Jessica Elaine Blinkhorn, Melissa Carter, María Helena Dolan, Jim Farmer, Adalei Stevens
Production
Art Director: Rob Boeger rboeger@thegavoice.com
Sales
Sales Executive: Dixon Taylor dtaylor@thegavoice.com
Sales Executive: Jim Brams jbrams@thegavoice.com
Sales Executive & Photographer: Russell Bowen-Youngblood russ@alphabetsoupmarketing.com
Business Advisor: Lynn Pasqualetti Financial Firm of Record: HLM Financial Group
National Advertising: Rivendell Media • 908-232-2021 sales@rivendellmedia.com
Publisher Emeritus: Chris Cash Fine Print
federal copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of Georgia Voice. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representation does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons. We also do not accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers.
Unsolicited editorial material is accepted by Georgia Voice, but we do not take responsibility for its return. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject, or edit any submission. Guidelines for freelance contributors are available upon request.
A single copy of Georgia Voice is available from authorized distribution points. Multiple copies are available from Georgia Voice office only. Call for rates. If you are unable to reach a convenient free distribution point, you may receive a 24-issue mailed subscription for $149 per year. Checks or credit card orders can be sent to Tim Boyd, tboyd@thegavoice.com
Postmaster: Send address changes to Georgia Voice, PO Box 77401, Atlanta, GA 30357. Georgia Voice is published twice a month by Georgia Voice, LLC. Individual subscriptions are $149 per year for 24 issues. Postage paid at Atlanta, GA, and additional mailing offices.
The editorial positions of Georgia Voice are expressed in editorials and in editor’s notes. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Georgia Voice and its staff.
To submit a letter or commentary: Letters should be fewer than 400 words and commentary, for web or print, should be fewer than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must include a name, address, and phone number for verification. Email submissions to editor@thegavoice.com or mail to the address above.
Tech Obsessed
As a 26-year-old, I grew up with the internet, and in many ways, I’m glad for it. Early social media opened me up to new perspectives outside of my small town. I learned about queer and trans identities through Tumblr before I ever met people with these identities in real life. Online discourse about racism, abortion, and feminism gave me a more meaningful social education than public school ever did. I am the person I am because of the internet, because of technology, but the digital landscape looks much different today than it did a decade ago, and it makes me incredibly sad to realize I feel nostalgic about social media and early tech.
These days, I’m a tech cynic. I think Teslas and Cybertrucks are dangerous and ugly and all self-driving cars are stupid. I wouldn’t go to the moon if you paid me, and I frankly think space exploration is a ridiculous waste of resources in a world where people don’t have homes. I hate transhumanism
(the philosophical advocacy for the use of technology to “enhance” the human body and mind). I barely know how artificial intelligence works, so I don’t think the spontaneous generation of mediocre art or writing is impressive in the slightest. I think the 24/7 news cycle is a detriment to people’s minds and mental health, social media addiction is destroying people’s grasp on nuance, and the rising popularity of influencers is only creating a more consumption-obsessed culture that regards people as brands instead of humans.
I know I rely on technology like agriculture, medicine, and the internet to function and thrive, but this cycle of tech cynicism plagues me. I fear that we have gone too far, and every time I see some Silicon Valley bro wax poetic about crypto and NFTs and AI, I am filled with dread.
While I think dread and hopelessness are wholly unproductive and destructive emotions to ruminate on, they are inevitable emotions nonetheless, and to my credit, my cynicism is not completely unfounded.
Social media companies are in the business of mining and selling our data and pretending to facilitate real social connection. AI is an absolute detriment to the environment. Elon Musk is a Trump-worshipping bigot who turned Twitter into little more than a hotbed for right-wing bullshit. It makes sense for me to think that technology is facilitating genuine danger; in many ways, it is.
These feelings can be overwhelming, and just like the general political and environmental landscape, it’s easy for the realities of technology to swirl into a cyclone of cynicism, consuming us.
When I become overwhelmed by the digital world and all the things I hate about it, I offer myself this simple reminder, which you may also need right now: the real world is still out there. Feel the sunshine on your face, make a friend actually laugh out loud, hug a loved one, immerse yourself in that which is tangible and remember this is the stuff that really matters. We are still lucky enough to have it; enjoy. In other words, as internet folk are wont to say: go touch grass!
Katie Burkholder
Staff reports
Read these stories and more online at thegavoice.com
Brooklyn Library Counters Book Bans by Offering Teens Virtual Access Nationwide
It’s not news that book censorship has become a major point of contention for libraries across the U.S., both for public libraries and especially for school libraries. It’s an unfortunate fact that, according to reports by PEN America, which keeps statistics on this issue, the top three states where the effort to ban books from school libraries are most prevalent are, in descending order, Florida, Texas, and Pennsylvania.
It should also come as no surprise that the books most targeted for banning by conservatives are those featuring LGBTQ characters or themes, racial and social justice and other political topics, BIPOC characters or themes, and diverse or representative materials.
However, many major public libraries have been devising programs geared to fighting the rising tide of censorship, particularly for students, whose school libraries are especially vulnerable to conservative political pressure.
New York’s Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) has been among the most active library systems in addressing the book censorship crisis. In 2022, BPL launched its Books Unbanned program. Among the many pieces of the program is its extension of digital library cards (eCards) to anyone between the ages of 13 and 21 in the U.S. This grants young people access to its vast digital collection, including the kinds of books that are being banned nationwide.
As part of the Books Unbanned program, BPL asked applicants to share why they wished to get a card. In the first year of the program, teens who wanted a card would email and receive an auto response which allowed them to respond with their stories and experiences. The request for response was voluntary, and teens indicated whether or not those stories could be shared publicly, with identifying information removed in order to protect their privacy.
This data shows that, while censorship and homophobia are major factors, they’re not the
only barriers to access teens face, particularly those in small or rural communities, or who are in unstable living situations. This only goes to show the magnitude of the problem of making sure that students get access to books and materials they need to properly prepare them for life.
Teens nationwide are taking advantage of the program. According to Bodenheimer, “Our Books Unbanned program [began] April 2022. Since that time, we have distributed eCards to over 9,000 teens in all fifty states. The card gives them access to our entire digital collection of approximately half a million items. Since the program launched, teens with the card have checked out nearly 300,000 items.”
Opponents Use Parental Rights and Anti-Trans Messages to Fight Abortion Ballot Measures
As voters in nine states determine whether to enshrine abortion rights in their state constitutions, opponents are using parental rights and anti-transgender messages to try to undermine support for the ballot proposals.
The measures do not mention genderaffirming surgeries, and legal experts say changing existing parental notification and consent laws regarding abortions and genderaffirming care for minors would require court action. But anti-abortion groups hoping to end a losing streak at the ballot box have turned to the type of language many Republican candidates nationwide are using in their own campaigns as they seek to rally conservative Christian voters.
“It’s really outlandish to suggest that this amendment relates to things like gender reassignment surgery for minors,” said Matt Harris, an associate professor of political science
at Park University in Parkville, Missouri, a state where abortion rights are on the ballot.
In New York, a proposed amendment to the state constitution would expand antidiscrimination protections to include ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and “sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive health care and autonomy.” The constitution already bans discrimination based on race, color, creed, or religion.
The measure does not mention abortion. But because it is broader, it could be easier for opponents to attack it. Legal experts, however, noted that it would also not change existing state laws related to parental involvement in minors getting abortions or gender-affirming care.
The New York City Bar Association released a fact sheet explaining that the measure would not impact parental rights, “which are governed by other developed areas of State and federal law.” Yet the Coalition to Protect Kids-NY calls it the “Parent Replacement Act.”
Rick Weiland, co-founder of Dakotans for Health, the group behind South Dakota’s proposed amendment said it uses the Roe v. Wade framework “almost word for word.”
“All you have to do is look back at what was allowed under Roe, and there were always requirements for parental involvement,” Weiland said.
Caroline Woods, spokesperson for the antiabortion group Life Defense Fund, said the measure “means loving parents will be completely cut out of the equation.” Weiland said those claims are part of a “constant stream of misinformation” from opponents.
Steve Sallwasser, of Arnold, debates Brittany Nickens, of Maplewood, during competing rallies outside Planned Parenthood of Missouri, June 24, 2022, following the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in St. Louis. ROBERT COHEN/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH VIA AP
As AI Rises, LGBTQ Artists Face New Risks of Erasure
AI is here, and it’s had a major boost in development over the past five years. According to research by Our World in Data, a system that just two decades ago learned to play backgammon below human comprehension can now fully recognize language and images at the same level.
AI can be used for task management: checking the weather, transcribing audio, translating languages, and more. Perhaps more alarmingly, it can also create images and videos, write articles and essays, and help (or hurt) you in the hiring process. AI is not new, but its growing use and investment could have an impact on LGBTQ artists and what they contribute.
Many LGBTQ artists are feeling the effects of AI-generated imagery on their already underfunded voices. According to Gallup, roughly 7.6 percent of U.S. adults selfidentify as LGBTQ, and according to 2021 UCLA research roughly 17 percent of LGBTQ individuals are living in poverty. This software, if remained unchecked, can take away employment opportunities for those who have spent much of their lives devoted to their craft, relying on their industries’ need for authenticity, creating an even bigger disparity for LGBTQ people, especially those of color and non-cis identities.
In 2022, a group of artists brought forth a class-action lawsuit against AI image generators, Midjourney and Stability AI. The software companies were accused of ripping off the various artists’ previously existing — and original — work. It would make images that stylistically looked either eerily similar or straight up copy and paste. Research
additionally indicated that the generators would use the artist’ names and work as suggestions for making specific design choices for the user-requested depictions, like “Lord of The Rings-style art.”
The software used and retooled the art without providing consent, compensation or credit to the original creators. While NCSL reports various states working to keep this expanding technology limited, there is currently very little legislation being done on the federal level to require a rigorous checks and balances system when it comes to AI use, and the ethical dilemmas the stories of these artists raise. The results could be especially disastrous for artists of marginalized backgrounds, including those who are LGBTQ.
AI-generated imagery is currently all the rage on social media. As this tech received more investment and access to real and previously existing works of art (photography, graphic design, film, drawing, etc), it is able to be more and more realistic, and many who might not take the time to research an image’s validity are falling prey to scams of AI
images being passed off as real. This adds in a new way for misinformation to spread, an already problematic “infodemic” in the U.S. that directly impacts LGBTQ organizations and communities.
Video AI technology such as OpenAI’s Sora, which can create video from text, is now being promoted by art institutions themselves, such as long-respected organizations like Tribeca Enterprises, and halting the active work of those within the film industry. Earlier this year, Hollywood producer Tyler Perry put an $800 million studio expansion on hold after seeing the power and magnitude of what Sora could do.
While the technology may reach a breaking point and general disinterest, the underrepresentation of queer identities and storytelling can still be widened by artists whose work is taken out of their control. Additionally, much of popular art such as film has historically been from a heteronormative storytelling perspective. In an age where queer cinema is expanding, and intersectional voices are growing
louder, AI generators could snuff them out, relegating audience goers to the same stories that have been told for hundreds of years, without any ingenuity.
The energy required for AI generators to work is now a trending topic, which connects to economic and environmental disparities faced by LGBTQ individuals.
According to a report from The Washington Post, using ChatGPT to draft up an email requires a little over a bottle of water to cool the equipment housed in the companies data centers. When about 16 million people use one generator weekly for a year, it requires the same amount of water as consumed by all Rhode Island households for 1.5 days. Watercooling can deplete local areas of natural resources, resulting in local climate change.
A 2024 UCLA research study found that LGBTQ+ couples are at a greater risk of exposure toward negative effects of climate change compared to heterosexual couples, largely due to their increased likelihood of living in lower-income communities. In 2023, an article published on Earth.org entitled “Climate Change’s Unequal Burden: Why Do Low-Income Communities Bear the Brunt?” highlighted key problems that lower-income communities face, including loss of livelihood and increased health risks, from climate change. As LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely to be in poverty or have lower income than non-LGBTQ+ individuals, it is not hard to see how depletion of local resources, like water, with the overuse of generative AI can put local LGBTQ+ communities in danger.
This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship lab through News is Out. The lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBCUniversal.
Davi B. Ulloa-Estrada, Philadelphia Gay News via the National LGBTQ Media Association
IMAGE BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
The Dire Effects of ‘Dangerous Speech’ Online
Adalei Stevens
“Dangerous speech” (DS) refers to expression, namely speech, text, or images, that can normalize violence against members of a group. Dehumanization is among the common tactics used in examples of DS, according to the Dangerous Speech Project.
The Dangerous Speech Project monitors several social platforms, including 4chan, Kiwi Farms, and other similar sites, collecting instances of DS that target trans people, immigrants, poll workers, and local election officials. The organization also tracks examples of dangerous speech in campaign ads and references to the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and the following trials.
The dehumanizing language often seen in dangerous speech “prepares audiences to condone or commit violence,” according to a report published by The Dangerous Speech Project. Dehumanization makes the target’s “death or suffering seem less significant” or even “useful or necessary.”
Instances of dangerous speech are rising ahead of the 2024 election, but Americans still overwhelmingly reject political violence. That doesn’t mean dangerous speech doesn’t have dangerous implications.
Dangerous speech differs from the legally recognized “hate speech,” which is difficult to define and, at times, hinges on free speech infringement. Dangerous speech encompasses fearmongering, especially around people who identify as LGBTQ or who support LGBTQ rights.
Trans people are the long-standing targets of dangerous speech. The rhetoric typically follows at least one of three approaches: dehumanizing, threatening, or moral.
Denying Trans Lives Their Identities and Humanity
Last year, famed dangerous speech generator Libs of TikTok facilitated a campaign against Planet Fitness for its defense of a trans
Dangerous speech differs from the legally recognized “hate speech,” which is difficult to define and, at times, hinges on free speech infringement. Dangerous speech encompasses fearmongering, especially around people who identify as LGBTQ or who support LGBTQ rights.
woman who was harassed and dehumanized by a fellow gym member in the women’s locker room.
In just a few posts, a trans woman was subjected to thousands of comments and videos that denied her identity and the fact that she was photographed, without consent, in a gym locker room only further subjected her to dehumanizing remarks.
At the same time, her identity became the target of the false and malicious assertion that trans people and gay men are pedophiles who take advantage of women and children.
Positioning Trans Identities as a Threat
Dangerous speech will successfully trigger fear for its audience to respond to, inciting a need to act or a sense of existential urgency. In the video shared by Libs of TikTok, a woman claimed to feel unsafe in a Planet Fitness locker room when a trans woman was using the same locker room. The woman
said she felt unsafe for herself and someone she assumed to be a child who was present.
Without consent and against Planet Fitness’ mobile device policy, the woman photographed the other woman and complained to the staff. Her membership was canceled for the policy violation, but her complaints echoed across Libs of TikTok’s audience.
Dangerous speech, according to The Dangerous Speech Project, “frames trans issues as one part of a larger ‘battle between good and evil.’”
Religion, Morality, and Gender Norms
Conservative American culture is often synonymous with Christian morality. A common narrative in dangerous speech committed to anti-trans rhetoric will position gender nonconforming persons as demonic or threats to traditionalism.
“The dehumanization that references Christian notions of evil — especially
when expressed by religious leaders — can be extremely dangerous, as it can silence dissent within groups of believers,” a report on anti-trans rhetoric on social media reads. “Questioning the dehumanization becomes akin to questioning God.”
Anti-trans rhetoric then becomes intertwined with deeply held beliefs about morality, inspiring an intense, negative emotional reaction across both common and uncommon social platforms.
“It creates an imperative, an active call to action, to fight for whatever is deemed ‘good’ by whatever means necessary, which excuses and even goads violence for the sake of the ‘good,’” the Dangerous Speech Project reported.
Dangerous Speech and the 2024 Election
Over 660 anti-trans bills have been introduced in 2024 alone, a record marked by a trend starting in 2016 when Trump was elected. A similar uptick in political violence threats against Congress increased tenfold between 2016 and 2021.
Dangerous speech can desensitize audiences to its potential harm, making its cumulative impact “gradually erode” the audience’s perception over time and can even make people expect violence.
Combating dangerous speech, according to the Dangerous Speech Project, is possible with “counterspeech,” which can have positive effects on audiences and discourse norms. Counterspeech also allows less vocal users to express their support.
Antiviolence messaging from political leaders can cause strong partisan identities to lessen support for violence, as seen in the responses following both assassination attempts on Donald Trump.
The Dangerous Speech Project is an independent, nonprofit research team. Visit dangerousspeech.org/get-involved to learn more about supporting the organization.
PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ ROMAN SAMBORSKYI
Athens Police Investigate Suspicious Death of San Coleman
Police are investigating after 48-year-old trans person San Coleman was brutally murdered in Athens, Georgia, on October 19.
Athens-Clarke County Police were dispatched to a popular walking trail behind the University of Georgia’s Chicopee Complex, roughly a mile northeast of downtown Athens, at 9am on October 19 a passerby found Coleman critically injured and covered in blood.
While Coleman’s sister, Lakiesha Fleming, told 11 Alive (published in an article that misgenders Coleman) that “nobody would ever hurt [her],” Coleman’s death is presumed by police to have been a homicide perpetrated by someone walking their dog on the trail. Coleman’s phone was taken so she couldn’t call for help, and she died hours after being rushed to the hospital. Coleman’s family suspects that her LGBTQ identity may have played a role in her death.
Coleman’s identity has not been confirmed, as her family refers to her as a “gay man” with he/him pronouns, but Mutual Aid Athens noted in an Instagram post honoring her death that all photos of her online are of her presenting as a woman – and the reporters who have been covering her story have “very bad local track records with race and LGBTQ issues.”
“They took my best friend,” Fleming told 11 Alive. “[The person responsible is] going to pay for it, because I’m not going to let this go until the death of me. I promise you, I’m not.”
Coleman is survived by her mother, Mary E. Coleman; her three sisters Lakiesha Fleming,
and
and her two brothers Eddie Bradford and Andre Upshaw. Her celebration of life was held on November 2 at the Chapel of Berstein Funeral Home in Athens.
Coleman is the 35th trans person whose death has been reported in 2024 and the third in Georgia, according to Pgh Lesbian Correspondents.
The Athens Clark County Police provided a statement to 11 Alive saying that detectives are investigating the circumstances of Coleman’s death and anyone with information should contact Detective Christina Bradshaw at christina. bradshaw@accgov.com or 762-400-7323.
Katie Burkholder
Titania Davenport,
Trina Slack;
San Coleman COURTESY PHOTO
Queer Digital Artist Abbie Argo Discusses Impact of AI on Art
Since its invention in the 1950s, artificial intelligence has only grown in popularity. This year, AI has boomed, becoming the most talked-about tech phenomenon in 2024: an exciting development for some and a cause of concern for others. As AI becomes less of a faraway fantasy and more of an increasingly unavoidable part of everyday life, digital artists like Abbie Argo are concerned about the threats AI poses to their livelihoods.
Argo is a disabled queer artist working in digital art, acrylics, and mixed media under the name Sedangogh Studios. Their work focuses on accessibility and seeks to find humor and whimsy in the face of the challenges facing their community. Argo told Georgia Voice that while AI has a role to play in accessibility for disabled and neurodivergent people, they believe it has no place in the world of art.
“In terms of artificial intelligence as a whole, I do believe there may be a place for it from a purely utilitarian, accessibility standpoint — summarizing long pieces of literature or assisting with tone adjustment for emails, for example — but I do not believe AI belongs anywhere within the creative space,” they said. “Also, the environmental impact certainly is a cause for concern. We definitely don’t need any more ways to kill the Earth; I think we’ve already got that covered.”
According to the United Nations Environment Program, the resources necessary to power AI take a serious toll on the environment. The data centers that house AI require copious amounts of water and electricity to run, as well as critical minerals and rare elements that are often unsustainably mined.
Argo said they “absolutely” fear AI will
threaten their work as a digital artist, and that fear is not unfounded. The indie IFC Films/Shudder film “Late Night with the Devil,” a horror movie released earlier this year but filmed before the WGA and SAG strikes, received flak for using AI to produce three still images used in the film instead of paying a graphic designer.
Beyond taking jobs away from artists, the proliferation of AI, Argo says, has already changed the culture around art, regarding
the work of artists as even less valuable than it already was.
“I believe that the landscape [of art] has already changed [because of AI], even in the brief time that AI in this capacity has been available to the general public,” they said. “Capitalism already subjugates art as nonessential, despite it being fundamental in every aspect of life. By removing the effort that comes with creation, I fear that this will create a confirmation bias of that ideology, further
“In terms of artificial intelligence as a whole, I do believe there may be a place for it from a purely utilitarian, accessibility standpoint — summarizing long pieces of literature or assisting with tone adjustment for emails, for example — but I do not believe AI belongs anywhere within the creative space.”
— Abbie Argo
removing art and those that create it from the respect and appreciation they deserve.”
This is ironic, given that the training of AI depends on the work of real-life artists posted online — something Argo finds “insulting.”
“I believe AI will threaten my livelihood by sourcing my own work and the work of so many other creatives who have shared their work online — something that, at this juncture, is essentially required to make any sort of income as an artist,” they said. “AI coopts years of practice, stylizing, and technical ability from these artists and amalgamates it into something that is fundamentally lesser than any of the individual artists it stole from could have created on their own.”
While AI doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, we can still support human artists. Argo recently ran a digital portrait sale to benefit the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, an organization assisting disabled people during natural disasters like the recent Hurricane Helene, and regularly does custom portraits.
Follow Abbie Argo on Instagram @ sedangogh or online at sedangogh.com.
Katie Burkholder
Digital artist Abbie Argo COURTESY PHOTO
Dr. Lulu Helps Parents Better Support Their Trans Children
Dr. Lulu filled the screen with energy the moment we connected on a Zoom call. She, rather ceremoniously, adorned her plain, white tank top with a beaded rainbow necklace for the occasion. Even before we exchanged pleasantries, she bubbled over with excitement about Dr. Lulu’s Angels Haven, Inc. and its upcoming miniconference for parents of LGBTQ kids.
When Dr. Lulu speaks, you have no choice but to listen. Her passion and vulnerable, heartwarming story — prefaced by her background as a disabled veteran, former Air Force lieutenant colonel, and a pediatrician born in Nigeria — is captivating and inspiring to parents of gender nonconforming children. She received the Pioneer of the Year Award at this year’s TransLife Awards for her work.
Her pronouns, she told me, are she/ her/#mamabear. #Mamabear accounts for her fierce, unwavering love for queer children everywhere. An embodiment of this feeling is her foundation, Dr. Lulu’s Angel’s Haven, a newly founded nonprofit dedicated to educating, mentoring, and affirming children who identify as LGBTQ as well as their families.
When her daughter came out as gay and then as transgender, Dr. Lulu felt deep shame and feared the inevitable social judgment that her daughter was bound to face as a trans woman. Those feelings, however, initially manifested as anger and denial.
“I did everything in my power, even as I was
in my own closet, to push [my daughter] back in. I was like, ‘Listen, don’t do this. Don’t do that.’” Dr. Lulu said in an interview with Georgia Voice. “I’m Black, I’m Nigerian, I’m an immigrant, I’m a woman, and my ex-husband did exactly what I suspected. He blamed me for somehow ‘making’ the kid gay.”
In her doubt, Dr. Lulu turned to God. She prayed, asking God, “Why me? Why my child?” before she heard an answer to her prayers: “When was the last time I asked your permission before I did anything?”
Her worldview changed, then, and she began to question the beliefs that society conditioned her to hold.
“When was the last time society was right?” she said. “They were not right about racism. They were not right that they discovered America. They were not right that Black people are [in] shithole countries.”
In her work as a life coach and activist, Dr. Lulu works closely with parents of children who identify as members of the LGBTQ community and teaches them how to better support their children by overcoming their biases.
“My job is to curate words and teach the parents how to respond and not react to different things,” she said. “Also, because my kid is gender-diverse and because I now know better, I help parents understand the difference between gender affirmation and gender-affirming care.”
Gender affirmation, according to TransHub,
is an act of social and emotional support by way of believing trans people when they share their identity and respecting their preferred pronouns and name, should they choose to go by a different name. Genderaffirming care refers to medical support, whether therapy, surgery, or hormones.
Georgia Senate Bill 140, signed last March by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, bans several gender-affirming health care options for minors, including gender-affirming surgeries and hormone replacement therapy.
The affected procedures and care are considered safe and effective. They are endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Medical Association.
Despite the extreme limitations, Dr. Lulu says most children she sees are looking for gender
affirmation, not gender-affirming care.
“The kid is not trying to have surgery today,” Dr. Lulu said. “They just want to go back to the sandbox and play.”
The Parents Supporting Parents MiniConference allows parents to connect and learn more about their children and other parents of LGBTQ children. Admission is $25 and includes dinner, two panels, a community resource fair, and discussions covering gender affirmation and LGBTQ legislation.
The Parents Supporting Parents MiniConference will convene on Friday, November 15, from 5:30 to 8:30pm at 250 Williams St, NW #1110, Atlanta. Tickets are available for purchase online via Eventbrite. All profits from the event will go to Angel’s Haven. Learn more about Dr. Lulu’s Angel’s Haven and the conference at angelshaveninc.org.
Adalei Stevens
Dr. Lulu PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK
Awake & Waiting
The world shut down on April 2, 2020, and I woke up.
As a disabled person, I have always known isolation. My community has always known isolation. When the world shut down during the pandemic, we found ourselves in our isolated existences, even more torn from the world. All who identified as part of the disabled community entered the state of utter fear. In contrast, those not identifying as disabled were now afraid of sickness and terrified of death, therefore being forced into identifying as disabled. Many of my friends who knew the freedom that they had worked so hard to establish found themselves back in the aging, ailing arms of now-elderly parents. Caregivers afraid of getting sick stopped showing up, and caregivers who refused to follow protocol and wear masks quit or were let go.
I was in lockdown with my best friend, dog, and cat, living in a 600-square-foot, inaccessible, and expensive apartment. With every PTA bath, dog spa hair wash, and story I heard through the grapevine or read on social media questioning the value of our disabled lives, the lives of seniors living with disabilities, or individuals with preexisting conditions, I asked myself over and over, “When will things change for the disabled and aging communities?”
Then I watched the Oscar-nominated documentary, “Crip Camp,” which focuses
on the rise of the disability civil rights movement starting with a motley crew of disabled campers. Immediately, I was taken back to the years when my parents advocated for my rights and the rights of my siblings. I asked, “How can I make a change for my community?”
My parents were my first advocates. My mother, who had watched and remained haunted by the images shown in the 1972 Geraldo Rivera expose, “Willowbrook: The Last Great Disgrace,” acknowledged that one or even all three of her disabled children could have found themselves in the same situation. She lived in unrelenting fear and anxiety that her children could be at any given point institutionalized, never knowing self-sovereignty. My mother and father had to fight for everything we had, and they taught us how to fight in turn.
As I grew older, I began to hide from my disability under blooms of cigarette smoke, strange hair dye, eclectic clothes, and an angsty adolescent attitude in the hopes of fitting in with my peers. Art has always been my safe space, a way to flourish and figure out life at my own pace and on my terms. I used my creative abilities to make a name for myself and carve out the life I wanted, but when my siblings passed, I pulled back further from my community, thinking only of myself and my pain. To see others with disabilities alive, surviving, and in some cases even thriving in the face of adversity hurt my heart. My siblings should've been there with me. My siblings should still be alive.
I then witnessed what happened to my community during the pandemic. It made me realize what a lonely, selfish, and, yes, even entitled disabled existence I was living.
I did not seek to become an activist and advocate for my community. I’ve always wanted to simply be an artist, but activism and advocacy found me and perhaps saved me from being a person I didn’t want to be. My disability has constantly robbed me of my physical ability. However, I still have my voice, and it is my voice that I use to carve out a new pathway for my community while also keeping the memory of my siblings and others who have passed alive. With this, I employ the help of all communities to make a change for the disabled and aging
a system that robs us of autonomy and what remains of our abilities.
As an individual living with a degenerative disability, I have always needed people to assist me with accessing life. When I was younger, I was far more independent. In a healthy body, age pulls from its abilities, but in my disabled body, it pulls faster. I’ve gone from crawling to walking to crawling to sitting and, now, being stationary with only my mind, my voice, and a few fingers to paint the world I want my friends, family, and community to live in. My drawings have gone from life-size to stamp-size. But still, I create.
Jessica Elaine Blinkhorn
communities before we are lost to hate and
Jessica Elaine Blinkhorn PHOTO BY ROB BOEGER
During the pandemic, I was fortunate to have my best friend take care of me. After the pandemic and my separation from my best friend, I relearned just how brutal the care system actually is for people needing care and, moreover, for those wanting to care for people in need.
Since August 2021, I have had 11 caregivers. Some were friends who decided to care for me, and some were strangers who I taught to care for me. All of them left. I have been reminded of past trauma due to my care: being robbed, being threatened with assault and murder, being left in my urine, being left hungry, and simply being left. I have brought new traumas to my care: the omission of low pay and the building of resentment from caregivers, acknowledging my hands are tied, experiencing the withholding of care, advocating for higher pay for caregivers who are my arms and legs, knowing the only way I will get more money for my care and their pay is if I get weaker and close to death.
As children, we’re taught from the same script. We are told that if we do well in school, go to college, and get a career, we will be successful. We can achieve our dreams. But once we’ve left the umbrella of safety that public school provides, all those in my community know the pathway to success is not readily accessible. Creating our pathway can leave people asking, “Why do we need help?” We live in a world that is able-body friendly. Though people watching online or in my life want to place my existence as an isolated incident, it is only a microcosm of what’s happening on a greater scale within my community: a lack of care for people in need. Caregiving is a grossly underpaid demographic.
The disabled community is a patient community built on watching, waiting, and hoping. But as time passes and we watch nothing be done and continue to wait and hope for change, our patience grows thin. All change begins with the ability to have a conversation about what needs to be changed. By sharing all our stories and accommodating our access needs, you, in
effect, become an ally and a co-conspirator in recreating a life you will one day have to live.
Statistically speaking, there is about a 33 percent chance of becoming disabled before the age of 40, and this chance increases with age. More than 375,000 people become disabled each year, and 90 percent of disabilities in the U.S. are due to illness. To the “for now” nondisabled community, ask yourselves:
“Am I privileged enough to not have to worry about what will happen if I become disabled?”
“Who will take care of me if I have no benefits or when the benefits run out?”
“Who will take care of me if I have no family around?”
“What will institutional life look like for me?”
“Is my life still of value if I am disabled?”
If you are a practitioner of true social empathy, then asking these questions should cause one of two, if not both, effects: your lungs will feel robbed of breath, and your throat will tighten as if you swallowed your own heart with spoonfuls of pride. Being able to hold on to those honest and raw emotions is fodder for the fire needed to burn down toxic infrastructures, quiet the words, and slow the progress of those who actively and effectively hinder the advancement of an entire community that continues to go unrecognized every day, whose stories go unheard, whose faces go unseen, whose needs go unmet, and whose lives are never truly lived by their design. One day, soon enough, your face will join our crowd.
While waiting for the ramp to the stage to be built, I’m taking the fucking microphone and I’m screaming to the world. Our stories will be your stories, and we all will inevitably need help. We are awake and waiting for our needs as a community not to exist in jeopardy, but to live in permanence. We are awake and waiting for the world to acknowledge and accept their impending future of living a disabled life. Together we need to work to change the landscape of our future. We all need to be awake and no longer waiting, but working to change our futures.
Loss of a Tooth and Some Innocence
There were a few movies throughout my life that were so impactful, I was sad when the credits rolled.
I’m reminded of this as I watch my son grow up. His childhood is a movie I certainly don’t want to finish yet, but he’s beginning to ask questions that show signs it is. Spoiler alert for any 10-yearolds reading this.
On Halloween, my son had a routine dentist appointment, during which we found a baby tooth hanging on that he refused to pull out on his own. With some coaxing, he agreed to endure what he thought would be torture as the dentist easily extracted said tooth without him really noticing. As a reward for his bravery, I reminded him that not only would we be trick-or-treating that night, but that the tooth fairy would also be making an appearance by morning.
Excited at the thought of growing a little richer, he seemed to forget the trauma of the dentist chair as I dropped him off at Katie
Jo’s house. I’d be heading over there again later in the day for us to don our costumes, so I went home to finish some projects in the meantime. A few hours later, I received a text from Mr. Carter on a school device, showing me a screenshot.
It was an article that said the tooth fairy wasn’t real. Thanks, Internet. I asked if he had been doing some research, to which he replied yes. There was silence until he added, But I don’t believe it.
My philosophy on parenting in these situations is to let them lead the conversation, because once you cross a certain line there’s no going back. I was also texting Katie to alert her as our son was texting me. I then reminded him that not every website is accurate, to which he agreed.
Silence.
A few minutes later he added, Tell me the truth. Ugh.
I frantically texted Katie, saying I wasn’t going to lie to him and she agreed. But she wanted it to be an in-person conversation
and said she’d be the one to tell him. I wished her luck and didn’t hear anything else.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived at Katie’s house that evening and nothing was mentioned for several minutes. Then Mr. Carter came to sit on my lap and almost matter-of-factly let me know Katie had told him. He didn’t seem upset, but rather confused how she and I were able to place money under his pillow without him waking
up. We said that would be his job one day too, but that it wasn’t his job to tell his friends. He understood.
As we walked the dark sidewalks that night, I asked Katie if he put it all together, since once you find out about one … She stopped me and said he tried to begin that conversation, but she interrupted and said to him that was enough information for one day. I laughed. Seems she doesn’t want to see this movie end either.
Melissa Carter
PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ BLUEASTRO
Charlene Schneider
Charlene and her namesake bar had a great run. I raise a glass to both.
Decades ago, my brother lived in New Orleans and I visited a few times a year. Thank Goddess for Charlene’s on Elysian Fields Avenue. During Carnival, it was basically open 24/7. I visited one early morning and grinned at the large and colorful chalkboard set outside the front door. It featured a clear message: “By law, we must sell you one drink” and then in large letters, “But if you ain’t gay, you can’t stay!”
Inside, there were five women bending elbows and sharing laughs and two friendly, bedraggled drag performers. The capacious jukebox — filled with slow and fast dances and New Orleans artists — was not yet blasting.
Charlene’s was special, a place where pleasure, politics, and community mingled. There were queer women of varied types, a majority of them white. Melissa Etheridge proved a constant crowd-pleaser, and Ellen DeGeneres honed her comedy there.
Charlene’s lioness was the Leo-born NOLA transplant, Charlene. What a life! Not everyone is kicked out of their high school during senior year for being queer only to land a job with a NASA supplier, cobbling her coding with a Secret Security clearance.
Things were swimmingly good: coder by
“Charlene’s was special, a place where pleasure, politics, and community mingled. There were queer women of varied types, a majority of them white. Melissa Etheridge proved a constant crowd-pleaser, and Ellen DeGeneres honed her comedy there.”
day, lesbian bar attendee at night. Then, in 1964, the cops raided her hangout bar. The Times-Picayune reported, “Dancing Couples Arrested in Bar,” noting that “officers were sent to the bar on complaints of alleged lesbian activities.”
The names, ages, and addresses of all the arrestees were of course printed in the paper. Charlene was the first listed.
Not only was she fired, but three “debriefing” federal agents from Patterson Air Force Base flew in to harass her. She insisted her being gay was not a security risk, because all her friends knew. They agents were disgusted and unpersuaded. Now she had to figure out how to put the pieces of her life back together.
The resumé? Eventually she worked at various gay bars, until she could pull her bar together. She created a refuge. At first,
people were buzzed in.
Eventually, she organized plenty of things, such as “Toys for Desire” with a lesbian Santa dealing with gift distributions; fundraisers; political forums; anti-Anita Bryant work; co-organizing “Gay Fest” as a political Pride celebration in 1979, to hook up with national Stonewall work; forming the Louisiana Lesbian and Gay Political Action Caucus; raising funds for many, including bulletproof vests; and electing a city councilperson, who was on speed dial.
Her councilperson’s moment came in June 1983, when undercover cops harassed and arrested seven of “her” girls who were leaning against their cars, talking. The charge? “Blocking the sidewalk.”
Hearing the charge, Charlene bolted across the bar and ran out with a tape measure. Really?
Councilmember Lambert Boissiere sped over, blessed out the cops, and Charlene paid the bail, set the girls up in hotel rooms, and came to the hearing. The judge dismissed everything.
On a roll, things still popped, and one night, the head coach of Rice University’s women's basketball team, Linda Tucker, showed up. “Get her away from me, she fits!” Charlene roared. And that was it, they were now a happy couple.
But times change. Regular bar visits decrease when women get married, get sober, have kids, and have interests beyond bar culture and when politicos organize and commune in other venues. When the landlord raised the rent again, Charlene called it quits.
She gave herself and the bar a huge goingaway party: “Last Call at Charlene’s.”
She and Linda retired to Charlene’s hometown of Bay St. Louis, Missouri, where they opened “On the Coast.”
Charlene died of cancer at age 66.
How is she remembered? In scores of podcasts, multiple queer collections, interviews, and the plaque placed on the bar site, reading: “Let the work I have done speak for me.”
María Helena Dolan
A poster commemorating the bar’s lifespan; Inset: Charlene Schneider. POSTER COURTESY OF NEWCOMB ARCHIVES AND NADINE ROBBERT VORHOFF COLLECTION, NEWCOMB INSTITUTE, TULANE UNIVERSITY; CHARLENE SCHNEIDER PHOTO BY LINDA TUCKER
Cutting Edge Gifts for Techies
A. Therabody SleepMask
Go beyond blackout with SleepMask. An ultracomfortable, 100% blackout eye mask that features three quiet, soothing vibration patterns that are scientifically proven to help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, get deeper sleep, and wake up less throughout the night. $99 Therabody
B. SONOS Arc Ultra Premium Smart Soundbar
Featuring breakthrough Sound Motion™ technology, Arc Ultra brings your entertainment to life like no other sound bar. $999, Sonos.com
C. ONXE LED USB Clock Fan with Real Time Display Function
When you start the USB fan, the fan blades display the correct dial time as they rotate, making it an attentiongrabbing tech gadget! $14.99, Amazon
D. PIXPRO WPZ2 Rugged Waterproof
16MP Digital Camera with 4x Zoom (Yellow)
This digital camera is the perfect companion to get wet. Shockproof, dustproof, and adventure-ready, the rugged WPZ2 was built to take on the go and be used in, on and under the water. With a host of scene modes to help you capture the best shot as well as HD video, the WPZ2 is not going to miss a beat. $149, Macy’s
E. Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug 10 oz.
Designed for home or office, the Ember Mug 2 does more than simply keep your coffee hot. This smart mug allows you to set an exact drinking temperature, so your coffee is never too hot, or too cold. $129.95, ember.com
F. Premium Hi-Fi True Wireless Earbuds with Noise Cancelling EAH-AZ80
These powerful earbuds feature epic reference-quality high-resolution audio; advanced, industry-leading noise cancellation; and improved JustMyVoice™ technology to keep calls clear. Connects to three devices simultaneously. $299.99, us.technics.com
G. Backfire Zealot S2 Belt Drive Electric Skateboard
Boost your ride with the Zealot S2 electric skateboard — now with a full charge voltage of 58.8V! Higher voltage = greater efficiency, longer range. $849, Backfire Skateboards
C D
‘Lover of Men’ Looks at Lincoln’s Sexuality, Larry Owens Discusses Gay Characters of ‘Abbott Elementary’
Read the full column online at thegavoice.com.
The matter of whether Abraham Lincoln had relationships with other men has been talked about for a while in the LGBTQ community, but Shaun Peterson’s new film, “Lover of Men: A History of Abraham Lincoln,” wants to dive a bit deeper. The director also wants to examine a bigger issue: sexual fluidity and how it has changed over time.
Peterson read about the possibility of Lincoln’s sexuality in a book now out of print called, “The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln,” by Clarence Tripp, one of Alfred Kinsey’s sex researchers. Tripp, a gay man, wanted to take historical evidence that had been studied by Lincoln scholars who were predominantly white heterosexual men and look at it through a different lens and experiences.
“It really ruffled some feathers and that was back in 2005,” Peterson told Georgia Voice “I read it in 2006 and had been trying to pitch some variation of the project for a long time. It wasn’t until last year that we got it off the ground.”
Getting the documentary out into the world has been a wild ride. The team knew that this would be a charged topic and that people would respond to it, but it was important to make this more than a surface-level exploration.
“I want to get some of the finer points of the film out there,” Peterson said. “You see a headline [saying], ‘Was Abraham Lincoln gay?’ and we go to great lengths to talk about the history of the binaries, the history of what it is to have sexual identity, which is a very new concept. If we were to go in a time machine and ask Abraham Lincoln, ‘Are you gay or do you have an identity or identify with a specific type of sexual preference?’ he probably would not understand what
we were even saying. It’s a completely new idea that didn’t come in until after his time, popularized in the 20th century. I like being able to get into those topics.”
Peterson feels the fact that the theory hasn’t reached the mainstream is based in homophobia.
“One of our scholars in the film — a straight man from Harvard — has said that famous Lincoln scholars have said to him, ‘If I lose my faith in Lincoln, I lose my faith in the nation.’ What that person is saying is that if I lose my faith that Lincoln was a heterosexual manly man, I can’t have faith in America. I can’t think of him as a gay man because then the country falls apart for me. To these people, America is a heterosexual, heteronormative, gender-specific binary world, and this idea is breaking all that apart.”
Larry Owens is in the Emmy Award-winning series, “Abbott Elementary,” as Zach, the exboyfriend of Jacob (Chris Perfetti). Early in his career, Owens saw Perfetti onstage and his performance resonated deeply.
“Going to set, I got to tell one of my favorite actors that they did a formative performance — and I also had to be a professional and act,” Owens told Georgia Voice
Owens is learning about the relationship between the two men alongside the audience. The breakup was a surprise to him as well,
but he gives full credit to the writers for their nuanced and thoughtful job in fleshing out the characters, who are still at an age where they are figuring things out. He’ll find out Zach’s future sometime soon.
“I work for Quinta Brunson, so whenever I know — I will know,” he said with a laugh.
In the interim, he’s happy to see a gay couple on prime-time television.
“It builds something that I wanted to see as a kid,” Owens said. “There was no actor I could point to and say, ‘I want to do exactly that.’ Even as a guest star on ‘Abbott Elementary,’ I feel there is a tremendous dignity to the role. I feel there is nuance. I am excited to go to work on a set that is diverse in many capacities.”
In 2023, Owens made his directorial debut in season three of the Indeed Rising Voices program, which has provided Black, Indigenous, and people of color filmmakers opportunities to tell their stories and make noise in the industry. His film is “The Gag,” starring Sherie Rene Scott. He’s also been able to direct on “Abbott Elementary” and called being able to do that a “gift.”
“Lover of Men: A History of Abraham Lincoln” is now streaming
“Abbott Elementary” airs Wednesdays at 9:30pm on ABC and also streams on ABC. com and Hulu
Jim Farmer
“Lover of Men” PUBLICTY PHOTO
“Abbott Elementary” ABC PUBLICITY PHOTO
Jim Farmer
Hairspray
November 8 and 9, 8pm
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 plus-size 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.
Charis Books 50th Birthday
November 9, 10am-7pm
Charis Books and More
Today’s 50th birthday for Charis Books is a celebration that culminates with the annual instore party and sale. Stop by for 10 percent off everything in the store, birthday cake, photos, feminist music playlists, Charis branded birthday merch, and special guests Finca to Filter will be there from 10am to noon selling delicious coffee and breakfast sandwiches while you shop.
Bearracuda Atlanta: Strip Down!
November 9, 10pm
Heretic
Enjoy hundreds of hairy bears at Bearracuda Atlanta: Strip Down! with DJ Paul Goodyear.
The Magic Flute
November 10, 3pm
Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
With a magic flute and bells, a prince and a bird-catcher set off to free a kidnapped princess. However, the path to happiness is not smooth as friends become enemies and foes become allies in this comic opera with a star-studded cast in the Atlanta Opera’s “The Magic Flute.”
Cyndi Lauper
November 10, 8pm
State Farm Arena
Jam to songs such as “Time After Time,” “Money Changes Everything” and “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” at the Cyndi Lauper: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour.
The Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show
November 11, 8pm
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
You better watch out, you better not cry, because “The Queens of Christmas” (Entertainment Weekly) are coming to town with a brand new edition of the internationally acclaimed The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show, starring BenDelaCreme and Jinx Monsoon. Another holiday season brings another year of fabulous spectacle, whip-smart comedy, brand new songs, and annual favorites.
Join the sugary DeLa and spicy Jinkx for an evening the New York Times says is “sure to lift your spirits and make you howl with laughter.
Come join new colleagues at Out Georgia Business Alliance Woof's for the Business eXchange Network (BXN): Atlanta!
Queer Film Alliance
November 14, 7pm
San Francisco Coffee
Join Out On Film’s monthly Queer Film Alliance for a program and networking opportunities.
P!nk
November 14, 7:30pm
State Farm Arena
State Farm Arena will be popping tonight as the P!NK Live Tour comes to town!
Dan and Phil:
Terrible Influence Tour
November 14, 8pm
Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
Don’t miss Dan and Phil’s Terrible Influence tonight. Dan and Phil are back to heal your inner child and take back what the internet took from them. In their new screamingly hilarious live stage show, it’s a new era. They’re older, gayer, Phil’s gone blonde, and nothing is off limits. Expect scandalous stories they couldn’t share before, theatrical plot twists, and a savage roast of social media. If you need to laugh, feel part of a community, and make peace with the past, don’t regret missing Dan and Phil in real life… before Dan has another breakdown and disappears.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
Kristin Chenoweth
NOVEMBER 24, 7PM
ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Gay icon Kristin Chenoweth will perform tonight with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The Emmy® and Tony® Award winning actress and singer’s career spans film, television, voice-over and stage. Publicity photo by John Russo
Casino Night
November 15, 6pm
The Stave Room at American Spirit Works
Step into a world of high stakes and elegance at this sultry cocktail affair, where you will indulge in the thrill of professional casino gaming — craps, roulette, blackjack, and slots, all in support of AID Atlanta.
PFLAG Support Group
November 17, 2:30pm
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta
The PFLAG support group for parents and families of LGBTQ children meets in person today.
Mixed Tape Sundays
November 17, 8pm
Friends Neighborhood Bar
Get your groove on with Mixed Tape Sundays, an ‘80s and ‘90s party with DJ Darlene.
Trans and Friends
November 18, 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.
Joel Kim Booster: Rude Little Pig
November 20, 8pm
City Winery
City Winery Atlanta presents Joel Kim Booster: Rude Little Pig live. Joel Kim Booster is a Chicagobred Los Angeles-based stand-up comedian, writer, and actor who has been named one of The Queer Young Comics Redefining American Humor by the New York Times. He made the TIME100 Next list as well as the THR's 50 Most Influential People in Comedy in 2022. He is best known for writing and starring in Searchlight Pictures’ “Fire Island” which, following its June 2022 release, went on to land him two Emmy nominations along with a Best First Screenplay nom at the Independent Spirit Awards. The multi-hyphenate has also been seen starring opposite Maya Rudolph in the Apple TV+ comedy series “Loot,” which recently received a third-season pickup.
Kristin Chenoweth
November 24, 7pm
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Gay icon Kristin Chenoweth will perform tonight with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The Emmy® and Tony® Award winning actress and singer’s career spans film, television, voice-over and stage. In 2015, Chenoweth received a coveted star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2009, she received an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in “Pushing Daisies.” In 1999, she won a Tony Award for “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown,” and she was nominated for her original role of Glinda the Good Witch in “Wicked” in 2004.
Katie Burkholder
Myah Ross Monroe’s House of Love
November 8, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle $5 cover.
Shiba San and CID Present: ALL U NEED
November 8, 10pm
District Atlanta
Tickets at collectivpresents.com.
XION Friday
November 9, 3am
Future Atlanta
Featuring Tracy Levine (HouseCat). Tickets at future-atlanta.com.
Atlanta Eagle Carabet
November 9, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle
Starring Lena Lust, Shawnna Brooks, Misti Shores, Ela Atlanta, and Niesha Dupree. $5 cover.
Wicked: A Drag Musical
November 9, 10pm
My Sister’s Room
Broadway fans, get ready for a Wickedly fun drag show, starring Mrs. Ivana, Taylor ALXNDR, Eros Etoile, Mr. Elle Aye, Jacey Rockett, Kynk, and host Brigitte Bidet! Tickets at mysistersroom.com.
Shameless Sundays
November 10, 11:55pm
Future Atlanta
Hosted by Kyra Mora and Tristan Panucci. Tickets at future-atlanta.com.
Country Night
November 12, 8pm
Atlanta Eagle
Show up at 8pm for the dance lesson before line dancing the night away with DJ Dice at 9pm!
Late Nite Latin Tuesdays
November 13, 3am
Future Atlanta
With DJ Karlitos. $5 cover.
WussyVision: Election
November 13, 7pm
Plaza Theatre
Wussy Mag’s queer camp series continues with a screening of “Election,” starring Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick, plus a
costume contest, drink specials, drag, and more!
Tickets at plazaatlanta.com.
Trivia Night
November 13, 7:30pm
Woofs
Ruby Redd’s BirdCage Bingo
November 13, 8pm
Atlanta Eagle No cover!
Music Bingo
November 14, 7:30pm Woofs
Rock Haus Karaoke
November 14, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle
Hosted by Raqi.
Myah Ross Monroe’s House of Love
November 15, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle $5 cover.
May Styler and Enamour
November 15, 10pm
District Atlanta
Tickets at collectivpresents.com.
Pullman
November 15, 11pm
Atlanta Eagle
$5 cover.
XION Friday
November 16, 3am
Future Atlanta
Featuring Karlitos. Tickets at future-atlanta.com.
Atlanta Eagle Carabet
November 16, 9pm
Atlanta Eagle
Starring Lena Lust, Shawnna Brooks, Misti Shores, Ela Atlanta, and Niesha Dupree. $5 cover.
Denali
November 16, 9pm
My Sister’s Room
The figure-skating diva Denali from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” headlines, along with Brigitte Bidet, Canzara SZN, Chucky DeVille, EllaSaurus Rex, Hannibal Montannibal, and Ruby Iman Starr.
Tickets via Eventbrite.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
Denali
NOVEMBER 16, 9PM
MY SISTER’S ROOM
The figure-skating diva Denali from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” headlines, along with Brigitte Bidet, Canzara SZN, Chucky DeVille, EllaSaurus Rex, Hannibal Montannibal, and Ruby Iman Starr. Tickets via Eventbrite Photo via Facebook
Shameless
Sundays
November 17, 11:55pm
Future Atlanta
Hosted by Kyra Mora and Tristan Panucci. Tickets at future-atlanta.com.
Late Nite
Latin Tuesdays
November 20, 3am
Future Atlanta
With DJ Karlitos. $5 cover.
Trivia Night
November 20, 7:30pm Woofs
Ruby Redd’s BirdCage Bingo
November 20, 8pm
Atlanta Eagle No cover!
Alt3r
November 20, 10pm
Star Bar
Join Alt3r girls Hera Kane, Katrina Prowess, and Eden, plus their rotating line-up of incredible drag performers, for Little Five Points’ favorite alternative drag show! $10 cover.
