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A V&A Exhibition–Touring the World Beatrix Potter (British, 1866–1943), Mrs. Rabbit pouring out the tea for Peter while her children look on, 1907, watercolor and ink over pencil on paper, Victoria and Albert Museum, Linder Bequest, BP.468. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London, courtesy of Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd.
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4 EDITORIAL DECEMBER 22, 2023
The Light of Hope After a Dark Year 2023 is coming to a close. As we have worked on this issue, reviewing the impact the year has had on the LGBTQ community, we have done so with heavy hearts. As you will see throughout this issue, 2023 was an extraordinarily difficult and dangerous year for LGBTQ people. States across the country introduced bills targeting trans healthcare, drag performers, and LGBTQ youth, making this year a record year for anti-LGBTQ legislation. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of those who wish to exclude and discriminate against us. Corporations crumbled in the face of homophobes and transphobes who opposed their Pride Month merchandise. At least 30 trans and non-binary people were murdered – 87 percent of whom were people of color, including Atlantans Tortuguita, Ashley Burton, and Koko Da Doll. While we still celebrated some wins throughout the year, it’s easy to feel more terrified than hopeful about what the future
holds for us. It’s easy to see the downward trajectory queer rights have taken over the past couple of years and fear the potential new lows we may reach. But in the face of adversity, it is hope that is our greatest weapon. It is hope that sends us to the polls, to the picket lines, to the protests, and to the organizations working tirelessly to make this world safe and loving. It is hope that pushes us into 2024 anew, ready to keep fighting. Without hope, we are nothing. It is with hopeful hearts that we announce our 2024 editorial calendar. With new issue themes and returning favorites, we at the Georgia Voice look forward to the new year and the potential for change. Next year, we’ve got a couple fun new issues coming your way. In February, we’ll have an issue dedicated to family and parenting – a celebration of all the various forms family comes in. Then, expect an issue for the elder LGBTQ community in June, celebrate Bisexual Awareness Month with us in September with an entire issue dedicated to the often left behind sect of our community, and explore the role tech and social media
have on queer people in November. Of course, the upcoming election is a huge beacon of hope as the opportunity for us to usher in new officials who will advocate for us. We’ll publish our election issue at the end of October, with coverage of the presidential election as well as crucial local races. We’re also bringing back some of our favorite issues, including our seasonal travel and arts issues, our mental health issue in May, our pets issue in July, coverage of the annual Out On Film festival in September, our annual holiday gift guide, and so much more. While things may seem bleak now, there is a future we can look forward to if we continue to fight against those who want to take that future away from us. We are so grateful to have another year of publishing stories that serve as celebrations of our humanity, touchstones for building community, and opportunities for education and advocacy. In 2024, we will continue to fight for a future where we are all free to be ourselves by cultivating and documenting a community that fights adversity with love.
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2024 Editorial
Calendar January
12: Health + Wellness 26: LGBTQ Black History Month
February
09: Valentine’s, Sex, and Love 23: Family & Parenting
March
08: Spring Arts Preview 22: Spirituality
April
05: Home & Real Estate 19: Sports & Hobbies
May
03: Mental Health: Living Your Best Life 24: Summer Travel & Events
June
07: National Pride Month 21: Seniors & Aging
July
05: Dragalicious Extravaganza
26: Pets on Parade
August
09: Fall Arts 23: Fall Travel & Black Gay Pride
September
06: Bisexuality 20: Out On Film Preview
October
11: Atlanta Pride & LGBTQ History Month 25: Elections
November
08: Science, Tech, & Social Media 22: Holiday Gift Guide
December
06: Eat, Drink, & Be Merry 20: Year in Review * Camera Ready ads due one week prior to publication dates Contact: sales@thegavoice.com
NEWS BRIEFS Staff reports Read these stories and more online at thegavoice.com
U.S. Senate Staffer Fired After Filming Gay Sex Act in Senate Hearing Room A gay staffer for U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (DMd.) is no longer employed by the U.S. Senate, his office told the Washington Blade in a statement on Saturday morning, which followed reports that he had filmed amateur pornography in the workplace. “We will have no further comment on this personnel matter,” Cardin’s office said. The Daily Caller, a right-wing site founded by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, uploaded video and still images on Friday that purported to show leaked cell phone video of the staffer engaged in gay sex in a Senate hearing room of the Hart Senate Office Building, which is not in the U.S. Capitol building. Shortly thereafter, unverified posts on X and multiple conservative or right-leaning news outlets identified him as an aide working in Cardin’s office. The 80-year-old lawmaker announced in May that he would not seek reelection next year. The staffer later issued a statement on LinkedIn that appeared to deny the allegations: “This has been a difficult time for me, as I have been attacked for who I love to pursue a political agenda,” he said. The statement continued, “While some of my actions in the past have shown poor judgement [sic], I love my job and would never disrespect my workplace. Any attempts to characterize my actions otherwise are fabricated and I will be exploring what legal options are available to me in these matters.”
Supreme Court to Consider Abortion Pill Case The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to consider a case challenging access to the most commonly used method of abortion in the United States, a medication called mifepristone.
6 NEWS DECEMBER 22, 2023
Hearing room 216 in the Hart Senate Office Building PHOTO BY ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL The justices will weigh in on restrictions imposed by the conservative U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which would prohibit patients from receiving the medication by mail, even for those residing in states where abortion remains legal. They will also consider the lower court’s ruling that mifepristone may only be used to terminate pregnancies up to seven weeks, which underscores the unprecedented nature of this case, the first of its kind to challenge the FDA’s expert judgment on drug products. It was more than 20 years ago that the agency first concluded mifepristone was safe and effective, determinations that were since reinforced over the years as the drug came into wider usage. Also on Wednesday, the Supreme Court separately and unanimously rejected an appeal from abortion opponents who sought for the justices to revoke the FDA’s approval of mifepristone. “The Supreme Court has agreed to review the Fifth Circuit’s decision on mifepristone, which threatens to undermine the FDA’s scientific, independent judgment and would reimpose outdated restrictions on access to safe and effective medication abortion,”
White House Press Secretary Karine JeanPierre said in a statement. “This administration will continue to stand by FDA’s independent approval and regulation of mifepristone as safe and effective,” she said. “As the Department of Justice continues defending the FDA’s actions before the Supreme Court, President Biden and Vice President Harris remain firmly committed to defending women’s ability to access reproductive care.” Jean-Pierre added, “We continue to urge Congress to pass a law restoring the protections of Roe v. Wade—the only way to ensure the right to choose for women in every state.” The press secretary’s statement began by noting how, “Across the country, we’ve seen unprecedented attacks on women’s freedom to make their own health decisions” as “States have imposed extreme and dangerous abortion bans that put the health of women in jeopardy and that threaten to criminalize doctors for providing the health care that their patients need and that they are trained to provide.” “No woman should be unable to access the health care that she needs. This should not happen in America,” she said, “period.”
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Record Number of Businesses Earn Perfect Score on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index Katie Burkholder The Human Rights Campaign Foundation has released the 21st edition of its Corporate Equality Index, a survey evaluating participating employers on how well they advocate for the LGBTQ community through employee benefits, workplace protections, inclusivity practices, and more. This year’s survey was more difficult and robust than in years past and still saw increases in LGBTQ inclusion from last year. Companies offering gender transition guidelines increased by over 60 percent and LGBTQ data collection almost doubled in company adoption. Since 2009, the number of companies offering trans-inclusive benefits increased from just 46 (7 percent of participants) to 1,298 (94 percdent of participants) in 2023. This year, a record 545 businesses earned a perfect score of 100 points on the CEI, including 14 of the 36 participating Atlantabased companies: Alston & Bird; Coca-Cola; Cox Enterprises; Eversheds Sutherland; Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; Fisher Phillips; Global Payments; IHG Hotels & Resorts; King & Spalding; Morris, Manning & Martin; Randstad; Southern Company; Truist Financial; and WestRock. “Back in 2002, when this journey began, only 13 companies reached the top score,” HRC Foundation President Kelley Robinson said in a statement. “Today, we’re celebrating not just growth by a deepening commitment to true equality. This report is more than a set of scores. It’s a roadmap for ensuring that every LGBTQ individual has a fair chance to succeed in the workplace, backed by policies and practices that recognize their worth and dignity.” To earn this top score, businesses must meet four criteria. They must include sexual
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orientation and gender identity in their workplace protections; they must offer inclusive benefits, including spousal and domestic partner benefits, inclusive family formation benefits, trans-inclusive health insurance, and an LGBTQ benefits guide; they must support an inclusive culture through LGBTQ internal education and training, LGBTQ data collection, transgender inclusion best practices, and LGBTQ employee resource groups; and they must uphold corporate social responsibility through LGBTQ outreach and engagement with their recruiting, marketing, philanthropy, and supplier diversity programs.
These findings come during a year that HRC has, for the first time in its 40-year history, declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ people. This year, more than 605 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced in 41 states, with over 220 of them explicitly targeting the transgender community. Not only does this have a direct impact on the queer people subjected to these laws, but according to HRC’s 17th Annual LGBTQ Community Survey, nearly 80 percent of LGBTQ individuals reported that gender-affirming care bans made them feel less safe.
“The ongoing State of Emergency for LGBTQ folks is a glaring reminder that our fight for equality and justice is far from over,” Robinson said. “We must continue to push, to advocate, and to demand policies and practices that ensure true equality for all … [This report] is a call to action. We must recommit ourselves to the fight for a world where every LGBTQ person can live freely, without fear, and with the full rights and recognition they deserve.” To read the full report, visit reports.hrc.org/ corporate-equality-index-2023.
DECEMBER 22, 2023 NEWS 7
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2023 National News in Review writing, which is more than twice the number of similar bills in 2022, according to the ACLU data.
Staff reports, edited by Katie Burkholder 2023 has been a hugely impactful year for the LGBTQ community nationwide. Drag performers, the trans community, youth, and health care were attacked with a record number of anti-LGBTQ bills — but there were still some small wins for the community throughout the year. Join us as we reminisce on the highs and lows of 2023.
Target Moves Pride Merchandise to Back of Stores in Some Southern States MAY 26, 2023 A spokesperson for Target Corporation confirmed that some of its locations in semirural areas of Georgia, South Carolina, and Arkansas have moved Pride merchandise from the front of the stores to backroom areas or deeper into the stores after confrontations and backlash from shoppers.
Read the full story online at thegavoice.com.
Republican States Target Drag Performers FEBRUARY 24, 2023 By early 2023, at least 14 states had introduced bills that would restrict drag queens from performing in public spaces and venues viewable by minors. Some of the proposed legislation required venues that host drag events to register as “adult-oriented businesses.” In Missouri, legislators are considering several bills, including one described as changing “the definition of a sexually oriented business to include any nightclub or bar that provides drag performances.” Another bill would classify “male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest” as adult cabaret performances. Performances on public property or viewed by minors could result in a misdemeanor punishable by jail time and a hefty fine. Republican Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has endorsed a similar bill in her state. In Tennessee, a bill would classify “male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest” as adult cabaret performances and would ban performances on public property. Shows would also be banned where minors could be present.
Disney Announces They’ll Host LGBTQ Conference Amid Anti-LGBTQ Legislation MARCH 29, 2023 Amid increasing anti-LGBTQ legislation
8 NEWS DECEMBER 22, 2023
A source with a Target in Savannah said some of those confrontations resulted in displays being knocked over and harsh words exchanged with store retail staff.
Disney announces they’ll host LGBTQ conference amid anti-LGBTQ legislation PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ DORENGO5 being introduced and passed in Florida, Disney World announced that it would be hosting a major LGBTQ conference. The Out & Equal Workplace Summit, the largest LGBTQ conference in the world, was held at Walt Disney World in Orlando in September. The conference focused on workplace equality, bringing together more than 5,000 executives, employee resource group leaders and members, and human resources and diversity, equity and inclusion professionals and experts every year. Disney, Apple, Bank of America, and Uber are among Out & Equal’s top partners. Disney World committed to hosting the conference this year and next, according to the Miami Herald. Next year’s summit will coincide with the presidential election campaign, in which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to challenge former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.
Record Number of Anti-LGBTQ Bills in 2023 APRIL 13, 2023 Only four months into the year, the American Civil Liberties Union tracked 452 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S., according to data the organization compiled through April 11. These bills had been introduced in state legislatures across the U.S. since January and represented a new record — already more than twice the number of such bills introduced in all of 2022. Education and health care were the main focuses of these bills. The ACLU says they are being advanced in state legislatures at unprecedented levels. The bills include bans on access to gender-affirming health care for transgender youth and so-called parental rights bills that regulate curriculum and libraries in public schools, including any discourse on gender identity and sexual orientation. Nearly 300 education-related bills had been introduced at the time of
Target’s Pride Collection, which was displayed for sale starting on May 1, was composed of more than 2,000 products, including clothing, books, music, and home furnishings. Items included “gender fluid” mugs, “queer all year” calendars, and books for children aged 2–8 titled “Bye Bye, Binary,” “Pride 1 2 3” and “I’m Not a Girl.” Speaking for the Minneapolis-based retail giant, spokesperson Kayla Castañeda said: “Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and wellbeing while at work. Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.” Even in cities like Savannah, which tend to be more progressive in terms of political issues, store managers were moving Pride displays to less conspicuous areas to stave off some of the nasty confrontations that had occurred in other stores in Georgia.
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NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 Supreme Court Rules Against LGBTQ Community in 303 Creative v. Elenis JUNE 30, 2023 The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a graphic designer who denied service to samesex couples. In 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, the Court ruled that the First Amendment protected Lorie Smith, who didn’t want to make wedding websites for same-sex couples despite Colorado’s nondiscrimination law, which bars discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. “The First Amendment envisions the United States as a rich and complex place where all persons are free to think and speak as they wish, not as the government demands,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the majority 6–3 decision. The three dissenting, liberal justices called the decision “unprecedented” and said in their dissent that the decision deems the LGBTQ community as second-class citizens. “Today the Court, for the first time in its history, grants a business open to the public a constitutional right to refuse to serve members of a protected class,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in her dissent, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. “Today is a sad day in American constitutional law and in the lives of LGBT people. The immediate, symbolic effect of the decision is to mark gays and lesbians for second-class status.”
American Red Cross to Allow Gay Men to Donate Blood AUGUST 8, 2023 The American Red Cross announced a historic change in the organization’s policies regarding blood donations by gay and bisexual men. Under this new donor screening process, all donors answer the same eligibility questions regardless of gender or sexual orientation and will be assessed for blood donation based on individual risk factors, not on sexual orientation. This change by the Red Cross fell within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s
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Supreme Court rules against LGBTQ community in 303 Creative v. Elenis PHOTO WIKICOMMONS finalized guidelines for blood donation issued in May that use a uniform individualized risk assessment questionnaire for respondents regardless of their sexual orientation, sex, or gender. The FDA’s new protocols establish that prospective donors who have had a new sexual partner, or more than one sexual partner in the past three months, and anal sex in the past three months, would be ineligible. So would those who are “taking medications to treat or prevent HIV infection (e.g., antiretroviral therapy, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis,” because these drugs can delay the detection of HIV.
FBI Finds Sharp Increase in Anti-LGBTQ Hate Crimes OCTOBER 19, 2023 Compared to 2021 estimates, hate crimes last year that were motivated by bias against the victims’ sexual orientation rose 13.8 percent, while those motivated by bias against the victims’ gender identity rose 32.9 percent, according to data released this year from the FBI. The agency’s numbers came from the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, largely through the National Incident-Based Reporting
System and the Summary Reporting System, which the FBI says collectively accounts for 93.5 percent of the U.S. population. The data showed the increases in antiLGBTQ hate crimes came despite a decrease, by 6.1 percent, of estimated murder and nonnegligent manslaughter cases during this same period. HRC reported that more than 20 percent of reported hate crimes are now motivated by anti-LGBTQ bias, amid a “horrifying wave” of fatal violence against, particularly, Black transgender women.
Election Night 2023: LGBTQ Candidates Scorecard NOVEMBER 8, 2023 Despite being an off year, there were many moments during this year’s election for LGBTQ people to celebrate. Much of the success came in Virginia, where Danica Roem, a transgender member of the House of Delegates, won election to a state senate seat from northern Virginia. Roem was up against a Republican opponent endorsed by Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin. She won by about three points, becoming only the second transgender woman in the U.S. to be elected to a state senate (Sarah McBride was the first, winning
her state senate seat in Delaware in 2020). Bisexual African American state delegate candidate Joshua Cole was the dramatic 51st Democrat when his victory gave Democrats the one-seat majority they needed to keep control of the Virginia House of Delegates. All seven LGBTQ candidates for the Virginia House of Delegates won their seats that night, and only two of those seven were incumbents. In Mississippi, openly gay candidate Fabian Nelson won his primary in August and was unopposed in the general election for the state House of Representatives. Nelson is the first openly LGBTQ state legislator in Mississippi history. In Miami Beach, which includes the popular LGBTQ destination South Beach, openly gay Michael Gongora won the right to face another top contender in a runoff to become mayor of Miami Beach. Gongora lost the runoff election on November 21. In Portland, Maine, openly gay mayoral candidate Andrew Zarro forced the race’s leading candidate into a ranked-choice tabulation of the votes. Zarro had been serving on the Portland City Council. Zarro was defeated by Mark Dion in the rankedchoice runoff.
DECEMBER 22, 2023 NEWS 9
NEWS
LGBTQ Atlanta’s Top Stories of 2023 The bill was passed in March to prohibit health care professionals from providing hormone replacement therapy and genderaffirming surgeries to minors. Doctors and LGBTQ activists have widely condemned the bill and similar ones circulating in conservative states. In August, a judge temporarily blocked part of the bill banning hormone replacement therapy.
Luke Gardner As another year passes, members of Atlanta’s queer community remain resilient by fighting our oppressors and celebrating our wins. In 2023, innocent members of our community have faced police brutality, the murder of our trans siblings, and the political persecution of nonbinary people and queer children. We witnessed the closing of an iconic venue, cheered as the City of Atlanta donated to trans organizations, decried the same city officials for supporting Cop City, and found healing through the power of activism and drag.
Half of Atlanta Magazine’s Editorial Staff Quits after a Publisher Denounced “Progressive” Coverage
Nonbinary Environmental Activist Tortuguita Killed by Police JANUARY 18, 2023 In January, a nonbinary activist protesting the construction of Cop City was shot multiple times and killed by law enforcement. Friends and family remember Tortuguita as a kind soul and a believer in nonviolence. Since the killing, multiple activists have been charged with terrorism and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation continues to withhold evidence from the public relating to Tortuguita’s murder.
Black Trans Women Koko Da Doll and Ashley Burton are Murdered Within Days of One Another APRIL 11 & APRIL 18, 2023 Hairstylist Ashley Burton was killed on April 11, and in June a suspect was charged with her murder. Friends remember Burton as being “full of life” and “a very sweet young lady.” Koko Da Doll was killed on April 18. Days after the murder, a suspect turned himself in. Koko was a star of the award-winning documentary, Kokomo City, which followed the lives of trans sex workers in Atlanta.
initiative
10 NEWS DECEMBER 22, 2023
spearheaded
councilmember Matt Westmoreland, Mayor Dickens announced the city will be donating the money to three organizations. The Atlanta Legal AID Society received $10,000, Destination Tomorrow received $25,000 and the Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective received $20,000.
Drag Race All Stars 8. Months later, local king of comedy and horror Jarvis Hammer stunned audiences on the Boulet Brothers’ Dragula Season 5. Simultaneously, Drag Race UK Season 5 aired, showcasing the talents of Cara Melle, the show’s first Black trans contestant, who moved to England from Atlanta.
Atlanta Pride Introduces New Executive Director
Cobb County School Board Fires Teacher for Reading Gender-inclusive Book
JUNE 1, 2023 Atlanta Pride announced that Chris McCain would be the organization’s new Executive Director. McCain came from a background of serving as Director of Philanthropy at The Bail Project, a national nonprofit working to make sure the criminal justice system “works for all people no matter their race or wealth.”
AUGUST 18, 2023 Katie Rinderle had been teaching for a decade when she was fired in a politically charged rebuke of LGBTQ inclusion. The teacher read a children’s picture book, “My Shadow Is Purple,” by Scott Stuart, to her class at Due West Elementary School. The book, which had been part of the school’s book fair, is about discovering identity as a nonbinary person.
Atlanta Drag Dominated the Small Screen
Mayor Dickens Announces $55,000 in Funding for Trans Community MAY 10, 2023 Under an
Nonbinary environmental activist Tortuguita killed by police PHOTO VIA STOP COP CITY ATL
by
VARIOUS DATES On July 21, Atlanta rejoiced as RuPaul’s Drag Race star and local legend LaLa Ri won the coveted Queen of the Fame Games title on
Federal Court Blocks Part of Georgia Bill Targeting Transgender, Nonbinary Youth AUGUST 20, 2023
SEPTEMBER 2023 Publisher Sean McGinnis scolded staff in a meeting for using a person’s correct they/them pronouns in an article, signaling the latest crackdown on coverage he allegedly deemed too progressive. Three of the magazine’s six staffers left, and the editor-in-chief announced plans to resign at the year’s end.
Wussy Pride Show “Mother” Serves as a Love Letter to Atlanta’s Drag Scene OCTOBER 14, 2023 Headlined by Sasha Colby and Anetra, Wussy’s pride party at Underground Atlanta functioned as a megamix of Atlanta drag, with performances by the casts of several regularly occurring shows throughout the city, including Manhole, NeonBlk, ALT3R, Chapel Beauty, and Persuasian. Also featured were performances by Drew Friday, EllaSaurus Rex, the House of ALXNDR, and Mr. Elle Aye, who won Wussy’s first pageant a few months prior.
Noni’s Closes Its Doors OCTOBER 28, 2023 After serving the community for 15 years, the LGBTQ-owned Italian eatery closed its doors this October after one final blowout party. The destination was much more than a restaurant; it served as a sacred space to Atlanta’s queer community and regularly hosted several shows, including trans-led drag shows Manhole and Chapel Beauty.
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Remembering Those We Lost: 2023 Katie Burkholder Content warning: anti-transgender violence and police violence. Read the full story online at thegavoice.com. Amid one of the worst years for LGBTQ people to date, Atlanta’s LGBTQ community saw several losses — many of which were unjust and could have been avoided. As we remember the queer Atlantans we lost this year, we recognize both their humanity and the legacies they leave behind — as well as the realities of anti-transgender violence, gun violence, police violence, and all the work that remains to be done to protect our most vulnerable community members. Tortuguita, 26, named by family as Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, was murdered on January 18 by Georgia State Patrol troopers. Tortuguita was in Weelaunee Forest as part of an environmental protest against Cop City, Atlanta’s multimillion-dollar project to create a police militarization center. They were in the forest providing medical care to other protesters and was shot at least 57 times, according to an autopsy report, during a surprise police raid on the forest. “I knew Tort — just barely, not nearly well enough — and my heart breaks that I will never know them any better,” Rose Pelham wrote for Georgia Voice following their death. “They meant the world to so many friends of mine all across the city. Though relatively new to Atlanta, they were someone who knew everyone — they were part of the living, beating heart of the community. Their slaying stole from our city a person of rare goodness who had dedicated their life to myriad ways of helping others instead of pursuing a career. It is not possible in a brief summary of their life to do justice to their existence.” They were a trained street medic, with expertise in a curriculum for communitybased first aid. They were a medic at protests,
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From left: Ashley Burton, Koko Da Doll, and Sheila Merritt COURTESY PHOTOS provided free medical care at community clinics, and taught queer Atlanta bar staff how to save lives in the event of a shooting after the attack on Club Q in Colorado. Trans woman Ashley Burton, 37, was killed in a southwest Atlanta apartment on April 11. Police believe she was inside one of the apartments and went door to door for help before dying. Darius Mills, 31, was arrested in connection with the murder. Burton was a hairstylist and makeup artist in Atlanta and is remembered by her family in South Carolina as someone comfortable in her own skin. “The way my sibling moved through life, it was ... take it or leave it,” Patrick, Burton’s brother, told Fox 5. “‘This is how I am.’ You can respect it or neglect it, but Ashley put it out there and let that person know [she was trans]. It’s not going to be a secret.” According to Patrick, she was “very loved” by the people around her in both Atlanta and South Carolina. Trans woman Koko Da Doll, 35, also
known as Rasheeda Williams, was fatally shot in downtown Atlanta on April 18. She appeared to have been shot after leaving an apartment complex. Her body was found on a sidewalk adjoining a strip mall. Koko gained notice earlier this year for being featured in the documentary, “Kokomo City,” which followed four Black transgender sex workers and explored their gender identities, interactions with clients, and the dichotomies between them and the larger Black community. She was murdered only two months after the film premiered at Sundance. According to Koko’s sister, Kilya Williams, the documentary was “all she would talk about.” “I created ‘Kokomo City’ because I wanted to show the fun, humanized, natural side of Black trans women,” the film’s director, D. Smith, wrote in an Instagram post commemorating Koko’s death. “I wanted to create images that didn’t show the trauma or the statistics of murder of transgender lives. I wanted to create something fresh and inspiring. I did that. We did that! But here we are again. It’s extremely difficult to process Koko’s passing, but as a team we are more encouraged now than ever to inspire the world with her story.
To show how beautiful and full of life she was. She will inspire generations to come and will never be forgotten.” Sheila Merritt died on September 17 at the age of 58 after surgery for a sudden illness. Merritt was well known and loved in Atlanta for her work with the LGBTQ community. Along with her professional endeavors as marketing manager for various prominent institutions, like the Georgia International Convention Center and Gateway Center Arena, she worked for a decade as project manager for Q&A Events, which represented Atlanta Pride. Her LGBTQ advocacy earned her the title of Atlanta Pride Grand Marshal in 2014, and she often used her platforms to speak fiercely about and advocate for queer rights and racial justice. Merritt is survived by her wife, Andria “A.T.” Towne, their son Max Greene, grandson Rowan, and fur babies Cuervo and Sake, along with her sister Sue Sharp and her partner Ron Goshen; sister-in-law Cindy Towne; niece Katie Towne and her partner Chris Denham; and nephew and niece-inlaw Steve and Rebecca Sharp, as well as their three children.
DECEMBER 22, 2023 COMMUNITY 11
CULTURE
THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF
Cruising Anthony T. Eaton The history of gay cruising is a multi-faceted journey that reflects the complex relationship between LGBTQ individuals and societal attitudes toward their expressions of love and desire. From clandestine encounters in the shadows to the emergence of designated spaces, the evolution of gay cruising provides a lens through which we can explore the struggle for acceptance, identity, and the pursuit of love in the face of societal norms. The roots of gay cruising can be traced back to a time when gay, lesbian, and trans people were heavily stigmatized, criminalized, and often considered taboo. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, societies across the world largely suppressed open expressions of samesex desire. Amid this oppressive atmosphere, gay individuals sought discreet ways to connect, leading to the clandestine practice of cruising in public spaces. Urban centers became the backdrop for these encounters’ public parks, restrooms, and dark alleys became the canvas on which LGBTQ individuals painted clandestine expressions of love. However, these encounters were not without risk, as arrests and persecution were common, reflecting the prevailing social attitudes of the time. The potential for violence was also a significant danger to those practicing the art of cruising. One of the ways individuals connected was through a unique language that included the hanky code. Originating in the LGBTQ community, this code is a discreet and intricate system of communication primarily used by gay men. In the context of gay cruising, the hanky code becomes a nonverbal language that facilitates connections between individuals seeking like-minded
12 CULTURE DECEMBER 22, 2023
“The roots of gay cruising can be traced back to a time when gay, lesbian, and trans people were heavily stigmatized, criminalized, and often considered taboo. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, societies across the world largely suppressed open expressions of samesex desire.” PHOTO BY THE GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY
partners for consensual encounters. The code involves wearing different-colored handkerchiefs in the back pocket of one's jeans, with the color and placement conveying particular desires or preferences. Each hue signifies a distinct interest, ranging from relatively tame to more explicit preferences, providing a subtle means of communication in social spaces as well as cruising. Other forms of non-verbal communication include foot tapping, where individuals use discreet movements of their feet to signal interest. Subtle looks and eye contact play a crucial role in the non-verbal language of cruising. A lingering gaze or a specific kind of eye contact can convey interest, consent, or an invitation to engage without the need for spoken words. In the 1960s and ’70s, a significant shift in societal attitudes towards sexuality began to take place. The Sexual Revolution challenged traditional norms, sparking a broader
conversation about sexual freedom. As the gay rights movement gained momentum, advocating for equal rights and social acceptance, some urban spaces began to transform into more tolerant environments. During this period, gay bars and clubs became sanctuaries for the LGBTQ community, offering a sense of belonging and safety. However, the need for more discreet and spontaneous connections persisted, leading to the continued practice of cruising. Public spaces remained important, but there was a gradual move towards creating dedicated venues where gay men could meet openly. The 1980s would see a huge change with the AIDS crisis, which disproportionately affected the gay community. The epidemic cast a dark shadow over gay culture, leading to increased discrimination and stigmatization. Most places like bathhouses and bookstores were closed in the name of public safety. Public spaces traditionally
associated with cruising became riskier as the fear of infection compounded the challenges faced by LGBTQ individuals. AIDS brought about a change of attitude about sexual behaviors as safer sex practices and education initiatives emerged within the community. The turn of the 21st century and the advent of technology marked a new chapter in the history of gay cruising. The rise of online dating platforms and social media provided a virtual space for LGBTQ individuals to connect and express themselves without the constraints of physical locations. This shift profoundly impacted the dynamics of cruising, offering more options for connection while reducing the risks associated with traditional public spaces. As societal attitudes continue to evolve, so too will the ways in which LGBTQ individuals navigate spaces of liberation and confront the enduring stigma that has shaped our history.
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DECEMBER 22, 2023 ADS 13
REELING IN THE YEARS MARÍA HELENA DOLAN
Marlon Riggs (1957 – 1994) Considered A Quarter Century After His Death María Helena Dolan Black men loving Black men is the revolutionary act. - Marlon Riggs Over a quarter of a century ago, we lost one of the most visionary and radical Black queer filmmakers. One of the many men felled in the second wave of AIDS, he left an incomplete legacy. But he managed to provide us with informative, provocative, radical, beautiful works. He said, “I make films to be used, I don’t make them to be seen once on television or seen once in a theater and then that’s it…. I make them to provoke people in some way.” And he succeeded. Riggs’ film “Ethnic Notions” (1987) documents the fact that long before the 1915 film “Birth of a Nation,” white people eagerly received a piling on of horrid caricatures of Black people. These appeared everywhere: popular sheet music, Black face for musicals and staged skits, posted caricatures, jars, clay containers, cartoon series, etc. spread across the land, positing Black people as objects of ridicule – amusing but sometimes dangerous creatures who inspired classical Aristotelian Pity and Fear, who white people could still scorn and laugh at. Then Riggs made “Tongues Untied” (1989), a loving and admonishing exploration of Black queer male sexuality. The message is repeated: “Black men loving Black men is the revolutionary act.” We see performing artists reinforce this, the message adorning a large banner in a Pride march, held by Black men with Black men following it with
14 COLUMNIST DECEMBER 22, 2023
“Over a quarter of a century ago, we lost one of the most visionary and radical Black queer filmmakers. One of the many men felled in the second wave of AIDS, he left an incomplete legacy. But he managed to provide us with informative, provocative, radical, beautiful works.” joyous footwork. It’s also held in a Black Pride march, and a man on the sidewalk stentoriously tells the queers that they are wrong and a discredit to the race. They don’t let this pass. The critic Rhea Combs said “Tongues Untied” was “emblematic of [Riggs’] unique filmmaking style because of its daring bravado and in-your-face examination of a fairly taboo subject.” It received many awards, including a Teddy in 1990 for “Best LGBTQ Documentary. (The Teddy is a prestigious award from the Berlin International Film Festival--the Berlinale-for LGBTQ international filmmaking.) Essex Hemphill provided wonderful visual and aural poetry. “Tongues Untied” was scheduled for a broadcast on July 16, 1991, as a POV episode on PBS. Several stations refused to air it. They quaked at this cruise missile in
Marlon Riggs HISTORICAL PHOTO Pat Buchanan’s “Culture Kampf “ quiver. Along with Marlon’s own funds, he financed “Tongues Untied” with a $5,000 grant from a re-granting agency funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. (POV received annual funding of $250,000 from the NEA.) This all made the Religious Reich crazy while providing a useful tool to attempt to take control of the hated NEA and PBS. We have Riggs’ own words on this assault in an op-ed he wrote for the New York Times in 1992 titled “Meet the New Willie Horton”: Because my film, "Tongues Untied," affirms the lives and dignity of [B]lack gay men, conservatives have found it a convenient target, despite the awards and popular and critical acclaim it received after broadcast … on public television. Jesse Helms, Republican of North Carolina, denounced the film during Senate debate over a now delayed bill to provide financing for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Last fall, the Christian Coalition collapsed the 55-minute documentary into seven, disjointed, highly sensationalized minutes, then sent 100s of copies to members of the
House of Representatives in an unsuccessful effort to force new content restrictions on the N.E.A. Of the total cost of the film, only $5,000 was N.E.A. money. And that came from an indirect source. …The vilest form of obscenity these days is in our nation's leadership. I should also mention “Black is…Black Ain’t (for Uncle Alfred),” the film Riggs was working on during his final bout with AIDS. It is an astonishing endeavor. Riggs enters front and center with this final AIDS experience. He tries to make light of it (“My T cells are the same number as my weight”). Later, he allows us to watch him in his hospital bed, at one point trying to convince himself that he will get out of bed and finish the film. And then, he accepts it and sings some of the songs that sustain him, from spirituals to George Clinton. Where can you find these films? Nowadays, it’s easy. The Decatur library has a copy of “The Signifyin’ Works of Marlon Riggs”, a threeDVD set with a 45-page booklet, from the Criterion Collection. You can find it online for $25 - $35 (DVD, Blu Ray). It contains all seven of his works, plus commentary and works by others about Riggs.
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OLD GAY MAN CLIFF BOSTOCK
All I Want for Christmas is Silence “Here’s an I dislike Christmas music, but this year, whenever I tour Twitter, CNN, or TikTok, alternative: you I keep hearing an angel croon, “Silent night, holy night” in my head. It’s creepy and so don’t have to startling that I woke up one night from a dream where the song played while someone say anything. handed me my death certificate. It said political verbiage was the cause of my death. Sometimes — I also have flashbacks to 1967 and marching maybe most of the on the Pentagon, where protesters took the flowers out of their hair and inserted them time — silence is into the rifle barrels of military police. I remember going to hear Peter, Paul and indeed holy.” Mary sing “This Land is Your Land” at the Cliff Bostock
old Atlanta Civic Center the year before with my high school girlfriend. I remember crossing boundaries and climbing walls and laughing in the face of hate because nobody believed hate was more than a temporary aberration of anger that could be forgiven because we knew it was ultimately stupid. I picked up the pen, passionately believing that it really was mightier than the sword.
Forgive my Boomer reframing, but the discord of the ’60s and ’70s seems almost simple now. The civil rights movement, even in its recent Black Lives Matter iteration, was punctuated with violence and hate, but by the middle of the last century, nobody sane disbelieved in equality. There are plenty of Christian nationalists who still hate queer people, but until recently, no grownups with values who ever loved someone different from themselves dared to openly attack us. Nazis inhabited lunatic asylums. Visceral hate was not free speech. Now, human consciousness is constructed by media and, as Marshall McLuhan famously said, the medium itself is the
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message. Stupidity may barely exist as a fundamental concept, but it is well-rewarded as a behavior. I brutally learned this during the 2016 election, which brought us to a place where abhorrent policies shared by Democrats and Republicans alike were regarded as positive or negative based only on your party identification. To argue that the problem was not the candidate or party per se, but the total collapse of communitarian values, was read as support of the political enemy. You couldn’t, for example, even support an outlier like Bernie Sanders without being eviscerated as an enemy of the good (which really meant “an enemy of the status quo”). Supposedly, it’s all about being practical. It’s not. Things have only gotten worse. Watching the media tell the story of our present reality is mind-boggling. Presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, for example, doesn’t exist. She is rarely mentioned and when she is, it’s with a smirk. The New York Times leads the pack in the utterly abominable reporting of Biden’s new war in the Middle East. Any
PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ STEPHM2506
statement of the death toll in Gaza is qualified with a statement like “according to the Gaza health agency, which is controlled by Hamas.” Whether it’s pro-Israel or pro-Palestine, it’s all propaganda and virtually everyone in charge refuses to support negotiation. There is no significant factual record, only a montage of horror culled from videos without individual context. But dead infants, suffocated without incubators, don’t need to speak. Many Jewish people, still terrified by the attempted extinction of the Holocaust, cannot respond proportionately to a brutal attack on a proportionately few of their population now. Ohio’s population passed a referendum to reverse its state’s abortion prohibitions, and the state’s rulers refuse to comply. They want to adopt a rule among themselves that permits them to ignore the separation of powers. ChatGPT has become the author and co-author of everything. It often bungles reality with cartoonish reductionism, but nobody seems to care. That’s the medium fully delivering today’s message: we create
your own reality based on your most visceral fears and appetites. AI in this format is a plaything — for now. Here's a reality: civilization is not inherently evolving. Many before us have soared and collapsed. We’re so sure of ourselves that we think that because we can’t figure out how the Egyptians built those pyramids, aliens must have done it for them. We think that because Elon Musk has money, it doesn’t matter that he doesn’t have a vivid imagination beyond the lying kind. Swamp the world with random rabid bits and the world will make you king of the carnival. Here’s an alternative: you don’t have to say anything. Sometimes — maybe most of the time — silence is indeed holy. Cliff Bostock, Ph.D., is a former psychotherapist who now concentrates on coaching with an emphasis on creativity and experimentation. Cliffbostock.com, 404-518-4415.
DECEMBER 22, 2023 COLUMNIST 15
CULTURE
KEEPING UP WITH
Bob The Drag Queen Ahead of Positive Impact Show Adalei Stevens Editor’s Note: Bob uses both he/him and she/her pronouns. Caldwell Tidicue, known for his drag persona Bob The Drag Queen, returns to his home state as this year’s Party With Impact comic at the Atlanta Symphony Hall on December 30. Positive Impact Health Centers hosts the annual fundraiser to raise money for LGBTQ health care, HIV care and prevention, and supportive services in the ever-growing Atlanta metro area. Bob grew up in Columbus, where her mother owned a drag bar, before moving to New York to pursue a career in entertainment at 18 years old. Starting in acting and stand-up, Bob found her outlet in drag after watching season one of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2009. She won the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” on season eight of the show in 2016 after captivating fans and judges with her quick wit and iconic looks. Living up to the title, Bob stays booked and busy. In 2020, Bob joined forces with fellow Drag Race alums Eureka O’Hara and Shangela for three seasons of HBO’s We’re Here in search of recruits for one-night-only drag shows across small-town America. This year, Bob released an EP titled Gay Barz and his “Woke Man in a Dress” stand-up special. Bob also started BOMO Beauty, a cosmetics company with his “Sibling Rivalry” podcast co-host, Monét X Change. Bob’s clothing company, House of Bob, launched with a smallbatch collection of sustainable, gender-inclusive garments at the end of November. “Someone is being paid a fair wage to make them, which is why the clothes are a little bit expensive, but each item is handmade by a person right here
16 CULTURE DECEMBER 22, 2023
[in America],” the drag star said in an interview with Georgia Voice. Once an item is sold out, she says, it’s sold out for good. Oh, and he’s been touring with Madonna. Despite a personally successful year, Bob says the weight of the world’s tragedies is ever-present. “It’s been trying, but also exciting for me personally,” Bob said. “I have achieved a lot of goals and milestones in terms of performance, audience, and reach, but it’s hard to juxtapose that when it feels like the world is burning down around you. It’s actually really kind of wild. ... You just find a way to navigate the world as the world is happening.” Politicians across the world continue to disappoint, especially American voters, as Israel wages a one-sided war on Palestine. According to a recent poll by Reuters/Ipsos, less than one-third of Americans support the ongoing attacks. Though the occupation of Palestine began in 1948, Western media has been especially instrumental in the misrepresentation of the events following an attack by Islamist group Hamas on October 7. Since that day, nearly 20,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israel Defense Forces, and another 2.2 million have been displaced. Over a thousand people showed their support at the “Global Shutdown for Palestine” rally in Midtown on November 9, demanding a ceasefire and a redirection of military spending into public programs. Georgia activists have been especially outspoken about the connection
CONTINUES ON PAGE 17 THEGEORGIAVOICE.COM
CULTURE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16 between the genocide in Palestine and Cop City, a proposed 85-acre police training facility in South DeKalb. In a testament to the strength of U.S.-Israel relations, the IDF and Georgia police would receive training at Cop City through the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange program. “Anytime there is success or happiness or a moment of happiness, you’re still reminded that the world is full of injustice,” Bob said. “It’s your birthday, but also a bomb just landed on the Gaza Strip. It’s your birthday, but they’re mining cobalt in Congo. You just graduated college, but half a million people were killed during the destabilization of that whole area. Your nephew is getting baptized, but how many trans women were killed? It’s a real mindfuck.” The pandemic ignited a stark increase in far-right conservatism that continues to attack LGBTQ rights across the country, including bans on gender-affirming care and drag shows. Since her win in 2016, Bob has used her platform to educate her audience on social issues, telling Out Front Magazine she always wanted to be a public speaker like Martin Luther King Jr. or a comedian like Chris Rock. Throughout her career, Bob has been outspoken about politics and LGBTQ issues. Bob encouraged voters to “vote blue, no matter who” in a recent post on X, formerly Twitter. As we head into an election year, she says she is worried about what will happen next. “I’m nervous about things. I’m nervous about the state of the world and nervous about the election. I’m nervous about voter apathy,” Bob said. “Those kinds of things make me nervous. Election years are always nerve-wracking.” President Trump, alongside 18 others, was indicted in Fulton County on charges of election fraud earlier this year. In 2020, the former president colluded with lawyers and Georgia officials in an effort to overturn the results of the election. Following the fraud investigation, a federal judge in Georgia determined congressional and legislative district maps were drawn to
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Bob The Drag Queen PHOTOS BY ALBERT SANCHEZ & PEDRO ZALBA discriminate against Black voters, violating the Voting Rights Act. Earlier this month, the state Senate passed the redistricting with nine Republican-leaning and five Democratic-leaning districts.
media allows communities to coordinate protests and boycotts on a large scale. As divisive and overwhelming as the world’s problems may feel, Bob says engaging with opposing sides is the best way to enact change.
Despite the record-high turnout in U.S. elections in 2018, 2020, and 2022, when compared against recent national elections in nearly 50 countries, the U.S. ranked 31st in voter turnout in the 2020 presidential election. Bob says immoral politicians, financial interests, and lobbyists deter eligible voters, “yet we pretend to be the leaders of democracy.”
“I like a good conversation. I like to talk to people, especially people whose opinions oppose mine. Maybe we can learn more about each other and move the process forward,” Bob said. “The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice. It just feels insurmountable.”
Though he could never see himself as a politician, Bob believes in the power of the vote and regularly encourages those who can vote not to abstain. “You can’t boycott democracy,” he said. Bob’s activism extends beyond her drag career, dating back to her early years in New York. She says she was inspired by radical and politically charged friends, “dipping [her] toes” into civil disobedience and activism. “Once you pull the curtain back, it doesn’t go back. It’s broken and falls down. You can’t readjust,” he said. Though progress ebbs and flows, Bob says we’re still moving in the right direction. Social
As of 2021, nearly 60,000 people in Georgia are living with HIV, according to AIDSVu. Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton counties have among the highest rates of HIV/AIDS cases in the state, and Atlanta has the fourthhighest rate of HIV across major U.S. cities. The risk of resurgence is high due to trends in drug use, lack of access to HIV services, homophobia and transphobia, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. “Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S.” (EHE) plans to end the HIV epidemic by 2030 as HHS calls for significant advancements in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and outbreak response with the existing infrastructure of several HHS agency offices. By 2025, EHE hopes to reduce new HIV infections by 75 percent and at least 90
percent by 2030. Positive Impact Health Centers has provided comprehensive care for patients living with HIV in Atlanta and surrounding counties across four health centers, located in Chamblee, Decatur, Duluth, and Marietta since 2015. Conducting over 5,000 HIV tests and 7,500 STI screenings, 91 percent of PIHC patients achieved viral suppression in 2022. PIHC currently serves 20 counties in the metro Atlanta area to eliminate structural barriers for people living with HIV and access to prevention services, like PrEP. The AIDS service organization also has a gender-inclusive program, offering hormone replacement therapy to qualifying patients. Since the inception of the Atlanta AIDS Fund, AID Gwinnett and Positive Impact have received a combined 64 grants totaling over $1.2 million, including 12 grants totaling nearly $500,000 after merging in 2015. In August, PIHC was recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as a Patient-Centered Medical Home, the first AIDS service organization in Georgia to do so. Join the humble and hilarious Bob The Drag Queen for a good cause at this year’s Party With Impact at Atlanta Symphony Hall on December 30 at 8pm. Tickets are available at aso.org, starting at $25.
DECEMBER 22, 2023 CULTURE 17
ACTING OUT JIM FARMER
A Banner Year for LGBTQ Films Jim Farmer Read the full column online at thegavoice.com. 2023 might be remembered by many as the year of "Barbenheimer." Both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” opened on the same day over the summer and both turned out to be critical and commercial successes. Yet the year will also be looked back on for its high number of quality LGBTQ features. One of the most high-profile is Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro,” which he directs and stars in. It’s about composer Leonard Bernstein and his relationship with actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), as well as his dalliances with men throughout his life. Fortunately, it’s anything but a standard look at an icon. Out actor Colman Domingo portrays Bayard Rustin in the drama, “Rustin.” Directed by George C. Wolfe and written by Academy Award winner Dustin Lance Black, it’s a straightforward but vivid look at the gay activist’s life, refusing to play by others' rules. An ensemble full of recognizable faces helps. Starring two decorated and beloved actresses, “Nyad” casts Annette Bening as lesbian swimmer Diana Nyad, who decides to try to swim from Cuba to Florida in her 60s, despite not being able to complete the journey in previous attempts. The most satisfying element of the film proves to be Jodie Foster, who plays Diana’s ex and her current coach Bonnie Stoll. It’s Foster’s first time playing an out character — and it’s her most vibrant turn in years. “Promising Young Woman” director Emerald
18 COLUMNIST DECEMBER 22, 2023
Fennell’s “Saltburn” revolves around Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan), who is attempting to fit in at Oxford. There he meets and befriends Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi) and develops something of an infatuation with him. “Saltburn” goes batshit crazy in its final 20 minutes, but it’s highly watchable and entertaining. With out actors Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge as a gay couple, “Knock at the Cabin” is a horror film directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The filmmaker’s post-“The Sixth Sense” work usually grates my nerves, but “Cabin” is a tense and disturbing thriller that’s much deeper than it could have been. From Emma Seligman, the director of the acclaimed “Shiva Baby,” came this season’s “Bottoms,” 2023’s funniest, most politically incorrect offering. Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri headline the cast as high school lesbians who start a fight club so they can begin dating cheerleaders. While it’s not queer-themed, out director Todd Haynes’ filmed-in-Savannah “May December” is one of the most talked-about films of the year, showcasing Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. It’s loosely based on the story of Mary Kay Letourneau, who began a relationship with a 13-year-old boy. Like “Saltburn,” it is a divisive film for audiences, although critics have been quite kind to it. Some of the best LGBTQ films of the year were smaller projects. One of the best is Georgia Oakley’s “Blue Jean,” a stunning debut about a closeted physical education teacher living in England in the ‘80s. It came and went with little commercial fanfare, but is well worth checking out. Another gem is “Monica,” featuring a
“Promising Young Woman” director Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn” is one of the most watchable queer films of the year. PUBLICITY PHOTO bravura performance by Trace Lysette as a trans woman who comes home to take care of her sickly mother (Patricia Clarkson). It’s moving and well-made. Ira Sachs’ love triangle, “Passages,” was applauded for its complex and committed performances by Ben Whishaw, Adele Exarchopoulos and (especially) Franz Rogowksi. The film received an NC-17 rating for its lengthy sex scene between Whishaw and Rogowksi, but its distributor decided to release it unrated. “Rotting in the Sun” was another of 2023’s sleepers. Sebastián Silva’s movie initially made noise for its frontal nudity and graphic sex, but those who looked harder found it to be a stirring look at class, with a disillusioned filmmaker meeting an enthusiastic social media influencer. In terms of documentaries, two of the strongest had Georgia ties. “Little Richard: I Am Everything” chronicles the life of the Macon-born artist and his professional and personal challenges, while D. Smith’s “Kokomo City” is a look at transgender sex workers in New York and Atlanta. Another
well-received 2023 documentary is “Every Body,” exploring three intersex individuals, including former Atlantan Sean Saifa Wall. Need more? The lead character of the exceptional “Anatomy of a Fall,” is a bisexual writer whose husband dies after plummeting from a window, while the sly, very funny “American Fiction” has Sterling K. Brown as a gay character. The suspenseful “How to Blow up a Pipeline” features a lesbian couple. Other notable titles included “Cassandro,” with Gael Garcia Bernal as the gay amateur wrestler who became world famous, the crowd-pleasing “L’Immensita” with Penelope Cruz as the mother of a transgender child, Goran Stolevski’s sharply drawn “Of an Age,” the animated “Nimona,” and the nutty “Dicks: The Musical,” which featured gay characters and a much-discussed flying vagina. Opening at the end of the year are two films with LGBTQ themes — Blitz Bazawule’s new version of “The Color Purple,” with a cast including Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo (again) and Taraji P. Henson, and Andrew Haigh’s “All of Us Strangers.”
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LGBTQ NIGHTLIFE FORECAST DECEMBER 22 – JANUARY 12 Katie Burkholder
Myah Ross Monroe’s House of Love December 22, 9pm Atlanta Eagle
Featuring Just Jermaine, Malaysia Black, Taejah L. Thomas, Lacie Bruce, Tatiana Tuesday Dickerson, A’Jivan Avoince Dickerson, Chavon Scott, and Jeremiah Tymes Starr. $5 cover.
Queerbait
December 22, 9pm Mary’s Gay pop videos with DJ Headmaster! $5 cover.
Valentino Khan December 22, 10pm District Atlanta
Tickets at valentinokhan.eventbrite.com.
The Naughty List Holiday Show December 23, 7pm My Sister’s Room
Featuring Taylor ALXNDR, Molly Rimswell, Pressure K Friday, Alexis Olotta, Fajina Lovee, and DJ Face. $10 at mysistersroom.com
This Ain’t a Scene – Emo/Scene Dance Party December 23, 10pm The Basement
Atlanta’s new favorite emo party – the holiday edition! Enjoy photos with the Ghost of Christmas Future, drag performances, dancing with Scene Santa, and black Santa hats to the first 100 through the door! $10 at basementatl.com.
Trivia Night
December 26, 8:30pm Atlanta Eagle Hosted by DJ DeWayne.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT Dombresky: New Years Eve December 31, 10pm District Atlanta Tickets at bit.ly/DOMBRESKYNYE2023. Publicity photo The T
Country Night
Rock House Karaoke
Show up at 8pm for the dance lesson before dancing the night away with DJ Dice.
Hosted by Raqi.
James Hype
December 29, 9pm District Atlanta
December 26, 9pm Atlanta Eagle
December 27, 10pm District Atlanta
Karaoke Night December 28, 9pm
20 LGBTQ NIGHLIFE FORECAST DECEMBER 22, 2023
December 28, 9pm Atlanta Eagle
Camelphat Queerbait
December 29, 9pm Mary’s
Gay pop videos with DJ Headmaster! $5 cover.
Myah Ross Monroe’s House of Love December 29, 9pm Atlanta Eagle
Featuring Just Jermaine, Malaysia Black, Taejah L. Thomas, Lacie Bruce, Tatiana Tuesday Dickerson, A’Jivan Avoince Dickerson, Chavon Scott, and Jeremiah Tymes Starr. $5 cover.
New Year Black Tie Affair December 31, 7pm
My Sister’s Room Dress to impress! Your ticket gets you a complimentary champagne toast and breakfast buffet at midnight, plus entertainment from Coyote Queer all night long! Enjoy an open bar from 7 to 10pm for an additional charge before dancing the night away with DJ Face and DJ Wulf. Tickets at mysistersroom.com.
New Year, Who Dis? December 31, 9:30pm
CONTINUES ON PAGE 21 THEGEORGIAVOICE.COM
LGBTQ NIGHTLIFE FORECAST DECEMBER 22 – JANUARY 12 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20 Best End Brewing Company Launch a whole new year with Southern Fried Queer Pride and their lineup of queer and trans DJs and performers! Featuring Gemynii, Gorp, TLO.SIM, and Yoni Yacht Club plus performances from Canzara SZN, JayBella Bankz, Ivy, Yutoya Avaze Leon, and hosted by Taylor ALXNDR. Tickets via Eventbrite.
Dombresky: New Years Eve December 31, 10pm District Atlanta
Tickets at bit.ly/DOMBRESKYNYE2023.
24K Gold Party December 31, 11pm Atlanta Eagle
Countdown to 2024 with VJ Fer Nando before the champagne toast at midnight. DJ Eric James brings in the new year at midnight! $15 at the door.
XION NYE
January 1, 3am
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Future Atlanta Ring in the new year after the ball drops with Micky Friedmann. Tickets at futureatlanta.com.
Myah Ross Monroe’s House of Love January 5, 9pm Atlanta Eagle
Hosted by DJ DeWayne.
Featuring Just Jermaine, Malaysia Black, Taejah L. Thomas, Lacie Bruce, Tatiana Tuesday Dickerson, A’Jivan Avionce Dickerson, Chavon Scott, and Jeremiah Tymes Starr. $5 cover.
Ruby Redd’s Birdcage Bingo
Queerbait
The Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus is raising money to go to the 2024 GALA Chorus Festival this summer! All tips and proceeds benefit their fundraising efforts.
Gay pop videos with DJ Headmaster! $5 cover.
Trivia Night
January 2, 8:30pm Atlanta Eagle
January 3, 8pm Atlanta Eagle
Karaoke Night January 4, 9pm The T
Rock House Karaoke January 4, 9pm Atlanta Eagle
Hosted by Raqi.
January 5, 9pm Mary’s
InvAsian: Bollywood Edition January 6, 10pm District Atlanta
Prepare to be swept away by the magic of Bollywood as InvAsian transforms the night into a vibrant celebration of music, dance, and rhythm. Tickets via Eventbrite.
Trivia Night
January 9, 8:30pm
Atlanta Eagle Hosted by DJ DeWayne.
Country Night January 9, 9pm Atlanta Eagle
Show up at 8pm for the dance lesson before dancing the night away with DJ Dice.
Ruby Redd’s Birdcage Bingo January 10, 8pm Atlanta Eagle
The Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus is raising money to go to the 2024 GALA Chorus Festival this summer! All tips and proceeds benefit their fundraising efforts.
Karaoke Night January 11, 9pm The T
Rock House Karaoke January 11, 9pm Atlanta Eagle
Hosted by Raqi.
DECEMBER 22, 2023 LGBTQ NIGHTLIFE FORECAST 21
YOUR VOICE
A Holiday Wish Gwendolyn Smith, Philadelphia Gay News via the National LGBTQ Media Association Read the full column online at thegavoice.com. The holidays were different when I was younger. Lacking the Internet, one would eagerly anticipate the arrival of the Sears catalog to your front door just around August or September. This catalog, known as the “Wish Book,” would hold in its many pages a treasure trove of toys your family could buy for the holidays. The Wish Book, of course, was the basis of your letter to Santa. One year, I tried requesting a Barbie playset among the Big Jim dolls, but this was denied. Another year it was the Jamie Sommers Bionic Woman doll to go with the masculine variety, Steve Austin. That one time, amazingly, I was successful.
younger years, I knew trans people existed. While some will try to tell you that transgender people somehow only emerged in the 1990s, fully realized, I recall hearing about Renée Richards, Wendy Carlos, and others in my youth. While I may not have known all the ins and outs of being transgender, I knew it was a possibility. Of course, it was this knowledge that also informed me that a gender transition wasn’t likely to show up under the slowly dying Douglas fir in the front room on the 25th of December. I knew that my parents would never approve of such anyway, so I didn’t feel I had many options open to me. I began transitioning in my 20s, many years after I had given up on Santa’s gender reassignment prowess.
I wanted to wake up a girl.
Hundreds of bills were introduced in 2024 to try to take away trans rights across the United States. Entire states have become all but uninhabitable for trans youth, with more poised to become the same in 2024. A presidential election comes in 2024, too, and nearly every candidate for one of the two major parties is busy trying to be more transphobic than the other.
I was, I suppose, fortunate. Even in my
During the holiday season, I want you to
I knew what my real big ask was, though, and that it was the one thing I knew Santa could not bring me. It was the same thing I concluded my nightly prayers with, and what I might wish upon a star for more times than I might admit.
22 YOUR VOICE DECEMBER 22, 2023
PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / MILLENIUS
think about every young trans kid out there, making their wishes this holiday season, and hoping that they, too, will be able to wake up some day and embody the genders they know themselves to be. I want to join in that wish and hope they will be able to feel that joy I felt when I realized that my own wishes as a child had, finally, come true. I want to call on us all to do what we can, during the holidays and any day, to make this world a better one for each of them. Push hard for trans acceptance in a rapidly crueler world. Speak out on their behalf. Give to trans-accepting shelters and charities. Donate your time and money, when you can, to organizations that may be able to help. If you have a trans kid in your family — or a trans person of any age, for that matter —
reach out to them. Be their friend, their ally, and their champion. Show them that they matter to you and that you are willing to help them survive. Because that’s what this comes down to. To my trans siblings: you have got to do all you can to survive. I know these are hard, hard times, but there are a great many people — many of whom you’ve yet to meet — who are out there cheering for you. We love you and, no matter what, we want you to be able to live a full and happy life. This is my wish this holiday season: that we shall meet here again at the closing of the year, and for many, many days to come. Gwen Smith still believes. You’ll find her at www.gwensmith.com.
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DECEMBER 22, 2023 ADS 23