? victory. In 2012, we were there again, and this time I was interviewed by a radio reporter who asked what I thought of the results (relief!). The atmosphere was convivial, with everyone clapping as polls closed and more and more states turned blue. For both elections, we wore our “I VOTED” stickers we had saved from the absentee ballots we had mailed in weeks earlier, and because we’re gay, we dressed our dog up in his fake tuxedo (it was a special occasion).

the vote coming in from Wisconsin. We were sitting next to a cute French couple, and the boy was trying to make sense of what was happening.

And then came 2016.

By dawn, most of the would-be-revelers had left, and as the neighborhood rats darted about across the paved stones of the quartier, we glumly slunk back home in disbelief at what had just happened.

Like the crash of the Hindenburg for earlier generations, or perhaps the Kennedy assassination, everyone remembers where he or she was when they heard that awful phrase, “Trump has been elected.” At Joe Allen that night, things started getting quiet around 3:30 in the morning when CNN’s John King started doing his breakdown of

“I don’t understand why Wees-CON-sohn is so important,” he asked.

“It shouldn’t be, but it is all of a sudden,” I remember telling him, trying to make sense of it myself.

Since then, there have been innumerable post-mortems of what happened, how Hillary Clinton could have lost to Trump, how the polls could have gotten all of it

One thing seems certain. We won’t be going to Joe Allen this year. The tension in this election is just too palpable. The near certainty that there will be uncertainty in the results stemming from the avalanche of mailed-in ballots, along with the predictable preemptive claim of victory from Trump, followed by the long, tedious fight in the courts, mean that my longstanding tradition of watching the election night coverage until the winner is called will be ended.

I quit listening to the year-end countdown on WBBQ when I left for college, but there was still a part of me that wanted to stay in and fall asleep listening to Casey Kasem’s golden voice. It saddens me that this year I will most likely go sleep on election night and wake up the next morning with no clear idea whether this nightmare is indeed over.

Wouldn’t it be nice to hear that old familiar refrain coming in over my bedside table, “... and coming in at number 46, Joe Biden.”

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

YOUR VOICE

When Not to Cover a Trump Story Mark Segal A Trump “gay pride” rally was recently held in our back yard. Philadelphia Gay News (PGN) chose not to cover it.

Similarly, a few weeks ago, the Philadelphia LGBTQ community made their voices heard, and another forum involving a Gay Trumper was cancelled. PGN did not cover that and didn’t name the person involved. To name them means to give them publicity. And that’s all this administration wants and all they care about: their image.

They couldn’t care less about their actions, which have been horrible towards the LGBTQ community.

Philadelphia gets it. Our lives and loves are at stake in this election, and we simply will not give our attention to individuals and organizations who support a man who creates transphobic policies, doesn’t allow LGBTQ federal employees to gather for Pride or the flying of Pride flags, appoints judges who have made it clear they believe in discrimination masquerading as “religious TheGeorgiaVoice.com

“In 2016, we might have been open to a story about a Trump ‘gay pride’ rally, since he didn’t have a record. But he does now, and that record is the worst record on LGBTQ issues of any U.S. President.” freedom,” and believes we should not be able to marry or adopt children.

The very reason the Trump campaign held that rally was to get media coverage of their views “supporting” the LGBTQ community.

They want to build their audience beyond their base who will support them no matter what. They want to cover up the actions of their leader. They want to cover up his own record. Not going to happen, especially here.

Anybody speaking positively on LGBTQ

issues for Trump is at best misstating the facts and at worst actively lying. Remember Milo Yiannopoulos? It’s probably better if you don’t.

The person headlining this 2020 “gay pride” rally couldn’t even do it in Philadelphia proper. If you’re going to have a gay pride rally, why would you ignore the largest concentration of gay people in the region?

Probably because Philadelphians have seen through Trump’s lies and will have no more of it.

In 2016, we might have been open to a story about a Trump “gay pride” rally, since he didn’t have a record. But he does now, and that record is the worst record on LGBTQ issues of any U.S. President. Any lies he or his surrogates try to spread will not get a free pass here. Our community has nothing to be proud about in the Trump administration.

We’ve had four years of ineptitude, four years of discrimination, and four years of lies. As voting has begun in many states, we finally have the ability to say, enough is enough.

And on January 20, we look forward to never covering the Trump administration again, because it will finally have ended.

October 23, 2020 Your Voice 17

JIM FARMER ACTING OUT

Out Front Theatre Offers Streaming Options Three new shows close out 2020

Usually at this time of the year, theater patrons are marking their calendars with shows they want to see and getting ready for an avalanche of new productions. COVID-19, unfortunately, has made in-person theatergoing impossible. Broadway has just announced that it is closed until early summer of 2021, and local theater companies have no idea when they’ll be able to produce the way they used to. For those who are willing to go the streaming route, though, all is not lost.

Out Front Theatre Company, known for producing work with LGBTQ themes, has three online shows scheduled for the rest of the year. The company had planned a robust schedule for 2020, including the Mart Crowley classic “The Boys in the Band,” but has had to adapt to the times.

“When COVID first hit, we thought that the government would take a stronger and more aggressive stance,” says Paul Conroy, founder and producing artistic director of Out Front Theatre Company. “We were hopeful we were going to be able to do “The Boys in the Band” in August and optimistic that our season could start in October. But I think because of a lot of inaction and irresponsibility on a great amount of the populace not just in Georgia, not just in our country — that is just not possible. We made the decision in July. Once we saw that Atlanta Pride was not going to happen (in person) we said we were not going to do anything in person for the rest of the year.”

Instead, virtual theater is available. First up is this weekend’s “Diva: Live From Hell,” a musical — written by S.P. Monahan — starring Trevor Perry as Desmond Channing, president of his high school’s drama club and a staple as the lead in every production. Through an odd fate, Desmond finds himself in the Seventh Circle, a cabaret venue in Hell. It’s the first regional production after the musical’s New York bow. While Conroy calls the show 18 Columnist October 23, 2020

Photo by Diane Haymes

“Dive: Live from Hell” starring Trevor Perry as Desmond Channing.

“campy and fun,” it also deals with serious issues like bullying and high school angst.

Next up is November’s “Bright Colors and Bold Patterns,” written by Drew Droege.

It follows the chaos that ensues just before a wedding in Palm Springs. The wedding invitation has been very specific that the titular attire should be avoided at the event, and this doesn’t sit well with at least one person. The comedy stars Blake Fountain of the company’s “Christmas with Crawfords.”

Rounding out the trio is the holiday offering, “The Santa Closet,” written by Jeffrey Solomon, in which a little boy asks Santa Claus for a doll for Christmas. The show examines notions and stereotypes of gender.

The Out Front production will be the first with a female-identified person of color, who will take on 13 different characters.

Finding fare that can be streamed virtually with a one-person cast wasn’t easy. “Holiday shows are always hard because of the mission,” says Conroy. “This one was a needle in a haystack.” Conroy only found the show because a queer theater company in Virginia suggested it.

yet he looks forward to the time when all is back to normal, so he can present his longplanned version of “The Boys in the Band” — which Conroy held auditions for last year — and another postponed and bound to be popular show, Harvey Fierstein’s “Torch Song Trilogy.”

On other productions he has had to weigh what he thinks audiences will want to see and make sure that everything he presents isn’t from a gay male perspective.

All three virtual shows can be accessed through the theater’s website at outfronttheatre.com

Conroy is not really sure when audiences will be able and willing to return to live performances. “When the virus is behind us, I don’t think the first thing people are going to want to do is go see a show,” he says.

“I think it will be go on vacation and visit family and be out and do stuff.” It may take a while and will happen in size increments,

MORE INFO “Diva: Live From Hell” October 23–25 “Bright Colors and Bold Patterns” November 20–22 “The Santa Closet” December 11–13

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

CLIFF BOSTOCK OLD GAY MAN

The Boys in the Band:

A Call to Vote Your Ass Off Netflix, you doubtlessly know, is airing a remake of the 1970 film adaptation of the infamous play, “The Boys in the Band,” an off-Broadway hit by Mart Crowley. It is great motivation to vote this year, but I’ll get to that after some background.

“‘The Boys in the Band,’ although filmed through a tragicomic lens two years after the play’s sensational debut, projected great defiance in 1970, just by the fact that it appeared a few months after Stonewall.”

I was barely 20 when I saw the original film with my 18-year-old wife. We had married a few months earlier after I fled my life as a closeted hippie and New Left activist who had been awarded a fellowship to Yale. I gave up everything to burrow deeper into the closet after having only one real-life, actual, semendrenched, panic-inducing sexual experience with a man. My closet was paper-thin, of course. My mother had “clocked” me when I was five, but in those days, adults were generally presumed to be straight no matter what, because, after all, being homosexual meant you were a psychopathic, criminal sinner. Who would choose to be that?

We saw “The Boys in the Band” less than a year after 1969’s Stonewall Rebellion, which came to symbolize the effort to sledgehammer the closet out of existence. Completely disassociated from any positive value to my repressed sexuality, I had already dragged my wife to “Fellini’s Satyricon” and a bunch of underground Warhol films, including “Lonesome Cowboys,” which was raided during its showing at Ansley Mall’s Film Forum. I remember sitting through “The Boys in the Band” in a cold sweat, feeling scared shitless. It was full of funny lines, but the overwhelming impression was tragic — a complete justification of my effort to hide from the reality of the way of loving that, five years later, I came to regard as a profound gift.

This new version of the film was produced

by Ryan Murphy, whose projects like “Pose” 20 Columnist October 23, 2020

radical style of the times (and the Georgia chapter began the Pride movement here).

The original 1968 Off Broadway production of “Boys in the Band.”

FRIEDMAN-ABELES/ BILLY ROSE THEATRE DIVISION/ THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

always mine the gold in our perversion.

I told a friend that watching it was like attending the second week of an ancient Greek theater festival when all of the plays were parodies of the first week’s tragedies. I laughed a lot, surprisingly anticipating many of the original’s lines. However, I was also aware — and maybe only old people feel this way — that the remake substitutes nostalgia for the original’s impression of otherness and defiance as well as empathy. I’m not blaming the script. I think it’s about us, the audience, and our times, and that brings up politics and voting.

In 1970, the country was, like now, extremely polarized. Americans were arguing about the Vietnam War, the Black Power Movement, the domination of the Republican Party under the unprecedentedly corrupt leadership of (the eventually resigned under threat of impeachment) Richard Nixon, and the ongoing “socialist” programs of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society legislation like Medicare, subsidized housing, and even endowment of the arts. The KKK resurged.

And then there was the Stonewall Rebellion that produced a movement, the Gay Liberation Front, that was in the youthful

“The Boys in the Band,” although filmed through a tragicomic lens two years after the play’s sensational debut, projected great defiance in 1970, just by the fact that it appeared a few months after Stonewall. But as the perspective of the Gay Liberation Front took hold, the play and film came to be seen at best as a sympathetic pathologizing of inherently weak but self-amused homosexuality. Like that song, “The Ballad of the Sad Young Men,” the task was acceptance, not celebration of our existence. This tragic view long endured. Please see “Brokeback Mountain.”

Still, for old-timers, the remake connects through memory to the original’s revolutionary occurrence and reminds us that we really do live in a time at least as destructive — personally and collectively — as the ’70s. We take our acceptance for granted now, ignoring the very real effort to cancel all our legal gains. To make a long story, short: Vote your ass off, Mary.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

Restaurant GUIDE

YOUR GUIDE TO LOCAL EATERIES

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

October 23, 2020 Restaurant Guide 21

MELISSA CARTER THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID

A Lack of Trust Fake news. Those two words are something most people automatically associate with President Trump and his most cultlike followers. I have come to realize, however, that the toxic message in that phrase has also begun to permeate the blue side of the fence.

I was on a Zoom call with friends shortly after Trump became infected with COVID-19. The topic of his condition naturally came up, and a woman in the group voiced her concern, saying she wasn’t sure it was even true that he had the virus.

I was shocked, since this woman was neither a Trump supporter nor a viewer of Fox News.

Nevertheless, she had been trained to doubt what was being reported.

Around this time, I also received my first guest at home in seven months. My friend came with a tailgate chair and coffee, and we sat in my driveway more than six feet apart, donning masks. I posted the event on Instagram (@melissacarteratl), and someone felt the need to respond, not in a congratulatory manner, but instead by expressing doubt that our masks were even necessary. She sent two more comments that included some video I’m sure supported her point, but I admittedly did not check it out — I was irritated by her manic need for me to see what she had to say.

The point of these two stories is that I have to give Trump credit for encouraging not only his constituents, but also his competitors not to trust the news. You see, the media was intended to serve as a watchdog for our country in case there was something sinister hiding behind the scenes in politics or business. Trump systematically using the media to get you not to trust the media has allowed him to lead many lemmings off the cliff.

Worse than that, the lack of trust we seem to have in this country for information has resulted in a lack of trust in one another.

22 Columnist October 23, 2020

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK / RAWPIXEL.COM

I’m sure you learned in history class of the Romans and their success with a “divide and conquer” strategy, and I see no difference in how this administration has handled the last four years. Abraham Lincoln is credited with saying, “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” referring to the looming Civil War. Yet somehow, again, we’ve allowed ourselves to be manipulated in the same fashion.

When I worked in morning radio, I heard more than once that the direction to gear what I said was toward “the lowest hanging fruit,” meaning the least intelligent of our community. I never appreciated or agreed with that wording or philosophy, but the idea stands: most people won’t take the time to try to be intelligent about most things.

They’d rather get through their day with the least amount of effort as possible. I’m starting to understand the power in what my bosses wanted of me.

Here we are, with the least intelligent running the show and triggering the less intelligent reactions in all of us. Yet there are so many journalists and scientists who are tirelessly giving us the facts and direction we are seeking. We just have to raise our fruit, find them, and start believing in information and people again.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

RYAN LEE SOMETIMES ‘Y’

I Prefer to Be Gay The Senate confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court were supposed preview the theo-fascist order the nominee seeks to impose on the country, but wound up only revealing how much effort LGBTQ folks are willing to put into being offended.

Barrett’s confirmation is the most brazenly hypocritical political act of my lifetime, and everything within me hoped Democrats would harness parliamentary pettiness as effectively as Republicans and block her from the nation’s highest court. With opposition to the nomination neutered by a rule change Democrats made when they controlled the Senate, LGBTQ folks and other progressives were desperate for anything to counter the intellect and temperament that seemed to merit Barrett’s appointment.

The only danger we were able to grasp was when Barrett denounced unfairness toward LGBTQ Americans by stating, “I have never discriminated on the basis of sexual preference and would not ever discriminate on the basis of sexual preference.” Something tells me Judge Barrett and I have different understandings of discrimination, but most people pretended to hear the voice of Anita Bryant or Aunt Lydia in Barrett’s use of the term “sexual preference.”

For at least a quarter century, the LGBTQ movement has been vested in genetics determining a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity, given the significant political and spiritual benefits of being born — or created — LGBTQ. God or biology making us this way relieves us of the obligation to change that prior generations faced and creates empathy among those who might be unsettled by same-sex intimacy, gender fluidity and what they’ve been told the Bible says about those matters.

I’ve always been wary of this messaging for two reasons. Our Constitution is supposed TheGeorgiaVoice.com

Amy Coney Barrett PHOTO VIA WIKICOMMONS

to protect people’s choices as much as traits they inherited, and because having no control over a characteristic has never spared a minority from ignorance and prejudice.

It is a strategy too dependent on pity, and sometimes it’s unclear whether being “born this way” is a celebration or a curse.

Another tenet of LGBTQ activism is that our sexual orientation and gender identity are not solely defined by our bedroom activities, which is why it is necessary to reveal my homosexuality to people who are not my sexual partners. Whether someone knows me from cycling or from the neighborhood association, it is vital to my personal dignity that they never mistake me for a heterosexual.

I choose to disclose my sexual orientation to such individuals because I prefer being gay — from my sex life to my worldview, from my unburdened friendships with women to my ability to explore emotions and fashions that are off limits to straight men. I don’t care whether I’ve had same-sex attraction since birth or gravitated toward it during my sexual development, so however other people describe it is irrelevant to me.

I have no illusions that Barrett will be a philosophical ally to our movement, but we have gone against her legal mentors and the thousands-year-old text that guides her life, and we have won. If a trio of ultraconservative (but qualified) Supreme Court justices is the worst remnant of Donald Trump’s presidency, we can bicker about word choice later.

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October 23, 2020 Columnist 23