The Georgia Voice - 4/2/10 Vol. 1 Issue 2

NEWS

OUTSPOKENIN THEIR OWN WORDS “When there’s a time when our leaders are unable, unwilling to do the right thing, somebody has to step up to the responsibility.”

Gay Ga. teen set to take boyfriend to Bleckley County prom. Page 4 Morehouse College campus holds first gay Pride week. Page 8 New hope for Ga. anti-bullying bill. Page 8 Anti-gay activist Nancy Schaefer, husband dead in murder-suicide. Page 8 How to queer the Census. Page 9 ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ enforcement revised, not lifted. Page 11 National news in brief. Page 11

— Lt. Dan Choi, who is gay and being discharged from the Army, explaining why he chose to handcuff himself to a White House fence in a dramatic March 18 protest against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” (DC Agenda, March 25)

COMMUNITY Trans artist Angela ‘Bucky’ Motter sings to prevent suicide. Page 21 YouthPride fundraiser helps Atlanta’s LGBT teens ‘Evolve.’ Page 21 Athens Boybutante celebrates 21 years of giving. Page 22 GA Spotlight: Macon OUT, Atlanta HRC Dinner Committee. Page 23 Your Milestones. Page 24

CALENDAR Pages 25-26

theGAVOICE.com • Breaking news as it happens • Calendar and daily event highlights • Photo albums and video galleries • Share ‘Your News’ and ‘Your Voice’ facebook.com/thegavoice twitter.com/thegavoice

BY THE NUMBERS

50 70

Percent of Americans who would support an openly gay president

POP QUIZ

WITH JZ

Queer burlesque star Vagina Jenkins puts on ‘spectacle.’ Page 15 Dance: Trey McIntrye Project performs breathtaking ballet. Page 16 Books: Christopher Rice returns to Outwrite. Page 17 Events: Atlanta holds first Leather Pride weekend. Page 19

“I’m among the millions of parents who have been in a gay or lesbian relationship. It hasn’t been an easy road lately, but I feel there are no mistakes in my life.”

Minimum age at which most LGBT Baby Boomers expect to retire

$1,946.25

Amount the Republican National Committee reimbursed a consultant for a night out at Voyeur, a club featuring topless dancers ‘imitating lesbian sex’

$50,000

Settlement a N.Y. school district paid to a gay teen who said school officials didn’t protect him from anti-gay bullies Sources: 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair survey, MetLife.com, The Daily Caller, Associated Press

— “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Kim Zolciak, confirming her relationship with DJ Tracy Young, who remixed her “Tardy for the Party” single (Life & Style, March 24)

“I feel like the biggest weight is off my shoulders, Publicity stunt my a** this is MY life” — Kim Zolciak on Twitter (TV Guide, March 24)

ANTHONY WILLIAM S

‘PROJECT RUNWAY ’ CONTESTANT

View the full interv iew

t h e GAVO IC E .co mat

Photo via Facebook

A&E

Photo by Michael Key / DC Agenda

Editorial: State must act to curb anti-gay bullying. Page 12 Mike Ritter Cartoon: Prom queen. Page 12 Speaking out: Readers react to Cochran prom, Nancy Schaefer. Page 13

Photo via KimZolciakBooking.com

VOICES

“This is my ironing board. Of all the things I’ve invested in, the expensive sewing machines, all the things I need, I can’t get a good ironing board. Can someone donate me an ironing board? I don’t think I’ve had a new ironing board since Jesus was a baby. Seriously.”

Get a tour of Williams’ Atlanta loft, complete with more hilarious commentary, at thegavoice.com

Photo via RickyMartinMusic.com

04.02.10

“I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.”

— Pop singer Ricky Martin, in a coming out message on his website which cited his two sons as his inspiration to speak out (Rickymartinmusic. com, March 29)

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GA Voice April 2, 2010

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Prom

King Gay Ga. teen loses his home, but wins supporters worldwide, over prom date

By Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com Richard Goodman hopes to spend some quality time with his boyfriend this weekend, maybe catching a movie and hopefully looking for a tuxedo to wear to the prom.

“He’s thinking black and white but I told him we should go and look to see what they have,” Goodman said in a phone interview.

Goodman, 18, is dating Derrick Martin, also 18. Martin made international headlines after receiving approval from school officials to bring Goodman to his senior prom, set for April 17 at Bleckley County High School in Cochran, Ga. Cochran is a small middle-Georgia town with a population of approximately 5,000 people. Goodman is a senior at Tift County High School in Tift, Ga., about two hours south of Cochran. He and Martin talk regularly on the phone, but it’s been awhile since they’ve spent time together.

“If I’m lucky I see him once a month,” Goodman said. “I kind of feel like they’re pulling him away.”

They? The media?

“Yeah,” Goodman answers. “He’s gotten a lot of attention. I usually fly below the radar.”

Neither Martin nor Goodman predicted the attention their story would receive. Martin has given numerous newspaper, radio and television interviews, and is a major topic in the gay blogosphere. Martin said he even got a call from Ellen DeGeneres asking him to come on her show.

And while Martin has been getting all the press, Goodman acknowledged he felt a little left out. After all, he is Martin’s boyfriend.

“It bothers me just slightly,” he said with a shy laugh.

Martin said he has been privately working on getting approval to bring Goodman to the prom

High school senior Derrick Martin is making headlines for his decision to take his boyfriend to the prom. (Photo by Shannon Jenkins / Offhand Photography)

since December. Bleckley Principal Michelle Masters at first told him it was not going to happen because it had never been done before and because the school “was not ready for it.”

“She gave several reasons but I wasn’t going to back down. I wasn’t confrontational, I was just telling the truth,” he said.

So Masters said she would take his request to the school board. The board met twice before following an attorney’s advice that there was no policy prohibiting Martin from bringing a same-sex date to his senior prom.

“It took them until the second Tuesday in March to approve but they said they were afraid for my safety,” Martin said.

And he does fear for his safety. He’s gotten one death threat from someone saying he better “watch his back.”

“What can you do? I don’t give them the satisfaction,” Matin said. “I do walk with a friend always and even put keys between my knuckles.”

Masters told the Macon Telegraph she could not turn down the request.

“You don’t have the right to say no,” Masters said. “As a principal, I don’t judge him. I’m taught not to judge. I have to push my own beliefs to the background.”

‘Bringing Bleckley into the gay era’

Martin is working with local gay activists to find security for his prom. Bleckley students held a rally at Cochran City Hall March 25 to protest the school’s decision to let him attend prom with his boyfriend, and now some of those students plan to hold an alternate prom.

Martin decided to go to the March 25 rally to see what was happening.

“I just wanted to show my face and show them I wasn’t afraid. They were saying I was bringing a bad name to Cochran,” he said.

“They said I was bringing Bleckley County into the gay era.”

One reason the students gave for protesting was the claim that if Martin brought the county into the “gay era,” more gay people would move there.

“There were a lot of ignorant comments to be honest,” he said.

Bleckley senior Amber Duskin, who organized the rally and is leading a charge to have an alternate prom, told the Macon Telegraph she would not attend her senior prom because of Martin.

“I don’t believe in going up there and dancing with gay guys like that,” she said. “It’s also not just him bringing a boy. It was bringing all this attention to it.”

Martin said he confronted Duskin recently in the school cafeteria after she shouted at him and told other students to “come protest these queers.”

“She was talking bad stuff, saying she wishes we wouldn’t show up. You have to ignore people like that. She said I should just go with a girl.

I was trying to figure out the mindset of these people,” he said. “She said I wasn’t a Christian. I went off, but you have to try to be nice.”

Martin has also endured name-calling — “queer” and “faggot” — by members of the baseball team.

“Sometimes you have to laugh and say, well, that’s true, what’s your point,” he said.

Inspiring others

Martin’s choice to fight for his right to take his boyfriend to the prom has inspired numerous activists and supporters from across the country to donate money to help him cover costs for his prom. Supporters have also launched two Facebook pages to back him and PFLAG Macon helped him set up a PayPal account.

“The only reason I set up a PayPal account is because the school was being inundated and my old house was being inundated. I’m not doing this for the money. The only thing I want is for people like me to know you can go to prom,” Martin said. “I didn’t go to the media first. This is not about money.”

Martin said he’s received several donations already.

“It’s more than I ever thought. It’s not a substantial amount, but definitely enough to make my prom amazing,” he said. “I’ve never been one to ask for help, I’ve always done things on my own, and now I’m relying on others — it’s all so new to me.”

Martin has promised 25 percent of the money he receives will go to Constance McMillen. Learning about McMillen, Mississippi lesbian whose prom was canceled by school administrators after she asked to bring her girlfriend as her date, made him continue to fight to bring his boyfriend to his prom.

“She was an inspiration for me,” he said.

“And now my goal is to inspire others. I know what it’s like to be inspired.”

Locally, the Atlanta chapter of Sisters, which Please see MARTIN on Page 6

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GA Voice April 2, 2010

News

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Kicked out for coming out LGBT youth more likely to face homelessness

Derrick Martin and boyfriend Richard Goodman (inset) look forward to the prom at Bleckley County High School April 17. (Photo by Shannon Jenkins / Offhand Photography, Goodman courtesy photo)

Ga. teen inspired by lesbian’s prom fight MARTIN, continued from Page 4 aspires to be a full house of the San Franciscobased Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, is also looking for ways to raise money for Martin and hopes to plan fundraisers in the near future.

“As soon as I read his story, it struck a chord with me,” said Rick Westbrook, aka Rapture Divine Cox. “I’m from Cumming, Ga. I’m old school and never could have done what Derrick is doing. It does my heart good to see young people stand up.”

On March 26 and March 27, Martin was a guest of honor at the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus for the conclusion of its “Georgia on My Mind” tour. The renowned group brought Martin to the stage at Virginia Highland Church, praised his bravery, and named him an honorary member.

Martin sings baritone in his school’s show choir and said he was thrilled by the honor.

“It’s been surprising how many people care,” he said. “If I move to Atlanta I would definitely want to be part of the AGMC.” While Goodman, who is also in his school’s show choir and plays the trumpet, is worried about his boyfriend’s safety, he is comforted by the number of Facebook fans on the page “We support Derrick Martin taking his boyfriend to the prom.” To date, there are close to 7,000 members.

“Cochran only has about 5,000 people.

They could take over Cochran if they wanted,” Goodman said with a laugh. “It helps to know we are not alone.”

Problems at home

Martin’s parents kicked him out of his home after news broke in the Macon Telegraph and local TV news of him bringing Goodman to the prom. His father is a math teacher at Bleckley County High School and Martin says he still talks to him. His mother has pancreatitis and has been in and out of the hospital since he

The situation faced by Derrick Martin — having to leave home for being openly gay — is all too common, according to Beth Keller, director of development at CHRIS Kids, an Atlanta-based organization that helps homeless youth.

Solid numbers on the exact size of the homeless population are difficult to calculate, and knowing how many are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender is even harder.

A report released by the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force in 2007 declared an “epidemic” of homelessness among LGBT youth.

“The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services estimates that the number of homeless and runaway youth ranges from 575,000 to 1.6 million per year,” the study reported.

“Our analysis of the available research sug-

was a small boy, Martin said, which adds to the difficulty of their relationship.

“I had moved out one time before so I was a little prepared for it,” he said.

While he has personal feelings about what his parents have done, he is also a bit defensive when others criticize them. percent of homeless youth “They’re still your parents, your family,” identify as lesbian, gay, he said. bisexual or transgender Martin said being kicked out of his home by his parents because of the media attention this story has garnered hasn’t dissuaded from being who he is. is the primary cause of homelessness for all youth “I know they had the right because it’s percent of gay teens receive their house. Now I just want to get an apartment and then go to college,” he said. negative reaction from Martin has a scholarship to Georgia parents when they come out Southern where he will be major in pre-law.

Goodman hopes to go to Georgia Southern percent of teens are kicked out as well to study veterinary medicine. of their home for coming out Martin was told to leave his home March Source: National Lesbian & Gay Task Force, 2007 23 when he returned there after tutoring atrisk students. His mother told him to leave.

“So I packed my stuff and left,” he said.

“She said it was disrespectful of me” to inter- ‘In the big picture, view with a local TV station. He is now staying it’s a good first step’ Martin said he knew he was gay from a with a female friend in Cochran.

His parents vehemently disapprove of Mar- young age.

“Realizing it for myself was not hard,” he tin’s relationship with Goodman as well. The two have been dating nine months and when said. “I knew that I was more attracted to boys Goodman would drive to Cochran to visit he than girls — I knew that since the ninth grade. was never allowed to come to Martin’s house. If you’re not attracted to girls, you’re not at“One day his mother threatened to call the tracted to girls.”

Goodman also came to grips with being gay cops because I was in the yard,” Goodman said.

Martin said he came out a year-and-a-half and came out when he was 17.

Goodman’s parents are very accepting of him ago. He told his best friend first. Then his parents found text messages he’d exchanged with being gay and his relationship with Martin.

“At first Momma wasn’t happy but she’s a boy he was dating at the time.

“They knew something was up. I told them. come around and now she’s great. She loves Then they took my car, my iPod, my phone, Derrick. My dad was always, ‘You are my son my laptop — every way they could think of and I love you,’” Goodman said.

How the two young men met can be credto try to keep me from communicating with ited to Facebook. him,” he said.

“He randomly added me on Facebook. He “It was really hard back then … but everything I’ve gone though has made me stronger.” said he was watching a movie with a charac-

STATISTICS

20-40

FAMILY CONFLICT

50 26

gests that between 20 percent and 40 percent of all homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender,” it said.

“Family conflict” is the leading cause of youth homelessness, including for youth dealing with issues of sexual orientation or gender identity.

In one study, 50 percent of gay teens got a bad response from their parents when they came out and 26 percent were kicked out, the Task Force reported.

“You have kids growing up in a functional/dysfunctional family and then when they come out all of a sudden they are disowned. They do couch surfing, which is not the stereotypical homeless teen, like someone on the corner asking for change or sleeping under a bridge,” said Keller, who is gay.

But couch surfing, or staying with a friend, does not mean the teen truly has a home, she explained.

“He [Martin] is just one example of the tons of teens out there unfortunately,” she said.

For years, CHRIS Kids operated the Rainbow Program designed specifically for LGBT youth who would otherwise be homeless.

This week, CHRIS Kids merged its Rainbow and Independent Living programs. They will now serve homeless LGBT youth, as well as young adults with children, in a new program named “TransitionZ.” With the merging of the two programs, CHRIS Kids now has available 44 beds for youth 18-24 — more than double the previous space, she said.

“It’s awesome we are opening these beds, but sad because they are already full,” Keller added.

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com • Interview with Derrick Martin • Derrick’s remarks at the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus concert where he was made an honorary member

ter named Dick and he wanted a friend named Richard so he could call him that,” Goodman said. “We had a mutual friend — that’s how he came up with an excuse of why he added me.”

What does Goodman like about Martin?

“There’s so much, I don’t know how to narrow it down,” he said. “He’s smart, he’s funny and he knows how to take care of me when I need it.”

Martin plans on taking Goodman to a nice dinner the night of the prom, either in his 2007 Monte Carlo or a rented limousine.

“There was a time when I wasn’t sure I could go to the prom. But you can take your boyfriend or your girlfriend to prom even if you are gay,” he said.

“It’s prom. In the big picture, it’s a good first step,” Martin added. “Then someone else starts with marriage or any rights or anything that’s hard for us as a community to achieve.”

For Goodman, who has no desire to go to his high school prom, the night is important, but he also plans to have a good time.

“I think it could be fun. And I just want to go to the prom with Derrick,” he said.

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Morehouse celebrates first gay Pride Soulforce Equality Riders visit campus to discuss LGBT issues with faculty, students

By Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com More than 60 people gathered at Morehouse College March 25 for a roundtable discussion on “Sexuality as Power.” The event at Kilgore Hall’s Tiger Grill was part of the historically black, all-male college’s first gay Progress, Restoration, Identity, Dignity and Empowerment (P.R.I.D.E.) Week.

Frank talk about sex, gender and gender identity ensued in a relaxed atmosphere that included young people participating in the Soulforce Q Equality Ride, a bus tour of young LGBT people traveling to campuses across the country.

The discussion, sponsored by Morehouse’s gay-straight alliance Safe Space and the Department of Sociology, was just one activity during the week of events held March 22-27.

“There’s been a great wave in social change and attitude in the nation and at our school as well, so we thought this was the perfect time to capitalize on that,” said Kevin Webb, 21, copresident of Safe Space.

“Morehouse has made me who I am. [W]e are a unique school because we are the only college in America that solely produces AfricanAmerican men to be sent out into the business and social world to make substantial change,”

Anti-gay former state Sen. Nancy Schaefer, husband dead Former state Sen. Nancy Schaefer, an outspoken opponent of LGBT rights, died March 26. Officials with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said that Schaefer was killed by her husband, Bruce, who then shot himself in a murder-suicide.

A Republican, Schaefer served two terms in the Georgia Senate representing District 50. She won election in 2004 and lost her seat in 2008.

In 2005, she struck out at gay families in a column in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“To ban children being adopted by samesex couples is solid policy,” Schaefer stated in the column, although an expected legislative fight to ban gay parenting never materialized.

Schaefer also sponsored legislation to require parental notification for students to join school clubs. The measure was introduced in the wake of controversy over a Gay-Straight Alliance at White County High School.

Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates), Georgia’s first openly gay state lawmaker, served in the General Assembly with Schaefer

added Webb, who is gay. “This is a great moment in the history of our institution.”

William Bynum Jr., vice president for student services at Morehouse, said the administration fully supports the week as a way to educate students and faculty.

“We are extremely supportive of their activities. I’m one of the advisers for Safe Space and support their desire to further educate,” he said. “It’s taken Safe Space a number of years before it felt comfortable to put on a week of activities and we want to be sure we continue to educate ourselves.”

‘Transphobic’ dress code?

A specific concern for Soulforce Equality Riders to bring up in conversations with Morehouse administrators, who welcomed them to the campus, was the college’s dress code policy. Implemented last year, it includes that students cannot wear “clothing usually worn by women (dresses, tops, tunics, purses, pumps, etc.) on the Morehouse campus or at college-sponsored events.”

Soulforce visited the campus two years ago and chose to visit again this year because of the new policy, said Nick Miller, 26, of Ohio, who was on his first Soulforce Equality Ride.

“We were welcomed here two years ago, but the policy changed between then and we feel it further inhibited on some students’ rights,” Miller said. “It’s slightly more of a struggle for some individuals whose gender expression is outside this policy.”

Mac Simon, 21, a transgender man also on his first Equality Ride, agreed. and remembered her as a fierce critic of gay issues.

“Nancy Schaefer was our staunchest opponent,” Drenner said in an interview at the Gold Dome on March 26. “She was against us on Nancy Schaefer every single issue (Photo via Eagle Forum) out there, from gaystraight alliances in schools to same-sex marvriage to same-sex adoption. I think she was probably opposed to the fact that we could even breathe air.”

Schaefer’s work against lesbian and gay issues began well before her legislative career.

Schaefer founded Family Concerns, an archconservative lobbying group, in the late 1980s and for years was considered a prime opponent of Atlanta gay rights activists.

Before winning a seat in the Georgia Senate, she ran failed campaigns for Atlanta mayor, lieutenant governor and governor.

— Laura Douglas-Brown & Matt Schafer

“We find the policy limits gender expression and is transphobic,” Simon said.

Morehouse junior Chanel Monroe, 20, said he is identified as a male because he attends a male college, but he believes gender is fluid.

“I identify as me. I don’t conform to gender roles,” said Monroe, wearing bright red lipstick.

And when the campus invited B. Scott, a black gay online media star, to speak during P.R.I.D.E. Week, nearly 500 people attended. But Monroe pointed out the contradiction of having B. Scott, who wears women’s clothing, speaking at the campus with its restrictive dress code.

“They say we can’t wear pumps, but we had B. Scott, who identifies as male, wearing pumps on the stage. That just puts hell on us to have this dress code,” Monroe said. “But I do think the college is progressing.”

Daniel Edwards, 21, a junior sociology major and co-president of Safe Space, said the campus’ first gay P.R.I.D.E. Week came about after Spelman College, the women’s college adjacent to Morehouse, held its first gay Pride week last year.

Safe Space partnered with Spelman’s LGBT organization, Afrekete, for that event.

“That action was the turning point for us,” Edwards said. “They paved the way for us. In the spirit of collaboration and empowerment — and the spirit of competition — we had to do it, too.”

Edwards said there was not much backlash from other students. The backlash comes when some students confuse gender identity with sexual orientation, Edwards added.

Morehouse College Safe Space co-presidents Daniel Edwards (left) and Kevin Webb organized the university’s first gay P.R.I.D.E. week this month. (Photo by Dyana Bagby)

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com Video: Morehouse students discuss being openly gay ‘Morehouse men’ Morehouse College www.morehouse.edu www.twitter.com/MCSafeSpace

“When we have individuals … outside gender norms, they are called derogatory names like ‘queer’ and ‘faggot,’” he said.

Webb, an English-Spanish double major, said the week was empowering for him. And the two men said seeing the looks on gay freshmen’s faces, knowing they were walking into an inclusive environment, was satisfying.

“They had one positive time that was a reflection of them, a reflection of their humanity,” Edwards said. “That was something we didn’t have.”

“And it was something they didn’t know existed,” Webb added.

New hope for anti-bullying bill at Ga. General Assembly An anti-bullying bill backed by gay groups that was thought dead in the Georgia General Assembly was revived March 30 when language from House Bill 927 was added as an amendment to Senate Bill 250.

The House approved the bill 119-45.

SB 250, sponsored by state Sen. Bill Hamrick (R-Carrollton), was approved in the Senate last March and deals with “unlawful disruption of or interference with the operation of public schools or public school buses.”

State Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-Atlanta) is sponsor of HB 927. The measure would expand the definition of bullying while requiring schools to develop strict guidelines tailored to curb bullying in elementary through high schools.

Jacobs could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday. He has said in the past that he was motivated to introduce the bill by the death of Jaheem Herrera, a Dekalb County fifth grader who killed himself last year. Herrera’s parents said he endured ongoing bullying, including being called gay, although a school system investigation concluded he was not bullied.

Hamrick also could not be reached imme-

diately for comment on the new amendment.

HB 927 did not come up for a vote on March 26, the crucial Crossover Day, the 30th day of the 40-day legislative session. It is the last day that bills can cross from one chamber to the other, meaning bills that aren’t approved by either the House or the Senate by the end of the day are essentially done for the year.

But amending stalled legislation onto a bill that is moving forward is a common strategy.

The full text of HB 927 was added to SB 250.

Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, which lobbied heavily for the bullying bill, did not return a call for comment.

The Young Democrats of Georgia Stonewall Caucus issued a press release stating it was pleased to see the anti-bullying bill still alive.

“While we are displeased that the bill does not have LGBT exclusive language, we are content knowing the increasing problem of discrimination will be dealt with [with] across the board legislation,” the press release states.

The amended SB 250 must now go back to the Senate for final approval.

— Dyana Bagby

News

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How many gay couples live in Ga.?

Ga. Equality joins effort to ‘Queer the Census’

By Laura Douglas-Brown lbrown@thegavoice.com How many gay couples live in Georgia?

Even though there is no question about sexual orientation on the 2010 Census, how you fill out the Census form you recently received can document how many same-sex couples live in the state.

If you are single, there is no way to indicate your sexual orientation on the Census form. But if you are in a same-sex couple, you can note that you live with an “unmarried partner” or a “spouse,” and then indicate the sex of that person.

“Census 2010 is a once-in-a decade opportunity to gain critical information about the LGBT community. It will provide accurate data to inform policies ranging from LGBT people serving in the military to marriage,” said Brad Sears, executive director of the Williams Institute, which studies LGBT demographics.

“Making sure you are counted is just as important as voting,” Sears said in a press release.

“While voting on a ballot measure might impact

one of your rights; participating in the Census will impact all of your rights for the next decade.”

The resulting numbers can be invaluable when lobbying for LGBT rights, agreed Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality. The statewide LGBT political group has partnered with two national coalitions, Queer the Census and Our Families Count, to educate people on the importance of disclosing samesex households on the Census.

“We routinely use Census data that has been compiled and analyzed by the Williams Institute to educate elected officials and policy makers on basic facts regarding the LGBT community in Georgia,” Graham said. “It’s important to remember that most people don’t have in-depth interactions with the LGBT community. Often what seems like bigotry is nothing more than a basic lack of knowledge.”

The federal government conducts a full Census every 10 years, and smaller American Community Surveys more frequently. The 2000 Census revealed 19,288 same-sex unmarried partners in Georgia, with some in every single county. The data also showed the couples to be racially and ethnically diverse, and revealed that 20 percent were raising children.

When the 2000 Census was conducted, same-sex marriage was not legal anywhere in

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MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com www.queerthecensus.org www.ourfamiliescount.org www.georgiaequality.org

How will LGBT same-sex unmarried partners and married couples be counted by the Census?

For the first time in history, the Census will count both unmarried same-sex partners and legally married same sex spouses in its survey.

The National Lesbian & Gay Task Force encourages LGBT people to mail back their Census forms with these stickers affixed to call attention to the lack of questions about sexual orientation and gender identity.

the United States, and same-sex couples who identified themselves as “spouses” were reclassified as “unmarried partners.”

But over the last decade, several states including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and New Hampshire have legalized same-sex marriage. For the first time in history, the 2010 Census will count same-sex “spouses” — even those who live in Georgia, where their marriages are not recognized under state law.

That’s part of what motivated Georgia Equality to launch a Census education campaign that included posters and messages through Facebook and its website.

If I am transgender, do I check the sex I was assigned at birth or my gender identity/expression?

The Census asks each of us to tell the truth as we understand it. Check the box on the census form that most closely reflects your current gender expression.

Source: www.queerthecensus.org

“Not only is it important to make sure that all of these relationships are properly captured as part of the Census, but we knew that a number of married couples who live in states like Georgia might have questions about how to answer the Census,” Graham said.

LGBT groups are also lobbying for sexual orientation and gender identity questions to be specifically included on the 2020 Census.

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Defense secretary unveils new rules for ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Georgians lobby Gates says plan ‘not a moratorium’ on military gay ban

By Lisa Keen Keen News Service Secretary of Defense Robert Gates unveiled March 25 the Pentagon’s plan for making enforcement of the current “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy “more humane and fair.”

The new plan is “not a moratorium on enforcement” of the policy, Gates said. The existing policy bars openly gay people from the military unless they can swear they never have and never will engage in homosexual conduct. But the new plan stipulates that service members “who are involuntarily outed by a third party” can no longer be discharged, and discharges under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” must be approved by a high-ranking officer — a one-star general or higher.

In a preliminary statement, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network called the announcement “another major step” in reducing the number of discharges under DADT. “The question on the table is how, not whether, to repeal the ban,” said SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis. “As welcome as these very helpful changes are, these interim steps are not a substitute for full repeal to reduce DADT discharges to zero.

“An unjust law still remains on the books and the harsh reality is service members will still be discharged under it every day until Con-

gress musters the courage to act to bury the law once and for all.”

Department of Defense General Counsel Jeh Johnson, in response to questions from reporters following Secretary Gates’ announcement, said that third parties will still be able to offer information about someone’s sexual orientation but that the standards for those comments to trigger an investigation will be more stringent. The new regulations, he said, require that an officer determine the reliability of the informant and whether that person might have an ulterior motive in making a report.

The regulations, said Johnson, “discourage the use of hearsay or overheard conversations,” but “hearsay is not excluded under the revisions.”

Johnson acknowledged that “most” of the 428 gay-related discharges last year were initiated by the service member’s own acknowledgment that he or she was gay. Asked whether a discharge proceeding would be triggered if one service member confronted another with a question, such as “Are you gay?” and the latter responded affirmatively, Johnson said that was an issue they had not yet addressed and “we’ll have to work that through.”

No repeal before December?

Secretary Gates emphasized that he does not want the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy to be repealed before his DADT working group

to repeal DADT

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (Photo via defense.gov)

hands in its report on Dec. 1, 2010.

“I do not recommend a change in the law before we have completed our study,” said Gates at the March 25 press briefing. He said he thinks it’s important the working group have time to elicit the views of service members and their families before proceeding.

Gates said the changes will take effect immediately, that they apply to “all open and future cases,” but that the services have 30 days to conform.

The announcement was in fulfillment of Gates’ statement to a Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 2 that he would present a plan within 45 days to ensure that, “within existing law,” enforcement of the policy will be conducted “in a more humane and fair manner.”

GOVERNMENT

HEALTH CARE

Lesbian professor appointed to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

No LGBT provisions in federal health care reform

Lesbian law professor Chai Feldblum was appointed to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on March 27, one of 15 recess appointments made by President Obama that day.

Feldblum helped write the Americans With Disabilities Act and is a professor at the Georgetown University School of Law, according to the DC Agenda, a gay newspaper. She also helped draft the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, pending legislation that would ban job bias based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Feldblum received a confirmation hearing in November, but her nomination had been put on hold by an unidentified Republican senator, according to Keen News Service. She was opposed by several social conservative groups, including the Family Research Council and the Traditional Values Coalition, the news service reported.

The president can make appointments without Senate confirmation when the Senate is in recess. Presidents often resort to the controversial recess appointments when senators repeat-

edly block their nominees from reaching confirmation votes.

“The United States Senate has the responsibility to approve or disapprove of my nominees,” Obama said in a statement, according to the DC Agenda. “But if, in the interest of scoring political points, Republicans in the Senate refuse to exercise that responsibility, I must act in the interest of the American people and exercise my authority to fill these positions on an interim basis.”

The final version of healthcare reform legislation passed by Congress did not include any of the LGBT-specific measures for which groups like the Human Rights Campaign and National Lesbian & Gay Task Force had lobbied.

“While the specific needs of LGBT people were not, in the end, addressed in this historic health reform effort, HRC will continue to push Congress and the administration to take these important steps to protect the health and wellbeing of our community,” Brian Moulton, HRC chief legislative counsel, wrote March 22.

LGBT groups had wanted health care reform to include measures to end the taxation of domestic partner benefits, expand early treatment of HIV, and include LGBT-specific questions on federal health surveys, among others.

“For example, how our families are legally defined greatly affects the costs of and access to coverage, and compounds the impact experienced by the thousands of people of color who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender,” NGLTF Executive Director Rea Carey noted.

— Laura Douglas-Brown

— Laura Douglas-Brown

Chai Feldblum (Photo courtesy Georgetown)

Retired Army Maj. Jeff Cleghorn, a gay attorney from Atlanta, traveled to Washington, D.C., late last month to lobby Congress to repeal “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” The trip was part of an organized campaign by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Fund and the Human Rights Campaign.

“It’s an extraordinary and historic time,” said Cleghorn, who left the Army in 1996 and formerly served on the staff of SLDN. HRC organized a March 18 rally against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in Washington that featured gayfriendly comedian Kathy Griffin. But the event was overshadowed by Lt. Dan Choi, a gay Iraq War veteran who took to the stage to invite rally attendees to join him in a march to the White House.

Choi and former Army Capt. Jim Pietrangelo then chained themselves to a White House fence in a dramatic protest against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” They were arrested along with Robin McGehee, leader of GetEqual.org.

“I want to explain why these actions are exactly what we need to be doing as American citizens,” Choi told the DC Agenda, the city’s LGBT newspaper, upon his release from jail March 19. “When there’s a time when our leaders are unable, unwilling to do the right thing, somebody has to step up to the responsibility.”

Choi is in the process of being discharged for being gay; Pietrangelo was discharged in 2004.

Cleghorn said he did not attend the rally because he was lobbying Congress at the time. But he and his partner, Kevin Kirby, did attend a fundraising dinner for Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Penn.), the lead sponsor of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which seeks to repeal DADT. “Rep. Patrick Murphy, the lead sponsor of the bill, is very optimistic. In the House we have 191 cosponsors, so we feel we’re in striking distance for approval. In Senate there are already 26 co-sponsors,” Cleghorn said.

In Georgia, Cleghorn is urging those who oppose “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to contact Democratic Congressmen David Scott, Sanford Bishop, John Barrow and Jim Marshall.

“We’re working with Georgia Equality to put consistent pressure on these four,” said Cleghorn, who recommended “calling, writing letters, [and] in person visits to district offices even if you talk with staffers.”

In 1992, Cleghorn was in the Army and working at the Pentagon. He said President Clinton’s 1993 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” compromise was like a kick in the gut. “Seventeen years later, I remember the emotions vividly,” he said.

But Cleghorn said he believes that this time, the debate over gays in the military will end differently.

“We are better organized. There is a lot of data and research,” he said. “The cumulative weight is winning the day in Congress and the court of public opinion.”

— Dyana Bagby

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GA Voice April 2, 2010

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The Georgia Voice 1904 Monroe Dr., Suite 130 Atlanta, GA 30324 404-815-6941 www.thegavoice.com

EDITORIAL

Editor: Laura Douglas-Brown lbrown@thegavoice.com

www.theGAVoice.com

VOICES OPINION & REACTION State must act to curb anti-gay bullying

Web Manager: Ryan Watkins rwatkins@thegavoice.com

Dept. of Education can’t remain silent in wake of two deaths

Art Director: Bo Shell bshell@thegavoice.com

By Laura Douglas-Brown

Contributors: Jim Farmer, Shannon Hames, Shannon Jenkins, Robin Kemp, Mike Ritter, Matt Schafer, Christopher Seely, Steve Warren, Justin Ziegler

How many children have to die before our state takes anti-gay bullying seriously?

Late last month, the parents of a teen from Chatsworth, Ga., filed a federal lawsuit over the death of their son, Tyler Lee Long.

An honor student at Murray County High School, Long committed suicide in October after facing what his parents describe as relentless bullying, including being called “gay.”

The case was heartbreakingly similar to the death of Jaheem Herrera, a DeKalb County fifth grader who hung himself last April. Herrera’s family said he faced ongoing bullying, including anti-gay taunts, although a school system investigation concluded the child was not bullied. Students who called him “gay” claimed they thought the word just meant “happy.”

These two deaths, in different areas of the state and in a span of less than 12 months, prove that a piecemeal approach to bullying, especially anti-gay bullying, won’t work.

Deputy Editor: Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com

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The editorial positions of the 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 the Georgia Voice and its staff.

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In DeKalb, schools put up posters against bullying in the wake of the Jaheem Herrera case. But the posters, at least the ones posted in elementary schools, are written in language that would be virtually meaningless to young people — if they read them at all.

Labeled “Eye on Responsibility,” the poster states: “Bullying, verbal threats and any form of harassment are against school rules and should be reported. Based on state law, three bullying violations may result in expulsion.”

Not exactly engaging, is it?

Far better would be a series of signs akin to the excellent posters produced by the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network and distributed by the Ad Council as part of the “ThinkB4YouSpeak” campaign.

One such message surprised me last week as I shopped at DeKalb’s Northlake Mall.

Displayed on a kiosk near one of the mall’s anchor stores, the poster features a photo of a young man. “That’s so ‘Jock who can complete a pass but not a sentence,’” it reads.

The ad continues: “Think that’s mean? How do you think ‘that’s so gay’ sounds? Hurtful.

So, knock it off.”

The message is far better than DeKalb’s legalistic admonishment about bullying: It offers eye-catching imagery, a thought-provoking slo-

gan, and a concrete example of what behavior is hurtful and why.

That’s where the state Department of Education should step in. A series of these posters, including anti-gay bullying but also addressing other types of bias and intimidation, should be displayed in all Georgia schools, and followed by classroom discussions about what they mean.

That’s not state school officials engaging in activism or advocacy. It’s ensuring that every Georgia student has the right to learn free of intimidation or discrimination.

But we have a feeling someone would try to “torpedo” that.

What, you aren’t aware of the rampant “torpedo” problem sweeping our schools?

Last month, the Georgia House debated an anti-bullying measure by Rep. Mike Jacobs (RAtlanta).

Jacobs’ bill would expand the state’s existing bullying law to cover kindergarten to twelfth grade; current law doesn’t apply until sixth. It would also direct the Georgia Department of Education to develop a model policy on bullying.

But from the debate when the bill reached the House floor, you would think the measure was designed entirely to ensnare hapless kindergarteners who would be branded bullies for breaking another child’s pencil.

Rep. “Coach” Williams (D-Avondale Estates) offered an even more absurd scenario, questioning Jacobs twice over whether the bill would apply if two students picked up a third student and “torpedoed” him into a fourth child.

But the Department of Education doesn’t have to wait for the legislature to act.

Cases like Jaheem Herrera and Tyler Lee Long prove that anti-gay bullying is happening in Georgia schools; stories like the young man in Cochran, Ga., planning to take his boyfriend to the prom prove that LGBT students are growing more visible throughout the state.

It’s hard to imagine the state Department of Education remaining silent if two students committed suicide over alleged racial discrimination in less than 12 months, or if two young women killed themselves over persistent sexual harassment.

Anti-gay bullying should be taken just as seriously.

Editor Laura Douglas-Brown plans to shop at Northlake Mall more often. If you see pro- or antigay signs in unexpected places, send her a photo at lbrown@thegavoice.com.

www.theGAVoice.com

SPEAKING OUT Praise for rural Ga. teen taking boyfriend to high school prom

Re: “Atlanta gay chorus hosts Ga. teen kicked out of home over prom” (gavoice.com, March 23 & 26) The more interviews I read with this boy the more impressed I get. I know plenty of GLBT “leaders” who don’t have balls this big. Good for him. The future looks bright.

What would Jesus do? Kick his son to the curb or love him? I believe Jesus said “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” and “there is Faith, Hope, and Love. Love is the greatest of these.” Some people use Christianity as their excuse to judge and hate instead of to love and comfort.

My boyfriend at the time and I went to prom — with a little hesitation from the school, but it all worked out. You just have to fight for what you believe and who you love.

Scant sympathy for anti-gay Sen. Nancy Schaefer’s death Re: “Former Sen. Nancy Schaefer, husband found dead” (gavoice.com, March 27) What a shame for her and her family that her legacy is filled with hatred and bigotry.

My philosophy is that we’ll outlive all the bigots, but this one had a particularly fitting end — also known as karma.

It’s very sad and tragic. Suicide is a sin, and now they just might be in a gay bar purgatory for all eternity.

April 2, 2010

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Editor’s note: These comments on Georgia Voice articles were submitted via our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/thegavoice). Want to weigh in? Follow us there or submit comments on our website.

LETTER Bleckley County principal commended for allowing gay couple at prom Dear Principal Masters, I am a 68 year-old gay man in Atlanta and I want to thank you for your courage in doing the right thing in the prom situation. I grew up in rural north Florida and I know this had to be a very difficult decision for you.

I was born in Valdosta and at age 20, in 1961, I almost committed suicide at the University of Florida because of the fact that I knew I was gay. Fortunately, I met the love of my life at age 23 and we spent 42 years together. He died in 2006 of Parkinson’s. He was completely helpless his last six years and I cared for him 24/7.

We will always be part of this society and with the wisdom of educators like you, someday this type of thing will not be a big deal.

Sincerely, Winston Johnson Atlanta, GA Johnson sent this letter to Bleckley High School Principal Michelle Masters for allowing gay teen Derrick Martin to attend prom with his boyfriend. Speaking out? Share your letters with editor@thegavoice.com

CORRECTION A secondary headline on an article in the March 19, 2010, issue (“Focus turns to federal lawsuit over Eagle raid”) was incorrect.

The secondary headline stated, “Plaintiffs’ attorney says city offered settlement money — but no apology.” The headline could be understood to mean that the city had submitted an official settlement offer to end the case, which is not true.

As is reflected in the article, Dan Grossman, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told writer Christopher Seely that the city had participated in mandatory settlement discussions, and the city’s attorneys indicated a potential willingness to discuss money in the future, but no specific monetary settlement amount has

Voices

been discussed at this point. However, the city indicated it was not willing to discuss an apology or admit that police officers did anything wrong in their raid of the Atlanta Eagle.

CORRECTION POLICY It is the policy of the Georgia Voice to correct errors in coverage. Errors made in the print edition will be corrected in the first issue after they are discovered.

On our website, minor errors of grammar and spelling will be corrected immediately without further notice to readers. Other errors will be corrected in the text of the article with a note to readers posted at the end of the article to explain the change.

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DANCE

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by JIM FARMER

Breathtaking ballet Trey McIntyre Project brings innovative choreography back to Atlanta

Wearing different hats in a nonprofit arts company is a common way of life. Not only do Trey McIntyre and John Michael Schert serve multiple capacities in the ballet company Trey McIntyre Project, they are also partners outside of work.

The troupe, known for its contemporary ballet, makes a return visit to Atlanta April 10 after a successful trip here last year. Founded in 2004, Trey McIntyre Project was originally envisioned as a summer touring company. Response was so positive, says McIntyre, that it’s now a year-round, full-time company. McIntyre is the choreographer while Schert serves as the executive director and one of the dancers.

Celebrated for its innovation, McIntyre’s work has been commissioned by companies ranging from American Ballet Theatre to Stuttgart Ballet to Ballet de Santiago in Chile. His ensemble of dancers has performed all over the world.

Their new show is comprised of three perfor-

mances – starting with “Shape,” called an audience favorite by McIntyre, that incorporates issues such as gender and the human body. The second is “Ten Pin Episodes,” a work involving 200 bowling pins. The finale is “Wild Sweet Love,” about a lonely woman’s search for love.

Featuring music from Queen, Lou Reed, Roberta Flack and the Partridge Family, the performance will also be unique in that it will involve 15 dancers from the local Dance 101.

Performing in Atlanta is actually something of a homecoming for Schert. He is from Valdosta, Ga., and enjoys being able to perform in his home state.

“It was great last time we were here,” he says. “I can always count on a lot of support, friends and family coming.

Like McIntyre, Schert attended the North Carolina School for the Arts before embarking on a career as a dancer.

The two met in 2003 – ironically just after McIntyre had been named as one of People magazine’s Most Eligible Bachelors for that year.

“We met through a friend,” Schert says. “I’d seen his work before and was impressed with what he had been doing.”

Schert decided he wanted to work with McIntyre.

“Trey mentioned he wanted to start a company,” he said. “I thought it was the next evolution of dance. I wanted to do something new and innovative and I liked Trey’s ambitious spirit.”

According to McIntyre the two have a great professional relationship.

“There are so many benefits of us working together, but it does take a lot of focus,” McIntyre says. “We do realize the priority is the relationship.”

McIntyre stopped dancing in 1995 at a time that his choreography was taking off. He did, however, come out of retirement briefly in 2000.

Throughout his work McIntyre has dabbled in issues such as religion, love and relationships. McIntyre says that as he is preparing new works, “it’s important to speak with the most authentic voice I can. I can expose myself in ways that surprise me.”

It’s equally important for the project’s work to remain accessible, he says.

Though the company is on the road nearly half the year, their home base is in Boise, Idaho.

McIntyre says there were offers from San Francisco and other cities, but they opted to have their headquarters in Boise deliberately.

“We wanted to be a pioneer and break new ground,” says McIntyre. “We are very much part of the arts fabric here.”

Being a gay man has certainly influenced Schert’s sensibility as an artist, he says.

Valdosta, Ga., native John Michael Schert performs with the Trey McIntyre Project, the innovative ballet company founded by his life partner.

(Courtesy photo)

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com Trey McIntyre Project Saturday, April 10, 8 p.m.

Rialto Center for the Arts 80 Forsyth St., Atlanta, GA 30303 www.rialtocenter.org

“There is a lack of sensitivity and intimacy in America among men. Men are afraid of being intimate. I find that there is a lot of strength in being a well-rounded person. It affects who you are as a person and artist,” he says.

“I’m gay; I’m in love with a man. Some can find that limiting but I find it empowering. I get to own it and be unapologetic.”

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BOOKS

by ROBIN KEMP

‘Collision of East and West’ Christopher Rice’s ‘Moonlit Earth’ explores money, family and being gay in the Middle East

Christopher Rice’s latest novel, “The Moonlit Earth,” tackles three dangerous subjects: wealth, family, and gay life in the Middle East.

After his last novel about a closeted Marine’s death and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” elicited reallife death threats, Rice jokes, “This book is as close as I’ll ever get to Robert Ludlum.”

The main character of “The Moonlit Earth” is a straight woman, Megan, who discovers that her flight-attendant brother Cameron is caught up in an apparent terrorist bombing in Hong Kong. Aabid, a gay Saudi Arabian who stays in the closet so he won’t be cut off from his family’s fortune, has a habit of trying to buy Cameron’s affection. Aabid’s bodyguard, Majed, runs interference throughout.

Their dangerous itinerary ranges from Megan and Cameron’s humble corner of wealthy Cathedral Beach, where their divorced mother survives on their wealthy and adulterous cousin’s largesse, to the sex-trade hotspots of Thailand and the ritzy hotels of Hong Kong.

Rice traveled to Thailand and Hong Kong as part of his research.

“I really feel that a writer should go to the places he writes about in order to connect emotionally,” he explains.

Thailand seemed a logical starting point, given its reputation, but Hong Kong captured his imagination. “The minute my feet hit the ground, I knew this is where I wanted to set the novel because of the energy there and the collision of East and West,” he says.

“The Moonlit Earth” hits bookstores nationwide on April 6, and Rice holds a reading and book-signing April 13 at Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse. He is enthusiastic about returning to Atlanta.

“Atlanta? Oh my God! The best book signing events I do on my tour are always in Atlanta. One year, the fire marshal threatened to shut down Outwrite Books, there were so many people there!” he recalls.

Valuing the written word

Rice credits Outwrite owner Philip Rafshoon with keeping the store open despite the current economic climate and changes in LGBT bookselling and publishing.

“Outwrite is a powerhouse. Look at what’s happened to gay bookstores. We’ve gone from 150 to about 50 (in recent years),” he says.

“Outwrite’s staying strong as an institution and not resting on its laurels. Philip’s aggressive, he’s really out there in the community, and stores like Outwrite and Giovanni’s Room in Philadelphia are stepping up to the challenge.”

In this climate, Rice worries that many in the community don’t realize how important it is to support LGBT authors by buying their books and showing up for their events.

“The attitude in our culture is that people shouldn’t have to pay for content. I think content should be reasonably priced — especially the ridiculous price of some hardbacks — but in the [gay] community, I’ve seen a dismissal of the written word, particularly the idea that text-based content should be shared, not compensated,” he says.

Until New York figures out how to pay authors for e-books, he says, the industry “provides writers with a very dispiriting experience, particularly if you’re not ‘Anne Rice’s son’.”

Although Rice has worked hard to distinguish his work from his mother’s famous novels, he kicks off his current tour at the University of California - Riverside, where he and Anne Rice will appear in conversation on April 3.

April 2, 2010

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Christopher Rice’s ‘Moonlit Earth’ includes a gay flight attendant caught up in a possible terrorist bombing, and the closeted Saudi Arabian trying to buy his affection.

(Photo by Toky Photography via christopherricebooks.com)

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com Christopher Rice Tuesday, April 13, 7:30 p.m.

Outwrite Bookstore & Cofeehouse 991 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA 30309 404-607-0082 www.outwritebooks.com www.christopherricebooks.com

“We have a very funny moderator, Todd Goldberg. People like us together on stage and say we have good chemistry. But we don’t do it all the time,” he says.

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Breaking burlesque boundaries 2 0 1 0 AT L A N TA H U M A N R I G H T S C A M P A I G N GALA DINNER & AUCTION

Saturday, May 1, 2010

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Hyatt Regency Atlanta Featuring HRC President Joe Solmonese

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Friend and playwright Johnny Drago says Vagina Jenkins challenges traditional beauty by ‘just showing up.’ (Jenkins photo by Knottie Pictures; Drago photo by Keith Greiger)

JENKINS, continued from Page 15

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burlesque was, she asked other people what to do and then created her own idea of what she wanted her act to be. Her first performance was a slow dance and tease number with silk flowers she sewed to her bra and panties.

“I danced as Eve to ‘A Sunday Kind of Love’ by Etta James. And I love that I started performing in a queer context,” she says. “All my major firsts have been in queer contexts.”

Burlesque is an art form that celebrates all things feminine, Jenkins says. But she also likes to push the boundaries of what people perceive as the ideal beautiful woman.

“I’ve always done this on my own terms by never going on a diet, not being closeted, no boob job,” she says. “And the way burlesque works feels so gay.”

Jenkins wants to start touring on her own and is also trying to raise funds for an RV or a van so she can take her message of challenging the traditional views of beauty to more and more people.

“I want to bring more visibility for the communities I represent — women of size, people of color and queer femmes,” she says. “And I’m an attention-seeking whore,” she adds.

Watching Jenkins perform, Drago says he feels transported to the past and to the future at the same time.

“I think what she does is really important in representing very consciously and in a focused way the types of beauty that are not typically challenged,” he says.

“By just showing up she challenges you to think about beauty. While honoring the history of burlesque, she’s subverting it.”

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s

EVENTS by DYANA BAGBY • dbagby@theGaVoice.com

Leather love First Atlanta Leather Pride weekend aims to bring community together

Break out your leather chaps and vests as the first Atlanta Leather Pride brings numerous leather/BDSM/fetish organizations together for a weekend of parties and camaraderie.

“All the different clubs and organizations have their own events and we wanted to have one large event, to bring all of us together, and say it’s the community’s event,” says Pup Nitro, a co-producer of the event with Daddy Alan Penrod.

In the Southeast and Atlanta, several leather/BDSM/fetish clubs and groups thrive and “range the gamut,” Nitro says. “No matter which niche you fit into you have an organization to belong to.”

Nitro acknowledges some people may be intimidated by a leather event, but he assures that all are welcome.

“You get that mentality anytime you’re going into a new environment — whether it’s a country and western bar or a leather bar. There’s

that fear of the unknown. Our community really tries to welcome everyone in,” he says. “And when people do come in they have a ball.”

The Black & Blue Ball is slated for Friday, April 10, at the Atlanta Eagle. There will be different BDSM/fetish demonstrations at the party, but “nothing over the top,” Nitro says. And people will also have the opportunity to discuss and ask questions about the demonstrations, which include several female presenters.

Participants are coming from as far away as Canada, Los Angeles, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale and Washington, D.C. “This is an all inclusive event, regardless of anyone’s gender or sexuality,” he says.

Leather ‘family’

Special guests include Jeffrey Payne, International Mr. Leather 2009, and Alex Lindsey, American Leatherman 2009, who will be judges in the Mr. Atlanta Eagle contest.

Also judging will be Isatiable Amazon, the only woman on the panel, who is the producer of Southeast Olympus Leather and was named 2007 Ms. Southeast Olympus Leather.

“I think it shows growth for the Atlanta community and the Southeast,” she says of Atlanta’s first Leather Pride weekend. Insatiable Amazon travels throughout the Southeast teaching on topics from communication in relationships to fisting. “Everything from mild

April 2, 2010

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MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com Atlanta Leather Pride Weekend www.atlantaleatherpride.com Friday, April 9 Black & Blue Ball 10 p.m.-3 a.m. at Atlanta Eagle 306 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30308 Saturday, April 10 Mr. Atlanta Eagle contest 9 p.m.-10:30 p.m. at Atlanta Eagle Wind down party 3 a.m.-5 a.m. at Manifest 4U 2103 Faulkner Road, Atlanta, GA 30324 www.manifest4u.org Sunday, April 11 Leather brunch 12:30 p.m.-3 p.m. at Pizzeria Vesuvius 327 Edgewood Ave. SE, Atlanta, GA 30312 www.pizzeriavesuvius.com

to wild. I love it,” she says.

Penrod, reigning Mr. Atlanta Eagle and second runner up in the 2009 International Mr. Leather Contest, says building community is how he chose to spend his time serving the leather community as the title holder. The 2009 Mr. Atlanta Eagle Contest was the first since 2002. “Our leather community has its highs and lows … but we’re a very friendly and compassionate group of people,” Penrod says. “We understand the sense of family and always being there for each other.”

Daddy Alan Penrod and Insatiable Amazon.

(Daddy Alan photo by BULLmanX; Insatiable Amazon courtesy photo)

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GA Voice April 2, 2010

DIRECTORY To advertise, email sales@thegavoice.com

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www.OffhandPhotography.com 404.312.5392

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COMMUNITY LOCAL LIFE Songs against suicide ‘Harmony for Life’ concert benefits prevention efforts

By Shannon Hames When Angela “Bucky” Motter takes the stage at the April 16 “Harmony for Life” suicide prevention benefit, it won’t be just to help a distant cause. For the transgender musician, the subject of suicide hits close to home.

“I’ve lost two people to suicide. I’ve battled and been medicated for depression for years now and I know that I am at risk myself,” Motter says. “Preventing suicide is important.

But with that, there is also just as great a need to help survivors of suicide [family & friends left behind]. They need to know that it wasn’t their fault.”

The fourth annual “Harmony for Life” show, which raises money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, will be held at Eddie’s Attic on Friday, April 16. Performers include Motter, the Joe McGuinness Trio, Alexis Vear, Mike Kinnebrew, Vinyl Strangers, and more.

Besides donating time to AFSP, Motter also teaches guitar, acts, performs as a studio and live musician, and is a professional body builder, bringing home a silver medal from the Gay Games VI in Chicago 2006 in the “over-40 physique” category.

Motter identifies as transgender, and lost a transgender friend to suicide.

“Being transgendered is another risk factor for suicide. My friend had transgender issues that were not being addressed. I don’t know if he couldn’t address them or it was the doctor working with him. I’ll never know,” Motter says.

“Doing this show is something that I can do to help others out who might be struggling.”

Every 16 minutes

Chris Owens, the Atlanta director for AFSP, notes that the fundraiser will not only include great entertainment, but also fantastic silent auction items.

“We’ve got an African safari for two, Air Tran tickets for two, a Florida resort trip, a stay at the Ritz Carlton in Washing-

• The risk of attempting suicide is twice as high for lesbian, gay and bisexual youth.

• Some 30 percent of lesbian, gay and bisexual youth have attempted suicide. ton, D.C., jewelry, artwork… all kinds o f great things that people can bid on,” he says.

The AFSP fundraiser will send half of the money raised to its national headquarters and the other half will stay here and go towards survivor support. That includes training for support group facilitators, camp tuition for child survivors of suicide and an interactive screening program now in place at Agnes Scott College. AFSP is working to make it available to other institutions as well.

Owens stresses that suicide prevention is grossly underfunded. Atlanta has approximately seven researchers who work on prevention study programs.

“There is one suicide attempt every 16 minutes in the United States and about 1,000 suicides each year just in Georgia. It can be prevented and most people who commit suicide usually give warning signs,” Owens says. “Most people who die of suicide had a diagnosable psychiatric disorder that could have been treated.”

Within the last 25 years, more than 15 different studies have consistently shown much higher rates of suicide attempts among lesbian, gay and bisexual youth — as high as 20 percent to 40 percent among gay adolescents.

Russell and Joyner (2001) found that the risk of attempting suicide was twice as high

After losing friends to suicide, transgender musician Angela “Bucky” Motter wants ‘to help others who might be struggling.’ (Photo courtesy Motter)

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com Harmony for Life Friday, April 16, 7:30 p.m.

Eddie’s Attic 515-B N. McDonough St., Decatur, GA 30030 404-377-4976, www.eddiesattic.com

among lesbian, gay and bisexual youth as among heterosexual youth. Safren and Heimberg (1999) reported that 30 percent of lesbian, gay and bisexual youth versus 13 percent of heterosexual youth had attempted suicide at some point. Eisenberg and Resnick (2006) found that of students grades 9 - 12, 52.4 percent of lesbian and bisexual females and 29 percent of gay and bisexual males had already attempted suicide.

“I’ve tried to get the gay community more involved,” Owens says. “It’s hard to bring them in, though.”

Anyone interested in donating an auction item for the fundraiser can contact Owens at cowens@ afsp.org. Tickets to “Harmony for Life” cost $125 for a reserved table or $25 for general admission.

Tickets may also be purchased at the door.

Community

April 2, 2010

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Helping ATL’s youth ‘Evolve’ There is no charge for admission to “Evolve!,” YouthPride’s largest fundraiser of the year, so organizers hope attendees will give generously to help prevent suicide by providing counseling for LGBT and questioning youth ages 13-24.

“We do a lot with the assistance of volunteers, but the reality is we still don’t have enough, and we never have,” says Terence McPhaul, YouthPride executive director. “We want to encourage people to really take a look at what we do. … We are much more than safe space.

“We are a safe, supportive development center and we want people to know the vast array of services we offer, and certainly suicide prevention is our most important,” McPhaul says.

“Evolve” is scheduled for April 9 at the Bill Lowe Gallery. DJ Travis Roache will provide music, and attendees will enjoy free appetizers and drinks.

“We couldn’t have picked a better location,” McPhaul says. “The Bill Lowe Gallery is absolutely fabulous and has some of the best artwork in the city. It’s just a really fun time for people to be able to connect.”

“Evolve” is also the name of YouthPride’s counseling program, which is led by Tana Hall, a licensed professional counselor. Counseling is provided free of charge to YouthPride members and their families, and demand is high.

“We believe that our counseling program is the best suicide prevention that we can provide,” Hall says.

YouthPride operates with an annual budget of about $300,000. The agency cites 4,500 visits per year from more than 1,100 individuals.

Last year’s “Evolve” party raised $18,000.

— Laura Douglas-Brown

the Bill Lowe DJ Travis Roache spins at helps prevent suiich wh Gallery for ‘Evolve,’ thPride’s counYou for ds fun ing cide by rais ebook) Fac via oto seling programs. (Ph

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com Evolve!

Friday, April 9, 6-10 p.m. at Bill Lowe Gallery 1555 Peachtree St., Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30309 www.youthpride.org

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Community

GA Voice April 2, 2010

www.theGAVoice.com

ATHENS by MATT SCHAFER

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com

Boys in fairyland Boybutante AIDS Foundation chooses fairy theme for 21st annual ball

The Boybutante AIDS Foundation celebrates 21 years of its over-the-top Boybutante Ball, a wildly popular fundraiser for AIDS Athens.

Although organizers are keeping many of the details under wraps, they have announced the theme of the April 17 ball: “Fairy Tails.”

“I’ve always described it as Halloween and Mardi Gras all in one,” Boybutante board member Tony Kearney says.

Kearney’s alter ego, Wild Cherry Sucret, is one of emcees of the event.

“It’s all about the theme … so I can see a lot of crazy costumes coming out,” Kearney says.

The Boybutante Ball, followed by a brunch the morning after, concludes a week of Boybutante activities. New for this year, organizers have tweaked the brunch to feature the show’s drag queens.

“The performers are going to be acting as the wait staff and breaking out into performances,” Boybutante Foundation Chair Gulley said. “We did a brunch last year and it was amazing… and this time we’re moving into a bigger venue.”

Boybutante Ball started as a few friends throwing a party and has grown into one of Athens’ biggest social events.

“I think we are one of the few events that brings together all of Georgia, we just happen to do it in drag,” Gulley says. “We don’t have just people from Athens; we have people from Atlanta, from smaller communities, from across Georgia really.”

The ball is also one of the few events that crosses social lines in Athens.

“Athens is a small town — it has the college feel, but people still don’t talk about HIV or AIDS… and this is a great event where you can come out and have fun but we all still know what we’re there for,” Kearney says. “The week before, all the stores in town sell out of ladies’ clothes, everyone really gets involved and you can’t tell who is straight, gay or whatever.”

RASTA THOMAS’

BAD BOYS OF DANCE ATLANTA PREMIERE

“Undeniably thrilling” –Backstage.com

Thursday, April 22, 8 p.m.

Using physical prowess, raw masculinity and technical perfection, dance superstar Rasta Thomas and his stunningly talented Bad Boys move to the rhythms of ballet, Broadway, tango and hip-hop to deliver a highly imaginative and entertaining show. sponsored by

Call today for tickets!

404-894-9600

www.ferstcenter.org

Boybutante AIDS Foundation www.boybutante.org Boyball Week Drag Bingo April 13, 8 p.m.

Little Kings, Athens Boybutante Karaoke & Drag Search April 14, 8 p.m.

Go Bar, Athens Ladies on the Lawn April 15, 7 p.m.

Ashford Manor, Watkinsville Wild Cherry Sucret performs at Boybutante Ball, a key fundraiser for AIDS Athens. (Courtesy photo)

Support for AIDS Athens

The money raised by Boybutante goes to AIDS Athens. Since its inception, the Boybutante Ball has raised over a half-million dollars for the organization, and this year Gulley and his board hope to donate a record $35,000.

“When we first began AIDS Athens did not have a fundraising board of their own, they didn’t really have a way to raise funds,” Gulley says. “We continue to do it because AIDS Athens does such a great job of outreach, not just in Athens but throughout northeast Georgia…

“People think that we don’t need HIV and AIDS services, but there are still people coming into this world, coming into their sexuality, every

21st Annual Boybutante Ball April 17, 9 p.m.

40 Watt, Athens Boyball Brunch April 18, 10 a.m.

Farm 255, Athens

day and they need to need to know,” he says.

Olivia Long, executive director of AIDS Athens, said the funds Boybutante donates every year are a significant part of the agency’s yearly budget.

Long said federal grants often do not fund education and outreach, and the ball’s funds allow the organization to offer testing and education to Athens and much of northeast Georgia.

“Hands down without a doubt we would not be able to do what we do without their support,” she says.

Community

www.theGAVoice.com

GEORGIA SPOTLIGHT 2009 Atlanta HRC Dinner Co-chairs Brad DiFiore and Ebonee Bradford (Courtesy Atlanta HRC Dinner)

Macon OUT

For the past five years, a group of LGBT MORE INFO people have been gathMacon OUT ering for dinner in and facebook.com/MaconOUT around Macon as a groups.yahoo.com/ way to socialize in the group/MaconOUT city about 78 miles south of Atlanta.

“We’re not an official organization although we are talking about expanding to doing other things,” says Edric Floyd, a member of Macon OUT and also the co-president of Macon’s PFLAG group.

The dinners, held on the third Thursday of

each month, attract anywhere from 10 to 30 people. They have been held in Macon, Warner Robbins and Milledgeville.

“We sometimes take over a restaurant. We fill up a place easily,” Floyd says.

The dinners are traditionally made up of couples who are older and have outgrown the club scene, he adds.

Through a Yahoo group and a Facebook page, there are hundreds of people registered with Macon OUT, Floyd says. Last month, the group started a book club.

Macon OUT formed after Macon Pride disbanded around 2005.

“We’re an extra outlet to meet people in the community,” he says.

— Dyana Bagby

Atlanta HRC Dinner Committee

The Atlanta HRC Dinner Committee MORE INFO celebrates its 23rd dinAtlanta HRC Dinner atlantahrcdinner.org ner this year, and also celebrates winning the national HRC Dinner Committee award for the second year in a row.

“When we won it [the first time in 2008] it was sort of a surprise … but this year we were really surprised,” says Brad DiFiore, the 2010 dinner co-chair with Julie Wood. DiFiore was co-chair last year with Ebonee Bradford.

“Not because we don’t believe it to be true, but it was very gratifying they still chose us after we won the previous year. I like to think it’s because we stand out,” DiFiore says.

National HRC Events Manager Richard Gagliano credits the committed volunteers on the Atlanta committee for holding a successful dinner each year.

“They are true partners with HRC National

every step of the way. … HRC Atlanta sets the bar in terms of what it means to be a successful HRC Dinner Committee,” Gagliano says.

Atlanta’s HRC Dinner raised $330,000 in 2009. This year the dinner is slated for May 1 at the Hyatt Regency. The HRC National Visibility Award will be presented to Andy Cohen, Bravo’s senior vice president of original programming and development.

Cohen is behind such shows as “Top Chef,” all of “The Real Housewives” shows and “The Millionaire Matchmaker.” He also hosts Bravo’s late-night weekly talk-show “Watch What Happens: Live.”

Also to be honored at this year’s dinner are state Rep. Simone Bell (D-Atlanta), who will receive the Dan Bradley Humanitarian Award, and Vandy Beth Glenn, recipient of the Leon Allen and Winston Johnson Community Service Award.

— Dyana Bagby

April 2, 2010

GA Voice

YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD THE WORLD’S BEST RESEARCH AND CUTTING EDGE SCIENCE IS HERE IN ATLANTA.

LET’S MAKE HIV A THING OF THE PAST.

WE ARE SEEKING MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN BETWEEN 18 AND 45 YEARS OF AGE WHO DO NOT HAVE HIV TO JOIN IN OUR QUEST FOR A VACCINE TO COMBAT HIV. If eligible you will participate in a study to evaluate the safety and the potential efficacy of an HIV vaccine. The vaccine does not contain HIV. You will receive $75 per study visit for your time and travel expenses to the study location in Decatur, Georgia. This study is being conducted by Dr. Mark Mulligan of the Hope Clinic of the Emory Vaccine Center, located at 603 Church Street, Decatur, GA 30030.

WWW.HOPECLINIC.EMORY.EDU | VACCINE@EMORY.EDU HOPE…BE A PART OF IT. CALL 877-424-HOPE(4673) TO LEARN MORE.

W 200 INNE 8 R G AG ANGUARD LCC EL A IAN WA RD

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GA Voice April 2, 2010

Community

www.theGAVoice.com

Your Milestones

BIRTH

Georgia Voice web manager Ryan Watkins and Alissa Cullinan are pleased to announce the birth of their first daughter, Lucy Jayne Watkins. On March 23, 2010, the couple welcomed a healthy (and robust) nine pound, four ounce baby to the world. They were surrounded by friends and family. After nine long months, they are excited to finally start their family.

ANNIVERSARY

FAREWELL

Fans turned out March 27 to bid “au revoir” to Paris Decatur, the LGBT bar owned by Susan Bird. “It has been a great run, and I have learned a lot. I have had great support from my friends, and I have met so many interesting and wonderful people that I now feel privileged to call my friends,” Bird said in a press release.

Jon Garcia and Chris Hough will celebrate their seven-year anniversary on April 3, 2010.

Marking a MILESTONE? Share your engagements, weddings, births, adoptions, anniversaries, birthdays and other events! Announcements can be up to 200 words and can include a photo. E-mail editor@thegavoice.com with your milestone and contact info to see your name in print!

www.theGAVoice.com

BEST BETS 04.02 - 04.16

Calendar

April 2, 2010

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25

ADD YOUR EVENT

There are two ways to add your events to our online and print calendars. Submit your info to www.theGAVoice.com or e-mail the details to editor@theGAVoice.com.

Publicity Photo

SPOTLIGHT

Photo courtesy weddingcollectibles.com

“The Runaways,” starring Kristen Stewart (right) as rocker Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning (left) as Cherie Currie, explores the early years of the 1970s all-girl band. Opens tonight at Midtown Art Cinema, 931 Monroe Drive, Atlanta, GA 30308, 678-495-1424, www.landmarktheatres.com

Sunday, April 11 The Rainbow Wedding Network hosts the fifth-annual Atlanta LGBT Wedding Expo, featuring 25 gay-friendly businesses offering a range of services. Free attendance.

12:30 – 3:30 p.m. at Hotel Palomar in Midtown, 866 West Peachtree St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30308, SameLoveSameRights.com

ril 3 her Saturday, ApGir ting with Margaret Cho on lyman, currently collabora tunes Friday, April 2

Lizzy Pitch brings her indie-pop-rock to a solo performance at Bellissima. 9 p.m. at 560-B Amsterdam Ave., Atlanta, GA 30306, www.myspace.com/bellissima_lounge Princess Charles hosts the monthly First Fridays Cabaret at Straits with DJ Ian Lee. 10:30 p.m. at Straits, 793 Juniper St., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.straitsrestaurants.com

Friday, April 2 – Sunday, April 4

Photo via MySpace

The Dixie Invitational Bowling Tournament, one of the oldest gay bowling events in the country, got underway Thursday and runs through Sunday, bringing 200 bowlers to Brunswick Zone in Norcross. 6345 Spalding Drive, Norcross, GA 300921866, 770-840-8200, www.dixiebowl.org

Saturday, April 3

Wednesday, April 14 Pets Are Loving Support, better known as PALS, hosts “FAGS Prom Night” Bingo with Bubba D. Licious and Alexandria Martin (pictured); FAGS stands for Florida, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., first number called at 7 p.m. at Jungle, 2115 Faulkner Road, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.palsatlanta.org

“Memory Flash,” the first project of artist collaborative John Q, revisits four points in Atlanta’s LGBT history from the 1940s through the 1970s, starting with a history walk at 5 p.m. at 532 Wabash Ave.; followed by 6 p.m. at 551 Ponce de Leon, site of the Joy Lounge, an early drag bar; 7 p.m. at Piedmont Park’s softball fields where lesbian teams played; and 8 p.m. at Mixx at 1492 Piedmont Ave., for a showing of “Lonesome Cowboy” at the site of the old Ansley Mall Cinema. johnqcollective.wordpress.com

Gender-bending trio ng pop-folk-bluegrass harmonies and often amusi -B N. McDonough St., new album, brings amazing and 9:30 p.m at Eddie’s, 515 . p.m 7 ic.

Att ie’s Edd at to two shows m 7-4976, www.eddiesattic.co Decatur, GA 30030. 404-37

MORE COMMUNITY EVENTS

Photos by Stephanie Richardson

Friday, April 9

www.theGAVoice.com

Looking for more events? Visit our website for our extensive daily calendar, including nightlife schedules and community organization meetings, provided by our friends at ProjectQAtlanta.com.

Jungle celebrates Easter weekend with DJ David Knapp. Doors open at 10 p.m. at 2115 Faulkner Road, Atlanta, GA 30324, 404-844-8800, www.jungleclubatlanta.com

Sunday, April 4

Don your most outrageous Easter bonnet for the Armorettes’ annual Easter Drag Races. 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. outside Blake’s on the Park, 227 10th St., Atlanta, GA 30309. www.armorettes.com

Monday, April 5

Salon Red offers free haircuts all day with a donation to the AIDS Vaccine Ride, which benefits the Emory Hope Clinic, as well as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Appointments preferred.

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1612 Dekalb Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307-2112, 404-373-2868, www.salonred.com, www.actioncycling.org

Wednesday, April 7

Girls on Top takes to the Rooftop of the Glenn Hotel with female DJs on the turntables. 9 p.m. at 110 Marietta St., Atlanta, GA, 30303, www.glennhotel.com

Thursday, April 8

‘All About Vag’ unites a long list of queer performers to help send burlesque diva Vagina Jenkins to the prestigious London Burlesque Fest.

Performers include Al Schlong, Twinhead Theatre Company, Lala Luscious, Devin Liquor, Syren of the South burlesque artists Talloolah Love, The Gazelles at Eyedrum Gallery, 290 Martin Luther King Junior Drive SE, Atlanta, GA 30312, www.vaginajenkins.com

Friday, April 9

Evolve! raises funds for YouthPride’s suicide prevention programs, helping LGBT and questioning young people lead positive and productive lives. The event is free with donations encouraged.

6 – 10 p.m. at Bill Lowe Gallery, 1555 Peachtree St., Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30309, www.youthpride.org

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

GA Voice April 2, 2010

Calendar

EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

Anne Lamott, author of bestselling books including “Traveling Mercies” and “Grace (Eventually),” reads from her new novel, “Imperfect Birds.” at the First Baptist Church in Decatur, 308 Clairemont Ave., Decatur, GA 30030. Sponsored by the Georgia Center for the Book. georgiacenterforthebook.org

www.theGAVoice.com

UPCOMING

Thursday, April 15

Cliterati Open No-Mic is hosted by the spoken-word team of Karen G and Theresa Davis. This month’s featured poet is Andi Kauth (pictured), who is only 21 but has been a slam poet since 2004.

7:30-9 p.m. at Charis Books & More, 1189 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta GA 30307, 404522-9912, www.chariscircle.org

Saturday, April 17

Photo via MySpace

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Thursday, April 22

The House of eMaGi hosts the “LOVE, Make Me Over” Health, Beauty & Wellness Expo addressing a variety of health concerns, including HIV prevention and services, on Friday from 8-10 p.m. On Saturday, the Beauty “Make Over” Network Mixer takes place from noon to 6 p.m. Both events at Respect Stylez Hair & Image Studio, 227 Mitchell St. Ste. 2A, Atlanta, GA 30303. www.wix.com/kollideinc/lovemakemeover

Saturday, April 10

The Southern Bears hold their monthly meeting, with visitors always welcome. Meeting is from 7-8 p.m. at Amsterdam Atlanta, 502 Amsterdam Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30306. Bar night follows at the Atlanta Eagle, 306 Ponce De Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.sourthernbears.org The innovative, contemporary ballet of the Trey McIntyre Project, led by gay choreographer Trey McIntyre, comes to the Rialto. 8 p.m. at the Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University, 80 Forsyth St NW Atlanta, GA 30303, 404-413-9849, www.rialtocenter.org The Mary Edith Pitts Show brings a dose of drag hilarity to Burkhart’s every Saturday night. 11:30 p.m. at Burkhart’s Pub, 1492 Piedmont Ave. NE #F, Atlanta, GA 30309, www.burkharts.com

Sunday, April 11

Second Sunday of Atlanta, a discussion group for black gay men, hosts its monthly meeting, this time focusing on “Random Acts of Kindness.” 3 – 5 p.m. in the Bruce Almond Room at Positive Impact, 139 Ralph McGill Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30308, www. secondsundayatlanta.org

Bring out your best disco styles for Roller Skating for GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

7 p.m. at All American Skating Center, 5574 Bermuda Road, Stone Mountain, GA 30087, www.glaad.org

Photo via Facebook

It’s Leather Pride weekend at the Atlanta Eagle.

Events include the Black & Blue Ball on Friday night; an afternoon leather BBQ, the Mr. Atlanta Eagle contest, and an after-party on Saturday; and a leather family brunch on Sunday. Most events at Atlanta Eagle, 306 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.atlantaeagle.com

Sunday, April 18

The 21st annual Boybutante Ball has the theme of “Fairy Tails” and raises funds for AIDS Athens. 9 p.m. at the 40 Watt Club, 285 W. Washington St., Athens, GA 30601, www.boybutante.org

Friday, April 9 – Saturday, April 10

Friday, April 9 – Sunday, April 11

DJ Martin Fry returns to the Atlanta Eagle. 10 p.m. at the Eagle, 306 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.atlantaeagle.com

Monday, April 12

David McConnell brings his new novel, “The Silver Hearted,” to Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse.

7:30 p.m. at 991 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30309, 404-607-0082, www.outwritebooks.com

Tuesday, April 13

Son of famed author Anne Rice, Christopher Rice is a best-selling novelist in his own right. He signs his newest novel, “The Moonlit Earth,” at 7:30 p.m. at Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse, 991 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30309, 404-607-0082, www.outwritebooks.com

Wednesday, April 14

AID Atlanta’s gay outreach program presents “Rebooted: Love, Sex & Dating in the Internet Age.” 7 p.m. at AID Atlanta, 1605 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30309, 404-870-7763, www.aidatlanta.org Gay Fathers of Atlanta holds a support meeting 7:30 – 9 p.m. at Atlanta / Fulton County Public Library, 980 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306, www.gfoatlanta.org

Thursday, April 15

Philip Rafshoon, founder and owner of Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse, is the speaker for tonight’s Atlanta Executive Network meeting.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. at Mixx Atlanta, 1492 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA 30309, www.aen.org

Thursday, April 15

Dawn (Nia Fairweather) is in love with Sam (Cher Santiago), but an unexpected pregnancy could shatter their relationship in “The Roe Effect,” one of more than a dozen lesbian and gay films included in the Atlanta Film Festival. The festival opens tonight and runs through April 23, featuring more than 160 films ranging from documentaries to animated features. Tonight’s opening night gala includes showing of “Freedom Riders,” 8 p.m. at the Carter Center, 453 Freedom Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30307. Most other events at the Landmark Midtown Arts Cinema. Full schedule @ atlantafilmfestival.com Todd Johnson reads and signs his debut novel, “The Sweet By and By,” at 7:30 p.m. at Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse, 991 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30309, 404-607-0082, outwritebooks.com See who wins the crown as the Miss Georgia Entertainer of the Year pageant comes to Jungle.

Doors open 9 p.m. at Jungle, 2115 Faulkner Road., Atlanta, GA 30324, 404-844-8800, www.jungleclubatlanta.com, www.georgiaeoy.com

Friday, April 16

Angela “Bucky” Motter joins the line-up for the “Harmony for Life” suicide prevention benefit at Eddie’s Attic. 7:30 p.m. at 515-B N. McDonough St., Decatur, GA 30030. 404-377-4976, eddiesattic.com Join the girls at Bellissima for DJ Angie Terrell’s monthly Tryst party. 10:30 p.m. at 560 - B Amsterdam Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30306. www.myspace.com/bellissima_lounge

DJ Mike Pope (Photo via MySpace)

Sunday, April 25

Joining Hearts, which helps fund housing for people with HIV, hosts its “Change of Seasons” Tea Dance with DJ Mike Pope. 5-10 p.m. at Shout at Colony Square, 1197 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30361, www.joininghearts.org

Saturday, May 1

The 23rd annual Atlanta Human Rights Campaign Dinner features awards for Bravo’s Andy Cohen, state Rep. Simone Bell and Vandy Beth Glenn, who is suing the General Assembly for firing her for being transgender. Includes silent auction. VIP reception begins at 5 p.m., silent aucition at 6 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, 265 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30303, www.atlantahrcdinner.org

MORE EVENTS @ theGAVOICE.com

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April 2, 2010

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