The Georgia Voice - 4/16/10 Vol. 1, Issue 3

HRC AND ERIC ALVA ARE FIGHTING TO REPEAL “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL.” Eric Alva was the first U.S. service member wounded in Iraq. He lost his right leg to a land mine. He is a proud Marine and a gay man.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” keeps patriotic women and men like Eric from serving openly. He is working with the Human Rights Campaign to repeal this law.

Join us and help to repeal it now. ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ Over the past months, we have worked nationwide to repeal DADT, focusing on 103 priority congressional districts.

Our efforts include: ★

More than 300,000 phone calls and e-mails to members of Congress.

★

275 HRC members lobbied on Capitol Hill to repeal DADT and pass ENDA and other key legislation.

★

Beyond the Beltway, our members conducted more than 250 in-district lobby visits.

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In 41 cities, we held events that highlighted military veterans opposed to DADT, and over the next several months we will conduct dozens more.

★

On May 11, we will send hundreds of veterans to Capitol Hill to lobby for repeal.

Join HRC and Eric to repeal DADT Visit www.hrc.org/RepealDADT

04.16.10 NEWS

OUTSPOKENIN THEIR OWN WORDS “And that, Marjorie — just so you will know, and your children will someday know — is the night the lights went out in Georgia!”

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed speaks out on Eagle, gay marriage. Page 4 Georgia Equality endorses Jason Carter for state Senate. Page 6 Macon rallies to support gay teens going to prom. Page 6 Lesbian Joan Garner seeks Fulton County Commission post. Page 8 Trans man alleges restroom harassment at Underground. Page 9 Retiring Supreme Court justice was key vote for LGBT rights. Page 11 Kagan, Sears could be too gay-supportive for Supreme Court. Page 11

— Dixie Carter as Julia Sugarbaker in “Designing Women”; the scene was so beloved by gay fans that it played regularly at Hoedowns, the gay Atlanta country bar. Carter, age 70, died April 10.

“That’s hard for me, because I’m very old fashioned, very old-timey.

So that idea is hard for me. On the other hand, maybe the most loving marriage that I’ve ever seen is a gay marriage.”

VOICES

HRC Dinner honors Bravo’s Andy Cohen and local heroes. Page 21 Your Milestones. Page 21 Photos: John Q’s ‘Memory Flash.’ Page 23 GA Spotlight: AIDS Resource Council/ PFLAG Rome, Atlanta Women’s All About Business Networking. 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’

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Members of Fred “God Hates Fags” Phelps’ family who protested Drake University over a same-sex marriage forum

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Photo via Oprah.com

POP QUIZ

“I would not be surprised if Oprah is gay. If she is, she is. It certainly fits.”

— Author Erica Jong, a friend of talk show maven Oprah Winfrey, as quoted in Kitty Kelley’s new book, “Oprah: A Biography.” (USA Today, April 11)

Protesters who turned out April 10 to counter the Phelps clan

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Percent of white Tea Party supporters who favor gay marriage

$120 million Estimated Social Security survivor benefits that LGBT taxpayers are deprived of each year; surviving partners lose an average $5,700 each Sources: Des Moines Register, University of Washington study, PR Newswire

Photo via website

COMMUNITY

BY THE NUMBERS

WITH JZ

Is Tyler Perry’s ‘Madea’ Atlanta’s most famous drag queen? Page 14 ‘Pink Peach’ brings LGBT flicks to Atlanta Film Fest. Page 16 Theater: Joan Crawford has her say in ‘Christina Darling.’ Page 18 Books: Lesbian author Fiona Zedde bids Atlanta farewell. Page 19 Events: Benefits offer fun while helping those with HIV. Page 21

STEVEN

IGARASHI AID ATLANTA’S HEALTH & WELLNESS GAY MEN’S COOR DINATOR

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A&E

Publicity photo

Opinion: Mayor, City Council missed Eagle opportunities. Page 12 Mike Ritter Cartoon: ‘Guns Don’t Kill.’

Page 12 Speaking out: Readers react to Catholic Church, more. Page 13

— Dixie Carter when asked in 1998 if she supports gay marriage (Metro Weekly, Sept. 3, 1998)

“I was on the debate team in school and was on a trip. There were some girls in the hotel we were in and I had a pack of Oreo cookies and was like, ‘hey baby, do you want a cookie?’ They said, ‘yeah’ so I pelted them with cookies. Later they called my hotel room asking for ‘Oreo Boy.’’

“People are often afraid of difference. They feel that anything that causes fear, should be turned away from. My brother represented fear for so many people, but caused joy in my life.”

— Actor Colin Farrell on his love for his gay brother, Eamon, who suffered intense bullying while growing up in Ireland. (The Sun, April 12)

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Reed seeks renewed relationship with LGBT Atlantans

to help change that.

After his administration is finalized and Atlanta Pride is over in October, he hopes to convene gay leaders to discuss the idea of putting on a gay rights conference similar to Philadelphia’s Equality Forum, which the city would help sponsor.

“I want to see if it is something that leaders in the GLBT community will both embrace and support,” Reed said. “I don’t want anyone to feel like my desire to do this is political in nature.”

Reed also hopes to continue to influence the state legislature, listing “continued vigilance about issues related to gay adoption” and a state statute to end employment discrimination against LGBT people as priorities.

“That’s why I hope that over time, through the example that I live, that the citizens in the GLBT community will understand that while I haven’t taken the positions around marriage equality [they would like] … I had a pretty good record in the Senate and House that I think continues to be useful, and I am certainly willing to be an advocate on a range of issues as I have been,” he said.

Atlanta mayor hopes his actions and record will mend rift from bruising campaign

By Laura Douglas-Brown lbrown@thegavoice.com After more than a decade in the state legislature, new Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has some advice for advancing LGBT rights: Don’t underestimate the value of allies and a good defense, but also don’t be afraid to lose a vote on proactive legislation.

“Even during times that the governor may veto your items or the future seems a long way away, you have to keep getting votes, because that is how you develop a path to winning. Keep putting it up there,” Reed told the Georgia Voice in a wide-ranging interview last week.

“If you keep your test votes, you have a baseline of where you are on an issue that is vital to the community,” he said. “And by not pressing, you lose the sharpness that is required for true change, and you don’t know who your friends are.”

Reed knows of what he speaks. As a member of the Georgia General Assembly, he sponsored the House version of the hate crimes bill that passed in 2000. A longtime goal of LGBT lobbyists, the measure was the first major piece of pro-gay legislation in state history to become law — and the last.

To avoid a fight over including sexual orientation by name, the hate crimes law addressed crimes motivated by “bias or prejudice.” In 2004, it was struck down by the state Supreme Court for being too vague, one of two major blows in a brutal year for gay Georgians that also included passage of a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Reed was elected to the state House in 1998, and served two terms before running for the state Senate, where he served from 2002 until 2009, when he resigned to focus on his bid to move down a block to Atlanta City Hall.

During those years, he was also part of a coalition of progressive legislators, mostly intown Democrats, who fought hard to defeat the marriage amendment. They also mobilized to fight an expected ban on gay adoptions, which has been rumored in every legislative session since 2004, but has not yet materialized into a fullblown fight.

“If you did not have a cadre of individuals [in the legislature] who support the LGBT community … you would have a level of hostility directed at lesbian and gay people that would have had a chilling effect citywide,” Reed said.

LGBT Georgians can’t take those lawmakers for granted, he added.

“I think the first mistake is to not embrace and treat your base well,” Reed said. “And if you believe that the work your base does is easy, then

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com • Video interview with Mayor Kasim Reed

you are creating an environment where you will never get there, because folks that are with you in their hearts don’t think that they are appreciated.”

‘Painful’ split

Reed’s advice that LGBT Georgians need to value and support allies is partially personal: Given his record in the General Assembly, he hoped gay voters would flock to his mayoral campaign.

But what constitutes being an LGBT ally in the state legislature turned out to not be the same as in the Atlanta mayoral race, where all of the other serious candidates backed gay marriage.

While Reed insists that he believes in “absolute full legal equality” for gay couples, he supports those rights through the separate status of civil unions – not marriage.

“I believe that gay and lesbian couples should have every right and benefit that married couples have, but I do have reservations when it comes to marriage — that is my position today,” Reed said in his April 7 interview with the Georgia Voice.

“I continue to suffer the consequences that come with it, repeatedly, and it is painful to me, but I know that there are folks that feel that my position is painful to them,” he said.

The stand was enough to drive many gay and lesbian voters to support Reed’s two chief opponents in the mayoral race, City Council President Lisa Borders and City Councilmember Mary Norwood. Georgia Equality endorsed Borders in the general election, then declined to issue an endorsement in the runoff election between Reed and Norwood.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed says he brings a philosophy of ‘full integration’ to his administration, while helping advance LGBT rights in the state.

(Photo by Bo Shell)

Still, many prominent gay leaders backed Norwood, and Reed acknowledges that while he won the election by the slimmest of margins, he lost District 6 – home to Atlanta’s highest concentration of gay voters – by a landslide.

“Despite having a record that I think was overwhelmingly stronger than any other individual in the race, and having a record that is stronger than any sitting elected official in the state,” he added.

Months later, Reed is clearly still stung by the rejection. During the course of a 45-minute interview, he repeatedly returned to the subject, stressing that he remains a strong ally on lesbian and gay issues, and he hopes gay residents won’t judge him only by his stand on their marriage rights, which he continues to oppose.

“I look at my relationship with the LGBT community as an 11-year relationship, not a six month relationship so … I would hope that we have a position going forward where we don’t throw our relationship away over that issue,” Reed said.

And there is plenty of work to be done. The city of Atlanta is an oasis for LGBT people in the state and the region, offering an inclusive nondiscrimination policy, a domestic partner registry for city residents, and domestic partner benefits for city employees.

While a handful of smaller jurisdictions in the metro Atlanta area have enacted similar policies, much of the rest of the state is a relative desert when it comes to gay rights.

Reed says he is willing to use his bully pulpit

Responding to the Eagle raid

There is also plenty to do here at the city level. Despite Atlanta’s progressive policies, Reed took office with the city embroiled in its biggest gay controversy in years.

Responding to two anonymous citizen complaints alleging drugs and sexual activity at the Eagle, a gay leather bar, the Atlanta Police Department initiated a months-long undercover investigation that culminated in a September 2009 raid.

More than two dozen officers, including the paramilitary Red Dog unit, stormed the bar, forcing patrons to lie on the floor for more than an hour while officers searched them and ran background checks on their identification. Several patrons at the bar also said they were treated roughly and endured anti-gay epithets in the raid, which is now the subject of a federal lawsuit alleging civil rights violations.

Reed, who criticized the raid as a candidate, drew fire from some LGBT Atlantans last month when he referred to the lawsuit as a “financial threat” to the city. The remark was made in a much longer written statement about the raid issued to WSB-TV. Of the many lessons that Reed has learned since becoming mayor, one is that he can’t speak as freely as he did on the campaign trail.

“Once you become mayor, my actions and my words take on a level of impact that you don’t have when you are a candidate,” Reed said last week, when asked about the comment. “There is active litigation going on with monetary damages, and I lead a city that is in pretty tough financial straits.”

“When we get a judgment against us, we are just like a private company and we have to write Please see MAYOR on Page 6

www.theGAVoice.com

April 16, 2010

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Ga. Equality backs Carter

Special election for state Senate District 42 set for May 11

LGBT community, but also is conducting serious outreach programs to the LGBT community in his campaign.

“He has built a strong base of support with a number of individuals and organizations … and has a good understanding of our issues,” Graham said.

By Dyana Bagby “We believe he can build effective bipartisan dbagby@thegavoice.com coalitions” to support LGBT issues in the legislature, Graham added.

Jason Carter, the grandson of former PresiOn April 15, a fundraiser is scheduled for Cartdent Jimmy Carter, picked up Georgia Equal- er at the home of Jimmy Paulk. It is hosted by sevity’s endorsement for the open state Senate Dis- eral of Atlanta’s gay leaders, including Ken Britt, trict 42 seat.

Lawrie Demorest, Georgia Log Cabin Republican A special election is set for May 11. The President Jamie Ensley, Glen Paul Freedman, Hustate’s largest LGBT advocacy man Rights Campaign Religion & organization announced the deciFaith Program Director and forsion in an April 13 press release. mer Atlanta resident Harry Knox, “I’m really excited and honAtlanta City Councilmember Alex ored by the endorsement. LGBT Wan and Kyle Williams. Carter is issues are important to this district also holding an LGBT mixer at and important to me,” Carter told Radial Cafe on April 20 from 6:30 the Georgia Voice. p.m. to 8 p.m.

“The most important thing for Stubbs is an attorney in prithe LGBT community, and everyvate practice in Decatur and a one else, is to seek out new coalilongtime resident and commutions for building broad support,” nity volunteer in the district. He he added. told Georgia Voice he was disap“There are issues that Georgia pointed Carter received the GeorEquality deals with, such as HIV/ Jason Carter (Courtesy photo) gia Equality endorsement, but AIDS, that are ripe for new coalithat if he won he would be “right tions, where new partnerships can back at Jeff’s door asking what be formed that maybe weren’t can I carry for you.” there in the past and where there “The dynamics of the Carter have not been good advocates. We name will not have as much can grow the support for other isof an impact as people think. sues … in the LGBT community He’s a nice guy,” Stubbs said. in particular.”

“Anointing someone doesn’t do David Adelman served as a damn thing for people, Carter the state senator for District 42, or no Carter.” which encompasses parts of Stubbs ran an unsuccessful DeKalb County including Decampaign for Dekalb County Sucatur and Atlanta, until he was perior Court Judge in 2008 and recently appointed U.S. ambas- Tom Stubbs (Courtesy photo) also ran for Decatur City Comsador to Singapore. mission in 1999, when he lost Other candidates qualifying to run for the seat to Kecia Cunningham. Cunningham, who was are Libertarian David Montane, Independent the first openly gay African-American elected Steve Patrick and Democrat Tom Stubbs. official in Georgia, still holds that seat and has Carter is an attorney at Bondurant, Mixson endorsed Carter. & Elmore. In 2006, he co-founded Democrats Stubbs added he has a long history of supWork, a national volunteer organization for porting LGBT equality, including being a memGeorgia residents wanting to work on commu- ber of the Atlanta Stonewall Democrats and nity service projects. He also founded Red Clay Lambda Legal.

Democrats in 2002 for young professionals.

Stubbs said he also lobbied the state legislaThe only candidates seeking Georgia Equal- ture in 2004 opposing the constitutional amendity’s endorsement were Stubbs and Carter, said ment to ban gay marriage. As president of the GE Executive Director Jeff Graham.

DeKalb Bar Association, in 2005 he published a “Because of the short time period before the column in which he compared “the bigotry perelection, we knew we wanted to make a quick petuated in our laws against same-sex couples” decision,” he said. The decision was made after to the laws reviewed in U.S. Supreme Court rulthe candidates filled out questionnaires and were ings, Dred v. Scott and Plessy v. Ferguson. interviewed by Georgia Equality leaders.

“I just have great neighbors who happen to Graham said Carter was selected because be gay. It’s not a hard call to support equality,” he he not only actively sought support from the said. “I’ve been doing that for years.”

www.theGAVoice.com

Macon rallies for Derrick Martin

On April 17, Derrick Martin will finally get to fulfill the dream that thrust him into the national media spotlight — take his boyfriend, Richard Goodman, to the prom in tiny Cochran, Ga. Martin’s decision and the resulting furor got him kicked out of his home, but also won him support around the state and the world. On April 9, some 100 people rallied at City Hall in Macon to show support for Martin and Deonna Sage, a drag queen who drew derision from a local radio host after appearing at Macon’s Cherry Blossom Festival.

(Photos by Jamie Roberts)

Mayor pledges second LGBT police liaison MAYOR, continued from Page 4 the check,” he said. “So while my heart might feel one way, I have a responsibility to 565,000 citizens and I have to be more measured than I would prefer to be, and than I think the citizens of Atlanta would prefer me to be.

“I think that certainly individuals in the gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender communities would like for me to express how I feel in no uncertain terms, but were I to do that right now, any expression of my feelings could be part of the evidence in active litigation against the city of Atlanta,” Reed said.

Asked whether he is talking directly with the city law department about how to handle the civil case, and about the possibility that settling the lawsuit could actually save the city money by avoiding months of legal fees, Reed was reluctant to answer — but hinted that he isn’t taking a bystander approach.

“I just think that I hope that people will give me time, I’ll just say that,” he responded.

During the interview, Reed also told Georgia Voice he was troubled by some media coverage and comments that he felt lost sight of the fact that the raid occurred prior to his administration.

“If you read some of the coverage you would believe that the Eagle raid happened when I was mayor,” he said.

‘Full integration’

A raid like the Atlanta Police Department conducted at the Eagle won’t take place in Atlanta again, or those involved will face “dire circumstances,” Reed pledged.

Although the Atlanta Police Department employs an LGBT liaison officer, she was not included in the investigation into the Eagle, and only learned about the raid when asked about it by media the next day.

The raid, which generated large protests at the Eagle and City Hall, yielded no arrests on drug or sex charges, although eight employees were cited for business license violations related to alleged “adult dancing.” All who appeared in court last month either had their charges dismissed or were found not guilty.

Reed will not have a designated LGBT liaison for his mayoral office, preferring instead a policy of full inclusion that puts gay people in prominent positions based on merit.

Of the eight top staffers he has hired since taking office, he noted that two are gay: Deputy Chief Operating Officer Luz Borrero, a lesbian reappointed from Shirley Franklin’s administration, and Deputy Communications Director Reese McCranie, who worked for Reed’s campaign and is not only openly gay, but openly married to a man.

“When there is a meeting to set policy for the city of Atlanta, there are eight people in the room besides me, and two of them are gay or lesbian; and it’s not even a thought — their voices are part of the global discussion,” the mayor said.

But Reed said he plans to add another LGBT police liaison, so that in the future there will be “a minimum of two.”

“I believe in the approach of full integration, so the notion that an event like the Eagle raid would be done without [the LGBT liaison] being aware of it would be dealt with with an appropriate level of severity,” Reed said. “That will not happen in my administration, and if it did, there would be dire circumstances as a result.”

Reed also reiterated the promise he made as a candidate that a raid like the Eagle would not take place under his leadership.

“As I said it, I will live it: Nothing like that will occur while I am mayor,” he said.

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Activist seeks to be first openly gay Fulton County commissioner Joan Garner says ‘now is time’ to win elected office

By Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com Joan Garner, a lesbian candidate for the Fulton County Commission District 6 post, credits Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson as a major influence in her interest in community activism and politics.

“He ignited the flame in me to look at working in my community and working from a grassroots perspective,” Garner, 58, said in an interview at Danneman’s Coffee in the Old Fourth Ward, just around the corner from where she lives with her partner of 11 years, Jane Morrison.

In 1989, Jackson was the first mayor in the city’s history to appoint senior LGBT advisers.

Other mentors Garner credits for inspiring her activism include Johnetta Cole, past president of Spelman College, and from within the LGBT community, people like Suzanne Pharr, a co-founder of Southerners on New Ground.

Support from the LGBT community is important in her campaign, said Garner, who is running as a Democrat. If elected to the Fulton Commission, she would be the first openly gay

person to serve on that board.

“There have been so many firsts before me,” Garner said. “I’m just standing on the shoulders of so many who have come before me.”

It’s “absolutely” time to have an openly gay person on the county commission, she said.

“We’re everywhere. I think with my experience I can bring a fresh new perspective to the county,” she said.

At press time, no other candidates had announced bids for the District 6 post on the Fulton Commission. Qualifying is set for April 26April 30. The primary will be July 20 and the general election on Nov. 2.

Garner’s experience in community service and management includes serving as president and CEO of the Historic District Development Corporation, a community-based, nonprofit organization that facilitates the preservation and revitalization of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic District as well as other historic/ preservation communities.

She was also executive director of the Southern Partners Fund, a community-based public foundation committed to equal rights, and co-wrote a book about philanthropy and social change, “Robin Hood was Right.”

“If a chance presents itself to look at how you might further effect change, working as a public servant is also a role,” she said.

Joan Garner is running for the District 6 seat on the Fulton County Commission. (Photo by Dyana Bagby)

Garner seeks the post Nancy Boxill has held for 23 years. But Garner said her decision to run was not based on Boxill’s retirement.

“Actually, I have been thinking about this for some time. Given my length of service and my work in the community, this would be a good time,” she said.

served on the team that helped Alex Wan win his seat last year on the Atlanta City Council.

Wan is the first openly gay man elected to the council as well as the first Asian American.

In 2003, Mitzi Bickers, former Atlanta School Board president, came out as a lesbian during her unsuccessful bid for the Fulton County Commission chair. She is now a management analyst in Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s office of Human Services and pastor for Emmanuel Baptist Church.

Denis Dison, spokesperson for the national Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, said there is a noticeable increase in openly gay candidates running for office. The organization has endorsed some 66 candidates so far this year.

“It’s really kind of unprecedented at this time of year [the number of openly gay candidates]. We’ve set a goal of 112 this year and it certainly looks like we are meeting the pace,” Dison said.

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Out candidates increase

• Video interview with Joan Garner Joan Garner 404-494-0283 www.GarnerforCommissioner.com Email info@garnerforcommissioner.com Twitter: @Garner4Results

Garner has already begun fundraising and is currently seeking political endorsements for the at-large race, for which all Fulton County residents are eligible to vote. On her campaign team are Ken Britt and Beth Schapiro, who also

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Trans man alleges restroom discrimination at Underground Incident with security guard highlights issues trans people face with public bathrooms

By Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com On March 16, at about 8:30 p.m., Lehcar Peterson was with a friend at Underground Atlanta when they had to use the restroom. The men’s room was being cleaned and several men were standing around it while the women’s restroom was clear. A transgender man, Peterson decided to use the women’s restroom.

“I had been using the women’s restroom my whole life, I didn’t think there would be a problem,” said Peterson, 21.

But after getting into a stall, Peterson said he heard a man shout, “Hey, sir,” several times.

“I didn’t know he was talking to me. I’m not passing a lot,” he said.

Peterson alleged that the security guard then came into the bathroom and started rattling the stall door where he was using the bathroom, shouting, “Are you male or female?” several times.

“I know he could hear me urinating,” Peterson said.

Peterson, who began transitioning from female to male in August after moving to Atlanta from Washington, D.C., said he typically uses the men’s room if there aren’t many men around and he feels safe. When attending Georgia State University, although not enrolled now, he said he could usually find a unisex restroom to use.

While the security guard continued to shake the door and threaten to pull it open, Peterson said he became terrified of what might happen if he identified as male or female. While he presents as male, he has not changed his GSU identification card to state he is male.

“I assumed he was a police officer because of the tone he was using. I remember [from a training about what rights people have when confronted by police] that I don’t have to tell them my gender — he has to have a reason.

And he kept asking if I was male or female. I told him I don’t have to divulge this, that I want to speak to your supervisor,” Peterson said.

When they walked out of the restroom, Peterson alleges the security guard grabbed him by the arm and shouted at him in front of a group of men milling around the restroom.

“There were these guys around. He was still yelling, ‘Are you male or female.’ Some of the people are shouting, ‘That’s a female.’

I’m messed up. People will kill a transgender person. What do I say?” Peterson said. “I feel pressured to say something but still don’t.”

Peterson said he was finally asked for his ID. “It has my birth name on it, the hated name,

Lehcar Peterson, an openly transgender male, says he was discriminated against for using an empty women’s restroom at Underground Atlanta.

(Photo by Dyana Bagby)

my female name on it. Then another guard starts asking me horrible questions, like, ‘Do you have a dick or vagina between your legs?’” Peterson said. “I felt like some weird side show.”

The security officer’s supervisor read the ID and Peterson said he asked him why he just didn’t identify his gender. But Peterson said fear kept him from saying.

“I knew hate crimes happen to transgender people. If I say male and show my ID, I could get my ass beat. I really didn’t want to say either way because either way it could go bad,” he said.

Peterson said he spoke to Officer Dani Lee Harris, the LGBT liaison for the Atlanta Police Department, and filed an official complaint against the security officers at Underground Atlanta.

Harris confirmed a report had been filed but it was not made available despite numerous requests. A call to Varonel Manzueta, director of security at Underground Atlanta, was not returned.

Restroom risks

Justin Tanis, community education and outreach manager for the National Center for Transgender Equality, said bathroom harassment of transgender individuals is prevalent.

“Trans people are very much at risk in the restroom — they can be harassed, asked to leave. Even if their ID shows they are male or female [the gender they are presenting as], they can face harassment,” he said.

Being confronted in a public restroom by someone or having a security guard called is embarrassing and dangerous, Tanis added.

“Research shows that violent attacks against transgender people often come from people in law enforcement,” he said.

Peterson said what he wants most to come from the incident is for security personnel at Underground Atlanta to undergo mandatory diversity training so what happened to him won’t happen to anyone else.

“I have social anxiety about this now. This had never happened to me before,” he said.

“That was a real traumatic experience.”

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Justice Stevens: a Republican who grew liberal with the times Kagan, Sears could Retiring Supreme Court justice was key vote for LGBT rights; authored dissent in Ga. anti-sodomy case

By Lisa Keen Keen News Service Some court observers credit U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens with having forged a majority of the court to overturn laws banning private sexual relations between persons of the same sex — the most beneficial gay-related decision ever rendered by the Supreme Court.

Stevens, who turns 90 on April 20, announced April 9 that he would retire from the high court at the end of June.

In a one-paragraph letter to President Obama, Stevens said he had concluded that “it would be in the best interests of the Court to have my successor appointed and confirmed well in advance of the commencement of the Court’s next term.”

The announcement triggered a storm of media attention that is not likely to subside anytime soon as President Obama prepares to nominate his second candidate for the nation’s highest court. The nomination will almost certainly trigger another storm — this one on Capitol Hill, where Republicans have dug in to oppose nearly everything the Obama administration and Democratic majority in Congress is trying to pass.

But the news also inspired an outpouring of praise for Stevens as one of the Supreme Court’s oldest and longest-serving justices.

Gay rights groups joined in the praise. The Human Rights Campaign called Stevens “fairminded” and Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund hailed him as a “true visionary” to whom the LGBT community “owes much.”

“He has been a strong, clear, and consistent voice for the rights of gay people and other minorities, the disabled, reproductive freedom, and free speech,” said Jon Davidson, legal director at Lambda Legal.

Opposing sodomy laws

It was 2003 when the greatest chunk of LGBT Americans’ debt to Stevens was sealed.

Then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist and two other justices wanted to uphold the Texas sodomy law in Lawrence v. Texas, according to court historian Jeffrey Toobin. But Stevens, the ranking justice on the other side of the issue, was against it.

“Stevens wisely assigned [Justice Anthony] Kennedy to write the opinion” for overturning the law, wrote Toobin, in his 2007 book “The Nine.”

In fact, Toobin suggests, Stevens studiously chose Kennedy for the assignment as a way of shoring up Kennedy’s vote for those who wanted to overturn the law. And in writing the historic

Lawrence v. Texas opinion, Kennedy “drew heavily on Steven’s seventeen-year-old opinion” in Bowers v. Hardwick.

The case pitted Georgia Attorney General Michael Bowers against Michael Hardwick, a gay Atlanta man who was arrested for sodomy in his own home when police entered to serve a warrant for a minor, unrelated matter.

The Supreme Court upheld the Georgia law, which banned all anal and oral sex but was primarily used against gay people.

Stevens vehemently opposed the decision.

He joined the primary dissent, written by then-Justice Harry Blackmun, and then penned his own dissent, joined by Justices William Brennan and Thurgood Marshall.

In his fiery dissent, Stevens harshly criticized the majority for ignoring the plain language of the Georgia law prohibiting sodomy — that it prohibited oral or anal sex for any couple, gay or straight.

The sodomy law, said Stevens, was “an unconstitutional intrusion into [Michael Hardwick’s] privacy and his right of intimate association does not depend in any way on his sexual orientation.”

If the right to privacy means anything, wrote Stevens, “it means that, before Georgia can prosecute its citizens for making choices about the most intimate aspects of their lives, it must do more than assert that the choice they have made is an ‘abominable crime not fit to be named among Christians.’”

The Hardwick decision had not only upheld laws prohibiting private sexual relations between people of the same gender, it had been used in a wide variety of arenas to justify further discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Other gay cases

Stevens’ position in Hardwick was not a big surprise: In 1976, one year after he was appointed to the court by Republican President Gerald Ford, he, Brennan and Marshall said they thought the court should hear an appeal challenging Virginia’s law against same-sex sodomy; but a majority affirmed the law without hearing arguments.

In June 1987, Stevens was with the majority in Houston v. Ray Hill, which overturned a city ordinance in Houston that was used to stifle protests by a gay activist, Ray Hill, against police harassment of gays.

But 10 days later, Stevens joined the majority in ruling that the U.S. Olympic Committee did not violate the First Amendment rights of Gay Games organizers by preventing them from calling their gay sports event the “Gay Olympics.”

In 1988, he voted with a majority that said the Central Intelligence Agency’s firing of an employee because he was gay was subject to judicial review, and he voted with a unanimous court ruling that upheld the procedure used to fire an employee of the National Security Agency who acknowledged having homosexual relations with citizens of other countries.

be opposed as too gay-supportive for Supreme Court

Retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, who turns 90 this week, is viewed as the leader of the more liberal wing of the high court.

(Photo courtesy Supreme Court)

Centrist to liberal

For most of his tenure on the court, Stevens was a relative moderate who leaned liberal. With more consistently liberal justices — Brennan, Marshall, and Blackmun — on the court, Stevens seemed centrist.

By 1991, after Brennan and Marshall retired, Stevens inevitably began to appear more liberal, relative to the increasingly conservative court.

But his vote also became more consistently liberal, and he began to take a leadership role.

He voted with the majority in Romer v. Evans in 1996, agreeing that Colorado’s initiative banning any legal protection based on sexual orientation was unconstitutional.

And though, a year earlier, he had agreed with a unanimous court, in Hurley v. Irish-American Gay Group, that the organizers of a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Boston had a First Amendment right to ban a contingent of gays, he wrote the dissent in 2000, in Boy Scouts v. Dale, opposing the majority’s decision that said the Boy Scouts of America had a First Amendment right to discriminate against gay scout leaders.

Hurley had only a “superficial similarity” to Boy Scouts, said Stevens. Whereas a gay contingent could be said to convey a message when participating in a parade, the same could not be said of a single gay scout leader joining the Boy Scouts.

“Being openly gay,” said Stevens, “communicates a message — for example, that openness about one’s sexual orientation is more virtuous than concealment; that a homosexual person can be a capable and virtuous person who should be judged like anyone else; and that homosexuality is not immoral — but it certainly does not follow that they necessarily send a message on behalf of the organizations that sponsor the activities in which they excel,” Stevens wrote.

The potential impact of the retirement will be measured once President Obama nominates a replacement; the nominee must be confirmed by the Senate.

Two possible replacements for retiring Justice John Paul Stevens could draw fire from conservative organizations for their stands on gay issues.

President Obama’s short list of potential nominees holds fewer Former Georgia than 10 names, accord- Supreme Court Justice ing to ABC News. They Leah Sears. include former Geor- (Publicity photo) gia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Sears and U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan, ABC reported, along with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Court of Appeals Judge Diane Wood, and DC Court of Appeals Judge Merrick Garland.

Sears was known for her strong stands on gay issues during her tenure on the Georgia Supreme Court, from which she retired in June 2009. Her legal opinions, including voting with the majority to overturn Georgia’s sodomy law and her opposition to the process by which Georgia’s constitution was amended to ban gay marriage, made her the target of conservatives who tried unsuccessfully to unseat her.

Solicitor General Elena Kagan’s opposition to the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban was a key issue for opponents when she was confirmed to the Obama administration post last year, and will surface again should she be nominated to the high court, the Wall Street Journal reported.

As dean of the Harvard Law School, in 2005, Kagan joined an amicus brief that argued that law schools like Harvard should be able to bar military recruiters, because the military does not follow the gay-inclusive non-discrimination policy the schools required of private employers who wished to recruit on their campuses.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is “a profound wrong — a moral injustice of the first order,” Kagan wrote in an email to law school students and faculty at the time, according to the Wall Street Journal.

During the confirmation process for Kagan to become attorney general, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) asked her in writing if she believed the U.S. Constitution guaranteed gay couples the right to marry.

“There is no federal constitutional right to same-sex marriage,” Kagan said, according to the Journal.

Last year, the Christian Coalition of America called Kagan “dangerous to America.”

— Laura Douglas-Brown

GA Voice

April 16, 2010

Voices

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EDITORIAL

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VOICES OPINION & REACTION Mayor, City Council missed Eagle opportunities Damage to city’s reputation, budget could have been limited Guest Column

By Matthew Cardinale Mayor Kasim Reed may consider the Eagle raid civil lawsuit as a “financial threat” to the city, but he and the Atlanta City Council should have thought of that when they missed important opportunities to address the fallout from the police raid on the popular gay leather bar.

Reed called for the truth about the raid to come out when he was running for office, but now he’s not so sure if he really wants the truth to come out after all.

Reed’s first failure was neglecting to order the Atlanta Police Department officers involved in the raid to testify before the Citizens’ Review Board. He demonstrated a total lack of respect for the board, or the truth.

Ironically, the police union said its members would have been happy to testify before the CRB if they would only be ordered to do so by their superiors, as they believed that would afford them additional protections under the law.

But Reed said police testimony before the CRB could be used against the city in the civil suit later, so it would be like two bites of the apple.

So what does this mean, that the Eagle raid victims can file a CRB complaint or a lawsuit, but not both? What kind of precedent does that set? And how will the court feel, that the city abdicated its oversight and failed to correct the problem in a timely manner?

And then the financial threat comment. I’d like to know, what is the price tag Reed would put on citizens’ constitutional rights?

If Reed was so concerned about financial threats to the city, he should have asked the APD or solicitor general to drop the charges against the eight Eagle employees arrested on business license violations during the raid, before exposing taxpayers to a pointless, costly trial, and the possibility of additional legal actions from the Eagle 8.

The City Council was just as foolish by holding in committee a resolution by Council member Michael Julian Bond (Post 1-at-large) that, among other things, would have sought the charges dropped.

Bond is quickly becoming one of the most

Shannon Jenkins/Offhand Photography

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Mayor Kasim Reed’s response to the Eagle raid and lawsuit, Page 4 important allies on the council to the LGBT community and to progressives in Atlanta.

He introduced the resolution not because it was politically easy, but because it was the right thing to do. Expecting a quick approval by the full City Council, he introduced it at the first meeting of the new council in January.

Instead, council members were concerned that the bill also offered an apology for the Eagle raid, which they felt could complicate the city’s position in the civil lawsuit, so the bill was referred to the Public Safety Committee.

Community activists, Eagle owners and staff, and Eagle patrons, including the present writer, mobilized at the committee, asking the council to amend the resolution to drop the language about the apology but to still ask the court to drop the Eagle 8 charges.

We noted the charges against the 8 were completely separate from the lawsuit brought against the city by the patrons.

Moreover, we noted the city was exposing taxpayers to further liability by continuing to pursue the charges, despite having such a weak case against the 8.

And in retrospect, we were right! It was a weak case; all who appeared in court were either found not guilty or had their charges dismissed. And city leaders knew they wouldn’t even ask their own officers to testify about what they did that night, but they didn’t want to drop the charges because it would make it seem like they were mistaken in the first place.

The committee completely wimped out, opt-

ing to hold the resolution indefinitely, pending the outcome of the civil lawsuit against the city, even though that could take years to settle.

Since then, they’ve already been found not guilty, but maybe the resolution will still pass in three years? And only after a court of law has found the city in the wrong will the council maybe apologize?

Way to take the high road. At that point, what good will an apology be anyway?

Again bowing to the city’s attorneys — who by the way work for the mayor, not the council — the committee members worried that they did not have the authority to influence court proceedings.

Well, no one ever said they did. We acknowledged they didn’t but we had hoped the council’s resolution could simply ask those with that authority to do so, and that their request would be noticed and considered.

Besides, resolutions which express the will of the council do not always assume jurisdiction over the matter.

For example, a few years ago the City Council approved a resolution to support a national proposal for a U.S. Department of Peace, but that does not mean it assumed to have the authority to create a new federal department single-handedly.

Moreover, there are precedents for legislators getting involved — at least diplomatically, or through friend of the court briefs — in judicial matters. U.S. Reps. John Lewis and Hank Johnson, both Democrats from Atlatna, fought hard to save the life of Troy Davis, who is on death row.

The fact of the matter is, if City Council members wanted to do something, they could have. If Bond’s resolution wasn’t completely perfect, they could’ve amended it. They could have found a way to do something more than nothing at all.

It’s really the city’s loss and the taxpayers’ loss. But for Reed now to call the civil suit a financial burden — and not a moral burden — when he and the council missed chances to save the city money by seeking to drop the charges?

That’s not just shameful, that’s hypocrisy.

Matthew Cardinale is the news editor of atlantaprogressivenews.com. He broke the story of the Eagle raid after arriving at the bar as a patron while the raid was in progress. He can be reached at matthew@atlantaprogressivenews.com Share your Voice! Email opinion column ideas to editor@thegavoice.com

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SPEAKING OUT The real problem with the Roman Catholic Church is…

Re: “Catholic leader says church has ‘homosexual problem’” (thegavoice.com, March 31) If the church really had a “homosexual problem” the vestments would be more stylish and updated.

The church has a pedophilia problem, not a “gay” problem. The church also has a raping and impregnating problem – just ask the women of Alaska.

I think gays have a Catholic problem. Why are any of us still there, giving money and time to a group that hates us? Leave, people.

The church says that homosexuality is not a sin but that homosexual acts are a sin. It also teaches that sexual intercourse outside the bonds of a church marriage between a man and a woman is a sin, and that sex inside a marriage is only for procreation. Unfortunately all three of these positions are totally anti-human.

The Vatican had better realize that what it has is a “crisis of faith” problem that could self destruct the better part of their organization if they don’t stop trying to pass blame and find some way to acknowledge and honestly confront their biggest threat since Constantine made them the state religion of the Roman Empire.

How many Temples of Apollo are there these days? Nothing is guaranteed to last forever.

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 Parents should admire gay prom teen’s courage To the editors: Thank you for the excellent article regarding Derrick Martin (“Prom King,”April 2). The story of this young man and his boyfriend is truly an inspiration to all people gay or straight.

I was saddened to read about his parent’s reaction by pushing him to leave the family home.

No matter what a child has done, that person is always a son or daughter needing compassion, love and security.

From the raw courage Derrick expresses in the article as well as his responses to anti-gay slurs and treatment by some members of the Cochran community, it appears he has a strong will and level head to make it on his own.

It is truly a distressing day when parents don’t behave as parents and follow the judgment or beliefs they may have been raised on without seeing the biggest picture of all and that is of their son.

Alan Akin, Atlanta

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www.theGAVoice.com ‘Handsome Harry’ Sat., April 17, 7:15 p.m.

Wed., April 21, 2:25 p.m.

FILM

by STEVE WARREN

Atlanta Film Festival

thinks‘Pink’ ‘Pink Peach’ programming brings LGBT flicks to broad festival

The Atlanta Film Festival, which runs April 15-23, again includes a “Pink Peach” component, with six features and two short film collections of special interest to LGBT viewers.

The massive festival drew more than 21,000 attendees in 2009, according to organizers. Now in its 34th year, it will screen more than 160 films, ranging from documentaries to animation, and everything in between.

The festival opened April 15 with a gala presentation of the civil rights film “Freedom Riders,” and closes April 23 with “Secret to a Happy Ending,” a documentary about the Drive-By Truckers, an Athens-based band. Director Barr Weissman and band members will attend the screening at the 14th Street Playhouse.

On April 17, there is a special 50th anniversary screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller “Psycho” at 9 p.m. in Piedmont Park. All regular screenings, including the LGBT films, take place at the Landmark Midtown Arts Cinema.

Two of the best festival features we’ve previewed are in the “Pink” section but have crossover appeal.

‘8: The Mormon Proposition’ Friday, April 16, 9:20 p.m.

Wednesday, April 21, 7:10 p.m.

Documentaries aren’t usually tearjerkers but “8: The Mormon Proposition” evokes tears of joy in scenes of same-sex weddings in California, followed by tears of rage at the hateful tactics used by the Mormon church to pass Proposition 8, putting a ban on same-sex marriage into the California constitution.

Another film on the subject, “Annul Victory,” which screened in last year’s Out on Film, was a clumsy collection of home videos, mostly of rallies against Prop. 8. “8: The Mormon Proposition” is the real deal, a professional effort directed by Reed Cowan, that digs deeper and contains some real revelations.

Narrated by Mormon-born, Oscar-winning “Milk” screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, the film features Spencer Jones and Tyler Barrick, a Mormon couple who’d been together for six years and married in San Francisco the day it became legal.

“8” focuses on the campaign orchestrated and

‘Play in the Gray,’ a documentary about drag troupe ‘All the Kings Men,’ has its world premiere at the Atlanta Film Festival. (Courtesy photo)

funded by the Mormons through various fronts, such as the National Organization for Marriage.

The church, which once faced persecution for its belief in polygamy, pressured its adherents to donate sacrificially.

Both sides get their say but the film’s sympathies are never in doubt.

‘The Battle of Pussy Willow Creek’ Sat., April 17, 2:20 p.m.

Tues., April 20, 12:20 p.m.

Filmmakers in attendance (both shows): Writer/Director/Producer Wendy Jo Cohen, Assistant to the Director Joe Braun, Actor Tim Cusack, Casting Director/Actor Luisa Battista “The Battle of Pussy Willow Creek” is a riot for history buffs, not usually known for their sense of humor. Wendy Jo Cohen has made real documentaries for the Discovery and History channels so she knows the drill and could have fun with it.

The fictitious skirmish occurred simultaneously with the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, but was expunged from history because its heroes were considered “examples of human degeneracy.” A gay man, a former slave, a Chinese septuagenarian and a whore in men’s clothing saved the nation’s capital.

The story is told by a diverse lot of “experts,” most with their own agendas, including “Roger McEntyre, author of ‘Prejudice and Pride: A History of Gays in the Military.’”

The humor is droll and deadpan, accessible to all; but the more familiar you are with real documentaries the more you’ll enjoy this spoof.

Before “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” became official policy, it was common sense for gays in the military. “Handsome Harry” brings back those days in the story of the 32-years-aftermath of a Navy gay-bashing.

Harry Sweeney (Jamey Sheridan) has serial reunions with five Navy buddies, four of whom were involved with him on “the night we almost killed Kagan.” Kagan was beaten for apparently making a pass at one of the others.

Homophobic Thomas Kelley (Steve Buscemi) sets the plot in motion from his deathbed, asking Harry to seek Kagan’s forgiveness on his behalf.

Harry visits the others (John Savage, Aidan Quinn, Titus Welliver), before approaching David Kagan (Campbell Scott) to attempt closure.

Many of the actors in this powerful indie drama have previously played gay or bi, or appeared in films with strong gay elements: Buscemi (“Parting Glances”), Scott (“Longtime Companion” and “The Dying Gaul”), Quinn (“An Early Frost”) and Savage (“Hair”). Karen Young, who plays the waitress with a crush on Harry, was in “Torch Song Trilogy”; and Bill Sage, here as Harry’s assistant, was in “Mysterious Skin,” “High Art,” “The New Twenty” and “Precious.”

‘Mother Earth (Tierra Madre)’ Sat., April 17, 7:30 p.m.

Tues., April 20, 12:15 p.m.

Illustrating the fine line between truth and fiction, “Mother Earth” (“Tierra Madre”) and “Who Saw Him” (“Chi L’ha Visto”), listed as narrative films, are largely true stories of their lesbian and gay protagonists.

In “Mother Earth” Aidee Gonzalez narrates and recreates her story matter-of-factly. Director Dylan Verrechia drains most of the drama from a gut-wrenching tale that has enough for several seasons of a telenovela.

A Mexican, Aidee has two children by different men. One abandons her, the other marries her but is shot as a drug runner. She supports herself and her children by pole dancing. Rosalba introduces Aidee to the pleasures of women. They live together until Rosalba wants a child and goes off with the man who fathers it.

“Mother Earth” looks like a black-and-white home movie but better.

‘Play in the Gray’ Sat., April 17, 9:20 p.m.

Mon., April 19, 2:30 p.m.

Filmmakers in attendance (both shows): Director/Producer Kaitlin Meelia, Director of Communications Danielle Connor, Editor Ian McFarland, Director of Photography Justin Francese It’s 11 o’clock. Do you know what gender your children are?

Kaitlin Meelia’s “Play in the Gray” is a portrait of the Boston-based All The Kings Men (www.

ATKM.com), described as “a drag theatre troupe

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www.theGAVoice.com dedicated to challenging the confines of gender identity.” The film has its world premiere as part of the Atlanta Film Festival.

Started in Massachusetts in 2001, All The Kings Men is made up of six lesbians (four of them scheduled to attend the festival screening) for whom frilly feminine attire is as much drag as male clothing with fake facial hair. The film takes you into the lives of Julee, Katie, Maria, Jill, Leighsa and Karin and some of their partners.

Perhaps a separate performance film is upcoming, because “Play in the Gray” shows only brief, tantalizing snippets from their shows.

For all the fun they’re obviously having, the troupe’s work looks more polished than you might expect. Those who just wanted to goof around have apparently fallen away, leaving a core group dedicated to serious fun.

‘Who Saw Him (Chi L’ha Visto)’ Sun., April 18, 7:20 p.m.

Tues., April 20, 2:05 p.m.

“Who Saw Him” coasts on the charisma of its subject, Gianni Meurer, a gay man who was raised in Berlin by his German mother but decides to search for the Italian father he hasn’t seen in over 20 years. The biographical details are reportedly true, the action pure fiction.

Looking like a cinema vérité documentary, it has some of the same flaws, including narrative gaps because cameras aren’t present when major events occur. As a result the unexplained ending comes out of left field.

Meurer, more Italian than German-looking, carries most of the film on his charm, especially when he plays all the roles in the reunion he anticipates with his father; but once he reaches Rome even he can’t get us through the narrative confusion.

Gay Shorts Sat. April 17, 4:50 p.m.

Filmmakers in attendance: “Catching On” Associate Producer Gregory Walsh, Director Nick Pistorino; “Bedfellows” Writer/Director Pierre Stefanos Wed., April 21, 4:35 p.m.

Filmmakers in attendance: “Danny” Producer/Director T. David Field Though he’s not expected to attend, actor James Franco is doubly represented as a director, with the feature “Saturday Night,” about the week leading up to an “SNL” telecast, and a short, “The Feast of Stephen,” that rivals Franco’s “Milk” director Gus Van Sant for its understanding of the gay psyche.

In “The Feast of Stephen” a gay youth fantasizes about four basketball players and what they do to him for fantasizing about them. Or is it a fantasy? It’s one of eight films in the “Gay Shorts” program and to their credit, most of them seem too short.

T. David Field’s “Danny,” about a schoolmate who befriends a loner with an abusive father, has the depth of a feature in a compact 24 minutes.

A gay man tries to have sex with his best

‘Catching On: The Day the World Turned Gay’ spoofs the conservative fear that legalizing gay marriage will make gays take over the world.

(Photo by Gregory Walsh / courtesy ‘Catching On’)

(female) friend, who wants a baby, in Jonathan Lisecki’s “Gayby,” a reverse “Humpday” except it’s funny. If the marriage montage in “Up” made you misty you’ll weep buckets at the gay equivalent, “Bedfellows” by Pierre Stefanos.

Other gay shorts include “Catching On: The Day The World Turned Gay,” “Curious Thing,” “Non-Love-Song,” and “Rubbuds.”

Lesbian Shorts Mon., April 19, 7:20 p.m.

Filmmakers in attendance: “To Comfort You”: Actor Pauley Perrette; “One Night” Writer/Director Laura Jean Cronin, Actor De jonna DeMarco Thurs., April 22, 12:10 p.m.

Filmmakers in attendance: “One Night” Writer/Director Laura Jean Cronin, Actor De jonna DeMarco There are only six in the “Lesbian Shorts” package. The films offer a variety of moods: comedy to tragedy, romance to rage.

Hyperactive editing hurts “Simple Pleasures,” about a wife’s lesbian fling during a business trip, and “One Night,” which jumps between an eventful evening and a mundane morning after. In “The Roe Effect,” about a woman whose girlfriend gets jealous when she gets pregnant, filmmaker Kiel Scott is almost trying to make a “Memento”-style reverse narrative.

“Yulia” is a brief animated short with a lesbian punchline. Susan Blakely stars in “To Comfort You” as a mother who has a strained, long-distance relationship with her HIV-infected lesbian daughter (Pauley Perrette). The young assistants of two high-powered PR women hook up in Gianna Sobol’s “Public Relations,” which is inconsequential, but generally joyous.

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com Atlanta Film Festival April 15-23, www.atlantafilmfestival.com Full schedule: atlantafilmfestival10.sched.org Most screenings: Landmark Midtown Art Cinema 931 Monroe Drive, Atlanta, GA 30308 Pink Peach Party Wednesday, April 21, 9 p.m.

Burkhart’s Pub 1492 Piedmont Ave. , Atlanta, GA 30309 Sponsored by Burkhart’s and Out on Film Festival pass or ticket stub required to attend

April 16, 2010

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THEATER by JIM FARMER

Daughter dearest ‘Christina Darling’ explores the difficult relationship between Joan Crawford and her adopted child The world premiere of Process Theatre’s “Christina Darling� this weekend marks another chapter in the saga of legendary Hollywood star Joan Crawford and her adopted daughter, Christina.

Christina’s rocky relationship with Joan was covered in Christina’s book “Mommie Dearest� and later made into a campy film with Faye Dunaway.

Now gay playwright Topher Payne explores Christina’s competing personal histories and the difficult relationship between mother and daughter.

The play opens after Christina (played by Barbara Cole Uterhardt) watches the film version of “Mommie Dearest� and has a heart attack. She is visited by her grandmother, who

takes her on a journey to understand the life of Joan (played by Payne).

The Georgia Voice caught up with the inimitable Joan Crawford (Payne, of course) to discuss the play.

Hello Ms. Crawford. Can you tell us a little about your new show?

May I call you Jimmy?

Yes, ma’am.

Well, Jimmy, are you familiar with “Mildred Pierce?� [the film that won Ms. Crawford a Best Actress Oscar]. I think this surpasses that; it’s the “Mildred Pierce� for a new generation.

My adopted daughter Christina in the piece is played by actress Barbara Cole Uterhardt, who brings more to the role than Christina does herself. The great Betty Mitchell plays [grandmother] Anna and Kristin Kalabi is the young Joan.

I’m happy to be able to bring this show to my fans. It’s been a long time since I was able to greet them. I will stay all night until every single photograph is signed.

SPRING BREAK AT PIEDMONT BARK

NO SHOES, NO SHIRT,

FULL-SERVICE! Âł 0LOHV \HDU ROG

And the wardrobe, Jimmy! I can’t wait for my fans to see the wardrobe!

You and Christina both worked on the soap opera “The Secret Storm,� correct?

Anyone who saw Christina on “The Secret Storm� saw her specific limitations as an actress. Christina and I were able to work on the show. I stepped in for her. We never had the opportunity to share scenes but we did share a character. I was 62 and she was 28.

I want to be clear – Christina did read for the part in “Christina Darling� but once you see the show you’ll understand why Barbara got it.

Have you seen “Mommie Dearest?�

I have. After a few stiff drinks, I was able to make it through. Faye Dunaway is a committed and intense actress. She didn’t disappoint, but the script did not live up to the strength of the character.

How do you describe the relationship with Christina?

Christina has always had a casual relationship with the truth. She loves the value of stories. I’ve been dead for 30 years and to manufacture material, you have to be creative.

What do you make of Christina’s statements about your parenting skills?

It’s certainly not the first time I have heard that from her. Now that she is an adult, I wonder how clean her house is. What standards does she have? If people did not have standards, the whole world would go the hell. If she had been adopted by a hard-scrabble family in Oklahoma, I’d be interested to see how she turned out.

As for using wire hangers, if you could see what they can do to a good dress, you can understand why I never use them!

Ms. Crawford, have you always had a strong relationship with gay men?

I love all my gay fans. In Hollywood Billy Haines was a true and loyal friend, and loyalty is a precious thing. His partner Jimmy, they had the best of what a marriage can be. I did not experience that until later in my life.

Is it true that you dance in this show?

YAPPY HOUR MAY 2, 2010: PROUDLY PRESENTING

THE 2010 PET COTILLION OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK • 404-873-5400 • MIDTOWN ATLANTA, AMSTERDAM WALK, 501 AMSTERDAM AVE, ATLANTA, GA 30306

Joan Crawford (right, played by Topher Payne) faces her former self, Lucille LeSueur (Kristin Kalbi) in Payne’s ‘Christina Darling.’ (Photo courtesy Payne)

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com ‘Christina Darling’ April 16 - May 8 Onstage Atlanta 2597 North Decatur Road, Decatur, GA 30033 404-245-4205 www.theprocesstheatre.org

Yes. Anyone who had read my autobiography knows I started as a dancer. I am delighted to introduce or reintroduce dance to my fans.

It’s been so long since I danced. But it’s work hard, Jimmy. Hard work!

Is Bette Davis attending opening night?

I have not heard that. It would be so kind of her! Encountering Bette is always such a memorable experience!

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BOOKS

by DYANA BAGBY • dbagby@theGaVoice.com

A sweet kiss goodbye Lesbian author Fiona Zedde bids farewell to Atlanta Fiona Zedde’s first kiss after she moved to Atlanta was with an ex-girlfriend from New York who flew in for a visit.

“I brought her down from New York. I had just graduated from college and was living in Marietta and my ex was in New York and wanted a break from the city and visited me,” Zedde says.

“She was not impressed with Atlanta at all.

But something about the city pulled us together at that moment and we ended up kissing a lot … in my little tiny, tiny basement apartment.”

That kiss doesn’t make it into Zedde’s new e-book, titled “Kisses After Midnight,” available on Amazon and ready to be downloaded to your Kindle.

The book from the author who has made a name for herself in lesbian erotica is a collection of 13 short stories. There is also an excerpt of her next novel, to be released next year, included in the anthology.

“I put it together because the next print book won’t be out until February 2011 and I wanted

to write something for readers expecting something this year but didn’t get it,” she says.

About a third of the stories were published elsewhere, a third have never been published and were reworked by Zedde and some stories were written when she was in college.

“Some are very sweet and warm, some are raunchy and sexy and some have nothing to do with sex or queerness,” she says. Compiling and writing the stories helped Zedde see how much her writing has changed over the years.

“Putting this together helped me see how far my writing has grown and changed. And how much my writing can grow and change from now,” she explains. “It was a very revealing exercise.”

Zedde is working on a novel that is not erotic, unlike her past Lambda Literary Award finalists “Bliss” and “Every Dark Desire,” as well as “A Taste of Sin” and “Hungry for It.” “I’m working on a novel that is not exotic, but definitely lesbian. And I wanted to share that new part of myself and hope readers accept this incarnation of myself,” she says.

Charis Books & More, where Zedde worked for many years, is hosting a reading from the

ebook on April 30 as well as book signing of her numerous other books. The party is also a farewell — Zedde is moving soon to St. Petersburg, Fla. The upcoming move to Florida is part of a new path for Zedde, prompted in part after meeting a woman.

“I need a change. I love Atlanta, but I’ve been feeling very restless lately. A few months ago I met this woman who lives in Florida and she opened up the window for me to see what kind of change I needed,” Zedde says.

“I’m moving to be closer to her, to be in warmer weather and to open my writing to other kinds of influences.”

Atlanta will always hold a special place in her heart, she says.

“What am I going to miss about Atlanta?

The weather, Charis, Little Five, friends and family, the park. Pollen notwithstanding, Atlanta is gorgeous. The fresh bursts of pink everywhere, wisteria dripping down in various places, in Decatur. And Atlanta is so gay and so saturated with color, with people of color,” she says. “St. Pete is not like that and I will miss that about Atlanta.”

Coming up with the title of “Kisses After Midnight” was something Zedde struggled with but finally settled on after talking with friends and family.

“It had to be something sexy, but not like ‘Hungry For It,’ something softer and sexy, something that would not lead you right away to erotic.

April 16, 2010

GA Voice

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Lesbian author Fiona Zedde reads from her ebook ‘Kisses After Midnight’ and says farewell to Atlanta on April 30. (Courtesy photo)

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com ‘Kisses After Midnight’ party Friday, April 30, 7-8:30 p.m.

Charis Books & More 1189 Euclid Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307 www.charisbooksandmore.com www.fionazedde.blogspot.com www.fionazedde.com

“But again it does lead you to the erotic, doesn’t it?” she says, laughing.

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GA Voice April 16, 2010

A&E

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EVENTS by JIM FARMER

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com

Wine, dine and dance

Dining Out for Life April 21 Various metro area restaurants 404-419-1104 www.DiningOutforOH.org

Benefits offer great entertainment while helping people with HIV

Three popular annual benefits devoted to helping people with HIV are just around the corner.

First out of the block is the perennial Dining Out for Life, scheduled for April 21. Sponsored

by Open Hand, Dining Out for Life is now in its 18th year. Patrons are asked to visit area restaurants for a meal; at least 20 percent of the proceeds go to Open Hand. More than 150 restaurants will participate in the 2010 edition.

According to Matt Pieper, senior director of resource development at Open Hand, Dining Out for Life has evolved “from a handful of restaurants participating 18 years ago to restaurants all over Atlanta.” He says what distinguishes this fundraiser from others is that basically it’s a “non-event.”

“There is no price of admission, no tuxedos to rent,” says Pieper. “Our supporters are simply asked to enjoy lunch or dinner at their favorite participating restaurant, knowing that at least 20 percent of their tab will benefit [us].”

Open Hand, which has been serving Atlanta and surrounding areas for 22 years, has become

the largest home delivery meal in the nation, preparing and delivering more than 5,000 meals across 17 Georgia counties. Originally called Project Open Hand, it was founded to provide meals for people with HIV, and later expanded to include others in need.

Next up after Dining Out for Life is Joining Heart’s Change of Seasons tea dance on April 25. Now in its second year, Change of Seasons will feature popular DJ Mike Pope at Shout.

“It should be a wonderful event,” says Dwayne Queen, marketing director for Joining Hearts.

“The music will be great, with warm weather and drink specials at an upscale location.”

According to Queen, the organization recently decided to up its number of annual events.

“We continue to grow and as such we made the decision to have a presence all year,” he says.

Joining Hearts now hosts four events throughout the year, the main fundraiser being Joining Hearts 23 in July. Queen expects a big crowd for the tea dance, as well as good mix of gay and straight participants.

DJ Mike Pope spins for Change of Seasons, a tea dance to raise money for Joining Hearts, which helps provide housing for people with HIV. (Photo via Myspace)

Joining Hearts is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to providing housing support to people living with HIV/AIDS in the Atlanta area.

Rounding out the month is Uncork a Cure, an April 29 benefit for the AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta. Now in its 20th season, the event takes place this year at the Foundry at Puritan Mill.

Therese Tran, event chair, says participating restaurants are among the top tier of Atlanta-area food venues. Past participants have included Woodfire Grill, Bacchanalia, Peasant Bistro, Morton’s Steakhouse, Watershed and 4th & Swift. This year, MetroFresh and Ludacris’ Straits are among the 20 participants.

A ticket provides unlimited food and alco-

Change of Seasons April 25, 5 – 10 p.m.

Shout at Colony Square 1197 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30361 678-318-1446 www.joininghearts.org Uncork a Cure April 29, 6 – 9 p.m.

The Foundry at Puritan Mill 916 Joseph Lowery Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30318 404-876-2317 www.uncorkacure.org

hol, as well as entrance and a free drink at the after party at Tongue & Groove.

One attribute of Uncork a Cure that sets it apart is being able to interact with many of the chefs involved, Tran says. The silent auction is also traditionally popular.

ARCA’s funding has decreased, making benefits such as these vital, Tran says. “This is our signature event,” she says. “It helps to sustain operating costs.”

“HIV still touches everyone; it’s not a gay/ lesbian disease,” Tran adds. “We all need to work to find a cure.”

www.theGAVoice.com

COMMUNITY LOCAL LIFE

Community

April 16, 2010

GA Voice

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Your Milestones

C R H S E O R HE

Annual dinner honors Bravo’s Andy Cohen, local stars Rep. Simone Bell and Vandy Beth Glenn

Bravo’s Andy Cohen, the gay man behind such hits as ‘Project Runway’ and the ‘Real Housewives’ franchise, receives HRC’s National Visibility Award at the May 1 Atlanta dinner. He is honored alongside local residents Rep. Simone Bell (D-Atlanta) and Vandy Beth Glenn. (Cohen photo courtesy Bravo, file photos)

By Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com The Atlanta Human Rights Campaign gala dinner brings in star power this year with Bravo’s Andy Cohen.

Cohen is the man behind all of “The Real Housewives” shows, as well as “Top Chef” and “Project Runway.” He also hosts “Watch What Happens: Live,” Bravo’s late night, interactive, weekly talk show. In essence, he is everywhere in the pop culture spotlight.

For living as an openly gay celebrity and businessman at a television network known for its gay-inclusive programming, HRC will present Cohen with the National Visibility Award at its 23rd Atlanta dinner on May 1.

The black-tie dinner at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta hotel features a silent auction, dinner and speakers. It raises funds to support HRC’s national work for LGBT equality.

“I think Bravo has a great evolution in portraying gay people … gay people are not on Bravo because they’re gay but because they are talented or interesting,” Cohen said in a recent conference call with several Atlanta media outlets.

“If you look at our shows over the past four or five years, the roster of gay is high. We’re proud of that. And HRC and Bravo being likeminded — we are. HRC’s mission is America being a place where all gay men and lesbians and transgender people are full members of American society. Bravo portrays that world without editorialization and without fanfare,” he says.

As a network, Bravo has “always been re-

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com ally invested in showing just every color of the rainbow so to speak in terms of who people are rather than what they are,” Cohen said, noting that he takes a similar approach to his own life.

“I don’t want to hit people over the head with a hammer that I’m gay. But I have a gay point of view with a gay sensibility,” he says.

Local activists recognized

Cohen isn’t the only star being recognized for achievements. This year, the HRC Atlanta Dinner Committee honors local residents Vandy Beth Glenn and state Rep. Simone Bell (DAtlanta).

Bell, the first openly lesbian African-American to serve in a state legislature, will receive the Dan Bradley Humanitarian Award not only for her historic achievement but also for her years working on a broad range of policy and legislative issues. They include workplace equality, access to affordable healthcare, fighting HIV/ AIDS stigma and discrimination, safe schools for all children, youth empowerment, LGBT rights, and women’s issues.

“Probably in the moment of the evening it will all rush down on me — this is definitely a great honor,” Bell says during a brief break from working under the Gold Dome.

“HRC is one of our national organizations

Atlanta HRC Gala Dinner & Silent Auction Saturday, May 1, 6 p.m.

Hyatt Regency Atlanta 265 Peachtree St. NE Tickets: $200 general admission $100 clergy, students, elected officials, parents attending with children www.atlantahrcdinner.org

that strives to do a lot fighting for our rights — this is just another amazing thing to happen in the midst of so many amazing things.”

Bell says she is proud to be honored by an LGBT community group and she hopes to continue making all communities proud with her work in the legislature.

“Right now I have to stay focused on the work that needs to be done. I’m really pleased the community is behind me and I wouldn’t be here without the help of so many people. I just hope I can continue to make our communities proud,” she says.

Being a state representative is “hard, demanding work,” she adds, “but I’m loving it.”

Glenn will receive the Leon Allen and Winston Johnson Community Service Award for her courage in suing the Georgia General Assembly after she was fired from her job as a legislative editor when she told her boss she intended to transition to female.

Glenn is represented by Lambda Legal in the federal lawsuit. Last year her attorneys filed

Ebonee Bradford-Barnes and Anita Barnes were legally married March 7, 2010, in Washington, D.C. The couple was married by Bishop Rainey Cheeks at Inter Light Ministries. They were the 121st couple to marry after same-sex marriage became legal in the District of Columbia last month.

Celebrating a MILESTONE? Share your engage-

ments, 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!

a summary judgment motion, but the judge has not ruled on it.

Also last year, Glenn traveled to Washington to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education & Labor about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. The legislation would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

While a rift still exists between some in the transgender community and HRC after the national organization in the past agreed to support ENDA when it did not include gender identity and gender expression, Glenn says today everyone is on board with an inclusive agenda and it’s time to move forward together.

“I think the past should stay in the past. It’s time for us all to join hands and move forward,” she said.

She hopes that the award and her ongoing battle with the General Assembly will help others understand the discrimination transgender people face.

“I’m very honored and very humbled and grateful to my heroic attorneys because no one would have heard of my case without them,” she says.

“I hope this raises awareness that transgender people get treated like this all the time and it needs to stop.”

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GA Voice April 16, 2010

www.theGAVoice.com

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

t Hyatt Regency Atlanta Featuring HRC Visibility Award Winner BRAVO’s Andy Cohen

HRC President Joe Solmonese

SVP of Original Programming and Development; host of “Real Housewives” reunions and “Watch What Happens: Live” on BRAVO!

Also Featuring: David Cicilline - Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island and Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives

BUY TICKETS NOW! For Tickets and Information: www.atlantahrcdinner.org LOCAL SPONSORS

N AT I O N A L S P O N S O R S

PRESENTING SPONSORS*

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BRONZE SPONSORS* S I LV E R S P O N S O R S *

CRYSTAL & VIP RECEPTION SPONSOR*

MEDIA SPONSOR* * SPONSORS AS OF APRIL 9, 2010

Community

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April 16, 2010

GA Voice

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‘Memory Flash’ mixes gay Atlanta’s past and present Photos By Bo Shell bshell@thegavoice.com

5

“Memory Flash,” held on April 3, was the first series of public interventions by artist collective John Q. The goal of the event, held in four locations, was to create new memories based on Atlanta’s LGBT past.

1. Freddie Styles, a member of the Jolly 12, a black gay social group that met on Wabash Avenue in the late 1960s.

2. The Jolly 12 members would line up in blue pants and white shirts and march along the street.

3. Drag queens in the late 1960s were forced to hide in beer coolers when police came around the Joy Lounge, once located on Ponce de Leon Avenue.

4. Inside a portable beer cooler, Memory Flash participants watch a clip of Billy Jones performing as Phyllis Killer in the late 1960s.

5. Joey Orr (far left), Wesley Chenault and Andy Ditzler march around Piedmont Park as the John Q Collective.

6. Flux Project volunteers read oral histories of women’s softball in Piedmont Park.

7 & 8. People mingle at Mixx where Ditzler screens Andy Warhol’s “Lonesome Cowboys” into the trees behind the bar. In 1969, police raided a viewing of the movie in Ansley Mall.

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MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com

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See all the photos and videos of the John Q Collective’s Memory Flash’ online.

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GA Voice April 16, 2010

Community

www.theGAVoice.com

“My partner and I have been very grateful for the quality of care and support at Sunrise of Decatur.”

GEORGIA SPOTLIGHT

- Linda Ellis, Executive Director, The Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative

Families trust Sunrise as their choice for Senior Living.

At Sunrise of Decatur we know that families searching for senior living can be faced with an overwhelming number of options and questions. Our commitment to “Celebrate Indivuality” as one of our Principles of Service gives you peace of mind that your loved one will be cared for in an environment that honors the individuality of our residents and their families.

“Sunrise of Decatur has been home to my father-in-law for seven years now and we appreciate the warm welcome they have given our family from the very first day.”

-Linda Ellis, Executive Director, The Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative

Call 404-377-6111 to schedule a personal tour today!

Sunrise of Decatur

404-377-6111

920 Clairemont Avenue

ÃÃ ÃÌi`Ê Û }ÊÊUÊÊ i ÀÞÊ >ÀiÊ For more information and a FREE online newsletter, visit www.sunriseseniorliving.com

Cristina Briboneria, acting president of the new Atlanta Women’s All About Business Networking. (Photo courtesy Facebook)

AIDS Resource Council/PFLAG Rome

About two years ago, Tina Bucher tried to found a PFLAG chapter in Rome, a city of some 40,000 people located in northwestern Georgia.

The process was a bit more complicated than she imagined, so instead Bucher acts as a representative for the organization in the town where she’s lived for some 15 years.

“I think clearly there is a need because there really is not an organized gay community here,” says Bucher, an open lesbian. Bucher says she occasionally receives emails from LGBT people seeking resources and she refers them to Marietta and Gainesville, the closest cities with gay groups.

But she also gets email from young people coming out in the small, religious and conservative city. Atlanta is about an hour away, so she can inform young people about YouthPride as well as give them online resources. Rome’s AIDS Resource Council, formed in 1994 by community activists and led by Executive Director Jeanne

MORE INFO AIDS Recource Council 108-B East 5th Ave., Rome, GA 30161 706-290-9098, www.aidsresourcecouncil.org Email: aidsresourcecouncil@hotmail.com PFLAG Rome 706-235-9293 pflag-rome@hotmail.com

Cahill, is not a gay organization but provides HIV/AIDS resources to those living in the rural community, including many gay people.

A member of the ARC team is gay Rome resident Frank Tant, who was diagnosed with HIV in 1988.

He lost his partner, Bill Rennie, to HIV in 1990. Tant became an active member of the ARC in 2002, and began his work as an educator.

— Dyana Bagby

Atlanta Women’s All About Business Networking

Several Atlanta lesbians are forming a new women’s business networking group to fill a void they say exists in the LGBT community.

“A reason we started this group is to support women in our community,” says Cristina Briboneria, acting president of the new Atlanta Women’s All About Business Networking group.

Briboneria is associate vice president and private CFO for oXYGen Financial in Alpharetta.

“What I personally found when attending networking events such as the Atlanta Executive Network, Human Rights Campaign and the Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is that, while these are great organizations, they are made up of primarily men,” she says.

And women’s groups, such as Fourth Tuesday and the Women’s Outdoor Network, were purely social groups, she says.

The next meeting is set for April 29.

The group is still organizing but has an acting board of directors: Briboneria, Barb Rowland, Susan Bird, Molly Simmons, Debra Jacob and Alison Hall.

The goal is for the group to meet at least twice a month — once on the first Tuesday and then on the fourth Thursday. The first meetings of the month will be about referrals and networking, allowing women to introduce themselves and describe their businesses and work. Other meetings will include educational and leadership seminars.

The group is currently developing a website. For more information and to receive invitations to upcoming events, visit www. meetup.com and search “Atlanta Women’s All About Business Networking.”

— Dyana Bagby

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BEST BETS 04.16 - 04.30

Calendar

April 16, 2010

GA Voice

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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.

Friday, April 16

SPOTLIGHT

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, www.eddiesattic.com

Saturday, April 17 The Atlanta Roller Girls play two roller derby bouts, with the Apocalypstix vs. the Toxic Shocks at 5 p.m. and the Sake Tuyas vs. the Denim Demons at 7:30 p.m. at Yaarab Shrine Center, 400 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.atlantarollergirls.com

Gay playwright Topher Payne plays Joan Crawford in the premiere of his “Christina Darling,” which tells the story of Joan’s daughter Christina Crawford, author of the scorching memoir “Mommie Dearest.” Tonight through May 8 at Onstage Atlanta, 2597 North Decatur Road, Decatur, GA 30033-6126, www.theprocesstheatre.org

Friday, April 16 – Sunday, April 18

An Atlanta spring tradition, the Dogwood Festival gets underway today and runs through Sunday at Piedmont Park. Tonight’s music line-up includes lesbian singer-songwriter Doria Roberts, who takes the stage with the Blackeyed Susans at 5:50 p.m. www.dogwood.org

Courtesy AGMC

Friday, April 16Friday, April 23

Saturday, April 17

Photo by Michie Turpin / via Mixon Myspace

See who has the best ‘do at the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus’ Big Wig Party.

8-11 p.m. at Kai Lin Art Gallery, 800 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.agmchorus.org

Sunday, April 18 Lesbian singer-songwriter Renee Mixon heats up the patio at Cowtippers. 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. at 1600 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA 30324, www.reneemixon.com

The Atlanta Film Festival opened April 15 and runs through April 23, featuring more than 160 films – including more than a dozen short films in the lesbian and gay category. For schedule of LGBT films, see story on Page 14. Showings at Landmark Midtown Arts Cinema. www.atlantafilmfestival.com

Saturday, April 17

Sharon Foster Jones reads from “Images of America: The Atlanta Exposition.” 2-3:30 p.m. at Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse, 991 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30309, 404-607-0082, www.outwritebooks.com AIDS Vaccine 200 Party & Silent Auction raises funds for the upcoming 200-mile bike ride, which benefits the Emory Vaccine Center. Includes DJ Todd Skelton and food by Keith Hand of Bridge Catering. 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. at Urban Body Studios, 730 Ponce de Leon Place, Atlanta, GA , 30306, www.actioncycling.org 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

White Friday, AprilTra16 niversary Weekend 2010 xx Girls present their An b Traxx Atlanta and into the wee hours at Clu Vivica A. Fox. Party lasts Party, hosted by actress xatlanta.com w.t Atlanta, GA 30329, ww rax Miami, 3011 Buford Highway,

MORE COMMUNITY EVENTS

Courtesy PBS

Courtesy photo

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

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.

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

Saturday, April 17 – Sunday, April 18

The Atlanta Freedom Bands presents its Spring Concert. 7 p.m. at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 501 Grant St. SE, Atlanta, GA 30312, www.atlantafreedombands.com

Monday, April 19

This year’s Midtown Tour of Homes follows the theme “Luxury Midtown in the Sky,” featuring highrise condos. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. www.midtowntowntourofhomes.com

Same Gender Loving Expressions Radio Show takes to the internet every Monday night from 8-10 p.m. Listen in at www.exceptionalradio.com; for more information, visit www.meakproductions.com

Sunday, April 18

Tuesday, April 20

Forget “Dancing with the Stars.” The first annual Southern Pride Dance EXPO is set for noon to 4 p.m. at the Academy Ballroom, 800 Miami Circle, Atlanta, GA 30324, southernpridedancesport.com Noni’s Deli kicks off its Sunsets on the Patio with DJ Vicki Powell. 5 p.m. to midnight at Noni’s, 357 Edgewood Ave., Atlanta, GA 30312. www.nonisdeli.com

LGBT activist Betty Couvertier hosts “Alternative Perspectives” every Tuesday at 7 p.m. on WRFG, 89.3 FM. www.wrfg.org

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

GA Voice April 16, 2010

Calendar

EVENTS

www.theGAVoice.com

UPCOMING

Photo by Austin Young

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Friday, April 30 – Sunday, May 2

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

The second annual OutlantaCon focuses on LGBT themes in the science fiction, fantasy and horror genres. Speakers for the weekend conference include J.A. Steel, Cecilia Tan, Darieck Scott, Andrew Greenburg, J.M. McDermott, Eugie Foster, Kiernan Kelley, Greg Herren, Kayelle Allen and more. Events at the Holiday Inn Select – Perimeter, 4386 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, GA 30341, www.outlantacon.org

Wednesday, April 21

Dine at any of more than 100 local restaurants today for Dining Out For Life, and at least 20 percent of your tab will be donated to Open Hand, which provides nutritious meals for people with HIV and other serious conditions. For a complete list of restaurants, visit www.diningoutforoh.org

Thursday, April 22

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 Connie May Fowler, author of “Before Women Had Wings,” brings her latest novel, “How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly,” to Charis. 7:30 p.m. at Charis Books & More, 1189 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta GA 30307, 404-522-9912, www.chariscircle.org Creative Loafing Editor Mara Shalhoup reads “The Rise and Fall of Big Meech & the Black Family Mafia.” 7:30 p.m. at Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse, 991 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30309, 404-607-0082, www.outwritebooks.com

Friday, April 23 – Sunday, April 25

The Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce hosts its popular Fourth Friday networking from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Artmore Hotel, 1302 W Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30309, www.atlantagaychamber.org Charis hosts “Whose Earth Day?: A 40th Anniversary Celebration for All of Us,” exploring the intersections between the environmental justice movement and other social justice causes. 7-8:30 p.m. at Charis Books & More, 1189 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta GA 30307, 404-522-9912, www.chariscircle.org Atlanta SM Solidarity presents its 22nd annual Spring In The South education weekend, featuring 20 BDSM courses and six vendors. Visit website for application and details: www.atlantasmsolidarity.org

Saturday, April 24

The Atlanta Titans, a new team in the gay Hotlanta Softball League, hosts “Bowling Beer Boys” to raise funds for the team. $20 gets you bowling and beer from noon to 4 p.m. at Midtown Bowl, 1936 Piedmont Circle NE, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.hotlantasoftball.org

Saturday, May 1

Saturday, May 1

Celebrate the first annual World Fitness Day by working out with Jane Fonda and her celebrity friends, including gay favorite Margaret Cho (pictured). The list also features Ludacris, Debbie Allen, Richard Simmons, The Pointer Sisters and more. Tickets are $75 to work-out, $25 to watch. Benefits Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. at the Georgia Dome, 1 Georgia Dome Drive, Atlanta, GA 30313, www.worldfitnessday.org

In the tradition of Atlanta’s Wigwood and New York’s Wigstock, the organizers of MondoHomo, the Memorial Day weekend queer arts fest, host WigOut — an afternoon of bands, wigs, drag, DJs and more. Cover is $7 with a wig, $15 without.

Includes DJs Vicki Powell and Jay McCracken. 2 p.m.

- 9 p.m. in the parking lot of the Atlanta Eagle, 306 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.mondohomo.com Blue Feather Books authors Jane Vollbrech, Mavis Applewater and Chris Paynter visit Charis for a special signing and meet and greet. 7 p.m. at Charis Books & More, 1189 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta GA 30307, 404-522-9912, www.chariscircle.org DJ Alex Cohen mans the turntables at 10 p.m. at Jungle, 2115 Faulkner Rd., Atlanta, GA 30324, 404844-8800, www.jungleclubatlanta.com Atlanta drag legend Charlie Brown and his Angels perform at 11 p.m. at the Model T, 699 Ponce De Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.modeltatlanta.com

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

Monday, April 26

Enjoy great sushi and great camp drag at Dragamaki every Monday night from 8:30 – 10 p.m. at Nickiemoto’s, 990 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, www.nickiemotosmidtown.com

Photo via Facebook

Bring your old, unwanted gold jewelry to the Gold & Chocolate Party, which benefits the Living Room, which helps low-income people with HIV secure housing. You must donate 25 percent of the cash you receive, and you get to enjoy cocktails, chocolate and a prize for the top donor. www.livingroomatl.org

Tuesday, April 27

Lesbian networking group Fourth Tuesday hosts its monthly dinner. Locations vary; visit www. fourthtuesday.org or call 404-688-2524.

Chessen Parker, a.k.a. YouthPride board member Frances-Ann Moran, reads from “Blackbeard’s Curse,” part of her upcoming Crystal Coast Mystery series. 7:30 p.m. at Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse, 991 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30309, 404-607-0082, www.outwritebooks.com

Thursday, April 29

Uncork A Cure raises funds for ARCA, the AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta. Sample 100 different wines and food from more than 25 restaurants. 6 p.m. at the Foundry at Puritan Mill, 916 Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30318, www.aidsresearchatlanta.org

Friday, April 30

Charis holds a going-away party for lesbian erotica writer Fiona Zedde, who is moving to Florida. Zedde reads from her ebook, “Kisses After Midnight,” and will sign her other books as well. 7-8:30 p.m. at Charis Books & More, 1189 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta GA 30307, 404-522-9912, www.chariscircle.org Lindsey Hinkle performs at 9 p.m. at Bellissima, 560 - B Amsterdam Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30306. myspace. com/bellissima_lounge

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 auction at 6 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, 265 Peachtree Street NE,Atlanta, GA 30303, www.atlantahrcdinner.org The Atlanta Bucks, the city’s gay rugby team, holds its annual Purple Dress Run, to benefit the team and YouthPride. Don your purple dress for the run from Mixx to Blake’s to FROGS Cantina to the Eagle; drinking all the way. A cookout follows at the Eagle. Registration starts at 1 p.m., step off at 2 p.m. at Mixx Atlanta 1492 Piedmont Ave., Suite B, Atlanta, GA 30309. www.purpledressrun.org The Armorettes present “This Is It! Wild Cherry’s final performance,” as Wild Cherry Sucret retires from the infamous camp drag troupe. The show benefits the Boybutante AIDS Foundation and the Armorettes fund for people with AIDS. 7-9 p.m at Jungle, 115 Faulkner Rd., Atlanta, GA 30324, 404-844-8800, www.armorettes.com

Sunday, May 2

Piedmont Bark presents the 2010 Pet Cotillion, a benefit for PALS Atlanta, which helps people with HIV and other serious health conditions keep their pets. Vote online at www.palsatlanta.org for your favorite furry friend to be crowned Cotillion King or Queen, then enjoy the party with open bar, silent auction and DJ Greg Moseley. 3-6 p.m. at Piedmont Bark, 501 Amsterdam Ave., Atlanta, GA 30306, www.piedmontbark.com

April 16, 2010

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